Good Sisters


Lily was coincidentally practicing her kicks early in the morning. She couldn't sleep in as she normally did for some reason and decided to be productive for once. She immediately understood why her mom would always practice early before the others. It was quieter. She kicked one last time when she heard a noise coming from outside. "Are you serious?" Said the noise. That sounded like her sister, Lei-Lei. The white tiger quietly walked up to the door and peeked out of it through a little crack. It was just a bit past dawn so there was enough light to see them.

"I'm not joking, there was no evidence after the spill," Lin the wolf smiled. The panda laughed.

"Wow, I would have never guessed," Lei said. "Well, I should get to practice."

"Don't hurt yourself, please," Lin said worriedly. Lei-Lei smirked teasingly as she kissed him on the lips. Lily's eyes widened as she backed away from the door. Her hand was plastered onto her mouth and she struggled to process what just happened. Lei-Lei and Lin were dating? But, why didn't Lei tell her? When Lei-Lei opened the door, she was greeted by a cross looking tiger with her arms crossed and jaw set.

"Hello, Lily. What are you doing up so early?" Lei-Lei asked, purely wondering why she was up.

"I couldn't sleep and decided to do an early workout. Then I heard some noise from outside," Lily explained with a calm yet agitating voice. The panda's eyes widened as she realized what Lily could have seen. "I saw you and Lin kissing. You two are dating, aren't you?" After a moment of silence, Lei nodded. "Lei-Lei, why didn't you tell me?!"

"Lily, I wanted to keep it a secret. You know how I don't like big displays."

"Yeah, but I thought you would tell me about it!" Lily exclaimed, feeling betrayed.

"It was... Lily, I can explain. Lin and I just didn't want to make a big fuss. You guys were teasing me all the time about him before I started dating him, and I didn't want the others to just tease us to death."

"I'm not worried about your relationship with Lin," Lily cried out, getting right to the point. "Why didn't you tell ME?"

"Lily... there are some things that I don't want anyone to know about. You should know I'm not big on telling everything to everyone."

"But you tell things to me." Then Lily's eyes narrowed further at the panda. "Does mom and dad know?"

"Well, Po figured it out and I imagine that Tigress will figure it out eventually. But I didn't tell them. They just found out. If I told you..." Lei-Lei stopped herself.

"What? What would I have done?" Lily demanded to know.

"You... probably would have told everyone," Lei-Lei said, seeing the tiger visibly and understandably upset. "But that's just because you're excitable. There's nothing wrong with-"

"So you don't trust me to keep things secret?" Lily asked. The panda couldn't answer. "I understand."

"You do?" Lei-Lei said surprised.

"Yeah, I understand," Lily replied. "I guess I just... didn't think you would see me that way."

"Lily, it's just who you are, which there's nothing-"

"It's alright. I understand," Lily sighed walking away. "I hope you and Lin have a good relationship." With that, she walked away with a familiar cold and distant stance. Lei-Lei sighed in regret.


The rest of the day went on very roughly. Lily and Lei-Lei were reduced to acting as if they were strangers living in the same house. Lin and Bao started to pick up on it as they found Jin talking with Lei-Lei at the kitchen table. "Okay, sis, what's up?" Bao asked, planting his hands on the table. "You and Lily look like you just met each other for the first time and are barely getting along. What's up?"

"She does seem solemn too," Lin added. "She resembles more of the Tigress I heard about when I was younger."

"Sit down, guys. I have to tell you something," Lei-Lei replied as Bao and Jin sat across from her and Lin sat next to her. "Lin and I are dating. We started dating when he told you he didn't like me."

"So you've been dating all this time? That was a month ago!" Bao exclaimed.

"Yes, and I'm sorry for not telling-"

"Is that why Lily's upset?" Jin interrupted. Lei-Lei sighed as she nodded.

"Oh, sis. How could you?"

"I just... you know how Lily is! I just... I wanted some privacy for a change," Lei-Lei burst out in frustration and regret. "Especially for this part of my life."

"She's your sister, Lei-Lei," Bao reiterated. "She's closer to you than she is with me." Lei-Lei sighed.

Meanwhile, Lily was trying to meditate in the meadows. It was quiet and peaceful, but she wasn't "YAAAHHH!" She suddenly screamed as she jumped up and started kicking some of the flowers. "HOW COULD SHE!"

"LILY!" Shouted a voice. The tiger stopped what she was doing and saw Tigress and Po looked at her mess. Lily gasped looking at the broken yellow and red flowers.

"Oh, I'm so sorry mom, I didn't mean to-"

"Lily, sit down. We need to talk," Tigress said gently. The white tiger sat between the two, glancing ashamed at the broken and squashed flowers in the meadow. Po gently picked up one broken flower.

"Well, now I have a new chore," Po sighed, throwing the destroyed flower aside.

"I'm sorry, dad. I... I was just angry."

"Yeah, normally you go to Lei-Lei for your rants," Po noted. Lily growled at the mention of her name. "Oh... you figured out about her and Lin."

"Yeah," Lily grunted. "I just don't get it! How could she not tell me! And all those lies about how I can't keep a secret!" Po was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"But you don't honey."

"DAD!"

"And I thought I was the blunt one," Tigress commented.

"Lily, whenever you're excited, you typically want to tell everyone. That's not bad, but... you have been known to spoil secrets. Now when its life and death, you're more tight-lipped than your mother. But you were obviously wanting them to be together. Telling you, you would have immediately shouted it from the rooftops," Po explained.

"She's my sister, dad," Lily sighed frustrated. Po nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, but if I remember correctly, YOU haven't told her EVERYTHING either." Po hinted. The white tiger's eyes widened.

"Crud, you're right! I completely overreacted! I have to find Lei-Lei," Lily hurriedly said rushing to find her sister. Tigress eyed the panda suspiciously.

"What was that about?"

"Remind me to tell you AFTER they make up with each other," Po said almost seriously.


Lei-Lei was looking at the village below from the Heavenly Peach-Tree. "Lei?" Said a well-known voice. The panda spun her head around and stood up excitedly.

"Lily! Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Lin and me. I just wanted some privacy and-"

"No, no, no, I'm sorry for overreacting," Lily sighed, "You were completely right in keeping it a secret. I... kind of did the same with my mom about Bao for a while. And you're right about me not keeping a secret when I'm excited." Lei-Lei took the tiger's hands in her own.

"Lily, don't ever think that because I don't tell you something that I don't care or trust you. Some things I just want to keep secret. And I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright," Lily replied. "We're sisters, right?" Lily smiled. Lei-Lei smiled back.

"The best." She hugged her in a close embrace. Then they traveled back down the mountain. "So... what changed your mind?"

"Well, my parents decided to talk to me," Lily nervously explained. Lei-Lei smirked.

"Ah, so you're apologizing out of fear?"

"No, no, they just made me realize that I shouldn't have expected you to tell me everything when I haven't told you everything," Lily explained.

"Fair point... Wait, what haven't you told me?"

"Nothing! So I'll meet you at dinner," Lily quickly said, rushing down the mountain.

"LILY!" The panda shouted as she chased after her sister. Sisters will be sisters.

The End