Was I an outcast, a lone wolf now? It certainly appeared as if I was. The coyote family who had taken me in betrayed me as I betrayed them in a way which barely made sense to me. Tigress, my protector, who saved me as a pup, shunned me now and I knew I had hurt her so very much. The sting and red wetness on my muzzle hurt, but not as much as it did to lose everything I'd hoped for, dreamed for. And her cold eyes were there always there, in my head and my dreams and my heart. My life was hers.

"I cannot and I wouldn't if I could. Do what you will with me, I will not leave you again," Wolf dared to look up at me, but he changed instantly from his whimpering reaction of fright and dismay to a calm and steady lone wolf. Surely he was a lone wolf, he had never been anything else if that night so long ago he had truly been howling with coyotes. My fury was subsiding though I tried to recall it. After so much worry, he did not deserve my forgiveness. How could I after his lies, his willingness to stay with a pack that killed families?

Even then, I found with guilt, that was my fault too. If I had not lost the young pup to the river, he would have been with me and eventually came to the Jade Palace, I realized. As I looked at him now, I could see he was not such a scrawny young cub. I hadn't noticed as much when he arrived, covered in coyote clay to look like one of them and still quite small for his species. His long wiry legs tapered out to large feet, promising at least a little more size. Sincerity and endurance showed on his countenance and I knew I forgave him, but he could not stay with me. I knew where I belonged. He just had to find out where he did.

"You are a long way from any wolf pack I know of," Shifu filled in the silence and I could see a questioning look about him.

"I belong…belonged with the coyotes. I still owe a debt to them as my temporary family and they do not intend to be evil. Just a few dark souls reside within their midst. I did betray them anyway…"Wolf sighed, "I searched for a wolf pack once. They did not accept me and were too close of a family for me to just intrude upon. Let me come with you," he importuned, his eyes willing me to let him come.

"You don't even know our home. You were barely there…"Why would he throw himself into a life he'd never known, was so unnatural to him?

"I have nowhere else to go," he replied simply.

"My place is not with you," I firmly told him. It would be sad to let him go after wondering about him so long, but I still wasn't at ease with him and he would not belong. His life was so open to possibility, I could not take that away from him.

"Shifu?" Oogway made me jump as I heard his voice and I could see Monkey, Viper, Crane, and Mantis just arriving.

"It is time to return. Everything has been settled..almost," he glanced meaningfully at me. Shifu was right. I must settle this. As I watched him momentarily, I realized he was being less distant, but he showed no warmth toward me anymore. But I could deal with it.

"Find a wolf pack and be happy. They should be honored to accept you," I told Wolf and his reluctance and sadness pained me, but he understood I didn't want him and he could find a new life, free of the coyotes. After Shifu giving the alpha coyote a taste of his own medicine, I doubted they would be anywhere near here for a long long time.

"Good bye then. Do not forget me," he looked anxiously into my eyes and I knew it was important. If I forgot, he would feel it, he would know. I would not forget him.

"Good bye," I saw he knew the resolve in my eyes and he knew I would not forget. His body wavered as he turned his head, but he padded off on light wolf paws without looking back. As I watched, he moved farther and farther away, until distance swallowed my sight of him and I had let my Wolf go.

"Come, let us go," Shifu told us, but I wanted to wait for Wolf, to at least hear his howl once more.

"But Shifu…" I began to protest.

"From now on, Master Oogway and I will be referred to as 'Master', am I clear?" his voice was slightly distant, as if he had been reminded of something in the past as he had watched this go on.

"Yes Shi-Master Shifu," I finished and he turned from me, though Oogway glanced back to beckon us.

"We must return," Master Oogway told us and we fallowed, though at a slightly slower speed so that we could talk together.

"What happened?" Monkey was full of curiosity, but I shook my head.

"I would prefer not to talk about it."

"What was Shifu talking about the master stuff?" Mantis asked after a pause of silence and I shrugged. I knew perfectly well, but I wasn't sure I wanted to tell them yet. It would probably just make everything more confusing and hard than it already was.

"Maybe he's just having a bad day," Crane suggested.

"After listening to him, you'd think every day was a bad day," Mantis snorted.

"Maybe it is," I muttered.

"Well, it's certainly been a long day," Viper sighed and I didn't feel physically exhausted, but at her words, I just wanted to sleep so that I could avoid the complications of the living for at least a few hours.

It took a couple days of travel to reach the Jade Palace again and I found training, as it started up again, was still difficult, but getting increasingly so and we were struggling. Master Shifu became less of a father and mentor, but more as if he was in the emperor's army or at least, he was acting stiff and just mean…

I knew I couldn't bring him back to the way he was. Oogway couldn't or wouldn't visit often and I missed his friendly talk and I longed not to keep my tongue bottled up inside my head as Shifu tolerated our questions or even friendly conversation less and less. I began to wonder if sending Wolf away was the right thing, but I realized I was being selfish, and only missed him in this way so I had someone to talk to. Viper was friendly to me and so were the others, but we were finding it harder than ever to get any free time to talk to each other between learning how to fight, practicing, doing rigorous and extremely hard training, eating, and getting quickly into bed for a good night's sleep.

In an interesting kind of way, I hated the hard work and being around Shifu when he seemed always so mad and displeased, but I loved the almost out of body experience of fighting and constant motion of training. I was getting so much stronger and better, but I missed the regular village life and after the days began to dim, I was miserable. The only things I could look forward to were the long term, Shifu eventually looking like he was proud of me; and the short term, sleep. We were all looking forwards to sleep at the end of the day, retiring quickly to our rooms with little talk, exhausted both mentally and physically. We woke up early, but not too early that it would be dark out.

It had been a couple years before I realized the only thing I could look forward to was to make Shifu proud and I strove with all my might. I decided to tell my friends and training companions about the Dragon Scroll at least, but found I had to compete stealthily for it with them. We were not hostile with each other, but strove more and more for perfection nonetheless. Soon, I was immersed into what I was realizing was becoming my obsession, but I couldn't care less. If this was the goal of my life, then so be it. It's not like anyone here was going to criticize me about it anyway. I found a little spare time at night, and so I also found a special place after milling around the palace grounds.

I found the Pool of Sacred Tears. When I first saw it, I was annoyed I had ran up so many stairs for water and moss, but I found it was much bigger than that, in both a physical and spiritual way. I meditated there and found it calming. The waters were beautiful and I didn't dare to touch it, though I was willing to bet many had before me. I was up there the night that Wolf came back. "Aaawooooooo!

Aowwwwwwwoooooo!" He didn't literally come back. I had the sense he never would, but his voice reached my ears. He was very far away, I could tell, but I loved to listen to the sound of his voice. After listening again, I wondered why he chose to howl so close. What was he trying to tell me? His howls were beautiful and haunting, but I could not find words in them. Not yet. But I tried.

Do you think of me friend?

My voice to you I send,

But why do you remain silent?

I know I hurt you, I hurt me too.

But answer me so I know you

Are well my friend, are well.

The second song was the longest and I loved to listen to the beautiful melody.

I am dying friend, but you are silent.

Silent as night, do you not remember me?

Can you not come visit me?

They would not accept me, you did.

But you said they would, they did not.

I was too persistent, now I need you.

They have killed me friend, my one

Why do you deny me, I thought,

Thought you forgave me my friend.

If you cannot come, I will come

I am dying in despair, at least answer

Dying in black, in red, in pain, please friend, please.

Help me one last time, I promise.

I never meant to hurt you, but you've hurt me now.

The black is coming but I am faster. I will come to you.

I could not understand his songs, but I went up the next night, and there was no son. I waited and waited, but he did not call. Morning came and the whole day, I practiced badly and Master Shifu yelled more at me, and I paid for it, I did. But still he did not call. The next night I could barely hear it. He must be very far away. This time I heard a howl, his voice, his song; but this time it was different, and it was terrible and it was sad.

"Aawooo," a sad plaintive little howl from far away, or so I thought, accompanied by a few more that became breathless and ran out. It had never happened before and it never happened at all. It must have been a dream because I found I could understand it all.

Too late my friend

To Lupus I ascend

Thank you for everything.

It hurts it hurts

My love spurts

To the ground with my blood.

So close, so far

Look to the star

Of morning when I die.

I understood the words, but now I could not understand him. I must be dreaming, but I realized that wolf song must have special meaning and if I listened with my heart I could truly understand. In his song, I knew I would be able to understand from his words. I could not go see him though, not now when I had to try to continue my life as normally as possible. He would be fine, right?

He had to be. Years after that, I had not forgotten, and I sat staring up at the moon from the roof of our sleeping place. I had tried not to think of such things as I grew up, but only focused mostly on the present. Oogway had ended up telling all of us about the Dragon Scroll and the Dragon Warrior in more detail and I vowed to be that one. I was glad that even Master Shifu had began to believe in me and he too expected that I would be the chosen one, that I alone could bring honor to myself and my family, and make everyone else forget my past. I didn't know where Wolf was, what truly happened to him or did not happen, but I was sure I did not need him for this, and this was most important after all. I could no longer call Master Shifu baba or even think of him in that respect. He was simply my master now and nothing more. His ties had long been severed from any of his other students, but especially me. I might have seemed somewhat special to him now because I was sure I was to be named the Dragon Warrior, but I wondered if even after that, he would love me any better.

After what had happened with him and Tai Lung, I wanted to be his daughter and maybe if I could please him by bringing honor to my adoptive family and ridding China of this coming evil, he would finally be proud of me and love me. The day came when I knew something was different, I could just feel it in the air. Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Mantis were still asleep, but I was wide awake and ready. A brilliant shooting star blazed overhead and I watched its flaming white shape with awe. It seemed to promise a new light, a new hope, and I wanted it. As dawn began to rise and I heard the stretching and awakening of my companions, I dove off the roof quickly and raced inside, into my room, and waited until Master Shifu would come in.

It happened like this every morning and it was mostly because we needed "encouragement" to wake up very early in the morning. We didn't need it anymore now, because we naturally woke p this early, but it had become routine and so we were used to his presence. Right when the first rays of dawn began to shine through our windows, we popped out immediately, with a ,"Good morning, Master Shifu."

"Good morning Furious Five…" We were used to him addressing us so, since the villagers had nicknamed us that after all our battles and demonstrations and stuff. It kind of stuck and we kind of liked it, not to mention we didn't have any other collective name all five of us could agree on. "Practice as you will today." I flicked my ears up with surprise at that. We didn't usually get a day of practice we could run ourselves and I wondered what he was up to. As he left, we exchanged a few looks and nodded amongst ourselves. Unanimously, we decided to wait and fallow him.

As the morning progressed and we had trained in the Training Hall a while and did other private training alone, we gathered around noon and talked.

"This isn't like him. Suppose we just see what he's doing?" Mantis suggested.

"There's no way we can sneak up on him and get away," Crane reminded him tactfully, but I came up with a plan that might be able to get us off.

"What if we pretended it was an attack? How could he find fault with us if he thought it was part of our training?" I asked.

"You really think that will work? And should we trick him like that?" Viper added doubtfully.

"It won't have to be a trick, because we technically are practicing," I insisted. I had decided it would be a good plan, and I wanted to make sure everyone agreed with me. I wanted to know what was up and I couldn't just do this alone.

"Alright, who wants to try to track him though?" Monkey muttered and I mulled that over for a moment. If he didn't want to be found, he could leave and never be found again. I doubted he was doing this, but he could have a reason for wanting to be alone. I hoped there was no danger we didn't know about. He was a solo daredevil when it came to that.

He had made it surprisingly easy though and I realized that he didn't expect us to come looking for him and he wasn't trying to conceal where he was going. At first, as I tracked him to his bedroom, I paused and hoped he wasn't inside. He certainly wouldn't appreciate it is we jumped him there. No, his scent trail led to the training hall again, precisely where we didn't meet, and I could see him under a tree.

No, I heard him. Beautiful notes were shimmering from a flute, and I guessed hemust have gone back to his bedroom to get it. I wondered why he was playing, when I had never heard him before, but he would realize we were here soon, and to cover up our spying, we would have to act quickly. Frozen momentarily by the sweet song, I could feel the sadness in it and wondered if he was just feeling sentimental. Changing my mind immediately after thinking of like, the last twenty years, I motioned to the rest of the Furious Five to spread out. Monkey gave me a quick glance, and we darted off, hidden behind the trees. As the song seemed to draw to an end, I realized he did indeed know that we were here. He had the best hearing I'd ever seen…

Giving a tremendous and practiced leap from the top of the roof, I arced to the ground and raced on all four paws at him, though Viper got there first. Already, he deflected her with his flute, and as I attacked, he managed to defend himself with a sharp kick and keep going to fend off the rest of his students. Flipping back to my feet, I watched as the others tried and I aimed for a punch to either distract or catch him unaware. It didn't work, but he used an interesting method to deflect my attack and as I felt my weight behind the punch continue, he flipped me, so my momentum made me twirl harmlessly out of his path. Crane's attack was last and we gave it up quickly, pausing for breath as he stood in the middle of us. I wasn't sure if this was a ruse, so we stood prepared until he said, "Well done students…" Relaxing slightly, we punched our fists to our palms and bowed our heads in a signal of respect that he had quickly taught us. I was still surprised he thought it really was a surprise attack and hadn't known we had been trying to spy on him…

"If you were trying to disappoint me, Tigress, you need more ferocity," he snapped his flute to point at me and I lowered my gaze in acceptance. "Monkey, greater speed; Crane, height; Mantis,-" he never got to finish his lecture, for Zeng, our goose messenger had popped up next to him and spoke. He was quite alright, apart from the fact he was scared out of his feathers when he faced Master Shifu.

"Master Shifu," he tentatively said.

"What?" he snapped. He didn't enjoy being interrupted, or much of anything anymore…Anyway, he made poor Zeng jump with a squawk of fear.

"It's Master Oogway. He wants to see you," he stammered and I flicked my ears in surprise. This was very unusual and I hardly ever saw the old tortoise anymore. What could he want now? Master Shifu dashed off anyway, and Zeng nervously flew after him in his little frightened spurty jump flights.

"So…what now?" Monkey sat down and looked confused as I felt.

"Just wait for him to come back," Viper advised him and I gave a nod before sitting down myself. Mantis sighed and we sat for a period of silence. He would eventually come back and I wanted to know what Oogway had to say. I knew that if we were caught spying on him this time, we would be in a lot of trouble. So…we waited and waited, and when he did come, I knew there was trouble. I tried in my mind to think back and see if we had done anything wrong, but he didn't look angry at us…though, it was hard to know what he was angry at sometimes.

"What did Master Oogway want?" I asked him. I might as well, and if he didn't tell us, I wasn't sure what to do.

"He has learned that Tai Lung will return and we must name the Dragon Warrior. Meet us in the courtyard in half an hour," I could barely think of a reply, with my thoughts whirling in circles. I could be the Dragon Warrior and save us all! But if I did, I would have to kill his son, and even though Tai Lung had hurt him and I despised him for it, I knew Master Shifu could not forgive me if I did… Besides, he did not seem fearful of Tai Lung's impending arrival, only uncertain for everyone's welfare, and incredibly sad.

"Why don't we all go fight him? Surely all of us will have a greater chance of defeating him," Mantis suggested, but I already knew the answer. Besides, many had faced Tai Lung before and with others, that just made more targets.

"No, it is the Dragon Warrior's destiny to do this," he snapped before turning from us and heading off, I guessed to meet up with Oogway again. I was ready, I knew I was. This was the day I had been waiting for years upon years. We didn't really know what to say amongst us, but I sensed there would be a big presentation in the village if we were going down to the courtyard for Oogway to decide who would be the Dragon Warrior.

Half an hour later, I felt dizzy on my paws, but I went up on the roof of one of the buildings to wait.

"What are you doing Tigress?" Viper hissed in confusion and I responded, "Entering in style."

When I was chosen for the Dragon Warrior honor, I wanted to be remembered. Already, in so short of a time, almost the entire village population was here and we were waiting to begin, decorations flying everywhere.

"Let the tournament begin!" a pig boomed and I exchanged a startled glance with a few of my companions, who had joined me up here too. Tournement?

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace, it is my honor to present to you, Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, The Furious Five!" Master Shifu announced, and bunching my muscles, I leapt high in the air, back flipped in the rushing wind, and struck a quick balancing tai chi move. Flipping in an extraordinarily fast and flexible maneuver, I slowed my descent to land softly on one foot. Striking an attack pose, I flipped in a blur of feet, crouched dangerously, and stood with my fiercest expression. I was ready to win!

"Warriors prepare, ready for battle!" I watched with vague interest as Master Shifu announced my friends and they gave short but fancy demonstrations of their power. Finally, it was my turn.

"And finally, Master Tigress. Believe me, citizens, you have not seen anything yet. Master Tigress face Iron Ox and his Blades of Death," he announced. I had practiced this before, so with relative ease, I made a show of quickly dodging the spinning metal blades, and sending strong strikes to smash the contraption to bits. It could be repaired, and with a final flip, I twirled to dodge the last blade and kicked the Iron Ox's head off with a splintering crash. As I defeated it and everyone cheered, I heard a gasp and Master Oogway spoke.

"I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us." Finally! I was the last one to go, and in a sense, supposed, they had saved the best for last. I would be the best, the one to save our home, and bring peace to my father.