Ciao amici! (Hello friends!) I'm back today with chapter ten of my story. I hope you guys enjoy, sorry for the long wait guys, but holidays are over and I'm back at school. Hopefully I'll be back soon with the next chapter, but until then read away!

MentalDoughnut-Thanks so much for your review! I'm really glad you like the way I did the backstory :P

~The Underground City~

Viper followed her mother, leaving her friends behind to wait for her in the corridor. She knew before she even entered the room that her father's injuries would be bad. The blood she'd seen on the floor of her house, the damage caused by the fight, they could mean nothing else.

Viper had steeled herself for the worst, determined to face whatever horrors had been inflicted upon her father. But when she entered the room, what Viper saw wasn't as terrible as she'd imagined.

Her father's body was wrapped in blood soaked bandages, masking the true extent of his injuries. His eyes were shut, and Viper could barely see him breathing, but he was alive.

"Father?" Viper whispered, approaching her father

"Viper? Is that you?" Her father croaked, sliding his eyes open

"Yes father." Viper said, tears falling from her eyes to drop against the wooden floors "It's me."

"I thought you might come." He whispered, his voice hoarse

"You did?" Viper said, looking up in equal measures of shock and confusion

"After we found out about what those bandits were looking for." Her father said

"Did they find it father? Or anything about it?" Viper asked, knowing the worst would come if their goal had been achieved

"Do you think I got these injuries giving in to them?" He said, smiling

"Will you tell us about it?" Viper asked, slithering closer to the bed

"Yes Viper. I'll tell you about the darkness."

~The Imperial City~

It was early. Really early. As in, before-the-morning-gong-early. But Po was already awake. In fact, he'd barely slept at all.

He was still on high alert, just waiting for guards to burst through the door, and to be honest he didn't really know who he was supposed to trust right now.

Tigress. You're supposed to trust Tigress.

The small voice at the back of his head said. Po knew he shouldn't listen to it. After all, Tigress had been the one keeping secrets and lying to everyone.

She had no other choice.

Stupid voice of reason. All it did was make him even more confused.

And the house kind of creeped him out too.

All Po could do was try to stare out the window at the impending sunrise and try to ignore his surroundings, but there were just so many things in the house that Po couldn't help thinking about. After all, he didn't know why it was empty. It could've just been abandoned, but there were signs, just little things, that suggested otherwise.

The food on the table, gone rotten waiting to be prepared. The pot of water, long boiled down to nothing but steam. What troubled him most was the stuffed rabbit-a child's toy-abandoned by wall. Or thrown there. Or-

Stop thinking about it. Sunrise, focus on that.

For once Po knew he had to listen to the voice, force the scenes unfolding in his mind away and focus on something that wasn't so vicious. But as he turned his eyes to the window he froze, hearing the sounds of somebody waking up behind him.

It was obviously Tigress, Po could hear how close the sounds were. It seemed like she was trying to be quiet, not aware that Po was awake. Which was odd, when he thought about it, because Po knew that he was terrible at fake sleeping. Actually, everybody knew that.

Po waited, and listened, as Tigress sat, then stretched, then stood almost silently and left the small house. He hesitated for a few moments, wondering what Tigress was doing and if he should follow, but curiosity got the better of him and Po found himself walking out into the streets.

He found Tigress just outside, leaning against the house with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the sunrise. Po only realized as he stepped through the door how cold it was in the morning air, and wished pointlessly that they'd brought the cloaks Shifu had given them.

Shifu. That thought alone provided a source of fear for Po. Did he know about any of this? He obviously knew about Xue, but what about her connection to Tigress, or that they knew of each other. Surely if he knew, Tigress wouldn't have been so secretive about any of it.

Tigress noticed his presence a few moments later, turning her head to look at him before pushing off the wall so she was facing him. There were a few moments of slightly awkward silence where they both just looked at each other. After what seemed like minutes but was closer to seconds, Tigress opened her mouth to speak.

"I didn't realise you were awake." Tigress said "Did I wake you?" She added, after a moment's thought

"No, uh, I was already up." Po said, suddenly nervous

"Didn't sleep well?" Tigress asked, cocking an eyebrow and smiling slightly

"Yeah." Po said, fear dissipating. He realized it had been silly in the first place, he was still talking to the same Tigress

"I know it's a lot to take in." Tigress said, her face sympathetic

"Tigress, what happens now?" Po asked, causing Tigress' features to tense

"I…don't know Po." Tigress said truthfully, her eyes meeting his

"The others should know Tigress." Po said, which he immediately regretted

As soon as the words left Po's mouth, Tigress' eyes narrowed, her features locked in anger. She unfolded her arms, taking a step towards Po as she drew herself up to her full height.

"Do you think I don't realize that?" She hissed, still trying to be quiet to avoid drawing unwanted attention, both from the guards and others in the house "But not everyone is going to be as understanding as you Po. Do you think Shifu will be happy about this? About Tai-lung being alive? About Xue-the student he blames for Tai-lung's failure-returning?" Tigress hissed, her voice only a loud whisper but still so, so powerful.

"They'll understand!" Po insisted, taking a step back "Yeah, they might need more convincing but Tigress, your sister saved my life. That's enough for me to trust her, maybe it's enough for them too."

Tigress also stepped back, her anger fading as she listened to Po. Finally, blinking a few times as the last of her anger cleared, Tigress took a deep breath before meeting Po's gaze.

"And what if it isn't?" Tigress asked, her voice steady but still betraying some of the feelings hiding right below the surface

"It will be." Po said firmly "Besides, I'll have your back." He added, smiling sincerely

"You'd still support me? Even with everything you know now?" Tigress asked, shocked at Po's words

"You're my friend. And you're still the same Tigress you were before." Po replied

Tigress looked as though she was about to answer, but at that moment Xue stepped outside. She didn't so much as glance at Po or Tigress, her gaze instead fixed on the Imperial Palace.

Something about the way Xue was holding herself put Po on edge. Her steps outside were slow and deliberate, but rigid, as though she was bracing herself for a great impact. Tigress obviously noticed it too, because when Po looked over to her he saw that instead of looking at her sister, her eyes were darting around the street. Fast but methodical and precise, scanning the streets around them. She held herself almost as though there was an enemy charging at her-not quite in a fighting stance but not completely at ease either.

"What's going on?" Tigress asked, eyes still scanning for any possible threat

"Look up there." Xue said, still fixated on the palace

Po and Tigress both followed her instructions, looking up to the towering structure. Po squinted as he stared at the high palace walls, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"I don't see anything." Po said

"Keep looking." Xue replied

"What are we looki-"

Po was cut off as something flashed across the palace. It was little more than a black blur, rushing across the palace walls for no more than a second. Before Po had a chance to question his sanity, Tigress stepped in.

"Was that what I think it was?"

"I'm afraid so." Xue replied, turning back to the house

"Wait, what's going on?" Po asked, lost

"That was a panther Po." Tigress explained

"Ok, so?" Po said, still obviously confused

"Po, panthers are known for their stealth abilities. If they're in the city, we're not safe." Tigress explained

"So we're leaving?"

"Yes." Tigress replied

"Without breakfast?" Po asked just as a loud growl emitted from his stomach

"Yes Po." Tigress said, struggling to hold back laughter at the panda's face "But we're only going to the city's borders. After that you can eat."

"Alright. At least there's no stairs."

So, you like it? I'd appreciate a review if you did. Or if you didn't. Everything's welcome and I'll reply to all of my reviews at the beginning of my next chapter! And what a chapter that will be. I'm planning something a little bit different for next chapter. Introducing a couple new POVs that you guys haven't seen yet. Arrivaderci! (Also, if you haven't figured it out by now, I speak Italian)