Hey,
Hope you enjoy this new chapter; I'll see you at the bottom.
"You're such a dramatic entrance dog!" Laughed Monkey as he hauled Susan onto the seat beside him.
"Yeah, well first comes the battle of the mind hence the dramatic entrance, right Master Shifu?" Su replied knowingly, dusting her dress down.
Master Shifu nodded, "Correct, you listen well," he noted.
"Entry level requirement when meeting world-renowned masters," She stopped brushing down her dress and glanced over at Viper, who was sitting stiffly and avoiding her gaze.
"I see we couldn't coop you up then." Viper stated, puncturing every syllable with immense force, like that of her shinning fangs.
"No, I think you'll find, I'm not one to be forced into anything." Susan responded thickly.
"What's going on?" Whispered Po in Tigress' ear, everyone else, bar Monkey, being absent from the room when Viper and Susan had their argument.
"I respect that, I'm sorry." Viper leaned over and wrapped herself around Susan in an apologetic hug. "I was babying you, and I shouldn't have done, you are more than capable of making your own choices."
"Thank you." Su replied. "I'm sorry too, you were just looking after me, I never appreciate that from others and I really should learn to."
Everyone else in the carriage smiled at the sweet reunion while Mantis made a grunting sound which sounded like, "Pthh Girls."
"So, feeling recovered then Eddie?" Monkey asked.
"Hmm, I said you could call me Edith, don't stretch your boundaries." Susan joked, playfully punching Monkey's arm as he flushed from the mistake. "And I'm fine, I brought some acupuncture needles with me." She swung a black satchel off her shoulder and opened it to reveal several large needles. She then took off one of her boots, and stabbed one needle into her leg.
"Edith is such a gorgeous name, why's it your nickname though? Susan is kind of easier to say." Viper chuckled.
"It's my middle name, my school friends used to call me it."
"Ahh, nice."
"Yeah, anyway, Yin sounded like she was in real trouble." Susan quickly changed the subject, staring intently at Master Shifu.
"She is, she'll need all the help she can get to stake out An Ling and kill him." Master Shifu answered firmly. "I've been reading up on the subject,"
"And?" Po urged inquisitively.
"The Spirits have fought An Ling before, when he rose to power many moons ago, and they did leave victorious, but An was simply banished to exile and not killed. Spirit Yang predicted he would return someday," he stopped to breath in sharply. "Now he was no soothsayer, but it appears his predictions have rung true." He finished grimly, gripping his staff in clenched fists.
The carriage was silent for a few minutes as everyone allowed this information to sink in, the only sound being that of the wheels crumbling over the uneven pavement.
"What are we going to do when we get there?" Asked Crane, breaking the silence.
"I suppose we stake out An Ling and kill him, Yin called us because she can't do it on her own, he's powerful." Tigress replied sternly, chewing her bottom lip.
There was another silence, this one longer than the last, the air so thick with it, that no words seemed appropriate to say, no matter what they consisted of.
"Were here." Po finally announced and everyone leaned over and poked their heads out the window, eager to glimpse the sacred and legendary Yin and Yang palace.
The building itself was huge and grey, built like a fortress, the walls were huge stone slabs and the windows slit-like and bared. It was of major contrast to the Emerald mountains and the atmosphere surrounding it was thick with grief and despair.
The carriage came to a shuddering halt and everyone filed out onto a grey platform, leading onto a wooden bridge over a filthy brown moat.
The warriors carefully crossed the bridge and were face to face with the enormous iron front doors of the fortress.
Master Shifu gave them a light knock and they crunched open to reveal a stone courtyard and Spirit Yin herself, clutching her staff, looking ghostly pale and solemn.
Susan entirely forgot her air of perfectionism and bounded over to the spirit, encasing her in a wild hug.
"I'm so sorry." She apologised, though halfway through it turned into a sob. She opened her mouth again to speak but no words came out and none, she thought, would be of enough importance to say. There was nothing else to say.
The spirit just sniffed and gave her a watery smile before she wiped her shinning eyes and turned back to the others. "I'm eternally grateful you have arrived renowned masters, I need you if I'm going to be able to fight An."
"It is an honour to meet and fight alongside you Spirit," Master Shifu greeted and he bowed low towards her. "We are honoured to be of service."
"Thank you Master Shifu, now, let's go inside, it looks like the weather's turning." As she stated this, she gave a carefully timed glance up at the sky which was indeed covered in thick grey clouds, the wind rustling her long black hair around her face.
The courtyard was made of simple slabs of concrete, and the only sliver of vegetation, or indeed any furnishings around, was a large potted beach tree in the centre.
From there, the warriors crossed the courtyard and climbed up a small flight of steps up to a second enormous iron door, which opened simply by use of the spirit placing her Bo staff in the large keyhole.
She then led them down a dark corridor and into the library.
The library was a large room, decorated in royal red and gold carpets and armchairs, huge red curtains framing the arched windows and arched door leading out onto a stone balcony which was now getting drenched in rain.
The library also contained a polished fireplace, under which was crackling a wonderfully warm and toasty fire, sparking the room in dancing gold light.
Around the walls were several huge golden picture frames and hanging from the ceiling were several one hundred candle chandeliers, decorated in dew-like hanging diamonds.
"Take a seat," offered the Spirit, settling down on one of the armchairs herself and re-adjusting her black robes. "I know the palace doesn't look particularly homely from the outside but that's more for practicality."
"It's fine spirit, how are you getting on?" Tigress inquired politely.
"I'm coping thank you Master Tigress," Yin answered thickly. "Unfortunately, as you know, spirit Yang passed away, which does leave me with a rather large complication."
"What's the complication?" asked Mantis eagerly.
"Me and Yang, we are the spirits of Yin and Yang, we keep the world balanced, that's how the world works, the universe even, perfect harmonising balance. But because that balance is now broken, the world is in great danger."
"From what?" Viper asked curiously, wincing as she prepared herself for the answer.
"If there are both sides of the Yin and Yang, we are able to create a forcefield, protecting the world from Super-natural creatures, but if that balance is broken those creatures are released from the underworld and beyond, the reason An Ling has returned is because the balance is broken, not only that, hundreds of creatures have been released from the underworld, not all of them yet, since I am still here, still one side of the Tin and Yang, but if I die, all of them will be released and that means they'll come after me, it means they'll want me dead so they can release their brothers and sisters into the normal realm," she paused for breath, everyone starring at her intently, hardly breathing awaiting her continuation of the conversation.
"It means every warrior will have to fight them, to kill them. It means War."
Hello!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's getting exciting now isn't it!
hope you're all staying well, I'll see you next chapter!
xx