(Woo Chapter 15! :D Yay! Anyhoo Tigress as you know is mentioned. The rest of the Five I will eventually mention if I don't forget. ;) I'll probably make a reference :) )
Chapter 15: Zhang Liao Meets Tigress for the First Time; Liao goes to Work.
Zhang Liao. He is really Shu Ai under the iron mask but only Ping knows of it. Today he would finally go to the Chor Ghom Prison to work. But first he would go drop Ping off at the Bao Gu Orphanage and to take a look at the new kid Ping told him about.
"I probably never mentioned this before, but I'm Zhang Liao outside. You probably shouldn't mention that I'm Shu Ai," Zhang Liao told Ping as they neared the Orphanage.
"I know, yet I still wonder why you won't expose yourself," Ping replied with a nod.
"Do not worry about the reason," Liao replied.
"By the way, where is that Staff you always carried around?" Ping wondered where the Sansetsukon which Zhang Liao always held was.
"Remember that there were three of us? Meng, Li, and me? Well, Hei Li is a disciple of the Dragon Style and prefers staffs whenever they train with weapons. He borrowed mine apparently because there's a shortage of supplies there. Anyway, if he doesn't return it, I've got my eyes on a Spear I've wanted to try," Zhang Liao said, remembering Hei Li going to him one day and telling him about it.
"Hm… Where's the other one gone? You know, Meng…" Ping asked.
"You're curious. That's good. Meng Luo has been asleep for a long time. He got too drunk at one of the bars and has been sleeping ever since. Pity, he's the strong one," Liao said.
"It is said that one is balanced through negative and positive attributes. One shoots up and the other one is sure to follow," Ping admitted.
"Hm, cute and smart. Well said, Ping," Liao patted him on his shoulder.
"Aah… I receive compliments from Zhang Liao himself…" Ping was embarrassed as he smiled.
"Well, Ping, if you're embarrassed, it's best if you don't look around. Everyone's whispering how Ping of the Bao Gu Orphanage is with Zhang Liao," Liao had noticed this before Ping did.
"Gah…" Ping laughed in embarrassment.
"By the way, is Fei still working there?" Liao asked.
"Nah, he retired a day after he told me about you three," Ping replied and sensed disappoint in Zhang Liao. Fei was one of his co-workers and friends when he was younger.
They arrived soon at the Orphanage and Ping went ahead through the entrance to report that Zhang Liao was Shifu's one-day replacement. Zhang Liao looked around the Orphanage for the first time in four years.
"Hm, not how I remember. They've made renovations. I bet they never touched my room, though," Liao recognized only a few places and hoped they didn't ruin his room. Curiosity overwhelmed him as he took the path that led to his room. Some kids who saw him wondered who he was and those who knew him wondered why Zhang Liao was where he was.
Zhang Liao then stopped at the door that led to his room. He looked at it as memories flooded his mind.
"Ping, this is my room! Welcome! Hey, don't touch that…!" Shu, then twelve, showed Ping his room. Ping allowed excitement and curiosity to overwhelm him as he began to touch books and putting stuff out of place.
"Mr. Shu… What is the Three Kingdoms Era?" Ping asked, noticing this book.
"Oh, that… um…" Shu scratched his head as he started to explain.
Zhang Liao smiled underneath his mask.
"Ping… What's the matter, it's late at night… Or it's past midnight so its morning…" Shu mumbled as he allowed Ping to enter as he knocked earlier. Shu was now 15 and Ping was six.
"I had a nightmare… Can I sleep with you, father Shu?" Ping asked, looking scared.
"One… Don't call me Father and two never put Father next to my name, it makes me sound old and like I'm going monk… And sure, you can stay. Come here, we'll fit in this bed somehow," Shu moved over for Ping.
"Excuse me, sir…" A new faculty member by the name of Dian pulled Liao from his flashbacks. He looked at him through his mask.
"This Shu Ai must be special," Zhang Liao said.
"Oh he's a… a legend around here. His room… is sacred. Only Ping is allowed in there, and he does everything from cl…cleaning to organizing," Dian was obviously nervous as he was stuttering.
"You're stuttering. There's no need to worry. I won't bite… How can I, right?" Liao tapped his mask showing that he couldn't.
"O…oh…. Anyway… Ping said you were Master Shifu's replacement?" Dian asked, still nervous.
"I'm dropping him off and taking a look at the new kid… er… Tigress. I have to go to the Chor Ghom Prison to work," Liao explained briefly.
"Ah, I…I see. Well… Ti…Tigress is in her room, over there… No one goes near her, except for Ping…" Zhang Liao understood now the situation. It seems Ping is the only one with the courage to go near Tigress.
"Do they speak?" Liao asked as he and Dian walked to her room.
"He's the… the only one who does… But he has fear just like us… His courage though is great, he's the only one who talks and plays with her," Dian explained honestly and briefly.
They finally arrived at Tigress' room.
"Hm, five rooms from Shu… Interesting," Liao counted the doors.
Dian knocked at the door of Tigress.
"Go away…" The sound of a lonely girl sounded from inside.
"I'll give it a shot, thank you for showing me. Why don't you fetch Ping? I may need assistance," Zhang Liao whispered to Dian who nodded in agreement and left to get Ping.
Zhang Liao knocked more softly now and introduced himself. "This is Zhang Liao, a friend of Ping," Liao said as friendly as he could.
He waited for a while before he heard the unlocking of the door. The door opened a little and a very young tigress peeked out with lonely eyes.
"Hi there, you must be Tigress," Liao replied.
"Li-yaoh? A fwiend of Ping?" Liao noticed her pronounciation needed work, but it was great for someone her age.
"Liao. And yes, I am a friend of Ping," Liao corrected and nodded. He did not sense the temper from Tigress yet he sensed strength. He remembered Tai Lung as well.
"Ping… was the only one who evah talked to me… So any fwiend of him is a friend of mine!" Tigress smiled as she opened the door to have a better look at her new friend.
"I'm friends with Tigress right away! Awesome! I hope they fix her pronunciation though…" Liao nodded.
"Zhang Liao! I see you've met Tigress," Ping finally arrived.
"Ping! Yay! Is he really your fwiend, Li-yaoh?" Tigress seemed excited as Ping arrived. She rushed to his side and asked him if they really knew each other.
"Yes, I and Liao are friends. We're… close," Ping replied honestly, patting her on her head.
"Hee, yay!" Tigress smiled.
"Where is the temper you said? I don't sense any. She just needs to maintain control and friendship," Liao whispered and Ping nodded.
"I'm glad we met, young Tigress. I sense great things will happen to you. You have strength that no one else has," Liao told Tigress who looked happy and excited to hear that.
"But… I have to go," Liao said. This gave both Ping and Tigress a disappointed look.
"Awww but we just met…" Tigress said.
"So soon, Liao?" Ping asked.
"I've put off work for far too long. Ping, if you need help, feel free to write to me and to look for Meng Lao and or Hei Li. Just mention me," Liao told him that he can be contacted through letters and that Meng Lao and Hei Li were available if his name was metioned.
"I understand. Anything else, Liao?" Ping asked.
"Two thing; one, take care of Tigress," Liao said. He put a teasing grin of Tigress.
"And the second?" Ping asked.
"I'm proud of you, Ping. I love you, and I'm always with you. Never forget that," Liao whispered as Shu Ai to Ping.
Ping smiled greatly as he hugged the warrior.
"Awww, how sweet! Can we do that sometime, Ping?" Tigress asked Ping.
"Sure. If we can get close," Ping replied, looking at Tigress and nodding after letting go of Liao.
"Take care of yourselves. Ping, contact me if you need to. Li, Meng, and even that old man Shifu are available," Liao was sure that Shifu wasn't that ignorant.
He bid farewell to Ping, Tigress, and the Orphanage. Little did he know that he was about to be a bystander once more to events he never expected to happen. One of these events was that he was not allowed to leave the Chor Ghom Prison while Tai Lung was imprisoned.