A whimper and sniffle echoed from the darkness. Glassy, tear-coated, golden eyes glinted in what little light was provided by the candle in the corner of the small room. Tigress trembled and curled in on herself. Her tail coiled around her ankle as she tried to hide behind the wooden crate that held the flickering candle.
A shaft of light abrubtly spread across the room as her bedroom door slid open. She flinched and clasped her paws over her mouth, desperately trying to stop crying as her tail now protectively curled around her torso. He had come back. He had come back and he really was going to kill her. Never had she seen such rage and fury in any eyes, much less her big brother, who, despite being a bit gruff, had always been so kind to her.
A shadow broke the shaft of light as someone stood in the doorway. Tigress was now shaking uncontrollably and she squeezed her eyes shut, foolishly thinking that he may go away if she couldn't see him.
"Tigress."
"Tigress's eyes flew open as she let all the tension leave her body. That voice. It was urgent, yet calm as it called out her name, questioning and reassuring her at the same time.
"Shifu!" she called out in relief. In the same instant she sprang to her paws and dashed to him before clinging to his torso. Even though she was only ten years old, she still had to crouch on her knees to give her master a proper hug.
"Tigress, are you alright?" Tigress, still latched onto her master, looked up. She was confused. Shifu's eyes held worry and his eyebrows were knit together. he was trying to project the appearence of being calm but she could sense fear in him. This didn't make any sense. Shifu was never afraid, he never worried. He was always calm and confident, no matter the situation.
"I'm afraid. Tai-lung...he was really angry. He destroyed some of the dojo...and I...I was frightened. I ran in here. He looked like...a m-" But she couldn't say it. The name had haunted her forever and she couldn't bear to give that title to anyone.
Shifu layed his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm the cub. "Tigress, I need you to stay here. Do not come out of this room until either I or Master Ooway comes for you, alright?" He waited for her to nod in understanding. "Good. I will be back. "And with one last pat on the shoulders, the door slid shut and the cub was plunged into almost darkness. She was all alone.
Shifu raced through the Jade Palace at his full speed. His tiny heart was beating so loudly he could barely hear his raggad breathing. Tai-lung was out in the vally now but according to Zeng, the messanger duck, he was coming back to the Jade Palace, quickly. Shifu knew what he was coming for, The Dragon Scroll. He mustn't let Tai-lung get it.
His sandle clad paws slid to a stop in the middle of the entrance way, just inside the doors. The red panda positioned himself in front of the pool that held the dragon Scroll above it. A moment later, the palace doors burst open, reverbrating against the walls. A massive figure stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. Yellow eyes glinted with recognition as they fell on Shifu.
Tai-lung smiled a toothy grin, his fangs catching the lights of the torches that faintly lit the palace. A rolling growl eminated from his throat before he tensed and sprang. His breath came out in short bursts as he sprinted on all fours, his claws scrapping and clicking on the smooth stone floor.
Laying his ears flat against his head, Shifu shifted into a defensive stance, ready to defend the scroll; but as Tai-lung leaped into the air to strike him, Shifu's heart skipped a beat and he hesitated for a split second. All he could see was the innoscent, smiling face of the orphaned snow leopard he had taken in.
This vision was quickly interupted, all the air rushing out of him as a powerful paw hit him in the stomech. Shifu fell to the stone floor, cluching his stomech and trying to get oxygen into his lungs as the snow leopard went for the scroll. He streached out one paw as if this could stop the powerful feline.
Before the red panda knew what happened, Master Oogway had paralyzed Tai-lung and the big cat had fell limply in front of him. Shifu's eyes widened before he crawled closer to his son. His ears drooped as he stared at Tai-lung's face as if searching for the little cub he knew. His whole body shook and a few tears slid down his face. This was all his fault.
He flinched violently when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, still on his knees. Master oogway stood above him.
"This is all my fault," Shifu whispered after a few moments.
Oogway seemed to contemplate this for a while. "Yes, it is."
Shifu stared unbelievingly at the old turtle, one ear flattened while his eyes twitched. "...What?"
"Tai-lung's predicament is your fault. You raised him to believe that he would always win and get get exactly what he wanted. He didn't know how to lose."
"...You're supposed to tell me there was nothing I could've done, " Shifu said, wishing he could've seen what he was doing before it was too late. Master Oogway sighed and helped his student to his feet.
"Come, Shifu," the turtle said, wrapping his arm around the red panda's shoulders, leading him away from Tai-lung. Zeng had gone for the guards. "You may have made a mistake with Tai-lung-"
"I thought you said there were no mistakes," Shifu said sofly as they arrived at his room.
"No, there are no accidents. There are mistakes, however."
Shifu sighed and his ears layed flat. He wasn't in the mood for Master Oogway's riddles.
"Get some sleep, my student." And Oogway was gone.
Shifu sighed. He felt as if he were forgetting something...Tigress! She was till waiting for him to come get her.
The door slid open and Shifu was immediatly engulfed in furry orange and black striped arms. He hugged back for a moment, then quickly let go. He cleared his throat and Tigress looked up at him, confused as he pushed her away by her shoulders.
"What happened?" she asked, looking at him in concern. "Are you, alright? What happened to Tai-lung?"
"He was taken care of. The scroll is safe. Everything is...safe now," Shifu said, not looking at the tiger cub but staring straight ahead. "You must rest now," he said stiffly before turning and exiting the room, leaving Tigress confused.
Her master was acting differentely. He refused her hug. He always loved her hugs. She made up her mind to ask Master Oogway what happened in the morning.
Author's Note: Ok explaination. Tai-lung and Tigress seem kinda close in age as adults. I think Tigress is probably about thirty and Tai-lung is possibly around forty. Shifu adopted Tigress when she looked about sevenish. When Tai-lung was refused the Dragon Scroll, he looked about 20. That would mean if Shifu adopted Tigress when she was seven then Tai-lung would've been seventeen when she came to the Jade palace. the result being that they grew up together even if only three years. Now my question was: Where the heck was Tigress when Tai-lung(her adoptive brother) "laid waste to the vally"? And how else would she have known so much of the story anyway?
Disclaimer:I don't own Kung Fu Panda