Morning arrived in the Valley of Peace, engulfing its people in warmth. Preparations for the Dragon Festival continued, for it was to begin the next day. Through the relative chaos that the city had become in those few moments in the morning, two robed figures were able to pass by unnoticed by most, and worth a second glance to fewer than that.
The pair weaved through vendors setting up their trinkets to sell, children decorating lanterns to be lit, and the powerful aroma of several dishes being prepared in close proximity. The people were happy, those that weren't were content, and hell was about to break loose. It would do little to help the mood.
At the Jade Palace, the atmosphere was much more somber. Another day had passed, Tigress was still gone without even a hint as to her location, and Shifu was out of the Valley attempting to find that hint. Not to mention that everyone had to appear at the festival, which even Po, the guest of honor, was dreading. They'd have a plenty long day, though it wouldn't get a whole lot worse. Not that it wouldn't worsen.
Tigress and Tai conversed as they ascended the stairs to the Palace, growing more anxious with each step.
Tigress, her voice slightly muffled through the fabric of the nearly pristine white cloth of the guard uniform, spoke quietly, attempting to avoid attention that could compromise them before they even arrived. "So...they've known me for years, Tai. What's the plan when we get up there? They might not see us, but don't you think they'll know how we, or at least I, sound when we talk?"
Tai nodded. "Yes, which is why you're not going to say anything unless you have to. If you do...I don't know, try not to sound like you?"
Though he couldn't see it, Togress was giving him a rather pointed glare. "Genius plan, glad I asked. What about you?"
He chuckled. "Well, I will be using a little trick I picked up after I came back from up north. Comes in handy whenever I don't want to talk to someone that doesn't know me. I'll be taken care of, don't worry about that."
"You're aware that saying 'don't worry about that' after answering without answering only makes me worry, right?"
"I am. Why do you think I do it?"
Tigress punched his arm jokingly, and he grinned under his hood. The grin faded as they reached the top of the stairs, and faced the great doors of the Hall of Warriors.
When Viper came to the Moon Pool to meditate, she hadn't prepared herself for what knocked on the door. She wasn't entirely certain that she could have been prepared. See, when you hear a loud and panicked pounding on the doors of the Jade Palace, typically a rather peaceful place, it usually means that someone needs help...quickly. And, in the most technical sense, that much was true in this situation.
What usually does not follow that panicked pounding is a masked and robed figure shouting at her in a foreign language, while their also masked and robed partner looked at them with as much confusion as one can manage with their face covered.
Tai, still stringing random phrases together in Russian, barged into the Hall of Warriors, and past the stunned Viper. Tigress, previously unaware of the show to come, stood outside as the leopard yelled with increasing urgency, and as Viper tried hopelessly to make sense of the wild gestures that accompanied his tone.
"Mister, I don't understand!" She paused briefly, and a thought hit her. "Wait right here, I'll be right back."
After Viper slipped out of the massive room, Tigress looked at Tai, baffled, and whispered, "You never mentioned that you were fluent in Russian...or that you could be so absurdly dramatic."
He laughed under the hood. "Tigress, I lived there for the better part of a year. Did you honestly think I didn't pick up on the language? I'm a bit more concerned about whatever she's off doing."
"Right...what exactly am I supposed to do? Other than stand off to the side the entire time we're here as you make a fool of yourself."
Tai thought for a moment before answering. "I don't know...let's say you understand Mandarin but can't speak."
"I can't speak?"
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you lost your tongue. My apologies."
Before Tigress could comment on the snow leopard's...logic, Viper reentered the hall with Crane in tow. Tai barely held back a groan at seeing the bird. Fitting. He got me killed last time, maybe he can make us even.
Crane greeted the pair in Russian. "Hello, welcome to the Jade Palace. I am Master Crane, and this is Master Viper. She tells me that you need something of us?"
Tai began to answer, then glanced at Tigress. "We are honored to meet you, Masters. My friend's Russian is spotty, though she knows your native language well. She unfortunately cannot speak, so if you would translate for me, it would be greatly appreciated."
"Of course. So what is it that we can help with? Viper tells me it appeared urgent."
Tai nodded quickly. "It is indeed. The Valley of Peace is in great danger. By tomorrow, though as soon as this afternoon, there will be an attack. You must evacuate the people and prepare to defend the Valley and the Jade Palace."
Crane shifted back and forth, now very nervous. "He says that the Valley is in danger, and that something will come as soon as in a few hours. We have to evacuate everyone and prepare."
Viper looked up at him in a panic. "What? What attack? How does he know?"
He shrugged. "I don't know yet, that's all he's said."
Turning back to Tai, Crane continued. "What is this danger, and where did you hear of it? Who are you two?"
"I don't know the specifics, only that it's soon. It came to both of us in a vision, we came here as soon as we could. As to our identities...I'd rather keep them private for the moment. If our dress didn't clue you in, there are some that wouldn't take our presence in the area well. I assure you, we're here to help. We're more concerned with the ones back home."
"A vision?" Crane had never experienced one himself, nor had the other students. Who are these two? Their self-mastery must be far above normal...very strange if they've had no training.
Tai nodded, and Crane went on to translate. Viper's concern only grew. "If it could be coming in a couple of hours, then there's not enough time to evacuate. It just can't work!"
Crane opened his beak to respond, but was cut off as the doors to the Hall of Warriors were flung open once again. Zeng came sprinting in, breathless and wheezing. "Bandits in...the Valley...heading...this way!"
Crane and Viper's faces fell, as did Tigress' and Tai's, though no one knew it. Crane repeated to Tai what he already knew. "Get the others. If they're headed this way, we won't have long to ready ourselves."
Crane nodded. "We need to get Mantis, Monkey, and Po before they reach the Palace."
Viper, startled by the sudden turn of events, rushed off to the barracks to search for the others.
The mob of armed raiders reached the steps heading toward the Palace, having left the Valley untouched.
"This can't possibly be the plan...right?" The concerned ox continued questioning the panther. "This is all but suicide, surely you have something more in mind than charging in blindly."
The feline smiled in a polite attempt to mask his...displeasure with his band. The majority couldn't seem to grasp the concept that there may be a reason for not ransacking the entire Valley of Peace for all it was worth. The risk of, no, the guarantee of early detection wasn't worth the potential reward. Hell, he hadn't asked for their understanding, what he wanted was a few dozen blind followers. They couldn't even accomplish being stupid.
"No, this isn't all of the plan. It's simply the only part you need to know of."
Monkey wasn't entirely prepared for what the day had in store. Granted, none of them were, but his would perhaps be the worst of anyone present at the Jade Palace that morning. Second, for certain. His past would crash in around him, his conscience would be tested, and he would embark on a fool's journey chasing answers where there were none to be found. His day began when Crane tracked him down on the path leading toward the Sacred Peach Tree. Monkey then learned that the Jade Palace was moments away from a full assault.
Mantis, conversely, would have a surprisingly calm afternoon. Yes, there would be bloodshed, but that was hardly out of the ordinary in their line of work. His slice of the madness would come the day after, when his minor skills in the field of medicine would be pushed to their limit. Finishing breakfast in the barracks with Po, he rushed outside as soon as Viper mentioned trouble on the way. Nothing that they hadn't dealt with before.
Po's character would show through that day perhaps more than any before it. His willingness to help others regardless of the personal cost was to become a key component of the discussion that would follow the attack. But, by far most importantly, he would finally get even. Regardless of whether he was aware that the debt existed.
Tigress' nerves were at an all time high. Not only did she have to defend her home from bandits, which in itself was rare, not to mention having to do so without using her favored style. While she had worked on Leopard Style with Tai for a number of days, it was no comparison to almost twenty years of experience in Tiger Style.
Tai, while being in far less danger of discovery, opted to make use of the spear he had brought along on their trek. They had all seen him fight before, and the risk was simply not worth the potential reward. He was experienced enough with the weapon to weild it with confidence, and rightfully so. His fear was the greatest of all of those present at the Jade Palace that day.
Tānxīn was not a good man. The panther had accepted that fact long before then. He was, once, before that cursed primate approached him in a time of crisis. At first, he tried to justify the robberies. He had a family to take care of. Then he tried to justify the murder. His family had left him, but he had to survive, and there are so few options out there for a man of his newfound talents.
But that was years before, and Tānxīn had long since accepted who he was. This, however, would be the last job, if all went according to plan. He needed to get out, and this would fund his travels to a place where his name would be unknown. As of now, the split would go forty odd ways. He intended to walk away with half.
By the time that the first bandit reached the top of the steps, the warriors had assembled in front of the Hall of Warriors, braced for a fight. Po led the assault with a...creative battle cry. The rest of the warriors lunged toward their attackers quickly after the Dragon Warrior.
Monkey reached the first crocodile and practically tossed him aside with a powerful kick. Viper made the most of her friend's blockage of the thin mouth of the stairway, sliding past the primate and into the crowd of raiders. From there, she managed to cause havoc almost instantly, since the majority of the bandits didn't have the option to turn around. However, a number of the attackers managed to break through the warriors' wall of sorts. That's where the rest of the fighters came into play.
Tai lunged toward the first to breach the stairway, a clouded leopard, and launched a ferocious punch. This caused an audible crack as the feline's nose broke, spraying crimson red blood onto Tai's robes. Tigress managed to spare a glance at the leopard, taking note of how similar his appearance was to that of the figure in their visions.
Her momentary glance didn't last much longer than that moment, as a wolf came charging at her. Tigress prepared to attack the man, but remembered that those around her would likely pick up on her style. She instead blocked the wolf's attempted strikes, then throwing an elbow of her own, sending the man to the ground.
After only a few minutes of combat, nearly all of the bandits that had stormed the Jade Palace had fallen to its warriors, past and present. Those that remained had been routed, leaving the others behind. This group included the leader, Tānxīn, who had long before decided that he was fighting a losing battle. Master Monkey volunteered to chase down said group, and the others agreed. With little more discussion, he sprinted down the steps toward the Valley of Peace in pursuit of those intending to get away unscathed.
At the Palace, the warriors breathed a collective sigh of relief. They knew quite well how poor the odds were of successfully fending off an attack such as that with as little notice as they'd had. They were incredibly lucky by anyone's standard.
She and Tai Lung were perhaps luckier, Tigress thought to herself. We made it, and with nothing more than a bloodstain between us. I guess he was right when he said there was a possibility of a figurative meaning to those visions.
Those visions had brought the feline pair back to the Jade Palace just in time to warn of the attack, quite possibly saving the Palace and the people occupying it. They glanced at one another through their masks, and smiled with near glee.
One can imagine Tigress' surprise when an arrow tore through the beautiful white cloth, and the flesh behind it.