Hello everyone and welcome to chapter three of 'Trials of Fate'. I appreciate your reviews and the supportive comments I have received so far, and I will do my best not to disappoint you. If you have any recommendations, or anything you would like to see drafted into the story (say ideas, characters, etc), then send me a message and I'll take it into account.

Also, I heavily recommend 'Eye of the Dragon' by FFcrazy15, and pretty much any story of his; they are all good!

Tigress continued to walk through the courtyard of the training building, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze that tickled her fur. Her eyes were locked in front of her, a dangerous steel gaze threatening anyone who showed interest in making conversation. The current victim of her angered gaze was a lonely duck mopping the floors, who tried desperately to stop his broom from shaking within his hands. As she drew even closer, the duck buckled under the weight of her stare and gulped nervously, tipping his head and walking past her.

The Bengal tiger rolled her eyes and continued on, dismissing the duck's nervous display as an over-reaction. She knew how people were naturally scared of her due to her zeal for Kung Fu and her no-nonsense approach, but her cold and stoic attitude did not help in that matter. With a tired sigh, Tigress gingerly opened the door to her room and walked through, closing the door after her and setting herself down upon her bed.

As soon as Tigress allowed her thoughts to drift, she found herself recalling many of her past experiences with the Dragon Warrior - that same innocent smile and happy-go-lucky demeanor. While her thoughts often caused a warmth to blossom within her heart that she never knew she had, she found one aspect of that happy panda that continued to ire her to no end.

Everything the panda did and said seemed to be a part of some joke. His approach to Kung Fu made it seem like he did not take Kung Fu seriously at all, and it caused her a great deal of frustration when dealing with the panda. It was the one thing she could not stand about him, and their separate pasts definitely did not help her growing irritation of his antics.

Tigress was a symbol of Kung Fu, the perfection of a practiced master and the idealistic student. She devoted herself utterly and completely towards Kung Fu, hoping earnestly that she would one day, some day, earn that look of approval from Master Shifu. Maybe someday, she would earn the love of a father, something that she had been denied throughout her life. She had struggled through the most of her life to become the powerful, respected and equally feared figure that she was, and she was proud of it.

And then there was Po.

Tigress instinctively clenched her paw as she struggled to control her growing frustration. While she had worked hard and dedicated her life to Kung Fu, the Panda had simply dropped out of the sky and had been chosen by Master Oogway as the Dragon Warrior, the title that all Kung Fu warriors strive for. Initially she found herself unable to acknowledge the Panda's existence, believing his attitude and approach to the world was disrespectful to Kung Fu and to who the Furious Five were, ultimately believing that he was simply a lucky Panda that was there at the right moment.

Her paw relaxed afterwards as her thoughts continued to wander. She had been proven wrong when she believed that the Panda was brought here by luck. His devotion to become something more through Kung Fu, the innate talent and skill he displayed within months that easily surpassed that of seasoned masters, was proof that he was not a display of luck. He was a display of destiny and of devotion.

Tigress settled down onto the bed, relaxing herself into a comfortable position. While she might have disapproved of Po at first, she appreciated that he had came into their lives. He had changed the Jade Palace for the better, replacing the usual tense atmosphere every morning with a more relaxed, humorous one. He had become a symbol of Kung Fu in his own right, and she found herself admiring him on several occasions.

Not that she would ever tell him of course.

A light blush colored her cheeks as she shook her head, clearing her mind from her thoughts. Her eyes slowly closed and she relaxed further onto the bed, feeling a state of peace that she had rarely achieved, and with a light smile on her face she gradually fell asleep.


While the rest of the Furious Five had retired to the kitchen - with the absence the Bengal Tiger of course - to enjoy the cooking of Po, Master Shifu found himself stroking his chin in thought, which proved to be a considerable feat with the current state of affairs in the kitchen.

As was to be expected, Monkey was elatedly and exaggeratedly telling the story of how he had beaten Tigress in the routine spar drills, using it as his trump card in his ever-growing challenge against Mantis. While both Mantis and Monkey were engaged in what could only be described as fierce conversation, Viper and Crane were more relaxed, sharing light conversation amongst themselves in a seemingly separate atmosphere, waiting for Po to finish his food and share it with the group.

"So, uh," Mantis looked towards the door, gesturing towards it with his pincers. "Is she coming? I mean, I know she got beaten by Monkey and all-" Mantis was interrupted by a severe coughing spout, bringing his pincers to his mouth to mask the sound. Amongst the coughing, the words 'as if!' could be heard faintly. "...but if she isn't coming, them I call dibs on her food!"

Po blinked, turning to look at the door. "She hasn't come yet?" He asked rhetorically to himself, though right on queue Mantis to answer with an loud "Nope!" Po sighed, returning to his cooking and allowing his hands to guide him in a fluent and skilled display of cooking. After several more minutes of waiting, the churning stomachs of the Kung Fu masters was sated when several bowls of fresh, steaming noodle soup was set before them.

"Eat up!" Po said happily, watching as everyone eagerly lifted their chop-sticks and dug in to his food. After several seconds of proud watching, Po took his own seat by the table, reaching for his chop-sticks and enjoying his meal. And yet, at the back of his mind, a lone wandering thought continued to make itself known - where was Tigress? While losing to Monkey might have been embarrassing to her, Po found her actions recently to be a little confusing.

Oh well, Po thought to himself, she'll get over it eventually. With a satisfied nod, Po returned to his meal with renewed vigor, blissfully unaware of his master who was staring at him thoughtfully. While mind reading was not a part of Master Shifu's skill-set, he was a good judge of character, and had spent a lot of time with the Dragon Warrior. With the occasional glances towards the door, Master Shifu easily fit the puzzle together, rubbing his chin in thought.

I wonder... Master Shifu mused inwardly. Does Po truly understand his situation?

Master Shifu smirked and shook his head, earning an odd look of concern and confusion from Viper, who had briefly caught her master's actions. After indulging himself in the cooking of the Dragon Warrior, Master Shifu moved from the chair and bowed respectfully to his students.

"I believe I will retire as well my students. Feel free to do as you wish - the rest of the day is yours."

Many of the Five and including Po, looked at Master Shifu curiously, bowing respectfully in response, saying "Thank you, master," in chorus. After Master Shifu turned and hobbled out of the kitchen, the Kung Fu masters bickered amongst themselves about what they were going to do for the rest of the day, with Po deciding to take a break and return to his room.

After all, sleeping comes directly after snacking in Po's land.


I am aware that the quality and length of the text may not be up to my current standards, but I've re-drafted the way I want this story to approach. Also, I am going to work on another story, but I will still give Trials of Fate my best - I will focus on the next chapter. Thank you for waiting!