Chapter 3

A Confusing Discovery

The furious five were all asleep, along with the panda. Shifu was training his lower abdomen's strength, by sleeping up in the air, by his head resting on one simple rope, and his feet, another. So basically, he was holding himself up by two ropes while dangling 6 feet in the air. He was having troubles keeping up, due to his thoughts. In order to keep balance mentally, and physically, you need to meditate. That's what sleeping was. Shifu felt he couldn't get the things off his mind, as he was in deep thought about the furious five, the panda, and his old student, Tai Lung.

Once again, Shifu fell from the six feet high ropes that were keeping him up. He grunted as he pounded to the ground. I need to settle this! He breathed out, as he looked up with a squint. Thinking about Tai Lung, he decided to go to him, to just get rid of his thoughts. Yes, Tai Lung was still alive.

Master Shifu changed into his uniform, as he got into some simple wooden sandals. It wasn't usual that animals wear sandals, but he was an ancient master in all arts of Kung Fu, therefore he must wear it, for spiritual reasons. He slowly opened the front doors to the Jade Palace. Pulling out a scroll, he wrote neatly in Chinese: Train yourselves until I come back. I will not be long. -Master Shifu

Shifu looked at the scroll, as he soon agreed with it, and gently set it down on the front porch of the Jade Palace for his student to read. He slowly headed out in the dark of the night. A shadow swiftly followed him from above. It was just a shadow... yes, he was sure it was.

It was starting to rain pretty hard now, while Viper was curled up into a little ball of hers. Her whole body shook, as she tried to sleep. She began to meditate, as she slowly closed her eyes... and....

BOOOM! Another clash of thunder shook the whole Jade Palace. Viper pinned her eyes open, as she gasped, followed by more shivering. Yes, she was one of the most furious and best Kung Fu masters in all of China, but she still had fears. She was afraid of heights, lightning, and most of all, humans. How disgusting they were to her, along with everyone else. But that was a different story. The reason that she is afraid of thunder is from a long experience she had just a while back, when she-

BOOOOM!! Viper almost screamed, as she shot her eyes open again. Afraid, she slowly slivered out of her room. She needed to get to Tigress, for Tigress was also afraid of thunder storms, but not as much as Viper herself. Tigress was a great comforter, and a great friend. She would accept anyone into her room, well, except for guys. Slowly sliding her door open, she made her way across the hall.

BOOM! Viper jumped, and sped up her pace to get to her friends room.

Viper slid the door open. "Tigress! Tigress!" She blinked, as she looked around frantically. She couldn't see anything due to the darkness of the night. "Tigress...?" Viper repeated.

The snake slivered over to Tigress' mat, where she found nothing. She's... gone? Where could she possibly be? Viper knew Tigress wasn't one who gets up in the middle of the night just to get a snack or water, unlike Po... nor was she a sleepwalker. This was weird... something bad must've happened!

Tigress crept ever so quietly and slowly across the stone path that Shifu walked on. She saw he now started to run, as he found it was starting to rain, and lightning was pounding everywhere. It was dangerous to be out in the middle of the forest when a lightning storm was around, for you could easily get struck. Tigress got on all fours, as she sprinted after her master. She tried to keep her following a secret, so that she could see what he was up to. She was so desperate just to find out what he was doing every morning.

Minutes passed, as a town slowly made it's way into both of their visions. They could tell it was a town because the tree's were clearing, along with candle lights lighting up the insides of the little houses.

Shifu walked slowly up the steps to a house. He was on the first step, which was the closest step to the wooden door. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

Shifu slowly creaked the old door open, as Tigress stared at him with a bit of guilt in her eyes. She was a bit confused. Actually, she was very confused. She squinted, and pounced up on the roof of the home, while the red panda closed the door.

Shifu twitched from a loud bang that came from the roof. It was probably just hail, or lightning. He looked up, to see a sleeping snow leopard, bandaged up and purring in his sleep. Shifu smiled, as he stood by Tai Lung's bed.

BOOOM!! Thunder crashed through the buildings, as Shifu jumped once again from the noise. The snow leopard awoke with a gasp, as he sat up. He looked around, to see Master Shifu standing beside him.

Tai Lung blinked. "Hello, master Jin. And why are you here at a time like this? He rubbed his throbbing head.

Tigress looked through an open window. Master Jin?

Shifu sighed, sitting down, looking as if he was about meditate on the spot. "I had much on my mind. I had to come here, for it's the only place I can to get away from my questioning students. And of course, myself."

"Again, why don't you tell me why you're not telling them about me?"

Shifu rubbed his forehead. "Remember, they think you're dead...."

Tigress stared at Tai Lung in deep shock. In thought, she tried to listen into their conversation, but could not, for the rain was now pounding on stone everywhere, making it hard to even think. Her eyes got wide, as she saw Tai Lung started to bleed through his bandage. Shifu looked like he was gasping, as he talked to Tai Lung, and rushed off. This was Tigress' chance.

The tigress growled, as the door to the house shut. Shifu walked out ever so slowly, as the rain matted his fur down.

Tigress stared at him, as she tried to hold her breath. The red panda stopped his walking at the sound of something... something coming in Tigress' direction. In a split second, he jotted his head over to her, finding... nothing. He squinted, as he started to walk away, to get more bandages for the wounded snow leopard.

Tigress breathed steadily, she she hid against a large crate in order to hide from her master she was stalking. Looking up and around the crate, she found he was gone. Good. She pounced on top of a rather large crate that was right next to the open window she was peering through just a little while ago. She squinted furiously at Tai Lung, who now had his head down. In anger, Tigress bolted through the window, and up to the nearly sleeping snow leopard.

Tigress hissed, as Tai Lung awoke. He turned to her. "What... angel awakes me?"

"Don't give me this!" She rushed over to him, and withdrew her claws, as she slit his arm. She forcefully pulled him out of his bed, as he went pounding to the ground. "How could you still be alive?" She barked, as the candles all around her lit up by her own paws. She kicked Tai Lung hard in the stomach while he was still on the ground. He almost lost his breath.

"What, I don't know what you're talking about! Master Jin!" He got up, as he started to... run?

Tigress shook her head, as she stared at him in shock. She gasped, as he was about to go get Master Shifu, or... Master Jin, however he called him. Tigress grabbed Tai Lung tightly, as she brought him up to her own fist.

The door slowly opened, as a red panda holding bandages stood, wide-eyed. Tigress looked over to him, as she was still holding Tai Lung. Oh, no...