Author's Note: Alright! Another chapter done! This chapter was quite interesting to work on, plus, has a few things that I know you lot will like (maybe even some bits that'll make you tear up). Anyway, I'm going to let this chapter speak for itself. Let's get on with it.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP!
Enjoy.
What Awaits Us
Hours have passed since the jade palace masters had visited the Zhanshi clan's secret village, a wellspring of truths and legends that they weren't prepared to hear. Not even the emperor could face the implications of some, notable truths. In spite of knowing of the clan's existence and the reality behind a distinct demon, the fact that there were some things even he didn't know irks him. Golden eyes stare at the portrait of his father, mixed and contorted in conflicting emotions as the luminous glare of the moon phase through his bedroom window, bringing a haunting edge to the late lion. He feels his empress' concerned gaze lingering on his side whilst Zhonglei remains standing at the edge of the room, features full with guilt. "He forced you to keep it from me, didn't he?"
Ruby eyes shift over to the lion, shameful and begging for forgiveness, "I'm sorry, Renci-
"Don't bother. You shouldn't have to apologise for keeping a promise." His voice rings hollow as he ceases the apology immediately, gaze still centred on the portrait. A paragon of strength, stood on a pillar of lies. "Now, I'm beginning to wonder just how much of his accomplishments were real." Though his wife does intend to butt in, the golden tiger beats her to the punch.
"That's not fair. Your father had done many great things. One lie shouldn't be enough to discredit it all."
Renci snaps his body over to him, "But how can you be sure that he hasn't lied to you too? He clearly has no qualms about leaving his own son in the dark." A fair point to be certain, but one that Zhonglei simply does not want to think about.
Meili sits up off the bed and approaches her husband, "Renci, please. It's obvious he wanted to stay strong in front of you."
"Oh, I understand perfectly." He almost spits at his father's deception, disgusted that his own ambitions may have been based on a false, cowardly mask. "That doesn't make me any less ashamed. Besides, that 'strength' he wanted to show has now endangered our home. Do either of you honestly expect me to forgive him for this?" Neither of them answers, knowing that there is nothing they could possibly say to make this happen. His father may have had his reasons, but it doesn't make them right, especially now.
After a moment of tense silence, Zhonglei lets out a regretful sigh, "The sins of the father often fall upon the son, unfortunately." Looking back at the portrait, a light scowl forms upon the emperor's face. How right that statement is. But then that leads back to his concern, does his father have anymore unresolved vices that he must fix?
Creak.
Amidst the relative silence, the sound of the door opening deafens the entire room. Jiankang peaks his head through the door, feeling the tension weigh down on him the second he opened the door. "I hope this isn't a bad time, my lord."
Taking a deep breath to clam his rising ire, the emperor turns his head towards the concerned cobra. "It's okay, Jiankang. What do you wish to tell me?" Both him and Zhonglei grow weary at the hesitance pulling at the counsellor's features, unable to make eye contact with the noble lion.
"There's… terrible news from the hospital, your grace." Three pairs of colossal eyes stare at him in horror, making a heavy drop of sweat drag itself down his brow. Though they already have an idea of what this news may be, nothing could prepare them for what the Cobra says next. "Nearly 50 patients have passed away earlier today." Their heart becomes as still and lifeless as a grave, devastation clawing at their soul as Jiankang elaborates, "One after the other. There was nothing we could do…"
His morose whisper drapes another hollow cobweb over the tombs of their hearts. How could Zhongcheng be capable of this? A brief question washed away by a wave of guilt rising over the sea of time Zhonglei had wasted. If only he had stuck to the mission. If only he didn't let his own desires distract him.
"Thank you, Jiankang. That will be all." The emperor's empty voice freezes the walls of his bed chamber as his advisor leaves with an anvil crushing his heart.
Ruby irises look to the floor in shame as the door clicks shut, something Meili immediately catches. "Don't blame yourself, Zhonglei." Sorrow coats her gentle voice, prompting the golden tiger's gaze. "This was out of your control."
"But your elite guard's fate wasn't." A low mutter escapes his maw, ears pinned to his skull by yet another death under his protection.
"Don't be ridiculous." Renci intervenes, his whole body now facing his dear friend. "I had ordered him to pursue that lead myself, and I would've done the same even if you had come back earlier." To his displeasure, this gains a curious look from him.
"Why?" Though it is only asked by the Zhanshi chief, he can feel it echoed in his wife's stare.
Thankfully, he has an answer prepared. "So, that neither you nor the masters would fall into a trap. I should've realised that the eyewitness had been strong-armed into giving the account. It only makes sense." Though they both take his answer, Zhonglei isn't entirely convinced. He can't exactly place it, but he knows there is something else in his reasoning.
Regardless, he tosses aside this concern before leaning into something far more perplexing. "If only that explained why Zhongcheng killed one of your guards." Taking a glance at the regal lion, he is met by raised eyebrows prodding for an explanation. "Everything that he has done so far has been to incite fear into the city. Petrifying civilians, disappearing guards. It matches his usual methods. But this single elite guard. It doesn't quite fit."
"I wouldn't say so." Both men dart their eyes to the white lioness as she interjects, "Killing one of our most well-trained soldiers sends a message; that he can take on whatever we throw at him."
"If that were the case, my lady, then he wouldn't settle for a single guard. He would eliminate multiple, maybe even an entire legion to get that message across." Zhonglei reiterates, knowing his former brother too well to settle for such a simple explanation. "Plus, that doesn't answer another question. Why have the other guards disappeared yet this one was left dead? In fact, he is the only victim so far that he has immediately killed." Golden irises widen in realisation, "He must have been after something else… but what?"
A shell-shocked Renci remains silent as his wife ponders on, though no conclusion can be drawn in her mind.
With one last speculative glance at the son of heaven, Zhonglei makes his way to the door. "Whatever the case, he's managed to cover his tracks. Liliang…" He grimaces at that little slip up, "Tigress has sent Monkey and Crane out to patrol the city. If they don't find anything… Then we'll just have to wait for his next move." They nod to him in understanding, their eyes wishing the tiger luck in stopping this menace. "Good night, your grace." With a swift bow, he exits the room only to run into Shifu standing in the hallway, a inquisitive aura surrounding him.
"We need to talk."
A ghostly luminescence haunts the third floor of the palace's pavilion, gleaming through the window situated atop the staircase at the end of the corridor. Viper slithers through the shadows gifted by the moon's radiance, her insect brother accompanying her atop her head as they climb up the stairs. They bathe in a pale surveillance as they reach the top and proceed down the corridor. An uneasy silence surrounds them as they pass by the first two rooms, emptied of their patrolling inhabitants. Peering his head down to his serpent sister, Mantis immediately acknowledges the worried look in her features with a confident smile. "They'll be alright."
She doesn't respond, making his smile falter for a brief second. "I hope so." Her delicate whisper sways through the wind and glosses past Mantis' ears, wilting his expression further. Considering everything that has happened, her worry is certainly warranted. However, in remembering what Zhonglei had informed them, his smile bolsters itself again.
"Hey, it can't be that bad. That guy got beat by Tai Lung, and remember what Po did to him?" Despite his proud grin filling his features, Viper's expression doesn't change.
Instead, she glances up at him, a harrowing reminder lingering on her tongue. "Do you remember when Tai Lung still fought alongside Shifu?" This slaps the grin right off his face, "Do you really think Zhongcheng wouldn't have trained himself further during that time?"
"Yeah, well that doesn't mean we won't be able to stop him." Despite her valid concerns, he doesn't let it weigh him down. "We've handled worse."
"Have we?" Viper questions once more, her tone only deepening in its anxiety. "Have we ever fought anyone who had brought the capital to its knees in two days?" Soon, Mantis' expression matches the concern on hers, the reality of the situation punching through his confident resolve as her face turns paler than the very moon shining upon her. "Have we fought anyone who could make 50 innocent people die within moments of each other? Without even being there?" Sky-blue eyes drown in sorrow, the sight of that poor little piglet washing over her mind as Mantis can only stare at the floor.
He should've known the harrowing sight of that deathly hospital would remain in her mind. It doesn't take a genius to understand that she's terrified the same will happen to Crane, to her family. But there's one thing, "Look, they can handle themselves. We all can… I know this won't be easy, but we'll make it through. We always do." He flashes her a proud grin, still impressed with how they had defeated Nuba at the end of it all. Though part of him is worried about his best friend's safety, his pride in how far they've come pushes itself to the forefront. This pride, however, is met by another desolate reminder.
"Po nearly didn't." Her hollow voice punches the air out of the room as they freeze by the two doors in the middle of the corridor, leading to their rooms. As much as he hates to admit it, she's right. Zhongcheng was so close to reducing the dragon warrior himself to a petrified mess. Without him, what would they do? He doesn't respond, not wanting even to entertain the notion.
They stand still in this suffocating silence, allowing their thoughts to catch up with them. If Zhonglei hadn't arrived in time, Po would've been subjected to a slow, torturous end. Even thinking of a moment without her joyful panda brother fills her soul with dread.
Then I'll wait for you…
And the possibility of losing her loving bird digs a spear into her heart. Part of her thinks, for a moment, to burst out of the palace to join him in his patrol. But she knows better, rushing in blindly would only make matters worse. Besides, if they see anything, they will come straight back here and warn them. In spite of her rationale, her worry still clings to her mind.
Mantis hops off her head, pulling her out of her thoughts as he opens the door to his quarters. "Good night, Viper." Though his confidence hasn't been eliminated, she does notice its diminished quality in his slouched posture. As he enters his room, she doesn't reply. Almost as if she knows those blessings for a good night's sleep will prove to be superfluous. Instead, she opens her door with a pathetic creak and glowers in, her sullen head hanging low.
"How many times do I have to tell you? There is no reason to fret." Zhonglei's voice bounces about the corridor walls as he and his old friend climb up the stairs. "Ke-Pa's resurrection is practically impossible."
Shifu is quick to catch him on his words, "Practically does not make that an impossibility." Ruby eyes roll in exhaustion as they reach the top step and proceed down the hallway.
"So, we have an entire army of tigers, kung fu masters, even the imperial army to combat him should he return." This rebuttal does nothing to soothe the unshakeable scowl on the stubborn red panda's face.
"How do you know that will be enough? If neither Oogway nor the Zhanshi clan could destroy him, then who could?"
Though a fair point, the golden tiger is quick to point out, "He was stripped of his powers, Shifu. If he manages to crawl his way out of there, then he will be a shell of his former self." He notices the grandmaster's expression ease to a slight extent, "We've guarded this secret for centuries, my friend. Trust me."
As they reach the end of the corridor, they arrive at another door. Shifu's guest quarters. With reluctance, he nods to the Zhanshi chief, his steel laden eyes piercing through the door in contemplation. He can't quite place it, but something tells him things won't be that simple. They rarely ever are. This strange premonition is soon pushed aside as the incident in the bar replays in his mind. A deep, regretful sigh pulses from his nostrils, "There is… someone else I need to talk about." Zhonglei can only respond with a quizzical expression, "Tigress…"
Understanding soon washes over Zhonglei's face, certain of what he will say next, "Shifu-
"I'm sorry." Though the golden tiger had expected it, his morose, frail timbre leaves him speechless. The Jade palace's veritable wall of steel finally shows its dents as he turns to face him, "I… I failed her… I failed your family… Your brother…" To this end however, Zhonglei can't fathom his reasoning for an apology.
His daughter is one of China's greatest heroes, a leader of legends, second only to the dragon warrior. How had he failed her? "I… don't understand."
Shameful blue eyes hide themselves within the veil of shadows consuming the corridor for the grandmaster can't look him in the eyes. Not with what he will say next, "I didn't raise her… I trained her." The tiger's brows furrow as the gears begin to wind in his head, "She wasn't a child given a caring home. She wasn't a daughter thanking her proud, loving father for taking her in." Those gears soon connect, Zhonglei immediately realising just what the red panda is getting at. All he can do is look at him in sorrow as his voice lets out a discreet yet noticeable quiver, "She was a soldier, commanded and shouted at by her teacher. Forced to keep all her pain, her anger inside…" Just like the fool that refused to face it himself. Those last few words remain hidden in his mind. A truth that he knows all too well, but simply cannot admit.
Ruby irises glow in the shadows of the night, sympathy shining in those crystalline rings as Zhonglei finally responds. "You shouldn't blame yourself for that." Shifu looks to him in surprise whilst he kneels down, placing a paw on his shoulder, "You were damaged by a fate not parent should ever endure." A flash of his maddened son curses his mind for the first time in years, pain that had been soothed by peace yet never truly forgotten. Pain that he had let fester for far too long. "You only did what you thought was best."
"But-
"Do you remember her worst outburst?" This question immediately shuts up the elder master, a tone reinforced by experience emanating from the tiger, "Was there ever a moment when she had become wild, nearly uncontrollable?" He doesn't need to nod or confirm, the tiger can already see the clouds of a memory form in the sky of his mind. A moment of silence passes before he asks once more, the painful tales of Bao Gu replaying themselves in Zhonglei's head, "Did you think her a monster then?"
"No." A sharp punch of a response flies from the grandmaster, "Never." Protective daggers form in his eyes, bringing a smile to Zhonglei's face.
Yet, he isn't the only person hanging on these words. The very subject of their conversation is frozen midway along the staircase, her sensitive ears picking up every word. Amber eyes softened at Shifu's apology, grew thankful at Zhonglei's attempts to console him and now, freeze alongside the rest of her body. Her paws let off a tiny twitch as they balance a cup of jasmine tea, her breath trapped in her lungs in anticipation.
In a comforting voice, Zhonglei asks one last question, "So, what did you see her as?" This only makes her lungs constrict tighter as Shifu's mind takes him back to a moment mere months after he had adopted her. A moment when she had reduced most of the wooden warriors to jagged puddles of splinters on the floor. Tai Lung had watched on in concern, unsure of what to do until Shifu had approached.
He didn't see her fangs or her claws or her obsidian eyes. He didn't hear her growls or her roars or her warning snarls. He saw the tears that rained down to the floor. He heard the sniffles and choked sobs beneath those guttural sounds. She wasn't a heartless, rampaging monster.
"She was… my little girl."
That gentle, tender answer coos at Tigress' heart, forcing tears to well up in her eyes as a soft smile wobbles onto her face. She remembers how he had managed to calm her down. Amidst her claws and fangs, he had embraced her tightly, never letting go until her tears had faded away.
"And she always will be." Zhonglei finishes with a knowing glint in his smile. Though he doesn't respond to it, Shifu's protective stare only bolsters its defences. A stare that he knows too well. A stare that can only come from a father. "You did raise her, Shifu." He stands back up, "You've raised her to become a kind, selfless and strong woman. And I know she is more than thankful for her proud and loving father."
This only makes Tigress' smile grow wider, knowing just how much truth lies in those words. How could she ever be ungrateful for someone who has given her so much?
"How? How could she be thankful of what I did?"
Zhonglei shakes his head at the elder master, stubborn even in his guilt, "Because love is far more than a word." Steely blue irises light up in confusion until he continues, "It doesn't need to be said to be felt." A sudden warmth tingles at the red panda's heart as the golden tiger turns to leave, "Have a peaceful night, my friend."
With that memory lingering in his mind, Shifu enters into his quarters. "You too…" An absent-minded wish leaves his lips as he closes his door, prompting the Zhanshi chief to head back towards the staircase.
Hearing his footsteps, Tigress resumes her walk up the stairs, reaching the top just as Zhonglei reaches it. He doesn't say a word to her as she passes him, only giving her a knowing smile. Of course, he would've heard her coming up the stairs during their conversation, but that leaves a question in her mind. Did Shifu hear her too? This question has little time to manifest as her uncle's footsteps pause at the top of the stairs, "Tigress…" This makes her stop right at the final pair of doors before Shifu's room. A lengthy pause weighs the corridor down, neither tiger turning to look at the other. "I have my own apology." Her features wilt in melancholy as she turns to face the golden tiger, remembering what he had told her in the bar before… that happened.
"You were turned away… it's not your apology to give." Despite her manufactured coldness, a layer of hurt still presses down on her voice. Hurt that makes Zhonglei shake his head.
"Oh, but it is…" He trails off as he turns around, regret clear on his features and timbre as tender as the whispering breeze. Amber eyes grow curious with a morbid distinction, "Years had gone by. I had assumed… the worst. Until Shifu introduced you as his newest student." Ruby eyes remain haunted by failure, piercing through the shadows as he looks upon the last reminder of his late brother, "Stories were told, portraits were painted. It didn't take me long to figure out that it was you."
Tigress doesn't wait for him to continue, she already knows what this apology is for, "And yet you never came…" No bile, no venom, no anger is laced within her voice. Only something that wrings at Zhonglei's heart further. A profound, longing sadness.
He closes his eyes for a moment, hoping that she might understand, but knowing that nothing will ever repair those years of loneliness. Of believing she was the only tiger left. "Your parents… didn't want you to remain hidden. They wanted so much more for you… That's why they had moved to Xiwang valley. So, they could raise you before letting you live out your own life." Ruby gazes directly into amber, apology after apology pulsing through in silence. "When I saw that Shifu had adopted you, I wanted nothing more than to bring you back here and raise you myself. But then… I realised I'd be going against their wishes… I realised, that you deserve your own life. Not to hide in caves and prepare for a battle that will never come." Tigress' expression softens in sympathy, forgiveness lingering in her eyes as he continues, "I knew Shifu would take care of you… but I also knew, how lonesome it would be… to have never met anyone like yourself."
"But now I have." She pushes past the gates of the past, a small smile uplifting her lips, "I have my own life. My family… You have nothing to apologise for." Zhonglei doesn't smile back, the incident at the bar still shackling itself to his mind.
"And yet I do." This brings a questioning look to Tigress' face until he continues, "There's part of you still angry. Still suffering."
Her eyes shackle themselves to the floor, "That's not your fault." She keeps her glance away from the tea, fearful that she'll see that manic side of her in its reflection again. A fierce scowl takes hold of her features as that fateful day in Xiwang replays in her head. She had lost control for the first time in years. How long must she be plagued by this? Why can't she be free?
"That doesn't mean I can't help." His compassionate plea forces her eyes back to him, but within those amber jewels a refusal is already given.
"This beast is my burden… and mine alone." Zhonglei's heart sinks at the melancholy gripping at her voice and never wanting to let go, "Only I can control myself."
With that, she turns herself to face the door on the right side of the corridor, "There is a difference between control and suppression." Her uncle's advice halts her in her tracks, yet she doesn't turn around, "Finding peace within your past, does not mean the pain from it will fade." Amethyst orbs flash in her mind for a mere moment, their gaze focused on a panda's corpse. It vanishes as soon as it had come, but that haunting sight still strangles her heart. She turns her head to him slightly, her amber irises burning within the shadows.
"So, what do you suggest I do?" A silent whisper swimming in the waves of the light wind, a question lost in an answer once thought to be absolute.
Silence surrounds them for a few seconds, the golden tiger noticing the haunted glint in her stare. "Stop holding yourself back." His whisper joins hers, merging in the winter's chilling air. "Let it all flow… embrace it." Waves crash against each other though the sound is intangible, her answer presents itself though it is lost in a sea of doubt and fear. Before she can ask anymore, Zhonglei walks away. Tigress doesn't pursue him, thoughts of her panda's aching head driving her to enter his room, more solemn than she had been before.
A dim, pale ray of moonlight caresses the simple, meagre guest room. Though it is only meagre in its decoration. It is still moulded from walls of fine wood, its bed still lined with rich silk sheets. The cover of night morphs its red and gold colours into pale imitations, commanding the room into something far more ordinary than extravagant. Tigress closes the door behind her, gazing upon her panda lying down on the bed, who greets her with his signature grin. "Hey." Funny to think how mere hours ago it had felt like hammers were bashing into his skull yet looking at him now, it's as if nothing happened.
Placing the jasmine tea on a bedside table, she sits beside him on the bed and puts her paw up to his head. "Are you feeling better?"
His grin widens slightly as he cradles her paw in his, "Yeah, now that you're here."
Her concerned expression doesn't flinch at his cheesy line. "I'm serious, Po." Though gentle, the sternness in her voice forces a gulp out of the panda master.
"I-I know, I'm fine. Really, much better now." He stammers, bringing a soft smile to his tiger's face. An expression that could heal all his wounds. Now, if only it could explain what even happened earlier. "Still don't know why it happened though. It was just… Sudden. Like a massive crushing pain out of nowhere and then after I… well… passed out it just… vanished."
She ponders on her panda's strange ailment as she caresses the fur on his head with her thumb. Every time it had happened to him, it came without explanation. It obviously hurt him before, but this time the pain had driven him to unconsciousness. Why? Why had it become so much worse? A thought crosses her mind, one that she hopes is wrong, "Maybe it's because of your run in with Zhongcheng. Perhaps that made your headache worse."
Jade irises remain doubtful, "I guess, but that doesn't explain why its started happening in the first place." He heaves out a groan as he lifts himself up, popping a few bones as he sits up. Amber eyes watch on as he takes the probably lukewarm tea in his paws and drinks it, letting out a blissful sigh at its pleasant taste.
She can't exactly place the look on Po's face. It's obvious he is exhausted, but it isn't just from his unwanted sleep or the physical pain that had taken place. Something within him is worn down. As he stares down into the cup's reflective surface, she can see his dishevelled eyes reflecting the gears of his soul, rusted with a burden that he desperately wants to be rid of. A burden that she may already know of.
"Po…" This delicate whisper makes his ear twitch, but he doesn't turn to her. He knows that tone well. "What did you see? What nightmare did he put you through?" Her soothing whisper aches with concern, panging through his heart as his soul begs him to tell her. He knows she will help him even if it seems impossible, but that's just it.
How can she help him through something like… His train of thought is brought to a halt as the sight of the faded memorial garden swirls around in the tea's waters, his family's memorial statues tightening those gears of his soul until they simply refuse to turn. Jade eyes rip themselves away from that nightmare as he feels her paw cradle his as if it were porcelain. A loving, nurturing amber fire greets him in return, pleading for her troubled love to speak. He could never refuse that caring fire, even if he finds his own pain simply… indescribable.
"I…" He looks away as he trails off, trying to find the words to describe that awful future. But his heart clings onto his mind, desperately wanting to forget that horrible place. Feeling her caring eyes trying to soothe his soul, he manages to keep going. "I saw… the Jade Palace… empty…" A glint of realisation flashes in Tigress' face, only deepening her frown as he continues, "I saw… myself…" That mirror cracks into his mind, shattered fragments of a mournful future raining down on his heart as he pushes on. "Old… and alone…" They sink deep into his heart, forcing his bottom lip to shiver and Tigress' concern to wilt her face further.
"Po." He doesn't listen to her cooing voice as the memorial garden darkens his jade eyes.
"I saw your statue… I saw theirs…" He chokes on his words, his chest heaving and quaking in spite of his love placing her paw on his back to comfort him. "Everyone… Everyone was gone…" Tears bleed out of his eyes, his heart unable to handle those phantom wounds. A puddle forms at the depths of his soul, a portal of crimson making way for a fear that he dreads more than anything. "I couldn't even remember your name."
Tigress wraps him in her arms as he begins to sob, the dragon warrior responding with a much tighter embrace. She could tell him it's okay, that he should let it out, but she knows those consolations are useless. Not when its something that plagues his very soul. She rubs her cheek onto his, reassuring him that she is here as he bawls his eyes out into her shoulder.
"I don't know if I could take it, Tigress." A broken, muffled voice exits his lips as he desperately tries to get a hold of himself. She rubs the back of his head with her paw, laying soft kisses on his cheek to try and soothe his aching soul. They sit there for several minutes, his very tear ducts stinging as he finally pulls out of their embrace. He gulps down another bout of tears, breathing heavily as he looks to the teacup he carelessly dropped to the floor. Its contents are sprawled out, absorbed into the wood and losing its reflective surface. "I don't want you to be just a memory…" His breathless whisper chokes the wind in his grief as Tigress inches closer to him, "I can't handle it… I'm not Oogway." Disappointment lines his voice, the bitter sting of failure prodding at the mirror shards impaling his heart.
Placing her paw on his cheek, she turns his gaze over to her warm eyes, "You don't have to be." This affectionate whisper kisses his ears, carefully taking out those shards with each word, "You don't have to face this alone, regardless of what he says." Jade eyes widen a touch, surprised that she would ever disregard the very founder of kung fu himself. "We'll always be with you, Po. Whether in life or in death, you won't ever be alone."
Jade gazes into amber, dreaming of a future before his inevitable role. One filled with love, one where they defend their home as not only warriors. Not only a couple. But as a husband and wife. He can see it in their grasp, so close and yet pushed far by this one mission. If his family must be reduced to memories, then he wants them all to be of happiness. A wordless message gleams in his eyes. A declaration of love and a question that he needs answered. "I love you." His whisper warms her ears amidst the winter's chill. Though his question is never brought to the air, she can read the hope in his eyes.
Hope, that she shares in hers. "I love you, too." They finally allow a soft smile to accompany their faces as their silent message intertwines itself in their affectionate whispers. Their heads inch closer until their lips lock in a deep, gentle kiss. Already, he can feel his soul lighting up in happiness, thankful for all the blessings he has been given as he lies back down on the bed, his love joining him. They embrace each other as their kiss grows more passionate, the weight of their burdens being lifted by the fire kindled in their hearts. After a few precious moments, they separate, a fiery crackle lingering in the smiles they share with each other. They nuzzle their heads together before snuggling into their warm embrace further, Tigress chuffs tingling their bodies the entire time. Bliss caresses their eyes shut, the couple grateful they can share this moment together amidst all this chaos.
Aww, how sweet. I will never not love writing these two, its just such an adorable dynamic. As for Shifu and Zhonglei, it feels like a conversation that was meant to happen the moment they met. Oh, and the emperor's reaction to his father's lies... pretty funny considering what he is hiding, huh? Anyway, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, because the next one... is where things truly start to get crazy... Until next time :)