Chapter 30
Days have passed, and Azure still hasn't woken up. With every sunrise and sunset, he was in to see her, only to leave when he had to eat, get his injuries checked, or use the bathroom. He wasn't going to be training for a while anyway, so what else was he going to do with his time? Crane brought him some of his favourite scrolls from his room, but they were often left untouched.
She was starting to move more, which was a good sign, according to Mantis, but Jian felt like he was starting to forget what her voice sounded like. He was starting to forget the little mannerisms that she displayed that annoyed him, that made her his sister. He hoped that she would wake up soon, or else he was driving himself crazy with his internal prayers. He felt that the voice inside his head was screaming at her at this rate, crying for her to ease the pain, he needed her to annoy him again with her little riddles.
The news of Azure's injury spread across the village like wildfire- and they still had to find the culprit, but the villagers were widely sympathetic. Maybe he was thinking too negatively about them, assuming they would say something like 'she brought this onto herself' or bad mouth her decision to confront him... but no. Instead, they send their best wishes and a lot of 'Get Well Soon' gifts. The majority of the gifts were home-cooked foods, so no one had to lift a finger for anything else bar taking care of the injured. This, of course, was widely accepted by the other Masters, and Jian found it touching to see- well, to hear everyone so concerned about Azure. After all, she was the one that made it her mission to get on everyone's good side...
"They're concerned about you too," Viper told him this morning, as they relaxed at the kitchen table. She managed to coax Jian out of the infirmary, even for a couple of minutes. It was the early hours still; the sun was only starting to rise, and with Po still trying to get used to the early mornings, he wasn't around to cook breakfast. It was a good thing they had all this spare food laying around. "None of them have seen or heard you in days..."
"What have they been told?" Jian questioned, his voice muffled slightly behind the rim of his cup.
"Everything, by the sound of it. You should hear them singing their praises about your bravery..." She continued to talk, but Jian soon zoned her out, scrunching his nose slightly. "Oh, sweetie! Is the tea bitter?" She offered to make him another one, but he waved a paw of dismissal... once he put the cup down.
"It's not the tea- I'm just surprised the Valley has changed their tune about me. They definitely didn't think me as brave a few days ago." Some of the comments made to his face still stung.
"They're turning a new leaf!" Trust Viper for being so positive. "People are allowed to do that..." Jian shrugged before they turned to see Shifu suddenly materialise through the doorway.
"Zeng's just come in to report about your mother. She's in the Valley."
Jian took a deep breath, before nodding into the exhale. "Okay."
Sying stood directly beneath the archway that led into her former home.
It hasn't changed much in the last six years or so, since the last time she was here. There were the same old cracks and crevices in the walls, that will shrink and virtually disappear with every step she took further into the area. And the same old cobblestone, the same rows of houses, the same cries from the merchant stalls just up ahead...
"We better keep going." Li stood beside her, before settling his arm around her shoulder. Sying nodded, inhaling shakily as she clutched her satchel by the string tightly against her chest; she was dressed in a teal dress, which matched Li's overcoat, that barely hid his burgundy tunic. He was always taller, but now she suddenly felt so much smaller than him, even after all these years of being together.
"What if they're not okay?" She whispered tearfully.
Li looked down at her, his frown becoming more and more sympathetic. "Then you have all the more reason to be here; everyone needs their mother with them when they are poorly." As always, her husband was the voice of reasoning. "What happened to them was not your fault. It was..." he almost said his name, but caught himself, "it was his fault."
Sying nodded slowly. "Stay with me, will you?" She sounded pathetic asking, but she couldn't help herself.
"Of course, I'll never be far away..." Li nodded with a sincere, yet comforting smile. "I wouldn't be anywhere else." His arm wrapped around her shoulders. Once they took a unified inhale, they stepped forth into the village. People didn't really notice her straight away, but once someone did, others were destined to follow. A group gathered close by as they walked past, and Sying was bracing herself for the heckling, the blaming... but was shocked to hear their praises.
"You should be proud of yourself dear!" Said an elderly goose. "Jian fought bravely!"
"He did what he could to protect his dear sister, and fought his venom of a father at first-hand!" Why were they talking like he was-
"Sying." Her head turned at the first syllable of her name, to see Tigress closing in, and immediately felt her heart flutter anxiously. She hasn't seen Tigress in all this time, not since she handed over her guardianship.
Sprinting out of Li's support, she closed in on the striped cat rather quickly, and Li was briefly worried that she was going to crash into her. "Where are they?"
Climbing up the final few steps, Sying's gasp was audible enough to make Li hold onto her securely to ensure she didn't pass out. Even Tigress, who was a few steps ahead of them, had to stop and see what was wrong. "What did he do..." her words trailed off, and Li soon acknowledged what she was talking about; there was a massive chunk of the steps missing from the ground, its remnants (at least he assumed so) now cleaned up. The doors opened to reveal Viper and Monkey suddenly in view. Li encouraged her to keep going, but she felt her legs couldn't go any further as she had just run a hundred miles. It's the fear, he thought. "They need you..."
Sying nodded and mentally told herself to get a grip. He was right, her children needed her now, screw her feelings. I have to see them eventually, whether I like it or not... no matter what state he left them behind.
"Mom?"
Li and Sying looked up, while Tigress turned her body back towards the door; Jian stood at the edge of the steps, tall and proud. His arm was still wrapped up and in a bad way, but he managed to conceal any pain or discomfort well... at least, he was doing so for the sake of his mother. Sying couldn't see any cuts or bruises, but it was the relief of seeing him standing there, alive, that caused her to cry out. "Jian!" she sobbed, running towards him. Jian twisted his upper body to the side, shielding his bad arm as she tackled his flank, hugging him tightly. "What did he do to you?!" She fired more and more questions, demanding him to answer, to which Jian only laughed stiffly.
"Good to see you too..." She chose to ignore the sarcasm, and just hugged him tightly, mumbling something heartfelt. He heard something that sounded close enough to 'baby' but wasn't entirely sure what it was. He decided against asking her to repeat herself, just in case it was a nickname that was embarrassing at his expense. He noticed she looked around frantically and held her by the paw when she pulled away. "Azure's inside..." maybe his tone was too morbid because her free paw settled against her heart as she choked back another sob. "Mantis said she's making progress... but I just want to be there with you when you walk in."
Shifu soon materialized into view, motioning Sying to follow him. At first, she didn't walk, possibly paralysed with fear, and she gripped Tigress' paw, whispering she couldn't move. Tigress assured her that they were all there for her, and began to thread her through the entrance, which had yet to be fixed. Jian watched them for a moment before he realised Li was there. Turning back to look at him, Li raised his arms in neutrality. "I'll go with whatever is more comfortable for both of you."
The young snow leopard studied him briefly, before answering. "Both of us should be with her... with them."
The door slowly opened to reveal that Azure hadn't moved since Jian was last in the room moments ago with Viper. Crane was there with her, placing a cold rag on her forehead, as he turned to see Sying standing in the doorway. Instinctively, a wing pressed against his chest, concerned that she hadn't made a sound. Had she cried it out on the way here?
"Crane..." Sying extended both of her paws towards him and held his wings gently. "Is she..."
"She's doing good, I swear on my life..." Her paws slipped away so she could sit down beside her daughter's bed, caressing her cheek. Li soon stood by her, patting her on the shoulder. Usually, by sound or a soft touch anywhere near her eyes, Azure always flinched, even now as a Soothsayer. Sying remembered meeting her one day in the Palace back in the city, so the two would go get lunch, and when she or anyone entered the room, Azure's ears flickered, even when she was deep in concentration. There was none of that now...
Looking up at Li, she whispered hoarsely. "But she's not awake..."
Jian grimaced slightly, while Crane, somehow, felt a fist of guilt in his stomach. He turned to walk out of the room, but Jian placed a paw on the top of his back that stopped him from completing the move. "Just give her time... she didn't mean it that way." The bird nodded, before excusing himself from the room, mentioning something about skipping lunch. But it was almost like he was heard by the spirits because Po entered the room with a tray of food.
Sying immediately turned her head, eyes slightly narrowed. Po nearly jumped. "Sorry! I'm a bowl short-" Jian smiled and said that he was fine, before taking one of the bowls and offering it to his mother. She took it carefully, while Li was offered one too. She looked down to see a cloudy broth, with a dollop of noodles, and some pieces of vegetables floating here and there. "There's some leftover in the pot, I'll just nab my lunch in the kitchen when I get back," he passed the last bowl to Tigress, who thanked him. Crane soon faded from the scene, taking his lunch with him.
"Who are you?" Sying asked quietly.
"Me?" Po asked, before clearing his throat.
"Mom, this is Po..." The panda's face lit up in realization, tucking the tray under his arm as he bowed carefully. "The Dragon Warrior, and a dear friend of mine." Sying's brows rose in surprise, only for a short period of time, before smiling softly.
"Nice to finally meet you ma'am." He was smiling back at her before they all looked at Azure. Tigress moved her gaze away, suddenly losing her appetite. Jian's good arm raised his paw to hold onto the back of his neck, a little uncomfortable in the current atmosphere. "I'm sorry about-"
"You don't need to apologize, darling, what you did at the end of the day saved everyone..." She sighed, before looking back down at Azure, before adding. "At least you were there to you stop him from killing my children."
...
Jian wasn't sure if it was intentional, but it certainly felt like a kick to the teeth. He gestured for Po to go grab his lunch before it got cold, but before the panda left, a bowl was placed back in his paws. "You can save mine for later. Or have it- I'm not hungry." Tigress said, her expression void of any emotion. Po's ears flattened across his head and asked if she was alright, to which she said yes- of course, she would say that.
Po left the room, shutting the door just in time for Sying to speak. Jian didn't exactly clue in on everything she said, but when she said 'I'll cut right to the chase', and he felt like it was all coming out of nowhere. "I want Azure transferred to gongmen city as soon as she's fit to travel. And Jian is coming with me."
Jian stared at her. "What?" He motioned towards the door- or Tigress- he didn't even know himself.
"Li and I already discussed this." Her husband averted his gaze, looking a little uncomfortable being pulled into this. "I'm doing this to keep you safe. I'm cancelling the guardianship, as of now." Jian shook his head, falling deep in denial. His face contorted into an expression that he could only describe as the love-hold of horror, and confusion; his mouth was agape, his eyes were wide, while his brows fell close together to make sense of it all. "As for your training, I'll discuss with Shifu transferring you under Master Rhino."
"But Mom-"
"No buts!" She then turned to Tigress. "This doesn't go without saying. Darling, I thank you for looking after them both and doing everything you could, but I think it's better if Jian came to live with me. After everything that's happened, I can't bear to think what would have happened if Jian's friend wasn't there to save them." Jian's jaw dropped further, before looking back at Tigress, waiting for her to say something. Do something... instead, she stood tall, still remaining by the door. "If you were a mother, you would understand." That felt like a punch to the stomach, and that wasn't even about him.
She still hasn't said anything. "Tigress?" He asked.
Her eyes always glowed, flared with a passion that Jian never saw in anyone else before... but now that glow had dimmed down, grown softer. "I understand," she replied into a head bow. "I'll get Shifu so you can speak to him about it." Jian's paw moved to the side of his head in alarm, but Tigress smiled at him reassuringly. "Your mother knows best..." She then turned to leave, but something stopped them all from moving or speaking.
Jian was the first to look back at the bed, with Sying not far behind. Azure's paw had moved, and so did her head... but she spoke.
"O...kay."
