Ohyaho New York! Konnichi wa London! Konban wa Tokyo! CJzilla here slamming out with another chapter! Read and enjoy.
As I tear down this city, alls CJzilla has to roar is this: R&R! Love on me, hate on me... I'm getting really tired of saying this...
Walking On Air
Last night was one of the best nights of sleep Tigress ever had. The sun shone brightly through her window and onto her face. Tigress flipped out of bed with a smile. Running around her room, the female tiger prepared for a great day.
The reason for Tigress' happy mood? Lady Layla, the contentious fox, evil vulpine and seductive vixen, was gone; banished from the Jade Mountain! No more would that unpleasant female trounce all over Tigress' cloud! From the start, Tigress knew Lady Layla was no good and now everyone else, including Po, knew it too! Once again, the female tiger was Queen Bee of the Jade Palace.
Tigress found Master Shifu sitting on the temple's steps, looking out over the Valley of Peace. She bounded up to her master.
"Good morning, Master Shifu." Tigress bowed respectfully.
The red panda looked over at his star pupil and blinked.
"My, my." He got to his feet. "Someone's in a good mood this morning."
Tigress beamed, inhaling the morning air.
"It's just such a beautiful morning!" The female tiger did a high kick. "And I had a great night of sleep last night."
Shifu just stared at Tigress as she looked over the morning vista. She was practically bubbling over with ecstatic happiness. This was an uncommon aura for his most serious student. The red panda wondered if she suffered head trauma.
"Where's Po?" Tigress questioned, her amber eyes beaming like the morning sun.
Shifu blinked again before answering.
"Po's taking the day off." The red panda returned resting a hand on his robe's sash.
Tigress' face fell, almost like she was just very disappointed.
"From such a sour night, I saw that Po needed a change of scenery. I allowed him a break." Shifu stated but then a scent distracted him. "Do you smell jasmine?"
Tigress cleared her throat and took a step away from her master.
"No." She flatly returned.
Shifu could tell his student was lying. Then he placed the smell. It was perfume. The red panda didn't disapprove of the strong jasmine smell but he wondered why Tigress was wearing the perfume. Then it hit him. A knowing grin came to his aged features.
"I believe Po was going to spend day at his father's noodle shop." Shifu voiced.
Tigress gave him a funny look.
"I just thought I'd let you know." The red panda moved toward the Hall of Heroes, his back to his student. "Heaven forbid you waste that nice perfume on me alone."
Shifu stifled a loud laugh as he pictured Tigress' face.
"Lessons start in half an hour, Tigress." He tried to use a normal voice, but his amusement shown through. "Since my usual pupil is taking the day off, I can now focus on my other students. Please rouse Crane, Viper, Mantis and Monkey. Have them grab breakfast and meet me in the training yard."
"Yes, Master Shifu." Tigress peeped and bolted away like the floor was red-hot.
The red panda turned around and saw he was alone once again. Shifu chuckled, then giggled, then laughed and then guffawed. He laughed so hard he had to use his staff to keep him off of the ground. Finally after his laughter died down, the Kung Fu master wiped his eyes.
It was good to mess with his students.
Layla watched Tai Lung from across the fire. The snow leopard was wolfing down the noodles and roasted meat she made over the fire. His eating habits had not changed over the years; he still ate like a starving animal. As she sat against a bamboo tree, the vixen held in a laugh. Chopsticks were optional to Tai Lung, but Layla could tell he was making an effort to eat civilly in front of her. Strange; years before he was never courteous to her and that made his clumsy use of chopsticks all the more amusing to the vixen.
Tai Lung dared not look up at his childhood friend. The last time he looked up, the half-chewed food in his mouth spilled out of his slacking jaw. Layla was no longer a little girl but a warrior powerful enough to send him to his knees with just a glimpse of those glistening yellow eyes. The vixen had transformed from an ugly duckling into a graceful swan. The snow leopard could feel her still watching him and it almost made his chopsticks rattle together. Almost.
The snow leopard tossed his empty bowl over his shoulder, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and belched.
"Well, your cooking still stinks." Tai Lung voiced gripping his chopsticks in his hand. "But thankfully I was too hungry to notice that your food tastes like mud."
Layla rolled her eyes.
"Do you ever sit down to eat like normal people?" She questioned, noting that he was seated on his haunches, like he was ready to pounce on her.
Tai Lung smacked his palate, swallowing any bits of food still left in his mouth. He smiled.
"I like to keep loose." He returned. "That, and I like to keep you guessing."
The snow leopard let out a low growl as he looked back at her through the tops of his mischievous golden eyes. Layla giggled.
"Well, relax." She told him. "There's no one here but the two of us."
Then the vixen crossed her legs, the position complimenting her full legs. At her simple change of posture, Tai Lung nearly fell over.
"That being the case…" Layla began, her elevated leg swaying. "I have a proposition for you."
Again the vixen's captivating eyes flashed and snow leopard felt a force pulling him to the ground. But Tai Lung was too cool to let it show. He hid the charm he felt with a dirty smile.
"That depends." The snow leopard returned as his tail flicked on the ground behind him. "What has little Baby Bird gotten herself into now?"
A conniving smirk came to her mouth.
"Master Oogway's death brought me back to the valley." Layla answered. "He was the closest thing I have to family, but now that he's gone, Shifu's in his place at the Jade Palace."
Tai Lung snorted, his smile dropping a tad.
"We will never live down what he did to you, Tai Lung." The vixen went on. "Shifu promised you the stars only to have your dreams kicked out from under you like a stool."
Smoldering anger was again in Tai Lung's fists.
"Shifu does not deserve to be Supreme Kung Fu master and for him to be in that position is like disgracing Master Oogway's memory." She voiced.
"So you are going to ask me if I will help you knock Shifu out of the Jade Palace?" Tai Lung finished for her.
Layla gave a nod.
"Exactly." The fox returned.
The snow leopard could feel the frustration inside of him building. Shifu built Tai Lung up for years, assuring him that he was the legendary Dragon Warrior and then the red panda stood silently to the side when Oogway rejected him as the chosen one.
"We both have a reason to hate Shifu, Tai Lung." Layla stated. "Why don't you and I make things right?"
Tai Lung brought his eyes up from gazing inside the fire. He looked back over at the fox. Layla's eyes craved retribution as she ran her hand along her elevated leg. Revenge never looked so good.
Hopping to his feet the snow leopard moved to the vixen. Crouching next to his childhood friend, Tai Lung let loose an easy smile. He leaned in and pressed his mouth to her ear.
"I'm in." He gave a wicked giggle.
Layla held in a flush but then she felt Tai Lung walking his chopsticks up her leg. Chuckling, she pushed the snow leopard away from her. As he reeled, Tai Lung grabbed her hand. The snow leopard wrestled the fox to the ground. He smiled down at her when she gritted her teeth at him.
"Struggle all you want, Baby Bird." The snow leopard smirked. "I'm not letting you go-"
But the vixen kneed him in the side. Tai Lung recoiled not because of pain but surprise. Before he could blink, he was on the flat of his back looking up at Layla.
"The only thing slower than your fighting style is your brain, Tai Lung." Layla voiced, smiling down at him. "I'm not a little girl anymore."
She held him to the ground with a wrestling move. Her fists were on his chest, a successful pin by any wrestler's standpoint. Tai Lung snickered through an annoyed look on his face.
"I know." He returned glancing over her body.
Layla rolled her eyes before she smirked. She never got a chance to enjoy Tai Lung like this. He loved tormenting her and now it was her turn for payback. Leaning down, she rubbed her nose on his, further annoying the snow leopard.
Her nose felt soft and wet on his semi-chapped and dry nose. Now Tai Lung's swagger was swayed. He felt heat on his face and a goofy grin on his mouth. The snow leopard gave a tiny contented purr as he soaked in Layla's nearness.
Taking her nose from his, the vixen looked down at her friend. Now she saw the mischievous leopard youth from long ago that Tai Lung kept behind that cocky frontage. Layla grinned warmly at him as she took her fists from his chest and rested them on the ground. Tai Lung held an overconfident but mutual grin as he leaned up to her, chuckling.
His cocky grin and golden eyes mesmerized the vixen. The snow leopard had grown from the boy she once knew. Years hadn't change his personality and quirks but the growing he did do left her with a fuzzy feeling in her stomach. No longer was Tai Lung revolting and angering but handsome and pleasant. He could make her insides go to jelly and steal her breath away. Layla felt her heart throb.
The vixen smirked again before she let her fingers walk up the snow leopard's shirtless stomach and chest. Tai Lung's heart pounded in his throat as he froze under the forgotten touch of a woman. Giggling, Layla lightly traced Tai Lung's chest and neck with her fingers before letting her hands rest on his shoulders. Leaning down again, Layla dropped her head and Tai Lung felt her breath on his mouth. The snow leopard was giving into his friend's charms but he wasn't going without a fight.
"Do I prick enough interest in you, Baby Bird, to make you want me?" He grinned, his eyes half-way open to catch the expression on the vixen's face.
"Yes." Layla giggled. "And don't let that go to your handsome little head, Tai Lung. You get me angry and I'll take you out in three moves."
The snow leopard gave a silent laugh before he caved in.
"Likewise, Baby Bird." Tai Lung returned.
Without another word, he lunged at her, taking her lips in a kiss. To the vixen's surprise, the snow leopard met her halfway since she was all ready reaching for his mouth. Their lips met and the cosmos seemed to fall in line.
Midmorning was always slow at the Noodle Shop. It was before the lunch stampede but after the breakfast rush, so most of the townsfolk were either in the rice fields or attending their own shops. Po and his father Mr. Ping enjoyed the pause in business. Father and son poured themselves over their Mahjong game and conversation under the warm midmorning sun.
"-and so the pot of leftovers flew through the air and landed right on Mrs. Hu!" Mr. Ping was relating the latest disaster that his the shop not too long ago. "The woman was covered in half-eaten slop and you should have heard her shriek, son. Phenomenal!"
Po roared with laughter as he reeling in his chair, knocking the table the Mahjong game was on.
"And that was Saturday?" The panda wiped his eyes. "Man, I thought I heard something that sounded like Mrs. Hu in distress!"
Both panda and goose shared a big laugh. Mr. Ping wiped his eyes and beamed at his son.
"Your move, Po." He gestured toward the game.
A pensive silence came over the rambunctious panda as he poured his brain over the game. The aged goose watched his son with proud eyes.
"I'm very proud of you son." Mr. Ping voiced.
Po glanced up at his dad, Mahjong play piece still in his paw. He chuckled.
"You've said that thirty times all ready, dad!" The panda looked back down at the game with a smile.
Mr. Ping giggled.
"Can a father help it if he is so proud of his son?" The goose responded.
Po gave a bashful smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Gee dad; if I knew you were going to be this proud of me, I would have become the Dragon Warrior years ago." The panda voiced.
"I was proud of you far before your new warrior status, my son." Mr. Ping quickly responded. "I knew you were meant for great things, even when you were just a cute little fur ball who could barely move around."
Po finished playing his move and Mr. Ping picked up a game piece.
"You remember that time I lost you?" The goose chirped, gleaning over the Mahjong game.
The panda laughed.
"Dad; I was like two years old." Po shrugged.
"Yes, but I remember it clearly." Mr. Ping returned. "I was making a bath for you since you had somehow found your way into rice flour I use for my noodles. I set you down for one second and the next thing I know, you've disappeared. I turned the whole shop upside-down looking for you!"
Po rolled his eyes and shook his head, remembering the story.
"You were nowhere to be seen. I ran around the neighborhood like a madman, trying to find you!" Mr. Ping held his heart at the memory. "I looked everywhere and I was terrified! I thought for sure you were no more! But then I saw a small black and white lump sitting under a shady peach tree, quietly enjoying a peach as you watched me run around."
Po chuckled at the look on his father's face, since he was deep in a memory.
"I've never felt such a profound need to hug you and beat you at the same time in my entire life." The goose stated. "And how a little panda cub could crawl such a great distance without getting a mark on you is beyond me!"
Po picked up a Mahjong piece.
"Being a squirmy panda cub is a far cry from being great, dad." The panda returned.
"Ah!" Mr. Ping gestured. "But you were special. Just when I think I've seen it all, you pull some marvelous feat that leaves me prouder than ever."
Po grinned appreciatively at his father.
"But do I hope you have ten kids that put you through the same heart-stopping grief you put me through." Mr. Ping stated. "By the way, have you met anyone yet that could give me grandchildren?"
The panda's face lit cherry red but he was laughing like crazy.
"Daaaaad!" Po was embarrassed. "I've just become the Dragon Warrior! Finding a girl is a little out of my reach at the moment!"
"Oh, so you have met a girl." The goose read his son's face.
Po buried his head in his hand but gave his father an aggravated glare through his fingers.
"I would like to see grandchildren in my lifetime, Po." Mr. Ping set down a game piece. "Mahjong."
Po stared at the game and realized that his father had won.
"You threw me off with the grandchildren comment!" The panda pointed at his father.
Mr. Ping laughed and laughed and laughed as Po stewed in the embarrassment his father inflicted on him.
R&R! LONG LIVE ROCK N' ROLL!