Tigress, I need you

Chapter 6

Tigress' pov:

After my little conflict with Huo, I ran back a long journey to the Valley of Peace. My hands and feet were a bit sore when I got to the front of the Jade Palace. I felt heavy and sluggish all the way, I would have gotten here before noon but I just couldn't with everything Huo had said. It just hurt. I entered the Jade Palace dormitory and went into the kitchen/dining room to get myself some water to drink and maybe some food. As I walked towards the dining room I started to hear voices inside. They were talking with urgency and panic. 'Probably Master Shifu and the others.', I thought.

"Where is she?"

"She wasn't in her room!"

"Keep searching! She must be around here somewhere!"

"I'm over here!", I said.

"Tigress!", they all exclaimed, relief filling their eyes once they saw me at the doorway. I tried to give my usual stoic look, but I still looked a little droopy.

"Tigress, where have you been?!", asked Master Shifu worriedly.

"I was.... taking a walk and got lost.", I lied.

"Where's Huo?", Crane asked.

"He... He left.", once I said that I immediately hear them gasp. I could tell that they were shocked and now wondering why he left.

"But... But why?", Po asked, seeming to be the one hurt most out of everyone else.

"I don't know, okay?", I don't know why I was getting mad. "He just told me he would be leaving and I... Grr...,"

I didn't want to say no more and left, forgetting about water and food, then entering my room before slamming my door shut. I couldn't tell them... I couldn't tell them without them seeing me break down and cry and stare at me with pity in their eyes... No, I couldn't have that, especially not at Po or Master Shifu.

Huo's pov:

Hours after I wailed and screamed, I decided I needed another thing to keep me occupied to forget about Tigress for a little bit. I decided it was time to face Taotie. That day when I defeated him at the Valley of Peace I only meant for that to instill fear into him...just as his family did when they killed Lin and Bingling. I didn't have the right weapons to defeat him though. My large knives won't be enough. I needed some shrink bombs and my sister's staff.

Bingling was the more wizard type in our family and helped the clan with healing potions, protective seals, battle potions, etc. It was no surprise that I found the recipe of the shrink bomb potion in his room. I had to get a couple of ingredents only found here on Black Tiger Land to make it though, and I also found Bingling's Book of Potions so I can use them back at the Valley of Peace. I also grabbed some bomb containers just in case.

Then I went to Lin's room. Her room was more burnt and in ruin than Bingling's room - I don't have any idea how my old room would look like. It was a bit messy her so I had to dig around a bit until I found Lin's staff that had been buried under and rubble and ash.

"Pleeaaasssee don't kill me for taking your staff, Lin.", Lin had the tendency to be rather possessive over her valuables - especially her weapons - so I wanted to make sure her ghost won't come back from Neveah to haunt me and kill me for taking her most prized weapon: her staff. I chuckled softly to myself for a bit.

Taotie should better be ready for me.