Kung Fu Panda 3- Chapter 8

   The gates of Caihong Palace were guarded by two reluctant female rabbits, scared of having to force anyone away. Upon seeing Xiao Lan, they partially had their weapons ready to attack.
   "It's okay." Xiao Lan reassured them, "I found these seven and decided to bring them to my mother."
   "Do they truly wish to serve her?" one of them asked.
   "Yes, they have agreed to serve my mother as her personal body guards. They are all really talented warriors."
   "Follow us."
   The guards led them into the majestic palace and through many hallways and flights of stairs. Po suddenly started to feel queasy, alerting the guards.
   "Are you okay?" one asked, genuinely concerned.
   "Oh, just a little motion sickness." Po answered in a high pitched voice.
   The guard nodded then continued to lead them to Lady Otter's room, which was down many flights of stairs. Po gulped, remembering his record of falling down stairs.
   "Be careful, now." the second guard said to them, "These stairs can make you trip. One slip and you'll be…"
   Po suddenly fell past her, falling down at least three flights before stopping on the bottom.
   "At the bottom in no time."
   It took a few minutes for everyone else to reach the bottom, Po having gotten up before they arrived. The guards knocked on the door before hearing a "Come in" a few seconds later. Opening the doors, everyone saw Lady Otter sitting at her throne, halfway amused at the new people in the room.
   "Ah, my daughter." she said, getting up from her throne, arms open as she walked towards her daughter, "You've brought me more potential warriors, have you?"
   "Yes, Mother." Xiao Lan confirmed, "These seven are very reliable warriors."
   "Hmm, let's see, a monkey, a praying mantis, a snake, a bird, two tigers, and a panda? Who are these warriors exactly?"
   "Well, since you asked…"
   Xiao Lan snapped her fingers and the seven revealed their true identities, partially shocking Lady Otter as they each threw off their dresses.
   "We are the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five!" Po exclaimed.
   "We're here to avenge all you have killed!" Tigress added.
   "Should I really be scared of all of you?" Lady Otter asked, hardly amused.
   "You should be!" Po replied.
   "As far as I'm concerned, you're all surrounded."
   Everyone looked and noticed that she was right. Po sighed and said, "I absolutely hate you."
   "One comes to live with that."
   "Tell me, why did you attack our village?!" Tigress demanded.
   "Oh, so you're both here? I never thought I'd see Mei Lan again. Look at how beautiful you two grew up to be…just like your mother."
   "Our mother?"
   "What do you know about our mother?" Mei Lan asked.
   "Only that she defended you until I slashed her right through the heart."
   Mei Lan and Tigress' eyes widened in shock and surprise. Tigress tried to attack, but guards held her back, Lady Otter chuckling at the futile attempt.
   "Take them to the dungeon." she ordered, "I'll let Mei Lan tell them everything that happened, since Tigress obviously doesn't remember a thing that happened."
   The guards started dragging the seven to the dungeons while Tigress simply yelled, "You coward!!!"
   Lady Otter chuckled and turned to Xiao Lan, who hung her head in defeat. She held her daughter's head up and said "Don't worry, darling. You'll soon learn that what I'm doing is right for us."
   "Us…or you?" Xiao Lan asked in retaliation.
   Lady Otter turned and said, "Xiao Lan, I can disown you from this family."
   "Only my father can! They can tell me if he's still alive."
   "Your father is foolish…and so are you. Take Xiao Lan to the dungeon!"
   Before long, Xiao Lan was on her way to the dungeon, Lady Otter not showing any signs of remorse for her only daughter.

   In the dungeon, Tigress was trying furiously to bust a way out, but every attempt failed. Po and the others only watched as Tigress continued to try in vain to get out.
   "Tigress, it's no use." Po said, "Just give up."
   "She knows what happened to my family!" Tigress angrily screamed back, causing Po to lean back in fear, "I'm not going to stay here!"
   "Tigress, shut up!" Mei Lan screamed to her sister, which resulted in Tigress walking over to her and getting into her face.
   "Don't you understand that she murdered our mother?! I never remembered that!"
   "I know that! You were knocked unconscious! You didn't deserve to see our mother die!"
   "And why not?!"
   "You try seeing someone die! It's not pretty!"
   "Mei Lan, I saw our father die! He died protecting me!"
   "So did Mother!"
   "Do you know how long I've had to hold in my pain?! I punched ironwood trees for twenty years because I never felt loved!"
   "Shifu loved you, Tigress! I'm sure of that!"
   "He does, I know! I didn't when I was younger!"
   "Guys, stop!" Viper exclaimed, which only earned her death glares from the two sisters.
   "Viper's right, you two." Po agreed, "You both need to stop arguing. Tigress, I understand your frustration, but just knowing won't help. You need inner peace to really get over the pain and suffering."
   Tigress was now at Po's throat, ready to attack her own friend, seething out "Don't…tell me what I don't know."
   Sighing, Po replied, "Well I can't help you if you're not willing to cooperate. Good luck finding the answers. It'll kill you in the end."
   Po walked away from her and sat at another corner of the cell, Tigress just turning her back and crossing her arms. She looked at Mei Lan, who was looking at her with a "you seriously need to chill" look.
   "Mei Lan, what else am I supposed to do?" she asked.
   "Calm down and try to remember all you can." Mei Lan answered.
   "I don't remember anything before the orphanage."
   "Then let me tell you what happened. Lady Otter attacked us as revenge for her daughter's beating, which everyone gave their heartfelt apologies. That wasn't enough for her. She proceeded to attack everyone in sight. Our father, Zian, tried to protect you, but a burning beam hit him and killed him instantly, knocking you unconscious. Mother, Master Xiulan, defended me until Lady Otter slashed her through the chest. Her last words were one's I'll never forget."


*Twenty Years Ago*


   "Mommy!" a seven-year-old Mei Lan exclaimed in fear, running to her dying mother, who lay before her.
   "My darling," Xiulan said, then groaned in pain, "take Tigress and leave here. You both…must live."
   "Mommy…"
   "Remember, Mei Lan, when you follow your heart…it will never let you down."
   With that, Xiulan exhaled her final breath, going limp before her daughter.
   "Mommy?" Mei Lan asked, shaking her mother, to no avail, "Mommy, wake up! Mommy! Mommy!"


   "Our mother was brave until the end. She never once put herself above others. In her final moments, she put her only children above her and died protecting them."
   Everyone was looking at Mei Lan, tears in everyone's eyes, Viper letting hers fall. Tigress looked like she was ready to break, which didn't surprise Mei Lan that much.
   "I took Tigress and ran until I eventually came upon what I assume was the Bao Gu Orphanage. It was there that I left her because I heard something coming and ran. If anyone was going to die, it would have been me. I did what I did to protect my sister. I love her so much. Can you forgive me?"
   Tigress looked at her sister and said, "Of course."
   The two sisters embraced, tears falling from their eyes. Everyone smiled at the sight, tears still threatening to fall. Once the two separated, Mei Lan and Tigress felt a strange sensation they'd never felt before.
   "Is this what it's like to be in balance?" Tigress asked.
   "I guess so." Mei Lan answered, then thought of something, "Po, come here for a minute."
   Po came over and took one of his paws and one of Tigress' holding them together, "See if you two feel the same thing. Look deep within your hearts from your own pasts and experiences and try to find balance."
   Exhaling, Po and Tigress shut their eyes and concentrated on their pasts, which each could see in each other's minds. Tigress could see Po's journey to the Valley of Peace and adoption while Po saw Tigress' survival and eventual adoption. They eventually saw each other, dressed in the clothes Po dreamed them in. They looked at each other, smiling, realizing that the balance they needed to find was in each other. The two embraced tightly, everyone smiling at the sight. Once they released each other, someone cleared their throat and everyone turned to see a guard staring at them.
   "Keep the revelations down." she said, "I don't want to hear anything."
    Sighing, they sat back down and contemplated their fate.
   "Honestly, guys, I never  thought I'd die before getting my first kiss." Po said, surprising everyone, who looked at him with a dumbfounded look, "What?"
   "You've never been kissed?" Mantis asked, trying to suppress a laugh.
   "No! I'm thirty and haven't even been kissed. I'm a panda!"
   "The only one who might have been kissed is Mei Lan." Crane said.
   "Guilty." Mei Lan admitted.
   "Okay, so she is."
   "Actually, I…"
   "Hey, guys!" someone yelled, getting their attention. They smiled when they realized that it was Xiao Lan, holding the key to their cell. She unlocked the door and they all exited the cell.
   "Why're you not in a cell?" Po asked.
   "The guards saw me being carried here and immediately gave me the key to your cell. They all want my mother to be stopped…they miss their families."
   "Well, I'm ready to kick some butt. You guys ready?"
   Everyone except Tigress cheered, which Po noticed.
   "Are you ready…Tigress?"
   Looking at Po, Tigress said, "Po, this time…she's not getting away."
   Xiao Lan smiled at everyone then said, "All right, let's go stop my mother…once and for all."