Author's Note: Ha! You thought I'd be gone for many more months, well think again! I've got my groove back and I'm not letting it go anytime soon. Okay, now where to start. Oh right, this first part was meant to be in the last chapter, but I decided that pacing wise it would probably be better of here. As for what awaits you guys in this chapter, well let's just say that if you've read Legacy of Darkness, you'll probably recognise a few faces here and there. Anyways, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (Obviously!)

Enjoy.

Deep Within

Whilst the two masters have been speaking in the training hall, Tigress makes her way down to the palace kitchen, her tastebuds already flaring at the mere thought of the dishes Po has prepared. Soon this thought is replaced by many more concerning her panda lover. Each hug and kiss that they have shared over the past three months take turns to flash before her very eyes, making her smile grow wider with each passing second.

This slideshow of merriment continues going forward until different memories begin to flood her mind. Whenever a part of her had broken down in front of him, whenever grief had smeared the smile that she had hoped to give her adoring panda. Whenever she had reminded herself of what it took to finally let her heart speak. Even within this time of bliss, the tiger master's soul still had questions about who she is. Who her parents were. What was the Zhanshi* clan? That particular thought had rung in her mind since the day they had left the mountain village. In spite of her mind telling her that whatever answers she could possibly attain all remain in the village, her heart had always pleaded her not to go, that her real family will be enough. Though she may have found inner peace with Po and the five, she knows well enough that she can't wait for these answers any longer. She needs to-

"Bro, I don't know if I can actually digest this right now." Monkey's chuckle snaps Tigress out of her thoughts, making her realise that she is just in front of the kitchen doors. Only now does she notice the clear frown that had taken hold of her face in response to those meddlesome questions.

Her ears twitch at the sound of Mantis' laugh bellowing out of the door, "There's no way she hit you that hard!"

"I swear, it's like she paralyzed my stomach or something." Tigress' lips quirk up at the jesting langur, her friends' banter already pulling her heart away from the dread of returning to the wretched mountain village.

Finding her smile once more, master Tigress pushes open the doors to see all four of her comrades sat around the dining table. Monkey and Mantis sit on the right side of the table whilst Crane and Viper sit on the left, leaving the front two seats free for her to sit in. As she takes her seat, Crane immediately asks, "Where's Po?"

"He's with Shifu at the moment." She digs into her meal, a nice bowl of spicy noodle soup mixed with tofu cubes. Humming in pleasure at yet another scrumptious serving from her panda, a small smile glows onto her face as she notes the extra sauce served in a tiny plate off to the left. On the side. Of course, he would remember that.

Taking a spare moment to swallow his bean buns, Monkey leans over to look at the tiger master, "Honestly, you did not need to hit me that hard. Like, I do want to have lunch y'know."

The tiger master's eyebrows quirk up as she scoffs at his remark, "If I were to hold back it would be an insult to you, Monkey. Besides, it's a good reminder to not leave yourself wide open." As she takes another sip of her soup, the primate rubs his sore abdominal muscles.

"She does have a point." Crane's voice cuts through the air, "If you were to be that careless in an actual fight, then you'd get much worse than a bruised stomach."

At his avian friend's response, a cheeky expression fills Monkey's features as he leans forward, still chewing on a bean bun. "You do know that kissing up to her won't make her go easy on you, right?" Yellow irises roll upwards as Crane chuckles at his friend's remark.

"Hey if it works for Po, then maybe it could work for us, huh?" Mantis' offhand jab catches his langur brother off-guard, making him hold his paw over his face to prevent himself from succumbing to a giggling frenzy. Meanwhile, yellow irises dart between the insect and Tigress, who continues eating her noodles as if Mantis hasn't just said something really stupid.

However, Viper doesn't let this slide one bit as she hisses at her insect brother, "Mantis." This warning doesn't stop him from giggling alongside his best friend, much to the serpent's annoyance.

"Don't worry, Viper, I'm sure Mantis will enjoy being my sparring partner for our next training session." Tigress' sly assurance shuts the bug's mouth immediately, only making Monkey laugh harder and Viper righteously grins as Mantis lowers his head in resignation.

Bam!

Po bursts into the kitchen with his signature gigantic smile on his face, "Hey guys! Gotta say, you were all awesome today!" He cheers out as he takes his seat along Tigress, who subtly bunches up closer towards him.

Giving a wholehearted smile to her energetic panda brother, Viper responds, "Thanks again, Po. Is everything okay with Shifu?"

Anticipating this inquiry, the dragon warrior manages to assure them, "Ah, it's nothing. Just master teacher… stuff…" Though the rest of the five don't feel the need to look deeper into this, Tigress is almost certain there is something else within Po's answer. After all, if Po's training is at all in question, then surely Shifu must have provided some insight on his 'dragon strike' move. She decides to save this for later however, as she notices Crane just about ready to ask yet another question.

"By the way, Po. I've been wondering… Once we're done with mastering inner peace. What's the idea moving forward? What are you going to teach us next?" Upon hearing their own curiosity being voiced by the avian, the rest of the five look to Po for whatever idea he could possibly have for their training.

As for the panda himself, an enthusiastic smile crosses his face just as he opens his mouth to answer. However, nothing comes out. Before long, his confident features soon melt into confusion. What is there left to teach them? Maybe weapon stuff… Nah, they already know that. Maybe some of my own moves? Nope. It'd be cool to see but they won't be able to do a powerful enough belly slam… His thoughts soon make themselves vocal as he looks to each member of the five with only one real answer in mind, "I don't know."

Confused expressions surround the bear before he clarifies, "Seriously, I don't know… At the moment I can only really think of inner peace stuff… But don't worry, I'll figure something out in the meantime. I promise." At hearing his honest answer, his five comrades relax in their seats, trusting him enough to know exactly what he is doing.

"Hey man if anyone will be able to figure out that stuff it'd be you, Po." A warm tone emanates from Mantis' usually gruff voice.

With that, Po looks to his students as they all diverge into their own little conversations save for Tigress. He shifts his gaze to her for a brief moment before going back to his meal. Surprisingly enough, her lack of small talk never irked him, even when they were the only two in the room. At times, they would just lie near each other, not saying a single word. Some days, those moments had turned out to be the most intimate. He could never explain why though.

Whilst the dragon warrior glides through his serving of noodle soup and dumplings, master Tigress allows herself to take a quick glance at the ravenously hungry panda, a tiny grin creeps its way onto her face. What had once been fairly revolting now is quite adorable in her eyes. Especially considering that Po isn't exempt from this innate ability to clear a plate within mere seconds. No, every single panda that she had met within Li-Shan's village was capable of doing this too, even little Lei-Lei. This thought only has her smile grow wider as she goes back to patiently going through her soup, savouring the taste for as long as her tongue will allow. Would other tigers eat like me?

The flavours dancing on her tongue turns hollow. Her paws slow their movements to a crawl. Chopsticks sink back into the spicy noodle broth and remain there. A harmless thought brings back so many questions that only serve to wipe the smile right off her face. She knows she has to go back there sooner or later, yet the few memories she has of her 'home' manage to ward of this possibility as they have many times before.

Unbeknownst to her, Po notices her eyes losing themselves in her soup's cloudy reflection just as he finishes off his meal with a loud slurp! Jade irises brimming with concern, the panda master places a paw on her left shoulder, "You alright?"

His soft voice breaks the tiger from her racing thoughts, making her turn to face him. Amber orbs look down towards the table for a split-second as Tigress considers brushing her worries aside for now. However, this idea is soon thrown out once she looks back up to see the rest of her comrades gazing back at her with concern, their plates all empty. Has she really been thinking about this for that long? She takes one last glance at her panda lover, her heart fluttering once more at the caring warmth present in his face. She can't hold onto this any longer, she has to face this. Gazing back down into her reflection within the noodle broth, her face is replaced by a female tiger with sapphire eyes. Her mother. "It's… it's about the Zhanshi clan." Her voice is barely above a whisper, yet the clan's name rings loud and clear within each warrior's quaking heart. "I may have found inner peace. I may have found my past… Yet I still know so little." Empathy blazes within Po's eyes, these feelings mirroring what he had felt so soon after Gongmen. Within this brothy mirror she sees the sapphire-eyed tiger carrying a tiger cub, playfully roaring and cuddling with her mother. "I don't know who the Zhanshi clan were, nor do I know anything about their culture or…" What my life would've been like. Her mind finishes this phrase as the cub continues to playfight with her mother, growing into a version of herself that Tigress can barely even recognise. "I need to understand just where I came from. I need to go back to the village and see for myself."

As she finishes, the sight of her mother and her alternate self vanishes from the noodle broth, leaving her with her own reflection once more. Amber irises rip themselves from this cloudy mirror to exchange glances with each one of her comrades. Sympathy coats the eyes of every single person there, with her dragon warrior being the only one present with a truly understanding expression on his face. This expression soon morphs into a small, yet compassionate smile, "I understand, and as your master I'll allow you to go there… On one condition." Tigress' eyebrows furrow at the panda master's offer until he places his paw on top of hers, "I'm coming with you."

Surprise fills the tiger warrior's face as she assures him, "Po, you don't need to."

"Maybe." His gentle smile begins to look oddly familiar to her, yet she can't place just where she has seen it before, "But you do realise that you don't have to do this on your own. I mean, do you really think I got inner peace and stuff all by myself? I may be awesome, but I'm not that awesome." A light grin takes hold of Tigress' features as Po's usual jovialness manages to slip through his wisdom.

Soon she feels a scaly tail wrap around both her and Po's paws as Viper joins in, "What Po is trying to say is that if you think we're letting you go at this alone, then think again, sister." She flashes her feline sister a resolute smile, bewildering her as the rest of her comrades reach out towards her.

"Count me in too. Besides, you're gonna need a good laugh once we're done with all this." Monkey clutches all three of his comrades' appendages together whilst Crane place a wing gently atop the langur's paw.

"You've always got us, Tigress. No matter what." Yellow irises gaze directly into amber as the avian gives this heartfelt message, remembering when the tiger had comforted him after his mother's tragic death.

To finish, Mantis hops on top of his friends' conjoined appendages. "After all, we're family. Remember?"

Seeing this assurance from her friends-no, her family, a beaming smile finds its way onto Tigress' face. "Thank you, all of you." She slowly blinks her eyes at all five members of her kung fu family sitting beside her, allowing them all to retract their appendages. Or at least, everyone except Po, who keeps her paw in his. Not that she minds.

"I would join you on your expedition," All six warriors dart their heads over to the kitchen door, wondering how long master Shifu has been standing there. Taking his bowl of dumplings in his paw, the grandmaster clarifies, "but someone needs to guard the palace while you are all gone. If someone needs me before you venture off, I'll be at the peach tree."

Just as the red panda heads back to the door, Po's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Wait, I thought we weren't allowed to eat up there?"

After a brief pause, Shifu merely replies, "There are always exceptions, Po." His gaze turns towards his daughter, softening as he notices the subtle but ever-present distress lingering within her eyes. "Good luck."

Tigress bows her head in thanks, knowing just how much that single blessing actually means from her father. "Thank you, master." With that, Shifu leaves the room, allowing his students to discuss just how they would make their way back into the hidden Zhanshi clan village.

Meanwhile, far away within the forbidden city, many of the citizens wandering the streets aren't greeted with the sounds of bustling merchants desperately trying to sell their wares or the marching feet of imperial soldiers keeping the peace. Rather, overpowering all of these daily sounds, is the horrific screams of a poor woman within the imperial city's most trusted hospital.

Hall by hall a rabbit dressed in light blue robes passes by, his expression growing more wary as he gets closer towards the very last ward. The patient inside had been received by them last night, an antelope woman suffering from manic delusions and a debilitating level of terror. Or at least that is what he has gathered so far from her shrieks of horror. Other than that, he barely had anytime to perform a proper diagnosis for his shift had ended so soon. One thing has certainly changed however, her voice has gotten hoarse, and whether that is a good or bad thing is yet to be seen.

As he makes it to the dreaded ward 44, the rabbit's face creases in agony as his patient's never-ending screams pierce into his eardrums, making the veil dividing them seem practically useless. He pulls the curtain back to reveal said antelope, dishevelled and pale to a sickening degree. Surrounding her are several seals, pots and incense candles made to ward off evil spirits. Part of him thinks of scoffing the very notion presented by these wards until he just manages to dodge a manic swing from the petrified antelope. Noticing how her completely white eyes have only reddened further from a practically endless wave of frightful tears, the doctor's expression melds into a combination of pity and fear. For whatever is the reason for this woman's torment, the very idea of it spreading sends a horrific chill up his spine.

"Yisheng*!" The rabbit turns his head to see a sheep adorned in yellow robes running towards him, a scroll clutched in her hooves. "Thank goodness you're back."

"Get away from me! Ahh!"

She is almost immediately interrupted by the deranged screams of the antelope patient, leaving the poor nurse as a trembling mess. "Spare the pleasantries, Xin*. How has the patient been?"

A morose sigh escapes Xin's mouth as she explains, "It's been horrible. She hasn't stopped screaming for the entire night. She hasn't slept, eaten or drank anything. I'm surprised she even has the strength to keep screaming."

Yisheng's eyes widen in horror, "I'm assuming she is not accepting any food whatsoever. As in, not even being fed?" To his dismay, the sheep nods her head, making the doctor pause for a brief moment. "Any idea for a diagnosis?"

"Help me!"

Another hysterical cry breaks the two medical professionals from their conversation, only making their hearts sink further into despair. "From what we've gathered, there's no evidence of any drugs or chemicals, so hallucinogens have been ruled out. If this is some kind of disease, then it doesn't match any that we have on record." With this, Yisheng puts a paw on his chin as he turns his head back towards the shrieking patient inside ward 44. "A lot of the doctors think she's possessed."

The rabbit's eyes dart back to the wards for a brief second before focusing back on the antelope, "I've noticed." He whispers, focusing in on the information Xin has given him and trying his best to find some kind of answer until…

"Ahhhh!"

Both Yisheng and Xin's eyes widen as they hear a new voice screaming from the opposite side of the hall. They shoot their heads towards the source of the sound to see a male goat, dressed in blue imperial robes, being carried away on a stretcher whilst he convulses and writhes in a primal sense of terror. Xin looks towards Yisheng in horror of just what this could mean. Possession or disease, it doesn't matter. Whatever is causing this to happen is spreading, and they don't have a lot of time to contain it.

Inside one of the many shadowy alleyways within the forbidden city, two dark blue orbs look down from the side of a building, their soft glow being the street's only light source. Staring intently at a young duck drenched within the alley's shadowy veil as his eyes shine a sickly blue before his iris and pupil disappear altogether, leaving behind two white beacons gazing into nothingness. The ominous glow within the observer's orbs soon fades as a demented anticipation takes hold of them.

"Oh Gods! Ahh! They're everywhere! Get them off! Please! Help me! Help!"

Knowing for certain that someone will come for the helpless victim, the observer pounces out of the cloaked alley and dashes across the rooftops, trying their very best to avoid detection from any potential onlookers. Dark grey armour coats its figure, a black undershirt blanketing their arms and legs as they race through many winding streets. The dark blue orbs that had shone earlier are now contained behind a black demon mask, shrouded inside a hood. Whatever this creature is, it certainly has no intention of ever being found.

After many different intersections and even more illustrious buildings, the observer finally reaches the forbidden city's port. They remain within the shadows as they gaze at the unsuspecting pedestrians and boats docking at the pier. Somehow, in spite of the madness growing within their precious city, so few people are aware of what is going on. A sickening grin can be seen within the observer's eyes at this thought. The fact that they have gotten this far without any setbacks… then again, this is only the beginning. Finally emerging from the shadowy veil of the inner city, the masked observer barely has to pay any mind to his surroundings, for everyone is too enthralled with their own business to mind them.

They take advantage of this lack of suspicion by walking towards a merchant's hut located near the end of the port. A few small holes and splinters can be seen within its foundation, but it is far from run-down. In comparison with the rest of the docks however, it tends to stick out a fair bit. Docked by the unassuming hut's harbour is a humble sailboat, clearly usable but its age has certainly become apparent.

As the observer enters the quaint hut, they are greeted by a muscular alligator with his bare torso wrapped in a sea of tribal tattoos. A mere nod is given by said alligator as he reaches underneath the front desk and grasps carefully grasps the lever hiding there. Without a single word spoken, the masked creature walks over to the far-right corner of the room but leaves enough space in front of them. Their dark blue eyes take in the several fishing lines, burlap sacks and sailing equipment hung up behind the alligator as his arm remains under the desk. The observer gives one last nod to the awaiting alligator before he pushes the lever down. A trap door opens directly in front of the masked creature, revealing a cavern that seemingly has no end. On the opposite side of the door's hinges is a ladder ingrained into the rocky wall with torches lit up by its left side. Without a moment's hesitation, the observer climbs down the trap door and begins sliding down the tremendous ladder. The lever is pulled back up as the dark figure leaves the alligator's vision, that secret entrance now perfectly concealed to the naked eye.

We should consider getting an elevator for this place. This meagre note runs through this creature's mind as they finally reach the bottom of this monumental descent. No time for woes however, for there is much more important things to be done. Red torches illuminate the dank and dark caves under the meagre hut, bringing a hellish glow to the already sinister demon mask on the observer's face. As they make their way through the claustrophobic caves, they pull their hood back and finally decide to remove this mask, revealing the white wolf that had been lurking underneath. He wipes the copious amount of sweat latching onto his face as he reaches a wall in the caves' path. A dead end. Or at least, it would seem that way to most.

The wolf gives the rock wall three harsh knocks and crosses his arms in wait, his eyes dead set on the small hole just off to the wall's right side. Within seconds, another eye fills the hole's empty space, widening at the sight of the wolf before swiftly moving away from the spot.

Rumble!

He doesn't even flinch as the wall in front of him begins to rise from the ground, making the rest of the cave pathway tremble in its wake. Once the door has fully opened, the first sight to greet the wolf is a gorilla soldier standing at attention. "Welcome back, Zhongcheng* sir!" He greets his commander with a salute as he enters the underground cavern.

"Thank you." A powerful yet subdued voice emanates from Zhongcheng, the gorilla who had welcomed him immediately closing the hidden door with a massive rotating lever as he sets off further in the base. Several stone staircases lead the commander further down the underground base until he finally reaches one massive wooden door, the sounds of metal clanging and soldiers shouting piercing through to Zhongcheng's sensitive ears. As he opens the door, he is greeted by a colossal cavern Illuminated with a multitude of crimson torches. This humongous base is divided into two sections: The first is the barracks and training areas, separated by two large buildings made of a cheap yet sturdy wood. Whilst the second area is used for construction works, instead being housed in multiple smaller buildings used for whatever purpose was needed. These two areas are conjoined together by a single rope bridge hovering over the water that surrounds the rest of the cavern.

Once upon a time this place had somehow been even bigger, its depths running so far beneath the forbidden city's surface that some suspected it would reach the earth's very centre. Alas, the depths of these caverns remain entombed by the merciless hands of the yellow river. Dark blue irises stare intently at the many wolves and gorillas hard at work at the construction section as he makes his way over there. He ignores the few alligators paddling around within the waters below. They can have their fun for now.

As Zhongcheng passes each of his working soldiers, they quickly salute him before getting back to their workstations. After giving these working men an approving nod, he focuses his gaze upon the main production building nestled within the rest. Out of all of the structures here, this warehouse probably has the best craftsmanship of all, with not even a splinter out of place on its walls. Entering inside, Zhongcheng makes eye contact with a bison barking orders at the rest of the men who continue carving in illustrious designs of dragons and demons into metal cylinders.

This bison is named Gongjiang*, one of Zhongcheng's most physically capable lieutenants. What he couldn't do in terms of strategy or technique he could make up for in brute strength. On top of this, he has an affinity for machinery, giving the wolf a perfect for role for him. He wears a grey breastplate over his bare chest and baggy, light blue trousers. Upon noticing his commander, the bison paces his way over whilst the wolf patiently waits with arms crossed. "Commander." A grizzled voice emanates from the muscular bison.

Zhongcheng nods back in greeting, "How is production going?" As if he needs to ask that. The incomplete husks of cannons strewn around the floor telling him everything he needs to know. He narrows his eyes in irritation as his comrade heaves a disappointed sigh in response

"We're missing a vital component. Without it, our cannons won't be able to fire. And after practically scavenging the entirety of the imperial city, I think its safe to say that we may not be able to find any more at this rate." This admission almost forces out an involuntary growl from the wolf commander, yet he manages to hold it in. Such a small hiccup and yet it can cause catastrophic consequences later on.

"Have you managed to make any in working order?" Brimstone sears Zhongcheng's timbre as his eyes pierce directly into the bison's soul.

Staring right back, Gongjiang responds, "Yeah, around fifteen, I think. But as I've said, with that component completely run out, we will only be able to use those few." Zhongcheng puts a paw to his chin in thought, "And before you ask, the only way we can make those parts is through smelting it. If you want to keep a low profile, then that is a no go."

In response, the wolf gives an acknowledging hum as he continues treading through his mind in search of a solution. Dark blue orbs shift towards Gongjiang as the commander finally has an answer, "Send several of our men to the outskirts of China, back to where one of our old factories were. There should still be some parts left in there."

"Will do, sir." With a brief salute, the bison rushes back towards his men, already deciding on which men to send where.

With that potential problem solved, Zhongcheng heads over towards his office where he notices someone else entering the base. A green Komodo dragon adorned in white imperial robes. Qipian*, a highly esteemed member of the emperor's council. Or at least, that is what many people know him as. In reality, the treacherous reptile had served as Zhongcheng's inside man for the goings on within the imperial palace for the past two years and he could not be more grateful for it. He approaches the illustriously dressed traitor with a light smirk on his face whilst the Komodo dragon's white eyes bear no readable expression. "My lord." Zhongcheng mockingly bows towards the reptile before continuing, "Any news?"

A rancid scoff exits Qipian's mouth as he reports back, "Nothing of significance, commander." His horrid, whispery voice indulges itself once more in its perfectly played treachery of the emperor, "In fact, ever since the incident involving Nuba, there has barely been anything of note within the council's chambers."

Zhongcheng's smirk widens, "Perfect. No outside influences to interfere." Dark blue irises shift their focus back towards the wolf's office as he dismisses the reptile, "Thank you for the good news, my friend." As he makes his way back towards his office, he doesn't see the bow that Qipian gives in response.

After entering the barracks building, Zhongcheng climbs up a flight of wooden stairs, his office situated on the top floor. He enters inside and immediately puts his demon mask on his desk before taking a quick glance at the wooden walls of his 'home'. Pinned up to the left wall is a chest plate which had once bore the emperor's emblem, now scratched out. Blue irises stare at this chest plate with a deep, venomous loathing. Memory upon memory burrow within his head, only poisoning his glare further. Before he can let this anger fester for any longer, he shifts his eyes over to the wall behind his desk.

Strapped onto the wall is a shoulder plate bearing a mark that had earned the wolf's respect. One that had represented someone who had guts to do what others wouldn't dare do. One that had realised the truth in bringing peace to all of China.

A crimson eye. The mark of lord Shen.

Zhongcheng goes down on one knee and puts a closed fist to his heart, hanging his head low as he whispers, "They were foolish to go against us, my lord. Soon, they will realise just how right we were. I will teach them the true meaning of fear. I promise you this, my lord."

1* Zhanshi = Warrior in Chinese

2* Yisheng = Doctor in Chinese

3* Xin = Heart in Chinese

4* Zhongcheng = Loyal in Chinese

5* Gongjiang = Craftsman in Chinese

6* Qipian = Deception in Chinese

Oh yeah, I brought them back :) And yes, to people who have read Legacy of Darkness, you might notice a few parallels but believe me, this story is leagues different to that one. Mostly in the fact that it is much more thought out than that one. Also... those poor villagers. Like I genuinely feel bad for them. And if you think that is the end to the dark parts of this story... you are in for one hell of a ride. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the new chapter and until next time :)