"Find your center of gravity," Shifu instructed. "It's the key to mastering the Jade Tortoise."
Aden wobbled back and forth, as the massive, green bowl teetered considerably. Both feet were planted on the edge, but his arms were swinging back and forth wildly trying to steady himself. One arm swing later and his body toppled over landing with a muted thud in the bowl's center.
"You're not focusing on balance," the red panda scolded. "Your mind is occupied by the fear of falling."
"It's hard not to think about falling when I'm in the middle of doing just that…" Aden muttered back.
"Excuses will get you nowhere." Shifu looked over at the rest of his students waiting patiently by one end of the training hall. "Monkey, join Aden."
Monkey glanced over to the others before shrugging his shoulders and using his tail to hop to his feet. He jumped up to the rafters and used the various training equipment to swing over and land gracefully on the edge of the jade bowl. Aden, who had been in the middle of climbing back up to the edge, slid back down into the center and groaned.
Master Shifu cleared his throat. "You may begin sparring."
"Wait, what?" Aden squeaked.
Immediately, Monkey leaped into the air, extended a fist, and nosedived for Aden's chest. Aden barely had enough time to arch his back sideways to avoid the strike. The 2 briefly made eye contact before Monkey launched another attack at his bowed spine. The human dodged it again by rolling back through the middle, clipping one of Monkey's feet, and tipping the bowl over to one side. Both quickly sprung back to their feet, but before Aden could assess his next move, Monkey leaned on his tail and released a kick sending Aden back into an edge causing the jade tortoise to roll in a circle. Instead of retaliating, Aden laid back and let the momentum carry him around while monkey steadied himself by holding onto the lip as the dish rotated.
"Po," the grand master spoke again. "You may enter the fight."
"Are you kidding me?" Aden whined, as he stood up and began to run with the rotation of the bowl.
"Cowabunga!" Po cried, hurling himself like a cannonball into the raised edge, stopping the bowls rotation instantly and flinging the opposite end up.
The 2 individuals originally in the bowl flew like darts through the air. Aden was able to latch onto one of the spiked rings and swing up towards the ceiling while Monkey crashed into an armory stand of lanes and hook swords. Upon reaching the peak, Aden gave his best tarzan shout and swung back down. He released his grip at just the right moment, stiffened his legs, and collided with the same edge he left from forcing Po back into a cannonball. The chubby panda soared back towards the group of observing warriors, as each one began to scramble out of the way of the fuzzy bullet. Mantis unfortunately wasn't quick enough and was pinned under Po's black and white fluff.
"Excellent work, Aden!" Master Shifu praised. "The perfect showcase of balance."
"Balance?" Aden questioned, climbing out of the training area and up to the small red panda. "I was barely able to stand still."
"Balance isn't about remaining motionless. It's about maintaining stability. Or, as you would call it, 'going with the flow.'"
Aden grinned then bowed at Shifu's compliment.
"Uh, a little help here!" The muffled voice of Mantis vibrated from underneath Po's body.
A hearty laugh was shared amongst the group before their teacher spoke again. "Your training has finished for the day. Enjoy your night off."
"Yes, Master." The group bowed in unison.
The tired fighters began to make their way back towards the barracks while idly chatting. Aden was asking Crane about his latest art piece when a fuzzy hand tapped him on the back.
"Yo, Aden," Po addressed him. "The five and I plan to grab a bite in the valley tonight. You in?"
"The valley?" Aden gulped.
"Yeah, man. It's been 3 months since the incident, and you still haven't left the Jade Palace yet."
"You have to come, Aden!" Viper joined in. "It'll be a lot of fun."
"It wouldn't be a team dinner without you," Monkey added.
"What if the villagers freak out again?" He asked.
"I highly doubt that..." Crane added. "In fact, I can almost guarantee it."
Aden pondered this quietly as they entered the barracks. He stopped by his room with the rest of the group in tow, patiently waiting for his response.
"Ok, fine," Aden sighed. "I'll go."
"Great!" Po danced. "I'll come to get you when we're ready to head down."
"Sounds good."
The warriors dispersed and Aden entered his room and slid the door closed. He walked by his bed and gripped the headstock of his guitar. Gently lifting it off the ground, he inspected the absurdly poor craftsmanship. It was awkward to play, and the tone just wasn't quite right, but he loved the thing to death. It meant the world having a little piece of his old home with him, even if it sounded off.
He carried it over to his bed and sat down with the instrument resting his lap. His fingers slid up and down the strings before finally coming to a rest over the sound hole. He closed his eyes and let his hands go to work. The familiar song of his childhood began to fill the air, but it was soon interrupted by a rapt at his door, breaking him from his quickly muted the strings and called out to them.
"Who is it?"
The door slid open to reveal a smiling Tigress.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite Tiger," Aden said tossing her a smile of his own.
"I'm the only Tiger you know," she shot back.
"Well, when you say it like that, it's not as impressive," he winked, patting the space next to him on the bed.
She strolled over and took a seat while looking over his guitar. "What was that song you were playing?"
"Oh, just something from back home. My mom used to play it for me when I was little."
"It's beautiful. Did she teach you?"
"Everything I know."
"What about your father?"
Aden's smile instantaneously disappeared. "He... wasn't around."
"Oh... I apologize for bringing up a sore subject." A hint a shame snuck its way into her tone.
"No, no, it's ok," He assured her, resting a hand on her forearm. "You didn't know. Besides, it's about time I told my best friend about my past."
Tigress. The unshakable warrior. The mighty defender of the Jade Palace. The unstoppable force that evil cowers before. The adorable kitten who bore a goofy smile and who's tail currently flicked back and forth high above her head.
"Best friend?"
Aden couldn't help but laugh. "Of course, Kitty! Who'd you think it was? Mantis?"
"No, I guess not," she chuckled lightly.
"We may have had a rough start, but you've been there for me more than anybody else, and it means a lot."
Tigress simply smiled.
"Aden, could you play that song again?" She requested.
"Of course," he responded brightly, adjusting the guitar on his lap.
Without saying another word, Aden began to play. His fingers danced across the frets as the familiar song filled the room once again. As he reached the end of the song's intro, he closed his eyes and began to sing.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free…"
Aden's eyes slowly opened back up to find Tigress engrossed in his music. Her eyes held a deep feeling of wonder and were fixated on Aden, much to his amusement. He felt so giddy seeing his closest friend bewitched with his music that he didn't notice the yellow streams of glowing light begin to flower out of the soundhole. Aden closed his eyes and continued with the chorus.
"Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night
Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night"
By this point, Tigress was well aware of the magic happening before her, but she had no intention of stopping him. The streams grew brighter and cascaded in all different directions, including one that began to gradually wrap itself around Tigress. It was a show of unparalleled beauty that she knew deserved to see its end.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise"
Aden opened his eyes to find the room engulfed in color. However, the only color he saw was coming the shining eyes of Tigress.
"You were only waiting for this moment to arise"
The swirling beams of yellow had now wrapped all the way around Tigress up to her neck, blanketing her in a brilliant glow. As he neared the last line, he slowed the pace and sang each word to his radiating audience.
"You were only waiting for this moment to a-"
The door to Aden's room flew open, abruptly stopping his playing. The streams out light immediately fading out of existence, dimming the room back to its natural hue.
"Aden you ready to… Woah..." Mantis stopped mid question, catching the yellow light dwindle to nothingness. "What the hell just happened here?"
Aden and Tigress swiveled their heads to find an awestruck Po with paws attached to his cheeks and a beyond confused Mantis.
Tigress grew a look of pure rage and was about to tear into them both for interrupting, but Po mirthfully jumped in before she could get a word out. "Dude! You learned how to control your powers!"
"Uhmm…" Aden awkwardly replied, scratching the back of his neck. "I wouldn't say control. I didn't really watch it going on."
"Are you kidding me?!" The panda incredulously questioned. "The room was like a sun bath! That was one of the coolest things I've seen you do so far, and that's saying something. We wouldn't need candles anymore once you know how to totally control them! That'd be insanely cool!"
The human became flustered at Po's unrelenting praise and scrambled to change the subject. "Uh… yeah… Thanks Po. So, uh, were you going to say something before, Mantis?"
"Oh, yeah, we're ready to head down when you are," Mantis replied.
"Perfect. You ready, Tigress?" Aden turned towards her with a questioning smile.
Tigress merely nodded in return.
After placing his guitar away, Aden and Tigress followed the others to the Jade Palace courtyard where they found Viper, Crane, and Monkey waiting. After a brief round of hellos, they made their way down the long stairway.
The all too familiar feeling in Aden's stomach grew as they neared the bottom, but the group was prepared for it this time.
"Relax, buddy," Po consoled. "Things are gonna be different this time around. I promise you."
"What makes you so sure?" Aden questioned.
"Well, you basically saved the damn village for starters…" Mantis sarcastically pointed out.
"Don't tease him," Viper defended. "There are probably a thousand emotions running through his head right now." She then turned her attention to Aden. "He is right, though. The valley knows what you did for it, and you should be proud of that."
Aden nodded at her comment and exhaled slowly to calm himself. Once they had reached the bottom of the steps, Aden glanced around at his surroundings to find a fairly empty village. It wasn't late, but the sun had already set, so he chalked it up to people heading to bed early. This worked in Aden's favor because he wasn't sure if he was ready for the onslaught of attention yet.
The group walked casually down the main pathway before eventually stopping at an unlit building.
"We're here!" Po sang.
"This is the place we're eating at?" Aden cocked an eyebrow at the building. "It looks dead."
The group gave each other knowing smiles before ushering Aden through the doorway. He shuffled his feet across the stone floor and stopped a few feet into the darkness. He couldn't see anything, but he was getting the nagging sense that somebody was in here.
He cleared his throat and called out. "Uhm… Hello?"
Suddenly, lanterns all around the room lit up simultaneously to reveal a swarm of villagers crammed in the area.
"Surprise!" The crowd erupted.
Aden's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. Hoots and hollers came from every direction, as animals of all kinds threw confetti into the air.
Po came up close behind Aden and shook him excitedly. "We tricked ya! This is your 'Thank You' party!"
"'Thank You' party?" He questioned, looking back at the panda.
"See for yourself," Po pointed ahead.
Aden turned forward to see a giant banner unravel, displaying the words 'Our Hero' in bright gold lettering. As he glanced around, he came to the realization that the room was actually a bar. A table stretching the length of the room sat in the back overflowing with food and covered in various decorations.
Suddenly, He felt an overwhelming feeling of fear well up inside as a towering wolf who once served him beer approached. The two individuals locked eyes with one another and held neutral expressions until the wolf stopped a few feet in front of him. Then, the wolf grew in immense smile and extended his paw.
"Welcome to Huan's Bar!" he said jovially.
"H-hello," Aden nervously replied, his hand remaining by his side.
Huan noticing the human's discomfort retracted his paw and sighed. "Look... I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I did. It was wrong for me to make you out as the bad guy. I just got caught up trying to protect my people, ya know? But, I've felt so guilty for basically starting the assault, and I needed some way to make it up to you. So, I really hope you enjoy yourself tonight."
"You… You did all this?"
"Well, I brought the idea up and offered my bar for the venue, but your friends here did most of the heavy lifting."
Aden turned to find warm smiles coming from each of his fellow warriors followed by a cute tail wave from Viper.
"So, what do you say?" Huan spoke up again, extending his paw once more. "All is forgiven?"
The human stood still momentarily before a smirk developed on his face and his hand tightly clasped the wolf's paw. "Free drinks for me and my friends all night and I'll consider it."
Huan gave a hearty laugh. "You got yourself a deal, bud."
Next came a bombardment of apologies and thank you's unlike Aden had ever experienced. Villagers of all ages got way too close for Aden's comfort and some even groveled, so it was no wonder he couldn't help but reply awkwardly after each interaction. Luckily, he had his companions by his side to ease the discomfort.
"It gets easier," Monkey nudged Aden's embarrassed stance.
"Just wait until they try to get in bed with you…" Mantis chuckled.
"Mantis, don't being gross," Viper scolded.
As the crowd surrounding Aden dwindled and he gave his last variation of 'You're welcome. 'I'd do anything to protect the valley,' something very special happened: a cub approached Aden. Not just any cub, but a cub that Aden knew very well. A cub that he had sacrificed his life for.
The little lioness sheepishly walked up to Aden with a folded piece of paper hanging between her paws. She stopped when she had to crane her neck all the way back just to see his face. The human warrior then got down on one knee and smiled kindly to the cub at eye level. Then, without saying a word, the cub held out both paws holding the sheet. He took it with a nod and opened it to reveal a heartwarming drawing of 2 stick figures holding hands. At the top were the words 'Thank You' with the letter 'k' written backwards. Aden held the drawing silently and took it all in.
Stick figures. Not animals. Not Creatures. Stick figures. One small and one big, both having 2 dots for eyes and a single curve for a smile. They didn't see him as a monster anymore. He just needed to prove it, and all it took was a single drawing from a little girl to convince him of that.
Aden looked up from the drawing and scooped the cub up in his arms and gave her a tight squeeze, which she gleefully reciprocated. After setting her down, her parents walked up gave their ardent thank you's, which even included a tight hug of their own.
"Phew," Aden wiped his brow and made his way over to the bar after the family had walked off. "I think I need a drink after all that."
"You said it, brother," Po agreed. "Huan, send a few beers our way!"
"You got it, Dragon Warrior," the bartender gave him a thumbs up.
"Woah, should we all be drinking?" Aden questioned. "What about if somebody attacks while we're all getting sloshed!"
"Reeeeelax, man," Mantis jumped in front of him. "It's all been taken care of."
"We hired top of the line guards from Gongmen City to protect the valley," Viper pointed out. "Tonight, is your night."
"Well... in that case…."
A drink slid into Aden's hand and he gulped it down in seconds. Wiping the foam from his mouth, he let out a satisfied "ahhh".
Ecstatic smiles flew on the faces of Mantis and Monkey.
"Woah-ho!" Mantis yelled excitedly. "You didn't tell us you knew how to party!"
"Better question is: Do you?" Aden held up his drink to them.
"Oh no…" Viper muttered.
"Oh, yeah!" Po shouted, grabbing his glass and clinking it with Mantis and Monkey's.
The night went on with the 4 rambunctious boys drinking rather heavily. Viper and Crane also had drinks, but they preferred to take their time. Tigress was the only one casually drinking a glass of water.
Aden noticed right away that his fellow warriors didn't drink often. For a big guy, Po was already starting to slur his speech after only a couple drinks. Monkey was starting to get a little tipsy and Mantis was already wasted. For having basically the same amount of alcohol, Aden was only starting to really feel the buzz.
"Yo, it's like-it's like this, man," Mantis garbled out, poking Aden in the chest. "You find the lady. You tell her you like her stuff. Then, you take her home!"
"The advice has to work for it to be good advice," Monkey countered. "Has that ever worked?"
"Pssh, all the time," Mantis retorted. "Watch *hic* this."
"Alright, I'm going to grab some grub while this all plays out," Aden laughed getting up from his stool.
He made his way over to the unending spread of food and began eyeing the options. He started at one end of the table and slowly shuffled his way down smacking his lips along the way. Everything looked delicious and he couldn't figure out where to start. He was so caught up in the food that he didn't notice the person coming from the opposite end of the table. They collided and both gave an "oof" as a female figure crashed into his chest.
"I'm so sorry, miss," Aden quickly apologized. "I didn't look where I was going."
"No, it's quite alright. I wasn't ei-" she stopped mid sentence. "Aden?"
It took a moment for Aden to remember, but it quickly came back to him once she backed up slightly.
"Oh, uh, hi Liu" he awkwardly replied.
The lioness blushed profusely and cleared her throat. "I… uh… I think I owe you an apology."
Aden scratched the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "You think?"
"Alright, I definitely owe you an apology. It was unfair of me to assume your intentions were bad, and I'm beyond sorry for treating you like a freak."
"You know... I can absolutely forgive the freak part of things, but forcibly invading my privacy by removing my mask? That's a whole other level of fucked up."
"I know, I know… I just... knew there was something special about you and had to get a good look for myself."
Aden cocked an eyebrow.
"And, I may have scene you as... different before," she said, laying both paws on his chest. "But, now I see it as exotic."
The lioness gave him the same sultry look from the day of the festival and began to wrap her tail around his waist, but Aden was quick to shut it down.
"Look, I forgive you for what happened, but this is a bit too much for me."
Liu slowly moved off him without hesitation and gave him an understanding smile. "Well, if you're ever feeling lonely, you know who to look for."
She gave him a wink before quickly turning and walking off into the crowd of people, her hips swaying back and forth significantly more than one would naturally move with. He watched her disappear, exhaled slowly, then hastily filled 2 plates worth of food before heading back to the bar.
Aden took a seat next to Crane who sipped his drink while looking at nothing in particular.
"How's the night been treating ya, buddy?" Aden asked, patting him on the back.
"It's been alright," He replied. "Watching Mantis get slapped was pretty funny."
"Awww, did I miss it? I can't believe you aren't having the time of your life after something like that."
"Yeah... I just guess it could be a little better… If I had some company."
Aden's eyes almost rolled into the back of his head after hearing that. He then clapped his hands together so loudly that it almost startled Crane.
"Alright, that's it. It's happening tonight." Aden said flatly.
"What's happening?" Crane questioned.
"You're going to tell her."
Crane's eyes widened. "Oh, no I'm not,"
"Oh, yes you are," Aden's eyes narrowed. "You aren't doing anyone any favors by sulking about it, and you don't even know her answer yet! You think you're risking your entire relationship with her, but that's not even remotely true. You know for a fact she would never abandon you. If she says no… Well, then, she says no. It's done. You have your answer. Yeah, it's gonna hurt, and sure it might be awkward for a little while, but god dammit you're going to be so much happier in the long run knowing you at least tried."
Crane sat quietly for a moment before turning his head to watch Viper who was currently talking to 2 other mammals at a table a few meters from the bar. A look of determination suddenly grew on his face, and he stood up from his stool.
"You're right," he started. "I have to do this. I can't hold it in any longer."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Aden encouraged. "And, perfect timing too! Her friends are leaving."
The look of determination on Crane's face quickly turned into a timid one, as he tried to sit back down. "Uh... maybe it can wait until tomorrow."
"Oh no you don't!" Aden grabbed Crane by the back, turned him around, and bumped him with his hip until he stumbled into the table where Viper sat.
Aden couldn't hear a word that was being exchanged, but he didn't need to. He could tell exactly what was happening from their bodies alone. Crane's nervous scramble to stand up straight and look presentable. Viper's giggle at his clumsiness. Crane's leg wobbles, as he started the dialogue. Viper's cock of her head as she listened intently. Crane's avoidance of direct eye contact as he opened up to tell her the truth. Viper's eyes brightly smiling at each of his words. Crane finally making eye contact as he admits his feelings. Viper excitedly slithering across the table, coiling herself around his chest, and planting a quick kiss on the side of his beak.
"Looks like my work here is done." Aden smiled at the scene and finished another drink. "Yo, Huan, you got anything stronger? I'm looking to actually feel something tonight."
"I thought you'd never ask," the wolf laughed.
Huan began to pull various bottles of liquor out from under the bar and pour them into a shot glass. He slid it over to Aden who gazed at its mysterious dark pigment.
"I call it the Blackout, and for a good reason, too." Huan winked.
The human picked up the glass and shot it back without hesitation. Immediately he was hit with burning sensation he hadn't yet experienced in this world. The flavor was unmatched and the strength hit him like a train.
"Wooo!" Aden praised, alerting his friends. "Now, that's what I call a shot!"
"What was that?" Po questioned.
"He calls it a Blackout. You want to go a round with me?"
"You know it!"
"Count Mantis and I in!" Monkey shared Po's enthusiasm.
"Might as well make it two more," Crane approached the bar with Viper slung around his shoulders.
"A group shot!" Aden raved. "Alright, Huan, hit me with seven Blackouts!"
"Six."
Aden turned to find Tigress sitting down to his right, who had just corrected him.
"Seven." Aden repeated.
"A true warrior doesn't drink."
"Tigressssss… Stop with this 'true warrior' stuff. It's time to let loose a little."
The seven shots were placed on a tray in front of the group. One by one each glass disappeared from the tray until each warrior held one and Aden held two.
"Look, I know how you're against fun and all..." Aden gave Tigress a teasing smile and extended a glass towards her. "But, will the pretty kitty please take a shot for me?"
Tigress sat there with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes darted back and forth between Aden and the glass in front of her. Then, without saying another word, Tigress grabbed the shot from him.
The entire group behind him watched in amazement as the stone cold warrior actually accepted a drink. They all gave each other looks of pure befuddlement, as Aden gave a toast.
"To the greatest family I never asked for!" Aden held his drink high.
"To the greatest brother we never knew we needed!" Po returned, as the rest of the group raised their glasses.
A contagious smile spread amongst them, as the dark liquid was cast down their throats. Each gave their own respective head shake or face scrunch at the drink's strength, but Aden laughed the absolute hardest at Tigress. She tightly gripped the bar counter and coughed multiple times all the while violently shaking her head back and forth. Her coughing fit eventually ended, and she finally let go of the bar before making gagging faces directly at Aden.
"That was… Horrendous…" She wheezed.
Aden patted her on the back and laughed. "If I had to guess, I'd say that was your first shot."
"First alcoholic anything," she corrected.
"Really? Wow, I truly am honored then."
"You had better be. I don't understand why anybody likes this stuff."
"Oh, you'll see. Very soon."
Aden looked over his shoulder to see Po, Mantis, and Monkey engrossed in conversation, while Viper and Crane whispered in each other's ears and giggled. Everyone was visibly drunk, which made Aden chuckle. He himself was feeling well beyond tipsy by this point, but this was far from his first rodeo.
"I'm starting to feel a bit warm now." Tigress spoke up. "It feels… kind of nice."
"Ayyy, now you're starting to get it." Aden replied.
"Could I… have another?"
Aden shot her a smug smile. "You absolutely can. Huan, we'll have 2 more."
The drinks slid over, Aden and Tigress briefly clinked their glasses, then they both quickly downed them. This time, Tigress barely reacted, which Aden raised his brow in suspicion at.
"That was… Impressive." He praised. "You sure you've never done this before?"
"I'm always impressive," she shot back, significantly more cocky than usual.
"I can't argue with that," he laughed. "It looks like those 2 shots did a number on you, huh?"
Tigress batted at him playfully in response, so uncharacteristically so that she didn't even need to answer his question.
Suddenly, her face grew a look of curiosity. "Aden, you remember when you said it was about time you tell your best friend about your past?" She asked.
"I do," he smiled back.
"Could you… tell me more?"
"I absolutely can."
So, they talked. And talked. And talked. Aden told her everything about his Mom. He told her about how she always supported him even when money was tough. He told her about his difficult decision to move far away from home to continue his music. He told her about his absent father who disappeared even before he was born. He told her about his friends and past relationships. Aden told her everything he could think of, while Tigress sat and listened intently. However, Tigress made sure to contribute to the conversation as well. She told him about life at the Bao Gu orphanage. She told him about her relationship with Master Shifu as her father. She told him about the contentious nature of Po being chosen as the Dragon Warrior and the emotional rollercoaster that followed. Aden was completely fascinated by the outpouring of emotions he'd never seen from her, and he made sure to absorb every last word.
In the blink of an eye, 3 hours had passed. Most of the party goers had left, and everybody that remained were winding down after a long night of drinking. The other student warriors had all left by this point, and Aden and Tigress were the last 2 remaining members of the Jade Palace. They had shared 2 more drinks each throughout their long conversation, and Tigress was beginning to realize how much of a lightweight she actually was.
"It's reaaaally late," Tigress slurred. "I think we should head back now."
"That sounds like an excellent idea," Aden tiredly replied.
"Maybe... just one more for the trip up the stairs…"
Tigress attempted to call Huan over and almost slipped off the stool in the process.
"I think this kitty has had enough for her first night of drinking," Aden chuckled, helping her to stay on her seat.
"O… *hic* k..."
They both thanked Huan for the evening and stood up to leave. Tigress slung her arm around Aden's shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her waist as they clumsily waltzed out of the bar. They laughed together, as they walked through the quiet town, the moon shining brightly above them. Slowly making their way up the long steps, Tigress began a series of drunken ramblings that Aden couldn't help but find endearing.
"Aden," She said, pausing before finishing the sentence. "You… are my best friend."
"As you are mine," Aden giggled.
"And, you… are the most radical."
Aden laughed boisterously. "That's a lot of praise coming from the toughest warrior in China."
"It's true! You are kind and smart and fun and amazing!"
"Thanks, Tigress. You sure do know how to pull the fun right out of me."
She gave him a goofy smile in response, and they continued the rest of the walk in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. They reached the top of the steps and tiptoed through the Jade Palace making sure not to wake anybody. As they reached the door that led to the student barracks, they stopped and looked at each other with sleepy expressions.
"Well, it looks like our fun ends here," he whispered and quietly chuckled.
Tigress quietly smiled at him before tightly wrapping her arms around his neck in a warm hug.
"Thank you, Aden," she whispered back. "For everything."
Aden smiled brightly and returned the hug with an equal amount of vigour. They stood there wrapped in each other's embrace for what seemed like hours before Aden was completely thrown off guard. Tigress began to purr and nuzzle him. Her head rubbed against Aden's cheek and under his neck sweetly, as he felt the low vibrations of her purring send shivers throughout his body.
She pulled away after a few moments and looked him directly in the eyes. "Goodnight, Aden."
Aden stood dumbstruck at what had just occurred but pulled himself together enough to respond. "Goodnight, Tigress."
With that, Tigress entered the barracks leaving Aden stiff as a board just outside the door trying to figure out how to move again.
Holy shmoly! 5500 words is a new record for me. This was probably the most fun chapter for me to write, so I really hope yall enjoy it :)
Please, please, please leave a review for me? I'd love to hear how my lovelies are doing :3
As far as the Q&A goes, only 1 person really asked me questions, but here it goes nonetheless:
PyroFox117
Q1. What inspired you to write this story, and how long do you think it will be?
Q2. Does Aden resemble you, do you think?
Q3. Is there any other fandom you eventually expect to write for?
A1. I've always had a dream to write a sci-fi/romance/adventure novel, but I feel my world creation and writing skills are still sub par. I looked back on my original failure of a story (Stuck), and felt that a good way to redeem myself was to write a new 'Human in (fantasy world)' story. KFP is one of my favorite animated franchises. Bam. You got yourself a recipe for a spicy meatball. As of right now, the story is planned out to be ~15 chapters. This is still subject to change, though.
A2. Aden's personality absolutely resembles me. I'm a musician and helpless romantic, so this idea of 'defining my passions' through an out of world experience (literally) is a big component to it. Oddly enough, Tigress isn't one of my 'furry crushes,' but I absolutely adore her character :3
A3. Yes! I love Zootopia so friggin much and really want to explore that world through OCs. I'm starting to develop ideas for a story that revolves around 3 OC characters living in Zootopia and experiencing some crazy stuff. So, the story wouldn't focus around Nick or Judy at all. What do you think?
Guest
Q: Can you please update, thank you.
A: No.