One Tail at a Time

Shifus Little Xiaobai

The following days have been really busy, Shifu is now walking around and taking less naps than before, but always there is something in his eyes that seem different whenever we are alone.  He doesn't ask me anymore questions about my spells, and he didn't ask about Zhen Yans talk to me either, but I know he wants to.  Only I am too confused to even mention it.  

Zhen Yan left yesterday after staying on the Mountain with me for two whole days.  He wanted to check my new tail which he said was growing well and would be at its full size within a month.  Thats whats so great about us foxes.  Our new tails dont take long to grow out unlike Dragon claws and Scorpion barbs which can take months and months.  

Zhen Zhen told me once, that little Dragons get new claws after each ascension because their cultivation is the highest of all the beasts so their old claws have to be replaced to manage such extreme power.  The Scorpions on the other hand are like us foxes, they earn their poisonous barbs through their entire life.  The more cultivation they earn, the more barbs they get, whereas we foxes stop at nine tails.

But the more I think about it, the more I want to see Shifus dragon so I can see his powerful claws.  Zhe Yan told me that Shifu is a big Golden Dragon like my story, and that kind of makes me laugh, because instead of the Princes saving me from him, he saves me from them.  

Like today, Fu Yu was sitting on Die Fengs shoulder while he read texts from a book which my brothers were listening to while I rested beside him for a while, because Shifu was in a meeting in his study with someone with long white hair, and I wasn't allowed to join him just yet.  

Only the story Die Feng was reading was boring, so I yawned.  But as my head rose in full yawn,  I caught sight of Fu Yus coat tail and you know, its hard not to pull on something like that when its staring you in the face.  So I did.

Only I didn't know Fu Yu had a drink in his hand, so not only did he topple back, but his drink flew forward and all over the book that Die Feng was reading.  Unfortunately for me, I laughed which made that senior very mad with me because the book was an artifact that had belonged to Shifus mother.  I mean I didn't know it was a special book until well after, but still, I thought it was funny because Fu Yu looks funny when hes sprawled out on the ground with his head of hair flying about all over the place, so my cackling is loud and crazy.

Well that had Die Feng rising to his feet to spin on me in anger.  I've never seen him angry before and just like that, my mad cackling is choked back when begins wagging his finger in the air at me.

"Unbelievable!" Die Fengs voice growls low and instantly has my tears spilling down my face and bringing me to my feet, ready to run.  "Put yourself in that corner and don't move until I say!" he growls me harder and though I can see Shanhu on his feet too and ready to save me, he stops when Die Feng throws him a look that makes him sit back down again, but I can see Shanhus eyes flicking towards Shifus study which makes mine do the same.

"Don't even think about it.  You get yourself into that corner and you stay there." he growls harder this time, only this Disciple has never seen me when I get really growled, because so far, I have yet to be punished here let alone really growled and I don't like it one bit, especially seeing as Shanhu isn't allowed to cuddle me.

So I ball up my fists, square my shoulders, throw my head back, and scream.  At the top of my lungs!  Big fat tears are rolling down my face while I imagine Im the ugliest I have ever been, but I don't care.  This Disciple has never seen a little fox like me in action and because his growly voice has made me all mad, Im going to teach him a good lesson, so screaming and crying, I fall straight onto my back.

It hurts when I do that, but its enough to make me cry so pitifully that Im choking and sobbing and kicking my feet all at the same time.  I can't see a thing through all these tears, so I don't see the flash of blue gown racing into the hall, and nor do I see those large hands bending down to pick me up either.  All I hear is Die Feng informing Shifu of my crime and Fu Yu growling at me for being an overbearing cry baby.