I've wrote this fic, because I wanted to some story with Shifu and little Tigress, and I found two, maybe three. Also I wanted protective Shifu since we often don't see him that way.

True monsters

Shifu walked to the gates of Bao Gu Orphange for another training session with Tigress. When the gates opened before him, the red panda slowly and calmly entered the orphanage. At first all the kids, who were playing on the courtyard, turned their eyes on a guest. However, when they realized it was only Shifu, the expression of disappointment crossed their faces, and all orphans greeted quietly a kung fu master to soon went back to what they were doing. Shifu had seen it so many times that even if such reactions were moving him in any way, now he was just immune to them. Still, he could understand why children acted that way. After all, it was long since any adult came here to adopt anybody.

One of orphanage workers came out from the office to greet him. Shifu raised an eyebrow, seeing that it wasn't a nice and reasonable goat that asked for his aid in the first place, but a very unpleasant duck, miss Di. The red panda remained calm and approached miss Di, not showing how he's not happy with this meeting.

"Good afternoon, miss Di." He said with the most polite smile he could muster right now.

"Good afternoon, master Shifu." She said with the same smile and opened the door to the main building. "Let's get it over with."

They started to walk down the corridor to the Tigress' quarters. For a brief moment there was just silence, which pleased Shifu deeply. Not only it was relatively peaceful walk but he didn't have to listen to miss Di's talk. Still, knowing the duck, it wouldn't take long until she open her mouth to say something unwise, especially in relation to Tigress.

This time wasn't different… Well, it was, but in way he didn't want it to be different.

"We really appreciate your effort, master Shifu."

Oh, it always started innocently. She was using this chirping voice, showing appreciation and respect to kung fu master. He didn't even look at her, he was just walking, eyes fixed on the corridor, when he said:

"Thank you, miss Di. I'm trying my best."

He would like her to stop talking at this point, but generally this was the moment, when miss Di – probably lead by a need of carrying the conversation with her guest – was saying something… aggravating.

"I mean sitting all day with this short-tempered and clumsy girl must really try your patience."

And here we go. To be fair, it was kind of ironic that the one who was really trying his patience, wasn't Tigress but this woman.

"It's not so bad. Tigress gets better with every day." He really hoped this answer will shut the duck up but he knew it was useless.

"I'm glad to hear it, however, I suppose there is long way for this girl to achieve the suitable result. After all, it's Tigress we're talking about."

Shifu only sighed soundlessly. He gave up giving her signs to not say such things. This woman didn't understand subtlety and he was too polite to tell her that as a caretaker, she shouldn't assuming right from the spot that her charge is stupid. Especially if he – actually someone who spent some time with a girl – and her colleague were telling her otherwise. It was like talking to the wall.

"She's not the worst student I ever had. She's actually quite intelligent, not to mention very dedicated to her training. I assume you that she will achieve the full control over her strength soon."

"But I guess you have to use your kung fu moves quite often, master Shifu."

They were few inches from the Tigress' quarters when miss Di said those words. And they came so abruptly, so unexpectedly that Shifu stopped and looked at the duck with the biggest astonishment since very long time. Miss Di raised her eyebrow and stopped too. For a few seconds he was speechless, hoping that he didn't hear it right. But his ears wasn't deceiving him. He actually shouldn't be surprised by this point, but he still was. After all he didn't expected that miss Di will go that far.

The kung fu master regain his composure and with the most neutral expression he could muster right new, he asked:

"Are you suggesting something, miss Di?"

"Well, we both know that Tigress is very hot-blooded girl. I can only imagine how many times you had to defend yourself from this little monster."

Many times Shifu wondered where Tigress' conviction about her being monster came from. He blamed it on other children, who were afraid of her strength and her kind of scary look, not to mention claws and fangs that seemed to be very sharp and dangerous. Maybe some adults from the outside were to blame too. Some people tend to judge others by the appearance, especially when they don't know the person in question. But he never, in million years, would think that he will hear the word "monster" from someone, who was taking care of Tigress on daily basis and knew that she's not violent or psychopathic.

But miss Di seemed not to notice the speechless astonishment on Shifu's face, and continued:

"This claws and fangs… since when children have these? She's just a freak of nature. I wouldn't be surprised if she was some kind of demon preparing to one night kill us all."

As he was listening to the duck, Shifu fought with himself to not punch her. He tried to remind himself that violence isn't an answer and that he shouldn't use his moves on helpless woman. Even if said woman displayed stupidity combined with cruelty he never thought he would ever find in any living being.

"For me she should be kept in some prison. You don't know what this little monster is capable of, especially when it will grow up."

That was enough. Shifu wasn't going to take it anymore. He had to say something to shut her up.

"Let me tell you something about monsters, miss Di." He began, trying not to sound angry, but the trace of aggravation was still noticeable in his voice. "I've fought many opponents in my life and some displayed cruelty not only to their attackers, but also to innocent people. A cruelty barely comprehensive to me even to this day. Bu, believe me, miss Di, I've seen it all – warriors devouring their victims alive, generals who treat torturing others like a circus, even demons killing people slowly and painfully just to hear them begging for a merciful death. I've seen true monsters, miss Di." He neared his face to duck's face and added with quieter, yet more angry tone: "So don't compare scared little girl, who only needs to learn control her own strength, to monsters. Because she's not cruel, she's not bloodthirsty nor devoid of any compassion. She's a child, eager to perfect herself for the sake of others. So calling her a monster is like calling a light breeze a hurricane."

This time miss Di was the one who was speechless. Shifu felt great satisfaction in that. It was like he let off a steam that was vibrating in him for a long time. And maybe his words sink in that thick skull of the duck and he won't hear any stupid things from her anymore.

"Now excuse me, miss Di." He said with normal tone, regaining his composure. "My student is waiting for me."

She didn't reply. She was just looking after him as he entered Tigress' quarters. When he finally closed the door behind him, she finally went back to her duties scoffing at kung fu master's rudness.

Meanwhile master Shifu was greeted with sudden warm smile from Tigress. Which was kind of weird, considering the fact that Tigress wasn't very smiling person. He also could see some tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, master Shifu." She whispered.

And now everything was clear. She heard everything. Hurtful words of her caretaker and Shifu defending her.

He smiled too.

"You welcome, child. Now," he drew out some dominos. "let's start our training."