Can You See The Cracks?

by Velorhi

“Everything was just so... perfect when it came to the Five, and the Palace. Nothing could ever be wrong with such heroes, could there?”

Title: Can You See The Cracks?
Pairing: Shifu/Tigress
Rating: K+ to be safe
Disclaimer: Don't own Kung Fu Panda, just letting them run around a little.
A/N. This idea just wouldn't leave my head, and it was begging to be written out, so here we are. I kinda like the idea of it being in Tigress point of view because of how worked up she gets within her mind, while still being calm on the outside, its fun to write for her. And i just think its funny how Po was always going on about how awesome the five were, so...This was born. Hope you like!

Master Tigress silently walked through the halls of the bunkhouse, the spitting image of every little girls idol that she was. Her fur perfectly groomed, her clothes spotless and crisp looking, and her physical form? At its peak. She was the embodiment of every child's hero, someone for them to look up to, aspire to be, and she shook her head at these thoughts, glad the young ones dreams of her being perfect would not have to be destroyed by meeting her, for she was far from perfect. And who was she to crush their dreams like hers had been?

Her idol had always been, and would continue to be her master, Shifu. Yet, that never seemed to be enough for him. However, she would not fret over this tonight, she had spent plenty a sleepless night mulling over it, tonight she demanded a rest.

The sounds that were completely unique to the night washed over her as she continued her walk, having no real destination in mind, as her light step continually managed to miss the spots upon the floor that would produce a creek, a talent she wished Po would learn, so she would not be awoken by the telltale sounds of the Dragon Warrior sneaking out for a midnight snack constantly.

It was only with the word snack, that she finally realized where she had absently been headed; the kitchen. Deciding a glass of water would not be such a bad thing, she rounded the last corner, and stopped, the opening to the kitchen a few feet from her still. Tigress stared at the light that spread across the hallway from the open door, and for the first time noticed the light murmur of voices from within. She squeezed her eyes closed, tightly, mentally berating herself for her slip. She should have caught the sound much sooner than now, and had this been in battle such a mistake would have costed her, her life.

With a low sigh, she opened her eyes again, and pondered whether or not she felt like interacting with another person tonight, or if she should leave well enough alone. It was when she was turning to leave that her ears perked slightly as she finally recognized the voices. Po, and Master Shifu. And her name being spoken by the former of the two.

"I had them all! Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, and Tigress!" She heard Po say, his voice rising in volume as he did so.

"For the last time, lower your voice!" Tigress gave one of her rare smiles, as she could almost picture what her master must look like from his frustrated, if not slightly exhausted voice. She knew that the only reason her master would be here at this time of night would be for a drink, which often meant he was suffering a headache, and she could only imagine the impact Po's increasing volume would have upon the tiny master, and his head pain.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to slink forward, keeping in shadow, as she neared the entrance to the room, making sure her presence was still unknown as she finally came to a rest, leaning her body against the wall, just next to the opening, the voices within much clearer now. She would tell herself later that she was just curious as to what of hers, and the rest of the Fives, Po had. But there was that tiny niggling voice that would not let it go at that, hinting that perhaps, just maybe, it was the fact she wanted to hear her masters voice, and hopefully, if she was lucky, hear him say something about her. She would promptly tell it to shut up, when that time came, yet she was drawn back to the present as the voices once again spoke.

"Heh, sorry." She closed her eyes, and could picture the scene, including Po's sheepish expression. The silence reigned supreme for a few moments before, the excited voice of Po picked up again. "I even had posters of them! One of Viper, one of Crane, one of Mantis, and TWO of Tigress! I could never get my hands on the one of Monkey, they always disappeared so fast! And of course I had the one of them all together, with their awesome battle stances!" Tigress, shook her head as she listened, trying to ignore the feeling of having her privacy invaded at such information, considering it was her who was all but spying on Po, and Shifu.

There was simply something about people staring up in awe at a picture of her that made her want to cringe away, and hole herself up in her room for a few days. She could not understand peoples borderline worshiping of her, or the rest of the five for that matter. They were just people. Yes, they had devoted their lives to kung fu, the reasons ranging differently for each of the five masters, but one constant remained; to protect the villagers. How was that any different than anyone else? Mr. Ping, for example, had devoted his life to noodles, yet people's eyes didn't watch him like a hawk whenever he went to town, appraising his every move. It was unnecessary, and essentially unwanted.

"Why on this earth would you devote so much of your time on such useless things?" Another smile crossed her lips, as she leaned her head back against the wall. It seems as though her master shared her sentiment, or perhaps... She was just like every girl out there who aspired to be a replica of herself, maybe she had just fastened and melded herself as close to her idol as was comfortable, for them both.

"Because they were awesome! Are awesome! They can do anything, protect anyone, and attack everything possible with their amazing kung fu skills!" Even she could note the slight undertone of envy within his over exaggerated praise of her, and the four other masters.

"Don't be ridiculous, Panda. 'Awesome', they may be," Tigress felt her heart expand rather frighteningly at the unintentional praise, one that wasn't even directed purposefully, and solely at her, yet she felt as if all the weight, and fear of disappointment had vanished from her shoulders. "But they have many flaws, and cannot do, as you say, everything." And right on cue, the dread swarmed her again, washing out his earlier words, and filling her lungs with cold fear. She felt as if she were drowning in it, her arms flailing against the oncoming wave of disappointment, yet nothing could save her. She forced her lungs to take in deep, steady breathes, while always remembering to stay silent, for fear of getting caught.

"Hmm, maybe." Po sounded unsure of the masters' sentiment, obviously not sharing it. How ridiculous, she thought, still gulping in air as the panic attack began to slowly lower in magnitude, yet never truly disappearing, which would, in the end, force her to stay up all night perfecting her moves, in a useless attempt to prove to Shifu she could be his perfect little warrior. Po had been here long enough to have noticed the many issues that surrounded the Jade Palace by now. Even he was not that daft. And yet, it seemed he still held The Almighty Furious Five in a higher regard than anything else in his world, or well, maybe equalling that of his regard for Master Shifu. She felt a pang of jealousy at that thought.

She had watched him closely, and had easily noted the signs. Po had become as desperate for Shifu's approval as she had. The only difference separating them being that Po had actually received his wish. Tai Lung had been right, Po was Shifu's new favourite, and it crushed Tigresses very soul to see it. She had spent her whole life trying to earn his respect, and approval, had broken bones, tore muscles, pulled ligaments, not to mention all the scars that riddled her body, hidden under her fur, and bent over backwards for the tiny master, and yet... All Po had to do was fall out of the sky, spaze a little over his fortune, and voila, Shifu was acting as if they were best friends.

When she saw this, the undeniable urge to grab Shifu, and hold him away from anyone but herself had consumed her, as she had clamped down the urge to growl at the giant panda. Perhaps if she had been the Dragon Warrior, if Po hadn't fallen out of the sky, if she had trained harder, and could have beaten Tai Lung, she would be sitting in there with Shifu, and Po would still be down in the village making noodles.

These thoughts ran through her mind for a moment, before she pushed them away, ashamed. Po had done only what was destined for him, and had earned his place here, she had no reason to resent him, for that was merely petty, and she had been trained better than that. But, when would be her turn? When would she sit under Shifus spot light?

"But, you got to see them grow up, and... and watch them do everything, so they are no big deal to you, but to me, to us down in the village? They are something to trust in, and love, and want to be, because they could take you out of that noodle shop, and away on great adventures..." Once again drawn back to the conversation, Tigress listened with a frown upon her face. Was that really how they saw them down in the valley? How absurd a notion, to love someone you don't even know!

'And yet here you stand, completely devoted to your love for your master, but you know nothing about him that he gave to you willingly, do you? Poor little Tigress, head over heels in love with her master, who barely acknowledges your existence.' Her inner voice mocked at her, as she gave her head a shake to rid herself of it. That voice attacked her enough when she was trying to sleep, could it not leave her be when she was trying to eavesdrop?

Silence emanated from within the room, and Tigress began to think the conversation was over, as she picked out the sounds of drinking, and eating. She was about to turn and leave when Shifus voice once spoke, and she kept herself firmly in place.

"So, Po, who was your favourite then, out of your... so called idols?" There was a note of awkwardness as he asked the question, she noted, realizing this would be new territory for Shifu, who did not believe in favouring any single person out of the five, much to her disappointment. He saw them as a collective, a united motion, yet had no problem nit-picking them into perfection as a single motion.

"Um, well..." She heard the tell tale signs of Po picking at the table nervously, and raised an eyebrow. What would he have to be nervous about? Certainly it was Viper, the way those two got along. Or perhaps Crane, she had heard the way Po had been raving within the avian's room about Cranes greatness his first night at the Palace. "Master Tigress."

Her head snapped toward the entrance, as her eyes widened. How could she be his favourite? They barely ever spoke! Yet, it made a weird, twisted sort of sense, she supposed, the way he was always looking at her, watching her training. At first she had shrugged it off as him merely learning the moves she was doing by example, but now... it seemed more like an intense fandom sort of stare. She shook her head, at his strangeness as the feeling of having her privacy invaded once again hit her. Could people just not chalk her up to a regular person, and leave her alone?

She sighed in sad realization that everyone whose opinion of her mattered not to the female tiger was that of the strange notion she was a god, and the one persons whose opinion she craved for, needed like a dying man needed water, thought of her as nothing at all special. It crushed her just a tiny bit more to face that notion head on, instead of shying from it as was normal, and routine for her by now.

"I see." 'Can you see Shifu? Can you, Master? Is it really so plain to you that I seek, want and beg for your approval, just a little bit of pride, yet you seem to continuously ignore that? Can you see how much I love you, as well? Hmm? Can you see the way my body betrays me whenever you are close? Huh? Can you? No, of course you can't, you have long ago decided to ignore any and all evidence of that... Or did you? Perhaps you just decided to ignore me, and everything that came along with it.' She thought viciously, her pent up anger glad for the release, the mentally verbal attack at the red panda. And, as was normal, there came the shame again. How could she think such things about her master? Her head lowered at the thought.

"And why was she so particularly your favourite?" She didn't have to see the small master to know he had his eyebrow raised as he voiced the question, and felt a pang of hurt at that. What was so wrong with her, anyway? What did he see that made her so unworthy? She wished he would tell her so she could fix it, make it go away. Maybe then...

"She was the best of them! Her style was all like 'HIYAH', and her moves were like 'WOAH', and when she would do that glare, it was like... like totally awesome! She was the toughest, and the bravest of them, and she was their sorta leader, kinda, so that made her that much more awesome because she had four masters that looked to her for guidance under battle. Just plain freaking sweet!" Tigress' head swam slightly with all the praise that was unintentionally thrown on her, and immediately began to discredit it all. She was NOT the best of the five, they were all unique into their own style, hers just happened to be the more aggressive of them. She could begrudgingly understand how they could take that into a context that she was the bravest, and best of the five. Yet, it was completely wrong. And her glare? Well, Crane had his own look that she found quite amusing, why wasn't that so great? As for being the toughest? Hardly, she just pushed her body more, demanded more because she was the only one of the five who was silently begging for Shifus acceptance with a rather terrifying passion.

The only thing within those garble of words that was semi-true was that she was the unofficial leader of the five, but that was only because she had never really given them a choice had she? She just issued orders, and expected them to be followed... Perhaps she should work on that a bit?

Now, she wasn't sure if she was insulted or glad when Shifu chuckled from within the room, her eyebrow rising. Was he chuckling at the fact that Po held such regard for her, or was he merely chuckling at the Pandas antics? She was double so insulted when she heard Po join in on the chuckling, and wanted to barge in there and demand an explanation, but then suddenly the chuckling drew to a stop, and Tigress continued her silent vigil of the kitchen, arms now crossed as she frowned at the wall across from her.

"Everything was just so... perfect when it came to the Five, and the Palace. Nothing could ever be wrong with such heroes, could there?" She didn't hear Shifus reply to the statement, as Tigress turned and walked away, back the way she had came, unable to take anymore of this. How could they think everything was perfect down there? How, when everything was so undeniable broken?

The villagers thought the five perfect, gods within their own right, and even Po, who had seen the cracks, seen all the fissures, and the tiptoeing of subjects careful not the break the thin ice that covered everything, after he had seen this entire big mess, he still thought the Palace was a haven? How?

How could little girls sit there in their beds, and wish they were like her, or Viper? How could little boys run around, wishing they were like Monkey, Mantis, or Crane? The concept was completely incomprehensible to her.

She was so caught within these thoughts that she couldn't even remember how she got to the Sacred Peach Tree Of Heavenly Wisdom, only realizing she was even there when she felt her body lower itself to the ground, sitting with her back resting against the mighty bark of the giant tree, the cool night air feeling refreshing against her fur, as she closed her eyes to the feeling.

It was with a humourless chuckle that she found she could relate to those little girls in their beds, praying and hoping to someday become just like her. Because this little girl sat here against her peach tree wishing she was like Po, wishing for Shifus approval like the giant panda had, wanting nothing more than to have the small red panda return, or perhaps even acknowledge her love for him, as everyone else could so plainly see.

What a wonderful facade they put up, to have everyone, perhaps even some of themselves convinced that everything was perfect, when it was so inexplicable not. These thoughts consumed her as her exhausted and wounded mind drifted away into nothingness, the blessed sleep saving her from thinking anymore of these hurtful thoughts.

So gone to the word was she that she didn't feel the placing of a blanket upon her form, nor the hesitant but firm warmth of lips upon her head, nor the smallest whisper of the word, "Favourite." as the limping gate of the red panda, Master Shifu, walk back down the hill toward his own room, to face his own demons, many of those stemming from the very being he had just kissed.

A/N: Voila!Now many might think Shifu was a little mean in this story but I beg to differ. Shifus comments come from teh fact that hes not used to such antics. I mean i doubt the five raved on about people, and his kinda gruph exterior when remarking upon Po's 'idol/s' its kinda like a parent putting up with their childs latest obsession. More humouring him. He was kinda out of the water, i guess it could be said, and Tigress was just taking them all to literally, as her little mind got all worked up. Iunno, it made sense to me, i guess.. Anywhoo, hope you liked! Reviewing is love! Cookies for all!!
Ciao