A/N: A little one-shot about Tigress and her name. Shifu always calls the masters by their species names, but I'm sure they all have real names. After all, he often calls Po "panda." Just a little father/daughter fluff, Enjoy!
I do not own DreamWorks of Kung Fu Panda
"Come on Tigress! Everyone has a name, what's yours?" Pleaded Po, his big emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. Po and the Furious Five were eating lunch in the kitchen when Po began his daily onslaught of trivia questions. Though he now lived in the Jade Palace, Po never quite got over his fanboy obsession for the furious five. He loved finding out quirky things about the gang. From Viper's favorite song to Monkey's favorite hangout, he wanted to know it all. This week's question was everyone's real name.
"For the last time panda, my name is tigress. Why would I have any other name?" Asked Tigress, annoyed. The rest of the five watched with growing curiosity. Sure they all went by what Shifu called them, but they all had real names. Why wouldn't she tell them hers?
"Po, maybe you should let this go," Viper asked sweetly. She had tried asking Tigress a long time ago only for it to end in disaster and the training hall destroyed.
"While we all have different names then what Shifu calls us," she continued, "those names represent our lives before we dedicated our lives to protecting China and kung fu;" the snake explained. "A life Tigress might not want to remember," Viper added to herself.
"Who would have named Tigress anyway, Shifu?" Joked Mantis, ignoring the dagger sharp glares from Viper and Tigress.
"Yeah," joined in Monkey. "Could you imagine what he would have named her?"
"Probably something sweet like Kitty," Mantis snorted.
"Kitty, You think Shifu would name me Kitty" Tigress asked, her tone low and dangerous. Monkey and Mantis quickly stopped laughing, the fear in their eyes evident.
"Actually, her name is Jiao." Interrupted Master Shifu, standing in the frame of the kitchen door. The five gaped at his sudden appearance.
"Her name is Jiao?!" Po asked incredulously. "That is totally AWESOME!"
"Of course," Shifu replied simply. "Training will resume in twenty minutes." The red panda bowed to his students before turning and disappearing out of view.
"Wow Tigress," Crane stated. "I never knew you had such a pr-" He stopped and blinked. The master of the tiger style was gone.
Tigress sprinted to the scared peach tree of wisdom, panting from shock. "I have a name!" She thought. "Shifu finally gave me a name." Tigress was just a cub when she was left at the orphanage; where she was referred to as "girl" or monster. Once she began training at the jade palace, she was simply called Tigress. The tiger paused, resting against the trunk of the peach tree. She smiled faintly at the meaning of her new name. "Jiao," she thought testing out the name in her head, she liked it. Tigress straightened up, glazing over the valley. She doubted the name would be used often, but to finally have an actual name meant a lot to the normally reserved tiger.
Lost in her thoughts, she never noticed Shifu watching from a distance. Though he didn't show it, he was proud of his daughter and what she had become. Shifu smiled, "you will always be my pride and joy Jiao," he whispered fondly. The wind gently blew his fur as the Grand Master of the Jade Palace walked away with a rare grin on his face. Tigress felt the breeze and smiled amidst her thoughts. In his own small way, Shifu was showing his daughter that he loved her.
A/N: Wo de Jiao means my pride. It's a pretty name, and it totally fits Tigress. You see the box below? It would mean heaps if you could leave a review. Please please please? It's the best (and only) type of payment for an author. Happy New Year!
