Chapter 16
A/N: jaqueline: Thank you!
supercatdude: Thanks so much! What a compliment, I'm so happy you're enjoying it. :) Trying to balance all those different emotional elements can be tough at times, so I'm glad to know it's paying off!
[Scene: in the Forbidden City courtyard; MONKEY, MANTIS, CRANE and VIPER are all hiding among the flowering boughs of one of the trees, watching as Shifu sighs, shoulders slumping, and walks off deeper into the garden, limping slightly on his bad hip and leaning on the staff.]
THE FOUR: (Share worried looks, and then slither/swing/hop down from the branches.)
[Shot shifts ahead in time; the four of them sneak in through the window into Mantis's room in the barracks, not bothering with the front door—perhaps not wanting their entry to be noticed, since as Monkey closes the shutters behind them, Viper begins:]
VIPER: Okay, that's it. (She coils up, low-spirited.) We have got to stop spying on Master Shifu's private conversations.
MANTIS: No kidding. Every time we do I just get more depressed.
CRANE: (Fluffing his feathers anxiously) You guys don't…really think Tigress would turn on us, right?
MANTIS: (Dully) Who knows. Tai Lung did.
MONKEY: (Insisting) But this is Tigress; if we can't trust her, who can we trust?
VIPER: (Speaking up:) If she does, she knows we won't have a choice. (The other three look over at her, and she purses her lips.) Look, Tigress is like a sister to me; I don't even want to think about it, but—our duty has to come first, she knows that better than anyone!
MANTIS: Yeah, 'cept it doesn't sound like it'd be our duty. (Shaking his head as he crawls up onto Monkey's shoulder.) There's no way the big guy is taking this well.
VIPER: (Sighing) Poor Po.
CRANE: Do you really think he'd be able to, y'know…
MANTIS: (Grimly) No way. C'mon, he's been crazy about her since he was what, fifteen? I mean he's known us all for years now and he's still her biggest fanboy. (There are nods around the room.) If it did come down to it, he'd choke.
[Shot shifts to outside the door, where none other than Po himself is standing and listening, his fist half-raised as if he was intending to knock. His expression falters in a mixture of hurt and uncertainty.]
VIPER'S VOICE: (From the other side of the door) Can you blame him? Any of us probably would, too…
CRANE'S VOICE: Yeah, I don't think I could do it if it were me. –And I don't just mean because she could kick my tailfeathers in a fight.
MONKEY'S VOICE: (Trying to be hopeful) We are getting ahead of ourselves. Tigress is our friend; we shouldn't assume the worst until we know for sure.
MANTIS'S VOICE: (Arguing) Look, I get it; she's like family to me too, and I'm not saying I could do it either if it came to it. But we all know she's got a chip on her shoulder and they're definitely gonna try to use that against her. We've gotta be realistic here…
PO: (Pulls away from the door and heads off down the hall, shoulders hunched and an anxious expression on his face, but not before Mantis's voice fades away in the background:)
MANTIS'S VOICE: –She said it herself: under the right circumstances, nobody's invulnerable to temptation.
[Scene: the courtyard of the mountain complex. The other guests stare at Tigress in shock as she walks calmly to her end of the table.]
TIGRESS: (To Zhong, almost offhandedly:) Apologies. I didn't intend to be late. (Pulling back her own chair and sitting down; with the glittering gold of the tapestry behind her, the visage of her father hovering over her shoulder, she cuts a striking image.)
ZHONG: (Eyeing her, just briefly, with concealed surprise and suspicion, but recovering almost immediately:) No need to apologize—your Majesty. (He turns back to the table. Everyone is still gobsmacked.) We were just getting started.
TIGRESS: (Noticing their expressions; dryly:) Clearly.
ZHONG: As I was saying, we've invited you here to present you with a proposal. (To the mongrel:) You're correct; we are, currently, low on men and supplies—but we have something that so-called emperor does not: legitimacy.
RAPTOR LORD: (Recovering; apparently dismissive, but still eyeing Zhong shrewdly:) What's legitimacy? The current emperor recognizes my claim to my lands; that's legitimate enough for me. Why would I and…certain others, risk our positions on an uncertain bet?
ZHONG: And can you all say the same? (To the two bandit leaders:) Surely you remember how much better things were in the old days. And you can't all tell me you're content being led by that– that embarrassment of an emperor, that weakling!
MONGREL MERCHANT: (With a shrug) Peace is good for business. Risk, not so much.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: And speaking of risks, we've got a massive security one sitting at this table. (He turns a sharply critical look in Tigress's direction before saying to Zhong:) Are you out of your mind, Zhong, or just too much of a zealot to recognize an infiltrator when you see one?
ZHONG: (Sharp growl:) Watch how you speak. Her Majesty is not an "infiltrator."
BEAR BANDIT: (With a loud laugh and a smack on the table) Oh come on! We all heard about the Den of Claws, Zhong; what'd this one do, come knocking on your door with an apology fruit basket? (Turning a sneering grin on Tigress, who regards her calmly back.) Besides, how d'you even know this little kitten's the right one?
TIGER BANDIT: (Speaking up before Zhong can reply:) She is the one! How can you all be so blind; one look at her face and–
MONGREL MERCHANT: (Drawling) Who needs to look at her face; one look at the marketing and it's clear what's happened. Celebrity endorsement isn't a bad idea in itself, Zhong, but no one's going to believe a kung fu master can be an empress.
RAPTOR LORD: (Scoffing agreement:) She's certainly not like any lady I've ever seen.
ZHONG: (Infuriated) Are you insinuating that I would lie about my Emperor's bloodline?!
MONGREL MERCHANT: Oh forgive me; I suppose you could have been conned.
ZHONG: How dare you–!
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (Angrily) He's right, Zhong, this is clearly a trap! (Gesturing to Tigress:) Now she knows our names and faces, but did you think of that? Of course not! You were a fool for believing her, and we are fools for having trusted you!
BEAR BANDIT: (Jeering) That's what you get for being an imperial housecat.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: Don't speak down to me, you–!
RAPTOR LORD: (Lecturing Zhong:) –Never here, and I'll deny everything–
TIGER BANDIT: (Shouting over all of them, unheeded:) Blind, disloyal, foolish–
TIGRESS: (Looks between the feuding lords, officers and brigands, and then stands up and reaches into her sleeve.)
NOISE: Clatter! (A heavy sound of gilded wood hitting the table; the bickering stops as every eye watches the scroll unroll, coming to an end in the center of the map of China. The eyes travel from the ink markings around the characters of the prophecy up to the warrior staring them all down at the head of the table.)
TIGRESS: Are you done? Or are you going to continue bickering like children? (Nobody quite dares to answer.) Well, if none of you have anything to say, you can just listen: I have had a very long day, and I'm not interested in standing here listening to people I've never met question my honor and call me a liar. (She casts an unamused flick of the eyes at the military officer, who glares back but doesn't speak further. To the rest, coolly:) But of course, you're our guests; nobody is being held hostage here. Anyone who wants to leave, can go.
(Nobody moves. Tigress challenges them a beat longer with the cool stare, and then gives a slight nod.) Good. Then we can dispense with the posturing. None of you would be here if you weren't interested in Zhong's– in our offer, so. (She nods to the unfurled scroll.) We've shown our hand. Why don't you show yours.
(There are glances around the table. At last, the bear bandit straightens up with a grunt.)
BEAR BANDIT: Zhong's…got a point. Things were better in the old days; when your father was in charge, I had the run of half a province. Now my people are lucky if we can loot a couple villages before the imperial military shows up. (She shoots daggers at the golden-cat officer, who returns it with a flat glare.)
TIGRESS: Good. Now we're getting somewhere. (Eyes flicking to the lord.) And you?
RAPTOR LORD: (Glances around the table and ruffles his feathers again, before clearing his throat.) I…represent the interests of some individuals of standing who have expressed certain…dissatisfactions, with the current dynasty.
TIGRESS: (Bluntly) You want more land and the emperor won't give it to you.
RAPTOR LORD: (Fluffing, indignant:) It's more than just that! It's the—dignity of the matter! (To the rest of the table:) I mean, he's a rabbit! I could carry him off if I wanted to; having to bow down to someone like that, it's a national embarrassment! (There are collective nods and murmurs around the table.)
TIGRESS: Hm. And you. (This to the leopard in imperial armor, who has been watching her carefully.)
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (Glancing at the raptor) I share his lordship's opinion on the fitness of vermin to give orders to their betters. (Back to her.) But more to the point, you're a warrior; you should know what happens when warriors have no war to fight.
TIGRESS: In my experience, boredom.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (Irked) We're restless. This policy of peace on the northern border, it's ridiculous. Any true emperor would be seeking to expand into the Northern Steppe, but all this one cares about is the approval of peasants and farmers.
TIGRESS: And, speaking of war. (Turning at last to the mongrel, who's eyeing her shrewdly.) I thought "peace is good for business"?
MONGREL MERCHANT: Yes, well. (Straightens his fine robes.) War can also be good for business—for those with foresight.
TIGRESS: Or advance warning. (He smirks back.)
TIGER BANDIT: (Speaking up in an indignant voice) Well, not all of us are here for our own self-interest! (Peering at her with admiration:) I fought under your father. He was a great man, I remember. And I'm not the only one. Some of us haven't forgotten where our loyalties lie.
(For a moment, Tigress seems caught off-guard by this; her eyes widen slightly and she draws up short, before–)
ZHONG: Precisely. (She looks over.) China can only prosper if the right people are in charge. (Meeting her eyes) That, I think, is something on which we can all agree.
TIGRESS: (Recovering with a slow nod:) Yes…yes, we can. Thank you, General. (Sitting again and gesturing to the map:) Well, now that we all know why we're here and what we want from each other, why don't you continue with your plan.
ZHONG: Of course. Thank you, Empress. (Returns to the map.) In addition to a true claim to the throne, we also have the benefit of hindsight.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (Flatly) Hindsight.
ZHONG: Yes. We've learned from our mistakes; if you're thinking that we intend to fight another fifteen-year war, then rest assured that nothing could be further from our goal. I'm anticipating a brief campaign that will last no more than six months.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: Six months! (He lets out an incredulous laugh; this is joined by a snicker from the raptor lord and a guffaw from the bear bandit. Zhong doesn't rise to the bait this time, merely regards them all patiently.) General Zhong, even if I could promise you every single man under my personal command—which, let me make it clear, I cannot—there's no way we could defeat the might of the full Imperial Army, let alone in six months. –Regardless of how many bandit friends you might have. (The bear stops laughing abruptly and scowls.)
ZHONG: (Calmly) We won't have to fight the Imperial Army. We will have the Imperial Army.
[The snickering from the raptor stops abruptly. The table goes dead silent; the golden cat looks dumbstruck. Even Tigress's eyes widen slightly in surprise.]
RAPTOR LORD: I'm– sorry, you'll what?
ZHONG: (Picking up a tiny rabbit-shaped marker from the figurine box) The biggest mistake we made in the war was not cutting off the tree at the roots. (He sets the figure down in the center of the Forbidden City palace structure.) This time, the situation is different. The current emperor is a weakling with no military experience; if we can get past his palace walls and his guards, we can execute a beheading strike and destabilize the entire dynasty in a single blow.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (Gruffly) That'll never work. You've drawn too much attention to the Capital, Zhong; the whole of the Imperial Army has their eyes set on the north in case you pull anything.
ZHONG: (Smoothly) Which is why we will need distractions, to draw most of the Imperial Army away from the Capitol to defend other important targets—say, the Eastern Seaport or the Southern Capital.
BEAR BANDIT: (Rubbing her chin) It's not a bad idea. (Lowering her hand with a shrug.) But we don't have the manpower for that either, Zhong.
TIGER BANDIT: (Butting in) Nonsense! What are a few thousand ducks and rabbits quaking in their armor, compared to the strength of true warriors! We will vanquish them with our superior might and vigor of spirit!
ZHONG: (Cutting in before the other bandit can respond to this bluster) And, with our natural cunning. You won't need to fight the whole of the Imperial Army, madame, just confuse them long enough to draw them away from the Northern Capitol. Conceal your true numbers; light ten campfires for every man, lead lightning operations on important targets to frighten the other major cities. Make the governors demand the Emperor send his forces to defend them.
RAPTOR LORD: (Skeptically) Even if it works, the moment you attack the Capital they'll rush back to the city to kill you and your little empress there, Zhong. (Tigress raises an eyebrow but doesn't respond.) Not to mention everyone who helps you. With all due respect to our military friend here– (the golden-cat narrows his eyes) –I don't particularly want to find myself in front of an imperial executioner.
ZHONG: And you won't. I've done a great deal to prepare the city: our natural brethren have been emboldened and are merely waiting for our signal that the time is ripe, while the rest of the populace is frightened; they'll be easy to subdue. With the city taken, we'll have secured the imperial treasury. (To the officer.) In other words, the ability to pay our new army.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (With grudging admiration) That…might work. Most soldiers don't care who they're fighting for so long as they're getting paid, and even those who are loyal to their emperor on principle couldn't very well be loyal to a dead man. They'd probably accept a clean dynastic change without too much of a fight. (Abruptly, as if spotting a flaw:) But all this relies on you taking the city at the same time you kill the Emperor. Captain Wu runs a tight ship; a handful of civilian troublemakers isn't going to be able to take on the City Guard.
ZHONG: I daresay it's more than a "handful." And with some expert training from the finest kung fu master in China (Tigress acknowledges this with barely a blink), not to mention top-of-the-line weaponry (he gives a nod to the mongrel merchant, who raises a skeptical eyebrow), I believe they will be able to match the Guard man-for-man—especially if part of the military themselves is on their side. (The officer's expression clears, and he gives a considering nod.)
RAPTOR LORD: (Drawing their attention) And what then? As the poets say, "the empire long divided must unite; long united, must divide; thus it has ever been." There are a dozen lords across China who would want the throne for themselves, Zhong, "legitimate" claims or not. Are you going to fight off their armies, too? (To the rest of the table) China could be plunged into a new era of war, with endless feuding. I might not like the way things are now, but that doesn't mean I want to risk them getting worse!
MONGREL MERCHANT: (Dryly) The bird's right. You want "top-of-the-line" weaponry, on the promise that you'll pay me back after you secure the imperial treasury. This is a nice plan on paper, Zhong, but it's just too risky a proposition; besides, didn't you recently lose quite a bit of your inventory?
ZHONG: A minor setback. We have been restocking our supplies–
MONGREL MERCHANT: (Smoothly) By robbing city guardhouses, which has since been stopped. Besides, there's no way those acts of petty theft could have resupplied the losses of the Den of Claws—which, I'll remind the table, was destroyed by a team of kung fu masters led by the very woman seated before us. (There are amused stirs around the table.) Frankly, Zhong, I just don't trust that you would use my investment wisely.
ZHONG: So, you're saying you won't help us.
MONGREL MERCHANT: I'm saying that I need some evidence you know what you're doing before I underwrite a coup. (Waving a hand) Of course, if you wanted to buy the weapons up front, that would be another story–
ZHONG: (Cutting him off coldly) I didn't invite you here to disrespect her Majesty's time with petty business negotiations. You can remember this as the day you made an enemy of the new dynasty; we will get our weapons elsewhere.
MONGREL MERCHANT: (With a laugh) Oh, really? Where exactly do you plan to do that, Zhong? Please, tell me, I'd love to meet the competition; where else are you going to find another stock of high-quality weaponry as large as mine and willing to sell to you?
TIGRESS: (Speaking up) What about the North Gate?
[The entire table turns to face her with dumbfounded expressions. Tigress merely raises her brows.]
TIGRESS: You want proof that this is a viable operation. Fine. Let me replace the armory I destroyed and prove to you that I'm committed. (She takes a building figure out of the box and leans forward to set it on the map, right overtop an inked fortress guarding a mountain pass.) There's a weapons storehouse at the Pass. Their stock, plus the weapons currently in use along the nearby section of the wall, should be sufficient to resupply what was lost at the Den of Claws.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: Are you serious? (She looks up to eye him coolly, and he snorts.) With all respect, Master Ti– uh, Empress—the Great Wall is meant to keep out entire armies.
TIGRESS: A job which it does exceedingly well. It will not, however, keep out me. (To the merchant:) Whatever we get, you match it. If we fail then you've lost nothing; if we succeed, then you'll know we can be trusted to keep our word.
(The merchant looks intrigued by this, but he's cut off before he can answer by the lord:)
RAPTOR LORD: (Loudly) Am I the only one here who's still sane? Are the rest of you seriously considering this?! (To Tigress:) Raiding the North Gate, you're out of your mind. That groundless optimism just proves that you're not who Zhong thinks you are.
ZHONG: (With an edge of a growl:) Who I "think" she is?
RAPTOR LORD: Exactly. (With a sneer:) She's not her father, Zhong. She might look like him, she might even sound like him, but she's not him. And if you weren't still living in the past, you would see that.
ZHONG: (Lets out a sharp—and probably unintended—snarl, and the whole table shrinks back abruptly as his claws unsheathe. For a moment the whole scene seems poised to explode once more, before every eye is again drawn by an utterly calm interjection:)
TIGRESS: You're right.
(The raptor lord looks surprised. So does Zhong, and everyone else. In their startled silence, she takes advantage of the moment and continues:)
TIGRESS: I'm not the Tiger Emperor. But that's not why you're here, is it? (She fixes her amber gaze like pins on the bird; unwittingly, he seems to shrink down in his chair, wings hunching.) Tell me, how many more lords with grievances against the Emperor are you representing? (Eyes flicking to the golden-cat and the bear:) And you, how many more disgruntled officers, or bandits with higher aspirations? How long have you been waiting for an opportunity like this?
(The general silence persists, but their tension is now tinged with ingrigue; she nods, just once, and resumes dryly:) With all respect to General Zhong, you—(she catches sight of the old tiger bandit and amends:) most of you—aren't here because you think I'm an empress. You're here because you and the people you represent want a change, and you want to see if we're the ones who can pull it off. Believe me when I say, we can.
RAPTOR LORD: (Now nervous, but still persisting with shaky indignance:) Big promises. But I think I speak for everyone here when I say we want to know what your plan is. (He glances around; there are murmurs of agreement.) Blood is important, but it's not everything; what makes you qualified? How is a kung fu master going to rule an entire empire?
TIGRESS: You said it yourself; I am a master of the honorable way of kung fu. What I know is order and discipline, and that what people need most is strong leadership—especially those who don't realize it. (To the table as a whole:) Right now, China's leadership is weak. I can fix that. (She glances briefly at Zhong, and then back at the table.) –By making sure that the natural rulers rule, and the natural followers, follow.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: Hnh. That is one matter I'd still like cleared up; as you say, you were a master of the Jade Palace. Until a few months ago you were fighting against the Ten Thousand. Why the sudden change of heart?
TIGRESS: I admit, it…took some convincing. But I spent three months in the Forbidden City trying to put an end to the Ten Thousand. I saw how things are really run, and General Zhong is correct. China is in the wrong hands.
BEAR BANDIT: How things are "really run?"
TIGRESS: (Bluntly) The Emperor is soft. His leadership is weak and inefficient, he commands respect from no one and receives it from no one. Meanwhile he plays favorites and elevates those he likes over those who can actually get a job done.
GOLDEN-CAT OFFICER: (Testing) But didn't your Master Oogway handpick him for the role? (The rest of the table turns to watch her reaction intently.)
TIGRESS: (Pauses, looking away for a moment with a brooding expression.) …My entire life, I was told that Oogway's wisdom was not to be questioned. That to mistrust his choice of who was and wasn't worthy was to risk becoming a monster. (She looks back at the table, gaze hardening.) Oogway knew who I was from the start, yet he kept that information to himself for twenty years. Frankly, I am beginning to suspect that "destiny" was not so much the secret workings of the universe, as the decisions of one old man with his own biases.
MONGREL MERCHANT: Ah, but that doesn't quite answer the question, does it? You've all heard what we want—Master Tigress. But what's in this for you? (His eyes gleam with acquisitive curiosity.) Destiny, power? Revenge?
(There's a beat of silence while she considers this, and then calmly stands up, planting her paws on the table.)
TIGRESS: (In calm, considered, measured tones:) All I want, is what I've been working for these last last thirty years. (She looks back over her shoulder. The tapestry of the royal family in all their glory looks solemnly back at her, and she turns to face the table again, her cool tones gaining just the slightest hint of an edge:)
TIGRESS: A reputation.
[Scene: second-floor veranda, the doorway Tigress's room. Two goose servants leave, following behind Loi, bowing to General Zhong as they head for the stairs. He waits until they're gone, and then looks into Tigress's room. The tapestry has been moved from downstairs and hung in a place of honor on the wall.
TIGRESS herself is standing at the window with her back to him; her armor has been re-hung on its stand, leaving her more unencumbered in her yellow jacket. The lattice window-shutters are open, and beyond the window a trail of lanterns can be seen vanishing into the forest as the guests leave.]
ZHONG: (Approaches her, clasping his hands behind his back. The warrior's ears give a small flick, but she otherwise doesn't acknowledge his presence as he stops beside her and clasps his hands behind his back, watching with her as the lights drift away into the undergrowth. Zhong, inhaling through his nose:) I'll admit: part of me wasn't sure you'd come to your senses in time. (Tigress doesn't respond.) You did very well down there. Better than me, I have to confess.
TIGRESS: You miscalculated with them. You might believe in me, but they have no reason to. Yet.
ZHONG: Empress–
TIGRESS: Don't worry. I'm used to having something to prove. (Still looking out the window, she reaches over with one paw and shuts the lid of the box containing the Collector's Set of figurines. Zhong watches the motion and then looks back to her; she, curtly:) Tell me what really happened to Lán. Did you kill him?
ZHONG: No.
TIGRESS: You expect me to believe that?
ZHONG: You gave me an order; I followed it. He chose to stay of his own will, just as I told you.
TIGRESS: (Appears to struggle with this, but after a moment:) …He was an honorable man.
ZHONG: (Bluntly) But a fool.
TIGRESS: (Reluctant, but agreeing:)…Perhaps. I've met a lot of honorable fools. (Looks over at the tapestry; the Tiger Emperor looks back at her, imperious, noble.) But he was correct about one thing. You both were. (Zhong raises his eyebrows.) He said I wouldn't find peace until I face the man you call my father…he was right.
[Zhong doesn't immediately respond, studying her. Tigress, in turn, looks back out the window.]
TIGRESS: (Continuing) Whatever our differences in opinion, we agree that currently the wrong people are in charge, so: I'll do this on two conditions. (Her eyes flick to his.) First, no more attacking civilians.
ZHONG: Empress, surely you understand that sometimes in a war there is collateral dama–
TIGRESS: (Cutting him off, icy:) Civilians are off-limits. Not only is it dishonorable, but you've been planting the seeds of your own downfall. If you want the people to follow you—to follow me—then we shouldn't be inviting their hatred.
ZHONG: (Studies her, and then, after a beat, nods.) …As you wish, Empress. We will modify our plans accordingly. (Tigress looks the smallest bit surprised, as if she hadn't expected it to be that easy.) And your second condition?
TIGRESS: (Eyes flickering away again) …The other masters. (This time Zhong chooses not to say anything, merely studies her; she continues:) I understand we will have to fight them at some point. But I've led the Five for over a decade, they trust me. With enough time, I can get them to see that this is what's best for China. (Sharply:) No harm is to come to them, or the Grandmaster. If I really am your empress then that's my first order.
ZHONG: And the panda?
TIGRESS: (Her eyes widen slightly, and her certainty seems to waver for a moment, before she shoulders it again:) The Dragon Warrior and I are…close. He'll follow me in the end. If I can just talk to him, I can convince him. (Firmly, and half to herself:) I know I can. (Looking back at Zhong, voice going cool and hard again:) Those are my conditions. You can take them, or I can go to the City Guard and turn you in—along with all of our honored guests.
ZHONG: (Glances down at the retreating lanterns as the last departees vanish into the forest again, and then back.) Very well. But I need something more in return.
TIGRESS: (Dry and a little bitter:) You mean more than betraying my master, my emperor and a lifetime of duty? What more is there?
ZHONG: Proof. (She turns fully to face him.) I'm certainly gladdened by this…change of heart, but you must admit, I have my reasons to be suspicious. I'm not going to let you lead a dozen of my best men straight into the North Gate without some further evidence you've truly accepted your destiny.
TIGRESS: Hm. What did you have in mind?
ZHONG: (Lightly) A public display of your new loyalties. If you've really come around, it shouldn't be any problem for you. (Gesturing to her desk, on which have been marked several locations on a map of the city.) We had some further disturbances planned, but since you find them distasteful…
TIGRESS: (Turns and studies the map for a moment, before tilting her head.) You said that the Tig– …that…my father… (she tests the words out slowly, and then, with growing ease, continues:) …designed the Temple of Heaven? (Zhong inclines his head briefly.) I've heard that there's a statue of the late Bull Emperor there.
ZHONG: Some garish monument, yes.
TIGRESS: Good. Then I think it's time you—we—send a message. (Reaches down to tap the map, and then pauses. She turns her paw over to look at it, and then, after a moment—)
NOISE: TSING! (–Her claws extend. With a look of grim satisfaction, she taps the map with the foremost one. It leaves a tiny mark on the paper.)
TIGRESS: (Half to herself) A new message.
[Time skips ahead briefly; we see Zhong leaving the room. Beside the door, as if standing guard, is COMMANDER GUAN; he falls into step beside Zhong and follows him along the veranda towards Zhong's own office. Once they're out of earshot, he begins:]
COMMANDER: (In a low voice:) She really believes she can convince the other masters? (Zhong shrugs, unconcerned.) And there are always civilian casualties in war; what is she thinking?
ZHONG: She is thinking like she's still a kung fu master, instead of an empress. It's only natural that she'd need time to adjust; we just need to be patient with her.
COMMANDER: But General–
ZHONG: Let her believe what she wants for now; she'll become more reasonable once she's acclimated to her position. Some people require time to accept what inside they already know. (Claps the commander on the shoulder as he passes by towards the steps:) After all, you did.
COMMANDER: (Has opened his mouth to answer here but pauses, caught off-guard; instead he watches Zhong disappear back into his office, but then brightens as he notices his daughters coming up the opposite stairs. One of them is carrying another folded yellow silk jacket, embroidered with black phoneixes to match the gold bossed fenghuang on their lady's armor.) Ah, my little flowers! (He steps forward to pull them both into a hug, kissing both of their fur-fringed cheeks.)
TIGER GIRL: (One of the two, it's unclear which:) Father–?
COMMANDER: (Beaming at them as he pulls back:) Didn't I tell you? It's all going to work out now, just like I promised. (Setting a hand on each of their shoulders; with genuine earnestness:) I know you've both endured a lot—being away from the city, missing your friends—but it's all going to be worth it. (The girls glance at each other; he grins at them and squeezes their shoulders, repeating reassuringly:) It's all going to be worth it.
OTHER TIGER GIRL: (Dutifully) Yes, Father. Just as you say.
COMMANDER: (Smiles, and then notices the folded silk jacket in her paws.) Oh– of course, she must be waiting for you. Go on, don't keep her waiting…
[He walks off down the steps, beginning to whistle a Chinese folk tune as he disappears into the courtyard below. The girls share a worried look; the first one bites her lip, and the second gives the smallest of nods.]
[Scene: guard barracks at the Forbidden City, Po's room. All is quiet, and the light outside his window is the watery grayish blue of way-too-early-in-the-morning. Po is staring up at the ceiling with sleepless anxiety. The wooden boards of the ceiling stare back.]
PO: (Exhaling and squeezing his eyes shut) Come on, man, you've gotta get some sleep. Inner peace… (Raising his eyebrows without opening his eyes:) Just, y'know, don't think about her. O-or that Master Shifu asked you to (gulps) "stop" her, or that Mantis thinks you're "crazy" about her– (opens his eyes with an annoyed gesture) –I mean what does that even mean, "crazy about someone"; I'm not crazy about anyone, okay, he's the crazy one, not me! I'm not crazy!
(He finishes his rant only to realize he's been venting angrily to the Tigress figurine on his windowsill.)
PO: (Sighing) Eugh… (Looks back up at the ceiling. It's clear he's not going to be getting any sleep tonight.)
[Shot: panda paws, grabbing his travel pack and opening the top basket-lid. Shot then switches to show the paws moving objects around in the bottom of his travel-pack. He moves aside some spare change, a rusty throwing star, and a pack of Monkey's almond cookies—before uncovering three scrolls. Two look like a pair of the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu, with their typical jade-green handles, but the last is simpler, with a wooden handle. ]
PO: (Takes the last scroll—and then hesitates, looking a bit longingly at the cookies, before making himself take a deep breath and shut the basket lid. Firmly, to himself:) C'mon buddy, inner peace.
[Shot moves outside, where we see Po walking along one of the many palace paths, red-washed walls on either side; as he pass through an open gate he comes into the imperial gardens once again. The blue atmosphere of the quiet pre-dawn twilight has fallen in a hush over the gardens; there's dew on the grass and the new budding leaves, and mist hovers over the water of a small pool.]
PO: (As the sound of gently lapping water echoes in the quiet air, he stops at the pond's edge and looks down at the scroll, pursing his lips. He unfurls it to reveal a martial arts sequence, painted in miniature on the paper.)
[Fashback: a different early morning, now in the Jade Palace barracks. Past-Po is sleeping on his bed in the dim blue light—and snoring loudly, with his tongue lolling out—when there comes the sound of a soft knock against the wood frame of his sliding door.]
PO: (Awaking with a jolt) Huhwah? Hoozat? (Clearly not still fully awake as he lurches out of bed:) I-I didn't oversleep, Master Shifu, I sw–!
FEMALE VOICE: (On the other side of the door, wry:) It's just me, Po.
PO: Oh. Tigress? (Rubbing sleep out of his eyes and looking around the still-dim room, he goes to the door. As he does so we see that he has starched bandages around his torso, and the top of the white patch of fur on his belly is still scorch-stained; this clearly isn't long after their mission to Gongmen City. As he opens the door:) Look, whatever's up, can it wait until later? 'Cause it's like– (he yawns) wayyy too early in the morning.
TIGRESS: (Dryly) Apologies. (Like Po, she's also clearly recovering from some broken ribs, with her red vest only three-quarters fastened and the starched bandages poking out the top. The mahjong tile hangs from the string around her neck like a pendant.) I just thought you might be getting as bored with "recovery" as I am, and this is the only time we can go without Master Shifu noticing. (She holds up a walking stick she has in her hand, her red eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.)
PO: (Brightening:) Wait– for real? (She raises her eyebrows back with a mild nod, and he grins:) Whoa-hoa, look who's got a rulebreaking side after all! (Tigress rolls her eyes good-naturedly as he steps out and shuts the door behind him:) I thought we weren't supposed to do any training until we're healed up?
TIGRESS: This isn't training. (She tosses him the stick; he catches it easily and looks down at it in intrigue, and then back up at her.)
[Shot moves ahead to a mountain path, still shrouded in evening mists. As the pair comes up above the cloud-level, the panda with the walking staff in hand, he raises his eyes and lets out a happy sigh. Cut to a panorama view of the Sacred Pool of Tears, lapping quietly at the moss-greened stones under a peacock blue sky, twinkling with early-morning stars.]
PO: Y'know, no matter how many times I come up here, it never stops being any less…
TIGRESS: (With a small smile) "Awesome?"
PO: (Turning to her) I mean I was gonna say "breathtaking," but yeah.
TIGRESS: Over here. (Po leans his walking stick against a stone and follows her to the water's edge, watching curiously as she reaches into her jacket sleeve and pulls out the same scroll with wooden ends and unrolls it.) We'll be doing this. It's a beginner's form, so it should be easy enough for you to follow along.
PO: (Accepting it from her to study) Beginner's, huh? Doesn't look familiar.
TIGRESS: It wouldn't. (She steps into a central at-ease stance.) It's not one of ours.
[The shot shifts ahead to the two of them still on the water's edge, now moving through the forms of a Tai Chi sequence. Despite having to watch her for each new move to copy, Po's form and flow look better, whereas Tigress's movements are somewhat too sharp and rigid—this is very much not "hard style."]
TIGRESS: (Noticing this, though with only the slightest touch of wry envy:) Clearly this comes naturally to you. (She shifts pose.)
PO: Yeah. (He follows her motions.) What is it? It's not kung fu.
TIGRESS: (Giving a soft strike; her sleeve snaps quietly, having moved too hastily, while Po's paw extends at a more fluid pace.) It's taijiquan—a style of martial arts from Henan province. Oogway once fought alongside a monastery of Taoist monks in a battle against a common enemy; in gratitude they gave him some scrolls detailing their introductory forms. (She moves into the next stance.) Although it's different from our practice, we've found it works well to help us maintain our skills when recovering from an injury.
PO: I can believe it. (He copies her.) It sure is relaxing.
TIGRESS: It's supposed to be. (She pushes both paws forward; he does the same.) While kung fu is more focused on outward strength and agility, taijiquan relies on breathing and releasing tension to develop internal power and tranquility. (She pulls back and twists into a new stance.) The monks told Oogway their style relies on understanding the flow of yin and yang—that pitting a hard approach against a hard approach, or soft against soft, leads to failure because neither side can be moved. They believe it's better to counter one's opponent by balancing them out with the opposite tact, soft against hard and hard against soft.
PO: Huh. Kinda sounds like what I did when I was fighting Shen in the harbor.
TIGRESS: That's what I thought, too. Soft style has never really been "my thing," but I'm not surprised you're taking so well to it. (She comes back to center, and Po follows—the end of the form. They share a smile.)
[Shot shifts ahead; the two are seen from behind, sitting on top of the rock in the center of the Sacred Pool, chatting and watching the sky paint itself lemon-sherbert and tangerine below the deep night blue as the sun rises.]
PO: Ahp, found it! (Points eagerly down somewhere far, far below; Tigress glances to where he's gesturing, raising an eyebrow in intrigue.) That's dad's shop, y'can see he's already got the lights on.
TIGRESS: (Wryly) Breakfast rush?
PO: Ha, yeah probably. (Looking over and grinning at her.) Thanks for inviting me up here.
TIGRESS: Thank you for coming with me. I know we need a break to recover, but I miss training.
PO: Man, I feel that. (Looks back out over the valley with a happy sigh.) We have the coolest job in the world, don't we.
TIGRESS: (Softly) We do. (They sit in silence for a moment or two before she continues:) Po. I didn't just ask you up here to practice forms, I…wanted to talk to you. (He glances over, surprised, and she meets his gaze.) Are you doing alright? With what you learned in your family's village, I mean.
PO: (Exhaling) Oh. (She watches him, concerned, and he shrugs half-heartedly.) Yeah, I mean, as okay as I can be, right? All that stuff is just…heavy. I mean I lost a family I never really knew; in some ways that makes it easier, but in others… (He trails off, and she nods.) I think it's still gonna take some time, y'know?
TIGRESS: I do. But I want you to know that I'm…here for you, if you need someone to talk to.
PO: Thanks, Tigress. I might take you up on that. (There's a beat while both process this, and then his stomach growls and he abruptly rubs his hands together, brightening.) But right now, all I want is some breakfast! (She chuckles quietly as he reaches over to untie the little bundle he brought with him.)
[Shot of them talking and laughing, unheard, as they share breakfast buns on the rock in the light of the rising sun.]
NOISE: [Interrupting the memory and drawing him back to the present, the sound of footsteps and low voices are coming up the path behind him. Po opens his eyes and turns his head in surprise as he recognizes one of them:]
SHIFU'S VOICE: (Quiet, but getting closer:) –Ask you to reconsider.
PO: (Looks around hastily, and then ducks around the corner of a wall. As an orange paper lantern appears around the far edge of the building, he sucks in his belly and holds his breath, listening silently as two figures come into view: even blurred by the distance, we can tell it's SHIFU and ZENG.)
SHIFU: (Continuing) We don't know anything yet for certain–
ZENG: (Fluttering his wings anxiously) M-Maybe you don't, Master Shifu. B-But I was there. I know what I saw.
SHIFU: (Frustrated) But we have evidence that she was being blackmailed! Perhaps she felt she had no other choice–
ZENG: (Voice rising into a half-panicked, half-angry squawk:) No other choice?!
SHIFU: (Sharply) Quiet down! Do you want to be overheard?
ZENG: (Lowers his voice, but only to a frantic whisper:) She hung their banners in the Jade Palace! She terrorized the Valley! (Shifu's drawn up short here, looking away with an uneasy expression.) When first I came to the Palace, Grandmaster Oogway promised I would be protected. But Oogway isn't here anymore. And after Tai Lung, and now this–
SHIFU: Zeng, I assure you–
ZENG: –I just don't know if you can keep that promise.
(There's the rustle of moving fabric; Po peeks around the wall, just briefly, to see Zeng handing over his folded saffron jacket and black hat, himself now dressed in a simple olive-green peasant's jacket.)
ZENG: (With genuine guilt:) I'm sorry.
[Po pulls back behind the wall again as, with the sound of quietly flapping wings, Zeng takes off into the misty morning air, the sky turning from blue to pearl-gray as he flies away. As the sounds fades, Shifu's ears flicker and droop, and he sighs heavily, turning to walk back the way he'd come.]
PO: (Peers back around the wall to watch his master's retreating back, and then something catches his attention and he sniffs the air.) Breakfast food? (He looks down at the scroll in his hands, and then back to his master as Shifu vanishes around the opposite corner. With slumping shoulders and a sigh:) Eugh. Screw it. (He tucks the scroll into his pocket and starts walking, mumbling to himself:) Maybe the royal kitchens have almond cookies…
[Scene: a grayish wooden table stained with water rings, in weak dawn sunlight. There's a brief pause before–]
NOISE: Flumph! (An old, folded-up apron lands on top of it.)
[Shot switches to a view of BOSS WOLF talking to SUN in the Busted Snout; THE KID and FENG are standing behind each of them, the teenage wolf with a broom in hand. Sun and Feng are both carrying packs on their back and baskets under their arms.]
BOSS WOLF: (Scratching behind his ear) There's your apron; the spare room's upstairs. We open in half an hour.
SUN: Thank you. We– (His eyes fix on Wolf's scarred eye for a moment before he quickly glances away.) –I can't thank you enough.
BOSS WOLF: (Studies Sun for a moment and then shrugs and turns away.) Don't mention it. No one's lived in that room since my sis died anyway, and I can use the help. (Sun nods and picks up the apron, tying it on as he heads towards the stairs; Feng follows. As they reach the steps Boss Wolf abruptly says:) And don't worry about the Ten Thousand. I make sure the place isn't being watched.
SUN: (Looks back) "Watched?"
BOSS WOLF: They tried to mess with my pack. I taught them a lesson. (With a grim smirk he nods his head back towards the kitchen door, against the wall of which the war-hammer has been leaned.) They know better than to come spying around here anymore. My customers are all, uh, old friends, they keep an ear out around the neighborhood for me. And as for any unwanted eyes in the sky, junior over there has gotten pretty good with a crossbow.
SUN: (Looks over at the Kid, who looks back with teenage surliness, and then again at Boss Wolf) You fired a crossbow in a busy neighborhood?
BOSS WOLF: (Smirking a little wider) Keeps your rent low. No need to thank me.
SUN: (Gives an uneasy nod, gestures to Feng and starts up the stairs again.)
[At the top of the steps is a door which, when opened, reveals an old room; there's a bed, a basic wooden chest of drawers, and a washstand, as well as a few more personal touches—a chipped porcelain vase of long-dead flowers, a wooden comb, and a cheap paper painting of a wolf man and woman in aprons (the latter vaguely familiar) holding a baby cub.]
FENG: (She picks up the painting as she enters, studies it briefly, and then sets it back on the chest and sets down her pack. As she does so she goes to take out what looks like a rolled-up poster, singed at the edges; as she starts to unroll it we see that it's one of the paintings she had up in her room of Tigress.)
SUN: (Noticing; his eyes fall on the poster, and he grimaces.) Feng– about that poster–
FENG: (Looks up in surprise.) Dad?
SUN: (Opens his mouth, and then hesitates. Feng's expression is so open and untroubled that it's clear: she hasn't heard the rumors, and Sun doesn't want to be the one to tell her.) …I wouldn't bother decorating. We won't be here long.
FENG: (Confused) What? Why not, where else are we going to go?
SUN: (Glances over his shoulder at the sound of creaking floorboards, but there's no one there; nevertheless, he crouches down next to her and pretends to begin unfastening his own bundle. Under his breath he continues:) I know you made me promise, Feng, so I'm not going to ask how you knew about this place. (She winces uncomfortably.) But this is temporary; as soon as we've got some money saved up, we're leaving the city—we'll go to the Eastern Seaport, or maybe Chengdu; your mother had relatives there–
FENG: Dad–
SUN: (Firmly:) Feng, this time please just listen to me. (The teenager looks unimpressed.) I know I haven't always explained things, but that man downstairs– his eye, do you know what that means?
FENG: (Fiercely) It means he used to be in the Ten Thousand and then he betrayed them! Dad, that has to mean he's really a good person underneath, doesn't it?
[Sun opens his mouth to answer, and then looks back over his shoulder at another noise. The KID sucks in a quiet breath from where he's paused to loiter at the door, a stack of blankets in hand, and then sets them down quickly and heads back down the stairs, the rickety boards creaking. Sun's face grows grimmer still, and he turns back to his daughter.]
SUN: Not necessarily.
[Scene: spring rain and mist, rolling down from the mountains and across the city; clouds swirl in fronding spirals over the large courtyard and Gate of Heavenly Peace, around the golden spheres atop the Temple of Heaven, and amongst the pavilions and palaces of the Forbidden City. Rain begins to patter lightly over the cobblestones, dripping like glass beads off flower petals and new green leaves.]
NOISE: (The fluid, almost silvery sound of a sword cutting through the air. The shot focuses on a blade slicing across the foreground, glimmering even in the dim light as it slashes and twirls, and then refocuses onto the background. We see a walled-in courtyard, protected on the sides with the overhanging eaves of the surrounding buildings, under which are arranged racks of spears, staffs, practice-swords and other training equipment. At the far end of the courtyard is a gate, which opens with a hesitant Cree-ak! and a familiar panda pokes his head in.)
[Shot switches to a wide view of the courtyard; we see Po step nervously inside, watching Captain Wu, who is running through practice-drills with his sword. The leopard doesn't immediately acknowledge Po even as the panda shuts the door behind him.]
PO: (Awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.) Uh, hey, sorry, didn't realize there'd be anyone here… (Wu glances at him, and then returns to focusing on his form. Po seems to summon his courage:) Uh– you okay with some company? (He holds up the scroll.)
WU: The training courtyard is open to all members of the Emperor's personal body guard.
PO: Cool. Sweet. Yeah, I'll just, uh– just go over here and– yeah. (Wu doesn't answer, and Po moves over sideways along the path and makes a little space for himself under the eaves, starting the tai chi form.)
WU: (Spares the panda another brief glance out of the corner of his eye and then looks forward again, slicing cleanly the air.) Is that what you are?
PO: (Pausing the form) Huh?
WU: The Emperor's personal bodyguard. You were given that yellow jacket for a reason. (Gives an expert stab into thin air.)
PO: (Moving into the next stance:) Uh– listen, I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot here–
WU: (Curt) You tried to break into His Majesty's personal quarters less than six hours after a nearly-successful attack on his life. (He twirls the sword back into ready-position, his left paw bracing his right wrist.) "On the wrong foot" is not the way I'd put it.
PO: (Annoyed) Oh come on, you're seriously still mad about that? It was months ago! Besides, I was just trying t–
WU: You were "just trying" to run to her defense, even if it meant disrupting the Emperor himself's privacy. Your actions that night made your priorities clear.
PO: My priorities?
WU: Yes. (He swings the blade through a practiced arch) I don't think you're going to be able to do it.
PO: (Offended) What's that supposed to mean?
WU: (Looks over again and surveys him up and down with an unimpressed look) The fact that you don't know is not encouraging. (He goes back to training, but not without saying bluntly:) You're not going to be able to kill her.
PO: (Finally losing his temper—and his stance—as he and throws his hands up into the air and turns:) Why are you all acting like this is a done deal! You've got no reason to be suspicious of her!
WU: (Archly) Her marching on your own valley isn't a cause for suspicion?
PO: (Frustrated) She was being blackmailed! Yeah, o-okay, maybe I don't know totally how, but– look, Tigress would never do anything to hurt the Valley unless she had no other choice, you've gotta believe me! (Voice turning pleading:) I know what happened in the past was bad, but that's not her fault. Who her father is doesn't matter!
[There's a pause. Then Wu abruptly sheathes the blade, the smooth action. Po blinks, and the leopard stares out for a long moment at in the falling rain and swirling mist.]
WU: …I was there, the day the war ended.
[Flashback; a young Wu, in his mid-twenties, standing in battered armor and holding a bloodied sword; his frightened, panting breath mists in the cold air as chaos rages around him, sounds muffled, haze broken only by the clashing sounds of sword-on-sword.]
WU: (VOICEOVER) It was the bloodiest battle I'd ever been in. Our numbers were low; so were theirs. [Past-Wu turns as he hears something and lets out an unheard shout, bringing his sword up against the blade of another leopard soldier, this one in the black armor of the Ten Thousand.] We were camped out, waiting for the reinforcements to arrive and help us lay siege to the monastery, but their army attacked us first—probably hoping to escape and regroup deeper in the mountains. [Wu disengages the blade and swings hard as his opponent stumbles offscreen; there's a spray of blood, leaving Wu victorious, but as he turns his eyes go wide: far up the snowfield, in an open place near the monastery gates, the Tiger General's blade has pierced through the back of a large bull in gold-fringed armor.] I saw the Tiger General kill the Bull Emperor firsthand.
[Flashpresent.]
WU: (With a thousand-mile stare) When the garrison's reinforcements arrived, they found our forces in ruins. We didn't know at the time that the General had been wounded; we had the superiority in numbers, but our Emperor, our cause to fight, was dead. Even if we could kill the Tiger General, we had no idea what fate awaited China afterwards; perhaps all the future held for us was more civil war as different warlords and nobles tried to take the throne for themselves. (His face change slightly—a memory of hope flickering over the lost expression.) But then, my lord told us to have faith—that if we did our duty now, the heavens would protect the Middle Kingdom. I led the final attack at dawn.
[Flashback: Wu himself fighting the injured Tiger General; we see the terror in his eyes as his sword is knocked out of his hand by the superior warrior. In a brief flash from his perspective, we see the General's face—twisted with rage and hatred, snarling with blood and saliva—as he lunges forward with his claws to rake them across Wu's face, an echoing roar of "traitor!" breaking through the muffled soundscape. The young warrior staggers back just in time so the claws miss his eye by a hair.]
[Flashpresent:]
WU: Even on the verge of death, he was a terrifying opponent. (Finally turning to look at Po, yellow eyes grim.) His death should have been the end of the Ten Thousand—and yet, thirty years later, they've returned. And whether we like it or not, his daughter is a key reason why.
PO: (Breaking his silence:) But she's not him. That might be where she comes from, but that's not who she is!
WU: Dragon Warrior, there is nothing in this world I would like better than to be proven wrong. And for her sake, and China's, I hope I am. But I have seen ideas that I thought died thirty years ago suddenly being spoken in the streets; people I once considered friends have turned traitor overnight. The former commander of the North Gate himself vanished six months ago along with his two daughters, and didn't leave so much as a trace—and yet none of his neighbors seem worried about the absence, and his empty mansion hasn't had a single break-in. Do you know what that tells me?
PO: (Wincing) He's on vacation?
WU: It tells me that those old ideas never really went away—they just sank underground, waiting for their next chance. (His unyielding yellow stare seems to bore into the panda's own eyes:) I know you don't want to think your…friend, is capable of this. (Po looks confused and offended at the emphasis, but Wu continues:) But I also know just how many people who look like me, including some of my own old friends, I've had to arrest for following General Zhong's orders to hurt people like you. I no longer believe that anyone, honorable kung fu masters included, is immune to his tactics. –But if you can tell me that she never made you feel inferior, never told you to remember your place, then I will believe you.
PO: (Has opened his mouth angrily, about to argue back, but Wu's last question brings him up short. His shoulders hunch and eyes flicker away as he hesitates, just long enough.)
WU: (Nodding, as if he's read the panda's mind.) You are a powerful warrior, I will grant you that—but you have known skirmishes and battles, not war. You've never seen villages burned to the ground or the aftermath of great battlefields; you've never even experienced the famine and ruin that war can bring, and that is becasue you have been privileged enough to grow up in a China that my lord has spent every day for thirty years working tirelessly to heal. (He steps past Po, continuing as he does so:) And now, those same people who started the last war want destroy everything he's rebuilt. If you can't do what it takes to stop that, then I will.
[He heads off down the eave-shadowed walkway, and is just about to round the corner of the building and disappear when–]
PO: (Calling abruptly after him:) You're wrong. (Wu turns back, and the panda meets his eyes, pursing his lips.) I was there. What Lord Shen did to my family, I was there when it happened. I remember all of it.
WU: (Studies him for a moment, and then gives a single nod.) Then remember what's at stake, if we fail.
[Po opens his mouth to answer, but their conversation is cut off by the sound of a distant gong ringing.]
PO: Is that–?
WU: (Realizing grimly:) The city guard tower. (He looks up as a shadow flies over the nearest wall; a moment later a duck in imperial uniform and armor lands in front of them, panting.)
WU: (Barking) What news?
MESSENGER: It's the Temple of Heaven, Captain! It's under attack!
WU: By the Ten Thousand?
MESSENGER: Yes, but Captain–
WU: (Already turning striding towards the palace; to Po:) Go find the Grandmaster, quickly; my men will secure the palace and–
MESSENGER: (Franticly running after them) Captain, please! (The leopard turns back, startled.) This isn't just another attack!
WU: What do you mean, "not just another–"
MESSENGER: It's General Zhong, Captain. (Both Po's and Wu's faces fall.) General Zhong himself is leading the raid.
[Scene: the Busted Snout. The heads (and pointed ears) of the patrons lift up as they hear the sound of the city gong ringing in the distance; SUN pauses his cooking in sudden worry, and FENG looks at THE KID, surprised. A moment later, the door bursts open.]
WOLF PATRON: Láng! (Boss Wolf looks over at her from where he's been wiping a cup, surprised.) The Ten Thousand– they're attacking the Temple of Heaven!
BOSS WOLF: (Setting the cup down) Are any of them heading here? Anyone suspicious around the neighborhood? (The wolf patron shakes her head.)
SUN: (To Boss Wolf, demanding:) They won't come this way, will they?
BOSS WOLF: Nah, it's too far away; we just stay put here, nice'n easy. Besides, the temple's a pretty important place; I'm sure Mr.-Dragon-Warrior will handle it–
FENG: (At this, Feng lights up and says, almost to herself:) And the Furiuos Five. (She sets down her rag on the nearest table.)
SUN: (At her voice he turns towards her, confused:) Feng-? (But the door to the Busted Snout is already swinging shut behind her; his face falls.) Feng!
BOSS WOLF: (As Sun runs after her) Whoa, hey, hang on! I said to stay put–
SUN: (Scrambles out into the street, where the crowds as a group are moving in the direction away from the city center, casting anxious looks over their shoulder.) Feng, come back! (He turns to look upstream of the crowd, and catches sight of a single striped tail vanishing around the far corner of the street.) FENG!
[He takes off after her, shoving people aside as he fights through the crowd. The bar door opens behind him and Boss Wolf comes out, followed by the Kid, who look worried.]
THE KID: (Urgently, to his uncle) We should go after them.
BOSS WOLF: (Scoffing) You wanna get yourself killed too?
THE KID: But you heard what she said, the temple is being attacked! You were a warrior once, maybe there's something we can do–
BOSS WOLF: (Cutting him off:) It's not our fight, kid. Now come on, get back inside; s'not safe out here right now. (He's right, the crowd is getting thicker and more frantic as people stream away from the direction of the attack.)
THE KID: (Glowers at his uncle, and specifically at the claw-marks across the wolf's face, before he says coldly:) Sure. "Not our fight."
BOSS WOLF: (Opens his mouth to say something, offended, but the kid passes him buy back into the shop, shutting the door harder-than-necessary behind him. Wolf lets out an annoyed huff, and then looks uneasily in the direction his two newest employees have just run, as the distant clanging bell of the city guardtower continues to echo over the city streets.)
A/N: Historical notes:
-Gate of Heavenly Peace: better known by its untranslated name of Tian'anmen, the gate separates the rest of Beijing from the Forbidden City.
-Henan Province: although kung fu movies usually portray tai chi as coming from the Wudang Mountains, it's actually from Chen Village in Henan. However, the "internal" form of martial arts, of which tai chi is one, were famously practiced by the Taoist monks of Wudang, hence why Tigress says that Oogway got the scroll from the monks.