One Tail at a Time

Qing Qiu

The tears in my eyes and the way my tail lifts to sway giddily behind me despite the pain, is all the answer I can manage.  I am so happy that I am momentarily struck dumb and though I too am annoyed with Fu Yu for not saying something sooner, my heart is just bursting with joy at the thought of seeing Zhen Zhen and Mama and Papa again.

Silently watching as Fu Yus straight white teeth stretch out into a wide grin while emphatically nodding his head in Shifus direction, I cant help but notice the astonishment on his face as the truth of my home is finally revealed.  In fact, I am certain he knows the grove well, because that look suggests so.

"No wonder we never found them....." Shifus voice trails off as he quickly turns back towards me.

"How on earth did you get here?  The Peach Tree Grove is thousands of miles away." he informs me, which has my own eyes goggling back at the awe in his.

I don't know how far that is, but Im guessing its a long way away, though Fu Yu immediately answers by reenacting our flight across the skies with an impressive acrobatic display of twists, twirls and manic facial expressions which make me laugh.  It doesn't matter how unstable my emotions are, I can always count on Fu Yu to bring me back down to earth.

Only Shifu is paying close attention to Fu Yus flighty tale with a deep frown and Im thinking he might actually understand him, only his next question is aimed at Fu Yu to bring the arm flapping and horrified facial expressions to an end.

"Is the Peach Tree Grove your home?" he asks wanting verification that he is understanding correctly, only a shake of his head followed by a nod and then a shake only confuses him.

"So is this where you are from or not?' he asks impatiently and this time looking at me.

There are tears raining down my face and Im feeling very emotional but I try my best to make him understand what Fu Yun cant.  With my paw, I poke the air towards Fu Yu and then pat the map where The Grove is which has him nodding.

"I see.  So you are from the Peach Tree Woods." he says slowly to ensure he got it right which Fu Yu nods his head at.  Only it is Fu Yu who then moves my paw a little further to the east on the map before sitting on it.  The map and my paw while pointing at me.

And suddenly those eyes of his widen significantly as he leans down to pick me up and this time, his cuddles feel so much more different.  

"No wonder I felt I knew you." he says softly as his hand lightly brushes away my tears.

"You do?" I ask unconsciously licking his fingers.

"You have your mothers eyes." he smiles down at me most tenderly so of course my heart beats faster at that.  He must be referring to the night I showed him my girl form.

Zhen Zhen said the soul is interpreted by the eyes and mine carries the golden glow that our mother gifted me.  It is pure, honest and beautiful which shines through stronger when I laugh.  He's funny like that.  He always comes up with fancy things when I am down or crying.   I even thought he was just saying nice things to make me feel better when Mama said Papa thought my eyes looked like shrivelled up raisins when I was born.  Only the way Shifu is smiling most tenderly down at me has me wondering if my eyes really are that pretty, because Mama definitely has pretty eyes.

"Do you know Mama?" I asked gawking back at him in wonder.  

"I know her well." he says seeing as he can now understand me a little.  "Your parents are both friends of mine, I just never thought you would have come from such a distance or I would have taken you home immediately." he says shaking his head in confusion again.