It wasn't long before Tigress devoted all her time to the panda village victims. Her eyes closed as she sat in the middle of the village searching for that inner peace she needed in order to deal with Shen. However her mind wondered to all the horrible things she had done to get here. How she didn't deserve to be here fighting to stop a tyrant when she herself had helped him. She had thought that she had left all of these things behind her when she escaped Shen's clutches but now…now she wasn't so sure, as the remains of the once prosperous village continued to torment her at every time of day.

"Good," said a voice not far from her position. "Crane, move your wings further. Viper, add more curve to that swing. Mei try kicking back instead of forward, it'll give the kick more pressure when you strike."

Tigress sighed and opened her eyes to stare at the once dragon warrior. He seemed so calm here in his village that sometimes she wondered if he remembered how it was to be a panda. He'd showed great determination to fight Shen, even to the point where he taken on her lessons so the five would be ready. However she still didn't trust the ex-dragon warrior. He was still not the panda she had met; he wasn't the one she had met in the Valley of Peace. He was different and still in the long process to becoming who he was though she greatly admired the fact that he wanted to do this all on his own.

"Good job guys," said the panda. "Now get some grub and then to meditate for a while. Monkey you still have to show Shānyáng some forms?"

"What are you crazy? She already kicked my butt like ten times," said Monkey crossing his arms.

The panda seem to debate this before replying, "Fine then, meditation like everyone else."

Monkey bowed and rushed to get his lunch. Tigress knew what came next, Lóng's training.

The panda inhaled and took form, slowly doing gestures in his surroundings until he reached his final position. Exhaling he opened his eyes as his paws began to glow. He moved them around, random golden lines appearing all around him and disappearing just as quick. He'd yet to master this ability but so far –according to Shānyáng- he was doing amazing progress.

Tigress frown at her thought of the gray goat. At first she had seemed, almost childish. Now the goat had proven to be everything but. Her demeanor slowly changed as Lóng's personality became more open. Her walking seemed aged and her smile was shown less and less. Tigress believed that the goat had done everything on purpose since the beginning. She had purposely acted childish to teach Lóng something, and she had succeeded.

As Tigress saw Lóng move around with his golden paws she wondered, how was it that he didn't hate her still? After what she told him of killing all pandas, she had expected him to be furious. But he hadn't. Instead he focused on training and defeating Shen. She was grateful, but confused at his behavior. Then again it had been her fault that his life was ruined also. She had led Shen to that village where he had formed his new life and ruined it, even to the point where his protector had sacrificed his life for the panda.

Tigress sighed. She didn't understand anything, but then again she had been so lost for almost a year. Her main focus had always been saving China. But how can you save China, when you can't even feel free of your own consciousness.

ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ

.

"Does Tigress seem different to you?" asked Mei Ling.

Crane turned to her and looked down, "She must still feel horrible for what happened on that day."

Mei Ling frowned, "What happened?"

Crane opened his beak to reply but Mantis quickly spoke, "Not in front of the princess."

Mantis then took the egg and carefully hid it under several covers. Viper curled around it then Mantis gestured Crane to continue.

"Shen discovered the secret panda village about three months since he conquered China," started the tale. "He then…sent his best men to 'handle' the problem. Among them was Tigress. We all had it bad after that."

Mei Ling turned to the other members of the furious five. All of them lost in the memories of those days when the tyrant had made them work in celebration for the death of all panda's.

"Tigress just died that day," said Viper. "She closed entirely and only worked to serve Shen, but that was his first great massacre. She couldn't take the responsibility of everything."

"And considering Shen's addiction to power," Mantis shivered.

Monkey covered his ears, "I don't want to hear this."

"What? Why?" asked Mei Ling.

"When Shen is fuelled with power," started Crane.

"Bad things happened," finished Mantis.

"Or wonderful things," said Viper gently patting her egg with her forehead.

"So the egg…" started Mei Ling.

"No," Viper explained. "It was in the anniversary of it. It was also the day the last master was put out of commission."

"Who was the last master to be put out of commission?" asked Mei Ling.

The five stayed silent. Monkey looked away. Mantis held his head low. Crane took his spoon and placed it on his plate once more. Viper however continued to stare at Mei Ling, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke.

"Master Shifu."

ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ

I felt the overwhelming silence that took everyone. Even Shānyáng, the most talkative of all, was silent. I didn't pay attention to it as I continued to train. However my mind wavered which made my paws go back to normal. Sighing I sat and started to meditate. But I wasn't really meditating, I was thinking.

The last couple of days we've been here everything has been so calm and serene. I keep wondering if Shen was about to pop out of the ground and follow us around with his wolves. Scenes of the night I lost my mother travelled through my mind. It hurt…so much. I had her there and the next, nothing. However she had done it for me. I was grateful for this woman, even if I didn't know her name. She always made me smile, even if her last moments were ones of the saddest I've ever witnessed.

She always got me thinking of my father. He looked like an okay kind of guy. He sure looked goofy and the type to make the worst possible kind of jokes. But his kindness and those short moments that I could recall of him with my mother, I could tell they loved each other very much. Another scene came to mind, a promise of coming back somewhere. Losing my pose I rubbed my head feeling a headache starting.

It continued to happen even now. The headaches started, but weirdly only when I thought of my dad or tried to make out his features for long periods of time. They blurred and twisted so I stopped trying to get to it. It would come later and I had a feeling that my journey of self discovery was only just starting to take off, and even if I could recall myself as Lotus I was still way off to be, well me.

I straightened and looked around me. The five were eating in silence as I assumed their conversation had taken a very dark turn. My eyes turned to Shānyáng who was currently gazing at the distance, far off from the five. The golden glow in her hands indicated what she might be doing but I was sure that this place needed something else besides her 'healing' abilities…she had yet to tell what that was all about. What pulled me in however, was Tigress.

The tiger warrior was with her frowned brows once more. I kept feeling she had yet to let go of everything, and how could she. If I had such a big death toll in my paws I would feel horrible too, and no amount of meditating I would clean my consciousness. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes, but I've had the strange feeling that something was missing for her to move forward.

ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ

Shen was a disaster. His wings were rustled and his eyes had deep bags under his eyes. He couldn't stand it anymore. He was going mad.

"Soothsayer," he yelled as he stepped into the dungeon followed by his long grayed feathers.

The Soothsayer turned to him, her frail form a mere shadow of her former self.

The white peacock walked to her cell, "Tell me my future. Tell me what you see."

The Soothsayer turned to Shen. It was noticeable that she was tired; of what, no one knew. She just slowly waited for her death inside the dungeon without putting up a fight.

"A peacock is destroyed by a warrior of black and…"

"Lies," yelled Shen. "He must have been in those places. I destroyed them all."

The Soothsayer turned away not really carrying anymore, "You've made your choice and no matter what you choose now, only that future awaits you."

"More lies," yelled the albino peacock. "I've had it with you and everything you do."

The Soothsayer turned to him, "Then kill me."

Shen laughed, "That's what you want? For me to kill you? No, you're to stay here rotting until the end of your days."

"Why not kill me and get everything done with it?" she asked the emperor of China.

"Because I want to see you when the time comes and my battle is won against the panda," said Shen in a normal voice. "I want you to see you regret the moment you said I would die at the hands of that panda, and I want to rejoice in my victory as you fall and I, Shen, get to see you lose all hope from your face as I defeat you in your own game."

The Soothsayer turned to face the wall then, "Suit yourself."

Shen chuckled, "Loss of words already?"

"Not in the mood to fight the inevitable," she said closing her eyes.

Shen watched her and turn abruptly, leaving the Sayer to whatever she did while he was away. Inside her cell the Soothsayer opened her eyes. She was tired after all, of crying for the sake of the emperor. But by destroying those places he had sealed his fate. He wouldn't get to see his precious daughter ever. She sighed. It was a shame really; she was going to be the most beautiful and strong creature in all of China.

ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ ʕ´• ᴥ •`ʔ

That same night the five rested from their training as yet again Tigress struggled against her nightmares. A figure with glowing golden paws saw this from the distance and walked over as the tiger master whispered in her sleep and silent cries escaped her lips. Her cheeks stained with tears as her mind travelled to that one child with a flower on her hair. Stripe-y baby, it had called her as she ran with her chubby legs towards Tigress. The ruckus around her, and screams were enough to blur everything on Tigress. Without knowing how, a wolf sent her an order. Tigress gazed back at the young girl and raised the sword in her hand. That had been her first victim.

The shadowy figure with jade eyes watched the tears stream down her face as the incredible pain tore her inside. The figure raised his glowing paw and moved it around her head and down her face. Tigress visibly calmed after the movement though tears still travelled down her face. The figure swallowed and watched as a pink flower fell on Tigress. Turning his gaze he saw where it had come from and smiled. Who would have guessed that in such an environment that tree had been hidden from it all? The figure took the flower and his glowing hands cradling it. The flower's color grew vivid with his touch. The figure smiled and placed it atop of her ear then his paw travelled down her cheek.

Tigress murmured something that sounded similar to baby talk. She then asked for an apology, and for the smile on her face, he knew she had been forgiven. He then turned to his friends and stretched. He needed to get ready, thus he turned and continued on with his training.