The Untold Mission

Secrets of Bujiao: Part 2

"I didn't think we'd ever see you again." One of the tigers spoke as she poured some tea. The Five Warriors sat at a table with the 3 grown tigers, much older than Tigress. "Your father really thought we put you in a far enough village to avoid running into you." The female spoke softly. She had introduced herself as Cong. One of the female tigers in the drawing on Tigress's scroll. The other two tigers were Jiao and Shui. They all seemed to be around Daiyu's age. They too were in the drawing.

"I still don't understand." Tigress shook her head looking at the drawing. "How do you know it's me?"

"Your eyes." Jiao spoke softly. "You have your father's eyes. No one has ever had them like him."

"The day you were born, it was like a miracle had been blessed down to your father. Seeing your eyes lit up his world." Shui smiled at the memory.

"When he made the decision to take you to the orphanage was the most difficult decision he had ever made." Cong frowned.

"Cong and I had to do it for him. He didn't want to see your eyes, knowing he was getting rid of his little girl." Shui frowned. "I admit I almost talked myself into talking him out of it."

"But why?" Tigress looked hurt. Her eyes really reminded the three siblings of their older brother. "If he loved me so much why would he leave me at an orphanage?"

"You met your mother, correct?" Cong frowned. Tigress looked down at the drawing. The reality of Daiyu being her mother hit her like a ton of bricks. She had a living mother and a sister. Not only that, she had a father and another sister who were both killed by her own mother. "She wanted to use magic on you. A magic that was going to affect your strength, mind and soul. It would have changed your eyes too."

"He simply did it to protect you from your mother." Jiao added.

"The day that came to take you was like seeing your father dying in front of us." Shui looked at the drawing. "He held you tightly before he gave you to us."

Flashback

"I love you so much little one." The male tiger spoke to the small cub in his arms. The cub looked at him with curious eyes, not quite understanding what was happening. The small cub was about a year old now, her amber eyes shining in the stormy night sky.

"We'll make sure they take her in, Lan." Cong rubbed his back soothingly. Lan held the small cub close to his chest as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He didn't know if he would ever see his little girl again.

"One day, I'll see you again LiMei." Lan whispered softly to the cub. The small cub grabbed the tip of his nose, frowning when he had tears in his eyes.

"Baba." Her first word. Lan smiled sadly as tears truly fell from his amber eyes.

"I love you, baby." Lan kissed LiMei's forehead softly before slowly passing her over to Shui's arms. Causing the small cub to suddenly feel uncomfortable, out of her father's arms. She whimpered slightly but noticed her father motioned her to shush up. For a baby she was smart to understand her father's gestures. The entire time that Cong and Shui walked away the small cub searched for her father's eyes but found no sign of them the whole journey, nor would she ever.

End of Flashback

Tigress hadn't cried in years. Why were her eyes suddenly watery? Why was the memory only resurfacing now?

Cong frowned seeing the young teen with tears in her eyes. She never thought she would ever see LiMei again. Lan would have loved to see her again. LiMei had become a smart young woman, something he wouldn't have been able to provide with the type of mother she has.

Tigress couldn't stop looking at the drawing of the family she could have had. The family that was wrecked because her mother wanted nothing but power. A power she had given to her only living sister. MaSha was her only sister.

"After we returned from the orphanage, your parents disappeared." Shui commented.

"We didn't see them again until his death a few years ago." Jiao frowned. "Your mother claimed he poisoned himself and buried him herself."

"We knew that was a lie." Cong sighed. "Lan wanted to see his first daughter again. He had hoped to see you again. Unfortunately, your hopes can get cut short from people who just want to use you."

"To this day, we're still unsure why your father didn't leave your mother." Shui frowned. "And I'm afraid we may never know."

"Pardon my curiosity," Monkey finally spoke up. The three siblings had forgotten that Tigress had comrades with her. "But how have you guys survived here? The whole village is abandoned."

"We were born here." Cong looked at him. "Our parents raised us in this village since we were born until the day we moved out. This village is all we've known."

"The village was abandoned due to Daiyu's growing power. Our entire species fled to the north. That's all we know about them." Jiao added. "No one wanted to face the consequences from her wrath. We stayed cus our brother was surely going to return to us one day. We were sure of it."

"Lan was a strong man. Meeting Daiyu was his only mistake." Shui clenched his paw at the sound of her name. "I didn't like her the moment we met her. But Lan was so happy with her and we didn't understand why."

Tigress stayed silent listening to what she knew now were her aunts and uncle. She had a living family for years and she didn't even know. Her chest hurt knowing that she wouldn't be able to see her father. The one who loved her so much he sacrificed the happiness she gave him to protect her from her vile mother. Tigress stood up and walked outside the house. Cong frowned and followed her out.

"Tigress?" Cong called her name softly.

"Do you know..." Tigress's voice choked. "Do you know where he's buried?"

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Tigress looked down at the small gravestone in front of her.

Lan Long

It wasn't much of a gravestone as the family didn't really have much money to give him a real fancy one. At the very least they knew where he was buried. Tigress sat on her knees over it, touching the ground softly. The father she never got to know laid there. A few tears fell from her eyes knowing she would never know about him. Never see the amber eyes she knew she knew had belonged to him. Her comrades frowned seeing her this way. They had never seen her so vulnerable. So much information had been laid on her in such little time.

Viper was the first one to slither up to her, placing a caring tail on her shoulder. She didn't know how it felt to lose a father, much less a father she never knew. Tigress looked at the small grave once again.

"I love you, baby" The soft whisper of her father's rang in her ears.

"I love you too, father." Tigress whispered back and tears fell from her beautiful amber eyes. "And thank you." Tigress closed her eyes as tears fell.

"My little miracle. You'll be okay, LiMei. Take care of your sister for me." His voice whispered. Tigress smiled before opening her eyes and looking at Viper. Viper and the rest smiled at her widely at her next words.

"Let's go see MaSha. I have a sister to reunite with."