And so the imfamous PrairieRose1017 has returned! Sorry it took so long, but I should have a bunch of chapters upp very soon! Enjoy!
Chapter 10
Return to the Palace
"CUT THE FUSES! HURRY!" I screeched to my friends as I scrambled to get to the pack of gunpowder furthest up the mountain.
"LIEN! It's too late! You'll get blown to pieces if you…" The rest of Shifu's command was cut off as the explosives went off in my face. I was flung back at least forty feet and began falling and spinning uncontrollably towards the valley floor.
Suddenly thin talons locked on my wing and jerked me out of the spiral. I snapped my wings open and was able to catch myself a scant ten feet from the ground. I didn't even notice Crane as I flew as fast as I ever had to get back to the collapsing cave; I could have broken the sound barrier again, but I didn't care. Shen was in that cave with my brother and sister and I was almost helpless. Almost.
I made it to the ledge and changed my course from vertical to horizontal and rocketed towards the cave mouth. I didn't care if I got squished; I had to help my family and my beloved Shen. If we were to die today, then we would all die together.
I made it into the cave, after ignoring the warrior's cries for me to stop, and looked around. Boulders were breaking from the ceiling as though they were crumbs on a loaf of bread. KABOOM! Another set of explosives went off. I looked towards the ledge and saw Shen struggling with the rope that held Genji and Bo-Chen suspended in that ugly cage. "Shen! I'm coming!" I cried but my voice was drowned out by the rumbling of the rock. I spread my wings to fly over to them, but a squirrel sized rock smashed into my right wing, catching it on the elbow and I screamed. It was broken no doubt.
I couldn't quit there, no way, so I took off running like a madman, leaping over wolf carcasses towards the ledge. I watched as my little siblings screamed when the cage bucked violently, and Shen's talons drug across the stone creating a wave of sparks. I was almost there when and enormous chunk of the ceiling smashed into the floor, not breaths from my beak, and it started to split.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Genji screamed but I couldn't see him.
"I won't let you!" I cried but I knew they couldn't hear me. I turned and moved to run around the boulder, but the floor gave out. I started to fall and a real fear, a fear of actually dying, spread through my body. Out of instinct I tried to fly, but my wing quickly and angrily reminded me that I couldn't. "HELP!" I screamed and fell. I watched the stalagmites get closer and could see that one was going to skewer me and I started to cry.
Right before peahen met pointed rock strong paws wrapped around me. "Gotcha!" Monkey breathed and we were dragged back to the collapsed ledge. Just as I got my footing, saw The Five standing there, and reached to dry my eyes, a medium sized rock hit me square on the top of my head and my world went black.
"Grab her and get out of the cave before it collapses completely!" Shifu commanded. Tigress grabbed the unconscious peahen and dashed for the mouth with her partners following closely. The last chance of escape was getting smaller as the warriors from the Valley of Peace zipped through. They sprinted over the edge of the cliff and all sprawled out on the grass of the valley as the rest of the cliff face collapsed.
Panting they sat up and looked at each other. "What do we do?" Po asked, shock written on every feature.
"What can we do?" Viper sighed.
"The only thing we can," Shifu stood. "Get Lien back to the palace for the Soothsayer to tend to her."
"What about them?" Mantis asked pointing to the mountain.
"If they are still alive," Tigress spoke up, "They will be trapped still. I've heard rumors about tunnels in these mountains, but I think all of the gunpowder probably sealed off all the ones on this side of the peaks."
"Maybe Lien knows of them?" Monkey suggested.
"I bet she would. He-Lei used to talk about them too. He told us that he was going to show Lien all the routes and patterns in case she would need to know it one day." Shifu explained. "He always did talk of his family
"Let's just hope that the rock that hit her didn't erase her memory." Crane mumbled.
"When did you start to be the pessimist?" Viper teased the tall bird.
"When I thought I had a brilliant idea and we all ended up getting hurt because of it." He snapped.
"Don't worry Crane. Lien will be fine." Po tried to comfort.
"She's not the only one I'm worried about." Crane looked back to the mountain. He and Shen had become very close friends over the time they had spent together rebuilding Gongmen. The thought of losing his sort of best friend was like the thought of losing a wing!
"Shen's a strong bird. So are Genji and Bo-Chen." Shifu comforted. "And considering they all have had the experience of living with the ever paranoid Lien," The whole group laughed as memories of every little thing that Lien would stress about back at the Jade Palace passed through their minds. "They should be fine."
"But first we have to go and get Lien tended to. Her wing looks pretty bad." Po said after looking at the sleeping peahen's wing. It was bloody and all of the feathers at the joint were stripped away.
"Right come on." Tigress lead the way back to the palace, and Lien was being carried by the ever so cautious Crane. He held her just under her wings and flew at a loose pace so he didn't jostle her broken wing.
Soon they came over the palace wall, followed by a small crowd of civilians who were insanely curious as to where their future king and queen were. "Please, you must be patient." Po, Monkey, and Viper tried to explain to them as they shut the palace gates.
"We will have your answers soon enough." The people were still distressed but they complied.
"Oh no!" The Soothsayer gasped as Crane laid Lien at her hooves. "Where is Shen? One would think he would be out of his mind with worry right now." She smirked and examined the break and the bump on the pretty pink peahen's dainty head.
"He's…" Crane couldn't finish as his throat constricted, and Mantis covered for him.
"Shen got trapped in the mountain with Genji-Feng and Bo-Chen." The little green master said.
"Oh my!" The old goat looked at her feet and took a moment to compose herself. Then she started rattling off orders. "Crane get Lien up to her room and in her nest, then come back and fly me up there" She smiled at the spindly bird, "Easier for me that way. Tigress, Viper, and Mantis help me carry supplies up to the room; Po and Monkey go get us some tea and noodle soup we've all had a long day and need nourishment for the days ahead."
"Yes ma'am!" All of the warriors saluted and took off to complete their tasks. All except Shifu. "What will you have me do Soothsayer?" The elder red panda questioned.
"Help me, of course." She smiled ad Shifu returned the gesture before following Crane up to the seventh tier of the palace. He entered the royal suit and his jaw dropped.
"Wow. These peacocks really know how to live!" Crane sighed after setting Lien in the nest.
"Lien always wanted to return to the palace. I see why now." Shifu said and walked over to the nest. "Here, I'll situate her, you get the Soothsayer."
"Yes master." Crane was back in only a few moments with the old goat in his talons.
"You've trained your warriors well, Master Shifu." She complimented as the rest of his warriors minus the monkey and panda arrived. After treating the various cuts and scrapes on Lien's body the old goat moved on to setting the wing correctly. When she popped it back into place Lien let out a pitiful wail, then sunk back into her dreaming state. At this the whole group winced.
Soon everything was finished and all of the warriors were treated. "You may all go to your rooms. Have a maid bring my food up to me when it is finished. I will stay here and watch over her." The soothsayer explained.
"Just call if you need anything." Crane offered and followed his friends down to their rooms. The rest of the night went without a hitch until about four a.m. when Lien woke up sobbing and calling for Shen. Every warrior wanted to go to her side, but decided that leaving it to the Soothsayer was best. The one line that they all heard over and over was:
"My Shen, my wonderful Shen is dead!"
*sniffle sniffle* I'm not crying... just got a piece of dust in my eye... ;) But seriously! I'm a horrible person! I'm so sorry Lien! Shen will be ok...maybe...Who am I kidding? What kind of story would it be if Shen really were dead?