AlienHeart of darkness: Warning, this chapter con...(sigh) Do I really have to do this?
AlienHeart1915: You're lucky I'm even letting you write this stuff, now go on.
AlienHeart of darkness: (Groan) Fine. WARNING! This chapter contains a little bit of kind of stronger material; nothing that can be considered M rated, but 1915 is still forcing me to warn because of the suggestiveness.
AlienHeart1915: See, it wasn't so bad.
AlienHeart of darkness: It is COMPLETELY unnecessary.
AlienHeart1915: (Shakes his head) Ok. Guys I wanna tell you this chapter it's something I'm gonna start calling OCCHs which means "OC chapters". This means the chapter will be mostly or even completely about the OCs in the fic; they will be like another type of filler chapters.
AlienHeart of darkness: Alright, now the reviews. You know the drill.
MasterTigress4444: To the TiPo you.- I believe all the other TiPo fans support you on that 4444. To the objective you.- Thanks for commenting. Just 1 thing; I would like if you can refer to Tlanextly as what she is...an ocelot! Not a damn leopard! She's from Mexico, not Africa!...and her eyes are magenta, they are only purple when she has a lighting bolt inside of her. As for the self-control thing...well remember she is always a little instinct guided and it is the first time she feels something towards someone of the opposite sex that isn't hate, she has sort of a reason to not know how to control it. Again, thanks for reviewing.
pandamaster97720: Yeah...totally awesome and you love it. Thanks.
Guest: Glad you do.
Donavan: It would be horrible to not be on it.
Newguy100: Yeah, poor conflicted Tlanextly. I'm sorry I didn't tell you when this chapter would come out, it's just I never know when the time will be.
Newton Xpt: Oh, so you did notice the Ming-Ling and Crane thing. Yeah well, I know it may not sound as the best idea, but trust me, it will be useful.
Lady Shadow92: Thank you.
Grey wolf: Oh man, I can't tell you that one my friend, sorry it's classified info.
Kuleguyking: We both appreciate your review man. I hadn't thought about the filler chapter consideration, but now that I do...well yeah probably all of the trip's chapters will be of that kind, but they are necessary to, as you say, build up more energy; if they weren't necessary I would just use a time skip to make everyone be back in the palace already...but that's not my style.
Guest (II): Look, it's great you're liking the story so much, but I don't have that much time to write...besides, I think you've noticed the chapters aren't 1000 words long as lots of the other fics...(HONESTLY NO OFFENSE TO THE AUTHORS THAT WRITE 1000 words per chapter!)...so it takes more time.
Donavan: Ok, thanks and I will.
Guest (III): Hmm...it's the first time someone complains about the chapters's length.
Guest (IV): To you and everyone else who likes to do it; PLEASE don't complain about other people through reviews! The reviewing function it's not made for that!...Besides, if pandamaster97720 wants to always write the same review then so be it, it's his call and it does not imply there is something wrong with him.
Guest (V): Thanks...perhaps I would, but each chapter would probably be much more boring XD.
Chapter twenty five: Sudden revelations-OCCH 1
...The brute didn't make any sign of acknowledgement to her vocal signs of displeasure as he moved his hooves to her white top, making her growl harder for each millimeter of her clothing that was pulled up until it was over head. Her captor's hooves roamed her half exposed body for some time and she simply gave up on growling, it was of no use after all. If she ever got out of this place and found this brute she would certainly rip him apart, but for now all she could do was wait for all this to be over and weep in silence as one of the male's hooves moved south and took a hold of her waist wrapping...
*SLAM!*
Tlanextly's eyes snapped open and she shot up to a seated position with a not so quiet gasp. Her fearful magenta eyes scanned her surroundings for a few moments and she realized it had just been the nightmare again (As usual) The ocelot felt confused at hearing herself talk in her native language and she reached up to the top of her head, finding her enchanted copilli wasn't there. Now that she thought about it she couldn't feel the weight of her necklace around her neck either, or the small pressure in her leg, waist, and torso from her carrier's straps. With a raised eyebrow, Tlanextly looked around the encampment to see where her stuff was and she saw they were resting on the floor next to her sac "Po probably removed them so I could sleep more comfortably" she concluded with a small smile at the thought of the panda, though, she quickly removed it and shook her head "Dammit, this has to stop!" She thought with frustration "Know what, I'm not gonna think about it; this ain't the time" Tlanextly thought, sighing tiredly and curling up into a ball close to the slowly dying fire "I must be rested for whatever tomorrow may bring...I just hope I get to sleep through the rest of the night without anymore interruptions" she thought with a small shudder as an image of her nightmare flashed through her mind. She wished some day she could get a full night of peaceful slumber again, just ONE more night; she was sick of waking up in the middle of the night, sometimes more than once, screaming, crying, or simply scared out of her mind (But I guess that's too much to ask) she muttered to herself.
*Zzzzz...*
The princess turned her gaze towards the sleeping dragon warrior, who was laying on his back, after hearing him snore kinda loudly and frowned a little"Yeah sure, rub in my face you can sleep like a cub jade eyes" Tlanextly thought, focusing her eyes in the panda's body...mainly his arms. Now that she thought about it, she had had a quite good sleep last night "When I was wrapped in his arms" she thought "Perhaps...no no I can't do it again, not in my current mental state...you know it would feel so nice...still I can't just use him like that...I'm sure he wouldn't mind...that's no reason to take advantage of him...he will simply hold you in his comfy arms through the night...I. SAID. NO!" she firmly concluded and closed her eyes shut...for like thirty seconds.
(Curse my mind and that panda's comfiness) The ocelot reopened her eyes with a sigh and carefully lifted herself into a crouch. Using her natural stealth, Tlanextly quietly stalked towards the sleeping bear until she was right in front of him and stared down at his form with an insecure look in her face "I can't believe I'm gonna do this" she thought. With a deep inhale, the princess carefully crawled on top of the giant panda and laid down on her stomach, crossed her arms on his broad chest, and rested her head on them. After spending some minutes getting used to the idea of what she was doing, Tlanextly started to relax and closed her eyes with a kind of content sigh at the same time she unfolded her arms and wrapped them around Po's torso "Ok this may be a little creepy of me, but it does feel nice" she thought as she nestled into his warm fur with her tail swishing lazily from side to side.
-Mmm...Tigress?-
Tlanextly's eyes snapped open when she heard the warrior of black and white mumble something and she looked up at him with a nervous look in her eyes to see if he was waking up; she didn't want him to find her using him like a pillow! It would be her end!
Luckily for her, the panda seemed to still be sleeping quite profoundly, although he still continued mumbling stuff "What can he be dreaming about now?...This is not the time to think about that! Why did he start reacting all of the sudden?!" It was after the ocelot asked herself this when she realized her tail apparently was gracing against something, which turned out to be the panda's legs "Stupid involuntary movements!" Tlanextly thought with a frown as she ordered her tail to stop swishing. A minute or two after she stopped, Po returned to his original sleeping state and the feline gave a sigh of relief. Tlanextly wrapped her tail around the panda's right leg tightly in order to not risk having it swishing against her will again and then laid her head back down on top of Po's chest "Let's see if now I can get some more sleep" she thought, yawning like any good feline and nestling into Po's black fur for a second time. The dragon warrior seemed to feel her actions again, but this time he didn't make any noise; he simply wrapped his arms around the ocelot and held her close to him. Tlanextly couldn't hold back the smile that curved her lips at the feeling of the bear's protective embrace and she automatically purred happily and rubbed her head against the male's chest, tightening her tail's and arms's grip on his body...until she realized what she had just done (Did I just...purr?) Tlanextly asked herself, opening her eyes with a bewildered look in her face. Why had she purred? She didn't WANT to do it...she just did; which didn't make any sense since for a feline to purr unconsciously there must be something they like...really like. "I mean, being with Po is nice, but to make me purr? That just can't be riiiigghhOOOHH THAT. FEELS. GOOD!" Tlanextly thought as her eyelids closed out of pleasure and she started purring again. The reason: the dragon warrior had begun scratching behind her right ear in his sleep. After five minutes of scratching, the panda's other paw slowly slid down her back, causing a pleasurable shiver to run down her spine, and stopped on her lower back. The ocelot gave out a short moan when she felt him caressing her curves and waist gently and she unwrapped her tail to do the same with the panda's legs.
-Ti..Tigress...wait, I..I can't-
Tlanextly snapped out of it when she heard the warrior of black and white's half-husky murmur and her eyes grew big in shock as she realized what was happening "What am I doing?!" The feline thought and stopped the bear's actions taking a hold of his wrists with her tail and one of her paws. Being careful to not wake Po up, the princess slid out of his grip as quickly as she could and then took several steps away from him with a perplex almost scared expression. This was it. She had to find out why was she acting this way so she could stop it and she had to do it TONIGHT, she didn't care if she had to stay awake all night in order to do so "Besides, I could ask Po to carry me if I end up too tired...RARGH!" Tlanextly thought while shaking her head, and then dashed off into the forest on all fours.
Her body started demanding for rest not too long after she began running, but she still pressed on; she had to get as far away from the encampment as she could. It took her some time to reach another part of the stream she had visited earlier, where she finally stopped to breathe. (That..That should do..do it) she muttered between breaths. When she heard herself talking in her own dialect, the ocelot realized she hadn't taken the time to grab her stuff before leaving the camp and face palmed for it, she should have at least taken her dagger with her to defend herself if it was needed "Ok there is no reason to panic, I still can stand up against an attacker without weaponry and if things get bad I can always try to use an enchantment" Tlanextly thought, calming her mind a little, and took a seat next to the water. After getting her heart rate back to normal, Tlanextly started thinking over what had happened back in the camp, trying to figure out the reasons that led her into doing what she did "Well I already know those, but why did Po make me react that way? I've never liked having males touching me and after my...experience...I should be disgusted by the mere thought of it" the princess thought, frowning "But...I still enjoyed feeling his warmth, I liked having his fur against mine, his scent dulled my senses, and shockingly his touch made me purr, PURR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I haven't purred instinctively since I was a cub, and then I suddenly do just because a guy I just met hugged me!...True, he did save me and he has been nothing but kind to me, but it still doesn't make any sense!" She thought while rubbing her face with frustration, though, the frustration was quickly overcome by the atmosphere's powerful sense of peace (Wait a second) The ocelot muttered and uncovered her now panicked face.
Tlanextly slowly got to her feet feeling how her heart pounded against her ribcage as if it wanted to get out of her chest and run, and nervously turned around to look behind her, hoping it wasn't what she thought it could be.
(No...)
Her blood ran cold as soon as her magenta eyes landed on the figure standing in the tree line; his pose was perfectly straight and firm, his arms were crossed over his chest and even if his face was hidden in the shadows of the night and the hood over his head she could tell he was looking directly at her. The feline closed her eyes shut and counted to five hoping that when she opened them again the figure wouldn't be there anymore...but her hopes were crushed in the moment she looked again and still saw him standing there with the moonlight reflecting off his bright, white cloak. The feline remained petrified in her spot out of fear not knowing what to do. Her survival instinct was screaming at her to get out of there as fast as she could and run back to the encampment where she knew she would be protected, which was a wise option since she knew this guy would most probably overpower her, but her defensive instinct was telling her to stay and fight "But how would I beat this dude, he taught me everything I know, I don't have my weapons, and I'm sure he won't give me the time to perform any kind of enchantment...I need help" the female concluded and rapidly got down on all fours and dashed away in some random direction.
The cloaked figure smirked a bit under his hood when he saw the female's actions and shook his head with some amusement before disappearing.
Tlanextly sniffed the air as she ran, trying to find some scent that would lead her back to the camp, but there was nothing useful in the air "Come on, come on, the camp should be somewhere around here" The ocelot thought with panic and was about to call out Po's and Viper's names, though, she wasn't able to do so for suddenly something appeared right in front of her and she crashed into it, making her stop running. She looked up to see what had she collided with and, much to her horror, it was the cloaked guy (Stay away!) she yelled with fear and ran off again. After running for five more minutes, the figure appeared right in front of her again, but this time she managed to change her direction before she could collide. This event repeated itself four more times until the feline ended going into a small clearing. She briefly looked over her shoulder to check if the cloaked figure was behind her and, after not spotting him, stopped moving in the center of the open area to allow her tired body to rest a bit. "Seems like I lost him" she thought with a small relieved smile, although her relief was short lived because it wasn't ten seconds later when the male stepped out of the shadows. (Oh, come on) Tlanextly groaned out, then dashed off on her two legs this time...but she didn't get too far. The princess was so concentrated in her escape she didn't notice the peculiar medium sized pile of leaves on the ground a few meters in front of her and since she didn't notice it, she never thought in avoiding it.
The moment her left foot stepped on the pile a little mechanism was activated and a set of metallic jaws appeared from under the leaves and clamped themselves shut around her lower leg, piercing her flesh with its teeth and easily breaking her tibia. (It's a bear trap in case it wasn't clear enough).
(GYYYAAAAAHHAAAAAAA!)
The pain filled scream that erupted from the princess's maw was so loud it was safe to say it could be heard throughout the whole forest. The feline hit the ground face first with a loud *THUD* and coughed out a little dust that got into her windpipe. Tlanextly rolled over to her side and stared at the contraption through her now watery eyes "It...It was a..a trap" she thought, briefly directing her attention towards the spot where the cloaked figure was standing last and saw him making his way towards her. Tlanextly bent down and took a hold of the metallic jaws to try and pry them open, it was very difficult and it hurt her a lot, but she had to try. (Nnnghh...come on...agh!...open up!...GAH!) Tlanextly kept trying until a pair of bandaged paws grabbed her wrists and she looked up at the male with a snarl (What do you...want from me?! Why can't you leave m..me alone?!) she yelled/sobbed with a mixture of pain, fear, and anger in her voice and eyes. The cloaked figure did not utter a word in response and pulled from her arms to force her to lay down on her back, then proceeded to grab both of her wrists with one paw and get the other one into his cloak to pull out some rope. Tlanextly struggled to free herself and try to claw his face off as much as she could without hurting her injured leg even more, but the guy's grip was just too strong for her, so she had to use one last, desperate measure...
(HEEEELLLLPP! SOME..SOMEONE! PLEASE! HE..HELP M..MEEEEEE!)
Her cries for help were loud enough to make the cloaked figure cringe under his hood, but they didn't stop him from bounding together the feline's wrists and tying the rope's other end to a nearby bamboo pole. Tlanextly kept mildly squirming and screaming at the top of her lungs as she fought against her restraints in hopes of freeing her paws and/or getting someone to hear her until the cloaked guy got down on one knee next to her and stuffed her mouth with a piece of cloth he had taken out of his cloak to muffle the sounds.
Tlanextly thought in growling at the male, but the sound simply wouldn't come out of her throat "What's the point? I'm trapped, I'm hurt, and there's no one to help me...just like that time" she thought sorrowfully, getting a defeated expression as she stopped struggling. The princess felt more tears starting to run down her cheeks as the male placed one of his paws on her right thigh and started feeling around it, and she closed her eyes to prepare herself for what she knew would happen next "Just try to go to your happy place Tlanextly, just try" she thought.
Surprisingly, she imagined herself back in the camp, laying on top of the dragon warrior, nestled into his warm fur while his big arms surrounded her body. The ocelot thought in pushing the image aside for a moment, thinking it was stupid to have another situation respecting her confused state of mind right now, but realized she simply couldn't do it...that image made her feel better for some reason. "Besides, it doesn't matter anymore, this bastard will probably kill me after he is done" she thought and allowed herself to get deeper into the memory, thinking on the feeling of calm and safety Po's embrace gave her, on how his scent made her feel relaxed, how his jaded eyes eased her mind, and the pleasure she felt at his touch. After analyzing all this, the feline realized something...she liked how the panda made her feel, she really liked every last bit of it! That's why she had been acting so strangely and she couldn't understand her own behavior, her mind was telling her to enjoy! To stop thinking and simply enjoy it! "No, not IT, it was telling me to enjoy HIM!" The feline felt as if a ton of rocks had fallen on her head after she came to that conclusion.
That was why she had felt so angry when she pondered on the idea of Viper liking-liking the bear; her instinct was telling her to defend what was hers!...well he wasn't hers, they just met, but her mind tried to tell her he was a good candidate "And I didn't listen...or actually I didn't know that's what it was, no one had ever made me feel anything like it...but it doesn't matt..."
-HEY YOU! GET AWAY FROM HER!-
Tlanextly snapped her eyes open with surprise and looked towards the source of the voice at the same time the cloaked figure did and was surprised to see there was a new figure running in her direction. She couldn't tell much about the person since it was kind of far away, it was dark, and her tears were blurring her vision, but she was sure it was a male because of the voice and if she focused enough, every once in a while she would catch a glimpse of something glistening with the moonlight; she deduced it was a sword.
A smirk curved the cloaked guy's lips when he saw the other animal coming towards them and quickly pulled out a medium sized arrow from his clothes.
Tlanextly returned her attention to her attacker when she felt him touch the scar on her thigh, the one that was left from the stab wound she healed back in the yak's lair, and her eyes widened with fear when she saw him raising the arrow into the air with the head pointing downwards.
(Listening and talking can make time go faster, princess) The cloaked figure stuck the arrow right in the feline's scar after he said that, getting a muffled scream from her, at the same time the second guy jumped up into the air with a battle cry, raising the sword above his head to perform a downwards slash. Tlanextly saw the cloaked figure vanish just as the other guy landed, hitting the ground with the sword and then getting up in a ready battle stance, and suddenly started feeling dizzy.
Her eyes, whose vision was turning even more blurry, focused on the arrow in her thigh and realization dawned on her (Great...a tranquilizer) she muttered, obtaining the other person's attention and making him quickly kneel down next to her saying something in what she thought was a reassuring tone, then lost consciousness.
The ladies's of the shade's camp, next morning
Ming-Ling came out of Song's tent with a big yawn escaping her maw and stretched a bit to loosen up her muscles, releasing a relaxed sigh as she finished. The spotted feline looked at the empty encampment and a small smile formed on her lips; sure she loved all of her friends a lot, but she had to admit it was GREAT to have a peaceful camp from time to time. The group's temporary leader made her way towards her tent to give Crane the wake up call in case he had slept in. It didn't take her long to reach her destination and once she got close enough she called out -Crane, are you awake?-
No answer
The snow leopardess raised an eyebrow when she didn't hear any reply from the master -Crane, are you awake?- she repeated a little louder, but still no answer came. Ming-Ling thought that the crane master maybe left the camp earlier than expected to fulfill his mission and shrugged "Oh well, I should start my day then" The spotted feline walked into her chambers and went over to the dresser. She opened one of the drawers and took out a fresh uniform for the day "Hmm...Perhaps I could use something different today, I'm not gonna perform in my break after all" she thought and then put the clothes away. The feline closed the drawer where she kept her uniforms and opened the bottom one to look for some other attire. After searching for like ten minutes, Ming-Ling found some clothes she liked and took them out of the dresser. She left the garments on top of her bed, then walked over to the tent's entrance to tie up the flaps so no one could get in while she changed.
The feline returned to her bed's side and took a seat on it, then removed her gloves, her brown sandals, and unstrapped the sheath with her umbrella that was on her back as usual. After putting the old footwear under the bed, taking out a pair of open black cloth shoes, and leaving her weapon next to her, the snow leopardess proceeded to undo the wrappings on her feet. "Uf, much better" she thought while rubbing her right foot once it was free of the fabric; she never had liked to wrap up her paws, but she was forced to do it in order to avoid twisting her ankles while performing. The feline continued undressing until all that remained were her chest wrappings and unders, and then she directed her attention to the clothes on the bed. It was nothing fancy, just an old outfit she used from time to time which consisted in a pair of slightly tighter plain emerald green pants and a black shoulder-less qipao with 3/4 sleeves and emerald green trimming on all the edges.
After putting the pants on, Ming-Ling took her paws up to the bandages on her chest and took them off, releasing a sigh of relief when the pressure around her chest disappeared "Forget the foot wraps, this are the real torture" she thought, tossing the fabric aside and laying down. The feline stayed like that for a few minutes before standing back up to finish dressing up. After wrapping up her chest again, not tightly enough to look flat anymore since she wanted to stay comfortable, Ming-Ling put on the black qipao, then secured everything with her usual black waist band, and slipped the shoes on "Now, time for some breakfast" she thought while strapping her umbrella's sheath to her back. The snow leopardess walked over to the tent's entrance and untied it so she could leave, but a person who she bumped into, stopped her advance.
-Oh sorry Ming-Ling, I didn't see you-
The spotted feline felt surprised at hearing a certain avian's voice and she directed her gaze towards the male in front of her -Crane? You're still here?- she said with confusion.
-Um...yeah, why?- he asked, confused as well.
-I thought you had left to complete your mission already, since I couldn't find you and all- the feline explained.
-You were looking for me?- Crane said still a little confused.
-Well not looking-looking, but I said I was gonna come get you to eat breakfast and you weren't in the tent- Ming-Ling said, shrugging -By the way, what were you doing up so early?- she inquired.
-Nothing much really, I just woke up earlier than usual and since I could't go back to sleep I decided to watch the sunrise- Crane said.
-You were up extra early and you preferred to watch the sunrise instead of continuing your mission? I thought kung fu masters were supposed to be more responsible than that- Ming-Ling asked with a smirk while crossing her arms. Crane blushed a bit in embarrassment and looked down at the floor.
-Well I...I just thought that the village wasn't gonna move, you know? And..and I don't think Po and Viper mind waiting a little bit longer- Crane said kinda nervously while rubbing his neck sheepishly. The spotted feline shook her head a bit in amusement at the master's reaction before talking.
-I'm just messing with you Crane- She said with a small smile and patted him on the back a bit -How about I show you where to get some breakfast so you can depart?- The feathered master smiled at the feline's proposition and nodded in agreement.
As the two creatures walked towards the center of the camp where the meals were always held, the crane master noticed the feline's new attire and raised an eyebrow -If I may ask, is there any special reason for the change in outfit? - Crane asked, catching Ming-Ling off guard.
-Excuse me?- she asked back, looking at the avian confusedly.
-Your outfit it's not the one you were wearing yesterday- Crane pointed out.
-Oh that...I don't know, I just didn't feel like wearing my uniform today, you have no idea how uncomfortable it can get- she answered with a shrug -Why? Does it look bad?- Ming-Ling asked innocently; smirking at the surprised face Crane got.
-What?! N..No of course it doesn't, I..I didn't mean that in the SLIGHTEST! If anything it looks much better- Crane stuttered out nervously, face palming at his last comment.
-Yeah? How so?- Ming-Ling asked, making the bird's eyes to grow extra big with bewilderment. Normally she would obviously not ask that to a male because they would most probably make annoying remarks about her feminine attributes, but she assumed the avian wouldn't say such things "Besides, it's kinda funny to freak him out" she thought, chuckling under her breath.
-Uh...Um...I..I...Well, that..that qipao really brings out your eyes and..and...tho..those pants com..compliment your fi..figu...agh! Why am I even answering this?!- Crane yelled, feeling his face burning up in extreme embarrassment. The snow leopardess giggled and decided to leave the bird alone, she didn't want him to have a nervous breakdown. When they got to the eating area they saw six other leopardesses, Zhi among them, sitting around the table eating some bean buns and tea. After saying good morning to all of them, the pair took their own plates with food and curiously took seats in front of one another to eat breakfast. Several minutes of silence passed by as one by one, the other girls abandoned the table to do their camp chores until only Crane and Ming-Ling were left. -Ming-Ling can I ask you something?- Crane asked a little nervously.
-Uh...sure, I don't see why not- The feline replied, giving the bird her attention.
-Can you promise you won't get mad?-
-I'll be honest, when someone asks that question it's because they are gonna say something that most probably will upset the one who is being asked, so I can't promise anything- she responded, hardening her factions into a serious expression. The avian gulped and pondered if making his question was worth the risk.
-Why did you make that painting, the one under the white sheet in your room?-
The spotted feline's eyes widened so much Crane thought they were gonna pop out of her skull, although they soon narrowed and she growled lowly -It's non of your business...besides that painting doesn't matter, it was a huge mistake- she stated, changing her expression into a frown.
-I know I said I wouldn't dig through your stuff, it's just...wait, what?- Crane replied very surprised. He wasn't expecting that response from the feline, he thought she would try to murder him for snooping into her privacy even if he swore not to do it. -What did you say?-
-I said that painting was a huge mistake, now stop talking- she grumbled, then focused her gaze on the bean buns in her plate. Crane lifted an eyebrow at the feline's change in attitude and thought in saying something, but a gong started ringing repeatedly before he could do so.
-What in the world?- he said with confusion and shifted his attention to the snow leopardess after she heard her groan.
-Just what I needed- she muttered, clearly upset.
-What is it?- Crane asked, feeling more confused when he saw Ming-Ling stand up from her seat and unsheath her umbrella.
-I highly recommend you go finish your mission Crane, things are about to get bad- she said sternly, almost ordering instead of suggesting. Crane opened his beak to ask why, but the spotted feline sent him a cold glare that told him to just do it. After the avian took off, Ming-Ling growled and started running towards the cage where the feverish females were being held. There was only one reason for that gong to be rung so desperately right now...a jailbreak. When she got there four of her six comrades were already fending off the wave of hormonal felines as best as they could; pushing them away, shooting tranquilizer darts to knock them out, even hitting and kicking a few times. -Don't let them get out of this place!- Ming-Ling shouted, dodging a leopardess who tried to tackle her and shooting at another one that was running away. Zhi and the last of the sane ladies arrived in a few minutes and joined their friends's efforts to stop the feverish girls. The temporary leader was giving her all in the fight as she kept shooting at the lunatics and even blocked some attacks thrown in her direction, but it was proving itself to be a little difficult because there was something else in her mind. Time passed by as the group of sane snow leopardesses neutralized the ones in heat with their darts...but when they were almost done, the worst sound was heard...
*clic*
Ming-Ling's, Zhi's, and all the other leopardesses's eyes widened in shock and some horror when their umbrellas emitted the sound that signaled they were out of darts. The remaining feverish felines, which were six including Ying and Mei among them, grinned at the sight of their comrades taking a few steps back and entering defensive stances with their umbrellas in case they decided to attack. Some of the hormonal girls growled and got ready to dash towards the others, but were stopped by a certain voice. -No, girls, let's not lose time with them...we have a panda to catch- Ying stated with a devilish grin and then dashed away, followed by the others. Ming-Ling thought in going after them, but since they still had to recharge she decided to track them down later.
"First things first" she thought, adopting a scowl as she turned around to look at her comrades -Ok, can someone please be kind enough to tell me, what the hell happened!- she snapped, startling the other six -How is it possible they managed to get out huh?!- she yelled.
-Uh...we are not sure- one of the leopardesses responded.
-Not sure? NOT SURE?! What kind of answer is that?!-
-Ming, calm down- Zhi said.
-I'll calm down when someone answers me!-
-We already told you we don't know, when I came to check on them they were already exiting the cage!-
-Oh then someone opened the door for them?!-
-For the third time, We. Don't. Know! None of us do, so calm down because we're only losing time here!- Ming-Ling looked at all of her comrades's frowning faces and realized that maybe she indeed was acting a little too hostile towards them, so she took a deep breath to calm down and sighed.
-I'm sorry, you're right. Let's go for some more darts and go after them- Ming-Ling muttered, sheathing her umbrella. She was going to walk past them, but Zhi stood in her way.
-Why don't you let us do that and you rest? You seem way too stressed- the doctor said with a smile, but her leader shook her head.
-Zhi, I know you're thinking about my well being and all, but I'm not letting you do all the work- Ming-Ling said seriously.
-I agree with Zhi, Ming. Perhaps you should take a little vacation, you never snap so bad that easily-
-Song left me in charge of the camp, I can't just take a vacation-
-WWeeellll...we ARE in heat season break and it's not your turn to take care of the girls, so...-
-I'm not taking vacations out of nowhere after only a week of being put in charge!- Ming-Ling snapped yet again, surprising the rest.
-I...don't know what's going on with you, but now I'm certain you have to take your break more seriously- Zhi stated with a frown. Ming-Ling opened her mouth to speak -Not one more word, use your break or we'll use the darts on you- The temporary leader shut her mouth and growled under her breath.
-What am I supposed to do if you are not gonna let me do my job?- she said with irritation and the others shrugged.
-Go to a spa- Zhi suggested.
-Take a long hike- another girl said.
-Find a guy and have fun- Everyone gave that girl weird looks, except for the annoyed leader who shot her a 'Not in a million years' look.
-Just keep yourself busy, do anything that keeps your mind off work until you have to come back to take your shift- Zhi finished, placing her paw on Ming-Ling's shoulder -Now girls, let's put all the knocked out lunatics back in their cage, then get your umbrellas loaded 'cause we are going to hunt the rest down...again- All the unnamed leopardesses nodded their heads and started dragging their unconscious comrades back to their bamboo prison. -Alright Ming, pack whatever you need and I hope to not see you around here in at least a week got it? Doctor's orders- Zhi said in a stern but kind of playful voice, then walked away to help the others. Ming-Ling was left standing there alone and she sighed, then growled in irritation. She didn't need a stupid vacation, she wasn't even stressed because of work, she was just very upset...and she knew the reason.
"That stupid painting" she thought bitterly and stomped in her tent's direction. That painting always gave her trouble; every time she looked at it or even thought about it, it made quite a number with her head, that's why she kept it covered with the sheet "I wish I could just burn it" she thought, feeling a small tear rolling down her cheek...she knew it wasn't that simple. She got to her tent and tied up the flaps so no one else could get in, then walked over to her bed and laid face down to hide the silent tears coming out of her grey orbs from the world. She spent a few minutes like that until she felt a gentle breeze of air hit her back, so she lifted her head and looked behind her to see her tent's entrance completely open "What? But...But I just closed those" she thought with suspicion. The snow leopardess sat on her bedside and sniffled a bit before cleaning her eyes with the back of her left arm. She stood up again to close the flaps for a second time, but a strong gust of wind blew into the tent before she did so and knocked her off her feet -What the hell was that?- she grumbled while standing up. She looked around her room to see if the wind had moved anything out of place. Everything was in order...except that the white sheet covering the painting had fallen to the floor. Ming-Ling wanted to look away from the picture as soon as she realized it was uncovered, but she ended up staring and walking towards it instead.
She looked at the painting intensely for some minutes: It showed an almost empty street in a deserted village, which had a bunch of stairs in the end. The atmosphere was extremely gloomy and dark, showing that it was nighttime and it was going to rain in any second...but that wasn't what made the leopardess sad, no, what made her sad was a figure on the floor a couple of meters away from the first step. The figure could be easily recognized as a female feline and if you paid really close attention you would notice that...she was covered in spots and seemed to be weakly reaching out for something, as if she was barely conscious...or alive.
Ming-Ling ran her fingers over the figure's image and another tear rolled down her cheek, but she tore her gaze from it before she could start crying again. Next, her eyes landed on another part of the painting and a heavy scowl formed on her features at what she saw -You better be dead already, because if you aren't and I find you I...I...I don't know what I'll do- she seethed, glaring with pure hatred at the image of a figure dressed completely in white running down the street...away from the scene with something in his arms.
Well I believe this chapter leaves you with some big questions in mind. Some of you will figure out the answers themselves, others will have to wait for the answers to come.
I'll leave you alone to think.
AlienHeart1915...OUT!