A/N: Wow! Once again I am stunned of how many reviews those story how gotten! I am so grateful! Thank you so much!
Oh, I am so glad for the many positive reviews about my last chapter. I was very nervous for how you would think about it, and I can honestly say that I didn't expect people to be so positive about it!.
Can't we just go on to the story now? Nope, cuz I haven't said that I don't own Kung Fu Panda. Okay, that was it! Let's start the story!
Behind The Golden Eyes, Silent Tears
Tigress fought her way through the snow, ignoring the deep pain in her shoulder. "It's just a scratch, just a scratch." The tiger kept telling herself, not knowing if the words actually were coming out of her mouth. Her wound was still bleeding, and it just didn't seem like the blood would stop flowing. Tigress had searched through her bag and had found a blanket. Tearing a part of it off, she had used it as a bandage. Though, it wasn't going to last long.
With a gentle paw, she had tried to examine her shoulder. After what she could feel then she had four, parallel wounds, like someone had clawed her. Again, the image of the dragon flashed in front of her eyes. Tigress tried to convince herself that it had been the rock that had cut her when she fell down in the cliff, but she knew that it was unrealistic. But still, dragons…
Enlai had told her that they were alive, and that was a reason to believe that it really had happened. Her father, Jiao-Long, was he then dead? She had seen the how the door had been blocked by stone, like the mountain had buried the house. If he still was in there… Then Tigress wouldn't be able to help him. Right now, walking was hard enough so there was no way that she would be able to move rocks.
A wrong step led Tigress to fell on her knees and she groaned in pain. Dizziness was already grabbing her head, and she had close her eyes for a moment to see clear again. She needed help, and she needed it now. Loss of blood was dangerous and especially when she was out in the cold alone. If she passed out…
No! She would make it back to the Jade Palace. She would see her friends again. She would survive. She had to.
Tigress forced her body to get up and continued her way down of the mountain. Every step caused her pain, and her vision started to fail her, black spot appearing. She didn't even realize that she had fallen again, until the snow seeped through her clothes. The tiger tried to get up, but her body wouldn't obey. Her breathing became slower and her eyelids heavier, like she was falling asleep.
A small whimper escaped her mouth as she realized how she had failed her real master, Shifu. She was going to die without him knowing how sorry she was. If she just could apologize, telling him that she had realized her mistake. But now she couldn't. She was doomed to die slowly and alone, no one knowing where she was. Maybe someday someone would find her body, maybe the Shadow Warriors. If she just had found them first…
The pain was gone now, her whole body was numb. She weakly felt some warmth on her shoulder and back, and Tigress realized that the blood must have seeped through her bandage. Not that she could do anything about it now.
Sleep. The thought was calming; she was just so tired. Tigress wished that Mei-Hua never had found her, that she right now was lying in her own bed, safe and surrounded by her friends. But she wasn't. Her friends were far away and there was no way that she could find them now. They would never know the truth, that she was truly sorry.
All her regrets caused her to sigh and tears to for and her eyes. "I'm sorry." She tried to whisper, but her lips wouldn't move. No one had heard her, it was useless.
Just as started to lose her consciousness, Tigress weakly heard someone call her name. She recognized the voice, but wouldn't believe it. She couldn't be saved now, she wasn't that lucky. The last thing she felt was some warm, strong arms lifting her limp body.
"Enlai?" Her voice didn't work, but the question was clear in her mind. With his name in her thoughts, Tigress fell away into darkness.
Warmth. That was the first thing that Tigress felt. She tried to open her eyes, but found out that she couldn't, she was too weak. Something or rather someone lifted her head and she felt something cold pressed against her lips.
"Drink." A voice demanded, and Tigress managed to open her mouth a little. Cold liquid was poured down her throat, slowly so she wouldn't choke. Her head was laid down again on something so soft that Tigress understood that it was a pillow. Where she was, she didn't know, but it felt safe.
With that feeling, Tigress allowed herself to sleep again. Though, just before she drifted off into dreamland, she heard a familiar voice. His face appeared in her dreams, but it didn't bothered Tigress. Enlai wasn't an enemy, but her rescuer.
"Master Tigress?" It was the voice that woke her up. Tigress fought her way back to consciousness, and opened her eyes with a strength she didn't know she had.
Her vision was blurry, but after some short time everything came into focus. Suddenly, a face came into sight as a person leaned over her. Tigress' whole body tensed, and tried to sit up. She had realized one thing; this person wasn't Enlai.
"Easy. Slow down." The deep voice told her, and she felt gentle hands pressing her down again.
"Who… Who are you?" Tigress hated how weak she sounded, but forming the words was hard. It felt like her lips were frozen and her tongue swollen.
"The name's Tung. Pleasure to meet you, Master Tigress." The ox answered with a deep but soft voice. He briefly reminded her of Master Storming Ox, but again Tigress had to tell herself that she was far away from anyone she knew.
"Where…"
"You are safe here, Master Tigress. I took some time to get you warmed up again and you had already lost a lot of blood, but I am sure that you will be fine in a couple of days." He told her, and grabbed the corner of the blanket the tiger had shaken off when she had sat up. The ox gently put in back on her, carefully not touching the bandage that was covering her left shoulder. "You'll just have to rest."
Tigress glanced at her rescuer. He seemed so humble, and she couldn't imagine that he was a kung fu warrior. No, he was more like the family father, that would be playing with his kids. Then why was he living on the mountain alone? Though, Tigress wouldn't attack him with such questions now. He had saved her life, and he deserved more than that. "Thank you."
Tung smiled warmly to her. "No problem." Then he left the room, but shortly returned with a bowl of warm soup. "Can you sit?" With his help, Tigress managed to get into a comfortable position, pillows supporting her back. Her arms felt heavy, but Tigress forced them to hold the bowl.
"How long have I been out?" The tiger asked as she started to eat the soup. Tung that had taken place on a chair next to her shrugged his shoulders.
"About a day I guess." He pointed at her shoulder with a hoof. "How did you get that? Your wound?"
"I… I fell." Tigress said, her eyes serious as a try to protect her lie. Tung looked suspicious, but didn't ask further. "Why did you do it?" Tigress suddenly asked. "Why are you helping me?"
"You are Jiao-Long's daughter." He answered, and Tigress had to choke a gasp.
"You… How do you know?" Tigress demanded, stunned by the ox's knowledge.
Tung shrugged his shoulders. "It's not that hard. I've met Jiao-Long and the Shadow Warriors often comes here. I know things that normal villagers don't know."
"The Shadow Warriors comes here?"
"I live on their mountain. I know that they are not as dangerous as people think they are; for me they are just boys. When they comes by they get some food and rest, and I get to hear about what's happening in the world around me." Tung told her with his deep voice.
"So my…. Jiao-Long knows you?"
"My father's father built this house. The Shadow Warriors has known my family in a long time." Tung paused for a moment. "They know that I am not a threat, and I enjoy their company. It's not funny being alone here." He yawned and rose from his chair. "I believe you should try and sleep again, Master Tigress. We can talk further tomorrow. Just call me if you need anything."
Tigress sent him a grateful smile as he picked up the now empty bowl. Tung blew out the candle and the room became dark. "Sleep well, Master Tigress."
At the sound of his words, Tigress' body tensed up. She wasn't really sure why; the words weren't threatening. Actually, they were exactly the opposite. They were soft and comforting, and for the first time in long time Tigress felt that everything was going to be alright. Her wound was bandaged, her body was covered in a blanket and she was safe. Tung would help her, and as soon as she was ready she would start the travel to the Jade Palace.
And then suddenly, the happy thoughts were gone. Her parents… If she had been injured by the dragon, was her father then dead, crashed by the rocks? Tigress felt cold and her stomach was twisting. He couldn't… He couldn't be dead, he just couldn't. Maybe she hadn't really wanted him as her father, but still she couldn't change the fact that she actually was his daughter. She didn't want… He had to be alive, he just had to be.
Then what about her mother? Where was Mei-Hua now? Tigress had experienced the dangers after the ground had shaken. If her mother hadn't been fast enough… No! They couldn't be dead! They were both so strong, so powerful. They couldn't…
Overwhelmed by the emotions, Tigress felt her body shake as a sob left her mouth. "You can't do anything about it. You can't help them. It isn't your fault." With those sentences she tried to comfort herself. Though her eyes burned, Tigress made sure that no tears would fall. She had to be strong. Her goal was to come back to the Valley of Peace, and then she must not think about anything else. She hadn't wanted to see them again, so why feel like this now? Doing her best to clear her brain, Tigress tried to fall asleep. But the rest seemed so far away, and there would go long time before she would reach it. Tigress felt little here in the strange place, and the world so big.
Why does thinking about someone you don't want in your life hurt so much?
"And you are sure about this?"
"We haven't found anything that could prove it wrong. If I hear more then I'll let you know." There was a pause before the unknown voice spoke again. "Tung, I've heard rumors. Is it true?"
"I am not sure of how much I can tell you, but just leave it to me. I can handle this. Go and help the others."
There was the sound of a door closing, but then there was silence. Tigress lay in her bed and thought about the conversation, it must have been Tung and a Shadow Warrior. The rumors were probably about her; finding a nearly dead tiger in the snow was not something that happened every day. But what was the thing that the Shadow Warrior should help the others with?
The pain in her shoulder was so weak now that she could sit up of her own. Tung had probable giving the wound something so it would heal faster. Tigress was sure that she would be able to walk soon. The door opened and Tung entered the room.
"Breakfast?" The ox asked as he saw that his patient was awake. Soon he was back with some bread and water which he laid in a little table next to the bed.
As Tigress ate she noticed the frown on Tung's face. "What's wrong?"
The ox sighed. "There are problems. There will go long time before the Shadow Warriors will calm down again."
"What happened?" Even though she just had asked, Tigress felt like she already knew the truth.
Tung scratched his head. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Master Tigress, but Jiao-Long has died."
Suddenly, Tigress mouth was dry, her tongue stuck. She couldn't say anything, and for a short moment, black spots covered her vision like she was going to faint.
"Master Tigress?"
"I knew… I knew." Tigress murmured. He hadn't wanted her, so why was she feeling this sorrow? She had seen the destroyed building, she had figured it out. So why was it still a shock? Was it the fact that she for the first time heard the words? "Mei-Hua… She was there, wasn't she?" Tigress wasn't sure of how she knew it, but something told her that she was an orphan again.
There went long time before Tung answered. "Yes, they believe so. They found Jiao-Long's servant walking around in the cold. He told them that she had arrived to talk with Jiao-Long. No one has seen her leaving the house."
Her body was shivering, her eyes burning. She wanted to sleep, just sleep and then when she woke up everything would be okay. But Tigress knew that it was impossible. This was real, and she had to face it.
Tung laid his hoof on the top of her paw as a try to comfort her. A part of Tigress wanted to pull away, showing him that she was fine. But right now she couldn't.
"Here." The ox had turned around to grab something that he now handed to the tiger. Tigress looked at it and saw a picture with two oxen; Tung and a female. "She was my wife. I lost her many years ago to a horrible sickness. Shut myself away after that. We had talked about moving to a nearby village, but when she was gone I just couldn't do it. Remind myself of Jiao-Long on that way. We both decided to live alone on a mountain after we lost the one we loved. Now I only have the Shadow Warriors as company."
After his speech, Tigress was silent. Tung was living nearly alone and yet he still took time to comfort others. He had survived, even though it was hard. "I… I'm sorry."
"Listen, I know it's hard, but you have to understand that they are dead and you are alive. They would want you to continue your life, wouldn't they?"
"Can… Can you please leave me alone? I want to sleep." Tigress said with a little voice, eyes focusing on the blanket.
Tung didn't say a word, but put the picture back on its place and left. Tigress returned to her lying-position, staring into the wall. Slowly, without her even noticed it, tears started to fall from her eyes.
The great Master Tigress, the kung fu warrior people had said couldn't feel, was now crying. She cried for Jiao-Long and Mei-Hua's destinies. She cried for Tung's wife. She cried for those who were dead and she cried for those who were left behind.
Slowly, but sure Tigress made her way out to the kitchen where Tung was sitting. It felt nice to be out of bed, but the bandage made her movements more stiff. She felt guilty when she spotted the blankets on the floor; Tung had giving her his room while had had been sleeping on the floor of the kitchen.
The ox gave her an unsure look, but didn't say that she should go back to bed. Tigress took place on a hair next to him. "Thanks." The one word was enough; he understood her feelings.
Tung nodded and returned to his bread. "So what's your plan?"
"I will leave to the Valley of Peace tomorrow." Tigress answered, accepting the piece of bread he handed to her.
"Your wound?"
Tigress turned her head and glanced at her shoulder. "It doesn't hurt anymore. If I am careful not to open it, then I should be fine."
"Enlai said it wouldn't bother you too much. I believe he gave it some herbs or something."
Tigress nearly choked in her bread. "En… Enlai?"
Tung raised his eyebrows. "He wouldn't leave until he was sure that you would be alright."
"He was here?" Tigress asked, eyes widened.
"It was him that found you. Didn't I tell you?" The tiger shook her head, and he continued. "I heard a knock, and when I opened the door he was standing there with you unconscious in his arms. Enlai often comes by, but he has never brought a tiger with him before." Tung chuckled a bit.
"I helped him treating your wound, and after some hours he disappeared as fast as he came. He has told me about you before so I knew who you were and which situation you were in."
"Where did he go?" Tigress asked him. Her mind was twisted; a part of him wanted to thank Enlai for saving her, another part wanted to attack him for leaving her again.
Tung shrugged. "Probably helping the other Shadow Warriors right now. After all, there are many things that need to be discussed now."
Tigress felt quiet, thinking about the information she just had gotten. If Enlai didn't want to see her then it was fine. She couldn't spill her time trying to find him. She would follow her plan and leave alone.
The ox and the tiger ate in silence. Finally, Tigress gathered enough courage and glanced at him. "I think you should do it." Tung looked at her with a confused face. "I think you should move to the village. Don't make the same mistake my father did." Tigress told him.
Tung sighed. "Maybe, but who know if I am ready to it yet?"
"You will when you have tried." Tigress answered, her golden eyes locking into his.
"Maybe…" Tung murmured, but Tigress could see that he had taken her words serious. She was nearly sure that he would do it.
Suddenly, there was a knock and Tigress flinched. After giving her a calming glance, Tung left his chair and walked towards the door. As he opened it, his massive form covered the person, but the voice was clear enough for Tigress to hear.
"I am here to talk with the tiger."
A/N: So, can anybody guess who the person is? Hmm… The story is nearing its end (*screams*). I think there are only about four chapters left! Well, let's just enjoy the story and wait for the next chap!