The Tiger and the Red Panda
Don't Own Kung Fu Panda.
It started off with a simple question. Tigress woke up early to practice her morning exercises. While she was doing it, she noticed that she was actually getting through all of them. When she finally finished, she looked around. The courtyard wasn't in a mess as it usually was. She decided to figure out the question on her mind by going to the kitchen. Crane had gotten up too. He was practicing his decorative writing. When he finished, he looked around. There was something off, but he couldn't figure out why. He decided to go to the kitchen and when he didn't see his question answered, he went to the peach sapling. Monkey stretched out his weary body. He carefully stepped onto the ground. Nothing happened. He looked around for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing, which was weird. He went to the Training Hall to figure out something. Viper was the last to get up. She slithered to the back of the barracks and shed her skin. She usually does this once every week. But she also noticed something strange. There wasn't any noise coming from... anywhere. It was completely quiet. She slithered back to the barracks to see why. Master Shifu was meditating in the Hall of Heroes when he noticed the growing weirdness. He headed to the kitchen where everyone met at the same time. They all asked the same question.
"Where's Po?" They all asked simultaneously. They all talked explaining where they had looked.
"Okay," Shifu said after many conversations. "He's not at the Training Hall, the Sacred Peach Sapling, the barracks, the kitchen, or the Hall of Heroes. He must be in the village then." So they all went down the mountain to find Po. They past the crowds of bowing villagers and looked through the town. The first place they looked and the place they found him was Mr. Ping's shop. Now, Po being at Mr. Ping's shop isn't really out of the ordinary. Po talking to a female deer is something different. She didn't look too old. She was probably in her late fifties. She wore a purple robe with a black flower pattern on it. She wasn't like the antelopes of the Valley of Peace. She was an Arabic deer, which had long antlers on the head. She seemed to be very smart which confused the others even more so. Po isn't dumb but there are certain categories that he doesn't take an interest to. By just listening, they could figure out that she was talking about some science or medicine. And Po seemed to respond in the same intelligent manner. They could tell the deer was delighted by Po's presence and the same was said for Po. The others started making assumptions when Po finally noticed them.
"Oh, hey guys," Po called them over. "I want you to meet Sofia." It's actually pronounced 'Saw Fee a' but Po was close. Sofia stood up and bowed to the masters.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all," She replied in a smooth voice.
"Um... it is a pleasure to meet you as well," Master Shifu stumbled, bowing as well. "Sofia. That's a strange name."
"It actually means mystical in Arabic," Sofia explained.
"Um... can you excuse us and Po for one moment, Mrs. Sofia," Shifu asked.
"Please by all means," She replied. Shifu grabbed Po and led him outside along with the others.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"We didn't know where you were so we came searching for you," Monkey explained.
"Oh! Guys, I always get up early to help my dad with the night delivery," Po replied. "After that, I practice in the courtyard and sleep a bit. Why do you think the courtyard is a mess every day?"
"So you didn't have the time to clean it," Tigress glared. Po laughed sheepishly.
"So how did you meet Sofia," Viper asked.
"She just moved in. I was helping my dad and she walked in trying to get some food to eat from the long journey. I asked her who she was and then when she told me about her job, we got into really talking."
"Okay, so you went on a date?" Crane carefully said. Po's eyes bugged out.
"Guys, she's 55 and married," Po whispered as not to let Sofia hear.
"So she's not available," Shifu asked. Po looked at him. "I mean, we were just wondering."
"So what about her job," Tigress questioned.
"She makes clothes for the most part, but her side job also helps people."
"What side job?"
"She doesn't really have a name for it. Basically, she's a type of doctor that looks into the mind and the ways people behave."
"So she's a mind reader?" Mantis guessed. Po laughed a bit.
"No, she just asks you some questions or sees how you are and stuff like that. It's actually very interesting."
"Well, okay. We were just wondering where you were," Shifu finished. With that, they went back up the mountain. Po went back to Sofia.
"So what else about your job that you do?"
"Well, it encompasses a lot of stuff. Some of it are work-related others are family orientated. Some you can look on the outside and observe how the person functions. Some you have to sit the person down and talk to them. The basic thing is that sometimes it's the way a person thinks that causes some of the pain they feel."
"That's very interesting. Maybe you can help me in some way," Po said, excited to be a patient. Sofia laughed.
"I don't think you would need it, Po. You seem to function well, although you do have some childish tendencies."
"I'm not childish," Po protested. Then his fan club came in.
"Hey, Po," Said the bunny, "Do you want to play a new game we made?"
"Would I!" Po exclaimed. He heard Sofia's laughter. "Actually, I have some work to do. Why don't you play without me?"
"Okay, see you, Po," They called. Po looked at Sofia's smirk.
"Okay, so you're right," Po muttered.
"I usually am. But don't worry. That's something that is beneficial for you," Sofia assured. Po smiled back at her.
"Well, I have to go back to my training. See you around, Sofia," Po said going out the door.
"See you."
So everything was normal as usual, except Po had an idea that actually wouldn't get him in trouble. He was in the kitchen one day with Tigress and Crane when Master Shifu came in. They all bowed as their master came in. "Training will begin in five minutes. Don't let Po slack off," Master Shifu sternly said.
"With pleasure," Tigress said cracking her knuckles. As Shifu went away, Po groaned.
"Why is it that you're always happy when you get the permission to harm me?" Po complained.
"You know that's how Tigress is," Crane said, defending her. "She'll do anything for Master Shifu." Po frowned at the smirking Tigress. Then Po repeated the thing Crane said in his head.
"Why?" He asked openly.
"Why what?" Po realized that he had said that out loud.
"Nothing, I'm late for training," Po said, going to the Training Hall. Crane and Tigress looked at each other with confused faces.
"But he's early for it," Tigress said.
"Po going to training early?" Crane said, rubbing his hurting head. "Now I've seen everything." Training was brutal as ever, but Po tried to focus on getting over with it. Which confused Master Shifu, too.
"That's enough Po," Shifu said, "We're done for the day." Po collapsed from exhaustion. He lumbered his weary body over to the sidelines. Then it was Tigress's turn. Po stayed on the sidelines to see Master Shifu train Tigress. All the while Shifu and Tigress were expecting Po to say something. But he didn't. Because of this silent annoyance, they couldn't really focus on Tigress's training. Tigress tripped on her Kung Fu move and fell to the ground.
"Your form was off. Pay attention to your execution," Shifu instructed. Tigress bowed lowly. Po could see she seemed to be mentally kicking herself. Shifu looked at Po, who was still silent. "We're done for today," Shifu said, leaving Tigress and Po in the same room. Tigress started to practice the Kung Fu move. She tripped again when Po came to her and said,
"I'm sorry." She fell to the ground. She saw Po's hand. She didn't grab it and helped herself up.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"It's obvious that my presence distracted you. I was only trying to see something," Po said, seeming to still be thinking.
"See what?" Tigress asked. Po sighed.
"It can't really be explained in words," Po muttered. Then he got the idea. "But maybe in thought." With that, he rushed out of the Training Hall, leaving Tigress more confused than ever. Po ran to Sofia's house in the village.
"Po? What are you doing here? Don't you have to train?"
"I finished early," Po panted, "Sofia, I need to talk to you about something," He explained what had been bugging him. Sofia considered it.
"Hmm, I'll teach you what I know. Then try to use them to record it." She gave him a book and a writing utensil. "Just make sure that you don't make them uncomfortable. And try not to let them know about the book."
"What if they ask?"
"Tell them it's something I've given you," Sofia smiled. "Now go and record."
"Yes Ma'am," Po saluted. So for the next two weeks, Po carefully studied and watched Tigress and Shifu. He would casually start conversations and would still get into trouble, but he would always stop to write it down. He started to notice some things. He wrote down the subtle things Tigress would do and say. Po asked Tigress to retell him the story of Tai-Lung. He noticed that Tigress still seemed saddened when she mentioned that Shifu didn't treat anyone the same after Tai-Lung was put in prison. Then he went and asked Shifu how Tigress came to the Jade Palace. It was then Po learned that Tai-Lung's capture was shortly after she came to the Jade Palace. Po kept writing about the things he observed with Tigress and Shifu. He gave Sofia the book after two weeks.
Master Shifu and Master Tigress do have many similarities. In fact, Tigress looks to Master Shifu as a father figure. However, after Tai-Lung's capture, Shifu's inner peace, or frame of mind, was, in a word traumatized. He spelled traumatized wrong, however. This led to him changing his way and demanding his students to be just like him. As a result, Tigress is the copy of Shifu's former character.
That wasn't all of Po's writings, but it was a fraction. Sofia analyzed it. "Interesting. So Tigress has been this way as long as anyone can remember?"
"She wants to do everything to make Master Shifu proud. Even if it doesn't do her any good," Po explained.
"Is he proud of her," Sofia asked. Po thought about it.
"I don't know," Po said. "I know he's proud of me because he's told me. But I've never seen him tell Tigress when she actually did something right." Sofia gave the book back to Po.
"Maybe you should observe more, but this time, make sure that you write down your findings when you go to bed or when you're in your room. I can tell that the masters were a little crept out by your... observing," Sofia said.
"Why?"
"Po, I can tell that you usually don't do stuff like this, which is normal. But to the others, it's something that's strange. You remember that Tigress messed up because of you just being silent."
"You know, I'm starting to regret telling you these things," Po muttered. Sofia shook her head. "Okay, I'll be careful this time."
So Po acted the way he was while writing down the actions of the tiger and the red panda. At the end of three weeks, Po noticed something. He remembered that Shifu's praise and pride in Po had once made the Furious Five quit. It was only because Po tried so hard to get them back together that they did stay together. But what about Tigress. She had been the one to speak. Was it...
Po gasped as he came to the reconciliation. Was it because she saw that Shifu was doing the same thing with him as Shifu did with Tai-Lung? Po groaned at the idea. But all of his observation proved him right. He was in his room when he discovered this. He wrote it down in the book with an angry temper.
It has come to my understanding that Master Shifu has shown pride in me, yet not in his students. Since Tigress sees Shifu as the father figure, not getting that pride has left a vacuum that she doesn't allow anyone to fill other than Master Shifu. Until the barriers of Tigress is brought down or the pride/ love tank is filled in her from Master Shifu, healing from this mood and pattern of behavior is HOPELESS!
Po broke the writing utensil when he finished it. "ARGGH!" He growled loudly. As he searched his room for another writing utensil, Tigress and Master Shifu came into his room.
"Dragon Warrior?"
"Yes," He asked hurried and rash.
"We heard you shout. Are you okay," Master Shifu asked.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I just... lost my only feather pen." Po replied. "I'm sorry I alarmed you." He continued looking for another feather pen.
"What are you writing so late in the night," Tigress questioned, noticing the book.
"It's something for Sofia. I'm sorry. I have to see if Crane's still up," Po said, grabbing the book and going out the door. He didn't get another feather pen from Crane but he would have to wait in the morning. When he got back to his room, only Tigress was standing there.
"Come on, Po. I know you. What's wrong," Tigress asked.
"Nothing you'll want to hear," Po said carefully. "I just realized that a certain situation is hopeless. Now if you please, I would like to get some sleep." So Tigress went out and Po went to sleep.
The next day, Po's attitude was a bit frustrated. He power punched his way through training and poor Monkey noted that his punches were harder than normal. It was afterward that he started writing in the book again. This finally told Master Shifu that he had to see Sofia about this. So he, along with Tigress, went to Sofia, who was surprised to see them. "Master Shifu, Master Tigress, what can I do for you," She asked nicely.
"Good morning, Mrs. Sofia," Shifu started, "We're here to ask you about the Dragon Warrior." The deer's eyes widened. She let them come in and sit down at her table.
"What's wrong with Po," Sofia asked.
"He seems troubled," Shifu phrased carefully. "Last night, he yelled in his room and today he was very aggravated."
"More than Tigress," Sofia asked. Tigress's frown made Sofia regret that comment. "He often talks about you guys in the palace."
"Well, not so much like Tigress," Shifu said.
"He said that he was upset because he found out something that was hopeless," Tigress explained. Sofia was puzzled. "I think it has something to do with the book you gave him." Sofia was careful to show any kind of facial expression to let them know that she instantly knew what was wrong with Po. She simply sighed.
"I don't know what to tell you," Sofia said.
"You could tell us one thing," Tigress suggested, "What's in the book?"
"I can't tell you that. It's Po's privacy. I would feel horrible if I violated that privacy. You're just going to have to either ask him or figure out by yourselves," Sofia replied, picking up their dishes. "Now if you'll be so kind as to assist yourselves out the door. It was great to meet you two." Tigress and Shifu went out the door and started down the road.
"Do you think she knows the real reason, Master Shifu," Tigress asked. Then they both saw Po heading to Sofia's house.
"One way to find out," Master Shifu said. So they followed Po to the back of Sofia's house where she had a little garden. Po knocked on the gate to the back. Sofia told him to come in. Master Shifu and Tigress could just listen to their conversation from outside the wall.
"Hey, Sofia," Po groaned.
"You look like you just deemed something hopeless," Sofia replied. Po looked at her.
"How did you know," Po asked.
"Master Shifu and Master Tigress came here asking why you were upset. What's up?" Po gave her the book. There was a chair in the back and Po laid flat on his back on the ground while Sofia sat in the chair. Sofia read the book carefully and then sighed. "So you think that this relationship between Master Shifu and Master Tigress will never be fixed?" Tigress and Shifu looked at each other. What were they talking about?
"I've studied them down to a science. And the thing is that Master Shifu is actually starting to treat me like Tai-Lung. As a result, all of his pride and proudness goes to me," Po grieved.
"Why is that bad for you? You're the center of attention," Sofia said.
"But I don't WANT to be the center of attention," Po exclaimed, frustrated. "I want this struggle between her and Shifu settled."
"Why?"
"Tigress associates me with Tai-Lung in the same way because Master Shifu is paying attention to me and not to her," Po sighed.
"You mentioned that the Furious Five quit at one point. How did that happen?"
"They were tired of not getting the credit that I was getting."
"Sounds like jealousy."
"But I didn't want the credit. I wanted to give credit where credit is due. The thing is she was the first one to speak out and the others just followed her."
"Why is it that you want to heal this relationship between these two," Sofia asked. Po became a little anxious.
"You know. I just want everyone to be okay. And because she sees me as another Tai-Lung in to steal her master's affection, she would never like me," Po said sadly.
"So you want her to like you," Sofia asked. Po nodded. "Like you how?" Po instantly knew what she was inferring. Po stumbled for words.
"Well, um... you know... I."
"Do you have feelings for her," Sofia asked. Po was silent for a moment.
"I have... stirrings for her," He finally said.
"Stirrings?" Sofia slowly repeated. Po nodded. "You mean feelings."
"Not really feelings. More like-" He stopped short when he saw Sofia's smirk. "Okay, feelings, darn you."
"Ah, so this is why. You noticed that no matter what you do, Tigress doesn't seem to like you first in a friendly way, then when she does consider you a friend she doesn't like you in the relationship way. When you noticed this relationship between Master Shifu and her as one of the factors, you try to understand it and fix it. Is this also why the Midnight Stranger came into the picture?" Po glared at her.
"Who told you that," He asked.
"I have my ways," She smiled confidently.
"Monkey?"
"Monkey," Sofia laughed a bit.
"Blabbermouth," Po muttered.
"But Po, you can't fix this. They have to fix it themselves. So, until they do so, you are right. It is hopeless." Po sighed.
"I thought you were here to help me feel better?"
"Nope, I'm just here to tell you the truth," Sofia said bluntly. Po smiled as he got up and headed for the door.
"Well, see you soon. I think I've found a name for what you do."
"What?"
"Psychology!" Po presented dramatically. Sofia laughed.
"Po, that will never stick," Sofia smiled. Po shrugged as he left. Sofia went outside the gate and went to the place where Tigress and Shifu were hiding. "So now that you've listened in," She said, catching them in the act, "What are you going to do about it?" Tigress and Shifu looked at each other with tears in their eyes.
Po was eating a peach from the peach tree. He sat there just contemplating his situation when Tigress came up to him. "Hey Tigress," He said casually.
"He (clears her throat) Hey," Tigress stuttered. Po looked at her.
"Are you okay," Po asked.
"I'm fine," Tigress said, sitting next to him. They were silent for a moment that seemed like forever. "Master Shifu said he was proud of me." Po spat out the fruit he was eating on the ground.
"What?" He asked. "I mean, that's super! I always knew he was proud of you. But why did he say that out of the blue?" Tigress couldn't let him know that they were eavesdropping so she had to make up something.
"He just noticed how I treated you and thought it was something he caused so he said it," Tigress said. Po was surprised.
"Wow, that's great!" They were silent for another long time.
"I um... heard from a person who was eavesdropping on Sofia and they said you had feelings for me," Tigress managed to say. Po spat out air.
"Oh, that's right. I didn't drink anything," Po realized. "Why do you say that?"
"Po, don't lie to me. Do you have st- I mean feelings for me?" Tigress asked. Po's body seemed to be shaking a bit. Po breathed and gave a great sigh.
"Yes. I do. And I know you don't feel the same way but that is the truth," Po said sadly.
"It's alright, Po," Tigress said, grabbing his hand. "I... I've come to have feelings for you as well." Po's face brightened up. Po drew a little closer to her and kissed her on the lips. Tigress stood still for the most part, but she soon learned to return the favor and kissed him back. When they parted, they smiled at each other.
It was only until a couple years later that Tigress told Po that Shifu and she were the ones eavesdropping. Of course, at that point, Po was really glad she did.
The End