A/N: I AM SO SORRY.
Originally, I was going to post this chapter last night, but I ended up hangin' with a guy friend until almost two in the morning watching the original, unaltered editions of Star Wars. SO COOL BTW!
Anyways, shout out to my reviewers and readers from across the globe! I found out this morning that I have readers from 13 different countries. I am so honored that you read my story.
*hugs* to everybody. I love you all!
On to the chapter!
P.S: Marionette, check your PMs
Tigress was used to being alone. She had spent most of her orphanage days locked in a small room, and, even after being adopted, she spent a lot of her childhood by herself. Still, that didn't make it hurt any less when Po stopped talking to her.
All through dinner, he avoided her eyes. Every time Shifu or the Emperor (who had decided to grace them with his presence) threw him a question, he would answer happily. Then, he would go right back into his meek silence. It both frustrated and exhausted her. His happy demeanor and care-free attitude wAs something she had unknowingly fallen in love with. It had rooted itself in her chest and now felt like it had been yanked out.
How pathetic, part of her cursed. Tell him you were wrong, tell hIm the truth, the other part of her pushed back stubbornly.
She left the table early, ignoring the stares of her fellow diners. She needed room to think.
Rather than go back to her room, she left the main part of the palace and went through the little space between the library and the government offices buildings. Back in that little area was a massive tree, almost the size of the two buildings and about that height. This tree had been at the palace for almost one hundred years. When she had come the first time, this was her favorite place to think.
She placed a foot on the bark and pulled herself up onto one of the lower hanging branches, letting her feet swing freely. She tried desperately to not think of Po, and decided to focus on the task at hand.
The fact that money had been taken from the vaults freely told her that whoever took it probably new the ins and outs of the palace, or even lived there. It had to be someone who could get past guards. The normal palace staff like the maids and butlers coud not go down there. It was probably safe to assume that the Emperor's advisors couldn't either. That left the Emperor himself, Liang, Ni Chang, and Li Tong.
But why though? Kept repeating in her head. Why would they steal money from a vault that was easily accessible. She looked toward the sky, as it was just beginning to get dark. She got the sudden idea that, if she wanted to know where Ni Chang went, maybe she should check his study. Liang had told her once that all three of them had one. His study would be hard to get to, mostly because she wouldn't be able to get past the guards.
She decided to ask Liang for help, since he was the Emperor's son. She hopped down from her branch and made her way back to the palace. She spotted him making his way to the library and jogged to catch up with him.
"Hey. I heard what happened with Po." He sighed, stopping to talk with her. "If it makes it easier to tell him the truth, then you can. I would understand."
"I'll talk with him. He's rather angry with me right now. I don't want to poke the bear, so-to-speak."
"I get it. Was there something you needed?"
"Actually yes. I was wondering if you could help me break into your brother's study. Something about the bank break in doesn't seem right to me. I was to poke around a bit." She shrugged, looking at him hopefully. It was a lot to ask, but she couldn't do it without him.
He thought for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I could. I won't be able to walk you past the guards, but I can help you sneak in through the window. Wait till my father goes to bed first. I'll come get you." She nodded and made her way back to her room.
Several hours later, the snow started. It was only a few flakes at first, but by the time she began scaling the palace walls to get to the window, it had turned into a flurry.
She pulled herself through the window and shook the flakes from her auburn head.
"Is it bad out there?" asked Liang, concern in his eyes. He locked the study door almost as soon as she got inside and then bolted the window shut. She pulled the curtains shut behind her.
"Not too awful. It will be tougher getting down though." She replied. She peeked through the curtains and could see four stories down to the ground, now lightly covered with white specks. "It'll be interesting to see what we can find." She began going through Ni Chang's thick wooden desk, while Liang began searching the bookshelves. She dug through his drawers, looking at every bit of paper in his desk. She sighed when she found nothing of use. She then began to go through his drawers again. In the middle drawer, something odd touched her hand. She removed the stack of papers and saw a small piece of silk ribbon sitting on the bottom of the drawer. She pulled it, and the bottom of the drawer came out. She lifted the false bottom and found underneath it, a book.
"Find something?" asked Liang, coming to stand behind her and looking over her shoulder.
"Yeah." She turned the book over in her hands. "The Practices of Accounting in European Histories." She frowned.
"Wait a sec." He stood up and began scanning the book shelf once more.
As he looked for something, she flipped through the book. There wasn't anything of interest until she reached a page with a small envelope tucked in towards the back. She unfolded the envelope and skimmed through the letter it contained.
"Hey, I think I found something." Liang murmured.
"I did, too." She replied just as quietly. "Ni Chang had a lover." She held up the letter. "This is a woman's handwriting."
"What does it say?" he asked, fiddling with something in the bookshelf.
"I don't know. It's all in Mongolian." She gave him a look and held up the envelope.
"Well, shit." He muttered. He sat back on his haunches in surprise.
"What are you doing?" she asked, moving towards him.
"This." He pulled a book and the entire bookcase moved slightly, revealing a small doorway behind it. "The book you had in your hand, there was a duplicate on the shelf. It was a fake."
"Nice going." She murmured in appreciation. "I'll go on. You stay here and keep an eye on things." She peered through the door and saw a spiral staircase built into the wall. She began her descent down the stairs.
The stone staircase must have continued down for several stories. She rubbed her arms, staving off the cold, dank tunnel. When she reached the bottom, all she found was more stone. It was like a dead end. She began feeling along the wall, looking for a lever of some kind. A door opened when she pressed a certain brick. All she found when she entered was another brick room, sealed by a large, steel door. I must be in the vault. Her eyes widened. She returned to the staircase and began sprinting up the stairs and back toward the study. She stopped when she heard voices.
"-you think you can come here?" The Emperor. She clapped a hand over her own mouth. Liang must have pushed back the bookcase when he heard his father coming.
"I am sorry, father. I came to take back a book that Ni Chang borrowed from me. That's all." Liang replied. He didn't sound nervous.
"Your brother is missing and all you care about is a damn book?" The Emperor roared.
"Well, I would go looking for him if you'd let me leave the palace. I hate being a prisoner here." There was a loud snap as the Emperor's palm hit his son's cheek. Tigress winced.
"Leave. Now." The Emperor declared, his voice angry and deep. A few moments later, she heard a sigh. "I do not know what to do with him." There was a creak as the study door opened and closed again, and the click of a lock. She waited for a few more minutes to make sure she was alone.
She peeked her head out with relief and moved from behind the bookcase. Guess it's back through the window, she thought.
She unlocked the window and scurried over the window sill. She did her best to shut the window behind her and made her way down the wall. Liang was waiting for her.
"What did you find?" he asked excitedly, his eyes lit up.
"First of all, are you okay?" she asked, she moved his face to the side to look at the red welt across his cheek.
" 'M fine." He mumbled, touching the red welt defensively. "Looks worse than it is. So, what did you find?"
"I found his vault." She said simply. "I think I know how the money was stolen."
N/A: I promise this all connects in the end! This story will be kind of long, but I hope it will be worth it.