Back and faster than ever. I really need to slow it down with the releases, but seeing how things are right now I would say that it seems like we need a little bit of the fast delivery.

Welcome back to another chapter of Finding Balance. We are slowly but surely approaching 50 chapter, and I am certain that we will make it quite soon. Before we get into the meat of the chapter I would like to do my usual spiel.

Thank you for responding to the ending of the little section of the story. We are now entering the fallout and things are going to be a little different. Some parts will make you uncomfortable with the direction I am taking this while some of you may view it as useless drama. I assure you that with this message in all caps. YOUR OPINION MATTERS HERE AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR TRUE THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE. You never know, your opinion might shape the future of the story...

Anyways, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review the story. I always enjoy responding, but it is irritating that I no longer receive PM's (like so many others). I will respond when I can, though. I hope you enjoy the chapter.


Chapter 48: Familiar Territory

I looked beyond the hill to see what I had been waiting to see for quite a while now. The sun above reflected off the green roof of the Jade Palace on the distant mountain. The village below took in the rare rays of the winter sun. Snow seemed to have collected on everything since we had last been here. We took a small break and looked up at our home.

The chilled air blew against my face is if to tell me that I should continue on. I knew that both of use were burning to make it back to our home and that we shouldn't delay it anymore. So, I began to walk forward, "Come on, we should make it within the next hour."

This last trip since leaving the tiger village had been trying at the very least. We weren't getting on each other's nerves at all since it is kind of hard to do that if we don't talk to one another. Well, that was the thing. We have hardly said much to each other as we avoided any idle conversation. I think she could sense that I was still a little hurt by what had happened. I think she did feel a little shame from what had transpired with Sha-Ren and between us, and she knows that she was going to have to make it up over time and that trust was going to need to be rebuilt over time. I am

I cracked my back as we continued to walk on. We ended up having to share a room at the inn we stopped by. However, I decided to take the floor while we were there. It isn't that sleeping on the ground causes me issues. It is just sleeping on the ground after two consecutive sleepless nights that is causing me the issue. I will be excited to make it back to the palace for my bed alone.

We finally made it to the edge of the village to be greeted by the recognizable faces of the villagers we protect. It had been a while since some of them had seen us so you can imagine that a few of them were excited to see us. A few would run up to us and bow or greet us in a friendly way. It had been some time since I had seen a genuinely friend crowd, so I couldn't help but smile. Even Tigress seemed to be relaxed by the familiar crowd.

We made our way through the excited crowd on our way back home. The further we pushed into the village resulted in more people coming by just to greet us. Speaking of which, we walked by Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu and Mr. Ping seemed to notice instantly. He threw down his cleaver and ran as quickly as he could out of the front door. He waved us over, "Master Tigress and Master Kyle, it is good to see you two back! Ohh, Po is going to be so happy."

I bowed at the older goose, "It is nice to see you as well, Mr. Ping. I am assuming that business is going well?"

He smiled, "You don't even know. The holiday season usually brings in more people. Speaking of which, apparently the village is invited up to the Jade Palace to celebrate the holiday." I smiled, of course this was when the Winter Feast usually was. It is a pretty exciting time of year. He continued, "It is so exciting to be able to prepare food for so much of the village."

Tigress and I stood there as we politely listened to him talk about the Winter Feast. Then, another familiar feline face greeted us, "Tigress, Kyle, it is so good to see you two."

Song put down the platter she had been carrying and ran up to us. She wrapped me in a friendly hug which I briefly returned. She pulled away and then she pulled Tigress into one. She was a little more 'friendly' than last time with the contact. I wasn't complaining, but Tigress was definitely taken off guard. Anyways, Song smiled at us both, "Po and I were unsure if you would be coming back to the village before the Winter Feast. He will be very happy to have you back now."

Tigress nodded, "I am sure he will show us his excitement soon."

I shrugged my shoulders to show I fully expected it. I will be pretty happy to see the big guy as well. Mr. Ping seemed to understand he was keeping us hostage in his conversation, "Oh, I shouldn't have been rambling. It is a skill that I pick up more the older I get. Please, allow me to get something for you two to eat. You both must be hungry after such a long journey."

Before he could move any further, I held up my hands to gesture to wait, "There is no need for that. We are both tired and just wish to make it back to the palace."

Tigress nodded, "We appreciate the offer."

Mr. Ping nodded as he was not at all insulted, "I understand. Just promise me you will come by soon, and I will off you each a free bowl."

We both nodded at his words. I adjusted the bag on my back with a jump and a pull at the straps. We both began to walk out of the noodle restaurant. Song waved us both goodbye as Mr. Ping returned to the kitchen. Before we could fully leave the area, Song yelled out to us, "By the way, someone new is staying at the palace. I thought you two should know."

A look of confusion was shared between us. Someone new? Who could possibly be at the Jade Palace to Now, we both ascended the stairs to the Jade Palace? Who could possibly be at the Jade Palace now to stay? I guess we were both going to find out when we get there.

We both ascended the palace stairs slowly but at a constant rate. Each step we took we met with a jump in excitement of just being home and returning to our usual routines. No matter what had happened over the course of the last few days, it couldn't stop that excitement within us.

We finally made it to the last few steps to the gate. The cool, midday breeze blew against us with a gentle touch. I shoved the large door open to the courtyard below the actual palace to see an unusual sight. Po was on top of Monkey trying to get the smaller mammal to eat something. "Come on, Monkey, you have to at least bite off a little."

"No, Po! I don't know where that has been."

I looked at them with a confused gaze before clearing my throat. Their two heads turned to look at us and joy soon overtook their features. Po instantly forgot what he was trying to do and got off of Monkey, "You guys are back! Tell me about the journey. Was it awesome! Where did you guys actually go?"

Monkey moved to be right beside Po, "It is good to see you two."

I nodded at Monkey, "It is good to be back." I looked over to Po, "I will tell you all about our journey later. Now, I just want to put my things away."

Tigress asked them, "Have either of you seen Master Shifu? I might as well notify him that we have returned."

Monkey pointed up at the Hall of Heroes, "He should be where he usually is."

Po jumped into the conversation as he walked beside Tigress as she went up, "You should probably take time to say hello to the rest of the Five. I am sure that-" Tigress nodded at Po as she continued to walk up to meet with Master Shifu. That only left the three of us. Po yelled after Tigress, "Alright… No problem… I am sure you will say hello later."

Monkey commented, "Well that was odd."

Po nodded, "I know, right! She didn't even seem irritated." Po looked over to me, "Did something happen on your trip."

My smiled disappeared as I scratched at my chin, "I am sure you guys will hear about it sometime later." I motioned for them to lead me, "I don't mind seeing the everyone else. It has been a long journey." The seemed to give looks of neutral uncertainty to one another as we continued on.


We made it to the barracks with Po chatting the entire way up. My guess is that it is a day off today, which makes it a little easier seeing that I can now see everyone in bits and not altogether. It makes less stressful when I am not dealing with all of the questions at once. Po is enough on his own, and he is definitely shuffling out twenty questions. He asked where we went, and then what it was like, or if found combat along the way. The response or the poor picture I drew for them didn't bring down his excitement. I am not much of a storyteller when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Well, the familiarity of being back inside the barracks relaxed my muscles beyond what they could out on the road. I felt myself having a greater feeling of safety inside these walls. Coming back from Gongmen City didn't even have this kind of feeling emulate from my core. It just felt… right.

The hallway was empty from what I could see, but that was going to quickly change. The door to Crane's room opened and heads of Crane and Viper popped out to check out the commotion. Their expressions lightened up as they saw who Monkey and Po were walking with. Viper's smiled was almost contagious, "Kyle! When did you get back? Where is Tigress?" They both moved out of the doorway and to me.

I shrugged off my pack so that I could lay it down for a moment. Viper wrapped me in a friendly hug before Crane did the same. It was comforting to be back with my friends. I smiled, "We just got back from our trip. Tigress is meeting with Master Shifu right now and I am sure that she will be here soon."

Viper smiled, "I will be happy to give her the same treatment that I gave you."

"I know you will."

Crane spoke, "What happened during your trip? You were gone for a week or two."

I let out a tired sigh, "I will be happy to tell you all about it. Right now, I will be more than happy to get my things to my room and get something to eat."

Crane looked at Viper, "We would be happy to join you. That is if you don't mind?"

"I would be more than happy for the company." I walked away just as Tigress rounded the corner to catch the group's attention. I caught a glimpse of Viper hugging Tigress, who had become rigid I might add. She still seemed happy to be back, though. They began to converse with the tiger.

I walked into my room and placed my bag down. I took a moment to take in the space I had come to know as my own. I smiled as looked around at the basic decorations that made up the room. Then, I looked down at the various contents that needed to be put away. My exhausted gaze just shrugged and decided that I would find time to do this later. I have some people to hang out with and things to eat.

I exited my room and made my way down the hall. The first thing I noticed was how two people of the group were missing. Tigress and Viper seemed to have gone somewhere else in the minute I had spent in my room. I looked at Crane with a questioning gaze, "Where did Viper and Tigress go?"

He shrugged, "Tigress insisted spending time with Viper for some reason. I don't think I have seen her just ask for Viper for company like that before."

I knew what the reason was for, and I was kind of hoping that our separation would be brought up slowly and not quite today. However, the more I mulled it over the more I understood that it would be best to tell them now. Well, at least Crane and Viper. It could be pretty awkward later on if they didn't know…

Anyways, I smiled and shrugged, "I guess I will have to catch up with her later. For now, it would be awesome if you guys could join me for lunch."

Po was almost salivating at the idea, "I could always go for second lunch." Monkey then elbowed him in the side before motioning. Po's expression saddened but rebounded instantly, "Never mind. Monkey and I was going to find a way to prank Mantis while he is in the village."

I looked at them with a cocked brow, "Why is Mantis in the village? I expect him to at least be hanging out you two if he were down there."

Monkey chuckled, "Well, he is trying to impress someone." He bounced his brows at Crane who just covered his face with his wing. I was completely lost on what or, more specifically, who they referring to.

I looked over at Crane while Po and Monkey left, "I have a few questions."

Crane waved me off as he led us to the kitchen, "Trust me, it isn't as interesting as you think. Plus, you will know soon enough."

I guess I am going to have to be satisfied with that answer for now. My curiosity then shifted when we entered the kitchen. I looked over the various food items that could be laying around. I really didn't want to go to the storage just to fill my stomach. Thankfully there were a few bean buns left over from whenever Po had lunch. I guess Monkey must have grabbed him before he could finish because I could not see him leaving any food uneaten under other circumstances.

Crane took a seat right across from he as he began to prod, "So, what all happened on that trip? I don't want to say it, but you two seem a little different. Some of it good, some of it bad."

I looked at him with surprise, "You can see that all from just looking at me?"

He shook his head, "No, not all of it. Just the way that Tigress asked Viper to talk. Also, you just confirmed it. So, what happened?"

I grumbled out a little. Damn, I guess he tricked me with that. Maybe I would have been better to lie. I shook my head. I agree with myself earlier when I said it was best if he and Viper knew about this. So, I began the tail about what happened. I continued to talk about the week of searching, running into the cave, the doomsday bunker, the tiger village, and everything else that happened around there. I told it a little better with him. I guess it just comes with practice.

Finally, I reached near the end, "She decided that she wanted to stay, and you should already know that I wasn't really welcome there. I kind of get it. She had trained all of her life to become the best warrior in all of China only to fail with this country needed her most. I could see how she was looking at everything in her life and seeing how she could hone her skill little by little from changing some things. I didn't think she would consider that being here… was what she needed to change." My voice drifted off at the end.

Crane was doing an excellent job of staying quiet and just listening to my story. His break had already dropped at some point during the tale, and he had kept it open until now. He then interrupted, "So… she was the one that kissed him? That doesn't seem like her."

I shook my head, "She didn't kiss him. I am still irritated about all that as she didn't pull away, but she wasn't the one to initiate that. I kind of want an apology for that too…" My voice wandered off on the last sentence. I then collected myself back onto on thought, "That isn't really the point. We are kind of getting off topic of why I now think the separation is fine with me now. She obviously concluded that she made an error, but she still thought the Jade Palace had nothing left to offer her. That she 'couldn't grow in the shadow of the Dragon Warrior.'"

He thought deeply before diving back into the conversation, "What changed her mind?"

"Well, I ended up fighting to protect that tiger village right as I was leaving." He brow cocked in interest. I waved my hands, "I can get into that sometime later. We ended up being successful, and the tigers for the most part were not swayed by my actions. In short, they called me a 'monster'. She said that was when she decided that staying was not the best course of action." I rubbed my chin in thought, "I don't think that was the reason though. Sure, it could have played a small part, but it wasn't the main reason she chose to leave. I am still curious as to why she chose to leave, but I am leaving it be for now. We are taking our time to think about what we both want. Of course, I still love her, and this still deeply hurts, but what she did made me question everything about being here and if I can really count on someone. While some of that has been resolved, I still time to myself to see what I want and have time to heal our relationship."

Crane looked at me with a deadly serious expression, "And what about her? What is she getting from this time apart from you?"

I shrugged, "I don't entirely know what she will do with this time. Maybe not see me fake-die or get maimed in front of here a few times." My joke kind of fell flat as I expected, "Sorry, I just wanted to release the tension a little. All jokes aside, I hope she takes this time to evaluate if she views this as a strength or weakness to her Kung Fu. If it is a weakness, is it something she can live with knowing that she might live a more fulfilling life. Whether she decides in a day or in a couple of years is up to her. For now, she has stuff to make up for." I let out a few dry chuckles, "The dying a few times was a joke to something more serious. I think all of the recent fighting has corrupted any positive motives for staying together. I have gained a new perspective. We needed time of relaxation to think why we even got together in the first place other than love."

Crane chuckled, "All of this is a little confusing to me."

I rolled my eyes, "Don't worry, I am kind of confused myself. Basically, I am just going to live my life right now. If we get back together, great. If we decide to stay comrades or friends, if she finds someone, or me for that matter, then that is just how it is. I think it is time for me to focus on my own training as well."

Crane nodded before smiling at me, "Just know that Viper and I are there for you two. We are a team and we should always be available for you two."

I put my hands on the table before sliding the bench back to stand up. I let out a light sigh, "I appreciate the support. Knowing that you two are there for support is enough for me. I am sure that the others would find out in time, but it seemed more natural to just get this out of the way between you two and Tigress and me." I thought for a second as I went off topic, "Also, before I forget to ask, who is the new person that decided to stay."

Crane's smile brightened a little, "Oh, I guess you were bound to hear. Well, they aren't exactly someone new to you." I was shocked by that. He was about to answer when a distant door closed, and the sound of Mantis's voice reverberated through the halls. Crane changed what he was going to say, "Well, I guess you are going to see for yourself."

We both stepped out in the hall to see Mantis on the shoulder of a very familiar person. Their yellowish-orange eyes went from glancing at Mantis to staring at us. Joy seemed to fill them as a smile formed on their small maw. I was barely able to choke out a greeting from my dry mouth, "Mei Ling."

Mantis looked at me with disbelief as I stood beside Crane, "Kyle?!"

Mei Ling's pace picked up as she wrapped me in a tight hug which I returned. Mantis jumped off her shoulder to Crane's. I could hear the happiness in her voice as she spoke, "I was unsure when I would see you when I heard that you and Tigress were gone. I am so glad to see you."

I was still getting over my shock, "It is nice to see you, too." I pulled away from the tight embrace before inquiring, "You are the new student here?!"

She smiled, "Yeah! After the new of Shen's rise and fall reached me, I decided that it was time for me to develop my skills in Kung Fu while being with people familiar faces. I sent a few messages between Crane and Master Shifu proposing the idea of me becoming more than just master at an academy. They both seemed to think it was a good idea, so here I am."

Even though we have only been in each other's presence for a couple of days total, and those being some of my happiest moments here thus far, she was a great friend. The last moments of her visit here, including the kiss and her wanting to 'share my room', seemed to be forgotten for now. Those weren't the things I remembered her by. Anyways, I was about to ask how thing were since I hadn't seen her in a while, but Mantis found he way onto my shoulder. I fake cried, "I didn't know when I would see you again. My heart has been empty without you here."

I rolled my eyes, "It is good to see you as well, Mantis. I can see that your desire to charm any lady hasn't dwindled in the slightest."

Mantis collected himself before smiling, "It really is good to have you back here. Also, I wasn't-"

Mei Ling shook her head, "Actually, he wasn't hitting on me. Everyone was a little busy to help me familiarize myself with the village. So, he decided to show me around."

I looked at him with surprise, "Really." I guess he is still a growing bug after all. He is still managing to surprise the best of us. I guess Monkey was just guessing that Mantis was trying to 'impress' Mei Ling.

He nodded, "Yeah… I wasn't really doing anything, and I was expecting Po and Monkey to try and prank me here, so I decided to leave while I could." I held my tongue on that last part.

Mei Ling wrapped me in a tight hug once again which took me by surprise. She apologized while she did it, "Sorry, I am just excited to have everyone here. It is going to be an awesome experience having everyone here again."

I chuckled, "It isn't a problem with me. We really do need to catch up."

She pulled away a little, but we were still close, "We really do."

I heard someone clear their throat. I looked over to where the sound came from to see Viper with Tigress right beside her. Viper smiled, "I see that you have just ran into Mei Ling."

I looked between Mei Ling and me to finally pull away fully. Not exactly the position I was wanting to be found in when Tigress was around. She did seem to have a professional air about her as she contained whatever she was feeling very well. Mei Ling smiled and walked over to Tigress. She offered her paw to the tiger, which was accepted, "It is nice to see you again, Tigress."

Tigress nodded, "I was just told by Viper that you decided to train here. Good, we always need new warriors to challenge our skill. It will be an honor to have you here."

Mei Ling smiled and brought Tigress into a brief hug. Tigress stood the like a stone before patting Mei Ling on the back a few times. Mei Ling smiled, "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself after that. Thank you, Tigress for giving me an opportunity to prove my worthiness to train here."

A couple pairs of feet echoed down the hall to notify us of a few more people. It was obvious who it was before they even spoke, "Agh, we missed our chance." Po seemed deeply upset.

Monkey wasn't happy either, "Dang it. We had the perfect plan to get you, Mantis. It involved a bit of wax and some hair from a boar."

Mantis shivered at the idea of being caught in that prank. I guess we will never see what they intended to do with those ingredients.

I looked around at our large group, and at the ones of us who hadn't seen each other for a long time. I let out an awkward cough, "Should we take this into the kitchen?"


It was only an hour or so later as Po began to prepare a meal for us all. It was great being back in the swing of things after being on the road for so long. The table that we all surrounded wasn't much to keep us all contained. At some point, we were going to need a new table so that we would each have a little space.

Well, the conversations that I was so used to while also missed so much were definitely happening tonight. It seems like I was an active participant tonight. I was fishing for clarification, "So, I heard that the Winter Feast was going to be held here again this year but with the entire Valley of Peace invited. What happened to the usual gathering to vote?"

Monkey responded, "Master Shifu received messages from the other masters wishing to have it here. The decision was unanimous among them."

Mantis continued, "They must have been impressed with what happened last year. It was definitely a step up from the usual complicated meal. I am really looking forward to it this year."

Viper cut in, "Aren't you usually looking forward to it? You usually can't stop talking about the food."

Mantis laughed, "Of course I always look forward to it. This time it is different. I know that it won't be as stressful, and that the food will still be great. We are reaping all of the benefits with none of the drawbacks."

I looked over to Po, who was still finishing our meal, "Is your dad participating in cooking the meal?"

Po nodded without taking a second glance at me, "He didn't seem to want to leave his kitchen at first, but when he found out the Valley supported this he accepted. It is going to be so awesome to cook for the entire village and all these masters. I have so many questions to ask them that I didn't get to last time."

Mei Ling beamed, "I am excited to join all of you this year. I don't think I have ever been to such a large gathering of masters before. The Academy's celebration is usually boring and annoying if I am being honest."

Viper asked, "Why is that?"

Monkey joked to Mantis in a hushed but still noticeable tone, "Maybe it has to deal with the all the large warriors being shoved together in a small place. She might be the only female there which might make things a competition." Mantis and Monkey both giggled at that.

Viper silenced Monkey with a slap to his head. He rubbed it quickly as she responded, "That is not what she meant."

Mei Ling looked over with some reluctance, "Actually, that is about what it is like. The food that we are served isn't exactly that great, and it is basically everyone shoved together for a meal. Also, a few of the guys do try and 'converse.'"

Monkey covered his mouth from a laugh as the rest of the group let out a small chuckle. Well, Viper blushed a little at being unknowingly wrong. Crane reassured his long-time friend, "This feast is nothing like that. You will enjoy good food, spend quality time with friends, and maybe some other nice surprises might happen. It really is one of the best celebrations of the year."

Po added as he finished the last parts of our food, "I can't wait for it. It really is going to be awesome!"

"It is definitely going to be 'awesome.'" Our heads turned in the direction of the voice to see Master Shifu leaning on his staff with a smile on his face. He continued, "But I must remind you that you should restrain yourselves until the Winter Feast is actually here."

We all greeted him, "Master."

He nodded before looking over at Mei Ling, "I am seeing that you are accommodating yourself quite well here as expected, Master Ling."

Mei Ling nodded, "I am always grateful to be surrounded by friends once again. Thank you for agreeing to allowing me to train here."

Master Shifu nodded, "It is an honor to have you here." The red panda then turned his attention to me, "Jade Master, if you don't mind speaking with me for a moment. I would like to discuss everything about your journey."

I didn't need to be told twice. I rotated myself out of my seat and followed my master out of the door. When we were out of earshot, he directed his attention at me, "Tigress was able to cover everything that she could about your journey with me earlier. She felt it necessary to tell me about your uneasy relationship right now, and I am glad that she did. However, that is not the only reason that I asked you out here. I wanted to ask you about the details that she may have missed."

I was a little confused, "What parts do you want to know about?"

Master Shifu contemplated for a moment, "I know about the human remains, Tigress's mother, the tiger village, the ensuing invasion of said tiger village, and the falling out between you two. What I am missing is the part of how you left and came back."

I guess it isn't exactly surprising for Master Shifu to concern himself with what was happening with his students. He was also someone who knew very much about the significance of something that seemed relatively insignificant. I began, "Did she tell you that the tigers were, in large part, hostile against me?"

Master Shifu nodded, "She did. However, she also notified me that she realized that later on."

I let out a huff, "I don't see how she could have missed that. I convinced myself that she was just overtaken with a ton of emotions about being back with her people and her mother. I could be wrong, but that is the only way I am willing to view it. That isn't the point. Even though they treated me with such visceral hate, I still came back to fight for them. It took me a while to get beyond the renewed pain of my people's death to where I realized nothing has changed. I am not what they portray me to be. I realized that I am a protector, that I am the last human with a duty to preserve the memory of the gifts and horrors my people have unleashed on this world so long ago. Just because I am the last human doesn't mean I am alone. After I figured that out, everything just clicked for me. My place isn't uncertain anymore. I know exactly what I am and where I belong. There is a new level of harmony that I didn't think was possible. The world just seems to flow and make sense around me."

Master Shifu looked at me with surprise, "You have found Inner Peace?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Is this the new reality that I am going to have to deal with? It is taking a fraction of the time for my students to master this compared to me…" He looked at me after his moment of irritation, "Never mind that, I shouldn't be that surprised. You have experience things that hopefully none of us have to endure. You had to rise above your own pain to do what was required of you."

I nodded, "I guess that is a way of putting it. Even though I have this newfound peace, I didn't expect things to bother me like they do. Everything feels alright while also not."

Master Shifu chuckled, "That is a common misconception about Inner Peace. Master Oogway described Inner Peace as a fulfillment of oneself and purpose. Just because you have Inner Peace doesn't mean you won't feel distress. Likewise, distress, such as losing a loved one, will not make you lose peace. That will only happen when you are confused with who you are and your purpose."

I nodded, "I guess that makes sense. I shouldn't have viewed it as detachment from everything."

Master Shifu was thoughtful, "That brings me to the second part. I know about what happened between you and Tigress. I regret how the circumstances seemed to result in that, but I need to know something. Can you two looks beyond that and focus on the safety of the Valley, and more importantly, China? Can you two successfully train together and work together like you have in the past?"

I nodded with a completely serious expression on my face, "I can assure you that our breakup will not affect our duties under the Jade Palace."

Master Shifu straightened up, "I am glad to hear that. Go on, you should go back and enjoy the time with your friends. We will speak again sometime soon."

I bowed as I turned to leave. He added, "Oh, Master Kyle." I turned around to look at him, "I am speaking as more that your master when I say I hope things work out between you two. I hope you two are satisfied with the end result for your sakes."

All I could do was nod at him. I know that I wanted the same thing. I just don't know exactly what that is right now.

Anyways, I entered the kitchen to see that my food had already been placed in a bowl. The steam from the noodled drifted upward as if to welcome me back to the flavors I had dearly missed. I plopped back down in my seat right between Mei Ling and Po. Everyone's faces had a mixture of pleasure from the food prepared by our very skilled friend.

It was like I had forgotten the flavors that existed in this dish. My taste buds were in euphoria as a small chill sped down my spine. It was like heaven had returned to my mouth. It wasn't like I had forgotten the flavors. It is that just didn't expect to miss them this much. I let out a sigh, "I really missed this."

Everyone chuckled at comment with the exception of Tigress. To give her credit, she really looked like she was enjoying the noodles as much as I was. I said exactly what she was feeling.

Mantis joked, "I guess none of the cooks on the road could compare to our big guy, huh?" I could only shake my head as I downed more of the food. He then asked, "Did you enjoy your journey without us?"

Viper looked at Mantis with a dour expression, "Mantis, he-"

He held up his claws, "I was only kidding. Still, did you enjoy your little journey."

I shrugged my shoulders, "There were some good parts and there were some bad parts. If you are referring to how everything ended up and what we found, I would say that it is definitely bad, but successful." I caught Tigress's glimpse before I casted my eyes to the table, "I might as well go over it again for those of you who haven't heard. We found out what caused the humans to disappear, and we found Tigress's mother along with the tigers."

Crane asked, "If you don't mind me prodding, you never told us what you found. What happened to the humans and why are they no longer here?"

I stopped shuffling food into my mouth as I stared blankly at the bowl. I briefly rested my hands on the tabled as I thought to myself. The words weren't hard to figure out. It was just how I felt about what happened. It had been an emotional trip. It all felt real now, but it didn't bother me. I just… accepted what happened. Still, that didn't stop some of the from trying to console me. Viper looked at me with here sympathetic expression and Mei Ling put her paw over my hand. That all forced me to release my answer, "They starved, became sick, fought, and died. It seemed to be slow and painful. I found this book explaining in detail what happened, and it helped me understand so much about myself and why I might be here."

They looked at each other with confusion. Finally, Viper asked with concern, "Where is this book? Did you bring it back with you?"

I shook my head, "No, I didn't bring it back. I had learned all I could from it, and I could see that it was needed to somewhere else. I am sure it is safe with that person."

Crane commented, "It probably could have been a valuable addition to the collection here."

I shrugged as my smiled began to come back. I withdrew my hand idly away from Mei Lings grasp as I smiled briefly at her before I continued to eat, "I don't think it deserved to be a part of a collection just for it to just collect dust here. I know that contents of it, and I can tell you all about it." I smiled, "I wasn't just my journey, Tigress had her part as well." I motioned to the Tiger across from me.

Everyone turned their attention to the de facto leader of the Five. She wasn't exactly happy to be in the spotlight, but I was done taking charge of the conversation. I would just be happy with listening. Po was the first to ask, and as excited as ever, "What was the tiger village like? Was your mother a warrior as well?"

"No, she was not a warrior. She was a part of their village government. She seemed to have a completely different personality compared to me as well. She was warm, kind, and seemed to deeply care for me even though I barely knew her. Most of all, she was someone I could readily learn to depend on…" Tigress's gaze seemed to fixate on me for a moment. I could tell she was sad behind her stony façade. I could also see what she was looking for a way to make it up to me, but she knew that her words were only going to be a start to a ton of action.

Her gaze shifted to look at the others as her moment of vulnerability disappeared back to her stoic look, "As for the village, they seemed to be completely separate from the rest of China. They were trying to forge their own path after what Shen had done to them. They… weren't the most welcoming of outsiders. The only reason we were allowed to stay in the first place was because I was a tiger. I was even given the opportunity to stay."

Crane, Viper, and I were the only ones to know about her wanting to stay. Would she be willing to tell them the full truth of her decision?

Po asked carefully, "Well, you are here now. I knew you couldn't chose to stay there."

My noodle soup was now finished as I placed my jaw in my hands. I stared intently at Tigress as I waited to see what her response was. She didn't have to tell them the truth if she didn't want to.

She looked down at the bowl closely, "I did decide to stay."

Everyone went silent before Po let out a 'pfft'. He then laughed, "And here I thought you couldn't tell a joke. You did an awesome job with the intensity and the… delivery…" He then caught on to what we all knew wasn't a joke. It was just like him with Master Shifu a while ago, "Wait! You actually were going to stay?! What about, well, us!"

Tigress growled a little, "Do you know what it is like to train all your life to only be upstaged by a prodigy in Kung Fu? To constantly fail when those who you care about, and more importantly all of China, when they need you most?" Po shook his head as his eyes were wide. It was odd since Tigress wasn't expression anger at Po for once. It was all self-reflecting. "Well, I do. I have always been set on being the best warrior in all of China. I mean, look at you! You achieved Inner Peace after only knowing about its existence for only a week. Now I have to think about how I can be more like you. I thought I would be able to uncover something new there versus here." She looked at me without me knowing as I thought to myself, "It took a friend coming back for me to show me that there was more for me here."

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. We all just sat there as we took in everything she just said. For some in the group, it was all new information that they were trying to wrap their heads around. For others like me, I think we were more shocked that she just outright said 'she was going to leave the Jade Palace.' I was kind of… impressed that she took that leap to see what they would think. However, no one said a thing.

I finally shattered the glass of silence, "You aren't ever going to pick up skills like Po. It will take you months to perfect something that Po will spend only hours to learn. Yes, Inner Peace came to him almost naturally while it will potentially take you years to finally achieve it. I had to suffer extraordinary pain to finally achieve it. We will also fail where he succeeds." Po sat their awkwardly as we basically talked up his natural abilities. Tigress sat there with a variation of defeat. I finally changed tone, "Your job is not to look at Po and try to be more like him. You should aspire to reach your full potential by being who you really are. You are a hard worker, so own that."

Tigress finally looked at me. She translated enough thought to show she really appreciated the words. Everyone else seemed to take a little away from my little talk as the tension died down as the rest of us finished up our meals. This was the first time in the last few days that Tigress and I felt as if we were on the same page.

And if things between us was not great seemed hazy at first, it was pretty obvious now. Still, everyone decided not to speak about that.


I had decided to help Po clear up the kitchen as everyone separated on their own endeavors. I had cleaned the last item and was heading out of the kitchen. To my surprise, Tigress was standing there waiting for me. She stood up straight and nodded at me. "I guess I should thank you for the talk. I really needed that after everything we have been through… I wanted to ask you if you wanted to train with me sometime tomorrow?"

I thought for a moment before shaking my head, "I think we should give it time before we do that." Tigress's ears drooped a little. I continued, "But I would be happy if you host me for a meditation session."

Tigress's expression brightened a little as she bowed lightly at me, "I would be happy to do that."

I nodded with the lightest smile plastered on my face. I was happy that she was reaching out to me to try and bond with me again. I am happy that she is trying again and not closing herself off. The willingness to act speaks enough for itself. We both just have a long road before things are better between us. At least we both understand that.

We both parted ways as I headed toward my room while she went elsewhere. I was hoping to get a little shuteye from the long trip so I could come back tomorrow and be reenergized. Most everyone was enjoying their own times in their rooms, but none of their lights were shut off.

I was about to enter my room before the door diagonal from me opened up to catch my attention. Mei Ling stood their smiling at me, "I can see your speaking skills haven't weakened at all since we have last spoken. I want to say that I am impressed with what you said."

I smiled before shrugging, "It has been a rough last few days for us both. If she was willing to tell everyone what happened then I am willing to be there."

Mei Ling looked at me with concern, "I could tell things were different for you two. After hearing from Crane and the others what you were looking for and what you have just told us, I can see that it has been difficult for you. Crane and Viper also told me about your relationship with Tigress and-"

I cut her off as I held up my hand, "And you can tell things are not great. Things happened and we had a falling out. We are both alright, we are just trying to pick up the pieces before figuring out what to do next. We might get back together or just stay friends. Only time will tell."

Mei Ling looked at me apologetically, "I am sorry for prodding, and I am sorry for what you have been through." She then brought me into a hug.

I hugged back lightly, "Thank you. You are a true friend for caring, and you do deserve to know where things are since it is kind of out there now." I pulled away, "We really do need to catch up. Maybe we can hang out sometime soon."

Mei Ling smiled, "I would really love that."

"Good. I think I should turn in. I am kind of exhausted from the trip." I approached my doorway and began to walk through. I turned around, "Good night, Mei Ling."

She smiled cutely back, "Night."

I closed my door as I began to prepare for my sleep. My body relaxed a little more since coming back. It is good to be back among friends.


Mei Ling is back, and it looks as if she is planning to stay. I really enjoyed writing her as a character way back when, and I will be more than happy to continue developing her. I actually decided that I would bring her back before I thought of doing the entire Tigress/Kyle trip that would lead to their split. Anyways, new members of the Jade Palace should always be welcome.

I hope I am keeping it real for you all. I am happy to respond to messages as I am then able to clarify what is happening. My thoughts aren't always printed on the page, and your messages give me the opportunity to share my thinking. Any little bit helps.

I am going to keep this short since I have been releasing weekly. I am not quite used to this pace as I don't have much to say in these closing comments. I have also taken up reading some of your guys work and giving my feedback on it. It makes me more concise in my writing as I am forced to talk one-on-one with people. I am usually good with reading it quickly and getting back to you, so hopefully that doesn't get overwhelmed (it shouldn't).

I guess this is my time to split. I am looking to think and get the next chapter out at a reasonable time.

Until Next Time,

Forsvaret-Komandir