I had promised myself I wouldn't do it. My strength was feared and the orphanage leader may make good on his promise and leave something so dangerous as me with my original village, but I had to know what was going on. The loud, undisguised sounds of the children and staff rushing down the halls and out to where whatever was happening died slowly away and I looked at the door, iron and wood, made to keep me in. Whipping in a semicircle, I smashed a hard fist into the door, nearer to the hinges than the center. There was a wonderfully noisy smash of wood as my blow caused a huge crack to run and splinter both up and down. In result, the whole door collapsed to my feet and I stepped out of the wreckage, free again. Nobody seemed to really notice, for something, though I had no idea what was going on in one of the villages and they had no time to worry about me. Just in case, I slinked down the hallways in the shadows, before remembering that they would find out eventually, so I might as well run. So I did. I used the strength in my hind legs to bound past surprised people and out of the orphanage I had been held prison in. The noise and commotion was coming from the village with the huge staircase and palace, but when I headed there, all hectic was breaking loose.

Villagers were screaming and fleeing from the place. The people trying to come into the village to see what was happening quickly turned tail and fled. Most of the buildings around the place were demolished, signs of terrible anger throughout the damage. I could still feel the terrific amount of energy in the air from the level of hate and as I turned, something huge arced past me. I only saw it in a glimpse, but it headed up the stairs to the palace, and I knew it was what was attacking this place. I knew I'd never forget its eyes, though full of dominating hate and rage, full of anguish too. Something very wrong was happening here and I was smack dab in the middle of it. An awful racket was ensuing up the mountain and I worried about what was happening. Part of me wanted to leave this terrible scene and the other part wanted to see what would happen, call it curiosity if you will.

Finally, common sense took a better hold of me and I fled. I had seen quite enough. Going back to the orphanage, I saw with dismay, everyone waiting for me.

"What happened up there?" I asked, trying to distract them from the fact that I had escaped. It didn't work.

"Get back inside. There's a monster on the loose, much like you, and I prefer to keep one of them in!" the headmaster tried to usher me in and I snarled at him.

"I haven't done anything wrong so leave me alone!" At the moment, I was more interested in what was going on outside and I would not be ushered in! To my surprise, he did let me alone. Walking over to one of the trees, I curled up in it and waited to see what would happen next concerning this odd attack. I waited for a few days, but the villagers around me were even wearier than ever, probably from the creature that had done so much damage. Nobody really spoke to me and eventually, I resigned myself to the fact that I probably wouldn't know what had just happened and returned to my room.

A few weeks passed since the incident and I learned adoption day was coming up. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get another family, but then I could find my wolf, I could finally belong to someone who would love me, and I could leave this terrible place. They seemed willing enough to let me try to get adopted, but probably only because they knew nobody would pick me. Two times passed and the families who came to adopt came less often and nobody wanted me, always picking the others and shying from me as if I were a terrible monster. More alone than ever, I resorted to coming out at night to try and play with or get to know the other children, but that only increased their fear of me and mistrust. The staff even once tried to catch me with butterfly nets! Unbelievable.

Depression was sort of what I was in at the time, and it meant I wasn't hungry, thirsty, or tired. I felt nothing and for so long, I shut myself away after that, I could have been invisible. My dreams could sometimes keep me happy when I slept, but I soon grew tired of those too, for they were lovely things, but nevertheless, things I could never have. My wolf would never find me again, this I also resigned myself to. Visitors held interest to me, for I always hoped that it was someone, maybe my real parents, come to take me home. It was a foolish hope and one that I never put much faith into, but I clung to it stubbornly, for it was all I had. Even if I left the orphanage, there wasn't much the outside world could offer me. We all lived in this planet, but some of us walk alone, with only a shell of our past hovering around to make sure we're still here. Days, weeks, months, years, I never really knew how much time passed by. There was no way I could tell and no reason I would want to. People say you can sense the changing in the air. They are wrong. You know it in your heart.

Nobody really ever approached my room anymore except those who came to feed me. I had used to wander the halls at night, but when my depression set in, even the lambs had felt a little sorry for me and tried to coax me to eat more. For a moment, I thought my ears had deceived me and I glanced out of a crack in the door, seeing two shadows in a shaft of light. A stranger had visited the orphanage, and despite my initial lack of interest, I wondered what he or she was doing here. For a moment, a little spasm of fright made me wonder if the sheep had finally brought someone from my village to take me away. I could escape, but I didn't want to be hunted and I could never face my parents again.

"No one will come here to adopt a child because they're afraid of her!" the sheep wailed, "She's a monster! A monster!" No longer wanting to hear anymore, I retreated back into the corner of my room and turned away. Here, I was always judged, and even though I had allowed myself to be pent up in this room like a prisoner, I was still considered a monster, and that hurt. Feeling angry at myself, and just everything in general, I decided I was no longer Yan Ge. Never again would I sing for anyone, for nobody could ever love me. I was tiger, and so I would be tigress. Yes, I liked that. Wondering the point of such a life as a monster I had anymore, I thought regretfully that everyone I had met had been afraid of me, and sooner or later, that fear turned to hatred.

The twisting of the metal lock in the door and the widening stance, causing a shaft of light, made me start in surprise, but not quite enough to turn around.

"Tigress, I am Shifu. I am-" the voice began behind me, and I couldn't help being venomous.

"Afraid?" I interrupted with a snarl on my face. I didn't let the voice see it, but I was amazed that I caught no trace of fear from him, though my ability to sense emotions was somewhat dimming. He just had about him a trace of determination and strength. Yet, when I looked at him, I recognized him as the warrior who had defeated the foxes in the alley, and yet, he had used another name…

"Well you should be! I am Tigress, Tigress the Monster!" I snarled, for a moment, realizing I was venting my vehemence upon a warrior who really didn't know me and the door was closed, so now nobody was with me. As always… "The monster no one wants," I finished unhappily and turned away again. Nobody could ever want me, for I was a murderer, a coward, and my strength would always be dangerous to anyone I was around. For a moment, I remembered the warrior's strength, I suppose Shifu now, and wondered if it was possible that he was stronger than me from the way he beat the foxes. I could feel pent up energy inside him, and he had barely considered it an exercise to beat those foxes. Still, he was a stranger, and all strangers feared me…but I argued with myself, not him.

I felt a little spark of anger before he answered, but rather than agreeing, he opposed me, "You are not a monster! You are a little girl." I gasped and turned to him in complete bewilderment. Seeing him up close and actually studying him, I knew he did not recognize me from however long ago it was, or id he did, he didn't show it. Also, he had no claws, or long fangs(that would admittedly look creepy), and when he stood at his full height, he was barely taller than me, not counted his high furry ears that swiveled to each noise. While I was observing him, he seemingly fished from nowhere, a bunch of square pieces of wood and spread them in a semicircle. "Let u play?" he asked. I had no idea how to play with these funny bright colored pieces of wood, but I didn't want the only one who did not fear me and who wanted to play with me to go away. He may have been small, as small as I was, but he was so powerful and I finally had found someone who could be my friend for maybe a while. I secretly wondered why he had come in the first place, but I decided not to ask him that.

Carefully as I could, I reached for the small piece of wood and brought it up, but it was thinner and more brittle than I had originally thought and without warning, it snapped in half. I barely noticed it had broken by the time this Shifu had caught it. Amazed at his reflexes, I stared at him as he held the broken missile that just now, I noticed had nearly hit him. "You must learn to control your strength," he said.

"Will you teach me?" I couldn't help asking the question, and with a silent nod and a beckoning hand, he led me to an empty wooden room, with gaps so the sun shone in and beautifully too. His fur made him look a little bigger, because he was even fluffier than me, but not to be laughed at, yet his hands were so small and everything about him made me wonder what he was and how he had ever managed to be so strong. I had unusual strength for a tiger cub, but I would grow bigger, so it just made sense. I had reason to tell he was not about to grow any more anytime soon.

"Watch," he said, and began swaying his arms in a quick and powerful, yet slow and flowing movement, times with the air, and beautiful to observe. I tried, I really did at first, but one of my clumsy paws accidentally swung through the wall. Several orphanage-dwellers rushed away screaming, and I gave a small sigh of disappointment. "Focus," he reprimanded me, and despite that this seemed odd to watch, I knew it would help me, and for some reason, I trusted the small warrior. So, we practiced and practiced and practiced, and my muscles ached with the movement that he insisted I keep up in the same way, same height, and same speed for the whole practice, but I wouldn't complain. It was hard work, but it helped, and I didn't want him to go away.

Next, he led me to the doorway that was on the border of outside. He showed me the flat pieces of wood again, and I saw this time, there were only five. To my shock, he suddenly threw them up into the air and spun in a flip to the side, catching every single one. Differently than the fox attack, he used the flip in a graceful, balanced motion to use a powerful enough jump to complete the feat, and yet, carefully planned so he was slow enough for me to see and to land on the earth silently and calmly. As I stared at his him, he opened his hand, and I saw them suddenly arranged so they were all stacked up on one another. I couldn't help a gasp of amazement and wondered if he would let me try. I could not do such a acrobatic trick yet, but I knew how to catch. I could.

He seemed to notice and recognize the look on my face and threw them up for me too. Leaping high to catch the brilliantly sparkling trinkets, I opened my paw proudly to show them off, that I could do it too in my own way, but they were all broken. Suddenly furious at myself, that my paws so hardened from running on all fours and my muscles so strong and stronger from exercise had betrayed me, I threw the useless pieces against the doorway with a snarling fit of rage. "Again," he said and I glanced up in surprise. I had just broken his little shiny wood pieces and he wanted me to try again? "Practice," he told me and this time, I saw as he reached into his sleeve and pulled out another five of the square pieces. Though I was tired, I leaped and leaped and caught and caught, but the results were all the same. Pretty soon, he ran out of the pieces of wood and he said he would have more next day.

He taught me many tai chi positions to remain calm and balanced, but he also taught me kung fu for strength. "Friends will see your grace, but enemies will see your strength that way," he told me.

"What friends?" I had muttered and he glanced at me with what seemed amused resignation.

"You'll see." And I did see. We practiced all kinds of things, and by the end of the day, I was completely exhausted and yet, when I returned back into my room, the chains and stuff were all gone, the room with a hot meal and comfy bed in it. Candles were placed carefully around the newly furnished and cleaned room and I stared at him in surprise. How did this magic come by? "I have my ways," he answered my unspoken question and I smiled brightly at him. For a moment, I wondered where he was going to stay in the orphanage, but then realized he probably was returning to his home.

"Will I see you again?" I asked pitifully. I liked his teachings, but most of all, I liked him.

"I will be here until you no longer have need of me," he thought carefully before replying and I felt a small thrill and then, disappointment. If he taught me enough to get a family, search for my wolf, and for my parents, my life would be complete. But I didn't want him to leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I live in the Jade Palace with Master Oogway," he replied.

"Who's that? Aren't there others?" I wondered.

"Master Oogway is the originator of Kung Fu and headmaster of the Jade Palace. He is the great protector of the Valley of Peace. There were others in the Jade Palace before, but not now," he explained.

"Why?"

"Certain things happened," he thought awhile before answering, and I could tell he didn't want to be asked any more questions, and he seemed to have a trace of sadness hovering around him, and so, for now, I decided not to press him.

"Oh," I said instead. "Good night," I bowed to him.

"Good night. I will be here tomorrow at sunrise," he bowed in return, and walked off, though my eyes stayed on the door even after he had left. What a mysterious warrior he was…

The next day, he came right at sunrise, true to his word, and I was waiting for him. Days of this constant meeting continued, and in truth, I dove into this new life right away, though I knew it could not last. His demands were continuous and the work was hard, but I had been through rough times before and I knew it made me stronger and a much better warrior. An adoption day had already come and gone, but I didn't mind. I had to gain everyone's trust here and then maybe I would be adopted. He showed me how my strength was indeed very useful, but how to use my agility, speed, gentleness, and many other skills too. Though I noticed, the closer I tried to get to him, the farther he seemed to distance himself. At first I thought it was simply because he knew I would need to go to a family later, but I began to suspect it was something else, and though it didn't seem like a problem at the time, I was just naturally curious. A little over a month had passed since he first visited me and I was so close to my goal of becoming gentle and so much more. We had trained long and hard and though it

got very tiring after a while, I was generally pleased with myself and I could feel my muscles getting stronger, my joints more flexible, and yet I knew how to be soft and kind now. Everything was finally turning to be all right and I had just this morning, after Shifu made me do the exercise over and over again, had caught all the dominoes in perfect unbroken harmony. I wasn't sure how to feel exactly at that point, for I wasn't completely sure if I was finished or what. It turns out I wasn't, but when I saw what I was to do next, my excitement piqued. My teacher and my master, my friend explained what we were to do.

"You are ready for your final test, in front of the whole orphanage. Only a few kid will not be enough," he told me before I could admit my sort of stage fright with hostiles. "Do you know of the Sacred Pool of Tears?"

"No," I shook my head ruefully, for though I had traveled lots, I barely knew my location any of the time. Taking a little scroll of paper, an ink well, and a brush he had brought into my room soon after I had caught the dominoes, he showed me,

"This is how it looks like, but this image is also known as a yin yang. Everything has this inside them, for it represents how two things, so different, can be similar and connect, calling on one another for help. I think it would look fine out of dominoes," he commented and I began to get what he was saying after I stared at the pretty twirling symbol that looked like two fish.

"Okay, what are dominoes?," I asked, and he looked at me with mild surprise, before answering only those toys you have been trying to catch for over a month. Surprised at the weird name, I said in my head a few times and turned back to the task ahead. I knew I could do it, and filled with the anticipation of the orphanage's awe, I worked to perfection, passing over weeks and weeks to do so. Finally, one morning that he came, I just knew it would be the day, and it was. I reconstructed the image perfectly, or at least the way I determined was perfectly, made out of dominoes and such, but nevertheless, I had done it.

"You are ready," he told me and went off to get the others to join in the center grass piece of the orphanage. When they arrived, they looked a little frightened, but I absorbed myself in my work, and demonstrated all the grace and gentleness I possibly could. Soon, their gazes became awed and as I created the huge yin yang again, I flicked a domino to send them all over in a beautiful rippling, shining image. Several of the kids started to play with me, and I felt happy, laughing with them as I answered their questions and they taught me to play. We played many the games before I was slightly worn out and realized it was adoption day again. Though I had been here, waiting for a moment like this in months, I couldn't help wondering how I would pick the right parents to help my find my family and my wolf. Besides, what would happen to Shifu? He was a wonderful teacher and I didn't want him to leave. But…I knew that he must have been ready for it, for that is why he trained me, and I decided, if he could leave, so could I. Still, I would miss him.

The great doors to the orphanage opened, and though I was busy playing gently with dominoes and the kids, the grownups still took one look at me, and picked out the others. Disappointed, I gazed at the leaving backs, unwilling to believe this. I tried so hard, yet I would never be accepted. The sheep even looked sorry for me and tried to reassure me with the fact that there was always next time, but I wouldn't hear him. How could I? My teacher was gone and all my hard work had not gained me a single trusting adult…except maybe him. The sheep left soon after as I didn't move, but by then I had turned away and went to sit underneath a tree on the picnic table. I supposed they had not picked me for though I had been gentle, I was still a tiger, and if they guessed I could kill someone, they were right, for I had. Still, why did they always have to judge me so? Feeling dejected, I wondered really at the point of this, for nobody could really see how gentle I could be and I didn't really want to hurt anyone. Digging into a small pocket I had, I felt a small sharp corner and tugged it out.

With a sigh, I laid out the lone domino on the table and stared depressingly at it. This was my life. I was startled as a second hand came down and laid the second domino next to mine. Looking up into the face of my teacher and who I know considered a sort of father in more ways than any of mine before, I gasped, "Shifu." He was here, though I had no idea why, but I was so happy to see a smiling face that I simply didn't care. Maybe he would stay here and teach me more, and then I could get adopted. It would be harder to leave this time, but I enjoyed his company and most of the orphans had gone now, so I was mainly alone.

"Come, let's go home," he said and I puzzled momentarily over his words before realizing he meant his home and he was taking me back. A thrill of happiness and adrenaline ran through me and I felt excited that I could stay with him, and see the Master Oogway and the Sacred Pool of Tears. I would ask him to help me find my family and my wolf later, for surely he would be best at such things. He knew so much.

"Thank you baba," I purred and pressed my fur gently to him with affection. Surely, this would please him, but I felt a momentary stiff shiver run through him, and I wondered what might lay in the future, for though he had adopted me, had saved me from myself, he seemed to be getting colder and colder.