Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Kung Fu Panda; it belongs solely to Dreamworks Animation Studios. I do, however, own the OCs, so please do not use them without my permission. Thank you.
A couple notes: Yes, I know I said "Don't expect anything from me for a good long while"...well, I'm actually rather proud of the work I did on this, so I'm posting it now. I've gone through it over and over so that I KNOW its as perfect as perfect can be. To make up for fewer updates, the chapters in this story are going to be LONG...you've been warned.
Last Note (I promise): qiūfēn is the Chinese equivalent for late September/early October (about Sept 23-Oct 7 in Western calendar).
Chapter 2: Life Goes On
Po yawned hugely as he plodded over to the Training Hall that early qiūfēn morning. He may have completely fallen into the lifestyle of a kung fu master, but that didn't make his mornings any easier. He just wasn't a morning person, and really, how many people actually were? He felt vindicated when both Tai Lung and Dalang affirmed they were both night owls; it meant that for the most part, the "lazy" comments the panda had received before he began training were certainly unfounded.
This morning, like most mornings, he was meeting Tai Lung at the Training Hall for some much-needed tutoring. Though he had been the Dragon Warrior for three years, and had figured out the secret of the Dragon Scroll, Po was still very limited in his experience with kung fu. Shifu was an excellent teacher, but after the events of the Jiao War, the red panda had retreated from his strict control of the Jade Palace. Shifu's given reason for this was him having seen his students "prove themselves" in the battle against Jiao Shen and his forces.
Po huffed as he pushed himself up the steps to the Training Hall, thinking over the events of the past two years in a desperate effort to wake himself up. Po didn't think Shifu's answer made sense. They were the Furious Five, the heroes of China! Hadn't they proved themselves a hundred times over, long before Jiao was even a threat to the valley? But the more time he spent with the red panda, the more Po saw just how controlling he could be. And he noticed something else too, something that explained quite a lot. Nothing was ever good enough for Shifu, and this in turn explained why both Tigress and Tai Lung were such hopeless perfectionists…just like their master and father.
But apparently that battle had made him see things differently. Po had to admit with an outward smirk, perhaps Wu Lien had something to do with that too. A year ago, the creator of the Lotus style, the famed Mountain Lotus, had accepted her fellow master's proposal, and the two were now enjoying a late-life marriage, something that suited both lonely souls. Wu could be just as controlling as Shifu at times, but oddly, their time spent as husband and wife had mellowed them both to the point that their "kids" could pass their days without fearing the small masters' sudden appearance.
In fact, quite a few marriages had occurred in the past year alone. It had been empire-wide news when Master Tigress married Jiao Dalang. Despite the publicity (and the controversy) they had a small wedding, just close friends and family, and Po couldn't imagine seeing any two people so in love with each other. Less than three months later, both tigers announced to their elated comrades that they would be expecting a little stranger come Spring…
Crane and Viper had gotten engaged, had a relatively short courtship before tying the knot. They had planned a small ceremony, but unfortunately for Viper, her parents were so ecstatic from the news of her engagement that they willingly paid for the whole wedding…and pulled out all the stops. Not everyone was a happy camper, though; Crane's mother glowered at the bride for the whole day, clearly not pleased at her son's choice. Grand Master Viper, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier.
A few weeks later, a much more muted affair united the two snow leopards, Tai Lung and Mei Xing, in holy matrimony. Shifu had officiated, as he had done at the previous weddings (except his own, that honor had gone to Po, who, as the Dragon Warrior, technically outranked him). Even the red panda had said later, that he was very proud of his prodigal son. And much like the tigers, it wasn't long after that they too discovered a little bundle of joy was on the way. That had been six months ago.
And speaking of the devils themselves, he found both Tai Lung and Dalang waiting for him outside the Training Hall, and Dalang had brought along a guest.
"Hey! There he is!" Po grinned widely, trotting over to accept the squirming infant from Dalang's arms. Baby Shang grinned and cooed as the panda lifted him high in the air and tickled him. "Whooza cute lil baby? Who's the cutest baby in the valley? You are, yes you are! Yes you are!" he cooed back.
"Easy, Po," Dalang said, "We're trying to cut back on the baby talk…"
Po held the baby up to look back at his daddy. "Aw c'mon; with a face like this, it's impossible not to use baby-talk. Inn't that right?" he cooed back at Shang, who squealed and kicked. Po winced when one of those little feet kicked him hard in the stomach.
Dalang quickly took his son back, looking apologetic. "Sorry, I shoulda warned you about that…"
"Tha-that's okay… He…got Tigress' strength," Po wheezed, doubling over in pain.
"Yeah…" Dalang sighed. "Here's hoping he didn't get her temper."
"Good luck," Tai Lung laughed. "A bit early to tell though…how old is he now?"
"Six months," the tiger smiled, tickling his son's cheek, earning a love-filled smile. "Six months, but not even a first word yet. Auntie said it'd take about this long; he's been making noises that sound like words though…"
"It'll happen," Po said. "Speaking of Tigress, where is she?"
Dalang thumbed over his shoulder at the building. "She's working off the baby weight."
"What baby weight?" Tai Lung stared. "Did she gain anything with this pregnancy?"
"She swears she gained thirty pounds, though I doubt it."
"How big was this kid when he was born?" the snow leopard asked.
The tiger thought for a moment, "Uh…about nine and a half pounds, twenty-three inches long?"
Po and Tai Lung paused before the panda said, "I, uh, may not know a lot about babies…but isn't that kinda…big?"
The tiger gave them a deadpan look. "Amur tiger," he reminded.
"Oh, yeah…but still, she needed to gain that weight. Ms. Wu and Su Lin said it was all necessary for a healthy baby."
"Tell me about it," Tai Lung sighed. "But I try explaining that to Mei Xing…she's ticked about gaining ten." He prudently left out the actual metrics; there were just certain things a husband absolutely did not reveal about his wife, and the weight she gained during pregnancy was one of them.
"Tai, Mei's seven months along," Dalang reminded, adjusting his son in his arms. "Gaining twenty pounds or more is normal, I've heard; and besides that, that weight gain's actually good for her and the baby. I know it's always been hard for her to gain the weight back after…well, you know…"
Tai Lung was grateful that Dalang left out Mei Xing's medical history; it had been hard enough hearing what her ex-husband had done to her, to be continually reminded of it hurt more than he was willing to say. He saw it every so often in his wife's habits. If he were having a bad day and was really irritated, he noticed she kept her distance from him, sometimes for hours or even days at a time, and then deny something was wrong. Whenever she required additional doctor's visits, she apologized for "being such a burden". And if she were feeling particularly weak one day as a result of her pregnancy, and was unable to do her chores, she would apologize to him, over and over, until the point of tears; it took all of Tai Lung's inner strength to keep from running off to kill her ex-husband himself. Whatever he had done to her had longer-lasting effects than he was comfortable with. He never resented her for it; he knew she wasn't the one to blame.
"Auntie and Su Lin are working on that—Mr. Ping too, which I'm grateful for." Which was true: the goose, like Dalang before him, ensured that he made a little extra for the female snow leopard, and was especially diligent with her special pregnancy diet. Meanwhile, Su Lin—who was a quick study in all matters of healing thanks to her late mother's books and journals—was diligent in keeping her up to date with her vitamins and supplements. So far, everything was going smoothly.
"What about you?" Po asked as they walked to the training hall for some equipment. "How are you doing?"
The snow leopard sighed. "I'm doing my best to cook all her meals. I had no idea pregnant women had so many dietary restrictions! Nothing sour, nothing too sweet or salty, nothing spicy, and no fish, which would apparently make the child sickly…or something? I don't know; it's ridiculous! You know how much she likes her spicy food…"
"Two more months and that'll be over," Dalang assured him. "Her cravings have settled down, at least. Pick your battles, man."
"I wish it were that easy; telling her to take it easy is tough, what with her career as the restaurant's assistant manager."
"You haven't had to immobilize her," Dalang smirked, remembering one incident early in his wife's pregnancy when Shifu got so annoyed with Tigress's insistence at training that he applied a gentle nerve strike to get her to rest. Eventually, Tigress had mellowed out, and Shang was born in early spring of that year. Named for his late uncle, the heroic man he would never know, the boy was the mirror image of his father, right down to the yellow-green eyes and puckish smile.
The baby tiger gummed his tiny fist, laying his head on his father's shoulder as they ascended the steps and gazed through the wooden doors. The baby's green eyes widened as his still-developing vision settled on the orange and red blur jumping and flipping across the spinning serpents, ducking between the swinging clubs. His wide eyes lit up and his smile widened.
Dalang pointed to the limber figure. "See that? Whoozat? Is that Mama? Can you say 'Mama'? I bet you can, smart boy. Say yeah, I bet you can!" He tickled the baby's neck, earning a smile and a giggle. "Come on, 'lil guy, say 'Mama'…" he cast a look to his wife, who had ceased her practice and was walking towards him. "Say 'Mama'! Dada wants your first word to be 'Mama', so Mama doesn't hurt Dada if you say 'Dada' first…"
Tigress snickered when she overheard. "I wouldn't be that mad and you know it."
"Just covering my tail, sweetie." He kissed her sweetly and purred as she nuzzled him. "You gonna be training long today?"
"Not at all; training's not so important anymore; isn't that right, sweetie?" Tigress said as she reached out for her son. Shang willingly opened his arms, latching onto his mother when she took him from Dalang. She let his little hand wrap around one of her fingers as she bounced him on her hip. "Ready to spend the day with Mama? Does wittle Shang wanna go see Master Shifu? Shifu…" she pressed, doing her level best to expand the child's vocabulary early. The cub just gave her a blank look, once again gumming his tiny fist.
"Come on, sweetie, you know who I'm talking about: Shifu."
Another inquisitive stare…until the red panda in question limped into the training hall, one ear twitching. "Someone mention my name?"
The cub's reaction to the red panda's appearance was instantaneous. He let out a delighted, ear-piercing squeal and held out his arms to the tiny master. Shifu had to flatten his ears against his head, while Tai Lung, who had been standing right next to Tigress, only brought up a single finger to his ear and whimpered with a wince, "…Owww…"
Tigress sent them an apologetic look and set Shang down next to Shifu, who, despite not having much experience with young children (aside from raising Tai Lung), smiled and opened his arms to the little tiger. "Come here, Shang. Come to Shi—OW!"
The other adults had to bite back on their laughter when the infant clumsily stalked then quickly pounced on the red panda's tail, sinking his little claws into the appendage. Shifu made a face as the child squealed and crawled closer. "Tigress, I don't mean to be cruel, but please get your firstborn away from me. I survived one kitten—my poor tail can't handle another."
All eyes immediately glanced in Tai Lung's direction. The snow leopard scowled at the red panda. "I didn't do that."
"The hell you didn't. You were also fond of calling me 'kitty panda' before you called me 'Si'fu'."
Dalang and Po snickered. "Kitty panda?"
The snow leopard blushed. "Well, he's a type of panda, and he looks like a cat, doesn't he?"
Tigress leaned down and picked up her baby again, balancing him on her hip as she supported his head. "Well, we'll head on home. This little guy could use a nap soon. I'll check up on Mei Xing for you," she said to Tai Lung.
He nodded in affirmation, following Po to the obstacle course. "I'd appreciate it. Thanks."
Two years after Jiao Shen's defeat, Tigress' relationship with the snow leopard was still rather strained. If they at least had a grudging respect for one another, it was now in both their best interests to get along, for the sake of their spouses. For while Tigress still did not fully trust Tai Lung, she did trust Mei Xing, Su Lin, and Auntie Wu (and Dalang, of course), and she knew as long as she could trust them, she could trust them to keep the male snow leopard on a short leash.
That wasn't to say that he couldn't control himself, she thought as she carried Shang down the endless steps leading into the village. Tai Lung had shown remarkable resiliency in his patience threshold, with the odd flare-ups every so often. Lately, however, the Tiger style master had to concur with Su Lin that lately Tai Lung seemed…distracted.
"Hey, you made it!" Su Lin beamed when Tigress arrived at the Long and Feng Café. "Auntie just arrived with her morning class; feel free to sit wherever. Hey cutie," the panda cooed at Shang, who continued to gum his tiny paw.
Tigress scanned the crowd and found Wu Lien, which was no small feat. Tiny as the old woman was, she didn't exactly stand out in a crowd…at least until she opened her mouth.
"I said turn your foot out, dear, out. No, no, no, that's all wrong! And why are you clutching your fan like that? For goodness sake, it's between your thumb and first two fingers, gently! Darling, please, if Tai Lung can do it, there's no reason you can't!"
Tigress smirked, yet still felt sorry for the students in Wu's care. The memories of Shifu's generous criticisms were still fresh, but if there was one thing that Wu excelled in where Shifu fell quite short, it was her generosity of criticism, as well as praise.
"Good, Chan, that's the way to do it. My, you have certainly improved since you came here a year ago; you must be the most-improved student of this semester! But time will tell, won't it, dear?" The red panda woman, for all intents and purposes, was honest—sometimes brutally so. Still, Tigress conceded that Wu had a point about Chan—an elephant—who had indeed come from a clumsy, lumbering joke into a dancer so graceful she could dance on the petals of a lotus. And she would never had believed it if she had not seen it herself. Wu, without a doubt, could teach anyone to dance. And fight. Very well.
Tigress took a seat in the shade, sitting Shang down on the tabletop, who stared back at his mother with wide, curious green eyes. Tigress smiled and caressed his cheek, thinking—and not for the first time—how blessedly beautiful her son was.
"There's the little lady-killer!" Wu grinned as she sat opposite the tigers. Unlike Shifu, Wu happily welcomed the cub's adventurous nature, opening her arms to a cub that was almost bigger than she was. Shang nuzzled the red panda, making soft purrs as Wu hugged and kissed him. "Oh you are the cutest little baby I've seen in years! I mean, come on, look at this face!" she proclaimed, pinching his chubby cheeks.
Tigress laughed softly, making idle small-talk with her. "So who would be the cutest baby you've ever seen?"
"Oh, it's a very close tie," Wu stated. "Hands down, the two cutest would be Shang here, and Tai Lung." The red panda sighed when Tigress scowled. "Oh come now, he wasn't always…the way he is," she said judiciously, then went right back to cooing at the tiger cub. "Let me assure you, like this one, he was the cutest little son of a bitch you've ever seen!"
"Aunt Wu!"
"Well it's true! But I'll be frank;" she winked conspiringly, "Though conceived within wedlock, my nephew can be a bit of a bastard."
Tigress finally laughed. Wu smirked in triumph. "It's almost this one's naptime isn't it?"
"I'm about to feed him," Tigress explained. "Then down for a nap."
"Just him, or both of you?" Wu teased. Tigress' cheeks reddened, but she smiled. "Fine, the pregnancy took a lot out of me…"
"As it does every woman, dear. For every baby I've brought into this world, I've always told the mothers to get exercise, or the baby will be weak. Well, how many husbands do you think heeded that?"
Tigress sighed. "Its safe to assume that not all husbands are like your Shifu…"
"Or your Dalang." Wu paused a moment, glancing around the restaurant as her students helped themselves to Mr. Ping's delicious noodles and Su Lin's sumptuous dumplings. The only thing missing was Dalang's signature dim sum; it was his first day off since Shang was born and, naturally, he spent it doing odd jobs and favors for Shifu and Sonam.
"He doesn't talk about the past much, does he?" Wu asked.
Tigress sighed. He didn't, and every time she tried to get more out of him, he was always rather reluctant, or when he finally told her something, his answer was so vague that it gave her more questions than answers. All she knew about his past were things she had gleaned from Su Lin, and the things Wu had told her before the tigers were married. Neither panda knew the whole story, and Dalang wasn't talking.
Sure, he would freely talk about his ten years on the run from his family; he loved talking about the places he'd traveled to (Kaifeng and Chengdu being in the top favorites). He was a little less willing to tell her about the women he'd dated, but Tigress understood jealousy was unnecessary; he had married her, not one of those other women. Now, she had not been happy to learn that his first—not first kiss or first girlfriend, just…his first—had been a one-night stand…in the red light district. But, everyone made mistakes, and her husband had more than made up for it.
…Hadn't he?
"He still won't tell me about the first years of his life." She paused. "I wonder…sometimes, just how bad Jiao Shen was…"
"Bad," Wu said shortly. "Trust me; he was rotten through and through." She was otherwise silent on the matter, instead putting all her attention on the cub. She tried to block out the memories from that horrible night, so long ago. Shen—the bastard—had lied like a mange-ridden dog on a dirty rug. He had promised to stay away after Nima had defeated him in battle. Then he came back to steal Ming Hua, who ended up going with him willingly. Deep in her heart of hearts, the red panda figured Shen had threatened her, but why Ming Hua never tried to kill him was the most perplexing mystery she could contemplate.
"Welcome back!"
"Gah! Don't do that!" Wu jumped, clutching her heart when Mr. Ping came out of nowhere. The goose turned out two bowls of noodles and a bowl of fish congee for Shang. The cub smiled at the goose, kicking his little feet excitedly at the funny bird.
"Noodles on the house, of course!" the goose continued. "Friends and family only! I made a special noodle soup—a new recipe!"
Tigress and Wu blanched, feeling their stomachs churn. Not another one! The last few times Ping had tried a new recipe…well, the first nearly destroyed Tai Lung's vocal chords, the second took Dalang out of work for a week while he nursed nausea at the same time Tigress was nursing morning sickness; the third one even Po refused to sample. This was concoction number nine. The others weren't worth recalling.
"I…I would, but I'm still on my new-mother diet," Tigress covered.
"Oh!" The goose laughed, "How embarrassing, I completely forgot! Let me get you something else."
Wu cast a nasty look in the smug feline's direction, knowing full well that she had no true reason to avoid potential food poisoning. Shang, meanwhile, happily sat as his little hands reached for the bowl of his favorite congee. Tigress sat him on her lap and began feeding him, devoting her full attention to the baby.
Wu sighed and stared at the bowl in front of her. "Okay, I'll bite: what's in it?"
"Why, I'm glad you asked!" Ping said exuberantly. "It is a special seasonal soup, with fresh crab meat, and my new special seasoning, topped off with diced-cut vegetables…and noodles, of course!"
Wu shared an uncertain look with Tigress before realizing the goose wasn't leaving until the red panda had taken a sip. The look Tigress sent her was apologetic and sympathetic…and Wu was grateful she had recently updated her last will and testament. Struggling to keep her shaking hand still, she raised a spoonful of soup to her lips and sipped.
She paused. Ping looked nervous, and Tigress looked panicked. But Wu surprised both of them when she exclaimed, "Good heavens…this is amazing!"
"Really?!" Ping asked, delighted.
"Really?" Tigress asked, shocked.
Wu pushed the second bowl over to her. "Try it! I'm not lying, it's really, really good! Ping, however did you come up with this combination? Is that sea salt I taste?"
"Celery salt, actually. And you wouldn't believe that it was all an accident! Though I really should credit Tai Lung—you know his habit of mixing sauces and spices when he can't sleep. Anyway, when I sprinkled some of this onto a dumpling…I knew it would be perfect in soup!"
Tigress tentatively reached for her spoon. Wu's positive review of the soup was heartening…but the fact that the main spice had been of Tai Lung's creation did not settle her nerves. True, she did not entirely trust the snow leopard. But, the logical part of her reasoned, if he had yet to poison anyone in the past two years, he must be doing something right. Bearing that in mind, she took a sip while holding tightly to her squirming child. Even she couldn't believe it.
"Ping," she said slowly, "I think you may have something here."
"Wonderful!" the goose exalted. "I'll add it to the menu immediately! Oh, and I'll have to teach My Boys how to make it…"
The two women shared a small smile over their bowls. Since the aftermath of the Jiao War, as it had been known in the Valley, Mr. Ping had taken a special liking to whom he called "His Boys": Po, Tai Lung, and Dalang. Granted, Tai Lung had two fathers already, but Ping offered the one thing to the snow leopard that neither Shifu nor Sonam had given over the years: unconditional and enthusiastic praise and support. For every new recipe the former felon mastered, Mr. Ping was quick to praise "his best student"—a sentiment shared by the snow leopard's best friend, Po.
Dalang, of course, had grown a bit closer to Sonam in the past two years, something both Tigress and Wu were grateful for. It helped, in part, that Sonam had actually trailed the Jiao family for so long that he watched most of Dalang's early childhood, and had actually liked his mother; it also helped that both of them hated Jiao Shen with the intensity of a thousand Gobi suns. Having that much in common was a gift…but then again, so was Sonam's discovery of Dalang's gifts.
Tigress had not known that Dalang was a prodigy with knives and other blades, and that in fact, his specialty was in wielding twin short swords. Again, he didn't like talking about it, and refused to show her what he could do. "I don't fight, but I never said I can't," he told her.
But Sonam saw that gift, and sought to cultivate it…even if it killed him.
This was the reason Dalang had been up to the Jade Palace in the first place: to meet with Sonam. Po and Tai Lung were doing…something. Whether it was just training or meditation, they wouldn't say; Tigress and the other members of the Five assumed the two close friends were training in kung fu, and that made everyone happy. Whatever the panda and snow leopard were actually up to, they kept it close to the chest, guarding it like a sacred treasure. And whatever it was, neither Su Lin or Mei Xing would tell her…if they knew anything at all.
Su Lin eventually made it out of the crowd, taking off her apron as she approached the other women. "There you are! Tigress, how was training?"
Tigress grinned and stood to accept a hug from the female panda. "Refreshing as always. How was the morning rush, Su?"
"Oh, the usual," she sighed, yet happily. "Just enough to keep things interesting. But Poor Mei…not since the doctor told her to stay off her feet has she been happy."
"Bored?"
"Terribly. She does what little work she's allowed to do—she mostly does a lot of knitting and sewing…baby clothes, you know. I do sympathize with her," the panda said, accepting the seat next to Aunt Wu. "I know what its like; I hate to be cooped up. But, all the expectant mothers I've seen really should take it easier before birth, and get what rest they can."
"I believe it," the tiger muttered, fully remembering the lack of sleep that her firstborn was responsible for.
Wu offered the larger panda some tea and sat back, "You did take a look at her vitamins, didn't you?"
"Oh yes, very carefully. She's been doing very well. And Tai's been great with her special diet too. But…well you know how she likes her spicy food. There are times when I wish I could just add a little bit of ginger or garlic to her food."
"Just go ahead and do it," Wu said. "I've advised mothers to eat ginger and garlic, and they and their babies have been perfectly fine. Chinese medicine is a marvel to behold…but it's clear that the men who create these remedies do not know a woman's body."
"Or they've known them, but still don't know them," Tigress winked.
Wu hid a smirk behind her teacup. "No kidding…"
"I've been meaning to ask…" Tigress started as she wiped the last of Shang's lunch from his face.
Wu took a sip of tea. "Yes?"
"How are you and Shifu? I know it's only been a year, but…"
Wu sighed and set her cup down. She had been expecting this; one year of marriage to Shifu was certainly the source of gossip for many in the village, owing to the fact that neither red panda had ever been previously married. "Well, for someone who has never married before, I admit, not only is it challenging, but it's also rewarding. I never would have guessed just how rewarding a late-life marriage could be…but Shifu's been a great help," she smiled fondly. "Yes, a great help."
Su Lin pursed her lips together as she pulled Shang over onto her lap to rock him in her arms. "But isn't it true you were afraid to get married?"
Wu's ears fell, pressing flat against her head, and she replied in a disembodied way. "Yes, that's true…for various reasons. Part of it was my…personal experiences. My father…he didn't treat my mother very well. Every day I trained, I taught girls and women who came from abusive homes; when I quit teaching and offered services as a midwife, I saw it all the time. Perhaps that was my greatest reason…and my greatest weakness. It's rather pathetic, now that I think about it…"
"I don't think so," Su Lin said, cradling the satiated and now-drowsy cub in her arms. "I think it's a perfectly understandable reason. I mean, I saw it too, remember? I was there with you…"
"Something I wish I had guarded you from," Wu sighed, then quickly changed the subject. "But perhaps opening your eyes to that taught you something. I thank the gods every day that Po doesn't treat you like that."
"He'll never treat you like that," Tigress said with conviction. "You hooked a keeper."
Su Lin smiled fondly, her mind wandering as she gently rocked baby Shang to sleep. She loved the feeling of holding a baby in her arms like this. Deep down, Su Lin always knew she wanted to be a wife and mother someday…but not yet. She loved children, and so did her boyfriend, Po. He had told her many times, in fact, that he wanted to be a father someday, but whether or not she would be his wife when he finally made that step…she was not so sure. There wasn't exactly a surplus of giant pandas in the Valley of Peace, which sometimes made her wonder: was she just settling because she had little choice?
She was brought back to the present when she felt something warm and wet on her blouse. Shang was drooling in his sleep, the little angel. The panda giggled, "Did you want me to take him up to his crib?"
"Sure, I'll come with you to check on Mei," Tigress said. "Auntie, are you coming too?"
"Actually, I need to get back for the afternoon class," the red panda said, leaving some coins on the table for tip. "I'll see you ladies at dinner tonight. Girls!" she clapped her hands to get the attention of her students. "Afternoon class, line up outside in five minutes!"
While the red panda got down to the business she knew best, Tigress and Su Lin walked into the private apartments of the Long and Feng, depositing the sleeping baby into his crib in the tigers' bedroom. In the communal room, they heard heavy footsteps and a light groaning. Tigress poked her head out around the corner and smiled, "Hey, Mei."
Mei Xing, now seven months along and big with baby, settled herself into the comfy rocking chair her father-in-law Sonam had made just for her. Seated on the cushions, she rested her feet and aching back, closing her eyes in bliss. "Welcome back, Tigress," she smiled. "How was training?"
"Great!" she grinned, stretching her back. "It felt great to work up a sweat again! But how are you doing? Are you hungry, thirsty? Anything we can get for you?"
The female snow leopard shook her head, resting a hand on her stomach, "Just tired…I don't remember being this exhausted for my first pregnancy."
Tigress wisely remained silent, and Su Lin as well when she came to sit with the snow leopardess. Both females knew about the stillborn girl, and about every miscarriage since. In her previous marriage, Mei Xing had never carried a baby to term…and it was something that still terrified her. Right now, for example, she gently pressed her hand against her stomach, feeling for signs of life, the only proof she had that the baby inside her was still kicking. Literally.
She winced once, then smiled, relieved. "Another kick, thank the gods…"
"You and Baby should be fine," Su Lin said, but pinched her friend's arm just in case, to ward off bad luck. Tigress, not normally superstitious, even walked over to pinch her as well. Though the jade talisman she'd given her after Shang's birth should have been enough, neither female was taking chances. As she was thinking it, Mei Xing gripped the jade pendant in her hand, worrying the stone more than Tigress had. Despite her constant terror of losing the baby, Mei Xing would not voice her fears aloud, lest she invite evil spirits to take her baby from her.
She looked down at her stomach and sighed, voicing her concerns in generalized terms. "This is Tai Lung's first baby, and he deserves it. This isn't about me, really. I love him so much, this is one way of showing him that love…"
"Mei-Mei," Su Lin said sternly. "He loves you for more than that, and he doesn't need a baby to know you love him. You see how well he treats you? That's difference between him and that…that…"
"Monster?" Tigress offered, though the feline master had a few more incendiary words for the ex-husband.
"Yes, him," Su Lin scowled. "He's the real reason for your problems: he was an evil man that the gods punished for his wickedness. But Tai Lung has done so many great things, that the gods blessed him with a baby almost immediately after you got married!"
"Though I've got my own theories about that," Tigress said with a smirk.
"What would those be?" Su Lin asked.
"C'mon, you know," Mei Xing smirked. "You've gone on enough dates with Po already—surely you know."
"Um, no, I'm not sure I do…"
Mei Xing arched an eyebrow. "You know what I mean. Have you two…been alone?"
Su Lin nodded. "Well, of course, we've gone on dates…"
"Have they led to anything?"
"Of course! Hugs, kisses, and cuddling…what?"
The felines had shared a look; had the pandas truly not taken that step? Was Su Lin still…?
"Su," Tigress asked. "Are you still a virgin?"
The panda didn't need to say anything. The bright crimson that exploded on her cheeks and the ashamed, uncomfortable look on her face was the only answer they needed.
"Su," Mei Xing reached her hand out to put on the panda's hand. "There's nothing wrong with that. If you're not ready, you're not ready. Its not like Po's pressuring you, right?"
"No," she shook her head, not meeting their eyes. "No, of course he hasn't. He's been very respectful. But sometimes, I wonder…if I'm not pretty enough? If that's the reason he's not so…you know, interested?"
"…Are you insane?" Tigress bluntly asked. "Su Lin, you're gorgeous, inside and out. Po's a lucky man…"
"But he hasn't said anything!" the panda cried. "He hasn't even tried anything, or said that he wanted to! Is it me? Am I not good enough, or pretty enough? I mean, maybe I could stand to lose a couple pounds…or ten. Or fifty."
"No," the Mei Xing said forcefully. "You're just fine the way you are."
"You're probably right, I guess…" she murmured, sounding unconvinced. "I mean…looks don't matter, right? I'm still pretty, aren't I?" Su Lin wondered.
At the precise moment she posed that question, Tai Lung proved he had the worst timing in the world when he walked into the room to retrieve something.
Su Lin rounded on him with the swiftness and intensity of a rabid wolf, "Tai Lung! Tell me I'm pretty!"
The snow leopard froze with a startled mew, his expression a mixture of shock, dismay and confusion. And not for the first time—sadly—he wondered just what the hell he had walked into.
"Erm…what?"
"Tell me I'm pretty," she pressed.
Tai Lung cast a quick glance at the other women in the room and finally settled on his most cautious answer:
"Were I unmarried, I would take you in a manly fashion."
"Because I'm pretty?" she asked hopefully.
"Because you're pretty," he affirmed.
Mei Xing had to hold in her laughter at her husband's uncomfortable expression; but it worked, as Su Lin looked much more relieved.
"May I ask why…?" the male snow leopard asked.
"No reason," the panda covered quickly. "I'd better get back to work."
"And I'm going to lie down for a while," Tigress yawned. "I still need as much sleep as possible. Is my husband returning home anytime soon?"
"A couple hours, right before his shift starts. In the meantime," he crouched next to his wife, resting his hand protectively over hers. "I intend to keep my promise to my wife."
Mei Xing gripped his hand tightly, a warm smile on her lips.
Tigress smiled, grudgingly admitting as she went to take a nap that maybe, just maybe, Tai Lung was a better husband than she'd originally given him credit.
Sonam was hard at work in the forge, slamming his hammer down against the anvil, working the red-hot iron as flat as he could manage it. Sparks flew, burning bright as they died upon the cool autumn air. Sweat dripped from the old cat's scarred brow as he lowered his hammer one last time, sticking his work into a bucket of cold water, the hot metal hissing like a nest of serpents. The one-eyed snow leopard pulled the work from the bucket and held it to the light of the open window.
"It's beautiful."
Sonam looked over his shoulder at the open doorway. Grunting in approval, he set the blade down. He had been commissioned to make two dozen pudao for the magistrate's guards, and he had just finished the final blade. True to his philosophy, each weapon he created was as beautiful as it was deadly…he felt it was a fitting homage to his dearly loved, dearly departed wife.
"Thank ye, lad. I assume you're here for your parcel?"
"If it's finished," Dalang said as he stepping into the blistering hot forge. "You said that today was the day."
"So I did." The old snow leopard walked across the forge, batting ashes off his thick apron as he made his way to his Gallery. It was fondly called "The Art Gallery" by the Palace's inhabitants, and rightly so. It was a wall completely covered with the most beautiful pieces of metalwork the valley had ever seen: weapons, jewelry, and even everyday artifacts like nails, hinges, and locks were on display. Sonam walked up to one weapon and took it off of its holders. Turning, he held it to the tiger. "Go on."
Dalang accepted, feeling it in his hand. It looked like a simple bamboo staff, much like what Shifu used, but a bit shorter, perhaps two or three feet long. But it was strangely heavy…and had a niche in the middle. Curious, he scratched a claw on the niche.
"Pull against the ends, lad," Sonam told him.
Dalang obeyed and found—to his astonishment—that hidden within the bamboo staff where twin short swords, thin blades as sharp and shining as the Death God's scythe. The swords' sheathes were hidden inside the bamboo. Dalang was speechless.
"Holy cow."
"I take it you like it?" the snow leopard smirked triumphantly.
"Sonam…I've never seen anything like this! This is amazing…" Dalang twirled the blades around in his hand expertly, knowing full well that Sonam's one good eye was watching his every move, every flick of the wrist, every nimble finger caressing the bamboo hilts like a lover's touch… When the tiger paused, he held the blades to eye level and looked down the length. "Perfectly balanced…they feel lighter than I thought they'd be. And the blades are so straight… These are a piece of work! No wonder it took you so long."
The snow leopard grinned from the praise. "Every warrior needs a weapon to match his skills, you most of all."
Dalang's eyes stared out into space, and he sighed and sheathed the swords inside their bamboo casing. "I'm not a warrior…not anymore. I gave up that life."
"I understand; believe me, I do. But it never hurts to be prepared." The snow leopard's look softened. "I know what its like to have a young son, and wanting to do everything to protect him. I was taken by surprise; I hadn't trained for awhile, and Shen took advantage of that. I don't want t' see you caught off guard."
"Sonam," he said bluntly. "This is the Valley of Peace. Except for one failed invasion, it's had over a millennium of peace. I don't think we can expect any threats here…at least none like the Jiao…"
"Ye mustn't beat yourself up over that," the old cat said, looking guilty. "You don't choose your parents…well, had I been you, I would have chosen your mum, but your old dad…"
"Attila would've been an improvement."
"Probably."
Dalang thought it over a moment longer and sighed, "I know you put a lot of work into this, and I'd be stupid to refuse your…very generous gift."
"I just want ye to remember, boy," he said, placing a paternal hand on the tiger's shoulder, "I see ye as my son as much as Tenzin; considerin' how close both your mums were, you're family. I know as well as you do the likelihood of something happening…but I just want ye to be prepared…just in case."
"I couldn't bring this into my house; Tigress and I agreed when Shang was born that we don't want weapons in the house."
"He won't hurt himself with it. He's only six months old; how much trouble could he get into?"
Both males shared a chuckle…one that quickly died off when they truly thought about it.
"Maybe if I locked it in a closet…" Dalang ventured.
"That's what I'd do," Sonam agreed.
Dalang sighed and stuck the bamboo sheath in his belt, leaning back against a heavy wooden table. "So…how's work?"
"Tapering off; Shifu reckons I need a holiday."
"Might be a good idea. You just finished a six-month stint on commission work, and as far as I know, there aren't any special orders coming through."
"Not yet…" the old leopard arched an eyebrow and Dalang's flat look. "Fine, maybe a holiday would do some good."
"The Moon Festival's coming up soon—sounds like a good time to me. Work will pick back up afterwards."
"Aye, 'twill," he agreed, gazing over his wall of creations, each work like his own child. "Mayhap a good, very fine idea, what with my daughter-in-law expecting…me, a grandfather," he smiled fondly, yet chuckling in disbelief. "Never thought t'see a baby in my arms again, but gods know I wanted it. 'Tis a shame you and Tigress don't have the same luxury of grandparents to spoil your children."
"Auntie and Shifu make up for it," Dalang pointed out. "You know how they love to spoil him. Sure, Shifu pretends he doesn't care, but I see it, Tigress sees it; he plays with Shang and sneaks him treats whenever he thinks we're not looking."
"Tigress is his daughter," Sonam pointed out, picking up the bucket of water to douse the coals of the forge. "A complicated relationship, sure, but they're bound to reconcile and face the bad blood sooner or later."
"Sometimes, I get the impression he still doesn't like me."
"Let him boil his head—all you needed was his consent to marry her, and that's all you'll ever need, y'hear? Now," Sonam smirked. "If you wouldn't mind me accompanying you t' the restaurant…I've been craving Su Lin's cooking."
Dalang smirked back. "You're a little too predictable sometimes, you know that?"
Sonam scowled. "Cheeky."
Shifu had spent the better part of his day observing his students as they conducted classes, his stern gaze watching their every move. The Furious Five were all natural teachers, he discovered, and as much as he felt he needed to guide them—as he called it—he acquiesced that perhaps his idea of "guidance" had done far more harm than good.
Tai Lung, for example…the main example. Exhibit A in the case against the red panda's parenting skills. It had taken him two decades (and a nasty hit to the head) for him to see just how damaged the snow leopard had been by Shifu's idea of child-rearing. Had Shifu known that all he wanted—all he needed—was fatherly affection, and to be told he was loved, then the rampage might never have happened. Now Tai Lung had become an upstanding citizen, but in that case, it was more Wu Lien's doing than his own. Somehow, the female red panda had managed to soothe the tortured soul, then break it down, and build it back up from scratch, with choreography so minute and so practiced, Shifu wondered just how many times she had done it before.
Exhibit B: Tigress. Well, she had turned out just fine. But it had taken quite a bit of work on Wu's part to repair the heavily damaged relationship between the tiger master and her teacher. They had never been Father and Daughter, no matter how Shifu looked at it, wanted to believe it. In fact, Shifu had often wondered if the Tigress he had trained and raised was the real Tigress. He didn't get his answer until after she married Dalang.
The girl he had rescued from the orphanage was not the woman he saw transformed like a blossoming bud, or a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The breadth and scope of the love he saw between the two tigers had changed her so remarkably, and so alarmingly fast, that the red panda was loathe to admit that the grinning, laughing, carefree female he saw her becoming was the woman she was meant to be. He had thought she had changed to fit Dalang's ideal woman. But the fact was that the woman Tigress had become was the woman that had hidden herself away, until love had, quite literally, set her free.
Now, the same could also be said about Tai Lung. Somehow knowing that he had always been loved had done…something. Shifu wasn't sure what to believe it was. If Wu was right (and she typically was on the subject of her adopted nephew), the knowledge of his origins was what tamed the beast within. Sonam's arrival only cemented this belief. And, to be perfectly honest, Shifu was rather jealous of the relationship the biological father had with his son.
But there was no going back, he knew. They had been Master and Student longer than Father and Son, and Shifu had renounced even that. And now he had to live with that.
But Wu wasn't about to let him live in the past. She refused to talk about hers, beyond the little tidbits she revealed about her two most treasured students.
With a sudden realization, he groaned, remembering the date. He turned and abruptly left the training facility, rushing back to his quarters to grab a small box and make his way to the Sacred Hall of Warriors.
There in the red light of the setting sun, he saw his wife of one year standing beneath a portrait. He held back, giving her the space she needed.
Wu Lien sighed, her shoulders heaving with the exhalation. She removed wilting flowers from a vase, replacing them with bright yellow and orange chrysanthemums. Then she lit a candle on the altar and bowed low; when she straightened, she smiled at the portrait.
"If only you could see him now," she said quietly. "Your little Tenzin is about to make you a grandmother, you know. Oh, if only you had lived long enough to see it…It was such a beautiful wedding, I'm sure I've told you, and they love each other as much as you and Sonam did. I'm sure you would have loved Mei Xing, she's such a good girl, reminds me of you in a lot of ways."
Nima's portrait silently gazed down at her visitor, the pure rebellious chi burning in her bright amber eyes, right above the sly, secretive pirate's smile. Wu would never be able to figure out how Crane had so masterfully depicted the female snow leopard; it was as if he had captured the essence of her soul and put it on parchment in ink. "I suppose this makes me a 'great-auntie' now, doesn't it?" Wu continued with a small laugh. The smile faded, replaced by an expression full of sorrow and regret. "But you should have been here. With all the knowledge we had of herbs and healing, we should have been able to save you.
"Sonam misses you every day, you know. I hardly think he ever stops thinking of you. And Tenzin—Tai Lung—he keeps asking me about you, wanting to know so much more. I know both of them have been by today already," she smiled at the fresh flowers and offerings left by the male snow leopards, "But I don't think there are enough offerings in the world that can show how much they miss you."
Wu took in a shaky breath and laid her offering on the small altar beneath the candles, setting the painted fan on its stand. Wu bowed again, fighting back tears. "Happy birthday, Nima."
The portrait was still and silent, as it always was, but somehow being close to it brought the old woman some closure. Visiting Nima's grave was, unfortunately, out of the question; its location had been lost long ago. It pained Shifu to think about it, how that poor woman's grave would go untended at New Year's, a fact he knew bothered Sonam and Tai Lung a great deal. The village of Tai Lung's birth had been completely razed to the ground. This was the only conceivable way to honor the late master of the Lotus Style.
Wordlessly, Shifu made his way over to the small altar to pay his respects. After all, she meant so much to his wife, and was the mother of the man he raised as a son. By extension, he owed her more than he could ever guess. Wu wiped her tears away with her sleeve as he set his own offering down.
"I was told it was her favorite," he said.
Wu smiled; it was a bag of tea leaves. "It was," she said quietly. "Black tea with crushed peach candies…apparently Mei Xing has come to like it as well."
"Probably not surprising," he nodded, lighting a candle and bowing. "Peaches were her favorite?"
Wu chuckled. "Since she was a child. Craved them in pregnancy, too. Poor Sonam—he had to walk miles to find the blasted things. And now, well, you know as well as I do how often Tai Lung takes advantage of the Sacred Peach Tree when it's bearing fruit…"
"Even though he knows better," Shifu frowned. They shared a sigh, looking up at the portrait for a long moment before the aged master continued, "I know I've said it many times, but I owe her more than I ever knew. True, my feelings have been…rather conflicted, but when all is said and done, I don't think I have any regrets."
Wu only nodded in understanding. "If you'd known both his parents, I'm sure Tai Lung's behavior as a child could have been explained."
Shifu snorted. "If Sonam's character is any indication, and if the stories about Nima are true, it's no wonder he was such a little hellion."
"Kittens tend to be mischievous, you know," she smirked.
"Oh I know—I learned the hard way." After another pause, he cleared his throat. "I hope she realizes that, despite the mistakes he's made, I can't blame him. Perhaps he was not meant to be the Dragon Warrior, and that certainly wasn't my fault…but building up that expectation, withholding the father's love I should have given him, and condemning him…"
Wu took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "She forgives you. Sonam did, and he holds grudges longer than anyone I've ever met. Nima was rather headstrong, but she knows a sincere apology."
"You speak as if she's here with us."
"Of course she is, Shifu! I won't believe otherwise." She gazed back up at the portrait. "After all, one is not truly dead until they are forgotten."
His eyes flicked over to the shrine to his late master. Oogway's staff was firmly set on its base, displayed before the bank of white candles that illuminated the watercolor portrait above it. As far as the eternity of the soul was concerned, Wu had no idea how right she was. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Come, dinner should be ready soon. Would you like to visit the restaurant after?"
"And miss the opportunity to see our kids?" she smiled roguishly. "Like I would say no?"
Tai Lung knew his secret training with Po was a cause of both curiosity and concern for his wife, though she had never mentioned anything about it. He hated being so secretive about it, but he wasn't sure how to put his feelings into words.
Since the defeat of Jiao Shen and his army, both Po and Tai Lung had made the executive decision to train harder than ever. Po certainly needed much more work, and tutoring on the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu, which, being master of them, Tai Lung was a prime candidate as a teacher. But Po had his own reasons for extracurricular training, and, as a matter of fact, so did Tai Lung.
The two of them had waited until after Wu Lien and Shifu had left the Sacred Hall of Warriors before entering and heading straight for the scrolls. Po immediately began searching through them to locate his next lesson, while Tai Lung simply sat at his old desk, facing the scrolls yet staring into space.
"How about this: 'Dragon Style'?" Po asked him. "Or is that too advanced?"
"You breezed through the Five's styles; Dragon style should be the next step," his feline companion replied absently. Po wasn't paying close attention to his friend's responses, and continued scanning the various subjects.
"So I'm at what, scroll 294?"
"Two hundred ninety-five."
"Oh, cool! Okay, here's Dragon Style, but should I try out the Eagle Claw, or something a little more…" he searched for the word.
"Bad-arse."
"Yeah, that. You okay?" he asked, finally turning to look at the snow leopard. Tai Lung had stopped staring at the scrolls, his attention now focused on the old desk. He ran his fingers along old claw marks, scars left over from times of frustration when he couldn't perfect a particular move. So many memories here. Shifu had taught him to read here, taught him his writing and arithmetic, and instructed him on the more basic lessons the scrolls provided. It was here that Tai Lung had spent hours—sometimes days, without rest—reading, memorizing, and mastering each and every single scroll on those shelves.
And for what? What was his ultimate accomplishment, he asked himself ruefully. He had mastered those scrolls, intent on being a kung fu warrior, a master in his own right…and now he was a cook. A short-order cook. And that hurt his pride. A lot.
"How the mighty have fallen…" he sighed.
Somehow, Po knew exactly what he meant. Much time spent in training, and generally just hanging out, had given the panda an uncanny sixth sense about the feline's moods, and sometimes his thoughts. It was enough to make Tai Lung wonder if the Dragon Warrior could somehow read his mind.
"You haven't fallen, Tai," he said. "Sure, you stumbled, but you didn't fall."
"How can you say that?" he asked, looking his friend in the eye. "My whole life was kung fu, and I was told—and believed—for so long that I was destined for greatness. And now…well, look at me."
"I am. You've done awesome things!"
"I'm a cook, Po, a cook," he growled. "Where's the honor in that?" he winced as soon as the words left his mouth, avoiding eye contact with he was sure was an unhappy panda. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for…"
"So you're not happy with being a chef?" Po flatly asked, emphasizing the last word; he found the term "cook" slightly offensive.
"Yes. No. I don't know," he groaned, holding his head in his hands. "I'm so conflicted, so confused…both my parents were warriors, my mother was a master, my father is a master swordsman. I should have been a great warrior, unlike anything the world has ever seen."
"But you already are," Po said, putting the scrolls back on the shelf. "You're the Phoenix Warrior, remember?"
Tai Lung scoffed, "Bullocks. You were granted your title; I have nothing to prove such a claim. No one outside of everyone here in the Jade Palace actually believes that…so what's the point in my believing it?"
The panda stood by uncomfortably, unsure how to respond to the snow leopard's lack of faith. Tai Lung continued, "Sure, I defeated Jiao Shen, but I didn't do it alone. I should have had the ability to—I'm the greatest warrior to ever live, aren't I? Isn't that what everyone says, what everyone thinks? And I needed help to take down a man twice my age?"
"In your defense, he was in great shape for a man his age."
"Aside from that, defeating him…I should have been able to do it alone."
"And that's your problem," Po said bluntly. "You've always done it alone; you've always felt you didn't need anyone else."
"Because I didn't have anyone else, remember?"
They fell into an uncomfortable silence until Tai Lung sighed raggedly. "No matter what happened back then, no matter how Auntie tried, I couldn't break down my pride. And thinking I wasted my youth studying for something I never attained…that I built up my whole life around a stupid dream…and now I'm doing something I never thought I'd ever do, something that should be beneath me…I don't know how to cope with that."
"How can you say you wasted your life?"
"Think about it—I busted my arse until I was eighteen, then spent the next twenty years in prison, and it wasn't until two years ago that my life started to turn around, when I'm approaching the middle of my life…"
"So that's what this is," Po brightened with acknowledgement. "This is a mid-life crisis."
The snow leopard groaned, "Oh gods, please don't call it that—I'm not that old."
"What else could it be?"
"Po, you're well into your twenties—what do you know about a mid-life crisis?"
"Well, my dad went through one," the panda sheepishly said.
"Did he? How'd he get out of it?"
"He went into partnership with Ms. Wu."
"Ah."
"See, everyone goes through periods like this. I gotta admit, though, you're the last guy I'd expect to see doubting himself."
"Maybe Auntie didn't succeed after all," he crossed his arms sullenly. "I'm not as arrogant as I used to be, but I have enough pride left in me that the idea of me doing menial labor…" he raggedly sighed again, turning to gaze back at his mother's portrait. Then his eyes snapped over to Oogway's shrine. "I don't know what's wrong with me. For the first time, I'm doing something constructive with my life, something that helps rather than hurts. But it doesn't seem good enough."
"In other words, you don't feel good enough."
Thanks for hitting the nail on the head, panda. "Exactly."
"C'mon, what's with the doubting here? I'm the one who should have the low self-esteem, right?" Po asked. "I'm not like you; I'm not like the Five. Like I told Oogway, I don't have claws, or wings, or venom…"
"And even Mantis has those pincers."
"Is that what they're called? I've just been calling them 'thingies'."
"Rather eloquent of you."
"Thanks. But anyway…the point is I had to find my own strength, be my own hero. And I think that you are a hero now, and you've proved yourself to be one. So sure, maybe being a chef," he emphasized again, "isn't the most glamorous job in the world, but doesn't it still give you focus? Doesn't it make you feel better at the end of the day, y'know, feel like you accomplished something?"
Tai Lung thought about it a moment, then quietly replied, "Yes, yes it does." He was silent for a good long moment as he let it sink in. Then he looked back up at the wall of scrolls. "But I remember what I said after Jiao Shang's funeral. I don't know what being the Phoenix Warrior really means, or even if it comes with any new powers or…something. Let's face it, Po, you've improved in leaps and bounds since Oogway gave you the Dragon Scroll, and it's almost supernatural the way you've picked up kung fu. You're a natural at it. You're mastering some of these scrolls faster than I did. After the signs, the hints that I might be a warrior of the same caliber, with the same power and prestige, you'd think I'd feel different."
Po shrugged. "I don't look at it that way. Sure, I thought I'd feel different after I became the Dragon Warrior…but truth is, I didn't. I still don't. The Dragon Scroll is just a thing, and objects don't change people. People change people, experiences change them. It's kinda like on your birthday—you don't feel a year older, even though you are. You think you should feel different, but you don't, but that doesn't change the fact that you are what you are. The only thing that changed about me…was confidence."
"But that's the last thing I need," Tai Lung said. "My over-confidence cost me the scroll, and caused me to underestimate you and lose, terribly. Thing is…I don't know what's missing. I should be content, I should be happy because I have everything a man could want: a house, a home, a loving wife, a child on the way, friends I can count on, a family that supports me, and a job…but I don't know that I feel complete."
Po chewed on his lip and wondered, then placed a hand on the snow leopard's shoulder. "Hey, that's okay. You're a smart guy, you'll figure it out, I just know it."
"I hope so." After another long moment staring at the scrolls, he finally turned back to Po. "Which scrolls were you thinking of, again?"
"Uh…Dragon Style, or Eagle Claw."
"Dragon Style," Tai Lung said with finality. "Three years as the Dragon Warrior, and not knowing Dragon Style? Completely ludicrous. Start reading it tonight, we'll go over the finer points of technique in the morning."
The wolf made it back to the compound late that night—or was it early that morning?—and crept over to his bunk. There were six other wolves who worked for Lord White Wolf, and all of them were seasoned fighters, bandits, and two of them were assassins. Lang—the unfortunate newbie who'd been sent to find an assassin—was a farmer's son, who was stupid enough to go to the warlord for monetary assistance, but smart enough to know it might come back to bite him. Disregarding the instincts that told him what he was doing was stupid, he realized far too late that he was in way over his head.
Lang looked no different from the other half dozen wolves in those quarters; he had a dark grey pelt and dark eyes, but the key difference he had with the others was his scrawny farm-boy build and the still-youthful light in his eyes; he wasn't even that old to begin with, and still wet behind the ears. Otherwise, he considered himself quite the coward, especially in front of the rest of the pack. Lang may not have been well-educated, but he was smart enough to know the pecking order. In this pack, he was the Omega, the lowest of the low. Lord White Wolf was without a doubt the Alpha, the one in charge, the one who got the biggest shares of every pillaging. The half dozen under his employ (plus all the numerous guardsmen) were the Betas, who stuck around only because the pay was that good.
As soon as Lang crawled under the worn blanket covering his bunk, he was rudely roused by someone kicking him in the back, right above the kidney. The scrawny wolf hit the floor with a loud thud, and he immediately curled into a fetal position, fighting down the tears of agony that had sprung into his eyes.
"Hey, twerp," the assailant snarled. "The hell have you been?"
Lang sucked down air to keep himself from crying in front of the others, who had roused themselves to watch. Like their ancient ancestors, the other five wolves circled the larger wolf and the submissive Omega, the light of blood and violence in their sharp, soulless eyes. The larger assailant, Zi Hao, was the sturdiest and strongest of the half dozen, a well-seasoned bandit who was used to getting his way.
Lang looked around the circle, identifying the others. There was Tan Lan, and Yu Wang, two short, slightly built wolves, who were the resident assassins, their smaller statures ideal for sneaking in and out of their targets' homes without detection. Completing the circle was Xu Jiu, Lan Duo and Bao Nu, the last of whom lived up to his terrifying name. Bao Nu easily had the most murders under his belt of them all.
Lang tried propping himself up on one arm, holding his side as pain surged up his spine. He coughed and sucked in air through his clenched teeth.
"I asked you a question, shrimp," Zi Hao snarled. "Where the hell were you?"
"The Wolf's Head," Lang coughed.
The stunned silence wasn't lost on the new kid, who dared to look up at the others. Tan Lan, an assassin and sometime thief armed with various knives, stared at him incredulously. "You went all the way to the Wolf's Head Inn? Alone?"
Lang nodded weakly.
Tan Lan laughed, "This one's got bigger balls than I thought. Not even I would go there alone, at this time of night. Nasty creatures live out there…"
"What'd you go all the way there for?" Lan Duo, a bandit skilled with pole arms interrogated. Of the six, Lan Duo was probably the least likely to kill him…at least Lang hoped so.
Lang coughed again, looking in the Beta's direction. "I…I found a guy who'll take the job."
Six pairs of ears perked up with interest, and six voices added their astonished questions.
"You did?"
"No way."
"That's impossible!"
"No fuckin' way!"
"I can't believe you found someone that stupid…"
"…Or crazy."
"I'm pretty sure he's nuts," Lang said, finally managing to stand despite the pain in his back. "He thought our lord's offer was too little for the Dragon Warrior and Tai Lung."
Xu Jiu, the heaviest of the six, arched a curious brow. "…Too little? How much did you offer?"
"The highest Lord White Wolf was willing to pay," Lang answered truthfully. Lying would have only gotten him killed. "Weird thing is, he seemed more interested in the bounty on Jiao Dalang's head."
"Who wouldn't be?" Tan Lan asked with a sadistic smirk. "Sure, not as tempting as the money from killing Tai Lung and Po Ping combined, but still…the money's good enough."
"You think this guy's one of Jiao's enemies?" Lan Duo asked.
"Of course he is," Yu Wang, the other assassin, hissed. "Who isn't an enemy of the Jiao? Shen touched too many of our lives, and frankly, I'm pissed the son of a bitch didn't suffer more than he did."
"The fact remains," Lan Duo interrupted, "Is that Tai Lung and the panda are no longer our concern."
"Oh, they still concern us," Zi Hao declared. "Because if the guy the Twerp here found can't do his job or just takes the money and runs, it's still on us to take them out. Which reminds me, Twerp, who's the guy?"
"He…he didn't tell me his name." Which was true; Lang didn't need him to tell him. The small wolf wasn't stupid enough to tell the whole truth, lest his brethren turn on him like…well, like wolves. "I just asked the bartender there, and he recommended the guy, said he's the only one crazy enough for the job."
"What's he like?"
Women…I think, Lang thought to himself, but thought it wiser to not crack jokes when a much bigger wolf was glaring at him with a most unholy look in his eyes. "Uh…well, he spoke like a Russian…or Siberian, one of the two. Some kinda northerner. Pretty intimidating, looked kinda old, but didn't act like it, you know? Had this look in his eyes, like he was looking at me like I was prey. I didn't see any weapons on him, but, well…you guys ever hear of Amur leopards?"
Bao Nu sucked in a breath; he knew, Lang knew as much when he saw the brawny wolf's hands shaking. Zi Hao, however, was blessedly ignorant. "Amur leopards? Yeah, I've heard of them. Heard they're crazier than Amur tigers."
"Not crazy," Yu Wang said. "Just…not very civilized."
"In what way?"
"Well…they're supposed to be worse than Huns. They don't exactly follow laws like we do."
Zi Hao gave the assassin a nonplussed look.
"Seriously," Yu Wang said. "I'm talking rules of engagement here. They fight differently, more savagely. There's one Amur leopard in particular I've heard of…"
Lang felt the blood draining from his face. Zi Hao, thankfully, brushed off Yu Wang's ruminations.
"Whatever. The twerp managed to find some dumb schmuck to handle this job so we don't have to. When's the guy coming?"
"A couple days," Lang shook, not liking the look in Zi Hao's eyes. "He wanted to talk over a contract."
"A contract? Shit, you got us a real professional!" Xu Jiu, the resident swordsman, laughed. "C'mon Hao, you can't deny that a contracted killer will do the job."
He had a point, and loathe as he was to admit it, Zi Hao said, "I'll say…Can't believe I'm saying this, but the twerp actually did something right for once."
Lang let out a relieved breath.
"Yeah, yeah, lucky him," Tan Lan snorted. "He got lucky."
"You're just pissed it didn't work out with the Wu Sisters," Lan Duo snorted disinterestedly.
Zi Hao snickered, "Female assassins, what next? What'd you tell them, Wang, that they just walked off and left you hanging? Little cowards."
"But we didn't want to fight the Dragon Warrior or Tai Lung either," Lang said. "So doesn't that make us cowar—"
Lang choked as Zi Hao grabbed him by the throat and slammed him up against the wall. The smaller wolf writhed and struggled in the bandit's grip, gasping for air as the hand around his throat tightened. Zi Hao got right in his face and snarled, "If you ever call me a coward again, I will spill your guts right all over this floor. And something tells me you need to be reminded of your place, you little dog."
Swiftly, Zi Hao punched the small wolf in the gut, forcing the air out of his lungs even as his face turned blue.
Lan Duo tapped the ringleader on the shoulder. "C'mon Hao, let him go. If you kill him, his debts become yours, plus, you'd have to pay his purchase price, too."
Zi Hao thought about it, then snarled in frustration and finally dropped the smaller wolf to the floor. Lang landed hard on hands and knees, choking and sputtering, holding his throat as he wheezed and sucked down air. But to add insult to injury—literally—Zi Hao spit on him and smacked him in the head.
"You better remember your place, little dog, before White Wolf does it for you."
Lang hung his head, just letting the verbal abuse come, but Zi Hao's last word was by far the worst. Being called a "dog" by a fellow wolf was the worst insult in lupine society, as it demonstrated an even lower rank than the Omega. The small wolf knelt there on the floor as the other wolves returned to their bunks, and waited until he heard their snores before picking himself up and limping back to his cot. But before he lay down, he felt eyes on him in the darkness. He looked up and saw Lan Duo watching him; Lang's skin began to crawl, not liking the expression, even in the dim light that came from the bandit's candle.
"You want a piece of advice, kid?" Lan Duo asked.
Lang paused, then nodded eagerly.
Lan Duo picked up the candle next to his bed, bringing it closer to his face. "Learn when to keep your gods-damned mouth shut; it just might save you someday."
He blew out the candle.
So yeah, there's the second chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Please remember to Read and Review.