~~A/N; this title is inspired by the song "Brother" by Madds Buckley... it's supposed to be a fan song for another series called My Hero Academia buuut I just felt like it matched too well with Tigress and Tai Lung! (they're so Todoroki and Dabi core)~~
2 chapters to go...
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It had been four days since the five noble warriors parted on their forbidden journey to defeat Tai Lung. Tigress, thankfully, already prepared for the hefty journey by packing a small travel bag after her confrontation with Shifu and strategically split the food rations between her comrades and friends. She didn't leave much for herself, naturally. And now, the five were all curled up by the firelight, sleeping the night away and preparing for their inevitable fight that will occur very soon, with Tigress still up and watching over them all.
She scanned her surroundings before eyeing the fire in front of her, her legs bent against her chest. She sighed to herself, her chin placed on her kneecaps. She felt a little childish sitting like this, and was grateful the others weren't awake, but she couldn't help but feel her back ache a little knowing it wasn't pressed against a familiar fluffy surface...
She placed one of her paws on the ground beside her, feeling the grass and hoping to once again feel the familiar touch of her student and friend's paw. She finally crunched the grass flakes in between her fingers and then groaned to herself.
She felt like a fool! Why does she miss him so much? Here she was planning to fight her villain-y older brother after not seeing him for twenty years and she was still thinking about Lotus!
She dropped her knees and buried her face in her paws. "I am such an idiot..."
"What about an idiot...?" Tigress' ear twitched as she glanced beside her, watching her serpent comrade yawn and stretch awake.
The feline took a deep breath, "It's nothing. Go back to sleep, Viper."
"Aren't you gonna sleep anytime soon?" Viper wiped her eyes.
"I'm... mentally bracing myself. For Tai Lung. I don't need sleep."
Viper shook her head but smiled to herself, "You always were the stubborn one..." She slithered over to her striped sister, "Apparently even towards Shifu."
Tigress jumped a bit at the name but saved face by sitting up straight, "What are you talking about?"
"Sneaking out to fight Tai Lung, actively talking back to him, sticking up for... Lotus?" Viper raised an eyelid to study the tiger's next move.
"Shifu had no right to handle Lotus the way he did," Tigress bit back, "His job is to be our teacher and guide. We all felt like we lost when we didn't get the title of Dragon Warrior, yet Master Shifu still acted the most immature out of us all."
Viper had to nod at that, but was shocked when Tigress continued, "...And I still don't forgive you all for how you talked about him either."
The snake sighed, "... You're right. I'm sorry for the things I've said. The boys still need to apologize themselves but I'll be the first to do so."
"I don't need you to apologize to me, I need you to apologize to Lotus."
Viper grinned sheepishly. "You're... really protective over him, aren't you?"
"Of course I am," Tigress stated matter of factly, "He's... a dear friend of mine. And I made a promise to his father that I would protect him, always."
The snake's grin turned into a smirk, "... You hesitated."
"What?"
"When calling Lotus a dear friend," She repeated. "You hesitated."
YOU ARE READING
Lotus
أدب الهواةwhat would've happened if just before the carriage that carried the radish basket with Po in it was about to leave, Li Shan found his son and raised him alone? how would Po end up? and what happens when a gorgeous tiger is assigned to now protect th...
