In the dead of night, they say a predator still roams the world around them. Looking for prey to devour, or to simply enjoy the quietness that the day itself doesn't often bring them. Such is true for one predator, a tiger to be exact. Whose name is feared by the criminals that reside in or near her home, the valley of peace. I'm speaking of course about the hardened Master Tigress. Who had quietly snuck out of the the Jade palace in her yellow training outfit, and was walking down a narrow dirt trail that was just behind the Jade palace. A trail that eventually lead her to a small opening that contained a thirty by thirty foot pool of water that laid in the middle. Which was surrounded by a small sized patch of green grass, and rest of it being surrounded by large tress apart from the small opening of the trail itself. It was then, she smiled warmly and made her way to the calm pool of water, only taking her five steps to reach the edge of the pool.
"Ahhhh, it's even better with the glow of the moon." Tigress mentioned, tilting her head up to the sky. Where her eyes laid upon a full moon, that was giving the place a hint of a mixture of light grey and white hue. She then turned her attention away from the moon and back to the calm pool of water.
"Anyways..." She began, Kicking her sandals off to the side. Which allowed her to place her somewhat aching and tired feet on the soft grass itself. Giving her a sensation that made her start to scrunch her toes between said grass, allowing her to feel a bit blissful in the moment.
"Best get to it before I have to go back." The tiger purred, removing the rest of the attire from her body. Allowing her now naked body to feel the cool brisk of the night air on all places of her. A sensation, she shivered at. Though it didn't take long for her to shake the shivering off and get used to such a sensation. It was then she stepped out of her clothing that was now on the ground, picking it up and folded it. Setting it all next to her sandals that was about a few feet from the water. Once she did that, she came back to the edge of the pool, lifting her right foot up and dipping her far right toe onto the surface of said water.
"Hmmmmm, at least it's not cold as ice." She said a bit happy, seeing as the water was on the warm side. After doing this, Tigress brought her right foot back and placed it back onto the grass. She then sat on her bottom, slowly moving her body into the water. Allowing her feet, legs, and finally her torso to be become drenched and submerged. For the water itself wasn't very deep as she could stand in it if she wanted. It was then, she had placed her arms on the surface of the grass. Letting her run her paws back and forth over the grass, making her smile happily.
"Now that feels nice, I can already feel my body start to relax from today's work." She stated, closing her eyes and tilting her head back a little.
"Though it wasn't all bad I guess, I did stop some bandits from raiding a nearby village. Even more though, I got to spend quite a bit of time with him." Tigress quietly said, her voice teaming with happiness at the simple mention of 'him'. Something that made her mind wander back to a certain moment with 'him' during one of the events of many that took place during the day.
Seven hours ago In the Jade Palaces kitchen
"There's no way!" A shocked Po exclaimed. As he watched Tigress about to beat his record for the most dumplings in ones mouth.
"Osh yeash thrh ish." Tigress tried to get out, but with forty dumplings in her mouth, all her words came out as nonsense. The one thing that was clear though, was the smile she had on her face with the thought of beating Po.
"Well you still got two to go just to get even with me Ti, and by the looks of things. I don't think you're going to get past that." Po stated, a sly grin plastered on his face. Something he would soon regret however, for with his words he only encouraged the tiger more to beat him at his own game. For Tigress stuck another dumpling in her mouth, then another for a grand total of forty two. She then picked up one more dumpling and began to move it towards her mouth.
"Oh no!" Po exclaimed in fear, his butt on the edge of his seat. Watching his record about to be beat.
"I gtcha nah." Tigress said in a muffle, the dumpling now meters away from her mouth. However, it seemed luck was not on her side today. For just as she was about to win, she could feel her gag reflex start to mess with her. Realizing what would happen if she didn't stop, she began to spit all of the dumplings out of her mouth. Allowing the saliva covered treats to roll all over the table.
"Yes, I'm still the record holder in the palace." Po happily said, throwing his arms up in a vicarious way. While Tigress breathed heavily and held her neck with eyes wide.
"O-oh y-you've gotta b-be kidding me." Tigress rasped out, angry at how her body gave out just as she was about to win. She then looked at Po, who smiled at her and placed his paws behind the back of his head.
"Don't worry Tigress, there's always next time. Say, since you gave it a valiant effort. How about I make us a nice batch of noodles to have with our dumplings here." Po suggested, making the tiger smile a bit but then had a small look of confusion after what he said.
"Thanks Po, but shouldn't we make some new dumplings. I mean, these were in my mouth just now, you do realize that right?" Tigress told him with an odd look, making the panda look at the dumplings then back to her.
"So, they are still good. Just need to wash them off." The tiger couldn't help but laugh a bit at his statement, knowing he was going to say something along those lines.
"Well it's true." Po stated in a humorous way.
"I know, I know. How about you get the noodles going and I clean these dumplings off. Tigress said, smiling before she got up from her seat and began to collect the dumplings in her paws.
"Sounds like a plan Ti." He responded, getting up from his seat before patting her on the back gently. It was then he began to walk to the pantry, leaving a Tigress who had a slight blush on her cheeks. Not only from his gesture but from his kind words during the whole competition.
Back to present
"You sure are quite different Po." Tigress whispered, opening her eyes back up as well as lifting her head up. Once she did, she began to look down at the water. Allowing her to look at her reflection. Which showed that she had a bit of a sad look on her face.
"That's not bad though, it makes it fun to hang around with him..." Her arms then began to move from the ground itself and into the water itself. Letting them be submerged by her sides.
"It makes him fun to train with..." Her body then began to sink a little more, submerging all but her head.
"It makes him fun to just, talk with..." She then soon found her lips submerged, her ears down, with her eyes formed in the look of nothing but sorrow.
"Look at yourself Tigress, you come here to relax from the world like you did when you found this place as a cub. Yet, all you can think about is somebody in that world. Somebody, you know you can't ever stop thinking about. So what do you do? Just keep your feelings imprisoned in your heart like many do? Do you come here more to try to wash them away? Or..." She thought, beginning to stand up in the water. Making the water she was covered in, begin to run down her drenched fur. Once she was fully standing in the pool, she looked up into the night sky, and with her wet lips said...
"Do I just tell him, 'When I look into your eyes and see myself, your eyes are the the only ones that show I can be loved.' She then bent down, cupped her paws together under the water she stood and lifted them up slowly. With a small puddle of water now in her paws, she lifted them over her head and began to let the water fall on the top of her head. After she did this, she bent her head down, and the water that she had just poured on her head began to drip off of her in a pattern. A pattern of a semi looking heart, making the Tigress show a warm smile.
"Well, isn't that something." Her right paw was then placed over her wet left breast which was emitting what she wanted to feel. A soft yet gentle heart beat. Little did she know though, that all this time a kind pair of bright jade green eyes were piercing through the bushes next to the trail, just five feet away from her. The owner of such eyes, was in awe at the beauty he had saw, but more so the words he had heard from her. To think, following her from the shadows after spotting her from the bath house to make sure she was alright and safe would allow him to hear and see such perfection. For like her, he as well had placed his right paw over his instead rapid beating heart and thought to himself...
"Tigress, you who is bathed in glorious moonlight. Truly does love, this black and white panda bear." As after this thought, Po stayed where he was, till Tigress felt it was time to head back to the jade palace. Which was just a few hours before the sun would rise and when she did, Po came out of his hiding spot. A loving smile plastered on his face, even though in the pit of his stomach, he knew what he did was wrong. Something he would eventually tell her about, and even after all the punches, kicks, and bruises he would receive from the training she would make him do for what he did. They were both still happy, for at least it didn't take a sword through the chest, or worse for them to confess their true feelings for another. To finally let loose their emotions and tell each other, they could never live without the other.
Hope you liked it.