A Friend of the Master

Normally, people don't come to a certain area if there is a chance of danger. But the word spread about Tigress going to the Land of the Dead, or that's what it was called. It was called that because no one who went in ever came out again. It was an iron fence with a steel door at the front. In the fence, one could see dents from outside as if something had tried to force its way out. The grass didn't grow in this part of the region due to the lack of sun from the mountain, so the ground was parched and dry. This was a truly intimidating scene. The people were well back. Several big rhinos came to guard the people. Gun-Ho, Rem, and Monkey stood with Tigress in the front of the gate. Monkey himself was shaking as the big door opened. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.

"If the Master can raise the dead, then this won't be difficult," Tigress replied, "Stay behind me."

"No problem," Monkey whimpered. Then, they heard a growl much deeper than Tigress or Tai-Lung's. Slowly, on all fours, the biggest tiger in the Land of the Dead crawled out, prowling straight towards Tigress. His clothes were tattered and torn. How his ripped pants managed to last was beyond anyone's understanding. Tigress looked to the heavens and then kneeled. Monkey and the others thought she was giving up. But then she said,

"Master, I know you can do amazing things. Please, heal these people. Make them whole again." After that, still on her knees, the big tiger came right up to her, his mouth dripping with drool and his growl getting louder. By this time, Monkey, Rem, and Gun-Ho were way back. Monkey knew Tigress could defeat the tiger easily with her training, but fear has a funny way of dismissing reason. Tigress gently touched the tiger on his head. Immediately, the tiger stopped growling. He crashed to the floor. He slowly looked at Tigress. She offered a hand to the tiger. She helped him up. When he was on his feet, Tigress said in a loud voice, "Tigers of Qiándù, come out!" Slowly, tigers small, tall, male and female came out walking on two legs. Their eyes squinting as the bright sun blinded them. Some of them were completely naked. "Monkey, Rem, Gun-Ho, clothe them quickly," She ordered. Finding themselves no longer frightened, the three and the others helped to clothe the rest of the tigers. The old goat, who met Tigress and the others when they first came in, was busy clothing the people when he spotted an old tiger hobbling along. The old goat quickly helped the old tiger get to a resting place.

"There, get your rest," the old goat said, not realizing who it was. The old tiger grabbed the old goat's hand.

"Bai?" The old goat's eyes widened. The old tiger smiled. "Where have you been you old goat?"

"Qiang," Bai's voice cracked as he started to cry. He hugged his old master and friend. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"And let you have the win in our checker match? You should know better than that." Streams of tears flowed down the old goat's face. Tigress watched on as she looked at all of it with a smile.

"This is what Po meant," Tigress said to herself. "Now I see the joy in it." It was a while before she noticed an old tiger couple who seemed depressed even though they were healed. Tigress spoke with them. "What is wrong?" She asked. The woman's face was in her hands as she cried. The husband spoke.

"How long have we been in there?" He asked.

"About twenty years," Tigress replied. The husband sighed.

"There is no way we'll see her," he replied.

"Who?"

"When the disease swept through, we decided to put our daughter in an orphanage to protect her from the disease. We thought that we wouldn't succumb to the disease but-" The husband stopped as his voice trembled. "We don't even know what she grew up to be or if she even survived without us."

"Do you remember where you put her?" Tigress asked.

"A place called the Bao-Goo orphanage, not far from the Jade Palace," He replied. Tigress's eyes widened as the husband held his weeping wife close. After a moment of silence, Tigress said.

"I came from the Bao-Goo orphanage." The couple looked at Tigress. The wife slowly came close to her and looked her in the eye.

"This... this is my daughter," She slowly said, "This is my little Lily."

"Ai, are you sure?" The husband asked.

"Don't you remember her spot on her left cheek, Huan?" Ai recalled. Huan looked at Tigress again to see that she was right. "This is my daughter." She hugged Tigress tightly. Tigress felt a tear come from her eye. She hugged back. Huan embraced both of them as well. Today, the dead were indeed alive.

Po was beyond worried. The trip to Qiándù was only five days. He sent Zeng with a message to Tigress and was waiting for the reply. Just as he was about to get up to go outside, Zeng came in with a scroll in hand. "A message from Master Tigress, Master Po," Zeng replied. Po eagerly snatched the scroll from Zeng. Po was surprised to see that it wasn't a new scroll. It was the same scroll that he had given to Zeng.

From Po,

How are you doing? Is everything okay? Are you imprisoned or having a hard time? Just say the word and Ulaghai and I will be there faster than Crane can fly.

It wasn't that Po doubted the Master's protection of Tigress, though that was something shown by the letter. He was worried about his wife, which was a natural thing for loved ones. Po then realized that Tigress had written below the scroll. Her words were short and concise.

The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the dead live again.

It was a status report of the things happening in Qiándù. Po sat back down, eased into the back of the chair, and smiled.

"She's alright," He said with relief. Zeng held out another scroll. In this one, she told Po how she found her parents. Po smiled. "She's back home." Just then, Ulaghai came in with Mantis.

"I need your decision on this," Ulaghai said. Po looked confused.

"How come?" The hyena smiled.

"I'm not married," He cheekily said. Po rolled his eyes as Mantis told Po his problem about his recent girlfriend. After listening to his friend talk, Po spoke to Mantis plainly.

"You don't think about yourself," Po said. Mantis was confused.

"What are you talking about? I always think about myself," Mantis stated. Po and Ulaghai eyed him suspiciously. "I mean not in a selfish way."

"What I mean is that you're looking for something in the girl yet you don't think about what's in you," Po explained. "Instead of worrying what you'll like in a woman, think how you would be a great person to date. You tend to date the person who you are most like." Mantis finally understood.

"But that's hard," he replied.

"So is battling a super villain, a cannon, and a spiritual warlord. What is your excuse?" Po asked. Mantis respectfully left the room. The hyena sat across from Po. He glanced at some of the scrolls.

"I assume that Tigress is doing well?" He asked. Po smiled.

"She's doing much better than I would have thought. I guess we were wrong to think that she would have some problems," Po replied.

"She will," Ulaghai said, pouring out some tea. "There are always problems in the field of the servants. We're called to intermingle with the people, minister to their needs, become their trusted and dependable friend, and then we are told to tell them to follow the Master. It's a lot easier to follow someone who you know has your best interest for you than someone who just forcibly put it upon you. Servants are told to become friends for people who do not have good friends like that Master." Ulaghai didn't realize he was monologuing. "And the Master is the same with us. A ruler, a brother, a friend. My, oh my, is it good to have a friend," Ulaghai whispered thoughtfully. Po looked at the hyena.

"You've had a hard life," Po stated. Ulaghai sighed.

"I've had a lonely one. Hated by the lions I was to minister to. Disliked by my own family for doing something they thought was ridiculous. It's hard being a servant for your own. When I was told to tell the people that the lions and hyenas should live in peace, they all accused me of treason. They exiled me, beat me, some threatened to stone me. A servant always has it hard. A good servant of the Master will NEVER go to a place to minister by force or by the weapon to convert people. I was terribly alone," The hyena shivered. "But then, I remembered each time that the Master was with me. And that promise was better and worth more than gold itself." Ulaghai sighed. He shook his head. "I hate it when I talk like that. It's so depressing."

"Sometimes it's good to think that way to remember how the Master helped us and brought us through," Po replied. Then his stomach growled. Ulaghai laughed.

"Your stomach certainly has impeccable timing," The hyena smirked. Po nervously grinned.

Continued...