Chapter 12

New Hope

"Shh, calm down now Lien. Everything is fine. You just need to breathe." The Soothsayer held my head in her shoulder as I sobbed for what seemed like a whole day.

"Fine?" I spluttered through the plethora of tears, "Fine? Shen is dead! He died in that cave! I should have never let him come with us!" I blamed myself for this whole thing. I should have gotten to the cave by myself and freed my family that way. Now Shen was really gone.

This wasn't like when I was banished. I knew Shen was still alive then. Even though he turned black-hearted, I knew he was alive. I knew I would see him, living, breathing, and standing before me again. His warm eyes looking at me with nothing but love in them, then wrapping his strong wings around me so tightly that I knew he would never let go.

But now, he was just gone. There was no way he would ever come back. I watched him fall to the bottom of the chasm with my brother and sister still trapped in that horrible cage. I watched him disappear from my sight forever. I hadn't even gotten to tell him goodbye.

"Lien this is not your fault." The old goat tried to comfort. I couldn't even talk anymore. My whole body was racked with sobs. I was shaking on top of that, and I felt cold, so cold. "You have to try and calm down or you might pass out again." She held my shoulders and made me look at her. I nodded like a little school girl and tried to breathe in through my nose and out through my beak. I was getting calmer and could feel my heartbeat slowing down.

Then I started thinking of how the fragile thing would pound against my breast-bone when Shen would lean in to kiss me. The same would happen when he would nuzzle his head in the crook of my neck and murmur words as sweet as the richest chocolate in my ear. I broke into sobs again. "He's gone. He's really gone." I blubbered as the Soothsayer pulled me to her again.

"Shh. Shh." She cooed and just let me shed my broken-hearted tears while she petted my head.

"Lien?" Tigress and Viper had come up to the room to check on me earlier, but the Soothsayer had told them to come back later. I guess this was later. I turned around and tried to dry my eyes with the handkerchief that the Soothsayer handed me. I only succeeded in soaking the kerchief.

"Oh, hey girls." I said in a shuttering voice. I tried to force a smile, but choked on it and forced myself not to break down again. They made their way over to the nest and sat down with me. Both offered a hug and I did cry when they did. "You girls are the best friends I could ask for!" I told them drying my eyes again.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Bo came soring in and landed in the nest too.

"Of course not! I just didn't see you." I almost smiled at the sight of her little face so worried.

"Lien, we have good news." Viper said from where she was curled up next to me. "We think Genji, Bo-Chen, and Shen are all still alive." They had my full attention, and somehow the tears had stopped.

"What?" I breathed considering the possibilities.

"I've heard rumors about tunnels going through those mountains. Are they true?" Tigress asked softly. My eyes snapped open and I gasped.

"The tunnels! Why didn't I think of that before?" I leapt out of the nest, slipped and tumbled over to my closet, ignoring all of the pain that seared through me as I did. I flung open the door and grabbed an old wooden box.

"What's that?" Bo asked as I sat back down with a giddy smile.

"In this box are all of the drawings I made of the tunnels when my father took me through them when I was little. He told me that the tunnels were a place to escape, should one have to, and that I would need to know how to navigate them so that I wouldn't get lost. He took me through the entire labyrinth and showed me all of the possible ways to get in and out. I made maps of them and I know I can still navigate them." I pulled out a few of the drawings and the whole group oohed and awed at the pen strokes.

"Shifu said that He-Lei talked about taking you through them so we thought we would check." Tigress said taking a map in her paws to examine it closer.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was like a labyrinth." Bo said. On the inside of the top half of the box I had glued a picture of the tunnels as a whole and it looked like a ball of tangled silk. They overlapped, weaved through and around each other, and to the untrained eye, they looked like a death wish.

"They really are. But my father knew them inside and out, and he showed me everything. As long as I go with you we should be fine." I was so excited now. Shen could be alive! My heart had pieced itself back together and now I could continue on with my life! "When do we want to leave?"

"Lien-Hua, you get it out of your mind that you're going anywhere today, maybe even tomorrow. Everyone needs some time to recuperate, and you have a broken wing, lest I remind you." The Soothsayer spoke for the first time in a while. She pointed her cane at my wing and I realized that I would not be able to fly. It was in a splint and covered in some foul smelling stuff that felt pretty good where the feathers were gone.

"And all of the tunnels on this side of the mountains are probably sealed off because of the explosion." Viper added.

"Right." I mumbled. Getting over the peaks would definitely be harder now. I was still thinking hard when a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Your majesty?" A small voice said. It was a little gazelle maid and she stepped in carefully.

"No need to be afraid dear," I told her and motioned her over to the nest.

"Are you alright? The whole staff is worried about you, not to mention the whole city. Do you need anything?" I smiled warmly at her. The city was rather fond of us for all that we had done for them, and I had to blink back tears of happiness as she spoke.

"No dear. Please, don't fret about me. Everything will be fine." She deflated a little and I continued, "But if you really want to do something you can make some tea and take it to the fifth floor. I will meet you there soon to collect it."

"Yes ma'am." She brightened and skipped out the door back down to the kitchens.

"Wow. They really love you." Viper hissed.

"I guess they do." I smiled and moved to stand. All moved to help me after seeing my epic failure not moments before but I shooed them back. "I can do it. I don't plan on taking a tumble like that again soon." We all laughed for the first time that day. "Bo, why don't you go tell Po to start some of that noodle soup? I don't know about you girls but I'm starving!"

"Aye aye Lien! You don't have to tell me twice!" Bo scrambled out and over the balcony as fast as she could.

"Silly little squirrel." I chuckled, then turned to the girls. "I'm going to change into something a touch less ripped, and covered in blood. After that I would really appreciate it if you could help me get down the stairs and to your suite. I have some explaining to do." Then I examined Tigress' clothing. It too was ripped and looking scraggly. "Oh and here." I stepped over to my closet and handed her a long robe. "I know it's not your style, but it will have to do while we get your clothes cleaned and stitched up."

"Thank you Lien." She said and hugged me.

"Not a problem. After dinner I'll have a few tubs sent up so that we can all bathe, and you girls can spend the night up here."

"It will be like we're teenagers again!" Viper cheered and we all high fived excitedly. It was fun to pretend to be so carefree again. I looked out over the darkening valley and to the mountains that had swallowed my family. I am coming for you guys. Just try and hang on.

! Everything's gonna be ok! haha Or is it? IDK! lol Now...here's the Big Burning Question: Are you going to review? XD