Dragon Princess

Battle

Word had spread fast. The village was in utter chaos as they evacuated.

Yuki followed behind the Five more slowly and watched as Tigress gave the Five instructions. Tigress handed her lantern off to Crane who took off towards the front of the crowd of villagers, before she, herself, offered to help pull a wagon.

Head lowered, Yuki made her way through the crowd to her family's noodle store. A few bad words were mumbled in her direction but she ignored them.

Yuki hovered in the doorway hesitantly. "Hey, Dad."

Ping gasped and turned, "Yuki!" He ran forward and wrapped his wings around her in a hug which Yuki reciprocated.

Ping slyly tied the noodle apron around Yuki's waist before he pulled back.

"Good to have you back, my beautiful flower." He turned and went back to the noodle cart.

"Good to be back.." she sighed.

"Before I forget." Ping grabbed something and made his way back to Yuki. "I found your hair pin." He held it out.

Yuki stared at it with a small smile before she kneeled in front of her father. He delicately placed the heirloom in the fur behind her ear and then caressed her cheek.

"I love you. Now! Let's go." He turned and went back to the noodle cart, beginning to pull it shakily because of its weight. Yuki hurried forward and took it from him, placing the scroll on it as she did so.

"So for our next shop, it's time to face it.." Ping started as he headed out. Yuki kept up with him easily. "The future of noodles is dice-cut vegetables..no longer slices." He rambled on as he walked.

Yuki stopped pulling and lowered her head sadly. Ping turned back and looked at his daughter, frowning, he went back to her.

"Yuki, I'm sorry things didn't work out. It just wasn't meant to be."

Yuki sighed sadly and leaned against the cart.

"My flower, forget everything else. Your destiny still awaits. We are noodle folk. Broth runs deep through our veins." He held his wings out.

"I don't know, Dad." Yuki fixed her icy eyes on the ground. "Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your daughter."

Ping chuckled awkwardly, "Yuki..I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago."

"I know, I'm adopted."

Ping held up a wing to speak, but hesitated and lowered it again. "How did you know?"

Yuki looked at her father, brow raised. "Well for starters..I'm a tiger. You're a bird."

Ping scoffed at this and crossed his wings. "That is not what I was going to tell you."

"Oh? Then please continue."

Ping glanced around slyly. "The secret ingredient of my Secret Ingredient Soup."

"Oh." Yuki glanced away awkwardly.

"Come here." He waved her in close and then whispered into her ear. "The secret ingredient is..nothing."

Yuki pulled away and gave him a blank stare. "Huh?"

Ping looked ready to laugh, "You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient!"

Yuki shook her head, "So it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?"

Ping chuckled happily, "Don't have to. To make something special, you just have to believe it's special."