One Tail at a Time

The Past - 1

Its morning, and Im rushing about the den in search of my new dress Shifu gave me last week to celebrate my birthday which is today.  And not only is Shifu coming to my birthday, but so are my Kunlun brothers who I haven't seen since I was little.  I am twenty thousand years old and no longer that little girl who makes me embarrassed everytime I think back to my time on his mountain, but still, I have not forgotten my oath or my place among them and that is because of Shifus weekly visits which keeps the memories alive and their faces firmly in my heart.

Only now that another big birthday is upon me, I still can't find my special dress.  It is special because I am also going to be named the Crown Princess of Qing Qiu today and thats why my Kunlun brothers are coming and why Shifu purchased the pink blossom dress.  Though he reckons its because I passed the final test of the year, but I know he just wanted me to look my best on my birthday seeing as mothers taste in clothes is horrid.

 Father was going to give Qing Qiu to Zhen Zhen, but seeing as he is already settled in the far north and has his own estate to manage, father decided I would gain the favour instead, which does mke me feel like second best, but being a Queen of a realm rich in resources and enormous enough to cover three fifths of the worlds land mass, well I would be dumb if I sulked over it.

"Migu.... are you sure you didn't launder it?" I ask my tree sprite who is hovering at the door.

"Miss Bai, I can assure you I did not.  If I had, I would have tossed it to the floor with the rest of your clothes." he says sighing under his breath before quickly making a hasty retreat to avoid a sock missile that barely misses his head!

"I'll have you know, that everything on my floor is in perfect order, I know where everything is." I yell at him as I quickly begin picking everything up to find it.  

"Everything but your dress!" he yells out only my next sock missile hits the wall with a soft thud as more and more clothes are gathered one at a time and dumped on my bed.

Its new, so I haven't even worn yet, so I know its here somewhere, and its while I am carefully sifting though my entire wardrobe that I find Mingzhu my old doll and she is still dressed in the pretty pink dress that Shanhu gave her which has me thinking back to that rosy cheeked Disciple who had been so paitent and kindly towards me.  I remember that his real name is Liang and he is the seventh disciple of Kunlun Mountain and I also remember he is from the southern white tiger clan and has a little sister the same age as me.  

I think it will be emotional to see him and the others again, though I do get to see Die Feng occasionally when he comes to the Peach Tree Grove to collect Fu Yu who is a lazy little sprite.  He is supposed to go to Kunlun Mountain, but he always sleeps late so Die Feng ends up having to drag him by his coat tails for his lessons though he is learning a lot of stuff which is top secret, even from me, so I can still see a change in him whenever his Shifu is around.  Hes quieter and more respectful.

"Mi Gu!" I yell out as the clothes I have just sorted through are once again dumped on the floor so I can tip my bed over.  

Theres a shuffling of feet as he nears my chamber, though he does slow down before peeking his head around the corner.  "Miss Bai?" 

"Help me move the bed, my dress might be behind it." I say as I struggle to kick my clothes further away so we have room to move.

"Miss Bai, if you put your clothes in the drawers and on the hangers, you wouldn't ....." he starts on me, only the way I straining to lift the eavy teak bed soon has him at my side to help.

"Mi Gu I need that dress, Shifu bought specially for today!" I tell him as we both heave and grunt to get the bed pulled back enough to see down the side.