Disclaimer: DreamWorks has the rights to KFP and its characters. Only OC's and story are mine!

A/N: Hello, dear readers! Actually ended up feeling some real motivation to continue writing so I've been able to crank out another chapter! Reviews are always appreciated! Enjoy!


Chapter 9: When Plans Fail

The afternoon sun had set too swiftly, it seemed to Tigress. The empress's apartment was growing dim; any minute servants would begin lighting the many candles that stood round the empress's private chamber. The day had been a rush of activity, especially the last few hours.

Now, however, all was in readiness, and they waited. "You appear anxious, young Master." The empress crossed the room to where Tigress was maintaining her vigil upon the window bench. She had been seeing to last-minute details and had just returned. "Do not be troubled, Tigress." Tigress smiled weakly and turned her eyes slowly away from the window, from where she had spent most of the late afternoon watching servants scurry across the courtyard in the snow on furtive business for the empress.

"I am not afraid," Tigress lied, "More concerned, but that is not the same thing." She looked at the empress in the dying light. She had vastly changed since she had last seen her. Where only a short while before she had been arrayed in regal finery, now she stood before her in plainer trappings: a brown tunic—not unlike her own—with purple cloak, very heavy, but finely made. She wore trousers with a wide leather belt at her waist. "So you approve of the empress's attire?" She laughed, trying to put Tigress at ease. "We have the same tailor, you and I."

Tigress forced a laugh and stood. "When will we be going? The sun is well down . . . Will it be long?"

"No, not long," the empress reassured. "Shun will summon us when all is made ready. We need not fret. Our preparations are in safe care."

Tigress was now more uneasy than she had been previously. She had had a taste of the danger of her mission and had witnessed its effects in Ling's case. And that danger had been heightened and multiplied by all that had taken place in the last several hours: Po's message, the hastily conspired plot to free Ling, the feverish preparations for their journey—and now the waiting.

In the waiting, Tigress found time to think about all that had gone before, to doubt her newly discovered bravery, to question again her feelings and wish a thousand times that she'd never left the Jade Palace, and to curse the blind impetuosity that had propelled her into the midst of this dark adventure.

Tigress turned glumly once more to stare out of the window; the courtyard below lay deep in violet shadow, and a single star blazed bright as a beacon fire above one of the southern turrets. A good omen, thought Tigress, and was herself brightened somewhat.

A quick knock sounded upon the empress's chamber door, and Shun entered at once. Tigress had trouble recognizing him, for he was dressed not as the empress's chamberlain but as someone of much higher rank, although Tigress could not say who; he looked like a nobleman.

"You look a fine prince, Shun," said the empress. "Are you ready to play the part?"

Shun bowed again; turning his back to them, he shouted thickly, "You may go! Leave!" He turned again and asked blandly, "Would you say that was sufficient for our purpose?" There was just a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and Tigress realized with a start that Shun was playing the part of the mysterious Chang.

"I think you will do nicely . . . I only hope I do not lose my chamberlain. He might like it as a prince—though not a rogue such as Chang, surely."

With that, Shun withdrew into the anteroom. Tigress heard the hollow echo of his summons to the warder. Then the empress turned to Tigress and said, "It is time to go. Follow the warder and he will lead you to the postern gate. The horses are waiting there with our provisions. We will come along as soon as may be. Go quickly now."

Tigress followed the warder, a short, thick yak with black eyes. He looked every inch the soldier he had once been. Tigress walked quietly along in the yak's wake as they made their way along the back ways and little-used passages of the castle.

They walked quickly, stopping to look neither right nor left, although Tigress's eyes caught flashing glimpses of rooms opulent and luxurious beyond her simple imaginings. She ached to be able to just stand and gaze upon them from the corridors. They passed various apartments, the armory, anterooms, and chambers. At one point, they passed a great open entranceway with two huge carved oaken doors thrown wide in welcome. Inside a double colonnade supported an immense vaulted ceiling of concentric arches above a vast open room that seemed to contain the treasures of a whole kingdom. Tigress had never seen anything like it; the room seemed large enough to have swallowed the Jade Palace whole. Zan, the warder, saw Tigress's eyes grow round as they passed the room and explained, "That is the Great Hall of the Shining Sun. There is none like it in all the world."

Tigress believed him.

No sooner had the warder spoken than he turned like lightning upon Tigress and seized her by the tunic at the back of the neck. Tigress was surprised and shocked. "Come along, ruffian!" the warder roared.

"Do you require assistance, Zan?" Tigress heard a voice behind her. He spun around and saw two beasts, richly dressed and proceeding into the great hall. One looked to be a noble by his armor, but he was no noble like Tigress had ever seen. His armor was silver and burnished to a glittering brightness; his cloak was crimson and lined with sable, as were his gloves and boots.

The one standing next to the noble wore a richly brocaded cloak of silk with gold drawn into fine thread and woven into the fabric. His tunic was royal purple, and he wore a large golden collar from which hung his insignia: a vulture with two heads, one facing right and the other left.

Tigress guessed it was the noble who had spoken, though she had no way of knowing. "I can manage, my lord," said Zan, dipping his head curtly. "We caught this one in the larder, stuffing her pockets."

"Well, give her a taste of your strap," said the nobleman impatiently. Both turned away, and Zan yanked Tigress behind one of the great doors, clamping a hand over the boy's mouth.

"Quiet, young Master!" he whispered hoarsely. "We dare not be seen lurking hereabouts." Then he removed his hoof with an additional caution not to cry out.

"Who were they?" Tigress whispered. Zan rolled his eyes upward. "Dizang, help us! It was Prince Chang and one of his nobles, Lord Làn —a fouler beast I never want to meet."

"Then let us get away!" said Tigress, seeing no good reason to linger in the vicinity any longer.

"We cannot—any moment Shun will walk into a trap unaware! We must do something to prevent it."

The plan had been simple enough, but not without its element of risk. The chamberlain, Shun, was to impersonate Prince Change after secretly obtaining some of the prince's clothing. A forged message was delivered to the dungeon keeper to place the new prisoner under guard and bring him to the Great Hall, which was the only place the conspirators could think of where Chang himself would not likely show up. But their worst fears had, as on such occasions frequently happens, materialized in force.

Prince Chang and one of his noble knaves had chosen this time for a private parley in the Great Hall, where Shun, in disguise, would momentarily appear. Only Zan and Tigress knew of the serious mischance. "I fear the gods go against us, young Master. Here comes Shun, and too soon the prisoner will follow." Footsteps could be heard far down the corridor; Shun was hurrying to his place. "There is only one thing for it," said Zan. "A diversion."

He peered around the huge door and pointed diagonally across the hall to the darkened arch of an alcove. "You see that door over there?" he asked. "That is the storeroom of tables, benches, and all that fills the hall on feast days. And also a quantity of banners and pennons and other such frippery—set them on fire!" He thrust into Tigress's uncertain hands a small flint and iron attached with a leather thong, which he carried in a pouch at his side. "I will be right after you, yelling to catch their attention. Mind, when you hear me call, leave all and come out. We will not have much time, but maybe enough."

"I understand."

"Then go." Zan pushed Tigress forward with such force that she fell sprawling into the entrance of the Great Hall, dropping the flint and iron, which clinked dully as it skittered across the black marble floor not five paces from where Prince Chang and Lord Làn had stopped to confer.

Tigress leaped to her feet and dived to snatch up the flint and iron. Zan, behind him, shouted, "Stop him! Stop that thief!" Prince Chang and Lord Làn turned just in time to see Tigress dash toward them, swoop to retrieve her lost utensil, and dart away. Lord Làn, without thinking, made a swipe after the fleeing youth, but Prince Chang, considering this an ill-timed interruption in his important affairs, stood fuming in his place.

Tigress reached the door of the storeroom and smacked the iron latch with her hand. The door was secured from within. Bringing her fisted paw back in the way Shifu had taught her, Tigress threw her fist forward into the latch with incredible force, managing to force the latch and bust the door open, squeezing through and closing it again in almost the same motion. Lord Làn heavy fist rattled the door as she threw the bolt back down and drove it into the wall with another well placed strike.

The room was almost pitch dark; only a feeble light found its way in from an arrow loop set high up in the wall. With Zan's excited voice and Lord Làn's angry challenges and both men pounding upon the door, Tigress ran forward and found in a corner of the room banners on standards. She threw them down and set to striking the flint and iron.

The effort appeared futile; there was no edge or kindling that could catch a spark. Seeing no other options, she unsheathed a claw and began to strike the flint. The spark caught on the old banners. She blew carefully, and the spark leaped to flaming life. Tigress shoved the smoldering banner to the threshold and blew his breath on it, sending the smoke streaming under the door.

"Fire!" he heard Zan's voice boom out. "The rascal's set the stores on fire!"

Prince Chang, growing more and more impatient with the impertinence of the supposed young scoundrel, came steaming up to where Lord Làn and Zan stood beating the door with their hands. "Call the guards! I'll have this door down at once!"

"The room will be in blazes before that," Zan objected. "My lord, allow me to remain here while Lord Làn goes around to the other door through that anteroom."

"The room has two such entrances, I believe," explained the exasperated prince, quickly losing his temper.

"My lord could see to the other," suggested Zan.

The prince seemed about to overrule this plan, but the smoke was now curling about their feet. "By Dizang! I'll flay his foolish hide myself," he swore, trotting off to find the other door, a location he knew but imprecisely. "Lord Làn!" he shouted. "Take your post! Let us end this!"

The two left to their appointed stations. As soon as they were out of sight, Zan called, his face close to the door, "Young Master, they are gone. Let us away!"

Hearing the signal, Tigress barreled coughing from the room. The banner was now but ashes on the floor, completely consumed. Zan grabbed her arm, nearly wrenching it from her shoulder, and pulled her across the floor and away. At the entrance to the Great Hall, they met a confused Shun fearfully peeping in at the scene he had just witnessed.

"Our plan is discovered," he said as they drew up.

"No," replied Zan in a hushed tone. "But you must not linger here all night. We have bought some time. See to your business and flee!"

Shun appeared far from certain, but the noise or voices in the corridor behind, and a quick glance to see the dungeon keeper and his guards with their prisoner moving toward them, made up his mind. The chamberlain crossed to one side of the hall and took up his position, back turned toward the entrance.

Zan and Tigress did not remain longer to see the drama to its end but hurried on toward their appointed place—the postern gate.

Tigress felt the sting of the cold night air upon the fur on her face as they dashed out of the castle and into the broad expanse of the outer ward. Zan and Tigress flitted like shadows over the snow and, stealing through an archway set in a low wall, entered the small postern gateyard. There in the square of the gateyard stood three packs laden with provisions. Standing nearby was a member of Zan's gate watch who was performing final checks of the gear.

"Everything is in order, sir," the guard reported when the two came close.

"Good," said Zan. "Go and see that the plank is let down. The others will be here shortly."

The man turned and hastened off. Zan cast a worried glance back over his shoulder toward the castle and said softly to Tigress, "We have pushed our luck this far; the gods will have to see to the rest." He paused and added in a hoarse whisper, "But listen! Someone comes!"


Will Tigress and the Empress be able to rescue Ling? Stay tuned!

Zan – Support

Shun – Obey/Follow