Chapter 2
The village looked to be in somewhat better shape by the time Po and the others returned. The chieftain was overcome with joy upon hearing that the main path was free of bandits and hoped that relief workers from Gongmen would be arriving soon.
Po and his friends agreed to stay a few more days to help harvest what remained of the village's crops. Rat Reed however had to leave as soon they unloaded the supplies, saying that the horizon was calling him. Po didn't mind though, he'd much rather prefer making the rest of the journey by land. It'll give him and Tigress more time to explain what happened between them before facing Shen.
On the third day of their stay, Po found himself busy working in the field, craving away at tall stands of wheat. He found himself truly enjoying the work as it brought up the simpler time of his life back home with his fellow pandas. The sun hung high in the sky with barely a cloud or a gust of wind. Po brought an arm up to his face to clear the sweat from his eyes. Before going back to work though he felt a strange tug on his pants and gazed down to see a young female leopard standing beside him.
"Well hello there," Po said kneeling down. As he gazed into the child's sky blue eyes, a confused expression formed on his face, "have he met?"
The young girl nodded and calmly pointed toward the city, to where a large chuck of burnt wood laid scattered about.
"Oh," Po said with a slight cringe, "I'm glad that you made it out of there alive," he paused to glance about the field, "where are your parents?"
The leopard cast her gaze downward though looked back up again as she was about to speak, however before she could, both of them turned to the sounds of someone screaming. "Curse you Rose! Wait till I get my hands on you."
"Got to go," the leopard said with a sheepish grin, bent down to pick up a small bundle of fruit and then made a hasty exit.
Not too long afterward, a rather angry looking warthog appeared wielding a hoe as if it were spear. "Dragon Master, have you seen a young leopard come this way?"
A look of confusion formed on Po's face. "Not that I know of," he lied unsure whether it was best to reveal the truth to him, "I've been too busy helping the village with the crops."
"Yes of course, and we are grateful for the help, it's just that this girl has been going around stealing stuff ever since Shen attacked."
"Really?" Po asked, "what about her parents?"
"The little rogue has no parents, her father was a bandit who the rhino guards carted off to prison and her mother…" his ranting trailed off as he eyed the remains of the inn, "well our chieftain said the next time we catch her, she'll be taken to the nearest orphanage, and knowing a monster like her, she'll be there for a very long time," a paused came over the warthog to release a deep scoff, "if you ask me would be better if she died in the inn when Shen attacked."
"What was that!?" Po snapped jumping to his feet, towering over the warthog, glaring down at him while releasing a deep growl.
"Forgive my choice of words Dragon Master," the warthog said in a terrified shrill. "It's just who…would want to take in…a monster like—"
The trembling villager's words were cut short as Po took hold of his chubby neck and yanked him off the ground, bringing him close to his narrow jade eyes. "If you ever wish to see another sunrise you will never refer to her or any other of her kind as a monster."
"Yes…of…course…Dragon Master," the warthog said gasping for air.
"Good," Po said calmly releasing his grip, letting the pig flop to the ground, "Now then, perhaps you can tell me where I might find this Rose."
The Slums
Before setting off to find Rose, Po thought of bringing Tigress to along to help. It didn't take much to convince her; just the mention of the young leopard being placed in an orphanage was enough for her. Finding her however proved to be far trickier. They had been searching for about an hour with them calling out her name and still no sign of her.
"Poor thing," Tigress said after looking through the remains of a burnt down dwelling, "to think these people would willing let one of their own live in a place like this."
The Slums, as the villagers had come to call it was an out of the way area of the village that was said to be left to ruin after a terrible earthquake. When Shen attacked a number of people took refuge here, in hopes that the mad peacock would leave the place untouched.
"How can a kid live like this?" Po muttered pushing a burnt door aside.
"Hey," came an annoyed voice from above, "I'm not a kid, I'm nearly eight years old."
Looking up he could see Rose gazing down at him through a hole in the ceiling. "Hi there," Po said in a cheerful tone, "we've been looking for you."
"We?" Rose muttered, then turned around to see Tigress behind her. "Oh," the young leopard said then slowly sat down bringing her knees up to her chest followed by wrapping her arms around them. "So I guess you're going to take me back so they can send me away."
Tigress remained where she stood, he gazed rooted on the young feline. "I understand how you feel, but—"
"No you don't!" Rose snapped glaring at Tigress, "You couldn't possible understand, a great and much loved warrior like you could never understand what it feels like to be me. I doubt you've never been hated or spat at because of your family. To be forever label as a thief…be called a monster."
Po arrived an instance later, seeing the hurtful expression on Tigress's face. He had seen that look before, and it never ended well for those she face. The panda made a quick step so as to intervene before the child got hurt, yet to his complete surprise, Tigress merely knelt down and wrapped her arms around the young leopard.
"I understand more than you could possibly realize," Tigress said in a loving voice while rubbing her chin along the child's forehead, "my sweet Rose."
A tremor ran along the length of Rose's body upon hearing her referred as sweet rose, for before her mother died, she would call her that every night as she tucked her at bed time, and to hear those same words flow through this tiger felt so right and perfect that unknowingly shifted her position to bring her arms around Tigress's waist.
Po stood a fair distance from the two felines, marveling at the sweet sound of their rhythmic purrs. As he gazed upon them some more, a sudden thought came to mind.
He only prayed that Shifu would be open to it.
