I am sorry you had to wait a few days for this one, but I've been away from my computer and am using my moms...yeah...so I will be a bit slow this week, but here's a long, fun chapter to get you over for now. TTYL!

Chapter 14

Rest Day at the Palace

"Lien, stop it!" Crane called from far below. I was perched in a tree and was going to test my wing.

"But it feels fine!" I called.

"All you did was sleep three nights! Not drink a magical potion!"

"Come down!" Viper hissed.

"But…"

"For goodness sake," Shifu entered the courtyard and frustration flared in his eyes. "Lien! Get your tail down here! Now!" His voice shook with anger and I immediately scampered down the tree trunk. Shifu never got this angry with us. Critical yes. But truthfully angry, no.

"Umm…uhh…" I mumbled when I touched the ground.

"Umm…uhh… is right! What has gotten into you? You have not been yourself lately." Shifu growled at me and smacked my good wing with his staff. I didn't move but took the words without a flinch.

"I don't know Shifu. I guess three years away from the Jade Palace has messed with my head." I said stiffly.

"I should say so." He growled, and thought for a moment. "You are confined to the city for the remainder of the day." He stood in front of me with his spine rigidly straight and his ears pinned back.

"But Shifu! Shen is…" I tired to object.

"Shen is trapped and there is nothing you can do for him if you mess up the healing process in your wing. You were lucky it was only a disjoint instead of a break, and that you were not killed." I hung my head but didn't turn away. I noticed the little red panda soften a bit. "Go and talk to the Soothsayer before the day is out. She may clear you to fly sooner than you think."

"Yes master." I replied and waited for him to dismiss me. He nodded and I walked calmly into the palace, and out into the garden. I started to pace back and forth on the path next to the lotus pond, mumbling to myself. This was the same pond where Shen had tucked that lotus behind my ear all those years ago. "Now, now. Try and keep your mind off him." I scolded myself, though I knew it would be all but impossible.

"You can do this Lien. One day in the city will be fine." One day in the city with Shen would be fine, but knowing he was trapped in the mountain without a chance to escape would probably drive me to insanity before too long. "Just breathe and try to stay busy." I mumbled again. I looked around. Nothing of interest here. Well except the Soothsayer.

I began meandering my way to her hut. Taking my time though, I enjoyed all of the gardeners work. Each and every one of the bushes was trimmed to perfection and the flowers were all in full bloom, emitting magical fragrances. I paused at the far edge of the lotus pond and inhaled deeply. The beautiful flowers' perfume made my eyes roll back in my head in ecstasy and I felt myself swoon a tad.

"Easy there. Wouldn't want you to fall in." The Soothsayer stepped up next to me with a smile on her face.

"Thanks for your concern, but I should be fine." I replied with a smile.

"Of course." She rolled her wise old eyes. "Why don't we take a look at that wing while you're here?" She stepped over to me and I extended my wing to her.

"That would be wonderful." I sighed as she untied the sling and I flexed the muscles. It felt good to get the joint moving. Mainly because it didn't even hurt anymore. The Soothsayer had me move it back and forth, and listened for any popping, grinding or clicking. There was none.

"Looks like to me you only have to rest it for the rest of the day and you're good to go." She said with a beaming smile.

"Alright! I can't wait!" I spread my wings to zoom into the sky but my nurse smacked my good wing with her cane.

"Ahahah. None of that!" The Soothsayer shook a hoof at me like I was a chick stealing chocolate from the treat can. Then she smiled slyly, "At least until tomorrow."

"Thank you Soothsayer. For everything." I placed my right wing over my heart as a showing of gratitude.

"Not a problem, my future queen." She nodded and stood with her cane directly in front of her. "Now try and keep busy for the remainder of the day."

"I will try my absolute hardest." I winked at her and walked back into the palace.

I waked up tier by tier to try and find something, anything to do. There was nothing.

Eventually I made it to the fifth tier just as Crane was flying up. I didn't notice at first and was lost in admiring the mural. I was staring at the cliff beneath the Peach Tree of Wisdom where I had painted myself with Shen's seal over my heart. I sighed and remembered the sound of Shen's heartbeat when we woke on top of the Tower of Sacred Flame not so many nights ago. I missed him so much; it was painful.

"I'll be out of here soon, my love. Then I will find you and we will be married. Finally. And Bo-Chen you will be my maid of honor, and Genji you will stand by Shen after you give me away of course." And so I went on describing how the wedding will be as my heart ached to be telling it all to the ones I was talking about.

When I was finished, Crane silently stepped up next to me and said quietly, "Sounds like a wonderful affair." I started and flinched back.

"Oh Crane! It's just you." I breathed. He chuckled and ruffled his feathers.

"Yup, just me." He smiled and his hazel eyes glittered.

"What are you so happy about?" I grinned.

"Oh, I'm just having a good day off." He was still smiling in a goofy way.

"Alright spill. What did you do?" I teased him and he led me over to the terrace.

"You remember that girl Mantis mentioned I met the night of the festival? Well," He trailed off and I turned to him.

"You spoke to her again?" I squealed like a little girl.

"Yea! I found out that she works as a florist downtown and I sorta asked her on a date tonight!"

"You did! Oh Crane! I'm so happy for you!" I hugged him tightly with my good wing. "What are you gonna do?"

"Well I was thinking of taking her on a walk along the pier, then maybe taking her to the roof?" He asked sheepishly and looked upwards.

"Go for it!" I couldn't stop smiling now. "Really. Anything you need, just ask."

"Thank you Lien. You're the best friend I could ask for;" Crane paused and added, "Shen is lucky to have you." I sighed and looked at my feet.

"If only he was here to tell you what he thought of those words." The blanket of sadness returned.

"Hey," The other master placed his wing under my chin and turned it to face him again. "We'll leave tomorrow to go and look for tunnel openings on this side of the peaks. Just stay out of trouble until then, kay?"

"Ok." I mumbled and hugged him again playfully. "So what the heck is everybody doing?" I wondered aloud.

"Well, let's see. Po, Tigress, and Monkey went back to the mountain to look around for tunnels. Viper and Mantis took over for your class today," Each of the masters had been taking shifts with the kids so that they didn't get too soft while I was on the Soothsayer's healing list. They had been ecstatic! I guess they would be when the greatest Kung Fu minds in all of China had agreed to show them their secrets. "And I've,"

"Been wooing flower shop girls." I teased. Then I squealed when he pinched my shoulder and started chasing me. "Crane! Crane stop it!" I shouted and sprinted down the stairs. He soared in front of me and I jumped over the last bit of the banister and ran for the next set of stairs. "Cheater! You know I can't fly!"

"Exactly why I am flying." My friend called from above me. "Remember Shifu's mantra?"

"How could I forget?" I replied and we recited it together while pausing to spar. "Take your enemy's strength and use it against him." I grabbed his wing, flipped him and, kicked him gently towards the wall. Gently would be compared to my normal rib snapping kick that could drop a full grown wolf to his knees in an instant. Then I sprinted down the next two flights of stairs before Crane caught me again.

We were now on the second floor and not too far off the ground now. "You're not getting to the garden." Crane stood in front of me with his wings spread out menacingly and his eyes narrowed with a villainous grin on his beak. The garden had subconsciously become our "safe point."

"How much are you willing to bet on that theory, Master Crane?" I crooned also feeling villainous.

"Enough to get you back to your right mind, peahen." I rolled my eyes and feinted right then dove left zipping past him and to the balcony. I stood on the rail and watched him run over.

"One more step and I'll jump." I was full out acting now, as my voice shook with false anger.

"Lien…" Crane brought his wings up in front of his face. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Stupid huh?" I cocked my right eyebrow and smiled, "How's this for stupid?" I leapt off the rail and spread my long tail to glide down and across the garden. "Woohoo!" I cheered. This was the closest I had come to flying since waking up three days ago, and it felt amazing!

"Mistress?" Bo came out of nowhere and ran smack into my face.

"What are you doing?" We asked simultaneously.

"I was just flying, what were you doing?" Again together.

"Aren't you banned from flying?" Bo chided.

"Aren't you supposed to be on patrol?" I snipped back to have the last word.

"Well, umm…" Bo looked down. It was then we realized we were falling out of the sky, right above the lotus pond. A loud scream flew out of both of our mouths as we broke through the still surface of the pond with a huge splash. I touched the bottom with my talons and shoved off to rocket to the surface. I reached the air and gasped. My robe was soaked, not to mention that my feathers were plastered against my body. Bo crawled up on shore and just lay in the sunshine.

"Can we please not do that again?" The little tan sugar glider panted.

"As you wish." I exhaled.

"What was that?" Crane nearly screamed landing by my head.

"Well…uh…I was trying to get away from you, and I've seen Shen glide like that a lot, and I sorta thought it would work?" I squeaked.

"Well it didn't! You could have hurt yourself again!" The ever chivalrous master helped me to my feet. Bo stood as well and shook herself. She fluffed up like a little furry firework as she did and I couldn't help but laugh.

"What? Why don't you try keeping your fur under control in this weather?" She snapped as I covered my beak with my wing.

"First off, I don't have fur. I have feathers." She stuck out her little pink tongue at that and I laughed again, "And two I will have to agree that the weather has been pretty warm and humid for this time of year." I shivered though from a breeze that gusted through.

"Come on. We need to get you warmed up again." Crane wrapped his wing around me and lead me towards the palace door.

"Do you think you could fly me up, please?" I asked like a child and batted my long eyelashes. Crane smiled and chuckled softly. I tucked my wings close to my body and he gently lifted me off the ground. After only a few moments of flight I was back in my room.

"Here you go." Crane stepped towards the balcony.

"Thanks Crane, for everything today. You knew exactly what I needed."

"Anytime. I had to do something to keep you out of trouble." He smiled.

"Ok enough out of me. Go get yourself a girl!" I shooed him off the balcony and he flew out over the city happily. I stripped off my wet robe and wiggled into my night clothes. I looked at a little painting that Shen and I had done of the two of us.

"Tomorrow Shen. Tomorrow, I'm going back to those mountains and I'm going to find you." Then I kissed the painting quickly and drifted off into sleep.