Hi! It's me, Sleet12, with another story. Yes, there are about a bajillion of these PoxTigress fics, but I wanted to give one a try. I'm kind of a TiPo fan, and at the same time, I really don't want the next movie to have any romance in it, just stick to being about Po and whatnot. For those on the Nick board, this was originally 'A Story with No Name'.

Thanks for clicking on this, and I hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter One: Midnight Snack and Ironwood

It was seven minutes until one in the morning, and the eastern part of the world was still snuggled deep into its blankets, enjoying what was left of the night.

Except for one panda, who was on a mission no one could or would ever stop.

He.

Wanted.

Dumplings.

Po gave a snort and rubbed his arm drowsily across his nose, which was running due to the cold, misty night. He was almost to his destination and his green eyes lit up as he licked his lips with anticapation.

"Po, what do you think you're doing?"

"Waaah?" Po gave a half-squeal of fright and turned around to see Monkey, who looked ready to drop dead from sleepiness.

"Uh-hah...Getting something to eat..." Po said, in the process of being fully awake.

The primate rolled his eyes. "C'mon Po, you got something twenty minutes ago."

"Exactly!" Po exclaimed, and before Monkey could stop him he rushed into the open kitchen door.

Monkey sighed at his friends' antics but followed after him in hope of finding some kind of herbal tea to help him go back to sleep, although he knew Po would be up in another half hour.

The mentioned panda was rummaging noisely through the cupboards until his paw grasped a small bowl, which he slid out and quickly filled with the dinner's left over dumplings.

Monkey scoured the shelves with hopeful blue eyes only for his shoulders to sag and his mouth to twist into a scowl when he couldn't find the specific tea he needed. The tan-furred primate knuckle-walked over to Po, who had sat down and was shoving dumplings in his mouth as if he wouldn't see tomorrow.

"Po, c'mon," Monkey grunted. Po quickly plucked the last dumpling into his mouth and then let out a satisfied sigh.

"That was good," he smiled. He set the bowl into the sink and headed over to the door with Monkey following wearily after him.

Suddenly, the bear seemed to remember what time it was and gave an exaggerated yawn, stretching his arms out behind him and squeezing his eyes shut. "Man, am I tired!"

"You're telling me," Monkey growled dryly.

"Monkey...carry me..." Po groaned, suddenly leaning over and almost toppling on top of the unsuspecting primate.

Luckily, after half a decade of being around the Dragon Warrior, Monkey was ready, and he caught Po effortlessly when he stumbled on top of him. But needless to say, the panda was still a heavy burden.

"There," Monkey wheezed after setting the panda back on his bed. With an annoyed glare he dusted his hands off and then prepared to leave.

And then that's when the loud BANG! exploded in the air.

Po sat bolt upright with wild eyes. "Monkey, Monkey what's happening?! It's the end of the world!" He screeched madly, running over to the Kung Fu Master and diving behind him in an attempt to hide.

Monkey sighed and stepped sideways to reveal the shaking bulk of black and white. "Po, it's okay." He croaked, his eyes twitching with the urge to close and for him to go to bed.

Po slowly got up, and shuffled over to his window. "What was that?"

"Tigress," Monkey grunted. "That's what."

"Tigress? What happened? Did she roar or somethin'?"

"Look outside."

Po did as told and peeked out of the window, and his eyes stretched wide.

Faraway, atop of a hill, stood Tigress who was glaring down at her felled enemy, an ironwood tree. Dust was still billowing up in clouds from where it had landed: in collision course with the now crippled piece of brass that used to be the gong.

"Woah." Po managed to slip out, his eyes tracing the mass of the rough-barked tree.

"Woah is right." Monkey said, stiftling a yawn. "That's the seventh gong in three years."

"Wait, she's been punching and breaking up ironwood trees for three years?"

"Twenty. A couple years back she had felled so many of those trees she had to come closer to the Jade Palace to punch 'em." Monkey informed. "Now good night, Po."

"No, wait!" Po said excitedly. "Why?"

"Oh no, I don't wanna tell the story...Maybe Crane or Viper can do that..."

"C'mon!" Po pleaded. "Please?"

Monkey sighed. "Alright," he muttered begrudingly.

Po kept his wondering green eyes trained on Tigress, who was breathing heavily and scanning her fierce amber eyes around the horizon for another victim.

"You know Tigress lived in an orphanage, right?" Monkey yawned.

"Yes."

"You don't know what happened before that, do you? Oh I really shouldn't be telling you this, she'll tear me to shreds..."

"She won't know." Po reassured, gesturing for him to go on.

"Well, before that, they say she lived in a village, long erased from China's maps or records. No one can remember its name. But it used to be known for the rare Fire Gem which lay underneath the surface, and was prized greatly at that time. This village was made up entirely of tigers, and it was a peaceful town. But they say one greedy soul, one of their one villagers, desired the power and riches under their feet more than anything else; he ravaged the village, setting flames to houses and not sparing anyone mercy within his reach. And when the villagers had gone out of the valley, he sent his army out to chase them out of China for good, so they wouldn't ever come back for their land. Those who were to slow for the madman's army never made it. He took no prisoners. Today's the day that happened."

Po gulped shakily, lowering his eyes to the floor, struck with the similarities between his and the feline's past. "Oh..."

"Tigress somehow escaped from the wolves and made it to the orphanage, and so they thought her dead, and they still do. We haven't heard of the villain since, but we know that there aren't any more Fire Gems in China." The primate sighed. "Don't go near her for another few weeks though, or she'll tear you to pieces." Monkey finished, drawing in a large breath. "And now, good night."

"That's sad..." Po murmured, looking back at the striped cat. "And I have an idea..." Suddenly, the panda dashed out of his room with speed unimaginable to Monkey and out of the Student Barracks.

"No, don't do it!" Monkey called, although he was to late. The bear was already on his way to the hill. "He won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow...none of us could..." He looked down and grimaced at the bright red scar that was still visible along his arm and shuddered.

"At least I had it off better than Mantis..." Monkey perched himself nervously on the windowsill and waited to see Po's doom, all the tiredness gone out of him.

~oOo~

Tigress drew back her clenched fist, her claws unsheathed but not piercing through her paw pads, which had been made rough and stone-hard through the years, and slammed it with all her force into the bark of the ironwood tree.

It was her third this night, and the feline's blows were getting more powerful, as they usually did when she progressed through her routine. Her mind, at the moment, was focused on nothing more than destroying all the trees in her path to strips of mangled bark, her amber eyes burning and bloodshot to an almost crimson that reflected the late night's half moon.

As she landed blow to heavy blow on the tree, the dent grew bigger and it began creaking and groaning, the bark splintering and giving way to the soft inside, which Tigress made a large, almost hollow circle, the image of her fist engraved on it.

She lowered her head, her eyes in furious slits, and then leaped up gracefully into the air. On her way down she flipped and then twisted until her foot made impact with the tree, and the whole plant shuddered with the power from her kick. There was a cracking sound, and the wood splintered. The ironwood groaned and the sound moaned across the forest like a wounded beast. Then a crack like lightning pierced the air and Tigress jumped calmly out of the way as the great tree whooshed down, the wind howling through the leaves. Then with a crash that sent vibrations shaking through the ground, the ironwood tree was felled. Tigress's eyes watered as the dust rose, and then her ears swivelled around towards where she heard the distinct sound of coughing.

"Geez, that's a lot of dust,"

Tigress's ears flattened and her pupils dilated with slight anger. "What are you doing here, panda?" The feline snarled.

Po was taken back by the vehement tone of her voice, dripping with poison.

"I-I..." The ferocious, dangerous gleam in Tigress's amber glare and the way she bared her fangs in a menacing, silent snarl made his words fade to nothing.

"Well?" Tigress hissed. The defiant look in her eye made Po want to shrivel up and disappear in a hole.

"I'm...sorry..." Po gulped, and then ducked as Tigress swung her fist at him, a roar shaking the valley and the panda.

"SORRY?!" Tigress shouted, enraged. "You're SORRY?"

"No! I mean, yes, um, I mean...uh, I don't know!" Po exclaimed, dodging the infuriated tigress's punches and kicks.

Tigress gave a harsh chuckle before aiming a spinning kick, which he ducked just in time. Then her smirk turned into a furious scowl, and she growled "Sympathy and compassion..."

The striped feline unsheathed her claws and panted, drawing her arm back to strike the bumbling panda. "They are useless! Po, go!"

The panda stumbled up and fled, not needing a second invatation. The South Chinese tigress was left heaving in gulps of air and with a snarl on her lips. Then she gasped and looked down at her gleaming claws, sheathing them into her shaking paw.

What have I done? She thought to herself, staring at her paw, the shock giving way to fear, that she felt every night, of herself. She looked to where the panda had gone, but he had vanished, and her eyes hardened.

Without another word, the tigress whipped around with a growl and stalked over to the next ironwood.

Inhaling sharply, the feline began attacking her next opponent, her thoughs not wavering from anything but destroying the tree.

~oOo~

Hope you liked it. :D Thanks for reading, and please please PLEASE leave a review! I look forward to those!

-Sleet12