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5 Years Ago...

To hold the scroll, to look at Shifu in the eye, and to see Po and Tigress stand by him, to give their acknowledgment of the consequences that will follow if Tai lung were to fail his loyalty to the oak the second time, was heart-stopping, as well as triumphant.

All the Master's were present; the kids couldn't attend, and had to wait elsewhere. Sapphire was on his mind in the moment those words came; "And you understand that if there is ever an event that he fails to stand to the loyalty of the Master's Creed, one or both of you may also suffer the consequences, as well as him?"

Both Po and Tigress looked at one another, and nodded. "Yes."

"Very well." They both placed a one paw on the assigned shoulders as Tai Lung knelt down, and bowed his head. His upper half was clothed with a silver tunic, the symbol of a peach tree imprinted delicately on the back. "Tai Lung, you swear by the Creed..."

This was his cue. "I swear by the Creed..."

"That you make an oath..."

"That I make an oath..."

"Of life long allegiance to the Master's Council, and citizens everywhere."

"Of life long allegiance to the Master's Council, and citizens everywhere..."

Now, Tai Lung stood at the Peach Tree at the dead of night, taking in all the silence, and beauty around him. It was nice to be alone, after such a long day. He made his first official oath of allegiance to the Jade Palace in the eyes of the Master's Council... which became aligned with AJ's 100th day,. It was suggested that it would be done on a different day, but Po insisted that if both occurred on the day, there would be a lot to celebrate.

"Tai Lung?" He turned, and Monkey stood there, Chang snoozing in his arms. "Are you coming home soon? It's late, and we're up early tomorrow."

"I will be there soon Master Monkey," Tai Lung turned his gaze back to the night sky far from the cliff's edge. Drawing his arms behind his back slowly, he added. "I just need a moment or two alone out here... you go ahead and get the child to bed. You both look exhausted." Monkey nodded, and bid him goodnight, and disappeared.

This granted him more time to think. He was here, back home with his Master, those whom he could now consider as friends... and his family. Po and Tigress were always there, but after so long, he and Shifu were finally back to the way things were, now with Tigress and Sapphire being part of that bond. It took some time, and a close call with death, but now they were stuck by his side, despite Sapphire, his daughter, who went through those final moments of self torment between her mind and heart to come through and forgive him for his absence... and he remembered seeing her, standing close to Shifu, smiling as she held AJ, who snoozed in her arms...

Tai Lung took another inhale of the rich oxygen. He didn't have to worry about having to hide anymore. He didn't have to worry about losing Sapphire. Although she didn't live in the Valley, he knew she was always gonna come back, even if she found someone to settled down with and be betrothed to. He had yet to meet her adoptive family, and before then he still had to prepare some kind of gesture to thank the mother and aunt, and Jun, for looking after her in his absence...

Suddenly, the gentle breeze that lapped around his ears, fell with one final passing though the hairs along his back, and he had an uneasy feeling. That feeling his someone was behind him. "Master Monkey? Off to bed, you're tired."

...

"You're wrong, my love..."

Tai Lung's eyes opened slowly, his brows furrowed slowly at the thoughts that ran through his mind before his eyes opened.

It was morning, the sun was streaming through his window, and gently grazed on the fur of his forearm, which hung off off the side of the bed. He was positioned on his right side, curled up in the ruffled sheets of his cot, caused by what could have been tossing and turning from the dream...

More so, a flashback.

The gong sounded out, and Tai Lung pulled himself out of bed, and walked to the door, where the rest of the Five greeted Master Shifu. "Good morning Master!" They all said in unison, as his door opened slowly. Cradling his head with one paw tiredly, he glanced up the hall towards the Red Panda.

"A little slow this morning Tai Lung?" Shifu asked, his arms resting atop of one another beneath his draping sleeves.

"That's old age for you..." Tai Lung smiled charmingly, rubbing one eye heavily with the heel of his paw as the other Masters laughed and cracked up their own remarks. Despite being older and wiser then the rest, he was still confided to a student barracks for the time being. There was a proposal that he would be Shifu's right-hand man, with his vast knowledge of the scrolls and high skills. It was all down to the acceptance and recognition of the Master's Council...

Just like everything else.

Approval to leave the Valley on missions had to be renewed every month, to attend meetings, to stand in Shifu's or Po's absence at events... you name it, and he's barred from it until a little piece of parchment said he could do so. Contact was slow at first; however, when it was officially announced that Tai Lung was going to be a Legal Guardian of Amber-Jade, Po and Tigress' daughter, letters (and Woo) were delivered a lot quicker. Maybe not about the times he was allowed to walk among the common folk, but the realization that he was around now four young children must of scared them, although he had been present in his Nephew's lives since the day they were born.

Did the Master's Council know that? Maybe, surely someone would've brought it up... but now with a new cub, in the Palace, they sought out to take action, and great per-caution to ensure her safety, and the others, although his duty as her guardian was to protect her in the absence of her parents...

"Breakfast awaits for you all in the kitchen, and Po, Tigress, Monkey, and the children will meet you in the Training Hall. That is all." Shifu walked off once they bowed to them. Everyone made their way to the kitchen, but Tai Lung hung back, rubbing the back of his head tiredly as he rotated on his heels, and back to his room. He couldn't remember what he was looking for as he scanned the room, but his ears moved to the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen.

Just forget about it. He thought dully. I'll get back to it another time.

When Shifu and Tai Lung entered the Training Hall, their chatting stopped and the usual sounds filled the silence; clanking of chains, the turning of the various levels and platforms, the hiss and sizzle of the fire floor. The usual battle cries during practice, and the occasional words of encouragement. Stepping down the last step, his presence was immediately felt.

Crane, Viper, and Mantis were totally absorbed in their practice to notice.

Master Tigress and her husband, Po The Dragon Warrior turned their gaze away from their sons, Tigro and Lotus, who much older and mature, on the Twisting Dragon bodies and Swinging Clubs of Oblivion. They caught wind of his presence, leapt off in impressive back flips and landed kneeling down into their respective bow. Monkey and Chang moved their way towards him, while a little black and white shape poked its head out from behind Tigress' legs, nuzzled up close.

"Master." They all said to Shifu.

Shifu nodded, before chuckling at the little child running past him. "Uncle Tai Lung!" She cried, jumping up int the Snow Leopard's arms. He caught hold of her instantly, and encased her into a hug, laughing all the while.

"Well that's a greeting and a half!" He laughed whole-heartedly as she giggled against his chest. He boosted her up to sit on his shoulder, as she was small and petite enough to sit on one shoulder.

Tigro shook his head. "AJ, that's not how we address the Masters..." the little cub restricted her movements, and started down at her brother, her tail drooping slightly.

"I just wanted to wake him up more. He looked tired." Tigress and Po look at one another with little smiles on their faces. Tigro didn't mean to sound so cold towards her, but there was rules; in Training, it wasn't Mama, Papa, Dadda, Grandpa, and so on; it was only Master.

"Don't fret little one," Tai Lung took her off of his shoulders, and planted her back on the ground gently. AJ was a little thing with a fragile soul that needed to be toughened up. "Why don't you start your warm up eh? I'll be over in a minute and you can show me what you've been practicing." AJ brightened up right away, and ran for the fighting dummy, and Po excused himself to go over to supervise her. Tigro and Lotus bowed to the three adults in front of them, before making their way back to the course they were originally in combat against one another.

They have certainly changed over the past few years. Both boys started out more like one parent over another; Tigro had his mother's natural markings along his forehead, his father's eyes, white fur with black arms and an orange cotton tail. When he was little, he was slim like his mom; however, now he's more rounder and panda-like. Lotus on the other hand, is now slimmer and more tiger-like, large brown eyes, but his fur was color coded to be like a panda, even down to his long black tail with a white and orange tip.

The boys had a more mixed sense of style; Lotus followed in his father's style; shirtless, but dressed in red training pants. Tigro had a green tunic, but found it easier to fight in black silk shorts.

AJ was titled as their 'perfectly combined' child; she was slowly morphing into an equal balance of both her parents in appearance. At birth, she was her Mother's stunt double; same markings, silky fur and sharp eyes. Now, her fur was fluffier and more panda like, white with black stripes which eventually took over her arms and legs, down to her ebony paws. Her ears were more round like her dads, but there was a spiky tuft to impersonate sharper ears. One eye contained each color carried by their parents; the left one being amber-brown, and the right emerald-green, which was surrounded with a black spot like her father.

At the impressionable age of five, she wore a similar attire to her mother; sea blue tunic with open cherry blossoms, black training pants, and tanned training sandals. Currently, it was her padded footsteps that echoed in Tai Lung's ears, despite the other noise levels. He always listened out for AJ's foot work; depending on its impact drumming against the ground and its speed, he could analyse whether or not there was trouble, and that was one of his number one duties, since the day she was born...

"Scroll for Master Tai Lung." He turned to take the scroll from Zeng, while Shifu and Tigress rotated their heads once they heard the scroll unraveling.

A smile stretched across the snow cat's face.

"What is it?" Shifu asked.

"Sapphire, Jun and Lok are on their way for a visit."

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