A/N: Ok, another short one-shot for everyone still reading my stuff. Thanks for the support and reviews guys! I just got my medical degree (woohoo!) so I'm going to do my best to try and get back at this writing gig.
On another note, I watched Legends of Awesomeness and was frankly sort-of disappointed. I guess I was just expecting something more substantial from a show involving The Track Team 's music and Sifu Kisu's input. There were some touches of brilliance here and there, but most of the time, it was frankly a bit underwhelming.
"So."
Song struggled to swallow as discreetly as possibly, intent on masking her ever growing terror. The Ladies Of The Shade had spent the last year and a half performing for free all over China, in an effort to cleanse their reputation. Their routines has gotten much more elaborate and quite complex, yet they still performed mostly for free.
She had spent the better part of eighteen months thinking of how proud he was going to be of her. After all, it had been he who had inspired her to take the straight and narrow path anyway.
It had been quite simple to admit to herself that she was very much taken with him; he was her light and rescued her from a life of crime and potential incarceration.
"He's worth it.", she thought, as she sat in the dark in an undisclosed location.
She had gone to the Valley of Peace to visit the panda – she rented an inn, gotten dressed to meet him and subsequently woke up in a dark room with nothing but a table, a chair and a small candle for company.
"We've been hearing things about you and your little group." The voice continued. The tiny flame of the candle did little to enhance visibility in the dark blanket of the room, but Song could make out a slender shape flitting about.
"Interesting. It seems as though you're trying to make up for past….indiscretions."
A soft hiss permeated the silence as Song came face to face with Master Viper. The female warrior was well known for her kindness and grace; something the snow leopard had a hard time believing as the snake smiled in a none-too-pleasant way.
Viper grinned, secretly hoping the candle-light brought out the gleam in her fangs.
"I'm all for second-chances", she stated casually, slithering behind Song. "I believe there is good in everyone and if a person wants to prove their worth, I will always – always – give them the benefit of the doubt."
Song's lips were in the middle of forming a "Thank you" when she felt the serpent's powerful coils lay threateningly around her windpipe.
"Let me be clear." Viper said, her unnerving fanged smile still in place. "I choose to trust you because Po trusts you. That panda sees things most people don't, and I have to believe him when he says that he sees good in you."
Song felt the heavy sinewy muscle weigh on her neck. She swallowed a cough that threatened to loose itself.
"Po is...very special to me," began the snow leopardess. "You're absolutely right; he saw things that even I've never seen before and I've spent the last year trying to show everybody that he wasn't wrong."
The female serpent's eyes softened somewhat. "That's good. Now you get to show us. Welcome to the Jade Palace."
Sunlight flooded the room as Master Viper made her way outside. From what Song could gather, they were in a small cave, decorated only with the most basic amenities.
Viper's form slithered towards the cave entrance, not turning to look back at Song.
"Po…is special. To the people in this Valley. To us. To me. You do anything to hurt him and you'll be in Chor-Ghom so fast your head'll spin."
The female snow leopard felt a small stab in her chest at the implication. She was still seething from anger that she failed to notice the other feline in the room. Master Tigress was leaning against the wall, he arms crossed, watching the smaller woman intently.
Song was about to make her way outside as well when she finally took notice of her silent companion.
"I would never hurt him. I'd kill myself before I do!" she snapped at the striped feline.
Her frayed nerves and indignance at being kidnapped caused her to speak without thinking. She immediately regretted her decision as Tigress slowly made her way towards her. The famous fighter was a few inches taller than her and had a much more robust frame, clearly suited for destroying anything in her path.
Master Tigress gave her a once-over, her eyes narrowed, before turning around.
"If you do anything that hurts him in any way, shape or form, you're not going to jail…."
Song paled slightly as Tigress tightened her fists at her sides, knuckles cracking and popping.
"….I'm going to jail."
The ground crunched softly as Tigress walked away. Song let loose a breath she didn't know she was holding and sat down in the darkness.
She had done what would send most warlords fleeing to the mountains; earn the personal ire of not one, but two members of the Furious Five. One of whom was known to be able to kill anyone with one strike and the other famous for taking on entire battalions by herself.
Despite her situation, Song managed a small grin. Leave it to Po to send three girls in a tizzy without even knowing it.
The female snow leopardess sighed wistfully as she blew out the candle, enveloping the cave in darkness once again.
Her father always said that nothing that's worth fighting for came easy.
And it looked like this was going to be a hell of a fight.