Chapter 3

Several moons and suns have passed since Tai Lung's imprisonment, and like she predicted, she hasn't been able to go back to see him. That tightness and ache never left her chest since she walked out those doors... it was almost like she was still in the depths of the snow, her chest felt cold like the rest of her body, despite the lengthy cloak that consumed her. But now, as she neared the Valley's entrance, it grew worse.

It was another full moon, and there was barely anyone in the streets. Children were due to be in bed, adults relaxing for the night, the streets were barren of stalls, and restaurants were closing. Wandering down the one street that led to her destination, she spotted a little panda boy, about eight or nine years old, sweeping the floor in one of the eateries. He watched her silently as she walked by, only to wave when he realized she was looking his way. Sying didn't want to be rude, and just waved back, her arm mostly hidden by her cloak. He seemed like a nice kid...

...

Making it to the top of the stairs, Sying just stared. It felt strange being back again, and to see the door restored back to its original glory. Same engravings and everything... but it looked brand new. She couldn't think anymore of it; with the rain starting to pelt against her back, much heavier than before, she raced for the door, and knocked quickly in several raps. The door opened, and she held her breath...

"..."

Her eyes downcast.

"..."

"Sying?"

"Master Shifu." Her voice was breathless.

His eyes widened at the sight of her, before realizing the rain was getting really heavy. "Hurry! Come inside..." He took a step back as he pulled the door with him, and Sying saw the limp, and it made her heart twist, and tried to distract herself by pressing herself on wards, and waited for the door to close, and Shifu was by her side before she could start moving again.

Master Oogway turned his head slowly away from the reflecting pool, and watched them close in silently. "My dear..." he said softly, reaching out to motion her along. "Come and sit down, take off your cloak..." Sying kept the cloak wrapped around her, declining that part of the offer, but sat with them in one of the study rooms until Zeng returned once more with tea.

Holding the cup snugly, she blew into the cup, before taking in the warm brew. Zeng offered to take her cloak, but she declined politely, and Shifu waved him off. After a hearty sip, she exhaled. "Thank you..." she whispered, before clearing her throat, and repeated herself louder, because her tone of thanks didn't sound sincere enough.

Oogway nodded. "What brings you here after so long?" Shifu cut right to the chase, but his voice was soft when speaking.

"I..." fumbling her paws in a messy clump once she put down the cup, they eventually collected on her lap. "I came to apologize," she managed to say finally.

Master Oogway's brows crinkled under the weight of sympathy, as Shifu shook his head slowly. "You did nothing wrong..." the red panda said quietly, but he said it in a way that he was trying to fool everyone by denying it. At least, in her opinion.

Sying bit her lip slightly, before looking at him intently. "I did," feeling her throat close up, she pressed her fingers gently to it, attempting to massage the notion away. It took a moment, but she formulated a proper sentence. "I loved him despite everything... " She whispered.

"There's a difference my dear." Oogway held his hand out, and when she eventually outstretched hers, her paw flat against the table, his claws barely grasped around it, thanks to the table between them. "You loving him didn't cause him to do this."

"It was part of it." Oogway seemed unfazed, while Shifu's ears twitched unevenly. Slowly retracting her paw, she felt the hairs on her neck prickling with anger. "He promised to marry me when he got the title, and when he didn't get it... it was like he broke our vows before we even made them... I was so excited for him to get it, and I wanted us to be together..."

"You loved the Tai Lung before everything, and you still do." Sying felt like the secret was out, especially since it came from Shifu's mouth, and bowed her head in shame. "But those are your feelings, that's not your fault... Have you seen him since his arrest?"

"No Master. Last time was when I accompanied the guards to Chor Gom." Sying glanced down at the floor, not looking at him in the eye. Shifu and Oogway glanced at one another briefly, before one of the them spoke again.

"There's another reason why you're here," the turtle spoke, his voice still placid. Shifu looked up at him questioningly, and then back to her when they didn't make eye contact.

Sying lifted her head back up. She was trying to play it out longer, but they sensed it. Feeling defeat, she nodded. "I also came to seek refuge... you always told me your door was open..."

She noticed Shifu narrowing his eyes a little. "Of course-"

"But I don't see it remaining open..."

"Why?"

Sucking the air through her lips, and while trembling, she stood up, the cloak was pulled off, sliding off her shoulders, and hitting the floor.


Shifu felt his stomach turning, and Oogway was... quite collected. Looking out from behind the screening, they saw Tigress talking with Sying by the meditation pool. Sying was settled on the top stairs, smiling and listening to Tigress' mindless chatter, whom was settling beside her, very excited.

"Have you got a name for it yet?" Tigress said eagerly, as Sying took her paw and placed it tentatively over a small, but quite visible bump around her abdomen.

"No... perhaps you can help?" This suggestion excited the child, and Sying loved seeing her smile, but it was like realization popped up, and Tigress became still. "What is it?"

"Will you tell him?" She asked quietly, but Shifu could still hear her, and with a wistful scowl on his face, he turned away and walked further into the room. Oogway waited a moment or so later to follow suit, and watch Shifu walk (rather lopsidedly) back and forth across the room, muttering.

"You can't push the child away," Oogway said knowingly, to which Shifu only grumbled an incoherent response to. "Not now."

"I can't shelter her," Shifu argued. "There's- no room!" Oogway just blinked. "I won't raise- Tai-" he grimaced in pain, a sharp and heavy hand grasping his hip, "his, cub..."

"You mean their cub. Sying is not like Tai Lung..." Oogway moved in closer, and placed his fingers against Shifu's hunched shoulders. "My dear friend... she will not betray you, she has a good soul, she means well... she always has. Sying said it herself; her parent's haven't spoken to her since the arrest, they refuse to house her; has nowhere else to go, we need to protect her..." almost out of ears reach, he could barely make out the conversation between Tigress and Sying, "to protect them."

Shifu felt his eyes close as his hand moved away from his side, and held his head, tormented. "No one must know..." He had long stopped arguing, and just listened. The thoughts of leaving a young helpless girl homeless devastated him, but the idea of Tai Lung knowing his own flesh and blood was at the Jade Palace, he was sure to seek revenge.

"Ears and eyes will catch on... but no one wants another Tai Lung, I can assure that..." The turtle's gaze grew down on Shifu, until he watched him limp out of the room, and back into the Hall of Heroes. By the time he made it to the doorway, Shifu was standing in front of Sying, who had stood up, bowing her head. Tigress stood by Shifu, twisting her head towards Oogway, a look of question edged into her face.

"You can stay here; in return you will look after Tigress, and help the Palace staff." Sying let out a huge sigh of relief while gushing Master Shifu with her thanks. "However," she stopped, clamping her lips with her teeth. "If you... choose, to tell him, we must thread lightly, for your sake, the safety of the valley... and the child, understood?"

Sying thought about it, and nodded without hesitation.


101 days later...

Tai Lung wasn't in the cell anymore. Since the start of his stay, he had changed cells once. He was still in the various locks, his shackles, and still completely immobilized, but he was placed on a platform down in the depths of the prison; an open space where he was constantly watched at all angles, there was always someone watching him from a distance, weapons at the ready.

He had been constantly waiting for Sying's return; but no word from her. The last time he saw her, he had a feeling he needed reassurance that she was okay. No letters have been sent to him about her thus far, and he became quite angry; not that he could lash out, the turtle shell placed on him had acupressure pins pressing into every inch of his back, so he was completely immobilized.

Why he had held on to something with so much hope...

"Tai Lung?" He couldn't move his eyes; they were glued to the one spot of the rocky floor covered by his shadow. Nor could he edge his head in the direction of the voice... not like he cared; it wasn't her. It was that rhino who escorted her away from him... Li. The only guy around that gave him the time of day, and gave him his meals. He last meal was over an hour ago, what does he want now? "There's a letter for you from Sying." His heart started to pound hard enough that he was convinced it could be heard at the distance where Li stood.

He could hear it unraveling, and Li inhaling, ready to read it out to him. "She said..."

There was a silence. Speak already! Tai Lung wanted to yell.

"She said... they're safe." They? "Congratulations..." Li sounded a little pained, before coughing slightly, and placing the parchment under the shadow, so Tai Lung could read it. "You have a son... and a daughter." The snow cat's heart dropped, but he couldn't react. His eyes remained on the ground, scanning the paper. "Born this morning, both are fine, healthy, she's doing well... and Master Shifu is sheltering them until Sying's family has room for them. Out of her decision." Li then left quite abruptly, leaving him to be consumed in the silence.

It didn't take long for a tear drop to land on the scroll, exactly where a name was highlighted, and a plea is scribbled.

Please don't fear for me my love, we're all okay.

My father had met with Shifu, and he agreed that I can come home, we will be safer there. Please believe when I say this; I love you, we will be okay. Please don't break out and come after Shifu; he has taken us in, and has vowed to protect us at all costs, and his door is always open. They will learn the goodness you have, you still have... for their sake.


That morning...

Just before the snow knocked on the Valley's door, Sying had gone into labor.

It was long, painful, and strenuous for all. Tigress was excused from training that morning to join Shifu and Oogway outside the medical room. Shifu was pacing back and forth again, Oogway was humming softly to himself, eyes closed as Tigress settled into the chair, a small clump of cherry blossoms in hand. Shifu would've scolded her for plucking the flowers from the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, but he had seen her picking them from the ground once they started falling.

After what felt like eternity, Shifu was let in first, leaving Oogway and Tigress waiting longer. Once in the room, Shifu stood at the door once the doctor filled him in on the health status of the new mother... and what was meant to be her cub.

The doctor left to tell the occupants outside the news, and Shifu moved towards the bed, where Sying was sitting upright. Sweaty and exhausted, her eyes were focused on the wails and cries coming from her arms. Noticing Shifu, she could feel her heart dropped when he didn't make eye contact.

Sying had twins... something she had sensed before her due date, but was too scared to share with Shifu or the doctor. Instead of making conversation, she remained mute until he reached out to hold one, once when she looked at him invitingly, also voiceless. He held one, staring down at its little face; small, new, delicate... they started to cry again, but when he hushed it, their midnight blue eyes greeted him when they opened.

"A girl." She said as she sat up a little further. A deep sigh of relief, the child was set more comfortably against his chest, cooing softly.

"Have you picked names?" Shifu asked, glancing up at the second child in Sying's arms. This one was similar to its twin; same markings... but was bigger, and every stitch of its father... even down to the burning orbs that greeted him when they opened.

A boy.

This sent a sharp pain to Shifu's heart, his mind becoming plagued with memories of their last encounter, and in order to distract himself, and not let Sying notice his distress, he listened to her name ideas. It was a pretty long list for the girl, but she had a name in mind for the boy, whom was born first.

"In my family, the son is named after the father..." Shifu nodded slowly, inhaling softly through the nose, but turning away slightly when Sying offered him to hold the boy, "but I want to call him Jian." Strength.

"After your father?"

"Yes."

...

"What about the girl?"

"Azure... What do you think?"

Why was she seeking his approval? Shifu shook his head, before the girl made a noise, and he glanced down at her again, pulling the cloth back to show more of her face. As the little cub yawned, he just said blunty.

"I have no say."

From there, he continued to wallow in silence, and waited for her to confirm her decision once Tigress and Oogway came in. The cub seemed held back upon entry, but she couldn't hide her smile when she saw the cubs. Standing near Sying, the names were confirmed, and Oogway was offered to hold Jian. He took him in his arms slowly, fitting to his nature, nothing to do with resistance. His eyes remained open all this time, but he whimpered a little as the red panda grunted slightly, and focused his gaze elsewhere. Oogway smiled even so, and hung a claw over the child's gaze, and the little baby stopped its noises and reached out in an attempt to grab it with both his little delicate paws.

"Hello little one," he said, chuckling once he caught hold. "Welcome."

Tigress got a chance to hold Jian after Azure was handed back to Sying, who cuddled her daughter close when she felt Shifu's eyes on her son when she was unable to shield him. Tigress never held a baby before; she had never been allowed to go near them in the orphanage, in fear she would hurt them. The fact she was allowed to hold not one, but two in a given time felt like honor... looking up towards her Masters, she grinned brightly, her eyes igniting a flare Shifu had never seen before. Oogway smiled back at her, while Shifu just stared on, his mouth nothing more then a flat line.

Tigress was instructed to let them rest, and once she was gone, Azure was in Oogways' hold; the little girl gazed up at him inquisitively, and he smiled down at her. "We will have someone bring you food." He said, "you must be famished."

Sying smiled gratefully as the midwife entered the room with a bassinet, big enough to place both cubs into. Oogways assisted her, and once both were settled and asleep, the silence slowly began to grow... before Shifu broke it sharply.

"Tai Lung musn't know about him." He said ominously. Sying, who had been staring down at the cot, switched her gaze towards him, biting her lip almost painfully.

"Why?" Stupid question.

"If he knew he had a son he-" Shifu felt a sharp pain slicing his vision, and it forced him to shut his eyes briefly; pinching the bridge of his nose, he reopened them, to see Tai Lung, only an apparition, standing by Sying, staring down at the cot, smiling widely at... Jian.

"Excuse me..." he left, leaving Oogway and Sying staring at the spot he was standing only a few moments ago.

Sying soon felt a comforting pat on her shoulder. "He's hurt." Her eyes wondered towards Jian.

"That doesn't mean he will be like his father my dear," Oogway said in a hushful tone, but not out of shame. "They can learn right from wrong..." The young feline glanced up at him with heavy eyes, before looking back down at her children. "He has a right to know." The turtle said abruptly. "Let him know about Jian; tell him they are safe; they're his children after all..."


Jian- Strength.

I made Shifu want Tai Lung to know nothing about Jian, because, as old fashion goes, the boy is favoured most. However, in this situation, Shifu fears Tai Lung would try escape knowing he had a son, that Jian can turn out like him, who could more then likely carry his strength, as he was born first, looks most like him, etc.

Hope you like it! Sorry for the wait! I had been working non stop and trying to write whilst experiencing severe burnout is hard. Germany was amazing, I loved it so much! Please review!