Chapter 17

Advances

As the sun began to set on the Village, three figures made their way up the long stairway. They had traveled far to arrive here and none had enjoyed the journey.

"Sister, I still don't agree with this plan at all." Argued one.

"I don't either, but they're the only ones that can help us." Countered the other with a sigh of defeat.

After having climbed the last step, however, their argument was cut short. Ahead of the three figures was a large closed gate which looked all too familiar.

"Alright. Let us hope they'll hear us out." Stated the figure in the middle as they knocked on the gate.

"Very good Mariko! Your form is as elegant as your mother's." Master Viper complemented while watching the young Tigress spar against Master Peng.

Although the Tigress had heard Viper's encouragement, she had not acknowledged it as she remained focused on her opponent. Peng was a formidable warrior in his own right. A self taught master of Kung Fu linked by blood to Tai Lung, and now a teacher at Kung Fu fighting clubs.

Though even with his incredible skills and experience, Mariko had the upper paw on him. Her speed, dexterity, and power were simply greater, and not to mention she had been taught by some of the best martial artists in the world.

"Come on Peng! You can do it!" Cheered Lian who clearly wanted her partner to succeed.

Moments later, however, Peng made a small mistake and threw a punch which Mariko parried and struck back at his sternum.

The blow sent him to the floor and allowed Mariko to pin him down, holding one of his arms behind his back and keeping his other arm to the side. He tried as best he could to break free from her lock, but was unsuccessful. Ultimately he tapped the floor, indicating that Mariko had won.

Seeing her opponent submit, Mariko immediately got off the Leopard and offered a helping paw up which he respectfully took. Each fighter then bowed to one another before the spectators began to applaud.

"Well done kid! That's three in a row!" Master Monkey complemented while nodding in approval.

"Hat trick!" Added Mantis with a laugh from on top Monkey's shoulder.

"Your skills have come a long way. Congratulations." Master Crane also added with a reassuring smile.

Mariko smiled at all the praise her friends gave her. It felt good to have her skills appreciated by such incredible icons of martial arts. "It was an honor sparing with you Mariko." Stated Peng humbly.

She nodded and replied, "Same to you Peng! I look forward to sparing again sometime."

"So who's down for lunch? I sure know I am." Said Master Monkey.

Before anyone could respond, however, the group was interrupted by Master Tigress. "Everyone, come quickly to the courtyard. Now." The Feline ordered with a tone of urgency.

The others looked at each other for a moment, but hearing how important this had to be, they decided to follow their former leader. Though before they got very far they noticed someone was not with them. Tigress looked back, "Mariko?" She asked, seeing her daughter still standing at the front of the training hall.

"I don't think you'll need me. I'll stay here and train-"

"No Mariko, I want you to come with us. You need to hear this too." Her Mother interrupted.

Mariko sighed but adhered to her Mother's wishes.

"Do you really expect me to believe this?" Said Po with his arms folded and an expression that showed all too well that he was not convinced.

"Believe what you want Dragon Warrior, I only speak the truth. The Mongol army has taken over Hubei Province and is now using our fortress as their own." Stated an aged female voice.

The Panda rubbed his eyes and shook his head, "You know if I knew you three weren't a bunch of treacherous liars I'd probably believe you…"

The Leopardess snarled, "Why you self righteous-"

"Alright there, it would seem we got off on the wrong paw." Interrupted Tai Lung, placing himself between the two parties.

The Leopard then took Po aside for a moment, "Look, I know why you don't trust Su, but you can at least trust me on this."

Po rolled his eyes, "You just trust her because you want to f-"

"Would you just-" Tai Lung sighed and composed himself before continuing, "Why do you think they'd come here and tell this to us if they weren't telling the truth?"

Po shrugged, "Probably because they're trying to lure us into a trap and take us out so they can be uncontested crime lords like they've always wanted to be?" He explained logically.

"Well that certainly sounds like something they'd do…" Tai Lung muttered under his breath.

"Exactly, don't you remember that time they allied with Jian and tried to kill us? I ended up getting crushed by rocks and you ended up… Wait, you got out of that easy didn't you?" Po remarked, looking smug as he mocked the Leopard.

"Shut up Dragon Warrior, I didn't ask you to save me that day-"

"That's enough you two." Stated a third voice.

The others looked to their left to notice Master Tigress watching them disapprovingly. Behind the feline were all the other Martial arts masters. It seemed the entire Jade Palace was now here.

"He started it." Po and Tai claimed simultaneously while pointing at one another.

She rolled her eyes, "I couldn't care less who started your silly argument. I'm merely suggesting we listen to the Wu Sisters. I believe they are telling the truth.

Silence pursued for the next moment before Tai Lung blurted out, "Hah! See? Even your wife agrees with me!"

Before he could gloat any more, however, Tai Lung was struck across the head by his step sister. He growled and looked ready to retaliate but seeing the serious expression on the striped feline's face, he dropped his aggression.

"We aren't going to get anywhere with you two acting like children." She said while stepping forward.

Both Po and Tai Lung rolled their eyes at her biting comment but followed.

"Are you all finished with your petty arguments? Or are you ready to hear our plight." Asked Su with folded arms, clearly indicating her lack of patience.

Though she partly agreed with the Leopardess, it didn't change Tigress' opinion on the Wu Sisters. They had notoriously been untrustworthy criminals with no allegiance to anyone other than themselves. "The only reason that we aren't taking you all in right now is because your information is very valuable. We need to know more about the Mongolian forces that invaded Hubei Province. What are their numbers, what weapons do they have?"

Su looked away in disgust, "Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands… We only managed to see so much before they completely overtook our home."

Tigress sighed. She'd hoped it wasn't true, but all of their intelligence suggested that the Mongol army was enormous. Larger than anything the country had ever seen before. "What else can you tell us. Surely there must have been something else you saw worth noting." Tigress asked.

Su put a finger to her chin, "Well there was something that struck us as odd."

"What was that?" Asked Po who almost sounded nervous of her response.

"We believe their leader has been replaced." Su answered briefly.

There was a pause for a moment as everyone pondered this new installment.

"Do you happen to know who their new leader is?" Asked Tai Lung on behalf of the group.

"No, I don't know them. But I do know that when my Sisters and I dealt with their leader in the past he was followed closely by a pack of Lionesses. We managed to catch a glimpse of them while they were infiltrating our fortress. They were following some disheveled looking Tiger with strange black patches on his eyes." Su then looked over to another figure in the group, examining them closely.

"In fact, he looked quite similar to that one over there." She then pointed to Mariko.

All of the others looked towards the young feline Master. "Genji…"

"I could never understand why those three fools made their home here." Stated Genji as he looked at one of the banners in the atrium of the fortress.

"This will do nicely for our forces. This position will grant us time and keep us secure from the reaches of the Imperial army for now." Akuma explained while walking through the large room.

"Yes, it will." Genji answered simply.

"And yet I can sense that something troubles you Genji Ping. Tell me, what ails you?" Asked the Lizard, also turning to face the striped feline.

"Nothing is the matter. I am only focused on the task at hand." He lied while maintaining eye contact.

Akuma, however, saw right through his facade, "No young Genji. I can see from a mile away that something troubles you. Could it be that you feel conflicted?"

Genji shook his head, "I'm not conflicted."

The Lizard raised a brow but did not respond. Instead he proceeded to leave abruptly.

Genji watched as the reptilian exited the room out to the exterior of the structure. 'That was strange.' He thought while returning his gaze to the banners.

He sighed at the thought of telling that lie. He could not show weakness in front of anyone. It would just be a way they could gain an edge over him. Still, he couldn't deny that he was beginning to feel conflicted about his course of actions. His only true goal was to destroy Mariko and his father, but he hardly needed an army to do that. With his new powers he felt more than strong enough to take them both on.

He rubbed his face with his paw as he sighed, 'I need someplace to think to myself.' He thought while leaving the room to find a quiet place to be alone.

After wandering around the fortress for a while Genji found an ideal spot. It looked like a type of quarters, no doubt for the former feline occupants that they had driven away. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable room, having igneous stone for walls and other animal hides forming a carpet. By typical Chinese standards an abode such as this would be considered barbaric, but to residents such as the Wu Sisters it was clearly just right. Genji, however, could not care less about such things as his mind was far too flustered to shed a thought on other matters.

At the middle of the room was a fireplace that appeared to still be lit, the perfect way to decompress from his troubles. He pulled up an expensive looking chair in the corner of the chamber and took a seat while looking into the flames. As he stared into the hypnotic embers of the fire Genji began to feel himself drifting off into a much needed rest.

"Genji?" Asked a voice from nearby.

Silence ensued before the voice asked again but slightly louder, "Genji?"

The voice was once more ignored. There was silence again, but this time for a far longer period of time.

"Genji." The voice spoke, now sounding as if it were only a footstep away.

"Sorry Mother, I was practicing my meditation like you asked me to." Another voice replied.

"That's very good sweetie… But when I told you to practice meditating I didn't tell you to spend seven hours in front of the Dragon Grotto without eating."

He shrugged, "It isn't that big of a deal Mother, I wasn't hungry anyway."

The other sighed, "Genji, sweetie…"

"Mother, it's fine, really. I need to train as much as I can so that I can beat Mariko next time I challenge her." He interrupted.

"Sweetie, you know everything isn't about beating your sister in a spar. There are plenty more things you can do with your time."

"Like what?"

There was a pause at that comment.

"Like what Mother?" He asked again.

~"Like killing any who stand in your way to power."~

As the other voice made its comment the atmosphere immediately went dark and dreary. Dark clouds of smoke surrounded him before the other voice spoke again, ~"It is what you have always wanted isn't it, Genji Ping?"~

"I only ever wanted to defeat Mariko and to show father-"

"Genji? Sweetie?" Interrupted the voice from before.

He turned around to see a silhouette facing his direction. "Mother?" He asked as he attempted to approach the shadowy shape.

However the further he walked toward the shape, the further it got from him. Eventually the shape faded out of his vision all together. Before he knew it he heard another voice, "Genji, you really should come on home now."

"Father…" He stated, sounding resentful. He turned to face the direction where the voice had originated but could not see anything other than an infinite void.

Silence ensued for a long while. There was no wind, no water, not even the sound of his own heart.

"Genji."

His ears perked up, "Mother? Where are you?"

"Genji. Why…" The voice stated without answering his question.

"Why what? Mother, where are you?" He asked once again, his tone rising.

"Why did you have to become my greatest disappointment."

…

"I- What?"

"Why did you have to become my greatest disappointment." The voice repeated.

As he turned to try to see where the origin of the voice was, he began to hear a ringing sound echo around him.

"I… Mother where are you!?" He shouted frantically as the previously faint ringing sound was becoming louder every second.

"You were my everything Genji." The voice stated.

The ringing sound continued to rise in strength as he kept turning in circles trying to find where the origin of the voice was.

"I had such high hopes for you."

"Mother! Where are you!" He shouted in a frantic state as he kept trying to pinpoint where the voice was while the ringing sound was now blaring at a tone so loud it was almost deafening.

And then, the ringing just abruptly ceased.

"I'm right here sweetie."

He turned around to see a skeletal figure facing him. He took a few steps back from the figure that resembled the skeleton of a feline.

"No, this can't be true-"

"You are and will always be my greatest failure." Stated the skeletal figure.

"No! This isn't right!"

"You are no longer my son." It stated.

All of a sudden, the ringing sound returned. This time it increased in volume even quicker.

He began to run away from the figure until it left his view. All the while the ringing sound intensified quickly until it was at its climax once more, nearly drowning out everything else.

He began looking in every direction out of paranoia once more. The ringing sound was beginning to make him go mad as he stared in every direction at the endless void.

"STOP THIS! PLEASE STOP IT! MOTHER WHERE ARE YOU!?" He shouted in agony.

It then stopped again.

"I told you sweetie, I'm right here."

He then looked straight behind him only to see a standing stone engraved with some characters.

-Here lies Master Tigress

Leader of the Furious Five
Wife to the Dragon Warrior
Mother of two

Fallen Hero of the Valley of Peace

"This is where I am sweetie."

"No… I would never-"

"You can't deny your destiny Genji."

…

Before he could even respond, however, the ringing sound returned one last time at its full strength before the floor collapsed underneath him. He fell for what felt like minutes as lights flashed around him like a hypnotic spell.

While falling through a seemingly endless chasm he heard another voice.

~"Your Mother is correct Genji Ping. It is in your nature to destroy."~

He wanted to argue with the voice but to his surprise, the words just wouldn't come out. And before he knew it, he saw a bottom to the endless fall. He was quickly approaching the end, and just before he slammed into the ground…

His eyes jolted open as a shiver ran down his spine. He looked forward to see that he was still sitting in the chair he'd pulled up. He could tell he'd been asleep for some time as the fireplace that had previously been hot and strong had now died down with only warm coals at its base.

However, it was difficult to even think of anything else after the horrifying nightmare he'd just experienced. He leaned back in his chair and sighed in relief knowing that the events in his dreamscape were only a figment of his imagination. Even so, however, the dream had left him feeling unnerved.

He knew he needed some peace and quiet to help him recover from the terrifying dream. But unfortunately for him he was brought out of thought by a voice from behind, "May I speak to you?"

Genji had heard Diavol arrive moments ago but had hoped to have been left alone. As he stared into the quiet fireplace he replied, "You may approach Diavol."

The Wolverine general made his way over to Genji's side and stopped to look at the fireplace as well. He then turned his attention to his master, "Our forces have settled into the region. And we are beginning to train the recruits we acquired at that cold prison."

Genji continued to watch the glowing embers without replying to his general's status updates. This cold action prompted a raised brow from the Wolverine.

"I also came to ask a few questions." Diavol stated, folding his arms and returning his gaze to the unlit fireplace.

"Go on." Genji answered.

Diavol walked over to the room before continuing with his question, "Why do you wish to invade China?"

Genji glanced over Diavol's way with a stoic expression but replied, "My reasons are personal. All you need to know is that I share the same goal as your late Master Jian."

Diavol cleared his throat before replying, "I understand that Master Akuma, but it is difficult for us Generals to help in the war effort without knowing what your ambitions and motivations are."

"Hmmm." Genji trailed as he continued to watch the dying fire before him.

"We've also been… Questioning some of your strategic decisions. Many of our soldiers feel you are putting their lives in danger needlessly." Diavol added, as he turned his attention to his Master.

Genji sighed, "A difficult war requires difficult strategy. I assure you that the generals and the rest of our forces will be taken care of."

"But what if they aren't?"

An awkward silence then ensued as Diavol waited for a possible answer from his master, but to his dismay he did not receive one. Genji's silence irritated Diavol as it indicated that the striped feline had no intention on addressing his concerns.

The General took a step forward and leaned on the fireplace mantel before clearing his throat again and asking his second question, "One more thing. This is something that myself and the other generals have been discussing. Where are you really from?"

"What did you say?" Genji asked, his tone now sounding aggravated.

"It's just a question the generals have been asking since your rise to power. We don't know whether your loyalties truly lie with the Mongolia-"

"I will no longer be questioned by you." Genji interrupted as he rose from his seat.

"I have told you how it will be. China will be crushed, and our forces will be taken care of." The Tiger stated as he approached Diavol who backed up seeing his master's reaction. The general quickly ran out of room and was cornered by the much larger and taller Tiger.

"Poor Diavol. Poor little general. The one who loves to make his noise and pretends to be important. Do you plan to continue questioning me? DO YOU WISH TO FIGHT ME!? LITTLE DIAVOL!?" Genji threatened with his canine teeth bared as he towered over the smaller Wolverine.

Diavol averted his eyes from the massive striped feline who eyed him like a predator and its prey. "No." He answered simply in a timid tone.

Genji then got even closer as he continued, "Then why are you still here disturbing me with your ignorance? Get out before I slice you in two and burn what's left."

Diavol didn't need any further persuasion and proceeded to leave the room as quickly as he could, avoiding eye contact with his Master as he did so. Once the general was out of his sight, Genji returned to his chair and sat with a sigh.

'All I want is to get this over with.' He thought while placing a paw on his stressed head.

As she stared out the window of her room, Mariko took in the beauty of the night sky. The moon overhead shon over the valley with a ghostly white light with random bunches of clouds occasionally drifting by and blocking some of the rays. But while the sky was lovely to look at, the striped feline did not seem to be in a content state of mind.

All she could seem to think of was the fact that at some point in the near future she would have to confront her lost and twisted brother. On top of that was the massive Mongol army that threatened her home, and not to mention the entire country.

Her last encounter with Genji had left her with a painful memory and many superficial scars to tell the tale. Even with her superb martial arts training he had been nearly unstoppable. Just the thought of that devilish red aura in his eyes made her shutter. Worse yet, even with all the training she'd done in the past few years, Mariko still held little hope that it would be able stop him.

To her luck she then heard a knock on her door. It was strange for anyone to visit her this late at night. She figured it was likely her parents coming to tell her what training to do the next day or some such. Regardless she answered, "Coming."

Once she slid the door open she was surprised to see Master Viper. "Good evening Mariko." The reptilian master greeted with a small bow.

Mariko did the same but was rather curious, "Good evening auntie Viper, can I do anything for you?"

The snake shook her head, "I'm fine thank you sweet heart. I just came here to deliver this to you."

Viper then revealed a sealed scroll and handed it to the young feline.

Mariko hesitantly took the "A scroll? Auntie, I've already read all the thousand scrolls-"

"It isn't a Kung Fu scroll sweet heart, it was addressed personally to you. It's a letter." Viper answered.

"A letter? But who would send me a letter?" The confused feline asked.

"You should open it to find out. Goodnight Mariko." Viper finished whilst heading off.

The feline master was confused as ever with this interaction, but decided to do as her aunt said and open the scroll to find out exactly who would write a message to her personally. She slid her door shut and hopped on to her bed while looking at the address of the scroll.

-To: Master Mariko Ping of the Jade Palace

'Strange… Whoever it is must know me from somewhere. I doubt its anyone from the Valley though.' She thought before opening up the seal.

Once opened Mariko read the letter.

-Mariko,

I hope this letter finds you. I have been trying to send you this message since the day you left the capital. My father confiscated all my other ones before they left Beijing but I hope this time it will make it to your Palace.

Since the day you left the capital I have missed you dearly. It gets quite lonely here, and lately my father has been forbidding me from leaving the Palace. He claims it's too dangerous for me to be wandering the streets with an imminent invasion on our doorstep. On that topic, my father has not been feeling well lately, this threat of the Mongols has left him feeling sick and distressed. He frequently locks himself in his chambers and doesn't allow anyone in, not even me.

Still, every day that you've been gone I have thought about you and wished we could see each other again. I also worry greatly for you. When you were last here I could tell that you were feeling very stressed and conflicted. I can't begin to relate to what you're going through with your brother, but what I do know is that you are very strong and can persevere through whatever challenges you might face. In fact I have never met anyone stronger nor more beautiful than you Mariko.

I've never been the best at sharing my feelings, being locked up in a Palace for half my life, but I wanted you to know when we first met all those years ago I could tell that you were very special. I saw then how noble and selfless you are. You were everything that I aspire to be. You were perfect.

I wish I could help you to fight these invaders and help you through all your struggles. I wish I could be as strong and confident as you are. But in truth, all I truly want is to be with you. I wish we could share time and memories together. What I'm trying to say is_

I love you.

I never realized how I felt until you were gone. But I cannot deny my feelings for you.

I only wish I could write more about you and to express all my thoughts and feelings, but I must end this letter soon or I will miss my chance to send it to you.

Before I seal this scroll I wanted to ask you to be careful in the battle that is to come. I know you're a powerful Kung Fu Master, but even so don't be rash or do anything that could get you killed. I don't know if I could go on without you. Lastly, when this is all over please write to me to let me know how you are and how things go. I will be here waiting for as long as it takes.

With much love,
-Haokan Xiong

A tear left Mariko's face and dropped onto the scroll, creating a wet and noticeable dot on the paper surface. The young striped feline looked out of her window now sporting an undeniable smile of glee.

"And I love you too, Haokan." She stated with a sniff while wiping the tears out of her soggy eyes.

A/N: Alright, this chapter was way overdo again. But to all those reading it, thank you for waiting! The story is actually coming close to the climax now and things are definitely gonna ramp up. This chapter was just to help develop the characters just a little further and to progress the plot a bit. If you guys liked this chapter and look forward to future updates then be sure to favorite and follow the story. Also, leave a review and let me know what you liked and what you want to see in the rest of the story. I love hearing feedback!

In any case it's time to wrap this note up.

Cheers,
-Ace_Risk