Bataan was kind enough to offer the two of them his flask, but they both declined. As a result he drank for the three of them

"And I said – heh heh – I said to him -if that's the monkey, who's the chicken!?" The panda doubled over in laughter, slapping his knee.

Tai Lung glanced at Tigress. "Did you follow that at all?" he muttered.

"Hm?" Her eyes fluttered open. She pressed the heel of her hand to her sternum and winced. It ached there. "No. I was … resting."

"Do you need sleep?" he asked. "Want me to chuck out the drunk?"

She smiled and shook her head. "I like his stories."

Bataan wiped his eye and caught his breath. "Oh. Oh, amusing," he said.

Tai Lung turned. "Bataan," he said, "I was wondering - "

"How obtain more power?" Bataan said, waggling his fingers, eyes wide. "How see in the darkest caverns? How to transverse the realms?"

"I -"

"Well I won't tell you!" he exclaimed, then burst out laughing and slapping his knees once more.

Tai Lung frowned. "You're drunk, panda."

"He asked me how to bring the dead back to life, you know," Bataan said to Tigress.

"Who wouldn't want to know that!?" Tai Lung snapped.

"An instrument of death, that's who!"

Tai Lung bristled and began to growl.

Tigress put her hand on Tai Lung's shoulder. "Bataan, tell me," she said quickly, "How did your clan of pandas end up out here in the wastes, so far from China?"

Bataan blinked. Looked at his flask. "Well that's … that's a sad subject for a happy night, isn't it?"

"You don't -"

"Five hundred years ago," Bataan continued, "the pandas of my line lived high up in the mountains of China. It was a secret village. Pandas are gentle of nature and choose to protect themselves from the evils of this world. We were farmers. And scholars. But mostly, we were healers of chi. So, when two generals – two warlords – came to my ancestral home seeking aid, we of course took them in. It is our way," he said, gesturing to Tai Lung and Tigress. "It is said that one was injured and the other not," Bataan continued. "One, a yak, carried his companion, a tortoise, who had been mortally wounded."

"A tortoise?" Tai Lung asked, leaning forward. "Did you perchance catch his name?"

"I wasn't there. This was five hundred years ago," Bataan said. He took a swig off his flask and offered it to the two of them for the fifteenth time that night. They shook their heads.

"Fine," Tai Lung replied, rolling his eyes. "Was his name mentioned in legend?"

"Whose name?"

"The tortoise."

"Oh! Yes, uh...Ignay? Oov – Oovlay? Something weird like that. Name escapes me."

"Was it Oogway?" Tai Lung asked.

Bataan thoughtfully stroked his goatee. "Might have been. Might have been."

"He knows Oogway," Tai Lung said to Tigress.

"Lots of people know Oogway," Tigress said. "But I've never heard this legend, have you?"

Tai Lung shook his head.

"Please continue," she said.

"Anyway, your tortoise – Oogway - "

"He was a warlord, you know that, right?" Tai Lung asked Tigress.

"Yes, Tai Lung, I know that."

"Did horrible things."

"That I don't know."

"He did something so bad he made all these pandas run to Mongolia," he growled.

"Would you like to tell the story?" Bataan asked. He shook his flask at Tai Lung. "Seriously, take this."

Tai Lung reluctantly took the flask and Bataan continued.

"We healed the tortoise, of course, but his situation was similar to Tigress's here. Too much damage to ensure a speedy recovery, and it was the middle of winter. So I suppose they housed them in the storage yurt like we did with you," he said chuckling. "Though I suppose it wasn't a yurt, was it? Likely a proper house. Wood slat floors, paper walls. They might have even had their own – well it was a village, wasn't it, so it stands to reason they'd have had – well they might have had as much as entire house to themselves, those two! No no, of course they wouldn't stick two imperial generals next to the rice sacks. That doesn't make sense at all."

"Thank god we know their location," Tai Lung said. "Do you know what sort of beds they slept in?"

"Rolls on the floor, I imagine."

"No, I - " Tai Lung exhaled with frustration. "Just...what happened next?"

Bataan cleared his throat. "So, the generals – housed in houses and sleeping on bedrolls – stayed with my ancestors for a season. Everything was good, everything was happy from what I understand, making music, feasting, flying kites, feasting. Or at least that's what my people were likely doing. The generals, however, had other plans. They became more and more enamored of my people's powers. Of our ability to manipulate chi. They longed to learn, so … we taught them.

"They both took to it like ducks to water. Learned fast. Became powerful. The tortoise was responsible with this new power and wanted only to use it for good."

"But he used it for evil?" Tai Lung asked, leaning in.

"No, the other one did. The tortoise is the good guy," Bataan replied. He tilted his head. "Why are you so fixed on him being the bad guy?"

"Personal vendetta," Tai Lung huffed.

"Against someone who lived five hundred years ago?"

"He's a tortoise. He's still alive."

Bataan's eyes widened. "What?"

"No he isn't," Tigress said. "He died a few months ago."

"He died a few months ago?" Bataan asked. "Like months as in months? As in a small part of a year?"

"Yes, and good riddance to the bastard," Tai Lung snarled.

"Tai Lung!" Tigress scolded.

"I – wow," Bataan said. "That's crazy. In any case, he's the good guy in this legend. My sincerest apologies but the yak was the problem. He became obsessed with chi. Specifically with stealing it. He drained the life and will from half the village before his tortoise friend finally defeated him, banishing him to the Spirit Realm. But the damage was done. Half the villagers were gone, and the village itself destroyed in the battle.

"There was much debate on what was to be done. Half the survivors vowed to never practice the art of chi again, to forget about it entirely, so that the knowledge might never fall into the wrong hands. The other half wished to retain the knowledge, but flee, travel far away and hide themselves where they might never be found. Guess which half my ancestors were?

"And that has been our mission, for five hundred years. Practice chi. Retain the knowledge. Stay hidden. So of course, upon being chosen by Fahzan-Long, that is what I ensured. I shielded this village from all eyes, both in this world and the next. If one does not have the eyes to see – or has not been chosen by a god – he will merely walk across a flat plain not knowing anything is here at all." Bataan grinned. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Super cool," Tai Lung said dryly.

"And that is the story of how we came to be here," Bataan said. He yawned. "And I believe the next story will be of the great big panda who went to bed." He slipped his flask into his robe pocket and stood up. "Anything the two of you need before I take off?"

Tai Lung glanced at Tigress. She shook her head.

"Thank you for your stories, Bataan," she said softly. "And your kindness."

"Not at all," he replied. He smiled and bowed. "I'll put one more offering on Fahzan-Long's altar before I go to sleep. Just for you," he said, pointing at Tai Lung, "because I like ya. All right? Goodnight." And with that he pushed aside the yurt's flap and left, crunching through the snow back to his home.

"He likes you," Tigress said to Tai Lung.

"He does."

"I don't see why. You're quite impatient with him."

"I am no such thing!" Tai Lung huffed. "It's guy talk. Friendly guy talk."

"Do you like him?"

He considered this. "I … do. I think. I liked the wolf more. Bataan is quite flippant for someone with that much power."

"He takes after his god."

Tai Lung nodded. "Indeed."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Tai Lung put a pot over the kiln with dumplings and broth. Tigress leaned back and shut her eyes, rubbing the heel of her hand in slow circles on her sternum.

"That's causing you some pain tonight," he said. "I knew he did it too hard."

She gave a soft, grim laugh. "There's no 'too hard' when you're dead."

Tai Lung flinched.

"Tigress," he began, stirring the soup. "Would you … tell me something?"

"Hm?"

"When you died did it … did it hurt?"

He winced as he asked, as though expecting some sort of punishment.

Tigress frowned.

"No. It was painless. As advertised."

"Good," he said softly. "I'd hate to think I caused you any pain."

"The pain was before. You spared me pain."

He didn't reply. Shook his head.

"It was merciful," she insisted.

"It was stupid!" he erupted. "The whole thing was stupid. I never should have insisted we take a shortcut. It was reckless and nearly ended in … in…."

She shook her head and waved her hand. "It's in the past. Forgive yourself, Tai Lung."

He looked up at her sharply. "It will never be in the past. Not for me."

"You can't blame yourself forever."

"I can and will."

Tigress shut her eyes and sighed. "I forgive you, if it's any consolation."

"You shouldn't. If you were smart you would have stayed dead. Gone off into the Spirit Realm away from me, where I can no longer endanger you."

She shook her head. "Staying dead was not an option. It would be dishonorable. You saved my life, I had to save yours." She paused, considering her words. "I had to save your afterlife, in any case."

Tai Lung gave her a questioning look. "Save my afterlife?"

Tigress swallowed, feeling a trickle of fear for him even now. "Not every place in the Spirit Realm is nice and peaceful, as it turns out. You were dying. And had you died, you would have gone somewhere … very bad. There was an army of demons waiting to take you there. I fought them off with everything I had. I - "

She stuttered with the memory of holding his golden, fluttering heart in her hands.

"You battled an army of demons for my soul?" Tai Lung asked, the corner of his mouth ticking up into a smile.

"Yes," she said, her face growing hot.

His smile grew. "Why, Master Tigress, I didn't know you cared."

"I … I couldn't let that happen to a fellow warrior," she said, flustered. "They were going to rip your soul into a thousand pieces and drag it who knows where. You may have done some terrible things in your life, but I don't want that for you."

He tilted his head at her. "What do you want for me, Tigress?"

But before she had time to answer there was a pop, and a bright flash of white light, and Fahzan-Long stood before them.

O

"What, what, what!?" the god cried. He wore strange blue pants, wide in the leg, and held curious glowing sticks in his little hands. "That panda has been harassing me nonstop! What in six universes could be so damned important? What? You want a word? Well here I am, shoot. Go." He crossed his little arms and glared at Tai Lung.

The two of them looked at the tiny, angry god with wide-eyed shock.

"Oh, so sorry, did I interrupt your dinner?" he said, tapping his foot. "Shall I go back? I'd like to. Do you know where I was?"

Tai Lung and Tigress shook their heads.

"Underworld. Manchester. 1992."

They blinked.

"What is...Manchester?" Tigress asked.

Fazhan-Long rolled his eyes. "Is that what you brought me here to ask? You two are boring. I'll be going now."

"No!" Tai Lung said. "I - " he began, but stopped just as quickly.

"You what? Be quick about it, I have things to do." He did a bouncing dance, drawing strange pattern in the air with the glowing sticks.

Tai Lung blinked, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Thank you for coming," Tigress said quickly, and this seemed to jerk Tai Lung out of his oblivion. He gave a brief shake of his head and narrowed his eyes.

"I have a complaint," he growled.

"Oh do you, little mortal?"

Tai Lung, unperturbed, pointed at Tigress. "She died. And you did nothing."

"What would you like me to do?" Fahzan-Long scoffed. "You two have free will."

"Do we?"

"I warned her not to go wandering in the wastes but off you went anyway, like a pair of regular old idiots."

"You warned me?" Tigress asked. 'When did you warn me?"

There was another flash of light and suddenly a goat stood before them, the one with the golden eyes, who' shared his flask with Tigress after she and Tai Lung argued. "Remember me?" he asked. "From such hits as 'you go out there, you die?"

"I didn't know that was you!"

"You weren't meant to!"

"Do not speak to her!" Tai Lung roared, stepping between Tigress and the god. "You are not fit to speak to her!"

"I am not fit to speak to her?" Fahzan-Long asked, bemused.

"You tossed her life aside as though it were nothing! And you must answer for it!"

"Must I? In what way, Dragon Warrior?"

Tai Lung's jaw sagged. He had no answer.

"Didn't think of that, did you? You just summoned me from the sickest party in literal history to yell? Ugh. You two are a snore. Listen, perhaps it's the tabs talking, but what do you say we put an end to this, eh? The two of you have served your purpose."

"What purpose?" Tigress asked.

"And end to this?" Tai Lung replied. He straightened and lifted his chin. "I am prepared to battle a god."

"Battle? Oh, no," Fazhan-Long. "My dear, I could remove all the space between your atoms until all that's left is an extremely dense grain of leopard flavored sand. No no, there'll be no battles today, you brainless oaf. I was thinking more along the lines of this."

The dragon waved his glowing sticks in a circle, and matter itself began to open. An electric, crackling hole swirled into reality, stretching to reveal a warmly lit staircase ascending into infinity. A gentle peach-scented breeze floated through the tear. Tigress gasped, straightening despite the pain in her chest.

"The Jade Palace," she breathed.

Tai Lung's eyes widened.

"There it lies," Fazhan-Long said to Tai Lung. "Your home. Your Master. Your scroll. It's the dead of night, and without Tigress it's barely defended. Take your prize, Dragon Warrior."

Tai Lung, entranced, took a single step towards the portal. The fur on his shoulders suddenly rose. He turned to look at Tigress.

"No," Fazhan-Long said. "She cannot go. She's too injured. She'll never make the trip."

"What trip?" Tai Lung snapped. "It's ... " he breathed, "inches away."

"It's a wormhole," the god replied, as though Tai Lung were an absolute idiot for never having heard of one. The two of them stared at him blankly. He shut his eyes and sighed. "It's a short trip, but a violent one. You will most definitely be sick," he said, pointing at Tai Lung. "And her, all a crippled broken mess? Dead, quite certainly."

"Aren't we tethered at two miles?" Tigress asked, watching Tai Lung carefully. He had turned back towards the portal, every muscle twitching, aching to leap through and charge up the steps. She prepared herself to leap upon his throat to stop him, claws out, despite her shattered body.

The dragon shook his head. "You died. Such a simple enchantment does not survive death. So go on," he said, turning toward Tai Lung. "End this. Make that twenty years worth it, Dragon Warrior."

He took another step towards the opening. Tigress tensed.

Tai Lung turned. "But - if I go - she must remain … here? In … in Mongolia? In the cold?"

"That's the deal, yes."

Tai Lung swallowed, taking in the steps, the village, the sweet and promising peach breeze. He took another step forward and lifted his hand to touch the portal. It rippled like water at his fingertip. He gasped softly. After a long moment he turned. His gaze lingered over her, then rose to meet hers.

She did not breathe. Tried not to let her desperation and hurt show. His eyes were wide and red and full of …. what? Was it … sorrow? An apology for what he was about to do?

A wave of nausea and grief washed over her. He was going to do it. Of course he was. All he cared about - all he had ever cared about - was the scroll. Only death could stop him.

And she would have to be that death.

He lowered his gaze. A decision had been made.

Tigress's hands closed into fists.

After a long moment Tai Lung glanced towards the portal, shut his eyes...

...and turned his back on it.

"I ... cannot accept your offer," he said to the god. He took a deep breath and straightened. "I will not leave Tigress to return to China alone."

"Oh please," Fazhan-Long said. "She'll heal up fine."

Tai Lung shot a look at Fazhan-Long that crackled with rage, and all at once Tigress felt something happen in her chest, in her heart, as pure and terrifying as the light of the heavens. It was as though her very core at once shot up to the peak of the highest mountain and fell into the deepest tunnel.

"Your offer is declined," Tai Lung growled, moving to stand beside Tigress. "Return to your Manchester."

"Are you serious?" the god asked incredulously.

"Deadly."

The god's eyes went wide. "Suit yourselves. Know that you've insulted me," he snapped. But then he blinked, and smirked, and tilted his head at Tai Lung. "But it was an interesting insult, at the very least. I cannot say I expected that."

Nor I, Tigress thought. She looked up at Tai Lung standing by her side and that feeling in her chest increased to nearly bursting. Nor I.

"Oh well isn't that cute. Anyway." Fazhan-Long waved his hand and the portal wavered away from the staircase and into a sudden cacophony of colored lights and pounding noise. "Ciao," the god said, then leapt through the portal, which snapped closed and neatly replaced reality behind him.

Tai Lung shut his eyes and sighed deeply.

Tigress reached up and took his hand. "Tai Lung," she whispered, though she had no idea what she intended to say.

He opened his eyes and knelt next to her. "Yes?"

Her mouth bobbed. She moved her hand to his face. "Tai Lung," she repeated.

He looked at her with intense interest. "What is it? Are you in pain? Do you want me to - "

She cupped her hand around the back of his neck and used it to lift herself just enough to press her lips to his. Tai Lung gave a ragged, surprised gasp, then wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss. She put her arms around his shoulders, running her hands through the long fur there, and up along the black ridge of mane she suddenly realized she'd always admired. She whimpered softly and pressed herself against him, meeting his lips helplessly until the world narrowed to nothing but that interplay, and the desire, and the relief.

With a soft growl he kissed her jaw, then her neck, biting her there as he tipped her onto her back.

Tigress cried out, her leg and shoulder and chest erupting in pain.

Tai Lung flinched away from her. "Are you all right?"

She dug the heel of her hand into her chest and winced.

"Have I hurt you?" he asked, alarmed.

"I'll be fine," she gasped. "It's just..."

"It's too soon," he said. "To soon to…"

She nodded.

"Ah," he said, looking at the ground to hide the disappointment in his eyes. He collected himself and looked up at her again. "Then shall I …. shall I make you some tea?"

For a moment they stared at one another blankly. Then erupted into laughter.

"Tea would be wonderful," she said.

"Tea it is. Here, I'll straighten you out," he said, gently arranging her on the bed, fluffing her pillows and tucking her under the covers. When he was finished he hesitated, leaned in, and gently kissed her forehead.

"No," she urged as she took him by the chin, lowering his lips to hers. "This is where you kiss me."

A stupid look crossed his face. His eyes fluttered closed.

"As you wish," he whispered, and kissed her where she asked.

O