Chapter 2: The Past is Another Land
While Po and his army were counting their spoils, a guard came by with a line of captured women. One being an orange and black female tiger in a white wool dress. "And what do we have here? " Po chuckled lightly. "We found them by the river, Captain." A gorilla soldier answered. Po walks over to the tiger and said with a smirk, "Your country is at war and you go along wandering at the Huang He River's edge. You must have a burning desire to see my village." The tiger's face read no emotion as she heard Po instruct his soldiers to put her in chains. As a wolf was doing so, she swished her tail and grabbed the wolf's sword and pressed it to his neck. "Release them!" She demanded, her eyes glowing red. "Hand it over. Now!" Po demanded back. "You took us from The Valley of Peace, now you say we belong to you, yes?" She asked. He agreed which made her reply while tightening her grip on the soldier, "Well, I just took this soldier from your ranks, so by your own logic, he belongs to me. Now let them go!" No sooner did she say those words, than Po signaled to the guards near the rest of the women. The next thing the women knew, they were being pushed to the ground in a kneeling position with swords pointed to the back of their necks. The tiger released her grip and she was thrown to the ground as well. "Throw her into the river!" One of the soldiers suggested. "No." Po replied. Then, with a sneaky smile, he added, " I got a better plan for her." With that, he grabbed the tiger and led her to his tent.
Inside the tent, Po went over to her. "Don't." The tiger growled. "You don't want me to remove your shackles?" He asked. "They would only get in the way." He added as he took them off. When they were off, he started to compliment her. "That was very impressive out there. I should enlist you in my army and make you my lieutenant." "Are you mocking me?" The tiger interrupted, her face lacking emotion. "No, actually, I'm admiring you." With that, he took of his jacket and asked, "Do you know what's going to happen now?" Soon, he sat down on a stool and grabbed a nearby bucket full of water and a sponge as he answered, "You are going to scrub the filth of battle from my fur. It's been a long time since I felt clean." The tiger came over, grabbed the sponge from the bucket, and started to roughly scrub Po's fur. "You're much better with a sword than with a sponge." He observed. "I wish I had a sword right now." The tiger muttered under her breath. "There's mine. Help yourself." He offered. After a moment of silence, Po asked her, "Who taught you to use a weapon?" "My father." The tiger replied, her mood unchanging. "Cause he knows that the men from The Valley of Peace can't protect their women." Po replied. Just then, the tiger stopped and started to walk away. "You're not finished." Po said. "Yes I am." She replied, her voice rising. "On your knees!" Po yelled. When she didn't do so , he asked. "You enjoy living dangerously, don't you." "Not as much as I enjoy washing your filthy, panda fur!" the tiger replied, starting to loose her temper. "Now you..;" Po started to say. "No! You.."
(Tigress)
You know nothing about Me
And care even Less
How could You understand our Emptiness
You've plundered our wisdom
Our knowledge, our wealth
In bleeding us dry
You long for our Spirit
But that, you can never possess.
The Past is now Another Land
Far beyond my reach
Invaded by insidious
Foreign bodies, foreign speech
Where the timeless joys of childhood,
Lie broken on the beach.
"What is your name?" Po asked as he picked up the shackles and walked towards her. "Tigress." She replied. Po heard a soldier telling him that they were ready to leave and he began to put the shackles back on Tigress' arms. "You're a slave now, so if you want to survive, you might want to remember it." With that, the shackles were back on and he walked off, leaving Tigress wondering about what happens next.
(Tigress)
The Present is an Empty Space
Between the Good and Bad
A Moment leading Nowhere
Too pointless to be Sad
But Time enough to lay to Waste
Every certainty I Had.
The Future is a Barren World
From which I can't Return
Both Heartless and Material
It's wretched spoils not my Concern
Shining like an Evil Sun
As my Childhood Treasures Burn!
Shining like an Evil Sun
As my Childhood Treasures Burn.
Suddenly, a gorilla soldier grabbed her arm and led her away.
