Disclaimer: Well if I owned anything I probably wouldn't be on FF writing this now would I?
You people need to review, thanks again Black Raider and thank you tia valerie, but you people are lazy, lol.
Long chapter alert! 5,000+ words sorry just got into it and didn't stop…
After our little sob session I gathered myself up and showed Lagadema the rest of the palace. It was strange, I was always taught by Shifu that crying was a sign of weakness, but I felt strangely better, I should try it more often.
"Hey Tigress what's this?" the young leopard asked picking up the rebuilt Urn of Whispering Warriors.
"That is something that you shouldn't be touching. Lest you want to be putting it back together." I answered leaving out the part where Po had to assemble it using dried glue and his tears to get the glues wet.
She quickly set it down carefully then scurried over to the moon pool.
"And what's this? Why can't I see the bottom?" She asked inquisitively.
I walked over beside her and peered in, "That is the moon pool and the reason you can't see in is because it rumored to be endless." I said not really knowing if it was or not, never really thought about it.
Next thing I knew I saw a flash of fur and then a splash.
I thought about yelling to her but she was already down deep. So I jumped in after her. I swam down what felt like two hundred feet but reality it was probably just thirty and finally I saw a glimpse of golden fur. I reached out and grabbed her tail and even in the water I could hear her screech. I quickly turned and leopard in tow I started for the surface. My lungs felt like they were about to explode and looking at the light at the surface, I could see tunnel vision setting in. My heart was racing and was using up valuable air doing so. Hold on Lagadema I've got you, I thought. I was just hoping she was ok and not drowning below me.
I slowed significantly, but suddenly I felt a pull that made me release Lagadema's tail. Then a jerk came from my tail and I shot upwards being dragged back to the surface.
Then I felt like a whale breaching the water. I took a huge breath and looked over at Lagadema who was looking at me strangely.
"I guess it really is endless and why did you grab me?" she asked barely breathing hard.
I pulled myself out of the water and sat on the edge of the pool with my legs in the water, "I thought you fell in and sank like a rock."I said and was breathing hard.
"Um no I just wanted to see it was endless or not. I'm sorry that I scared you." Lagadema apologized pulling herself out beside me.
"Scared? I wasn't scared I was just looking out for your well being." I said. I wasn't scared was I?
"You looked pretty scared when I turned around and saw that you had a hold of my tail pulling me up. I really didn't need help either; I could have gone down twenty more feet." She said standing up and shaking the water out of her fur.
I turned my head sideways to avoid the gauntlet of water.
"Ya well scared or not I'm not the best swimmer so let's not do that again." I said and returned the favor. I also stared at her clothes; she definitely needed some new ones. She wore a regular brown shirt and a pair of slacks that looked like mine after a hard battle.
"Let's dry off and go get you some new clothes." I said walking for the door to the hall.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lagadema looking at her clothes and apparently seeing noting wrong. I turned to face her and walked backwards, "You coming?"
She quickly caught up and followed me out the door. Walking out I stopped in the warm sunlight letting the sun start to dry my fur and my clothes… I hadn't even noticed that my bandages came off in the water.
"Ok lets head for the village we will get you some training and casual clothes." I said starting down the steps.
"Ooh can I have a dress?" she asked ecstatically and jumping up and down the stairs in front of me.
Dress… "Well we will see when we get there. But now here is your first test." I said picking up my pace down the steps.
Lagadema matched me, "Ok what is it?"
Suddenly I sprinted down the stairs and yelled, "Try and keep up!"
I hit the courtyard in what felt like no time and instead of going through the doors I jumped over the archway and about half the steps on the other side. I landed softly and kept running,
It was such a rush and it felt so good to feel the wind tear through my fur. It felt so good to finally feel complete somehow with my new frie-. No with my new family member, my new sister you could call her. I slowed right before getting to the end of the stairs and stopped completely once I did reach the end. I turned back to the palace waiting for the leopard to come down. I was breathing hard and had my tongue out panting.
Where is she? I was looking and squinting my eyes focusing to see any form coming down.
Then a felt poke on my shoulder that nearly made me jump out of my fur. I whirled around to find a young leopard just looking at me, not even showing that she was the slightest bit tired.
"Ok now that I've won that. What's next?"
"Wait h-how did y-you beat me?" I stammered.
"Easy, you were slow, and I jumped from the courtyard down to here while you landed halfway." She said like it was nothing.
"Lagadema that was the fastest I've seen anybody go down those stairs. Even Po bouncing down them wasn't that fast." That was truly an expression of hidden potential if I've ever seen it.
"Really? I could probably go down faster if I tried, but later I want to go shopping." She smiled and that was it, let's go shopping.
As we wondered through the hustle and bustle of the village I marveled at its different assortment of colors and smalls and such. Ever since the defeat of Tai Lung, the diversity of people that have moved back into the valley was amazing to see. In any one trip you could see sloth bears to kinds of people I've never seen before.
I looked over at Lagadema as we hit the edge of the market. She had a large smile on her face, but when she realized just how many people there were it quickly disappeared.
"You alright?" I asked. She looked over at me with a worried expression on her face.
"I-I just don't do well in crowds, I get a little scared." She said. I could see it in her eyes she was really worried.
"Hakuna Matata." I said simply and started wading into the crowd.
"Wait for me and what does that mean?" she said behind me.
"You of all people should know. It's a saying from your country." I said. Then I felt somebody grab my paw and hold on tight. I looked down to find Lagadema walking beside me holding onto me. I just accepted it and smiled. Lagadema may have traveled thousands of miles and spent months alone, but she was still a cub, both mentally and physically. And at the same time she wasn't, she was a powerful leopard and had the ability to become one of china's best warriors.
And I noticed something else, her camouflage pattern was just beautiful, I mean I like my stripes and all, but her golden background with black and brown rosettes were magnificent.
Suddenly the pressure on my hand was released. I stopped and looked behind me, she was nowhere to been seen through the mass of people going this way and that.
"Lagadema!" I yelled, hearing no reply I tore through the crowd, shoving people out of the way.
"Hey!"
"Watch it!"
"Ahhh!"
Then I saw it, I saw a glimpse of golden fur flash into an ally way…the same one where I first met her. My mind was racing, what if the order is back? Is she just playing with me? What if something happens to her?
I sprinted over to the ally just to see her once again surrounded by animals wearing black shirts and red slacks. She was being held by a boar and alligator.
Again? What do they want from her? I thought.
A blind rage came over me and I balled my paws into fists. It was then when I noticed that my bandages were off, it stung a little.
I ran in their direction, only to see Lagadema break free and roundhouse kick the boar in the head then spin around and sweep the alligators legs out from under him.
There were six left.
I made it just in time to run in between a bear and a scrawny snow leopard, and split kick both in the head.
"Oh hey Tigress," Lagadema said so casually it unnerved me. Then she roared and went after a water buffalo that must have outweighed her by three hundred pounds. The buffalo just stood there and let her hit him in the stomach about three times before shoving her down.
"Lagadema like this," I said and powerfully side kicked the buffalo in the stomach, but with a different result. He doubled over and fell to the ground with a weird gurgling noise coming out of his mouth.
I looked over as she was picking herself off the ground and watched her spot a boar headed for her. Copying me perfectly she side kicked the boar in the head knocking the pig out cold. She was a quick learner just as I was.
I spotted another boar running at me with a net, I tried to dodge but I couldn't in time.
I stood in front of him with the net over me. A smile turned into a frown as I just gave him the 'you just screwed up' look. I reared back and punched him with the net still on. My paws started to bleed again, and scorned myself for not being more careful. I easily pulled the net off of me and sat back watching Lagadema take on a full grown fox, which still only stood about her height.
He seemed much more skilled than her, dodging every punch she threw. The fox kept nervously looking over here to make sure I stay over here, I think. So I just leaned against the ally wall and licked down the ruffled up fur on my arm. All the while keeping a close eye on the fight to jump in if need be.
Lagadema threw a sloppy punch intended for the fox's head, who easily dodged and started to bring his leg up for a round house kick.
I was there in a flash and grabbed his leg inches from Lagadema's face. She gasped and fell back on her rear.
Still holding onto his leg I spun around and swept his other out from under him. As soon as he hit the ground my fist came down and impacted his face with the crack of a nose.
"What do you want from her?" I yelled at the fox who was covering his nose.
"She…She killed one of us. Our master sent us out to take revenge, to take her life." The fox spat.
"You won't ever get to her again, I promise you that." I growled back.
"Don't make promises you can't keep." The small canine said with blood puring out his nose.
"I don't intend to." I looked down and saw a dagger that sent shivers down my spine. It looked like the one that…killed my parents. My pent up rage boiled within me again and I grabbed the dagger and held it high above me head.
The fox looked at the dagger and yelled, "Long live the Demon!"
I bared my fangs, roared, then bought the dagger down with all my might…
"Get out of here, next time you won't be so lucky."
I stood up looking at the fox, who was staring at the dagger plunged into the ground an inch from his head.
I walked over to Lagadema and reached out a paw to help her up. She gladly took it and we turned to leave. Lagadema, a killer? We had some things to talk about.
We walked out of the alley and went to a nearby clothing store. Go to shop, get attacked, and then go back to shopping, all in a day's work for the furious five.
Lagadema was back from a ferocious fighter to a cub, she ran around the store looking at everything, "Oooo can I have this one?" then she ran over to a different dress, "No this one!"
"Maybe later, but we need training and casual clothes." I looked over to the tailor and smiled. The rabbit understood and led Lagadema away to measure her up.
I strolled over to something that caught my eye, a dress. It was on display in the back of the store on a wooden dummy. It was fiery orange like my eyes, it didn't have any designs or anything it was just plain, but it was beautiful. The silk made it shine in the incoming sunlight, I had to try it on.
I took it off its stand and took it to a dressing room. I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. It fit perfectly.
I started to giggle, "So this is what being a girl feels like."
"Well lucky for you I have both casual and training clothes that will fit you right here in the shop…hey where is my dress?"
"Where is Tigress?"
I was pretty much caught so I opened the door and stepped out to a stunned leopard and a dazed rabbit.
"Tigress that looks so pretty on you." Lagadema stammered.
"I have never seen someone look so beautiful in that dress." The tailor said.
"Thanks, I guess I need a dress."
We walked back up the palace and after putting up Lagadema's clothes and my dress we headed to the aid station to put some bandages back onto my paws. They were getting better but now after our little battle they were bleeding once again. Lagadema helped me and I helped her by bandaging up a cut under her eye where one of the animals in the order must have landed a punch.
I still wanted to talk about her killing someone that was in the order. I figured that we would talk about it at the dinner table.
We walked into the kitchen and I got to work on a dish that I've never made before…soup, and not just any soup, Po's secret ingredient soup. Also Po has never told me the secret ingredient, although every time I watch him, I can never see what he puts in it. So I just put nothing in it, Lagadema wouldn't know the difference. The young leopard just sat at the table patiently awaiting the food.
"Ok here it is I hope you like it." I said and slid her a bowl.
I sat across from her and took a sip. It wasn't as good as Po's but wasn't bad either. I looked over to Lagadema who was furiously slurping it down. I just stared at her for a while until she finished. She put the bowl down and unleashed a burp that could bring a house down. Lagadema finally noticed me and simply said, "I was hungry."
"I can see that." I sighed, "But anyway there is something we need to talk about." I said and put down my spoon. When she didn't say anything and just looked at me I continued.
"Lagadema who did you kill?" I said flatly.
She didn't answer right away, she just looked at me with her golden eyes.
"I killed my moth-… my father's murderer."
She's been lying to me.
"Lagadema,"
I saw a tear develop in her eyes and she looked down to the table to try and hide it. Then the tear fell onto the table and once it did she rushed out of the room, tears now flowing down her face. I only sat there pondering whether I should be stern because she lied to me or sympathetic because she lost her mother.
Go easy on her, she is but a child.
Oogway again.
Master I know, but why did she lie to me?
Maybe she thought that you wouldn't take her in if you knew she was a killer. You should go and try to comfort her, as she did for you.
The whole conversation in my head was a little weird, but as usual master Oogway was right and I needed to help her.
I stood up from the steaming soup and walked out to the dark night. I need to find out where she was. So I ran to the Hall of Warriors and climbed to the top. Once I reached it I stood and looked out over the valley as a cool breeze washed over my fur. I closed my eyes, concentrating to listen for any noise. My ears were flinching back and forth to any sound whether it be a leaf falling to the ground or noise from the village.
I took a deep breath and held it, removing any interference from my breathing.
My eyes shot open, I could hear sobbing coming from… under me? I dropped down to the ground and opened the door to the hall. Lagadema was hovering over the moon pool letting her tears fall into it. As soon as I open the door she snapped her head around to look at me, but slowly turned back to the pool.
"Tigress I don't deserve to be here, I lied to you, I lied to Shifu, and I lied to myself." She said sniffling back more tears.
I silently walked up behind her.
"Lagadema look at me," I said softly.
She slowly turned around to look at me and I could see where her sobbing had soaked most of the fur on her face. She still looked at the ground though.
"In the eyes,"
She brought her soaking eyes up to mine, and as soon as she did I kneeled down and embraced her in a hug.
I whispered in her ear, "Lagadema you do belong here, I took you in. and what did you mean you lied to yourself?" I pulled my head back, but still had my hands on her shoulders.
Her weeping slowed to a stop, "I lied to myself because I told myself that I can come here and everything will be alright."
"But everything can and will be alright Lagadema, you are here now and that's all that matters." I said still softly.
She smiled, "Thanks Tigress, but that still doesn't cover up the fact that I murdered someone, and not for food I murdered him out of anger."
"No but who did you kill?"
"My mother and fathers killer. He was the Grey Demons brother, and I don't know how I killed him either. One second I was angry laying next to my dying mother and the next a large blast annihilated the rhino."
Large blast? She really does have hidden potential. "Lagadema soon we will start your training, and you will stay here. You're my sister now and family doesn't turn their back on each other."
…..
It had been three weeks since Shifu and the rest of the five left on that mission. And Lagadema's strength was growing each passing day, as was my worry for the team. In the three weeks my paws were nearly completely healed and most of the fur was back.
I had Lagadema on the Jade Tortoise practicing her balance when she jumped down and walked over to me.
"Tigress do you have anything more advanced that we can try?" she said and I smiled.
"Follow me."
I walked out of the training hall and stopped I turned around to face Lagadema.
"I think I need to teach you something that is normally reserved for the highest of kung fu masters."
She smiled brightly and I continued, "The technique that I will be teaching you is the Strike of the Inferno."
I saw her ears perk up just as mine did when I hear about this move.
"You must first harness your Chi…" I said.
I closed my eyes, started moving my arms in a circular motion and concentrated. Once again the feeling of the Chi rising in me felt great, I actually missed it. Once my paws were enveloped in a blue flame I stopped them in front of my chest. I roared, turned and shot it at a nearby tree. I snapped the tree in half and sent shards of it flying.
I open my eyes and panting I turned to Lagadema, "That is how it's done."
She had her mouth hanging open. "When do I get to try?" she gasped.
"Right now, Do you know how to harness your Chi?"
"I think so," she closed her eyes and stood there for a minute before starting to mover her arms around.
Then I saw it the flame in her paws, but then something strange happened…it wasn't a blue flame, it was dark red. The flame grew and when she stopped it was truly a sight to behold. In her palms a dark red flame dancing around.
Then she turned and roared sending the ball back through the rebuilt training hall doors and knocking a hole in the wall clear on the opposite side of the hall.
"Sorry," she panted, "I didn't know what to do with it."
"Lagadema everyone else had a dark blue flame, you, you had a dark red flame, how?" I said astonished.
"I don't know, I just, I don't know. I just was thinking of my parents murderer an I felt the heat welling up inside of me just as it did when I killed that guy."
"Well whenever you do th-." I stopped I could hear wings flapping, and not just any wings…cranes wings.
He landed with a thud and we rushed over to him. He was battered and bruised from a fight.
"Crane what happened?" I yelled hold him up.
"We were no match, we couldn't even land one punch. He gathered us all up and held us in his shack in the woods just outside the village he just attacked. I escaped though and came here for help."
"Don't worry Crane your safe, stay here and Lagadema and I will go help the others," I said and started for the stairs with Lagadema falling behind.
"Tigress you can't, we have to get more help!" Crane yelled, but I ignored him. This time I was going to go and stop this evil for good.
….
We ran for hours on end towards the demon. When we finally made it to the village we found that it was completely deserted. Then we collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
"We will… rest here for the night… then go find him at dawn." I said between breaths.
Lagadema nodded and followed me as I got up and walked into an abandoned hut. We didn't have anything to eat that night so we went to bed hungry and uncomfortable.
"I gotcha!" I yelled as I grabbed a hold of my mother as she was sitting in a chair.
"No you don't!" She yelled back, then grabbed me and flipped me over her and held me in her lap.
I giggled as she tickled me relentlessly. I got free and got down on all fours and circled my mother in a crouching position. I saw an opening when she sneezed, and I pounced. She fell onto her back laughing. As soon as she did I went for the game winning blow. I growled and bit for her neck.
"AWW you got me!" she said, then she went limp playing dead.
I jumped off of her and bounced around in victory, "Ya! I won! I won!"
"Yes you did, now lets go see what dads cooking," she winked and I knew what's going to happen.
We snuck up to the kitchen where my dad was cooking dumplings.
"On three, One…two…THREE!"
We both pounced for my father at the same time, but he knew this and dodged quickly. He ran out the kitchen and through the house, laughing tauntingly. My mother surged ahead, jumped onto his back and rode him to the ground. I followed her and jumped on top.
We rolled to a stop with my mother and I sitting victoriously on top of my father.
With his laughing and two tigers on top of him I could hear him wheezing. "I can't…breathe," he laughed and we got up off of him.
"Man I can't beat you two anymore," he said still chuckling.
"Soon I won't need moms help and I can get you all by myself!" I declared.
"Yeah, but not right now!" he said and scooped me up.
I screamed and started to laugh again, "I love you baba."
"I love you too….
…
I woke softly knowing that my dream was a memory. I sat up and looked over to Lagadema who was still soundly asleep. I really wish that I could have more dreams like that more often…no I wish we could be together.
I looked outside and figured that I should wake Lagadema. I walked over and gently shook her awake. Her eyes opened and she smiled when she saw me.
"I had a dream of my family last night," she said getting up.
"That's great…" I said with my voice trailing off.
"Not really, it just makes me miss them more." She sighed.
"I know Lagadema, I had the same dream. But we need to keep strong if we are going to beat him." I said getting up and walking out of the hut. The village was decimated, I clenched my fists letting the anger wash over me.
How could he have done this, why? How could someone be so heartless? I though then spun around and punched a hole in the clay wall of the hut.
"Tigress," Lagadema whispered, walking out of the hut. "Calm down, being angry won't help us either."
"I'm sorry," it was then when I noticed a small stream of blood under her eye. Then I realized what I had done, in my anger I punched through the wall and hit Lagadema. "Lagadema I'm so sorry," I apologized and walked over to her wiping the blood off her face.
"Tigress its ok, it's just a scratch, let's go,"
It wasn't ok; I need to control my anger.
"Alright," I sighed, and turned for the eastern edge of the village.
As we walked out of the town, there was a weird silence between Lagadema and I. so I stopped before where I knew the Demon would be.
"Lagadema, is something wrong?" I asked.
She stopped right beside me and looked me directly in the eyes, "I'm scared,"
"Don't be afra-"
"I'm afraid that one of us will die…"
I didn't answer right away, I didn't know what to say, but I had to say something.
"Lagadema the only person that might die is the Grey Demon." I said, but she didn't look any less worried.
"But Tigress, I don't want anyone to die." She replied still looking me in the eyes.
"But Lagadema me murdered my parents, he killed hundreds of people… his brother-"
"I know, I know…"
"Let's go save Shifu and the others and hopefully we can get him with nobody getting hurt." I said. She seemed to accept this by nodding.
I started to walk towards where the demon was, but stopped when I felt a small paw on my shoulder, I turned around, "Yes?"
She embraced me in a hug around my waist and I kneel down to hug her back. This time she whispered into my ear, "Whatever happens we will always be together, I love you sis,"
"Love you too," I separated the hug, "Now let's go kick some evil butt."
She nodded and we set off for to find a demon.
…
"Stay low, there he is," I whispered.
Lagadema and I were just outside the rhino's camp peering in from behind a bush. We could see him sharpening a dagger against a rock, and not just any dagger.
I looked past him and I could see Shifu and Po and the rest of the five bound around a tree.
I figured that a surprise attack would be useless, I was sure he knew that we were here. So we walked out from the bush.
The demon just sat there and turned his head to look at us, "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to come out from that bush," he said in that eerie deep voice.
"Yeah well, we are here to defeat you and rescue our friends. And avenge my parents," I snarled.
"Ah yes I remember you… your mother was such a beautiful Tigress, what was her name Yan Sue, it's a shame that i-."
"Stop right there you demonic basterd! I there is just one thing I want to know…the name of my parents murderer."
He started to chuckle, "My name… I haven't told anyone my name since my brother died… Bem."
I saw Lagadema shift her weight uncomfortably, then I heard her whisper, "His name means peace,"
How ironic.
I closed my eyes to calm myself, to clear my head for the fight of my life.
Then when my eyes shot open Lagadema and I attacked my parent's murderer. I opened up with a side kick for his stomach, but he let it hit him and shrugged it off. Lagadema came up behind me and landed a heavy punch to the Demons face. We retreated a couple of feet, only to see that the rhino was just mad. When the demon ran at us, Lagadema ran right back at him, but as she did Bem snap kicked her in the side sending her flying into a nearby tree.
I was next, he and I exchanged punches for what felt like forever, but I finally landed a punch to the demons chin knocking some blood out of his mouth. Even then he didn't stop; he quickly rebounded and landed a punch of his own to my head that made my legs feel like jelly.
I couldn't stop him after he hit me once. He landed another one, then another one and another.
It was the pain that sent me to my knees. I had my head hung low feeling the blood pour from open cuts on my face. He stopped, just standing in front to me. I brought my head up and looked up at the person who in my past ruined my life.
"It is time that I finish what I started all those years ago," he said and pulled out the dagger that took my parents from me.
Then he plunged the blade into my heart. I felt the cold steel and the piercing pain enter my body. I didn't scream though, I only accepted defeat, and fell back onto the ground.
Looking up I noticed just what a clear and beautiful day it was. Suddenly I saw Lagadema crying over me. I could barely hear her, she was yelling for me to hold on, yelling that she couldn't lose me too, but I couldn't, I couldn't hold on any longer, death was calling me.
Here I come mother, here I come father, at last we finally get to be together again.
And it was with those final thoughts that I gave in to the darkness… for the last time.
Wow that was tough, and don't hate me just yet I have a surprise in store. Please take the time and review. ;)