A lot of things had changed since the arrival of the Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung was stopped and never was going to harm anyone again. Shen failed on his attempt to conquer China. The valley was living peacefully, without concerning about the danger. Master Viper, Monkey, Crane and Mantis changed too, they were stronger, faster, smarter, and the most important of all, they were happier. Only one simple thing never changed, and it was Master Tigress personality.
She, on the contrary, was acting stranger than ever, since their mission in Gongmen City Tigress was having changes of mood, one day she was normal, but at the next day her mood could change from being normal to being mad, or serious, or crazy.
Nobody, even Master Shifu, knew what had happened to the tiger at their mission. Whatever it was, it should have been something really big.
Jade Palace (5:00 a.m.)
That day Tigress was very eager to start workout. Although everybody was sleeping, she couldn't sleep, her bed was uncomfortable, the room very cold, etc.
But the real reason she couldn't sleep was that, she remembered that moment. With only thinking on it her cheeks began to blush. She tried to forget it, but that hug, it can't be simply forgotten.
When her big and fluffy panda friend hugged her, she was in shock, especially because nobody ever had hugged her. The fur of the panda was so soft that it felt like if she was hugging a cloud. She didn't know what it was about, but every time she remembered that hug, something in her chest began to felt warmer and warmer.
However, that thought was enough for her to remember that kung fu was before friendship, or anything.
Carefully for not waking anybody, Tigress slid out from her bed, stretched up a little bit the legs, and opened the slide door of her room.
During all the way of the corridor, Tigress had to walk on tiptoes, breathing slowly and gently. She passed Po's room, watching a big panda sleeping and snoring on the floor without even noticing that a blanket was covering his head.
After passing the panda's room, the rest was as easy as fighting with a bandit (or at least that was easy to her).
Finally she arrived to the Training Hall. It was beautiful…the silence was beautiful. That would've been the first time training there with such serenity since, well, an eternity, because Po was always doing jokes, or pranks, or noise.
That one was a perfect moment to Tigress, so she decided to start it as fast as she could.
'Let's start with fifty push-ups and after that I'll be ten minutes in the Swinging Clubs, just as warm up. Then the real workout will begin' Tigress was repeating to herself while stretching her hips, arms and legs.
It was time to start, but Tigress waited a seconds for something, or someone. Nothing.
'Well, there's no Po, that's fine' Tigress said, glad about it. After that she start the workout. The fifty push-ups were really easy, so she did another fifty. Just when she finished that part of her training, she passed to the clubs.
She dodged, and dodged, and dodged the clubs for six minutes before she started to punch some with her fists.
Four minutes more, four minutes, and the real training would've been started, but while she was dodging and punching, a figure of white and black appeared.
'Tigress, what are you doing at this hour?' Po asked while yawning.
When she heard that voice, all her plans of training disappeared, just as all her thoughts disappeared when one club hit her really hard on the head, sending her out of the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion and right next to Po.
'Tigress! Are you okay?' asked him worried about the stroke she received. Po tried to help her stand offering his hand, but instead of feeling a hand or an arm, he felt a fist right on his shoulder, making him shake. 'Why was that for?' he asked.
'That is what you deserve for distracting me!' answered Tigress rudely.
Tigress was mad, but at the end she started to calm down, so Po broke the silence.
'So…Tigress…what were you doing?' the panda asked with a low and nervous voice.
'I was drinking tea with the emperor Po…' the tiger answered sarcastically, like she was used to.
'Well, it looked more like you were training on the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion' Po said innocently.
'If you already knew that I was training, why did you asked me what I was doing?' Tigress was still talking very rude.
Now Po's face wasn't of innocence, or happiness, or pain. No. His expression immediately changed into a concerned one. 'Well, you never train at this hour, I mean, so early. And also it looked like if something was disturbing you…I'm just worried about you.'
Those words changed completely Tigress' mood, from anger to sadness, but she didn't show it. Instead of showing "weakness", she just turned around and remained quiet.
'Tigress' Po interrupted her thoughts, 'would you want to eat something?'
'No thanks Po' she said softly trying not to sound rude anymore.
'Please'
'No'
'Please'
'No'
'Please'
'No Po!' Tigress was trying to control herself, but that panda made it difficult.
Both of them didn't said anything for a time, until Po broke the silence, like always.
'Pretty please' he asked.
Tigress was near to burst, but she could calm herself. 'Po, you're going to be like this all the day, am I right?'
Po nodded. Tigress had no escape; she had to go to lunch with him.
'Alright Po, let's go and eat someth…'
'Great! I'm going to prepare some noodles! You're going to love it!' Po was excited; it was very notorious because of the tone of his voice while he was talking. He barely could talk.