AN: RenkonNairu: Bwaha! Yeah, Tai Lung has a part to play eventually in this. I can't believe how long this story has gotten already..! Believe me, I agonized a lot over the decision to claim names for the five. Names have a special part in this story, and I find it a bit awkward to keep referring to someone totally by species. I'm going to defer to their 'canon' names 85-90 of the time, but their "real" names are there to help show sincerity when the young masters are alone. Hopefully I won't overdo it with them.

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Chapter 10: What Was Left Behind

Tao-hua felt the urge to smile at Zeng as he bustled her through the heavy doors that the palace geese had just opened for her. She couldn't help but feel a sort of double-vision as she looked around the ornate hallways in the bright daylight, seeing everything both from the perspective of an adult, and that of the ten year old girl who last looked on them.

"We come in and make certain everything's secure, of course," Zeng continued, totally oblivious to the fact that she was barely listening to a word that he said. "But Master Oogway was always very insistant that things be left exactly as they were. He himself didn't even enter!"

Tao glanced up at that. She'd never considered the notion that Master Oogway, mystifying ancient creature that he was, would stand so formally on ceremony as to declare the inner sanctum of the palace off-limits to both his students and himself. "Never?" she asked, startled.

"Oh no! No! He said that the Hall of Heroes was the extent of how far he would intrude into the palace, because that was the monument your father set aside for him. He used to come and stand at the door every so often, but that's it. We'd offer to crack it open a bit for him, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"He said that the new training and housing grounds were plenty for him, and that he just liked talking to the doors to see what they remembered about the things they'd seen. You know, he always was an odd fellow. Pleasant as he could be, but odd.."

The goose continued his running commentary of things that the old tortoise had done that were a bit off, and Tao chuckled a little at the ones that were especially outlandish. Zeng, may the gods bless him, was much as she remembered his father being, right down to the yellow robes that spoke of close ties to the Imperial court.

Zeng hadn't actually been a messenger of the Emperor himself, but his father had been. And clearly when the older man had become unable to serve as the offical Jade Palace messenger, the son had taken on the duty and the wardrobe. And perhaps some of the peculiarity, as well.

That warm thought held her all the way past the audience chamber, through the enclosed garden, and into the long hallway that held the family's private rooms. Then, aided by Zeng's nervous whisper that her brother was still clearing things from his own room, it fled and she paused. Dismissing the escort, she continued on alone past her old room.

Ruiling's door was a little ajar, and she noted, the room itself had been absolutely gutted for anything of value and left for salvage by the servants. Undoubtably it happened in the frantic surge to gather the vixens belongings when she demanded to leave. Guiren's door was shut, but the sound of heavy footsteps and shuffling items confirmed that he was indeed still present. And beyond that...

She stopped, and reached out to touch the door at the end of the hallway. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and opened it. She couldn't move for a moment, but finally she forced herself to face her fear. She looked around with teary eyes, uncertain of whether to feel sorrow or relief. Her father's room was just as he'd left it.

She crept slowly inside, wringing her hands and trying to work the horrible lump out of her throat. It was like stepping back in time. At any moment, her father could easily walk in, scoop her childish form up effortlessly and pretend to interrogate her for intruding into his sanctuary. She discerned one of his slippers poking out from under a corner of his intricately carved, box-shaped bed, and forced herself not to run from the room.

It was just as she'd feared. Coming back to this place, after all this time, brought it all back to her. She sat down on the bed, doing her best not to notice the few long white hairs that were still clinging to the pillow as she played with the thick drape that hung over the side. All of his paintings, the knicknacks and momentos of his life still littered the place. The pair of reading glasses that he'd forgotten still waited patiently on the footrest beside the bed. The rich reds and golds of the room threatened to over power her with memories of a time she'd give almost anything to return to.

Tao forced herself to take a few deep, shuddering breaths. It would have been better, she thought, to not have come back. Or at least, not to have accepted the letter of her father's as his will. She almost wished that Ruiling had ransacked this room as well. If it didn't look exactly the same, then perhaps she wouldn't feel as if she were losing her father all over again.

All the pain that had been pushed to the farthest closet in the back of her mind was free now to come tumbling out.

"Why did you leave me this place?" she whispered, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "This stopped being my home thirty three years ago. I told you that myself! Why would you insist that I stay here?"

"He was probably afraid you'd lose your mind and start talking to yourself if he left you alone out there."

Tao whirled back to face the door, and took a step back in spite of herself. Guiren stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

"You shouldn't be here, Tao-hua."

Indignation forced her to growl in response. "Why not?"

The sun bear smirked openly at her. "All this.. and you're just going to waste it. It seems our father still enjoys his little jokes. He spends a lifetime conquering and collecting.. and then he just throws it away on you." He eyed her critically, and Tao fought the urge to feel self-conscious about her appearance.

"Have your falling-down palace and your bandaged-up guard, sister. Have your insignificant little puddle of a town and your patchwork bodyguard troupe. Have it all for now. Only time will tell if you are able to keep it."

Tao's shock gave way to outrage, and she stalked over to stand in front of the bear who had towered over her since her very first memory.

"Perhaps father just didn't want it falling to the likes of YOU, brother." She crossed her arms. "You should leave. Now. You are no longer welcome in MY Jade Palace."

Guiren seemed genuinely amused, even going as far as to bow to her. "Of course, LADY Tao-hua. As you wish." He straightened and directed the nervous Zeng, who'd lingered at the end of the hallway waiting for her, to call for his men.

"I've seen everything here that I need to see," the bear murmured, stomping back down the hallway to exit their childhood home.

"Likewise," Tao whispered, tightening her grip on the laquered fan hidden in her sleeve. She closed the door as she left, and frowned purposefully at the guards in her brother's employ that were coming to take away the items he'd deemed fit to keep.

Perhaps she'd seen her father's purpose after all. This valley and its citizens had once brought her father tremendous joy. There was no way that she couldn't try and do something to preserve that.