Nearly a year passed and I was still mourning my wife, but I no longer went out on my long journeys, seeking her. For the first few several months, I would constantly leave and come back without her. Oogway often sent some of the servants to keep a close watch on me, but I would always wait and slip away. Finally, after many, many disappearances, I decided to just wait. Poor Tai Lung had been broken hearted that I never was around, and when I said I would stay, he became overjoyed. Always, he tried hard to please me, so I would not leave him again, and it worked. Throwing myself into his training, I managed to keep the pain in my heart at bay, but nor banish it. I could never forget her.

In a way, Tai Lung saved me from myself. I had other duties and could not search for her forever. Now, I had to wait and do my duties. He was the only one to master the thousand scrolls of Kung Fu before becoming a master. This made me so proud of him, and reminded me that he was my son in so many ways, I was even prouder. He would certainly be the chosen one, the Dragon Warrior. I just knew it.

Lost in my train of thoughts, I almost missed the slight scuff on the wooden hallway. He was already up. Good.

"Shifu!" Tai Lung yowled with delight, leaping at me with outstretched paws. Dodging and back flipping, I shoved his flying body onwards with my legs before landing and turning to face him. Standing there, I chuckled at my student. He was still like a big, fuzzy, overgrown kitten.

"Stop acting like a kit. You're such a fur ball. Are you sure you're ready to be a master of Kung Fu?" I teased him, wondering if Ming Yue had our kit and whether or not he or she would ever be like my Tai Lung.

"You know I am. I will also be the greatest, the Dragon Warrior," he boasted, purring loudly. Beaming, I couldn't help agreeing. I wondered what great trouble he would save the village from.

"Let's go to Oogway," I beckoned him. Walking to the Sacred Hall of Warriors, which Oogway had created in our memory, I waited for my student to join me and simply told my master, "It is time."

"Hello my students," the tortoise calmly teased us, but I could tell he was trying to cover up a stronger emotion…fear…why? Maybe he was afraid of the enemy Tai Lung would have to battle once he was the Dragon Warrior. Focusing, I thought and wondered with amazement about the process of deciding if he was the chosen one. Oogway would recall his dream and see if his chi matched anyone in it.

Glancing toward my proud cub, standing tall and strong in the morning's sun, I too stood proud beside my master. Suddenly, Oogway's fear scent overwhelmed me and I turned curiously to him, still smiling, but nervously. Shaking his head softly, the tortoise turned away.

My blood froze for a single mistake and I wanted to ask him if there was some mistake. Tai Lung should be the one. I was about to protest…but he had been right about so many things before. Pausing with dismay, I glanced back in Tai Lung's direction. His fear and anger swept into my heart with a cold chill.

"I-ah-," I started, but finding now words, I could only shrug helplessly at the snow leopard and turn away. His anger built into a storm inside him, and Oogway left before I could ask him anything.

"Shifu, why didn't you tell him he was wrong?" Tai Lung whispered, shuddering with anger and dismay.

"Oogway is wiser than us all," I gently told him.

"To heck with that! I mastered the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu and I'm not even a master! All these years of training were for nothing?" he shouted angrily and I stopped at his words. Why was he so bitter? Hadn't we meant anything to him? Why on earth would he think his training was for nothing?

"Your training was not for the soul reason of fame! Besides, you are to be named a master," I growled at him.

"That's not good enough!" he spat.

"Tai Lung, you are not the Dragon Warrior. That is not my fault. If all our training meant nothing to you, then say so now," I snarled.

"Not your fault?" he whispered, but I could hear a savage snarl beneath it. "We'll see what is and what will be, starting with the destruction of the valley," he hissed. For the first time in my life, I was absolutely furious with him. Was he so selfish to believe that if he were not the Dragon Warrior, the Valley of Peace would crumble without one? Before I could snap back at him, he coldly turned away, and I went to meditate by the tree outside of the training hall.

Half an hour later, I could find no peace and was about to get up when I heard screaming.

"Aaaaagh!" a voice from the valley below surprised me and I rushed towards the gates of the Jade Palace. Before the ducks could open it, I felt one Oogway's footsteps approach quickly and I stopped.

"Shifu, it is as I have feared. Tai Lung's evil has overcome him. He wants the Dragon Scroll and is taking his fury out on the village. You must stop him!" he cried to me.

"But…I thought he meant the valley would be in danger without him, not that he would endanger it when he talked about the 'destruction of the valley," I murmured half to myself. Oogway must have been confused, but I was way worse off. "Are you sure?" I whispered.

"Shifu, I can tell when the valley is being attacked," he curtly replied.

"I can't fight him," I groaned. Why was he so obsessed with the power the scroll would bring him? How could he do this to innocent people? My son…was not the Dragon Warrior, but one of the evil shadows in Oogway's and my dreams.

"He will be most likely to listen to you. You must be the one to stop him," the tortoise insisted.

Sighing, I waved for the guards to open the doors. If I could get my student to listen, he would stop, and maybe everything could be all right again. Anyway, we'd never get into a real fight, would we?

Leaping down the stairs as fast as I could, I reached the valley. Scenting a little blood, huge amounts of destruction, but no death, I was relieved.

"Shifu!" the snow leopard snarled as he saw me and I waited. Was he going to stop?

"Tai Lung, you must not attack the villagers for our problem," I snarled.

"Alright," he growled and I loosened for a moment. Then, I realized he was racing towards me! What the heck? Speeding up the stairs much faster, I reached the Hall of Warriors, went through the spaces between the side poles. Standing beside Oogway at the Moon Pool, I glared at the front door. I had to protect the Dragon Scroll. He no longer deserved it. Now, I could see the darkness of his heart in attacking the villagers and me.

"Rrrhhhaaaooowwwrrr!"Tai Lung gave a battle cry, smashing right through the heavy gates. Crouching, he rushed towards the scroll. Hesitating, I waited for him to stop, but found he would not. No, this was not his destiny!

Leaping with my right leg outstretched, I aimed for a distraction kick, twist to the side as he countered, and nerve attack. When he woke up, he would either listen or be forced to listen to reason. But as I flew through the air, glaring and snarling silently, all those tactics disappeared from my head. Remembering the fuzzy little cub I adored, I knew I could not attack my son.

Stopping in midair, I withdrew my leg. If I had expected him to simply dodge, I was wrong. Growling loudly, he flicked my right leg with a turn of his wrist. I desperately wished he had meant me no harm, but in doing so, he made my left bend up at an impossible angle. A horrible white-hot pain shot up my left hip and flooded through my entire leg and side. Drawing back his fist, he punched me heavily in the face.

Gasping with surprise, I was flung through the air, flipped backwards several times, and rolled to a stop at the base of the stairs by the Moon Pool. My leg hurt so badly that I wanted to cry out, but in my shock, I could not. This was so much worse than attacking Tehn-Xiu, and I would have dealt with that a hundred times over than this. As my student continued his dash for the scroll he loved more than me, I could only breathe raggedly and lay, listening, as his betrayal broke my heart.

Jumping up to meet Tai Lung, Oogway pressed a pressure point on his throat with his staff and quickly rendered him unconscious with his nerve attack.

Still panting in pain, I flattened my ears. What had I done for my love to cause my son and I such pain? I was both angry and sympathetic with Tai Lung, further confusing my already dizzy head. My son had really been ready to kill for that scroll. If he had struck higher, he would have. That blow would have cracked my ribs and sent them straight through my lungs and heart. Even Oogway wouldn't have been able to help me then.

Grimacing in agony, I tried to push myself closer with my right leg. Finally, I pulled myself closer with my arms and reached toward him. Maybe he would listen to reason if I woke him up. Just as my hand reached his head and the base of his neck, I paused. No, he would never listen, and I would never see him again. The villagers would surely be shouting for his blood now. Whatever happened to him next, I could no longer protect him.

"Is this all his fault or mine?" I sadly asked Oogway.

"Shifu, listen to me. You have blazed a trail for him, given him hopes and dreams for an amazing future that you knew he may not have been worthy of," the old tortoise started and I hung my head in shame. He was right… "But he is the one who chose it."

"The villagers are suffering and it is my fault. I do not blame him," I answered his unasked question. After being friends so long, we knew each other's minds somewhat. The pain in my leg was becoming almost unbearable and I knew I was a bout to fall unconscious like last time I was attacked. Pulling closer, I heard Oogway take a small step and guessed he worried I was about to wake my son. Instead, I curled up with my head on his shoulder, and sank gratefully into warm blankness.

When I finally woke up, I was reminded of when Ming Yue was stolen, but things were a lot different in other ways. My heart and hip hurt so much. This time, I couldn't escape my broken heart, not even for Oogway. All my anger, fear, and pain, I calmly stepped into rather than shying away.

Nearly four months passed and the cracks in my bones healed, though not completely. I had to have an operation a while after my hip was broken because of the way it splintered and would had to be set. Now, pain would drive through my whole left leg whenever I put weight on it.

My master told me to exercise my leg, but I had lost the will to do anything that did not involve the task of living. Depressed and tired, I no longer trained, but sat alone in my room, molding to the dark.

Finally, something happened to arouse me from the gloom of life. Oogway's patience had finally snapped. This morning, he came into my room and sighed at me.

"Get up Shifu. I want you to visit the orphanage. You're taking this way too hard on yourself and you need to get out of your room," he growled.

"Why?" I snapped back.

"Fine," he sighed, "But you might as well go out and do something. People are starting to worry, including me. Go outside and stop acting like a damp mushroom," he snapped. Turning away without seeing whether I did as he wanted or not, he padded rather loudly out of the room, shutting the door loudly.

His harsh words stung me, and leaning heavily on my right leg, I got up stiffly, washed up in the washrooms, and limped painfully outside. Growling anxiously at the sky, I realized that this would take forever at my rate…not that I had anything better to do. Moving stiffly and sorely, I reached the village orphanage, near the outskirts of the village, by the time the sun was in the middle of the sky.

A sheep named Mr. Ying quickly opened the door and came out to greet me.

"Thank goodness you've come! We need your help!" he told me anxiously. Almost rolling my eyes, I was reminded of the irritating sheep Ming Yue, Baihehua, and I encountered so long ago.

"Yes," I said, urging him silently to hurry up and continue.

"There is a monster in our facility and we need you to get rid of her," he continued.

"Her?" I questioningly asked. What in the blazes was going on around here and why on earth were sheep so bad at elaborating, especially when they were frightened?

"She is named Tigress." No doubt what species this female was… "A couple weeks ago, her mother and father were murdered by bandits. A goose witness brought her to us, and at first she was no problem. Then, the students became terrified of her. Her teeth and claws are so deadly…you have to understand she could kill any of us," the sheep shuddered and I glared at him. Idiotic peasants…

"Have you tried talking to her?" I calmly asked.

"Yes, she says she just wants to play, but the other kids are so frightened of her. She must have done something…" he sighed.

"I would wait before judgment," I, rebuking, growled. The poor tiger probably only looked fierce…might as well sort this out before the town bursts into hysterics over a kit. As we completed our slow walk towards her room, I stopped at the hallway. Why did I smell metal…?

"She might escape…"Mr. Ying sighed, noticing my spreading fury.

"Even so, no little girl, however scary, should be kept in a room barred by iron and padlocks! She may be a tiger, but she is just a cub!" I snarled angrily. The sheep cowered a little at my rage, but managed to stammer.

"No one will come here to adopt a child because they're afraid of her. She's a monster! A monster!" he cried.

"Listen. Closely. To me! I am taking her to one of the empty rooms to deal with her. You and your employees are going to take away all the padlocks and bars, and clean and treat her room like you would any other," I hissed, glaring at him.

"But…" he started.

"Are we clear?" I warningly snarled.

"Yes…" he dejectedly sighed and left.

Taking the keys from him, I opened the door and stored them in a sewn in pocket in one of my wide sleeves. "Tigress, I am Shifu. I am-" I began to introduce myself to the sad kit curled up in the corner of her room.

"Afraid?" she interrupted with a snarl.

Confused, I shut the door from prying ears. "No," I said.

"Well you should be! I am Tigress, Tigress the monster!" she snarled and turned to me before realizing the full meaning of what she'd said. "The monster no one wants," she whimpered unhappily, turning her back to me again.

Furious at her so-called caretakers, I quickly intervened. "You are not a monster! You are a little girl," I said and she gasped in surprise. I could tell she was surprised that I, about the size of one of the bunnies and with no sharp claws of teeth, was not afraid of her. Searching my right sleeve, I fished out twenty-seven dominoes and spread them in a semi-circle by the time she looked at me. Picking one up, I offered it to her. She had probably never played a game before, much less with dominoes. "Let us play?" I asked.

Tigress tentatively reached for it and picked it up carefully. With a loud snap, it cracked in half and shot past my ear. Surprised, I lifted one leg and quickly caught it in my left hand. Trying to control my surprise at her strength, I realized that this was how I could help her. "You must learn to control your strength," I quietly told her.

Taking her to the empty large room as promised for use by Mr. Ying, I began to teach her flowing movements. They may have looked easy, but strength to keep the ease and flow of the steady motion for long was difficult, especially for the little kit.

"This game requires discipline, precision, a still hand, and a steady heart," I informed her, swaying my arms in a quick fluid like motion with the breeze. This would teach her agility and strength, important for battle. Pausing my thoughts, I wondered at myself. She was not going to battle! I was surprised out of my concerns when she accidentally slammed a paw through the wall when trying to rapidly copy my movements.

The eavesdropping facility and children of the orphanage screamed and raced away from the wall.

"Awww," she sighed.

"Focus," I ordered. After she got tired of that, we began with dominoes again. By the entranceway as I was about to take her outside, I showed her five dominoes. Throwing them into the air, I gave a quick spinning flip to the side, catching them all. Opening my hand to her curious eyes, I maneuvered them into a pattern stacked on top of each other. She gave a little gasp of amazement and I threw them up for her too. She jumped and proudly caught them, but held them all broken in her small paw. Furious, she snarled and threw them at the doorframe. "Again," I said. For the young tiger to get what she desired, she would have to learn discipline.

I left at the end of the day and Oogway didn't even seem to know that I had been gone. In my head, I vowed to train the little kit, but once her learning was complete, I must leave and let her find a home. After Tai Lung, I could not afford to make another mistake

with a child. The days progressed and I grew attached to the kit. It was two months later when the time had come to give her up.

We were practicing in the field that morning and I threw the dominoes into the air another time. "Again," I stated. When she landed and opened her fist, I felt a warm glow of pride from both of us surround me. She had finally caught them all. Taking her to her room, I drew a careful Yin Yang on the paper of a writing scroll. Showing her the beautiful symbol of peace, I explained that it was the also the shape of The Sacred Pool of Tears. I left out that Oogway showed me by letting me feel the ink of the drawing. A couple weeks of practice, and we went in the center of the village's grass circle to show them her new skills.

The others watched in fright for a moment, but after displaying her precise speed, beautiful movements, and carefulness, they became awed. Setting the dominoes down, she completed the large Yin Yang symbol and flicking one domino. They all turned into a beautiful image of it and they cheered with amazement. Several kids rushed up to start playing and congratulate her. Standing beside it, I backed off toward the door. It was my time to leave.

Deciding to come back in the evening and listen to figure out who adopted her, I climbed quickly into a tree. Uncomfortably, I realized I was sad for her to go. Reflecting, I knew that this was starting as with Tai Lung, but I could change that. Maybe I could correct my past errors with her. Shaking my head, I satisfied myself with the decision to find a student after she was adopted.

As the sun began to set, the doors opened and all the kids rushed out to greet their new parents. All, but one. Though the children loved her, the increased speed of her made her so much more deadly in their minds. Adoption time had passed…and no one had chosen her. Mr. Ying calmly reassured her and tried to lift her spirits as he guided her away, but I could feel her sadness and frustration.

Coming down, I heard him let her go to the center of the orphanage and sit on the picnic table. Walking through the doors, I quietly asked, "May I take Tigress home?" The old sheep brightened considerably and nodded.

Walking up behind her without a sound but my heartbeat, I heard her dejectedly set a lone domino on the table. Smiling slightly, I set mine next to hers, causing her to glance up.

"Shifu!" she exclaimed with a sweet happiness that touched me. Over the months, it seemed she felt connected to me like a father.

"Come, let us go home," I simply said, turning away. Her excitement and happiness spiked up high and she flipped from the table to run and join me. Grinning, I walked with her into the falling sun.

"Thank you baba," she purred and I stiffened in momentary shock. Unknowingly, she pressed her fur against mine. Sadly, I knew that I would have to be much stricter and detached from her than with my former student. But, feeling her warmth beside me, I felt a small glow of happiness.

It was almost night by the time we even reached the stairs to the Jade Palace, and unable to contain her excitement any longer, she raced up the steps. With an inaudible sigh, I slowly limped up after her. Climbing over a thousand stairs with my bad hip was not going to be easy. Eventually, she realized I was nowhere near as high as she was and she ran down to join me.

"Aren't you coming baba?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm just not very good at climbing stairs anymore. Sometime, I'll show you how to scale mountain though," I promised. That, I definitely was good at and could do on three limbs.

"I can teach you how to climb stairs," she brightened and I chuckled at her innocence.

"Tigress, I know how to climb stairs. I'm not as young as you are though and it's not as easy for me," I replied with a small smile. "You can run up I you like. I will join you," I told her, walking towards the side of the stairs. Curiously, she began to bounce up the stairs. Using my good leg to kick off and my hands and arms to pull, I dashed up the mountainside, reaching the top of the stairs just before her.

"Wow," she purred, sounding impressed. Turning, from her suddenly, I realized Oogway had joined us…and he was surprised, not to mention joined by four companions.

"When did you go to the orphanage?" he asked with surprise, and I realized that he had been gone the last month that I spent with Tigress.

"I've been going for the past two months Master," I told him. The little tiger hungrily took in all the sights and sounds and scents around her.

"Wow," she mewed again.

"Ah, Shifu, I see you've brought a friend. She will be happy with her four new playmates," he added.

"What?" I yelped in shock. Surely he didn't mean…?

"You never told me that you had already found a student. After the past month, I have found you four," he chuckled.

"Hi," Tigress eagerly greeted them and they began to converse as I stood, rooted to the spot in amazement.

"I can't train five students, Master," I quietly protested in a low voice so they couldn't hear.

"All of them are already experienced and have shown me great skill. You were always good at teaching. You'll be fine," he told me and I felt a little shudder of surprise. Tai Lung had not been what he could have been because of me.

"I could not set Tai Lung's paws in the right path," I sighed.

"Who's Tai Lung?" Tigress piped up and I glanced at her nervously. How on earth would I tell her that?

"He was a student," Oogway answered in a voice that allowed no more questions. Tigress seemed slightly put out, but then went back to talking with her new friends.

"Master-" I started.

"Shifu, I believe in you. You have learned from both of your mistakes and now, you can start over," he told me.

"Yes, Master," I sighed wearily.

Moving to the children, he began to introduce them to me. "Crane is seven and he is one of the best students from a large Kung Fu academy. Mantis is eight and he is protector of one of the villages up north. Monkey is seven and was a prankster with great skill, and

now uses it for good. Viper is seven and is a venom less ribbon dancer who protects one of the southern villages," he said.

"Tigress is eight and has extraordinary strength which I have taught her to keep in check," I told him with pride in my voice and a little praise.

So began my training with five new students. Though I loved them all, especially my little Tigress, I began to emotionally and mentally distance myself from them. I didn't even tell them about the Dragon Scroll yet. All this was in fear that they would become like Tai Lung, and I was especially worried about Tigress, who seemed to become more and more like him every day.

A week had passed and Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis had colds. I'm guessing it was from all the traveling with Oogway. Tigress and I were in the training hall. Of course, she didn't use Tai Lung's course. She was far too young! She used the dummy we first practiced on.

Meowing little, "Ha!" and, "Hiya!" noises, she flipped and kicked toward it before slamming a paw directly into its center. Her strength surprised me, for instead of swinging down and back up, it flew back to hit the wall. I shivered momentarily, remembering Tai Lung. Hardening my face, I remembered I needed to be as detached as possible. She gave a little happy noise of pride, but I forced myself to ignore it and look for the flaws.

Limping over, I used Ming Yue's flute that I had usually in her honor, to adjust her leg and arm quickly. Padding on, I shook my head sadly, wondering how I could possibly stop her destiny that seemed entwined with my son's. As I limped away to leave her to practice alone, I felt her hurt, sadness, and confusion trailing after me as she sighed.

Climbing up into the large tree outside of the Training Hall, I listened to the nature flowing around me to calm my racing mind. I must have fallen asleep, for when I woke up; Oogway was entering the training hall. Carefully climbing down the tree, I climbed up onto the roof to listen.

"Why are you upset Tigress?" Oogway softly asked and I flinched and her small sad sniffles.

"I know I should be happy and grateful that Shifu brought me here, but he doesn't seem to like me anymore. His eyes are so cold when he looks at me, and I don't know why coming here changed him so much. Does he hate me?" she asked fearfully. I sighed. She couldn't ever understand that I was doing this for the good of the village and mostly her. I didn't want her to feel the pain Tai Lung did or have to make his choices.

"No, little one. I'm sure he loves you very much. You once asked him about Tai Lung. He didn't want to tell you, but I think you need to now. It's why he does what he does," the tortoise sighed.

With a small groan, I wondered if him telling her would make things better or worse. Resigned to the fact he would eventually tell her anyway, I simply listened as he began.

"Tai Lung was a baby snow leopard that was orphaned and left outside the Jade Palace. Shifu took him in and him raised him. Now, there is a scroll called the Dragon Scroll. It brings great power to its wielder. The Dragon Warrior reads that scroll, and he will discover the secret to unlimited power. The Dragon Warrior is one of pure heart, and will stop a great evil from destroying the village. Tai Lung wanted to be just that, and Shifu loved him, believed in him, and told him he was destined for greatness. In a way, he raised his hopes too much. That is why he is distancing himself from you," Oogway told her.

"What was wrong with wanting to be the Dragon Warrior?" Tigress asked, sounding awed. I wanted her to be the Dragon Warrior, but I was not about to raise her hopes so much.

"The day I determined whether or not he was indeed the chosen one, and I found he wasn't. He did not match my prophecy. Shifu was sad, but he wouldn't argue with me. This sparked Tai Lung's rage. Kept from the thing he had fought so hard to achieve, and even kept away by his master was too much. He took his rage out on the village, though fortunately, nobody died," he continued sadly. "Shifu came back with me to the Moon Pool, which is where it is. Maybe I will show you sometime. Tai Lung burst through the door and raced for the scroll, and Shifu had to stop him…"

Tigress seemed very agitated now, and I realized she was frightened of what would happen next.

"He jumped at him, but he couldn't stop the son he had created. Tai Lung broke his leg and sent him flying across the room. As he jumped for the Dragon Scroll, I defeated him by attacking his pressure points. Shifu has never been the same since that. The betrayal of his son hurt him," the tortoise quietly explained to Tigress.

"I would never betray him," she protested sadly.

"Tigress, I'm sure he loves you, but his mistakes in the past stop him from showing it. You remind him of Tai Lung, but that is not your fault," he sighed.

"Then I will make him so proud of me that he has to love me," she growled determinedly, and I flinched. Tai Lung made me so proud that he always longed for more, and now, Tigress wanted me to be proud so she tried anything she could. Sliding down from the roof, I left them alone. She could never understand.

Over many years, I became extremely strict with them, continued to learn from my Master Oogway, and mastered all of the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu. Tigress never told the others about my past, and I never brought it up with them.