Lotus

Chapter 3. Liar Liar

"Explain yourself and your purpose." Li stated firmly as they entered the house. Tigress took out a jaded scroll and unrolled the parchment on the kitchen table to present to the 2 pandas. Po's eyes widened at the images of the great Master Oogway himself.

"It was written by Master Oogway himself," Li's head snapped at the tigress when she mentioned the tortoise's name. "He seemed to have found the pandas 500 years ago, after being injured in battle. He came to the village of pandas who seemed to have a long lost power of chi." As Tigress explained, she noticed the uneasiness in the elder panda's face, but dismissed it, "Many years later, the sacred art seemed to be forgotten by your kind, sir, but there was one student who knew it, she went by the name of Lily?"

Lotus noticed his father look away uncomfortably, "What is your point, master?" Li Shan addressed dryly. Tigress swallowed down her frustration at the dismissive behavior, she knew this would be hard. She sighed, "My master had a vision of a horrible fate amongst the pandas, and that seemed to throw your body, mind, and spirit off balance. Master Oogway assigned me to not only protect your village, but to attempt to teach you the art again."

Li scoffed, "And why should we? We have everything we need. We don't need to learn some fancy shmancy power!"

"Dad!" Lotus said firmly, but Tigress spoke for herself, "Master Oogway holds the pandas to his heart dearly, if he has requested such a thing, that means that something of importance is to take place amongst your kind."

"Well if we meant so much to 'great Master Oogway' then where was he when -"

"DAD! That's enough!" Lotus slammed his hands on the table. He did not want to be reminded of that night. But what really ticked him off was how disrespectful his father was being in this situation, when it was clearly important. Not only that but he knew his dad was hiding something.

"You and I both know that we don't want to be reminded of what happened when I was a baby. You're hiding something, so stop changing the subject and tell me what it is you're hiding!"

The whole room shifted it's attention on the anxious panda. Li finally sighed and looked towards the small framed picture of his wedding day with his wife. He tried to fight back tears, he wasn't ready to tell him! Not now! But with no other way out, he took the portrait and turned his back to the young adults.

"That student of Oogway's, Lily... Sh-she's...." He swallowed the tears away, "She's your mother, Lotus."

Lotus gasped. Though he should be excited that his own mother was the very student of Master Oogway himself, the young panda felt something else...

All his life, He was raised to not know a thing about the outside world, his mom, nor himself. His whole life, his father told him that the outside world was dangerous, that kung fu was dangerous and he should never go out there. Yet here he is, just now discovering that not only was his mom a student of Oogway's, but the last panda to ever know such a sacred art that could actually help others! He felt... Lied to. Betrayed. That his own father would keep something as big as this from him! His own son!

Tigress looked at the panda who was looking at the ground, covering his eyes as they began to tear up. She was surprised as well. She had no idea that Oogway's apprentice had a husband and son? Let alone a son who selflessly saved her from the avalanche and protected her from the panda mob. She saw that the young panda was bawling up his paws into fists, and realised that if he wasn't angry before, he certainly was now.

"So... You lied."

Those words chilled Li to the bone. He turned to look at his son, "What?"

"So you lied to me!?" Lotus repeated himself, "All this time! I didn't know a thing about who my mom was, and you decide to tell me now!? Why did you lie to me, dad!?!"

Li admittedly felt the guilt rise within him, he was expecting that response, but nonetheless wanted to defend his actions, "I wanted to protect you! I almost lost you once! I did not want to make the same mistake!"

"So you decide to keep something as big as this from me!? ME! Your only son!?"

At this point Tigress just stepped back a little freaked out by the family feud. She felt like the odd ball seeing the 2 fight. "I did what I had to do, Lotus!" Li shot back, "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you either wouldn't be ready to hear the truth, or you would want to leave the village even more! I didn't want you to leave me!"

"You didn't wan -" Lotus growled, "WHAT ABOUT WHAT I WANT FOR ONCE!? I'M SICK OF EVERYONE LYING TO ME AND NOT TELLING ME THINGS! LILLY IS MY MOM, OUT OF EVERYONE! DON'T I DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH!?"

"This isn't the time, Lotus."

"I. DON'T. CARE! You're going to tell me everything I need to know about this!" He picked up the scroll and showed it to his father, "Please dad! Tell me the truth! What does this mean for me!?"

Li Shan just looked away, "Dad, Please! Tell me!"

When no reply came again, Lotus kept pushing, "Tell me!"

Still nothing. "TELL ME! -"

"LOTUS!" Li snapped, making everyone go quiet. "That is quite enough!"

The father and son stood there, glaring at each other for a moment, before Tigress finally decided to step in and clear the heat, "I apologize for the intrusion, I was just trying to help."

Lotus rolled the scroll and turned to the feline, "No, you shouldn't apologize! At least someone here will finally tell me things that I don't need to get out of HIM!" He snapped at his father before storming out.

Li was about to go after him, but was held back by a orange and black striped paw. He looked down at her with a hard glare, "I have faced the same situations countless of times with my master, the last thing that boy needs is someone to lecture him."

The father opened his mouth to protest, only to realise she was right and sighed wearily, "I just didn't want to lose him..."

Tigress nodded in understanding, "No one deserves to lose a family. But you can't shelter him forever, you must find a way to make it up to your son." Li nodded back with his head hung low, "In the mean time, I'll go talk to him."

Li scoffed, "Heh, you? Talk to my son? You don't even know where he is!"

Master Tigress went through her travelling bag as Li Shan took a seat at the kitchen table, burying his head in his paws. She took out the very same lotus petal that led her here. From the wind that was blowing through the open window outside, it blew the lotus petal out of her hand and out the window.

She hastily looked out of the open residence and felt like that petal was trying to lead her somewhere. Somewhere important.

'Maybe I don't know where he is. But I think I'm about to find out.' And with that, she exited the house and followed the petal to it's unknown destination.