A/N: Hello, I'm updating again. I hope that my chapters I have uploaded (being chapter 14 and this current one) are satisfactory. If they are not, please feel free to yell, criticize, etc. me. Leave in the reviews or PM me. If, in the chance, that you are satisfied by these chapters (and maybe my entire story) please leave a review or anything you feel necessary. Thanks for reading. I know that I am not using the original Kung Fu Panda characters that much, please don't worry, I plan on bringing them in a lot more in future chapters and throughout the entire sequel. Thanks for reading! Hope I didn't tick anyone off when I killed Shifu...
On that note, enjoy!
Sun was shoved roughly into the tent. As the female tiger lay on the ground, blood dripping from her mouth, she was chained up.
"Hey," growled one of the guards. "Hear that Canku is allowing the chains to be longer? Guess Xisong being pregnant has made them a bit soft, hah."
"Nah, I think its part of their whole, psychological thing. Whatever that is."
"I think its working on you!"
Kun listened quietly as his wife was being cuffed yet again. Two weeks had passed since the attack on the mountain village. They still wouldn't give into what the wolves' wanted - for them to bow before them. So the torturing had continued. Kun had received some of the more harsh ones, but Sun had received the most. Day after day, she was tortured. They were very picky about the ones they chose. The most pain inflicted without worry of killing Sun. Both tigers felt terrible throughout the day. The only time they felt a little bit happy was talking to their new ally, Aleksey. The northern snow fox had given them something to look forward to and was becoming an anchor for them, someone from the real world, a person to help them through their pain besides themselves. As soon as the guards left, Kun limped over to Sun limp body. He lay next to her and lifted her head up slowly.
"What now?" he whispered. Sun moved closer to Kun, letting the warmth of his still strong body seep into her. She shuddered a bit. The snow fox looked at Sun.
"Open your mouth, comrade," he said.
Sun weakly obeyed. Kun and Aleksey peered into the dark mouth. Aleksey cursed. All along the roof of her mouth and her tough, thin incisions had been made. The tearing told him that his hadn't been quickly. No, they had pulled the blade slowly, agonizingly slow. Her forehead was damp. Water torture as well; the steady dripping of the water would drive anyone crazy, regardless of their training. Kun pulled Sun even closer. He kissed the top of her head lovingly. Sun shoved her head into his chest. Her eyes were half closed and she kneaded Kun's fur with her paws, trying to show her affection with her fading strength. Aleksey crossed over the dark tent to his designated sleeping area. He reached in a pulled out two leaves. He tapped on Sun's shoulder. Looking at Aleksey, the pain still showing in her eyes, she stared at Aleksey. The tough foxes' heart crumbled. These two had done nothing and now they were suffering. Silently, he vowed he would help them escape.
"Put these in your wife's mouth, comrade," said Aleksey. "These will sooth her mouth and let her fall into a dreamless sleep. Something I fear she has a lack of."
Gingerly placing the two herbs in Sun's mouth, Kun laid her on the cold ground. Taking off the thin cloak they had supplied them with, he draped it over her body. The now bare-chested tiger sat at her side, refusing to move, caressing her body tenderly. Sun was the only thing he had left. Tai was dead, killed by those two monsters. He wouldn't loose her.
"What am I to do, Aleksey," said Kun, despair filled his voice. "Nothing I do or can do will help us."
"But I can," replied the snow fox mysteriously. The fox dropped his voice to whisper. "Today, comrade, I promised myself that I will help you and your wife escape. I had been collecting things you needed during the fight at the mountain town." Aleksey gulped visibly. He hated the memories that still lingered in his mind. He pressed on. "I have a lock pick and a small broken blade that can help you escape. I don't know how I was able to do this without being noticed, but I have a few clothes for you to wear, as the cold will get to you. A single knife is yours too."
Kun's ears lifted.
"When do we go?"
"Tonight would be the best night. It would be instant and they wouldn't know about it."
The beech marten edged over, his gloomy voice cutting in.
"I doubt you will be able to escape, but I can help you with the terrain around us."
Aleksey looked at Timoteo in shock.
"When have you ever wanted to help someone?
The bags under Timoteo's eyes could be seen as he moved closer. The marten looked even more bedraggled and gloomy than before.
"When have you ever questioned help?"
Aleksey smiled grimly,
"Lots of times. But I suppose your help, good or bad, can provide some chance for their escape."
"And why don't we escape with them?"
Aleksey looked into his eyes. He then looked at Kun. Kun nodded,
"There is strength in numbers yet numbers can be detected easier. Your choice, you can come or stay…..comrade."
Aleksey's grim smile turned into a sincere smile at the Tiger Lord's use of his term for friend.
"Haha, so we all go then. Let's get started then. First off, we need to get out of these chains…"
Night fell and the stars danced with the moon all along its steady course. As the moon crept to its zenith, the fires of the wolves' camp dimmed. Embers were left and the snores of soldiers could be heard far and wide. The two guards at the prisoner tent heard nothing but a faint wheezing. One of them slumped forward, dosing off. The other just stared at the ground in front of him. These past weeks had been uneventful, nothing but marching day and night. He needed sometime to rest and now was the time. He closed his eyes and followed suite with the other guard. If he had stayed awake a minute longer, he would have heard the clank of chains being dropped to the group and the yawn of the prisoners waking up. The cuff slipped from Sun's paw. She smiled fondly at the snow fox. Kun was flexing his claws and tossed the knife from paw to paw. The gloomy beech marten sulked at the back of the tent, waiting to be off. At last, the final bond from Sun's foot paw was loosened and she was free. She gave Aleksey and quick hug. Aleksey pushed her off playfully.
"Go and give your husband that, I'm in no need of a hug," he said.
Sun looked at her husband.
"I do hope this works," she whispered. Kun brushed the fur on Sun's head affectionately. He kissed her.
"It will," he whispered back.
"Get back to your sleep areas," hissed Aleksey, "The guards are going to check in with us."
A tent flap swung open. The bear looked around suspiciously. Nobody moved, each pantomiming sleeping. His massive head disappeared. A low grumble could be heard as he told his replacement guard they were still there. A salute was given and he lumbered off. The new guard was still a bit woozy from walking up; this was the perfect time to go.
"Out the back," said Aleksey, as loud as he dared.
Kun took hold of Sun's arm and they went wiggled out the back between the tight opening. Timoteo went next. As he left his sleeping area, he seemed to tug on something, but stopped. He shook his head and then struggled to get out. Kun had to pull him through. Aleksey went last and made it with no problems.
"To where now?" he asked.
"Where do you want to go? The best place to get out is that way," said Timoteo, a claw pointing to the far edge of the army. "If we climb up there, we won't be seen."
Aleksey nodded,
"After that, Kun and Sun, I hope you know where you're going, otherwise, comrades, we will be lost and as good as dead."
Kun nodded grimly and took Sun's paw.
"Up we go."
Canku lay awake in his bed. He stared at the bell that hung so low to ground. The ringer had a string attached to it. It moved slightly, then, with more purpose. Just as suddenly as it had begun to move, it stopped and rested back to its original position. He grinned. He had been waiting for this for a while. He shook Xisong.
"The prisoners are escaping and our spy has decided to go with them."
Xisong bolted upright.
"We need to catch them," she said urgently. Canku nodded and bounded out of their tent. Xisong was bit slower, her bump now a bit more noticeable. The commotion caused the outside guard to shout with surprise.
"Call out the order! The archers around the camp, if they should see the prisoners escaping, should shoot to injure, not kill. Understood!"
The wolf nodded and drew back his head. He filled his lungs with air and out came a long howl. Other howls and yips came back from around the camp. The archers were at the ready. Anything that dared try to escape would be in their grasps. Canku grabbed his sword and started walking among the wide circle of archers. Xisong followed behind with a spear. Each one nodded at their presence, yet kept their heads turn forward to look for the escapees. Finally, a loud yowl ululating call from an archer not far ahead reached Canku's ears. He rushed forward and soon came to the the female leopard who had called out the alarm. She fired an arrow into an area below her and a shriek of pain followed. The boar archer beside her turned and fired as well. A growl was heard and a loud, gruff curse echoed from the canyon. Canku ran to the scene and leapt down. Sun had an arrow sprouting from her thigh and Aleksey had an arrow embedded in his shoulder. The archers aimed at Kun, ready for anything. The beech marten trembled behind the massive tiger. Canku's cold stare tried to pierce Kun's own. He failed. Averting his eyes, he looked at the beech marten.
"You know what I don't like?" he asked, almost rhetorically, slowly walking forward to reach the marten and the tiger. The archers and soldiers that had gathered were unsure if they should answer or not. Canku's face turned sour when he didn't get a response. "Fine, I will tell you then. I hate it when animals go back on their word or they desert you." Canku brought his paws together, and let his two index fingers extend and touch while the rest intertwined and folded together. He tapped his claws on his chin, looking like he was in deep thought. "Tell me, what is the punishment for that? Can one of you refresh my memory, please?" Canku looked out among his soldiers, his face looking as if a teacher was requesting an answer from his students. A heavyset ox rose his arm.
"Yes, you?" asked Canku. Xisong caught up and was at her mate's side.
"Ya kill 'em," said the ox, his face had a dumb grin on it like he had just answered a particularly tricky riddle.
Canku's growled and bent down. The marten scrambled out from behind Kun and tried to run. The wolf was too fast. He grabbed the beech marten by his scruff and lifted him upwards so that he was eyelevel with the wolf. Timoteo squirmed and wriggled.
"You almost warned me, but didn't. You didn't think I couldn't see that slight little movement. As I said before, I hate animals that go back on their word. You heard the punishment, right, merchant?"
Timoteo nodded his sallow head as much as he could. His paws trying to pry open the firm grip Canku had on his neck. Canku's grip tightened, he was going to choke out the life of this bastard. Kun moved to help the unfortunate beech marten, but Aleksey stopped him.
"Comrade, he was going to betray us. He deserves to die!"
Xisong stepped forward and rested her paw on Canku's arm. The male wolf relaxed his grip just a bit. She ran it up and down his arm. He shivered.
"You know, I have been a bit cold at night. I think I need a nice warm blanket. A blanket with a nice soft fur on it maybe."
Canku grinned devilishly. His mate was good. He turned back to the beech marten.
"I think you have a reprieve of your death."
He dropped Timoteo onto the ground. The marten lay on the dirt, gasping. Canku motioned for Kar to come to him. The snow leopard was at his master's side within the second.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Fetch me one of the long knives."
Kar bowed and ran off to get the knife. Timoteo was finally able to stand up. He bowed awkwardly at Canku.
"Thank you for sparing my life," he said timidly, hoping that the cruel wolf wouldn't change his mind. "I will get the Lady Xisong a beautiful blanket. You can have no doubts."
Kar was back in a flash. He handed Canku the knife but Xisong grabbed it from him. She held it upwards, letting the moonlight glint of the cold steel.
"If you want something done right you have to do it yourself, right?"
The wolf stroked the top of the beech marten's silky fur. Perfect. She threw Timoteo to the ground. She lifted the knife and brought it down toward Timoteo's flesh. She stopped centimeters away from it and looked at the onlookers.
"I've heard rumors about me going soft. I'm going to extinguish all of those, right now!"
She bent down and whispered into the terrified marten's ear.
"You know how I wanted the fur blanket? Well, you are going to give it to me; only, you won't give it to me personally. I guess you could call this very personal gift."
Xisong pushed the knife into the marten's skin. She suddenly turned it horizontal, about a quarter of an inch beneath the skin and fur. Then, to the horrified soldiers, she brought it back, peeling away the skin and fur. Timoteo shrieked in agony as the knife cut through him like butter. Blood began to pump from his veins and it spurted everywhere. The wolf still continued on her grisly work. Working like a tanner, she skinned the beech marten alive. Each knife cut dug a quarter of an inch in and the incision was meticulously straight. The blood red knife followed the marten's thin figure. All throughout it, Timoteo writhed in agony, unable to escape the agony that wracked his body. His chest was now completely bare of fur and skin. Muscle showed beneath it. He bucked and heaved; blood pouring from the numerous open vessels. Finally, after a finally scream, he died. Still, Xisong continued on, wanting her new blanket. After thirty minutes, every square inch of Timoteo was skinned. The fur in a bloody pile sat to her left. Her work finished, she pushed the skinless corpse from underneath her and stood up. The knife clattered to the ground. She kicked the carcass into the stunned soldiers midst.
"Do you think I am turning soft?"
As one, they all shook their head. Some of them couldn't remove their stares from the ghastly body.
Canku moved to his mate's side. He too had watched the execution. Only with a twisted sense of fascination. He spoke up,
"Is there anyone who is good with needle and thread? Like a seamstress of some sort."
A few hands rose up. Canku pointed them out and had them come forward.
"Use this and make a blanket," he commanded. They bowed low. Gingerly picking up Timoteo's remains, they carted it away to begin making the blanket. Canku turned around. Sun had her eyes closed. Throughout Timoteo's skinning, they had been bound in heavy irons to keep them from escaping. Sun was shuddering still from the sounds of the first scream and had her eyes closed. Aleksey had watched the entire thing, happy that the bastard was dead. Kun averted his eyes, not wanting to see such brutality. Canku kicked Kun.
"Back to your tent and this time, cages around the lot of you!"
The new guards escorted the three remaining prisoners to the tent and erected a makeshift cage around the three. This confined them from touching each other or from getting too close to each other. The wolf guard snickered.
"Maybe if you behave we'll let you two tigers sit next to each other."
Sun hugged herself, unable to receive any comfort from Kun.
"What will they do to us?" she whispered, fear lacing her words.
Aleksey growled.
"If that damn marten hadn't done that, we would have been off! Now we are here, comrades! The punishment for our attempted escape will be terrible."
Sun whimpered. Kun brought his face close to the end of his cage. His nose stuck out a bit and his chained paws clung to the grating.
"They won't kill you, Sun! Remember that, they still want us to bow before them in front of all China! Be strong, think of Tai. Be strong for him."
Sun looked up at Kun. The conquered ruler of Mengyou City still had a way with words and they brought hope to her. She nodded, words unneeded.
The three of them stood their, unsure of what to do next. The porcupine continued to move forward. How could they in danger from one creature? The porcupine was clearly older than all of them, so old that when it walked, some of her quills fell out. She lifted the knife up a bit and headed for Tai. The tiger panicked. He couldn't fight! Shang and Mei were the only ones who actually could kill and do something! He just couldn't bring himself to do that. The porcupine passed him. In fact, she passed each one of the felines. She went into the hallway and opened up the bags that they had left there so they could fight without the extra weight. Sniffing the air, she took out a handful of vegetables and walked back over to the soup.
"Are you hungry or what?" she demanded. The three were still in shock. She slapped each one. They rubbed their cheeks. "Are you hungry?"
Tai nodded absently.
"Who are you?" asked Shang.
The porcupine shook her behind as she cooked and hummed a little ditty.
"What's that?"
"What is your name?" asked Shang, slightly irritated.
"You can call me Wi," she said airily. "I just wonder out around here. I know every which way and nook and cranny!"
Tai blinked once. A guide that Senlin-Mu had promised.
"Why are you here?" he asked, hoping that he would get the answer he expected from a guide sent by the Wood Dragon.
Wi cut the carrots and threw them into the soup before answering the question.
"I don't know, to be honest. It just seemed like a voice told me to go."
Tai smiled. This was the guide that would lead them through the mountains and to the Valley of Peace. He put his bow away. Mei sheathed her knife and Shang reluctantly put his away too as he saw Tai do the same.
"Why don't you grab a seat and I'll dish you three some warm travelers soup. It's going to be much better this time because of the extra vegetables you, um, gave me."
The soup was hot and it warmed their tummies. It might not have been the best, but it served its purpose.
"You know a lot about this area?" asked Mei, trying to start conversation with the newfound acquaintance.
Wi slurped up her soup with surprising speed.
"Yep, I also know the surrounding areas following these Zuzhou Mountains. A forest here and there, rolling plains and then the Valley of Peace. I can get you there if that's what you want. I actually was thinking about heading there myself."
Tai sent a thank you to Senlin-Mu.
You're welcome.
Tai hadn't thought of the Dragon replying, but he did. The voice calmed Tai like before.
Shang leaned forward.
"How can we trust you?"
"You can't," said Wi matter-of-factly. "But I think your friends do. I think I have answered a fair amount of questions. May I ask a few?"
"Fire away," said Mei.
"The best one to ask right now is: Why are you here?"
"We're going to warn the Valley of Peace about an army that is advancing on them this instant!" said Shang. "It's rather important."
"I believe you," said Wi, unperturbed by the disturbing news. "I'll getchya there, no problems."
Silence followed. They sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Mei fiddled with her spoon. She looked at Shang. It had been awhile since they had been able to really be alone together. She got up and placed her paws on Shang's shoulders.
"Shang, could you follow me?" she asked.
Shang looked stunned.
"What?"
"We really haven't had that much time together," she said. Shang nodded. He took hold of one of Mei's paws and kissed it.
"I think its time for an impromptu date? What do you say? Sit at the steps and look at the snow?"
Mei nodded. That was good. The two of them left, arms interlocking. They made their way back to the entrance of the Shaoshang temple. They sat on the first step and looked into the snow covered landscape. Even with the bitter cold nipping at their bones, they felt warmth in the presence of each other. Mei let her head rest on Shang's shoulder and she closed her eyes, letting the silence speak for her. How lucky she was to have found someone that she could possibly be with forever. A bond had been formed and it grew stronger every day. Childish thoughts of marriage floated around her mind. The expression of having butterflies in your stomach could be used here. Shang knew her well and he did a lot to impress her. The ivory knife was the best present anyone had given her. She pulled out the knife and studied it. Shang glanced down to see what Mei's attention had been drawn to.
"You really like that knife?" he asked suddenly.
Mei sat up straight to look Shang directly in the eye.
"Why wouldn't I? It's beautiful and it came from you."
Mei could've sworn that the tough Golden cat blushed.
"It really came from Tai, he helped me buy it. Without him, I would've never been able to afford that."
Tai's name brought silence. They liked him; there was nothing they didn't like about him. Mei felt pity for Tai – she didn't know why. Maybe Shang would know why.
"Do you pity Tai?"
Out of all the interesting questions Mei asked, this was by far the most interesting.
"Pity him? No. I do think that he didn't have as good as a childhood as some. I know he grew up in a palace and was royalty, but he didn't have friends like you and I had. He was stuck alone for awhile and bullied because of his peaceful nature."
"I guess so. What about love?"
"I love you, if that is what you are wondering."
"No, with Tai. You think he will find it? If that is one thing that would help him, it would be love outside his family. We give him friendship but sometimes that isn't enough. Too many times I have seen him turn his face away from us when we are together, pain clear on his face."
There was more silence.
"Let's just hope he does," murmured Shang. Mei leaned back on Shang's shoulder. Shang purred deep in his throat, something he had grown to like doing. They sat there, staring at the snow fall gracefully to the ground in a perfect dance. Once more, they let silence do the talking.
Wi had watched the two leave with an amazed expression. Tai saw the look of confusion that also was etched on her face.
"Don't worry. It seems to me that romance does the weirdest things."
Wi's eyes twinkled as she looked back at Tai.
"That is does," she murmured. Tai got up and took the bowls to the unused sink. He put them in it. Tai rummaged through the cupboards, seeing what else was in there. A cookbook and a bit more flatware and silverware were all that he could see. Nothing of true use for the journey was here. Wi's quills rustled. Tai looked down at his side. The stout guide stood to his right staring at him intently. She clapped her paws together.
"I think with the two lovebirds there and us being bored, how about a story? I love telling them."
"That is a bit out of the blue," said Tai.
Wi ignored him and pushed him roughly to a chair and sat him in it. She sat in a different chair.
"You want to know a bit about the Valley of Peace, right? Well, how about I give you bit of history on the inhabitants, eh?"
Tai nodded, history was fun to learn.
Wi started a rather incredible yarn. How the Jade Palace was built and the Furious Five formed. Tai didn't know a lot about the Valley of Peace. He only knew the smallest piece of information regarding the Valley. Tai listened intently about interruption. He was fascinated by the Masters as Wi, the master of storytelling, weaved a fantastic tale about each one. Suddenly, her voice dropped to a whisper. Tai leaned in to catch the words that seemed to barely escape her teeth. She talked about a tiger, an orphan from Bao Gu who had been adopted by Shifu and trained. Another tiger? He knew that he wasn't the only tigers, there were plenty in Mengyou City, but he hadn't thought about other tigers outside of his home. He listened even better to the story. Strangely, Wi didn't use pronouns to describe the tiger, she just used, "the tiger." Finally, she finished her story about how the panda – Po, I believe his name is – had defeated Tai Lung and earned his title as the Dragon Warrior. As she finished, Shang and Mei got back.
"You guys just missed a really good story," he exclaimed. Shang's dreamy look at Mei was enough to tell him that Shang wasn't going to really listen.
"How as your outing?" said Wi loudly, unabashed.
"Perfect."
"Good! Now let's get to bed! I'm tired! We start tomorrow morning! Off we go!" Wi gathered her few belongings she had brought with her into an organized pile and slept in front of them.
"I guess we'll sleep in the kitchen then," Tai said, shrugging. Tai watched as Shang and Mei got their bedrolls next to each other. He turned away and laid his own out. He lay down and rested on his bedroll. The snores that came from Wi startled him at first, but he got used to it. Settling down and snuggling beneath the covers, trying to get warm, Tai's mind wandered. What would it be like, meeting the Furious Five and the legendary Dragon Warrior? From what Wi had said, they were friendly enough. His mind wandered to the tiger. Who was he – or she? The personality was very interesting, the exact opposite of his. He mulled over the story. Wi suddenly rolled over, her blue eyes staring into his orange ones.
"I forgot to tell you, I don't remember why, but the tiger's name is Tigress. She is a real character to get to know. Havn't had the fortune to meet her yet."
With that, she rolled back over and fell back asleep.
What the heck, thought Tai. He rubbed his eyes and found himself imagining what the tiger – she – looked like. He snorted. What Kung Fu master would become a lover for a person like him? Besides, the Dragon Warrior was more of a fit for her. He shook his head. Why was he all of a sudden thinking about this?
A single candle still burned brightly, a single flame, standing against the surrounding darkness. The candle seemed to flicker and waver a bit.
"Burn bright," whispered Tai to the lone candle. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he should encourage it. He felt like he was the candle. Alone, in the dark, waiting for words of encouragement and for someone to come along and help him - to show him - where to go. No longer did he want his nickname to be Mishi, lost. No, he wanted it to be found. The lone candle stopped wavering and it seemed to brighten. Tai smiled and he fell asleep. The lone candle burned all throughout the night, watching over them all.