11
The noise echoed just out of the oblivious ears of Tigress and Shang, as they sauntered out out of the Medical Wing. Shang had an arm around Tigress' shoulders as they squeezed through the door frame at the same time, patting her on the shoulder as she wiped her mouth, her face almost toned green. "So I was right then?" She said, holding her head, feeling a little imbalanced.
"Yep, little junior is taking his or her time and will be here in another four months... while scavenging everything you consume. I can't say why the bump is bigger as the baby is taking in everything you eat, it does explain why you're losing the weight and not gaining it." He glanced behind him as if to remember something, and then ran back in to retrieve a sack, and bowl. Meanwhile, Tigress leaned against the wall, rubbing her temples slowly to sooth the light headiness that over took her. "Your next fill is tomorrow," her ears picked up his voice from inside. A moment later, he came out with what he went in for, "on the side with your breakfast. Not the nicest broth in the world... but it gives a feeling of fullness to both parties... and should hopefully allow you gain the baby weight with no further complications."
She took a deep breath, before smiling up at him. "I'm willing to make a few sacrifices. Thank you."
Shang chuckled, turning around to close the door. "Have you thought of any names yet?" He asked. Tigress responded with 'not really'. "Oh... any names you favor presently?" No. "Well... good thing Jasmine bought you that book of names right?" They laughed together, one's volume more hushed than the other. "Now, better tell Shifu the news while you find somewhere safe to put this. Just, make sure no one else eats the broth on you..."
"I don't think even Po would go near it..." Her eyes rolled towards the ceiling, her mind wondering elsewhere as they walked towards the hall of heroes. Shang watched her as they moved along, before stopping her before she walked into a table that held nothing but a flower pot.
"Tigress?"
She snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes?"
"Are you alright?" She began talking about the aftertaste of the broth, but he raised his hand, signalling her to suddenly stop, and placed firm paws on her shoulders. "I sense something else is in mind... and its not the broth. You seem a little... off. Is everything okay?" She nodded. "Come on... talk to me. What's the matter?"
"Its... nothing major... an old friend is due to visit." The task to be subtle about whom was visiting wasn't hard, but to shape the wording in such a way that she can't get interrogated, was another problem. "He hasn't been up in the Palace in a long time... and he wants to see Shifu again." And so she explained that he has come to see her and Po on the low profile, which was true; and the fact that there was rough patches fixed up before the friend decided to be brave enough to come back, this time to be face-to-face with Shifu... that was also true.
Shang folded his loosely against his chest. "What about Viper and the others?"
"They vaguely know him..." Lie. Shang questioned if he was an old flame of hers, which in turn angered Shifu and caused a feud. "If he was Po, Monkey, Mantis, and Crane would immediately make sure that he wouldn't be anywhere near me." True.
"Don't we all know that?" Shang paused for a moment. "What went wrong between Shifu and this... friend?"
Before Tigress could utter a single syllable, Po came sprinting down the hall, calling her name. "Po?" She turned, and he almost crashed into her if she didn't raise her arms protectively. "Po," she said again. "What's the matter?"
"He's here." Po, Tigress, and Shang were racing for the Hall of Heroes as soon as his sentences was closed.
All three almost skidded and fell over each other, as the sight of Tai Lung, completely immobilized on the floor, face down, with each Master surrounding him in a semi circle, and Shifu before him, eyes bulged with rage. Super Attendant Woo shook beside him in obvious fear. Tai Lung could still move his head, while the rest of his body was pure jelly at the slightest poke, but by the look of boredom on his face, and eyes exploring the room tiredly, he didn't seem all that bothered with his current state, despite the wide-eyed stares and glares he was receiving.
"What's going on-" Tigress began, before Crane flew to her, followed by Mr. Ping, and stood in front of her protectively.
"Tigress, go back to the Medical Wing." He said lowly, his wings pushing towards her. There was space between his wings and her shoulders, but the gesture automatically moved her back with coming in contact with her, and Shang immediately tried pulling her towards the exit. "Now. We have this under control..." He didn't seem so sure about his own words. Everyone turned in her direction to support his point, when Tai Lung nodded at her, exhaling tiredly.
"I was wondering when you two would showed up." Tai Lung stated sarcastically. Shifu almost immediately stabbed him with the staff, his narrowed eyes sharper than the shaved ends. However, Tai Lung stared on to the felines, and the black and white panda, totally unfazed. Tigress glared at him, but out of warning, and not of sense of feeling endangered. "Ready to join the party?"
"Tigress." Shifu and Tigress eyed each other slowly, both for different reasons, yet she couldn't help but glance at Tai Lung, who just hummed softly to himself as he looked up at the ceiling. "Do as what Master Crane has instructed you..." He's thinking about the baby, she thought, her heart almost leaping out of her chest.
She's going to try and help, Shifu thought, worrying rising within him. I need her out of here, Tai Lung mustn't know about the children... or at least, the one that isn't born yet...
"Not like it'll make any difference." There was a scoff behind him, as his eyes moved to that direction, along with Tigress'. "Last time I checked, no one gets out of a the immobilization techniques..."
Monkey and Viper exchanged subtle looks of discombobulation. "Says the guy who escaped using his tail... and a feather?" Mantis stood out of the seriousness of the situation very briefly to make his point. Everyone glared at him, barring Shang, who just tried to move Tigress back towards the Medical Wing, but her stubbornness prevented him from doing so.
"Tigress you must-" he held her firmly by the arm while he spoke, but she ripped her arms out of his hold.
"No... I need to be here," she spoke firmly, her paws settled on his shoulder, with a brief glance into his eyes, before looking towards Tai Lung as Po moved forward, each step full of pre-caution.
"That's what happens when the guards decide that the somewhat 'weakest' part, of the body," They were interrupted. Tai-Lung's eyebrows wiggled twice to quote the given words instead of his frozen fingers, "doesn't need to be immobilized. And besides, that turtle shell was getting old and rusted after 20 years-" JAB! Something stabbed his cheek, immediately shutting the word trap. Tai-Lung's eyes ascended towards a very familiar face, the eye on the side that had been hit squinting with the wave of pain traveling up his cheek. "Shifu," he said, his eye twitches as he addressed the red panda. "I would salute, but I can't at the moment-"
"You," his ex-Master's voice was on the verge of screaming. "Are not, welcome here."
"This can't be possible..." Woo was close to whimpering in the background, barely noticed by the others.
"I thought the same as I took my journey up the steps," Tai Lung spoke steadily. "Of course I know I'm not welcome here, but that doesn't mean I can't come here seeking help."
"With what?" Mantis narrowed his eyes as Monkey shifted into his battle stance. "Last time I remembered seeing you was throwing Tigress off a bridge, after strangling her with the ropes." Shang's paws enclosed into tight fists at the very words, and Tigress immediately turned to him and held her arms up in defense.
"Shang, control yourself-" she began quickly.
"He laid his paws on you-" Shang growled, before feeling Po and Li Zhan's paws pull him back. "I'll kill him myself-" His head swung back to look at Po, his eyes fueled with fear. "The boys-"
"To flourish a new sentence for the new face, a statement that needs to be made..." Shang and Tai Lung glanced at each other. "Yes, I do know about the boys, including the little boy that Monkey is blessed with..." he smirked at the agitation crawling along each of their Master's as they looked at each other worriedly. Monkey screeched at the mention of his son, and leapt onto Tai Lung's chest, keeping his head in place to accept the fist that was high above both heads. "I am aware Tigress is also expecting a third one, I pose no threat to her, if that is your main concern."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now." He shouted. "Your presence is enough to threat any current, or potential living being."
"No one comes near my daughter-in-law!" Li Zhan warned, gaining a rather relaxed expression from the snow leopard. "Not when I'm around."
"Or my grand-babies!" Mr. Ping squawked, holding out his arms protectively in front of Tigress, who remained rooted on the spot, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. Viper hissed after him, while the others stiffened their stances. Tai Lung chuckled, riling the simian up more, and igniting his instincts to grip his neck to enable its movement.
"Alright; a Kung Fu Master can't kill in cold blood. I can't be called a true Master for what I have done. However, to continue the bug's point; in the end, I was defeated by the Dragon Warrior."
"Back for a rematch then I see." Viper hissed lowly, her tail rattling dangerously. "When you're meant to be dead..."
"I suppose to Wushi Finger hold can work in the favors on either side." Tai Lung shook his head, taking everyone by surprise. "I'm not here for revenge. His victory has made me look down a different path."
"Then... what are you here for?" Viper asked slowly. As the last word slipped off her tongue, the doors opened, to reveal Sapphire, Jun, Lok, Yuki, and Yumi, outside. They saw the cluster, and ran for them.
"Masters-" they closed in, and four faces looked at Tai Lung and Monkey questioningly. "Um... are we interrupting an important matter?" Yuki asked awkwardly. Lok and Jun just blinked dumfoundedly, before realization kicked in.
"Is... that?"
Sapphire interrupted them. "What is he doing here?" She said coldly.
"All these questions are getting rather boring... what else would I be here for?" Tai Lung's eyes fixed on a spot on the ceiling high above him, feeling the room spin slightly. "I'm here to seek my redemption..." he then looked at Shifu, "and find my family."
Shifu looked rather taken aback, and Sapphire wasn't far behind; his eyebrows raised so high they were sure to fly off his face. His arm, that held the staff his dear friend Oogway passed onto him shivered in time with his whole body, before he stiffened up and kept his angry, almost pained composure as he took a step back, a slight limp visible. As for Sapphire, her paws crumpled into fists. "Your family is not here." He hissed, and her heart nearly leapt at his statement. "We will not welcome you here gladly, but advise you to leave immediately."
Tai Lung chuckled. "Actually... I have been welcomed back." He averted his eyes from Shifu, to Po and Tigress, with everyone slowly following his gaze. "Also to be frank with you Shifu, my family is here... a few I do consider, as well as the simple fact that you're accommodating the little lady herself." Shifu froze, before he and Sapphire's eyes met, everyone but Tai-Lung, Tigress, and Po, gasping.
Everything suddenly stood still.
Finally got to update!
I HAVE GRADUATED! BUT I AM CURRENTLY SITTING EXAMS! SHOULD BE ABLE TO UPLOAD MORE AFTER THE EXAMS ARE OVER.
CIAO!