Yuan for Your Thoughts


Tai-Lung knew that Aku-Po wouldn't kill Tigress by any means. The snow leopard became bolder with the panda after learning his weak spot for Tigress. Why for Tigress? Tai-Lung's thoughts were interrupted when he realized that Aku was speaking to him in the kitchen. "Huh?"

"Dreaming about a girl, eh?" Aku teased, "I asked how the meeting with the emperor went?" Tai-Lung grumbled.

"He was... upset, in lack of a better word, about the idea, but right now he can't do anything about it. We've captured most of the Kung Fu warriors and masters around here.

"Ox, Shifu, Croc, Viper, Crane, Mantis, Monkey, Tigress. Chicken and Bear were captured the day before last. We have a full cage down there."

"The only person we haven't seen yet is Master Chao and Master Junjie, whom I think will be an interesting character. His students tend to be very organized."

"Yes, I've heard of Junjie," Aku-Po growled in anger.

"It seems like you've met him too," Tai-Lung said, noting his rage.

"He... tricked me," Aku-Po simply answered.

"Into going hungry or something?" Tai-Lung joked.

"It's... personal."

"It always is," Tai-Lung grumbled under his breath.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Tai-Lung didn't answer him.

"Why did you want us to pull away from the emperor's protection?"

"His taxes are much too high and they fund ridiculous things. This way, we'll only tax for crop insurance, for the orphans and schools to teach them, and only necessary supplies and food for the guards," Aku-Po explained.

"Hmm, that makes sense," Tai-Lung said as he stood up. "I'm going to stretch my legs, why don't you see if anyone needs you in the valley?"

"Of course, anything to get out of the balls of fur you keep laying around," Aku-Po smirked. Tai huffed and walked to the hall with Tigress's room. The two soldiers let him into the room where he saw Tigress meditating. She opened her eyes and immediately growled.

"Before you rip me apart again, I want to talk. Person to person," Tai-Lung said sitting on the ground and placing his back on the door. He lazily rested his left arm on his perked up knee. He tilted his head towards the glaring tiger. "How have you been?"

"That's not the question you wanted to ask," Tigress said, wanting him to get to the point.

"I need your help with Aku-Po. I want to know what, who, and why he's here," Tai-Lung explained.

"You want me to spy on him."

"No, but he's more... casual with you than with me," Tai-Lung replied. Tigress crossed her arms as she stood up and slowly walked around the room.

"And if I don't tell you what I know."

"Then I don't know it. This isn't me trying to destroy the panda. You and I both know it's weird that he's here and knows everything about us."

"He may be a fan?" Tigress guessed, not really helping with the snow leopard's investigation. Tai-Lung knew this would be difficult. "What do you really want to know about Aku?"

"Who is he? Because if he is who I THINK he is," Tai-Lung paused, "Then I've messed up more than I know. Plus, I know you want to find out why he treats you differently." Tigress was quiet as Tai-Lung stood up. "Look, you and I have similar stories. Shifu wasn't the best father figure but he did his best, considering his father left him." Tigress spun her head to him in surprise. "He never told you that?"

"I never asked."

"The point is that while I did do all the things that others say, you know that I'm nothing compared to Aku-Po. If anyone of the masters gets out, you all can overpower me, but even with all of us combined, we couldn't defeat Aku-Po."

"Why me?" Tigress asked with tension in her tone.

"You're brilliant. It was only Aku that figured out why you were snarling all the time. He cares for you particularly. And you can figure out things going on in a person without them saying anything. And none of that was meant to flatter," Tai-Lung said, taking a coin out. "So, yuan for your notes on the panda?" Tai-Lung smirked. Tigress sighed as she took the coin.

"He's Japanese and Chinese mixed if his name is any indication. He skilled in swordsmanship. His katana leads me to believe that he's been in Japan for a significant amount of time. He doesn't seem to be a... natural panda, though. The red eyes and slim figure aren't... healthy for a normal panda. Either he's a hybrid of some kind or it may be due to his powers. He knows how to read the past in people's mind, but... I'm not sure if that's completely true."

"What do you mean?"

"He seems to know the motives behind our actions, which aren't really conscious thoughts."

"So he can experience what people have been through, but not their thoughts," Tai-Lung clarified.

"That's the idea. It's hard to know. I know he's crazy, smart, bold, and blunt. However, from the gossip I've been hearing, he seems to want to convert all of the villains. He says he can see if a villain will ever change his ways."

"So that's why he hasn't killed me yet?" Tai-Lung guessed.

"That would be a logical conclusion. Although, completely changed is a different subject," She remarked. Tai-Lung rolled his eyes. "The point is the people he's killed have 'supposedly' been from without his or anyone's reach."

"So he's killed them."

"Exacting judgment."

"There has to be some kind of information about him on the bandit side of Japan," Tai-Lung said, thoughtfully.

"He must be new or something. Someone like Aku-Po couldn't have appeared in Japan or China unnoticed," Tigress argued.

"I'm surprised you figured out all of that," Tai-Lung mentioned.

"A master must be aware of all of her surroundings," Tigress replied with a smirk.

"Well, I'll have Aku send you some more ammo to throw at him," Tai said, walking towards the door.

"Ammo?"

"Fruits, of course," Tai-Lung answered. Tigress only rolled her eyes with an amused smile as Tai left.


"You're mean," Aku-Po grumbled.

"Come on, she was only trying to have fun with Fu. And besides, Fu hasn't eaten yet," Tai-Lung explained. The panda groaned. Why did the tiger become that duck's nanny?

"Fine. I'll give her some fruit."

"Fruit salad, remember," Tai-Lung teased. The growling panda delivered the plate of fruit to the Tigress's room. The tiger and duck were playing checkers when Aku knocked. Tigress's cheeky smile beamed.

"Fu, do you want to see something funny?" Tigress asked. The duck nodded excitedly. Tigress opened the door to see a sour looking panda. She glanced with a serious face at the plate. "I didn't ask for simply fruit, Aku-Po. I wanted fruit salad." Aku's right eye twitched, then he suddenly became very calm.

"I'm so so sorry ma'am, I'll fix that very quickly," Aku-Po sweetly said. He placed the plate on the floor. He then punched and mashed the fruit, splattering juices all over. He picked the fruit mash up and presented it to Tigress. "Fruit salad, shut up," Aku-Po muttered. It was silent for a moment, but Aku-Po's stern frown slowly turned into a struggling smile. Tigress snickered as well before they both started to laugh. Fu laughed as well, but he was the first to stop when he saw Tigress and Aku-Po looking at each other while laughing. "Oh, why do you insist on torturing me?" Aku-Po smirked playfully.

"You're fun to torture," Tigress playfully answered. Fu suddenly spoke up.

"Master Aku-Po? Can Master Tigress teach me how to do Kung Fu?"

"I can teach you."

"I want her to teach me," he specifically replied. Aku-Po rolled his eyes.

"I'll think about it," Aku-Po promised. Just then, Tai-Lung came rushing in with Big Wolf.

"We have a visitor that's turned the wolves against us," Tai-Lung urgently said.

"That quickly?" Aku asked.

"Scorpion. She's poisoned the supplies and made the guards follow her command," Big Wolf informed.

"You know the story of Scorpion?" Aku asked Tigress.

"Healer went bad by experimenting on herself? Yeah, I've heard of it."

"She's coming up the palace. I understand if you... do away with her, but what about the soldiers?" Tai-Lung asked, speaking carefully because Fu was nearby.

"I may not have to do anything. Have a table set up in the Hall of Heroes," Aku-Po commanded Big Wolf. "Tai, you're coming with me. I have to make a quick concoction." Then he turned to Tigress. "Stay here and be safe, okay?" Tigress nodded as the panda and snow leopard rushed to their positions.

"Master Tigress, is everything going to be alright?" Fu asked, pulling on her pants leg. She bent down and smiled assuredly at the duck.

"Everything's going to be just fine."

"And Big Wolf?"

"He'll be fine as well," Tigress replied, but she didn't know for sure about that.

Continued...