Chapter Sixteen: Holding Strong

It was nearly sunrise when the Valley finally came into view. The Masters all lingered a little at the first sight, noticing just how homesick they'd really been. Their group moved toward the Valley, ready for anything.

The tension was incredibly thick as they approached the village closest to the Jade Palace. The walk from the edge of the Valley toward this village was uneventful. But those marching could definitely see that something had changed since they were last in town. But something caught everyone off-guard.

They saw pandas. Pandas were stationed on the borders of the village, guarding from any possible foe. The force of Masters and refugees stopped just feet short of the pandas, and both parties gazed at each other in shock. Then someone broke the silence.

"PO! YOU'RE HOME!"

Po could have leapt a few inches into the air as he heard Mr. Ping's cry and suddenly, the goose was on him, hugging him as tightly as he could. Po saw a wok strapped across his father's back, ready to be used and swung at a moment's notice.

"Dad!" he started. "You're okay!"

"Yes, we all are, son!" Mr. Ping told him as he slid off the panda's belly. "Come, come! You all look famished!"

The large group walked through the village, Po asking and Mr. Ping answering random questions relatives would ask concerning the welfare of one another, while the others looked around, almost horrified of what had become of this little town. Windows were boarded up, shreds of paper laying under windowsills. Chunks of rock were missing from many walls. There were barricades everywhere.

"Where is everyone?" Viper asked.

"Closer to the town square," one of the panda guards, who had followed them, said. "We're nearly there now."

They walked into the town square and were immediately swarmed by villagers, all of whom looked dirty and tired, yet relieved.

"You're back! They're back!" "Welcome home, Masters!" "We missed you!"

"Now, now," Mr. Ping said, lightly swinging his wok, "we must get them to my restaurant! Move aside, please!"

All at once, the villagers parted and let the small army pass. As the Masters and their company passed, they heard excited whispers spreading through the mass. Po looked back and caught Tigress's eye. She gave him a look that was a mix of shock and worry. He felt the same way. Worry because of the condition of the villagers. Shock because the villagers lasted this long, and so well, without their help.

"I can't believe it," Vixey whispered. "They're all okay."

They finally made it inside Mr. Ping's restaurant, which, now, had become a healing station of sorts. Many wounded villagers sat, waiting or being examined by healers, telling of their most recent struggle to keep the Valley safe. Shifu nearly dropped his staff.

"Tian!" he cried. "What are you doing here?!"

His sister, who had been tending to a pig's wounded arm, jumped and looked at him. Her eyes grew very wide.

"Shifu!" she started. "You've finally made it! I was beginning to worry."

She finished binding the pig's arm and sent him away. She started walking toward the new arrivals, but stopped, her glance passing over each and every one of them.

"I told you to go somewhere safe!" Shifu snapped.

"Yes, you said go," Tian answered, "but you didn't say go and stay. Now what on earth happened to you?"

Shifu didn't even flinch.

"You knew exactly what I meant!" he snapped. "Ruili found us and wounded me. It isn't much to worry about."

Behind his back, all of his students gave him a very annoyed look, calling his bluff.

"Don't be an idiot, Shifu," Tian chided. "Come with me now."

Shifu suddenly turned to look behind his back to see that only Tigress didn't look away sheepishly. Irritated, he obeyed his sister and followed her into the residence.

"Jin-Jin!" came a cry.

The remaining Masters turned to see Jin swinging Xinli around, their arms wrapped around each other. A group of tigers around Jin's age and dressed similarly to him approached the pair.

"What are you guys all doing here?" Jin asked, setting his girlfriend on her feet.

"We heard something was up!" Xinli answered. "Rumors about the Valley falling, so we had to come see if it was true!"

"So it's a good thing we did come," one of the male tigers said. "Helped these people in a few fights already."

Vixey cleared her throat and turned to Jin.

"Well?" she asked. "Introductions?"

"That's right," Jin started. "I haven't introduced everyone yet. You all know Xinli. The pair over there are her brother, Hei'an and his wife, Zhu."

The two waved as their names were called.

"These guys are Hanjue and Huo Zhang," Jin continued, the tigers also waving as they were introduced, "and those ladies are Yise, Qilan, and Yi Qiang."

He looked around for a second.

"We're all that could come at such short notice," Xinli said. "I don't think anyone else can come in time."

"Every little bit counts," Tigress said.

"No kidding," Hei'an said. "We got a couple guys capable of plowing through entire armies not long ago."

He gestured toward the direction the Masters had come and they all looked. Surprise and relief flooded into each Master. A distance away and coming toward them while speaking with a few villagers, were Masters Ox and Croc.

"Long time, no see," Croc said when he and Ox noticed the group.

Tigress appeared panicked.

"We sent a false trail to Gongmen," she told them. "Ruili's armies...!"

"We found them," Ox said simply. "The moment they saw us, they turned tail and ran."

"We're ze reason zey never made it back," Croc added.

The Masters all relaxed at once.

"Well, that's one big chunk of the main force we don't have to worry about," Mantis said.

"We should go sit down and discuss what needs to be done," Jin said.

As the Masters started to go take a table, Tigress turned to Boss Wolf and Taopa.

"You two need to come as well," she said.

Ox and Croc caught sight of the two surprising allies and watched them walk to the rest of the group. They'd both met Boss Wolf during Shen's rampage. They'd also dealt with Polecats when they caused trouble for traveling Gongmen citizens. What were these two doing here?

Tigress was about to sit down when she heard Tian clear her throat behind her.

"Where's Shifu?" she asked.

"Passed out upstairs," Tian answered simply. "He should wake sometime soon. However, he did tell me about the wounds you received while you were away. Come, dear."

Tigress followed without a word. The remaining Masters and group leaders gathered and took up a majority of the restaurant courtyard. A few healers moved their stations to a building next door.

Ox was about to speak when a panda stumbled into the courtyard, out of breath.

"Dad!" Po cried.

"H-heard you were h-here," Elder said, breathing heavily as he made his way to an open seat. "Now, what where we...?"

He made eye contact with Boss Wolf and grew rather tense. Boss Wolf, however, averted his gaze shamefully.

"I think we need to clear some things up before we start talking about strategies," Ox began.

"Like why are zese felons here?" Croc snapped.

Taopa looked unalarmed at the question. She was about to add a sassy remark of her own when Po cut her off.

"These guys actually want to help us beat Ruili," he said quickly. "We're all on the same side, guys! Can we, you know, calm down and shake hands and get over it?"

Elder was very surprised at his son's plea. Considering what the wolves did to the pandas, he thought he'd be very upset having to deal with Shen's second-in-command.

"Hmph," he started. "I guess I'll concede. But pull anything, you, and I'll take your other eye out."

"Fair 'nuff," Boss Wolf answered, "but I won't be fighting. I can't in this condition."

The two wolves standing behind him nodded gloomily.

"No, but you can issue orders," Jin said. "You can control your kind with different howls."

Boss Wolf nodded.

"Both he and Taopa are here to repay us for what they've done," Viper said.

While Boss Wolf nodded again, Taopa stood up suddenly.

"No, I'm not," she snapped. "I'm here to avenge my aunt!"

She sat down, almost pouting.

"But after this fight, I may think about it," she added, almost too quiet to hear.

Then Elder and Boss Wolf made eye contact again. They stood, painfully for the wolf, and bowed to each other, silently agreeing to an alliance.

Then all eyes turned to Vixey. The fox grew a little nervous.

"Now, it's your turn, Vixey," Crane said.

Vixey was appalled.

"Wh-what?!" she started. "I don't have to do this!"

"Yes, you do," Viper told her. "We know you're still holding on to some things. You need to let it go before anything gets worse."

Vixey looked around speechlessly.

"If Tigress can do it," Monkey added, "so can you."

The words hit Vixey hard. She looked like she was barely able to breathe. She saw that all eyes were on her. Then Taopa stood up, waiting for the fox to do the same.

Vixey slowly stood up. They could easily see that it hurt her to do this, but it was necessary. And she knew it.

Then she locked eyes with Taopa. Then, she caught a glimmer of pain and sorrow behind the sharpness of her gaze. The pain that came with a close relative being cut down right in front of her.

She began to feel a connection to the thief. What came next felt automatic. The fox and Polecat solemnly bowed to each other and sat down, remaining silent.

Viper was about to speak to Ox and Croc, but the former spoke up first.

"Our quarrel was with Shen," he said firmly. "What's done is done."

They all fell silent for a little while.

"So what took you all so long to get here?" Elder asked.

Each of Shifu's students looked up at him.

"To tell you the truth," Mantis started, "we really had no idea what to do."

"We weren't really prepared for something like this," Viper admitted.

"I'm actually pretty proud of how the villagers have been handling this," Crane added. "I don't think even Shifu expected them to just pick up anything and fight with what they have."

"That is because they attacked you!" Mr. Ping said out of the blue, placing bowls of soup in front of everyone. "We couldn't just let them do that! So, now, we will fight back!"

He grabbed the wok he was carrying on his back and lifted it high above his head, almost hitting Monkey in the face with it as it swung past him.

"Whoa, whoa, Dad!" Po cried. "Watch where you swing that thing!"

Those near the old goose ducked and jumped out of reach of the wok as it swung past them again. He turned back toward his kitchen, humming happily to himself.

Everyone watched him leave.

"I think he's getting too much of a kick out of this," Xinli said.

"So did anyone get any information on what we're dealing with?" Elder asked.

"Ruili's weaknesses and those of her army's," Tigress said, suddenly appearing from the residence. "We also got her motive. Vixey, Tian wants to see you next."

Vixey stood up and walked past Tigress, who sat down nearby.

"What's her story this time?" Ox asked.

"Her people were abused by Imperial soldiers," Jin said. "She planned to tear down authority, starting with us, and going through Gongmen and then the Emperor himself in turn."

"Bold move," Elder said grimly.

"We've already begun turning this into her worst case scenario," Crane said. "She didn't want Gongmen involved until she would attack the city itself."

"If she planned things thoroughly," Tigress started, "she should have killed us all immediately after our captures."

Xinli's eyes widened.

"You all got caught and escaped?" she asked. "How many times were you guys caught?"

"Twice for Tigress," Monkey said, flinching at the look he received from her.

"Zen what about ze weaknesses?" Croc asked.

"All the lionesses are strong, but clumsy," Taopa said. "They can't use weapons effectively."

"The pale one at their head is as powerful and very sturdy," Tigress said. "On her own, however, we learned she's most vulnerable."

"We still have Rong Da to worry about," Po added, "but you guys already know how to fight him."

Ox and Croc nodded.

"Ruili might be the easiest one to deal with," Boss Wolf said. "I doubt she fights well."

"So do we," Crane said. "If she hasn't practiced in ages, she won't stand a chance."

"Which would be why she's been surrounding herself with soldiers," Elder said.

"But there's something else that might help us with the lionesses," Viper said with a worried glance. "They're all fighting against their will. Their husbands were killed as an example and their children are being held hostage."

"Our prisoner had also said that she hates their leader," Tigress added. "I assume this is true for most or all lionesses."

"This gives us excellent ground," Ox said. "We may be able to turn all of them against Ruili and her captains."

"All that's left to discuss now is how we'll take the Palace," Boss Wolf said. "My men can get in and take down the cannons. We built them, so we can surely destroy them."

"Getting in may be the real problem."

Everyone turned to see Shifu coming into the courtyard. He looked to be more irritated than before Tian took him inside.

"No one can tell by looking at it from here how many people are inside," he continued.

Everyone fell silent, thinking about the best solution.

"If we could only get a set of eyes inside the Jade Palace..." Elder started, frustrated.

"Already on it," Jin said, pointing at Tigress.

Everyone looked over at her. She seemed to be meditating, undisturbed by any and all noise. Ox caught on quickly.

"Wait... She's a Seer?" he asked.

"We found that out not too long ago," Po said.

"Let's brainstorm more potential strategies while she goes to work," Viper said.

It was strange watching all these strangers walking around the Jade Palace. Tigress walked through the entirety of her home, looking at where guards were posted and how many enemies were there. She felt no need to move stealthily, since they couldn't see her and she was in no danger of harm whatsoever.

She walked into the barracks and found Guai Hu with a few lionesses looking over a set of scrolls. One of the scrolls was a map, while another was what looked like orders from Ruili. She looked over Guai's shoulder and read the entire scroll.

She grinned to herself. It was pitiful how they thought these scrolls were away from prying eyes. This particular scroll listed the entire battle plan, including when they planned to attack.

Tigress suddenly realized she leaned in too close, because Guai waved at the air near her ear as if to ward away a fly. But she'd seen all she needed.

Now, she needed to find one final person.

She left the barracks and immediately saw Rong Da, sitting near the edge of a cliff. He was fuming about his brother's death while sharpening a battle axe.

Tigress moved to Shifu's study, where she finally found who she was looking for.

Ruili stood at the desk, facing away from Tigress. The tiger took a few steps forward.

"So you've arrived at the Valley."

Tigress stopped. The otter turned to look at her.

"You aren't invisible to all eyes, you know," she growled. "It's foolish to come sneaking up on me."

"It's a habit," Tigress told her. "But there's something I need to know. Did you really think you could get away with chasing us away? It seems your 'Power to the People' plan isn't working as well as you would hope."

Ruili narrowed her eyes.

"These people should have been happy that you were gone," she started. "They are insane. What did you do to deceive them like this?"

"Not everyone in an exalted position tortures their subjects," Tigress said. "We don't think of ourselves as overlords. We're equal with our people, and we've used every opportunity to let them know that. We serve and protect them, and in return, they respect us. That is all we ask from them."

"I find that very hard to believe," the otter hissed.

"I don't think you understand the difference between a corrupted Lord and a bitter commoner," Tigress told her firmly. "For your information, there is no difference."

Ruili's rage grew to the point of crying out and striking at Tigress. But instead, she fell right through the Master's unflinching projection. She climbed wearily to her feet and turned around. Then she fell to her knees, grasped her chest, and coughed heavily.

Confident she learned everything she needed, Tigress closed her eyes and felt herself rushing back to her body.

"Ruili is dying," she suddenly announced.

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Dying?" Ox asked. "Are you sure?"

"She could see me," Tigress said. "No one can do that unless they're dying or a Seer. I seriously doubt Ruili is the latter."

"It's my fault."

Everyone looked at Shifu.

"What do you mean?" Tian asked.

"When she and I were fighting," Shifu said reluctantly, "I was about to use a nerve strike to allow us to get away. But she struck me and I slipped. I was afraid this would be the outcome."

Everyone fell silent. Po looked around at everyone.

"Wait, we're afraid of Ruili dying?" he asked. "Isn't that a good thing? We might not need to fight at all!"

"That isn't the case, Po," Crane said.

"A dying opponent is the worst you can face," Viper added.

Still seeing confusion on the panda's face, Tigress decided to elaborate.

"Any foe can know that they're going to lose and be much more dangerous," she started, "but they're still afraid to die. Opponents like Ruili, who know they're dying..."

"They can and will do remarkable things to take their opponents down with them," Tian finished. "Wouldn't you do the same?"

Po now had a look of horror on his face.

"They plan to attack at dawn," Tigress said. "It would be best for us to strike before they do. Most of the lionesses are in the arena, but they do seem to be low on morale."

"Did you expect anything different?" Vixey asked.

"All of Ruili's remaining forces seem to be here," Tigress continued. "Master, do you have a plan for us?"

All eyes turned to Shifu, who seemed to be deep in thought. But he looked confident.

"My students and I will lead the frontal assault," he started. "Ox and Croc, we need you down here to protect the villagers as they fight."

The two Masters nodded.

"Once we clear a path," Shifu continued, "send the wolves in to destroy the cannons and cause as much damage as you can to the enemy."

Boss Wolf nodded as well.

"Taopa, loop around to the back of the Palace before we attack and find any way to get in to disable any foe you find. As you have gotten past us before, you should have no problem now."

Taopa almost grinned. This was what she and her band of thieves had been trained to do, after all.

"And us, Master?" Elder asked.

"Protect the majority of our citizens and send any extra warrior into the fight," Shifu told him. "Encourage the villagers when they grow tired and rescue them when they fall injured."

"Does everyone understand what they need to do?" Tigress asked.

"We can fill in wherever we're needed," Xinli said confidently. "We can be pretty devastating."

"Gather and organize your forces," Shifu said. "We will meet again here when we're ready."

Everyone agreed and split off.

It was nearly dusk. Villagers, warriors, and thieves alike all acted like trained soldiers when told to assemble and no question was repeated. The final meal of the day had been distributed and each fighter stayed with his or her group and slept for the night.

The leaders came back to Mr. Ping's restaurant. An eerie silence had long since fallen, in anticipation of tomorrow's final fight.

"Everyone is ready," Tigress said.

"They even refused to go back home to sleep," Viper said. "I'm really proud of these guys."

"My people will get into position after I leave," Taopa said. "We'll sleep in the forest. We prefer to be well prepared in a situation such as this."

A solemn silence fell.

"No matter how tomorrow goes," Ox said, "it will all be over by day's end."

"Is this what everyone feels right before a huge battle?" Xinli asked. "This is pretty scary."

"But we'll all be okay," Jin said.

He squeezed her hand.

"In case this battle does turn for the worse," Shifu began, "it was a pleasure fighting and serving with you."

Everyone in the circle bowed.

"Now get some rest," Tian said. "Tomorrow will be a very long day."

I know Po's dad has a name (sorta funny how I named Tigress's dad "Li", which happens to be the same name as Po's dad), but I'm going to stick with "Elder" for the remainder of my stories due to my stories happening after KFP2 as if KFP3 never happens.