Author's Note: Alright! Another chapter out! I know, I know... Using the same villains I have in legacy of darkness... Well, yes and no. I have vastly different plans for them than I have had before, so trust me. Things are going to get crazy. As for now, I believe this chapter should inspire some intrigue from you lot, because there are a few surprises waiting for inside.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (Obviously)

Enjoy.

Shrouded in Mystery

Hours passed by as the sun had signalled the day goodbye and handed over the reins to the moon, its gentle glow providing whatever subtle illumination it can to the vast forests of Xiwang valley. Hours passed as six heroes ventured through the valley to reach a place filled with mystery and sorrow.

"Hiyah!"

Monkey's fist glides through the air, his avian opponent only just managing to swerve past his attack and retorting with a powerful kick to the primate's chest. This forces Monkey to back up a bit, kicking up the dead leaves underneath his feet. When they had arrived outside the daunting mountain containing the remnants of the Zhanshi clan, Tigress had insisted that though she appreciates them sticking around, she has to face the ghosts of her past alone. Much to his dismay, Po barely had any room for argument and so he had to let her go at it alone. Whilst she had gone in, Crane suggested to spar in the clearing until she returned in an attempt to cheer up the panda. Po had only continued to stare at the jagged teeth of the mountain's cave entrance.

At least we're getting in some good practice. This pitying thought only brews in Crane's mind for a few seconds until his eyes manage to spot a green blur flying straight towards his face. He blocks the attack with his wings just in time, making Mantis hop back onto the ground with a cocky grin on his face.

"Damn. Second time I've caught you off-guard." The insect's taunting earns a mild scoff from the avian warrior as he readies himself once more.

"Yeah, bro. If you were that careless in a fight, then you'd get seriously hurt." Monkey's sarcastic tone doesn't escape master Crane, recognising the langur's words as his own. As Monkey furrows his brows in a mocking fashion, the avian warrior gives him a dangerous smile and shakes his head at him. All three combatants ready up in their signature stances and clash once more.

As the three-way spar recommences, a soft giggle exits Viper's mouth, the serpent master admiring her brothers' never-ending quest to outdo each other. Her eyes soon shift back towards the cave entrance, focusing on the dragon warrior sitting on the dead grass and anxiously chowing down on his bowl of 'reserve dumplings'. Or at least it seems like he is anxious. Sometimes it could be hard to tell with how fast Po usually eats. She slithers her way over to her panda brother's side and immediately notices the unprecedented worry injected into his jade irises, wilting Viper's expression to one melancholic sympathy. "She'll be okay, Po. You know that." His gaze remains fixated on the cave's gruesome teeth as Viper's motherly voice caresses his ears.

He knows why he hasn't looked away from the Zhanshi clan's entrance. He knows why his heart had practically dropped at the sight of his tiger lover being swallowed whole by the mountain's twisting caverns. Doesn't make it any easier to bear. Just as he is about to take another bit of his 'reserve dumplings', the panda master feels Viper's tail gently wrap around his palm. This calming gesture forces him to avert his gaze for a mere moment before looking back at the cave, "Doesn't mean it'll be easy for her. I mean, she is awesome and stuff, but this…" His countenance melts in despondence as he sighs. Feeling Viper's grip tighten slightly, her turns to face her only to see wordless promises of comfort within her sky-blue eyes. Her face remains a manifestation of pity as Po finally continue, "This could… I dunno… All I know is it could do something bad to her, y'know?" An understanding nod is given in response as the serpent master slithers closer to her worried panda brother.

"I know. But have faith in her. She'll be able to pull through, she always does." This reassurance is followed by a beaming smile, the serpent hoping to put him out of this sour spell.

Judging by the smile beginning to creep on his face, it's working. "Yeah." This whisper glides along the night's cold breeze and is soon carried into the very cave that had been the focus of Po's anxiety.

This cold breeze freezes the air within the cavern's labyrinth of tunnels, only getting colder as it reaches the secret entrance, flies past the cobblestone staircase, and enters into the hidden Zhanshi clan village. Darkness hides the entirety of the village square with all the torches hung around the cavern snuffed out. Skeletons litter the city streets of the once thriving village, their tattered clothes and scorched armour melded onto these long-deceased warriors. Whilst most of these remains are cloaked under the merciful sheet of the cave's shadows, more and more of them are soon revealed by the single flickering flame of a torch, lit by a soul lost in what could've been her tomb. Amber orbs cannot force themselves to look away from the dead clan members piling the village roads, their bones now poisoned by the torch's sinister auburn glow. Horror embeds itself into Tigress' face as her torch uncovers body after body, with each one more mangled than the last.

Snap! Crunch!

Forcing her eyes to twitch and her face to contort in revulsion, the sickening sound of bones breaking beneath her feet echoes in her eardrums. To think that these were once proud warriors just like her. Now their only legacy is to serve as an ominous monument to Nuba's madness.

Nuba.

Tigress' eye twitches at the mere thought of that deranged tiger. Those amethyst orbs that had burned their way into her mind appear once more. She had done all of this. She had brought her own home to extinction, only to seek out for more blood to spill. With every step the tiger master takes, a new body is pushed put from village's dark curtain. A grimace begins to take hold of Tigress' face as she looks deeper at the dead bodies that lie before her, their dying moments frozen within their skeletal limbs. Arms shield their faces in a fruitless attempt to protect themselves. Legs are completely broken after their attempts to kick away their attacker. Jaws hang open, their phantom screams ringing in the tiger master's ears as she looks to the buildings shrouded in the village's ghostly fog. Massive chunks of stone are burrowed into the ground as doors barely cling onto rust covered hinges. Charred wood makes up the structure of the late villager's homes, the long-extinguished plumes of smoke infecting Tigress' nostrils as she closes her eyes for a mere moment.

When they open, a memory flashes before them. Of tigers running for safety. Of walls of fire bathing the entire village in a hideous inferno. Of two amethyst eyes peering at her from the endless clouds of smoke.

"Help me! Someone!"

"You maniac!"

"Don't hurt me! Please!"

Tigress grits her teeth and clutches her head as she turns away from the horrid sight, forcing her eyes shut to rid herself of this terrifying memory.

"Oh Gods, help us!"

Their dying screams continue to prey on her mind, stabbing into it until tears begin to bleed out of her closed eyelids. She opens them back up in the vain hope that something will have changed, only for a hollow chill to run up her spine.

Lying before her are two skeletons huddled together, one man and one woman, frozen in a protective embrace with the larger of the two trying to shield the other with their body. Within a blink of an eye, the deceased couple are soon replaced with Po's bruised and beaten body shielding hers. An involuntary growl escapes her maw at the sight of her broken down panda. Her heart cries out in agony as yet another memory poisons her mind.

Exhausted amber orbs looked out towards the violent river current as the beating she had taken from Nuba settled in. She clung onto consciousness, not allowing herself to give up just yet. She clenched her right paw, intending to get up off the ground, until she felt a new warmth on her left paw. Tigress slowly turned her head around to see a black and white blur. One thing clearly stood out to her. Jade eyes. Through several blinks, her sight managed to focus. With her clarity almost fully returning, she saw Po gripping her paw tightly, his face grimaced in complete agony. "Ti… Gress…" He wheezed out, with tears dripping down his eyes. She was unable to hide away the tears in her eyes as she stared into the jade orbs of her tormented panda. She squeezed his paw back, savouring his loving touch for what might have been the last time. This was it. They were going to die unless she managed to find a way out.

She could remember the tears pouring from his eyes. She could remember the sounds of his heart beating into her skull. She could remember the sadistic pleasure drowning Nuba's eyes as she sought to kill the one thing she treasured most.

Bump-Bump.

That maniac had taken away her family and would stop at nothing to do it again.

Bump-Bump.

Tigress' snarls only grow in volume as the terrified chill in her body ignites into a ferocious flame.

Kill.

Flashes of her mother, Shifu and Po blind her dilating eyes, their amber glow now engulfed in obsidian.

Kill.

She drops the torch on the floor and unsheathes her claws as that familiar voice booms within her ears. Crimson bathes Tigress' sight, her primal growls rumbling in her throat with anticipation. Dying screams meld with tears and kung fu shouts. Rage melds with love and fear soon becomes strength. Strength that the beast will not suppress.

"I know you've been through so much, Tigress."

Blackened eyes widen at the sound of Po's gentle voice, the grimace that was once carved into the monster's face now evaporated. Her mind sees a bright light within the shrouds of crimson, going towards it as a new memory replays within her mind. One of the happiest days of her life. The day she had found inner peace. The day when she had found love.

"But that pain you've felt… That suffering… That doesn't make you who you are."

Rabid growls melt into heavy breaths whilst obsidian finally shrinks back to amber. The crimson that had once blinded Tigress' vision soon clears as the skeletal lovers make their way back into her sight. Now back to herself, her heart makes a single pledge as it focuses on the skeletons before her. That she will never let that happen to her and Po. She picks her torch back up from the ground and lights it up again with her unsheathed claws. "It's everything else." She manages to smile for a mere moment as she whispers this, that beautiful moment never failing to quell her distressed heart.

However, that happiness fades away just as soon as it had come. How could she lose herself like that? Surely after gaining inner peace, she would be able to have more control, right? Perhaps it isn't that simple. It rarely ever is. This morose thought lingers in Tigress' mind as she continues treading through the dead village.

Shortly after recommencing her search, she manages to locate at least one building that isn't a rotting carcass. Good place to start as any. As she pushes open the building's grand wooden doors, the left door immediately drops off its hinges, its loud boom echoing throughout the massive cavern. Her eyes widen as she sets foot within the place, astonished by its sheer scale. Before her is an incredibly spacious hall with regiments of shelves leading down as far as the eye can see. Though some are turned over, a fair amount of the shelves and tables are in good condition. The same cannot be said about their contents, however. Carpets of ash litter the ground with remnants of parchments lying atop them. Many of the scrolls within these shelves seem to be either ripped apart or cracked from their seals. There is no mistaking that this building is either the Zhanshi clan's archives or library. Well, what is left of it at least.

Tigress ventures further within, amber irises scanning shelf after shelf for any scrolls that she could even be able to hold in her paws without falling apart let alone read. After nearly ten minutes of searching, she approaches the closest table and lays out 15 scrolls onto it. Granted, this isn't all of them, but she'd prefer not to waste her friends' time with this. If anything, she can just come back here another time. She skims through their titles again, making sure that they will at least tell her something about her long-lost clan. From Sun Tzu's art of war to a scroll with the prophecy of the dragon warrior, its safe to say that their status as a warrior clan is far from a mere rumour. A sense of pride bubbles up within her blood as her eyes continue to skim over these titles, the very fact that she is descended from them bringing a smile to her face. That it was her destiny to become a noble warrior regardless of where she would be raised. Yet, things would undoubtedly be different if they hadn't been rendered extinct. She would be different. Would she even meet Po? What would happen if she was never raised within the Jade Palace?

Tigress shakes off these questions with a single thought, why wonder about what if or what could be, when the now is standing right in front of you? Another one of Oogway's sayings that had stuck with her ever since she was a cub. Part of her is embarrassed for ignoring it so haphazardly, ashamed for ignoring her family in the fruitless search for a past she can never have. But she has to know something. She can't just leave her birthplace shrouded in the shadows of her mind. It wouldn't be fair for her, nor for her parents who had sacrificed so much.

With this resolve back in her mind, Tigress begins to take each scroll one by one and ties them to her waistband. Just as she reaches the last one, her eyes are pulled to the title on its shell. "How bar brawls can be great for training." An intrigued whisper exits her mouth as the nearly nonsensical title elicits an intrigued expression from her. She shakes her head at it in amusement. Deciding to hold her judgement until she properly reads it back at the palace, she ties the scroll to her waistband alongside the rest and makes her way out of the worn-down library.

With torch in paw, Tigress continues to explore the decimated village, trying her best to ignore the pungent stench of death still brewing within the cavern's suffocating air. Only just exiting the village square, she takes a few steps forward until she feels a loose rock under her foot, her instincts forcing her foot back immediately as the rock falls.

Clank!

A gigantic hole lies directly in front of her, the distant sounds of the rocks hitting the floor barely audible to even her. She brings her torch down towards the chasm only for its end to be nowhere in sight. Po. That moment when the dragon warrior had obliterated the floor beneath them plays back in her mind, the tiger master still shocked that he had even tried it let alone the fact that it had miraculously worked. Deciding it would be best to mark this, so she doesn't make a potentially fatal mistake, she picks up a stray piece of wood and lights it with her torch before plunging it into the ground.

After making her way around to the other side of this abyss, she lights another torch to mark this side too. Within the outer edge of the village, she is able to make out the silhouettes of several buildings that have managed to maintain their foundation. Though most of them are humble cabins of stone and wood, one particularly large building near the far end of the village towers above the rest, immediately capturing Tigress' attention. Her sights now set on this potentially useful place, Tigress heads further out into the village outskirts. She wades her way through the cavern's blackened smog, her torch purging the darkness that still tries to bury the graveyard of a village. As she passes by several modest remnants of houses, a white blur is revealed by her torch light for a mere moment before Tigress freezes in place. A familiar chill injects itself into her bones and freezes her heart in its aching sorrow as she moves the torch back to reveal this blur again. Dread clutches her heart as this blur becomes something the tiger master recognises immediately.

A tiger's skeleton, decayed and broken by the ravages of time. Next to it lies a tiger plush which is coated in a layer of dust. Amber orbs stare at these remains for nearly a whole minute, the tiger master's mind swarmed by the memories that had deprived her of her sanity all those months ago. Memories of her mother cuddling her for the very last time alongside her father. Memories of dropping the plush that she had clung onto for safety. Memories of her father carrying her away whilst her mother had stayed behind, waiting in this very spot for the enemy that had decimated their home. And in this spot, she remains, strewn about amongst a sea of unmarked graves. Tears well up within Tigress' eyes as her lips tremble at the sight of her late mother. She can barely remember anything about her and yet her heart still wails in agony knowing of the sacrifice she had made. All those years of feeling unloved when her parents had loved her so much. As rivers begin to pour down her eyes, the tiger daughter takes a step forward and kneels down to the skeleton lying on the floor. She kisses her paw and places it on her mother's head, using all of her willpower to not break down on the spot. After spending a few moments with her mother, Tigress picks up the plush off the floor and ties it to her waistband.

If only I could honour my father- This thought is immediately shut down by the tiger master, not wanting even a mention of the horrible fate that had befallen such a kind soul. Instead, she focuses solely on the building far beyond the village's edge.

The chieftain's hut.

At least, she assumes that is what it is. Why else would it be so much more massive than anything else within the village? Granted, it probably doesn't stick out that much if the rest of the village is any indication. Then again, this is yet another assumption by the tiger master. An assumption that is almost immediately snuffed out once her torch unveils the silhouetted building.

A completely desolate monstrosity of debris is what remains of the chieftain's hut, the only evidence of it ever being a building lying in its foundation that barely stands and roof that is almost completely dismantled. All the other buildings within the village look functional in comparison. However, this doesn't surprise Tigress at all. Nuba's monster of a father was the chief, of course she would tear this place apart more than any other. There isn't even a front door, allowing the tiger master to make her way in only to be met by yet another corpse. It lays in the centre of what used to be the hut's main hall, cowering much like it had so many years ago. She doesn't even want to imagine what was going through the mother's mind. To be hated so much by her own child. Revolted by the mere suggestion, she makes her way past the body and enters the chieftain's throne room.

Taking in the now misshapen walls of the throne room, Tigress inwardly scoffs. A chief having a throne? Perhaps this was a part of Zhanshi culture? Unlikely. This cynicism is soon extinguished as her gaze shifts over to the throne itself.

"Dear Gods." Horror embeds itself into her voice as she stares at the mangled corpse sat on the throne. Dressed in tattered and bloody robes is the decimated body of the village's chief, his skeleton reduced to fragments with almost every single one of his limbs either shattered or contorted to an unnatural shape. Her horror soon shifts to disgust as she tears her gaze away from the haunting sight. Regardless of how horrible a person he was, nothing could justify this kind of maleficence. Trying her best to shy away from that dreadful image, Tigress wanders around the remains of the throne room to find anything else that could reveal more about her elusive clan. Aside from copious amounts of rubble and dust, barely anything tangible remains within this once grand home of the Zhanshi clan's chief. Deeming her search fruitless, Tigress considers leaving the bare hut until she looks closer upon the pieces of rubble.

She picks up a slab of marble and notices something hidden underneath the veil of dust that muddles its usually pristine colour. Amber irises narrow in intrigue as she wipes away this coat of dust, the sight before her only bringing more questions than answers. Engraved into its surface is a tapestry of tigers wielding swords and spears against a black dragon whose body is cut off by the broken edges of the slab. The dragon's face roars at the warriors fending it off from both of its flanks, however, they are not the focus of it or Tigress' attention. Instead, it is the warrior standing directly in front of it. A turtle wielding a wooden staff. That can't be right, can it? Confusion litters Tigress' mind as she stares longer at the image within her paws. Perhaps this is a completely different warrior? Or instead, some kind of God? Amber irises continue to pick at the turtle within the tapestry until she finally reaches a conclusion. There is no mistaking it, that turtle fending off this obsidian beast is none other than the late founder of kung fu.

Master Oogway.

But how? Why? What story is this tapestry even telling? Though she has her suspicions, Tigress doesn't dare try to put them forward. After all, there is still so much about Oogway's past that even Shifu wasn't aware of. She pushes her torch further towards the place where she had found this slab, hoping to uncover more of its story. Unfortunately, the rest of the rubble littering the floor is either too small to contain anything of value or completely blank. All except for one. A single tablet hidden underneath a multitude of small pebbles. Tigress' paw shoots over to it in the vain hope that maybe it could confirm something. Instead, it bears a symbol that she doesn't recognise with several tigers' paws on top of it, only confusing the tiger further. She turns her head around to find this exact symbol on the back of the chief's throne. A symbol consisting of seven vertical lines and seven horizontal lines passing through each other with a flame pattern in its centre. Perhaps it details the formation of their clan? Somehow this quest to find out answers has only produced more questions for the tiger master, and at this rate she'll most likely spend all night in here, forcing her friends to sleep outside. Not wanting to keep them waiting any longer, the tiger master carefully places the two slabs near the throne and makes her way back towards the village's secret entrance. She takes one last look at the chief's hut, silently mourning the loss of her brethren before finally leaving.

Meanwhile, outside the mountain village, the furious five's sparring session continues. This time, however, Mantis has switched out with Viper due to fatigue. Jade irises watch intently, the panda needing this to distract him from the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Part of him is concerned that the universe could be warning him but it's most likely just his worried thoughts trying to get to him. In spite of how many punches and kicks have been thrown, there have barely been any connections between the three warriors, bringing a smile to Po's face. To think they have been able to incorporate it into battle so quickly… Then again, I did it in like the same day I got it. Humility shoves that thought aside, the dragon warrior making sure to watch temper his confidence lest it become arrogance.

As he continues spectating his students' battle, Po hears footsteps echoing from the mouth of the cave which immediately makes him dart his head over to it. A quiet yet excited gasp puffs out of his mouth, catching Mantis' attention as the two warriors see their tiger comrade exit the cave and extinguish her torch with her paw. "Tigress!" This announcement garners everyone's attention as Po runs over to his tiger and wraps her in his embrace.

A chuckle escapes Tigress' as she hugs back her endearing lover, "I haven't been gone that long."

"I know, I know. It's just…" She shuts him up with a soft kiss on his lips, letting him know that she appreciates his concern.

This tender moment is soon interrupted by Mantis as he hops around the tiger master's side with a fascinated look in his eyes, "A lot of scrolls you got there." He hops onto her shoulder before inquiring in earnest, "Got everything you need?"

Amber irises look down towards the floor, those marble tablets remaining an enigma in her mind. "Yes and no." This simple reply leaves the rest of her comrades with befuddled expressions, "I'll explain when we arrive back at the inn."

"Assuming we'll get back before sunrise, it is pretty late." Crane chimes in, pointing out the position of the moon with his wing.

Already heading back to the direction of the forest, Monkey calls out, "Well, we'll just have to get moving now, won't we? Now c'mon, I'm exhausted." Mantis hops over to his best friend's shoulder as they practically speed off into the depths of the woods.

Viper shakes her head at the two with a smile on her face before slithering over to her feline sister. Concern brims within her sky-blue eyes as she asks, "How was it, you know… in there?" A sombre timbre takes hold of her voice, knowing full well the tragedy that Tigress has had to face again.

Tigress takes a moment to decided whether to tell them exactly what happened or to try and hide it, but knowing her serpent friend, she'd be able to see through it easily. "It was… rough, but I'm managing." She feels Po's right arm wrap around her waist as her serpent sister gives her a supportive smile. Returning this smile in kind, the tiger master nods in acceptance of Viper's silent care as she gently coils around Crane's neck. He offers his talon out to Po and Tigress, but the feline warrior shakes her head, "We'll catch up." Taking this answer, the avian master flies off towards the inn with the two lovers following on foot.

As they enter into the forest, Tigress lays her head on her panda's shoulder, smiling as Po tightens his hold on her waist ever so slightly. Of course, part of her wanted to take Crane's offer so they could both get some sleep, but at the same time she didn't want to pass up this opportunity of some well-deserved alone time. And she could tell Po appreciates it too. "Y'know, I think the universe… thingy was trying to keep me from worrying too much." Amber irises shift over to the panda with interest, "Well, I was having that feeling the whole time you were in there."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" He chuckles to himself, gaining another questioning glance from his lover, "I guess even the universe knows how much you mean to me." Tigress chuffs in response to his sweet comment and rubs her cheek into his shoulder to reciprocate his affection, making Po's smile grow wider.

Unbeknownst to both warriors, something lies within the Zhanshi clan's mountain village. Or rather, underneath it. Deep down the chasm that Po had created in their fight against Nuba lies multiple boulders, having shattered through one of the many cave systems that litter the mountain's core. These boulders conceal faint but visible markings on the rocky ground.

Markings that glow with an insidious crimson sheen.

I know, I know. I've dropped a bit of a bombshell. But believe me, I've got big things planned! And its gonna get crazy. Crazier than this right now. So other than that little thing at the end, we've got other stuff about the Zhanshi clan that is a bit... interesting. All will be revealed in due time. Until then, our heroes will have a lot to think about. And until then, you lot are gonna have sit tight :) As for the rest of this chapter, I felt that in legacy of darkness, I didn't utilise Tigress going back as much as I could've. Like the emotional aspect of that felt a bit underplayed. Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed Clouded Minds so far and until next time :)