Short filler chapter. The plot thickens (finally) next chapter!


Chapter 4: Misunderstandings


The noonday sun nearly blinded poor Tigress as she tried to concentrate on the vixen before her.

Some time between yesterday morning and this afternoon, Master Phan had acquired a number of white bandages over her body. One layered in tape was patched below her eye; another was wrapped around about midway on her right calf. There was a number of too small wounds peppered on her face and arms. Part of Tigress was curious as to why she seemed so beat up, but the part that tended to quote Master Oogway most was indignant.

So quietly she stood, arms crossed behind her back; mind kilometers away from what Master Phan and Shifu were discussing. Beside her, Monkey whispered something to Mantis, drawing a loud snort from the bug. Viper shushed them both. Tigress would never understand just how Viper could get Monkey to listen to her. Maybe it was her sisterly nature…or her sweet smile. Suppose Tigress tried carrying herself differently; would anyone show her respect then?

"Tigress?"

Startled, Tigress quickly corrected her posture and stared into the concerned eyes of Master Phan. "Sorry," she said with a quick bow.

Master Shifu made to correct her, but Phan brushed way his words with an impatient wave of her cane. "Don't worry about it, child. Just try to pay attention from now on."

The glare Master Shifu sent her way went unnoticed by Phan, yet it sent chills down Tigress' spine. Just another thing that confused her about this fox… It was obvious she was an observant person; as a watcher herself, Tigress noticed that about her immediately. But small things—like Shifu glaring or Monkey sneering seemed to be lost on her. Tigress didn't know if it was a tactic or if the master truly didn't notice.

And that was only the first of her questions about her.

How did she know Master Shifu? Why had she arrived so suddenly? How was she so calm about things, yet her eyes told the story of someone who had had many awful things happen to her?

And why did it look like she was the only one who cared to understand Tigress?

Thirteen was a hard age to be—especially for a girl like Tigress. She didn't know what to think or who to trust or why this or that happened; it was a very exhausting time.

But this wasn't the time for her to become lost in thought. Tigress faced forward and let herself only think about the words coming out of Phan's mouth.


"I sort of like Master Phan."

The serpent's confession quickly drew stares—and one loud curse—from the other students. Tigress frowned, crossing her arms and leaning against the side of her bed. "Why?"

"Well," Viper said slowly, "I think she's nice. Caring, even. During training today, she asked me if I understand what to do—and even demonstrated my kata for me." Viper smiled sweetly; much to the disgust of Monkey. "I was really grateful."

"Get your head out of the clouds, Vi," Monkey snorted. He tucked his fists behind his head and sprawled on the ground. "Phan is an adult—same as Shifu, and adults only want to control you."

"You know, not everyone has the same opinion as you," Viper said crossly.

"They should. It's the truth, after all."

Mantis cut in before an argument could start. "What do you think of Phan, Tigress?"

The very question she'd been dreading. Tigress shifted her position, sliding up and down and back up until finally slumping against the wooden cot. She drummed her fingers together. "I think…I think I agree with Monkey. Not entirely—" the langur gave a sharp curse—"but…Master Phan is an adult, and she does seem controlling…" Now Tigress wasn't sure how to word her thoughts. She searched the ceiling for the right words. "Yet she's different from most adults. From most people, even. I don't know if I like her or not."

A silence had fallen among the other three students while Tigress spoke. All her sense were on the alert; completely unused to the attention. From the expression on her face, it seemed that she was prepared to bolt out of the room at the slightest noise.

The silence dragged on until Mantis gave one, two slow nods of agreement. "I never thought of it that way," he admitted, "but that's actually pretty clever, kiddo." Then he shot her a broad grin and Tigress, for once, felt perfectly in place with the people around her. She curled her knees to her chest and smiled, listening to the other speak. It wasn't a memorable event—all she did was give her opinion to her peers—yet it felt like Tigress had just become the richest person in China.

"Alright," Mantis was saying, trying to acquire a solemn tone. "Let's come to an agreement here. All in favor of letting Phan live in peace here, say aye. All who want to make her life hell, say nay." He turned to Viper.

The serpent smiled proudly. "Aye," she said, eyes flashing like this was the most important decision she would ever make.

Monkey didn't bother waiting for his turn; "Nay."

Three sets of eyes focused on Tigress. The girl straightened her back and puffed out her chest. "Aye," she said without a moment's hesitation. "She hasn't wronged me in anyway. She deserves my respect."

"For now," Monkey muttered, while Mantis pointed as his chest and gave a loud, "Aye."

The bug didn't seem apologetic as he hit the ground. "Three to one vote says Phan gets to live happily! Sorry bro," he shrugged. Tigress watched as Monkey sneered at him, then stood and strode briskly out of the room without as much as a word.

Mantis clucked his tongue at the simian. "Broody-Pants over there has the right idea. It's getting late." He yawned for emphasis, "And we have to get up early. You two should go to bed."

"Sure," Viper agreed, slithering toward him. Tigress rolled onto her knees and wished them goodnight; she climbed into bed and waited for the soft echoes of their footfalls to cease before sliding off her cot and pulling a scroll from under her pillow. All she had to read with was moonlight—there wasn't enough, but she could just make out the paintings on the parchment.

Slowly but surely, Tigress copied every movement of the kata. It was very complicated. Oogway had once told her that becoming a master was no easy feat. If she wanted it, she would have to work for it.

And boy did she want it.

Her ritual of practicing when everyone was asleep and been going on for weeks. No one caught her. Even if it meant being more tired then usual the next morning, Tigress thought it would be worth it.

A scroll she had snuck many years ago instructed a very odd method of strength building: punching trees. And not just any trees—iron wood trees. The information went ignored at first, but after a few more months of studying it, Tigress punched her first tree when she was a month away from being eight.

It had hurt.

A lot.

More than a lot. Tigress had never felt pain like it in her life. She fractured two fingers and a toe on the first night alone. There was one thing in the entire world Tigress knew hurt more, and that was the lecture Shifu had given her on immaturity and disappointment the next morning.

So Tigress went out again, fractured appendages and all, to punch those trees. Seven years later, she still went four times a week.

Tigress wiped sweat from her brow and carefully rolled up the scroll. Tonight was more successful than most; she was breathing hard when her head hit the pillow. She knew none of the other students did this. In fact, she was pretty sure not other thirteen-year-old in China did this. So why did she?

There were some things even she didn't understand about herself.