One Tail at a Time

The Long Wait - 1

Two days have passed, and Shifu still hasn't returned and though I am worried for his safety and impatient to see Mama again, it hasn't been all that bad without Shifu, though I miss him too, especially his cuddles.  Shifu actually cuddled me extra long before he left me behind, and he even let me eat from his own plate because he feels sorry for poor me.   He even let me sleep on his big pillow beside him all night long though he didn't let Fu Yu, because that naughty sprite tried to pull Shifu off the bed by his hair.  He thought Shifu was going to stick me in the belly, so not only did Fu Yu get banished to the otherside of the room where he was kept under a strong barrier bubble, but Shifu told me a story about a brave Fox King who killed all his enemies in one single night.  

It was a kind of happy sad night, because I knew he was going to leave the next morning , but he kept his hand on my back all night long and just held me.  I guess he really does feel sorry for me, because the next morning, I woke up to find a big candy stick next to my face where his should have been.  I smiled at it through my tears, because he didn't wait for me to wake before he left, but I wasn't left alone for too long, because Shanhu came to get me as soon as I took to licking my candy which he said Shifu had left me for breakfast. 

Shanhu has taken to caring for me in his absence and he said that my father is on the other side of the world with his army.  I remember that leader saying the same thing which I think is strange, because I didn't know we had an army.  Zhen Zhen said we don't need one because our barriers are super strong and any protection I needed he would provide.  And he did that by teaching me how to swing a sword.  

I wish Shifu had let me go with him, I could have helped to keep him safe from Papas army with my own sword which I keep hidded in my sleeve when Im in girl form.  Only I then remember that Shifu bought me new dresses, I guess because he thought he wouldn't find father, and though I am in fox form now, I can't help but admire all the lovely dresses that Shanhu is packing away for me to take home when Papa comes.

"Can I keep all of them?" I ask as my paws lightly tap the little embroidered peach blossoms covering one of the pastel dresses.  

I guess he must have understood because he is smiling affectionately at me.  "We have no need for these here and Shifu bought them all for you so its best that you take them with you." he chuckles at the way Im almost drooling over them.

"Mama buys me new dresses whenever she goes away, but I don't like any of them, they're too plain and they don't have pretty flowers on them like these dresses." I tell him smiling back and though I know he doesn't understand me, he's nodding his head at me anyway.  "But I like the dress that Zhen Zhen bought me, it has magic in it which can make it change colour.  I really liked that dress the best, but now I like these ones way more." I add after a little thought because they really are lovely.

"Look Xiaobai...." Shanhu, holds up the dress I have been patting for some time for me to view the back of it.  "Theres a little slot at the back for your two tails if you need to erupt them in human form.  Shifu said your second tail is growing nicely now that the pain has eased and I can see that it is, its almost as long as your first one." he says as I peer at the little flap that is almost invisible.

"That's a very clever dress." I say squealing in delight.  My other dresses don't have little flaps in them, so when my tail did burst out, it made my butt look super big, which is another reason why I don't like those ones and it only makes me love these ones even more.  "Zhen Zhen will think these are very clever dresses too, so I won't be too surprised if he tries to add slots to my other dresses." I tell him with my happy face pointed straight up at him.

And yes my second tail is almost as long as my first, and though the pain has eased, it still hurts if I move too fast or try to sit on them.  Im still curled up on my big cushion that Shanhu moved into his chamber.  The first night without Shifu, he left me alone in Shifus room and I cried so loud at being all by myself that he had to come and get me.  Of course it didn't help that Fu Yu was cackling his face off at my fear of the dark either and purposely making scary shadows on the wall.