Chapter 2

Too Good to be True

"Always something." I muttered. It seemed that every time that Lien and I had some time, alone, together something ruined it. I stood and followed her fast flight to the outskirts of her farm. She pointed to a group of fifteen scraggly wolves sniffing around through the peach trees. Then Lien motioned to a little rise and we landed there, fanning our tails to get their attention.

"Hello!" Lien called tersely. I could tell her temper was dangerously thin, and almost felt bad for the wolves. All dropped what they were carrying and tucked their tails. "What do you think you're doing on my family's plantation?" The venom in her tone made even me cringe.

"We all have to fend for ourselves. My pack needs food, and we are reduced to this. I wouldn't expect a petty peahen such as yourself to understand." A young warrior stood with his staff poised, ready to fight. I could almost see steam coming out of Lien's ears.

"You're not welcome in this province!" I called stepping in front of the peahen to keep her from flying down there, blades gleaming.

"And you are a hypocrite!" The pup snapped with an overconfident look on his ragged face. "You promised us victory and a city! Yet look where we both stand!" My feathers stood on end at this display of insolence. Lien shouldered past me and shot the dog a look of daggers.

" Lord Shen promised you those things and he has perished! You will too if you think you'll gain anything from stealing from our people! Who do you think you are accusing us of such crimes?"

"Feng stop, while we have the chance to escape." A young female touched her paw to his arm and tried to turn him away.

"You're not going anywhere." The voice would always sound timid to my ears, but it made the wolves freeze. They turned and there was Master Crane facing us with the rest of the Furious Five, Po, and Master Shifu behind him.

"All of you! Get out of here!" Feng howled and sprinted up the rise to where Shen and I were. His speed was unexpected and he reached us before I had a chance to think. With his built up momentum he leaped at me and swung the staff. It whistled through the air and cracked across my ribs; the same ones that hadn't healed properly three years ago when they were broken by the cannon blast.

I screamed and collapsed on the ground. My vision blacked out but I fought for consciousness. I heard the rush of wings and pictured Crane flying over and pinning the dog to the ground. Then I heard a yelp and ragged breathing. I forced my eyes open and saw Shen holding his side, and the pup collapsed on the grass. His paw was wrapped around a long, razor-sharp blade lodged in his chest. His head was laid close to mine.

"You see?" The pup whispered with his last breath. "Lord Shen still lives." Then his last breath left him and he crossed over.

"You're wrong." I whispered and struggled to sit up. Mantis zipped around and helped me up. With an extra nudge from Viper I stood and stumbled into Shen's outstretched wings. "You're hurt." I observed running my wing over the cut on his side.

"It's nothing. Just a little scratch." He replied. His snowy white feathers were stained red from the blood. The look in his eyes told me that he was lying so I wouldn't worry.

"What are we; chopped liver?" Po called as he and my friends made their way up to us.

"Of course not!" I turned and wrapped my light pink wings around the big panda. Crane, Monkey, Viper, Tigress, Mantis, and Shifu joined in and soon I was covered in a warm hug pile. "I missed you guys so much!" I mumbled.

"We missed you too." Tigress replied in her lyrical voice.

"Some of us more than others." Monkey sniggered as Crane shot him a look of daggers and tried to cover his blushing face with his hat. I smiled. Then I noticed Bo returning to report. Daintily she landed on the Dragon Warrior's head and her squad hovered in the air.

"Oh so I'm a perch now?" The panda asked the little squirrel.

"Yep, and you do your job quite well." She giggled. "Here to report Lien." Bo saluted to me. I nodded. "The wolves escaped to the mountains."

"Good work. I just hope they stay there." I replied as Shen hobbled over to me and linked his wing with mine.

"Thanks. Do you need anything else?"

"Yes actually. Could you fly back to the palace and tell the Soothsayer that there was a fight and a few wounds? That way she can get ready for us." I asked remembering the pain in my chest and Shen's wound.

"I'm on it. See you there!" LaBozzetta saluted and took off flying circles around the elegant raptors.

"Those wolves have been getting braver and braver. It's starting to worry the people, and we have little to no army…" I explained.

"Understood," Shifu said from his perch on his staff. "But you shouldn't be worrying about that." He smiled in a fatherly way.

"Yeah, you have a wedding to worry about." Viper exclaimed. The peacock and I shared a smile and pulled each other closer, and I rested my head on his chest.

"They're right. You can't worry your pretty head about such things." Shen told me and kissed the top of my head.

"Alright," I sighed, "I just wish that my father was here to walk me down the aisle. Then I remembered something. "Po, did you see Genji-Feng and Bo-Chen before you left?"

"They're not here?" Tigress asked.

"No…"

"They left a week and a half ago so they could get here and catch up with you guys." Crane explained striding over to my left side. My eyes got wide and my beak fell open.

"Shen, what if the wolves have them?" I gasped.

"We had to sneak around a wolf camp on our way here. We didn't see any signs of you brother and sister." Mantis explained.

"Did you see about how many there were?" Shen asked slipping into his military persona.

"There were about thirty, and they were all mangy and skinny. None were too well off." Viper informed him kindly. Her comrades shot her evil looks but she didn't care. I could feel Shen relaxing too; he was still a little jumpy around my friends from the Jade Palace, but Viper, Po and Shifu's lack of venom towards him was helping little by little.

"Interesting." The prince took on a thoughtful look and stroked his whiskers.

"We have to search this camp!" I exclaimed spreading my wings. Upon the sudden movement my chest shrieked on pain. I gasped and clutched my chest.

"You are in no condition to storm in on these wolves and demand answers." Shen helped me keep my feet and wrapped his snowy wings around me protectively.

"Shen's right." Tigress said flinchingly. "You need to get back to the palace to be tended to. We'll go and check out the camp. Crane, Mantis, come on." She motioned to her friends and took off running.

"We'll be back by sundown." Crane told me and turned to leave.

"Be careful." I told him locking my eyes with his shy hazel ones. With a curt nod he pumped his wings to catch the pair of Kung Fu masters. I sighed and slumped my shoulders.

"Why would they take my family?" I moaned.

"I don't know, my love. I just don't know." Shen rubbed my shoulders and kissed my head as I began to weep softly.

Once again, sorry for the wait, but that's just the way it has to be. I'm trying my hardest to keep it going though! Thank you for the support! XD