Author's note: Hey Everyone! Another chapter up for you! Once again, short but establishing some interesting things. Oh, btw, I've got wifi again, so no more grifting through coffee shops to upload this. Woohoo!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP!

Enjoy.

An Unexpected Revelation

"Wait, so you were an imperial general? Damn, that's pretty impressive." Monkey mutters in astonishment as Zhonglei trudges up front through the roads of snow mixed with soot, with the langur master following on beside Crane whilst Tigress and Po make up the rear.

Yellow irises remain narrowed on the golden tiger, suspicious as to the true nature of this stranger. First, he pops out of nowhere at the last possible second when they needed his help much earlier, then he says that the emperor promised him to keep a secret and now he is still wearing a hood over his head even after revealing himself to them. Perhaps the golden tiger truly does have good intentions, but it would be unwise to be so trusting so quickly. He nudges his langur friend, "Were being the operative word, Monkey. He could've quit for any number of reasons, most of them being potentially bad."

A grin wears itself on Zhonglei's face as his sensitive ears are able to make out the avian master's whisper, "I assure you; it was not for a dishonourable reason. I had resigned from my position due to 'other' commitments."

This assurance does little in shying away Crane's suspicion, though he can't help but wonder why he's the one asking these questions. Usually, it would be Tigress who is hesitant to trust a new face immediately. He turns his head over to said tiger master, only to see her focused solely on Po. After what their mystery enemy has done to him, he isn't particularly surprised. Just worried. Probably not as worried as his feline sister though. After shifting his attention back to the strange tiger in front, he asks, "And this commitment was more important than serving the emperor?"

"You won't believe me, but yes." Both Monkey and Crane are caught off guard by Zhonglei's immediate answer. It isn't rushed or sharp, instead being firm and sure. They exchange glances, having their own suspicions about this 'commitment' of his but agreeing to hold them until they meet up with the others.

As they continue making their way towards the city's hospital, Po and Tigress walk slow enough to build a gap between them whilst still managing to keep up. Their paws are interlocked together, with the tiger master noticing her loving panda gripping her paw tighter than usual, almost as if she would disappear if he let go. Concern embeds itself into her gaze as she notes his sullen face, his eyes gazing off into space. Even though it isn't incredibly noticeable, it is clear that whatever the dragon warrior had seen in his nightmare has left him disturbed. Part of her thinks of asking him what he has seen, if she can possibly help, but pushes that aside. He hasn't told her, and that alone answers her questions. All that she can really do to help him, is to be by his side.

She stops walking and gives his paw a light squeeze, breaking him out of his mind's paralysis. As his jade eyes look to her in confusion, Tigress steps close to him and places her forehead on his, affectionately nuzzling him as she speaks with a soft, tender voice. "I don't know what you've seen, Po. But know that whatever it is, you won't have to face it on your own."

Though the dragon warrior feels a smile crawling onto his face, the brief flash of his love's memorial statue had all but ripped it off. The idea that he could ever forget her name, the idea that he would be alone with nothing but memories of a time that he wished would come back. Ideas that inject themselves into his mind, nearly deafening himself to her words. Ideas that turn his heart inside out and make the acids in his stomach burn right through. Ideas that he pushes into the deepest recesses of his mind as he reciprocates her loving gesture before wrapping his arms around her waist and snuggling his face into her shoulder. At this silent message of thanks, Tigress hugs him back, stroking the back of his head with her paw.

"Don't leave me."

Even to her sensitive ears, her panda's whisper is incomprehensible. Before she can ask him what he said, she hears Crane's footsteps backtrack to them, "Hey, um… I know you're having a moment and all, but we really need to get to the hospital." Though they are hesitant, the warrior couple breaks away from their embrace.

A silent question fills Tigress' eyes as she places a paw on her panda's shoulder, her face still littered with concern. Po answers with his signature goofy grin, though his eyes remain shaken albeit less than before. Smiling back at her love, the tiger master nods to Crane as they all join back with Monkey and Zhonglei.

For several minutes they nearly drag their feet through the blanketed streets, with the wonderous and graceful snow continuing to dance through the air as if they have all the time in the world. Drawing ever so close to the city's hospital, an intrigued question finds its way into Tigress' mind though she has many more she is saving up for when Shifu confirms this golden tiger's words. "You said you have many things to show us."

"Yes."

"So, once we meet up with everyone else, where will you be taking us?" Her comrades follow her gaze to the former imperial general, all of them bearing an intrigued look.

"Somewhere hidden from the naked eye. Somewhere that once seen cannot be unseen. Somewhere close to home." Zhonglei turns his head to look at the four masters, though his gaze lingers on Tigress in particular, earning a questioning look from her and a somewhat protective look from Po. "It is near the emperor's palace, so if you still have your suspicions about me, then you may ask the emperor himself. Though I urge you to do so in private." This brings a question to all four warriors' minds.

"Why?"

As Crane vocalises this question, the gritty and decrepit exterior of the hospital finally comes into view. "We're here." Though none of them are satisfied at him dodging the question, they settle themselves down as they arrive by the front doors of the hospital, the building looking worse for wear. Though Po, Crane and Monkey feel shivers ripple around their body from this decaying carcass of a building, the two tigers present are greeted by the symphonic catastrophe of petrified screams and raving madness that makes up the hospital's soundscape. "I'll wait outside."

Tigress narrows her eyes at Zhonglei as she commands, "Monkey, get Shifu and the others. We'll be outside."

"Yes, ma'am." Though part of him feels sickly just from setting foot near this mangled amalgamation of a hospital, asylum and morgue, he knows well enough that it would be inevitable that one of them will have to go inside. Unfortunate that it has to be him.

As the langur master opens the hospital doors, a blasting wave of screams and the filthy rot of death seeps its way out of the building, making everyone present wince aside from Tigress. She simply stares at the hooded tiger opposite her, arms crossed and a light scowl across her face. Granted, she is certainly elated to see another of her kind, but she can't let that affect her judgement. He could be just as dangerous as that maniac who had tried to make Po into a frightened wreck. Her claws threaten to come out at the mere thought of that demon mask, but she manages to fight off the urge. After the hospital doors close and contain its horrid cacophony, she notices Zhonglei grin at her. "Does something amuse you?" She keeps her voice cold and sharp, keeping her eyes bolted onto ruby eyes. Why does it feel like she has seen them before? She knows for a fact she has never met this person before. She doesn't recognise him, yet for some reason it feels like she should.

Zhonglei simply shakes his head, "Nothing in particular." Try as she might, Tigress simply finds it impossible to read him. Even though it is obvious he is hiding something, nothing gives it away in his eyes, body or face. Perhaps she hasn't identified his tell yet. Or maybe he doesn't even have one. Regardless, there is something that he has made sure to veer away from.

"You once again haven't answered our question, why are you so insistent on keeping your presence concealed?" Even after hearing this question, his smile remains, only making the tiger master more curious.

"You'll see soon enough." This only entices Tigress further, but from what she can tell, he isn't going to give up anymore than that. Her eyes soon drift off towards Po, who flashes her a grin as if to say 'I'm alright'. She flashes her own, smaller smile back at him for a brief moment. A moment that Zhonglei catches immediately, making him smile wider. "I assume you two are a couple."

Amber irises dart back to the golden tiger, Tigress' smile vanishing as she confirms, "Yes, we are. Any particular reason why you're interested?"

The hooded tiger holds back a chuckle as he repeats, "Nothing in particular." He turns his head to the dragon warrior, who looks at him with an innocent yet alert expression. "I just find you and the dragon warrior to be… cute… for lack of a better word." The tiger master raises an eyebrow in response to this.

"Oh, thanks." Po's response incites a deadpan glance from his tiger, resulting in a nervous grin from him, which only makes Zhonglei's smile grow even wider.

Their attention is soon drawn back towards the doors as they open to reveal Shifu, Mantis, Viper and Monkey walking out onto the city's snowy roads, the former three's despondent looks turning to curiosity at the sight of the hooded tiger. As his three students beside him join with the rest, Shifu stands directly in front of the hooded tiger, trying his best to pick out his features from beneath the hood with little success. "Is it really you?" His analytical gaze soon turns into a disbelieving glare, the grandmaster still sceptical of what this stranger has told his students.

With his smile growing ever wider, the golden tiger pulls back his hood, "Depends, are there any other golden tigers in China that I don't know about?"

At the sight of his old comrade, the red panda finds a reason to grin again. He puts his right fist in his left palm and bows to Zhonglei, "It's good to see you again, general."

Mirroring his old friend's gesture, Zhonglei responds, "Yes, it has been far too long, master." A collective breath of relief resonates with the furious five and dragon warrior, thankful that now they have an ally that they can trust. As they stand back up to full height, the former general motions to the hospital, "Have you managed to find some kind of cure for their ailments?"

This immediately wipes the joyous expression off Shifu's face as he is reminded of the horrors contained in the hospital just behind him, "No." Everyone's faces wilt at this aside from Viper and Mantis, their expressions darkening even more as the patients' screams echo in their heads. "We've helped the doctors in whatever way we could, but it has changed nothing. No herbs, no medicines have been able to do anything. When we had tried to use our chi, it had only worsened their condition." Tigress, Po, Crane and Monkey glance at their friends in shock. One of their only hopes in neutralising this threat and it has been squashed as if it were a mere insect. If chi is unable to help these people, then what will?

"I see." A quiet mutter seeps out of Zhonglei's lips, a subdued but clear anger drowning his ruby eyes. "Then it is time I show you exactly who we are dealing with." All seven masters look at the former general with widened eyes as he covers his head with his hood once more, "Follow me." They follow the golden tiger as he marches off towards the emperor's palace, wondering deep down just why he is making such a big show of it. Surely, he could just tell them who the culprit is.

Unbeknownst to them, Zhongcheng watches them approach the city's crown jewel from a faraway rooftop, a hateful glare in his eyes but a wicked smile on his lips, both concealed by his cracked demon mask. All that remains is a single piece to fall into place, and thanks to his 'old friend', that piece can finally move.

Again, I am too much of tease. Don't worry, next chapter is where things get REALLY interesting... Don't worry, it'll be on its way soon. Until next time :)