A/N: So I decided to update on this instead of Shadows Of The Past. I guess it was because I would give you some more time to review on Shadows... And maybe because of all those reviews on this story! Thank you to you all!
Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since the last time.
Behind The Golden Eyes, Forbidden Knowledge
"Master Shifu!" Tigress exclaimed as she suddenly remembered anything. Viper, Mantis, Monkey, Crane and Po. She remembered it, she remembered them. Master Shifu, her master that her saved her from the orphanage and taught her kung fu. Po was the Dragon Warrior; a title she first had thought belonged to her. But he was her friend and she had taken a canon shot to save him. She was a part of the Furious Five, the legendary warriors.
Or, she had been a part of the Furious Five. Master Shifu had been her master. They had been her friends. She had left them. She had left them to follow a stranger, a tiger she only had known in some days.
Master Mei-Hua could control her on a special way, making sure that her student would obey her orders no matter what. And that scared Tigress. She was scared of her master's power and she knew that she had to get out of here as quick as possible. But how?
Tigress couldn't just sneak out; there were guards everywhere. And even if she got out of the palace she would have no clue of where to go. Tigress didn't know how to get to the Jade Palace from her, and that was a big problem. She couldn't just walk around in the forests, completely lost; she would be caught after some time.
She needed a plan. Enlai. He would know what to do. He had travelled much and he probably knew how to bring her back home. Tigress was sure that he would understand her problem. She decided to wait to the gardener came back home. He had been gone in a week now, so there was still about one week back.
Waiting wasn't Tigress' favorite thing to do, but now she had no choice. She just wanted to get out of this palace and back to her really home. Sure, she had gotten friends here, but something here was taken her memories from her, and Tigress was sure that Mei-Hua played a part in it. With the help of Oogway she had gotten them back again, but who knew if she could start to forget again. Tigress wouldn't take the chance. The Dragon Palace was no longer her home and Mei-Hua was no longer her master.
Tigress tried to act as normal she could the rest of the day. But it was hard; she couldn't make the feeling of danger to go away. She felt like she was having a couple of eyes staring into her back. Mei-Hua noticed it under training, but Tigress told her that it was because of another nightmare that kept bugging her. On a way it was true, it was just the part that it hadn't been a nightmare. It had been a dream, a wonderful dream that had brought her the missing memories.
But in the afternoon something happened that Tigress hadn't expected. She was walking around in the palace, clearing her thoughts, when she absent looked out of a window. In the front yard was a goose that she hadn't seen in nearly four months. Honestly, it wasn't really the goose Tigress had missed, but he was bringing something that she really needed.
Running through the halls (she was thankfully for wearing training clothes again) she finally ended where she wanted. She carefully opened the door, like she was scared to look out, to see if it really was true. A disappointment now would be heartbreaking. But there he was, the messenger, glancing around nervously.
"Zeng!" Tigress had to keep herself from hugging the goose. She was just so happy to see the Jade Palace hadn't forgotten her.
"Master Tigress!" He squeaked surprised. The goose quickly bowed to her, then glancing curious at her. Just as he opened his beak, Tigress cut him off.
"Did Master Shifu send you? How are he and the others? I just can't believe I…" She stopped when she saw that Zeng was looking at her with big eyes. "Please forgive me. I forgot my manners. You must be tired after the long journey." Tigress quickly said.
Zeng hold out his wing examining as to see if they were exhausted. "The Dragon Warrior told me that it was important to deliver the letter as fast as I could." He would have said more, but Tigress was again quicker than him.
"He sent a letter?" Tigress just couldn't believe her luck.
The goose nodded. "I just delivered it to Master Mei-Hua. She told me that you were busy."
And the luck disappeared. If her master had gotten the letter… Before she could say more Lu Chu arrived. The mountain cat ran towards them with a confused look in her face.
"Master Mei-Hua wants to see you, Master Tigress. She said it was important and that you should meet her in your room as soon as possible."
Tigress glanced up and saw the silhouette of the older tiger behind a window. Her master must have seen her talking with Zeng. Glancing back at the mountain cat and the goose, Tigress took her decision. She was going to read that letter, even if Mei-Hua was keeping it from her.
With steady legs, she walked back to the palace, ready to face her master. She didn't notice her surroundings until she was in her room, looking straight into Mei-Hua's golden eyes.
"There you are, Tigress. I need to talk with you. I have new ideas to your training." The older tiger sad, not even mentioning the goose's arrival.
But Tigress didn't buy it. She went directly into the subject. "Po's letter." She told her. "You have it."
Mei-Hua stared at her with big eyes. "I am sorry, Tigress, but I am afraid that the letter wasn't meant for you."
"What do you…?"
"The letter was from Master Shifu, and it was to me. A week ago I sent him a letter about your impression. I believe it is my duty to tell him about his earlier student's new life. The letter from him just came today. I should greet you from him."
Silence. There went some time before Tigress finally pulled herself together. "How long have you been writing with him?" She asked with a little voice.
"Since you started here. Don't you remember when I showed you the letters?" Mei-Hua looked her into the eyes. Tigress thought that her master seemed worried, like when she discovered that her student was sick.
The letters. Yes, she remembered them know. Sitting next to Mei-Hua, reading her earlier master's short answers…
Mei-Hua's kind, golden eyes disappeared from her sight, and were replaced with Master Oogway's green eyes full of wisdom. And just like they had done last night, they brought her the truth. Tigress remembered that there never had been any letters. She had nearly not even heard from the Jade Palace. Master Mei-Hua had not been writing with Shifu and the letter was not from him.
"You're lying."
"Excuse me?" Mei-Hua looked like she was both surprised and mad over her student's behavior.
"You're lying." Tigress repeated with a steady voice. "The letter is from Po, and it's for me. So now, please give me my letter." She said as calmly as she could.
"Tigress, this is no way of speaking to your master." Mei-Hua replied with a stern voice.
And that was when it was too much for Tigress. She did not belong in this palace and this master had no right to control her life. Tigress then realized how little she even knew about the master she had chosen over Master Shifu.
Tigress pulled her libs back into a snarl. "You are not my master!" She hissed, staring directly into Mei-Hua's eyes.
The older tiger sneered back. "I will not hear that tone from you, Tigress. Understand?"
"You are no longer my master. I quiet!" Tigress turned to leave, but was held back by a hard grip on her arm.
"Listen, Tigress. What I do is only for your best. And I don't allow you to have any contact with the Jade Palace. Do you understand?" Mei-Hua sneered into Tigress' face.
"Then tell my why!"
"It's for your own safety. They are not able to take care of you, so I had to do something."
"Not able? And you believe you are?" Tigress spat.
Suddenly Mei-Hua was calm again. She looked her student into her eyes, ignoring Tigress' attempts to escape from her grasp. "Tell me, Tigress, when was the last time that you were happy? Was it in the orphanage? Did Master Shifu bring you it?" She asked, her words hurting Tigress like someone just had stabbed her.
Tigress had hated her life in Bao Gu orphanage, and she had tried to forget it. She had been sure that when she was living in the Jade Palace everything would be better. Of course it had, but still, her hope of finally having parents, having a family, had failed. She had gotten a master and, after some time, friends. But no mom, no dad. While growing up the dream of having a family had slowly faded. But when Mei-Hua had showed up, she had brought back the dream. Tigress had hoped that in her new master she would find something she had sought in Shifu in so long time. A parent. But now had Master Mei-Hua proved herself even worse than Shifu.
"Master Shifu has given me more than you've ever done!" Tigress snarled, losing her temper.
"He taught you kung fu, but can't I also teach you?" Mei-Hua asked with a sharp voice. "You left the Jade Palace, Tigress. And now the Dragon Palace is your home and I am your master. Remember that."
"This isn't my home and you will never be my master!" As soon as Tigress finished screaming the sentence, she felt a sharp pain on her cheek. She backed away in shock with her paw on the cheek that Master Mei-Hua had hit when she had struck her across the face. It wasn't because of the pain that Tigress was shocked; she had been hurt much worse than this in battles. She just hadn't expected the attack from Mei-Hua. Soon she could feel tears being formed in her eyes both from anger and humiliation.
In a flash, Mei-Hua was in front of her again. "Do not speak like that to me again, Tigress! I can't believe how you are acting. It is time that you must forget about your life in the Jade Palace. They didn't bring you any good. Imagine what I was thinking when I heard that you were injured. Shot by a canon! When you are a master, then it is your responsibility to make sure that your students are safe. Tigress, I couldn't let you stay there. You deserve better."
Tigress wanted to refuse. She wanted to say that Mei-Hua was lying. She wanted to growl and she wanted to attack. But she couldn't. There was no air, she was strangled and needed help. She couldn't move, she was completely frozen. All she could do was to look into the golden eyes of Mei-Hua.
"Now, as your punishment for your behaving today; you are not allowed to leave your room. Tomorrow you will train as normally. Understood?"
Tigress could only nod. She was still stunned when Master Mei-Hua left the room, locking the door after her. Breathing hard and shaking, Tigress sat down on her bed. What had she gotten herself into? When she had ready to face her master, she hadn't expected that it would end like this; her losing the fight and sitting in her room alone, grounded. How she hated it. It was like being a little child.
Mei-Hua just wanted her to be a sweet and beautiful warrior. And when Tigress wasn't behaving like her master told, then she was punished. It was like Mei-Hua was trying to change her into what she thought was perfect.
Time went by without Tigress noticing it. It was first when she heard the door open, that she turned her attention away from her thoughts. Lu Chu silently walked in, and sat next to Tigress.
"Would you please explain what's going on?" Tigress asked after some time, while staring at her paws.
"I… I have my orders, Master Tigress." The maid quietly said, her eyes begging for forgiveness.
Tigress sighed and closed her eyes. But she soon had to open them again when she heard Lu Chu voice. "But I think I can tell you something. But please don't tell anyone what I am going to tell you! Master Mei-Hua would have my head if she knew it!"
The tiger smiled, relieved to see that someone was going to help her. "Don't worry; I won't tell. I promise."
"I've been in this palace in really long time, Master Tigress. And before me was my mom. So of course I have some knowledge that other servants don't have." Lu Chu told her, proudness in her voice. "Did you know that Master Mei-Hua is the Dragon Queen?"
"Enlai shortly told me, but then he ran off." Tigress hadn't told anyone about her conversation with Enlai. She had decided to wait to he came back and then ask him about the Dragon Queen thing. But now she found out that Enlai wasn't the only one that knew about it.
"Master Sheep taught you about the Elders and the dragons, right?" Tigress nodded and Lu Chu continued. "But he didn't tell you about the Dragon Queen. It is not like so many talks about it; only the Elders and some few servants know it. But my mom told me about it. You see, the Dragon Queen is kind of the leader of the Elders. She is the one with the most power."
Tigress listened with big ears. "And Mei-Hua is this Dragon Queen?"
Lu Chu nodded excited.
"Since I came here, I've started to forget my life in the Jade Palace. I didn't even remember any of my friends until last night where I… I had a really weird dream." Tigress decided not to mention anything about Master Oogway. At least not yet. "I suspect Mei-Hua for making me forget. I just don't know how she does it."
The maid was silent in some time, as lost in thought. Then she finally looked up, staring Tigress in the eyes. "You must understand, Master Tigress, that Master Mei-Hua always gets what she wants. Always."
"But… But why me? Why did she choose me as her student?" Tigress asked.
"Well, you are a really talented warrior. But… She told you that she had been on a search for a student, didn't she?" Again, Tigress had to nod. "That's not true, Master Tigress. She and Kang went directly to the Jade Palace. I heard her talk about it."
"She had already decided that it should be me." Tigress almost whispered, mostly to herself.
"You asked me, Master Tigress, why she chose you. Of course there are your skills, but… But then there are your eyes."
Tigress was deeply confused. "My eyes?"
Lu Chu nodded. "They look like Master Mei-Hua's."
Tigress felt how her body became cold. "Lu Chu, you don't believe that…"
"Is that your mother?"
"You look a lot like each other!"
"They are both tigers, they both do kung fu, their stripes are nearly the same and they have the same eye color!"
No. No! Po couldn't be right! It was just wrong! No! Why should she…? No! Tigress felt sick, like she was going to vomit.
"Master Tigress, the Dragon Queen can be recognized by two things; their golden eyes and the fact that they only gives birth to one child. A daughter. Master Mei-Hua's mom was the earlier Dragon Queen, and her mom was it also. And I believe that you…"
"No!" Tigress rose from her bed. "No! She isn't… She can't… I wanted it at first but not now!" Tigress turned back to her maid that were still sitting on the bed, looking at her with eyes full of sympathy.
Tigress knew that Lu Chu was right. There were no other explanations. It was hard, but she had to face it. "But… But why first get me now? I mean, I was a part of the Furious Five. She must have heard of me long time ago, so why first now?"
Lu Chu shrugged. "I am afraid that I don't have the answer for that."
"If… If Mei-Hua is…" Tigress just couldn't say the word. She just couldn't. "Then who is my father?"
The maid slowly walked towards, to finally stop right in front of her. "My mom told me that just before I was born was there another tiger in the Jade Palace. It was a male and he was here only nearly a year. Then he left and no one had seen him since. There is a hard punishment for just saying his name."
"Please tell me." Tigress begged. She had to know more about the person she believed was her father.
Lu Chu leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear. "Jiao-Long."
It took some time, before Tigress pulled herself together. "And you are sure about what you have told me is true?" She asked the maid who nodded.
"My mom also told me that there was something about a baby. But also that is forbidden to speak about."
"The baby was me, Jiao-Long is my father and Mei-Hua… I just can't believe that Po was right!" Tigress said, thinking it all over again. Then she suddenly remembered something. "Po! Lu Chu, the goose that was here, Zeng, is he gone?"
Lu Chu nodded. "Master Mei-Hua sent him away after talking with you."
Tigress clutched her fist. Now she couldn't answer the panda, she couldn't tell them what's was going on and she couldn't ask for help. But she still had some plans left.
"Lu Chu, I need to get out of this palace without Mei-Hua noticing it. And I need your help to do it."
The maid smiled to her. "I will gladly help, Master Tigress, even though I don't like the thought about you leaving me. But you aren't safe here and you have to get back to the Jade Palace."
"We have a problem; I don't know the way back. We have to find a map. Do you know where they are?"
Lu Chu searched through her mind for a moment. Then she shook her head. "I am not sure. But we can ask Piao. He knows every room in this palace. I can try and find him if you want."
"Yes, do that." Tigress said, hoping that the antelope could bring her what she needed.
The maid quickly left the room, remembering to lock the door just if Mei-Hua should come back. While Tigress waited for the mountain cat to come back, she noticed the bowl of soup that Lu Chu had left in her room. Probably the reason to why the maid had been allowed to visit her. Thinking about the plan of her escape, Tigress quickly ate the soup. If everything went right, then she would be gone tonight.
The door opened and both Lu Chu and Piao entered her room. The antelope looked pretty nervous and Tigress could hear him mumble for himself. "If Master Mei-Hua knew…"
Finally, he stopped murmuring and looked at the tiger. "Master Tigress, are you sure that this is a good idea? I mean, escaping from this palace is impossible! There are masters everywhere…"
"I am fully aware of the complications, Piao, but I believe that Lu Chu have told you about my reasons to get back to the Jade Palace." The antelope nodded to her. The maid had whispered what she and Tigress had talked about while leading him to Tigress' room. "But will you help me, Piao?"
"I will help you the best that I can, Master Tigress. But am I right when I believe that you won't tell anybody of ours part in your plan?"
Tigress smiled. With both of the servants' help then she was sure that this would work. "I promise that this will be our secret."
"Then, what's the plan?" Lu Chu asked, glancing at Tigress with eyes full of questions.
"First I need to know how to get to the Valley of Peace. Lu Chu told me that you know where the maps are." Tigress laid her glance on Piao.
"Well, usually you could find them in the library, but her highness moved them just before she started her travel to the Jade Palace." The antelope told her.
Tigress silently cursed. Why did Mei-Hua have to do anything harder?
"But I think they are somewhere in the strategy room." Piao thought about it for a moment. "But the door is always locked."
"But you have the keys. Isn't that true, Piao?" Lu Chu said happily.
Piao gasped. "But they are only for when it is absolutely necessary!"
"But this is necessary, Piao. And you promised Master Tigress that you would help her."
The antelope murmured something Tigress didn't really want to know, but then sighed. "Fine. But I will not enter the room. I will leave that for you and Master Tigress."
"Then you can alarm us if you see someone." Tigress then turned to Lu Chu. "I also need food for my travel. Can you fix that, Lu Chu?"
"I will make a bag to you right now." The maid quickly left the room.
Tigress took some breaths and then glanced at the antelope. "Piao, I need to ask you about something. Do you know where I can learn more about Jiao-Long?"
"Don't say that name!" Piao hissed, and Tigress couldn't help but be surprised by the servant's eruption. "We are going to lose our heads if Master Mei-Hua knew!"
"Sorry." Tigress murmured, still stunned by the servant's reaction. "But do you know how?"
"Then the scrolls would be in the strategy room along with the maps you need. It is there the masters hide all their secret stuff from us." Piao said, now with a calm voice.
Tigress was very satisfied with the answer. Is she was lucky, then she would get what she wanted.
"Oh no… Oh no… Not good. Not good at all." Piao murmured for himself, while he stood outside the door. His job was pretty simple; tell Lu Chu and Tigress if he saw someone nearing the strategy room so they could get out of there without other noticing them.
Inside the room were the maid and the tiger searching through scrolls. Lu Chu was looking for a map that led to the Valley of Peace, but Tigress was secretly searching for something else. Her paws were opening then closing scrolls, while her eyes quickly scanned them.
"Here is a map! But… It's not for the Valley of Peace. It's just showing were they have been rampaging." Tigress heard Lu Chu sighed of disappointment. "Master Tigress! His name is here! Jiao-Long." She whispered the name, but Tigress' ears caught it.
"May I see?" Tigress walked towards her, and took the scroll in her paws. Sure enough, there was a map over the Dragon City and outside the town. On some places were there a note, telling what had happened and when. But then there was the mountain. Small letters had been writing under it.
"Mountain of the Shadow Warriors."
But there was more. In the middle of the mountain, someone had been writing more.
"Jiao-Long's hideout."
Lu Chu glanced over Tigress' shoulder. "But why is he on a scroll about they." Then she gasped. "Master Tigress, do you think…?"
"That he is their leader? Yes, I believe so." Tigress said as calmly as she could. This day was one of the weirdest in her life. She suddenly remembered her life again, she had been slapped in the face, she had found out who her parents were and then discovered that they were enemies. What a day!
The door slightly cracked open and Piao looked inside. "Could you please hurry?" He sneered.
"We are doing the best that we can!" Lu Chu whispered back. The maid left Tigress with the scroll and continued her search. Just as Tigress had finished putting the scroll in her back to the travel, she heard Lu Chu exclaim, "Here it is! I found it! The map to the Valley of Peace!"
Tigress quickly was by her side. The maid was right; it was the map she needed. Lu Chu gave it to her and Tigress laid it in the bag with the other scroll and the food. "Thank you." Tigress bowed. "To both of you." She added, glancing at the door where Piao's head still was.
They bowed back, Lu Chu with tears in her eyes. "You must go now, Master Tigress, before they notice that you aren't in your room."
The tiger and the mountain cat walked out of the strategy room, and Piao locked the door. "Now, make sure that they don't suspect you." Tigress told them. They nodded and disappeared in different directions.
The bag that contained the scrolls and the food was placed on her back, so she could run without any troubles. Tigress silently walked through the halls, not wanting to meet any masters right now. Her plan was to get out of the palace by the front gate, but she knew that she maybe had to use another way.
But there didn't go long time before she met troubles. Master Lynx and Master Bear were standing in the middle of a hall, talking about something Tigress didn't hear. When Tigress opened the door, they noticed her in a second, and with her bag and her cloak it was clear that she was out on something. They started to run towards her, but Tigress turned around and closed the door behind her. Without any key to lock it, it wouldn't take long time before they had made their way through it. Tigress chose a random door and disappeared behind it, hoping to confuse the masters.
However, she had only been running in short time when she heard Mei-Hua call her name.
"Tigress!" The older tiger was standing in the end of the hall with Tigress in the middle. Her eyes were furious, but her face was completely shocked. She knew what her student was trying to do and she would do anything to stop her.
But Tigress was faster. Opening the door that was closest to her, she found herself inside her own room. She soundless thanked Lu Chu and Piao for leaving the door unlocked. Without hesitating, she kicked her closet, making it fall just in front of the door. While Mei-Hua was busy with trying to get through the only way to the room, the door, Tigress opened the window. Climbing out, she made her way to the roof, using that as her last try to escape. While she ran on it, she made herself ready for her leap. When she reached the end of the roof, she jumped, to finally land on the other side of the wall on all fours.
Without glancing back at the Dragon Palace, Tigress ran into the dark, escaping from Mei-Hua's grasp.
A/N: And I'll stop the chapter here. Wow, a long one, huh? Hope you liked it. Now we know who her parents are (yes, I know that Mei-Hua was pretty obvious) and yes, we are going to hear more about Jiao-Long.