Chapter 10

"Master?" Her voice was little and timid, entering from behind him in the still air.

"Yes?" He turned slightly. She stood by the doorway, paws latched onto her arms, staring at him intently, maybe because she had nothing else to do, or she was afraid to say or do something he may have scolded her in the past.

"Are... are you still angry at me?"

"Angry?" He smiled a little. "Over what?"

"Me mentioning... him?" There was a sharp inhale of air after her sentence, and she immediately shut her eyes then, forming small tight fists. "I know it is not allowed..."

Shifu sat on his bed, and let his paw softly touch off the space beside him. Tentatively, Tigress crept over, climbed up, and sat beside him; no nestling against him, no holding of the paw, and he gave no invitation. "I'd rather you being able to talk to me," he said softly. "Rather than you holding these things in." The little tiger's ears flickered once or twice throughout his words, but she didn't look up at him until his took his pause. Furthermore, it was more of a reluctant move; Shifu felt that she did that because she had to, instead of wanting to. "You need to know how important it is to talk."

"But-"

"It doesn't even have to be me you talk to." He named off all the other people she could talk to. "You also have Po, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, Zeng the Messenger-"

"Sir Zhan and Ping?"

"Yes."

"Mei Mei?"

"She's a nice girl."

"Lei Lei?"

Master Shifu had to think about that for a second. "Ummm... maybe not. She is lovely, but she probably wouldn't... understand."

Tigress gave a quiet 'oh'. "I see." She added slowly, looking down at her lap. Her legs rocked back and forth a separate times, unsure what to do next. The sun was slowly beginning to drown in the distance, behind the closed window. Shifu made his way over, and opened the windows, and before he knew it, his room was bathing in the glorious, warm glow. He stood there for a moment, taking it in greedily. His paws still had hold on the shutters, and the whites in his fur embraced the sun set, feeding the not so colored parts of his face with a tinge of orange. "Master..."

"Yes?"

Her eyes moved up from her lap, without the feeling of being forced. "Can we try the move again tomorrow? The one from today?" She sat with a pensive look for a second, before piping up. "The... Phoenix kick, was it called? I know I can do it..."

Shifu smiled and chuckled a little. "Yes," he picked up the little blue boat, and placed it gently into her paws, "and of course."

Po and Li were able to get the basket out of Shifu's room later that night, and instead of putting a spare bed and laying it out in his room, Shifu thought it would be best for Tigress to start staying in her room again, due to unexpected... changes. Tigress was reluctant at first, but when Viper pulled her aside, and said that she would show her how to do basic make up and ribbon dancing after dinner, she quickly accepted the idea; and good thing too- Po noticed Shifu had a sore back; the low, stiff grunts and the simultaneous shuffle the old panda tried to hide failed him miserably. Shifu didn't have to say it, but this was due to sleeping on the cold, hard floor the before, and Po may a bit of an imbecile at times, but he noticed all the little things to make others happy...

The thought of feeling a more comfortable surface was pure bliss, as he walked in to find Tigress already asleep;

She was still holding the little blue boat, against her chest like it was the most dearest thing in her life. There was a ribbon on the bedside table, and a small little box in what he assumed was make up given from Viper.

He crept towards her slowly, holding his breath once he was inches away. Stirring in her sleep, the little tiger turned this way and that, and when Shifu whispered 'I'm here', she was calm almost immediately, as if his voice was a soothing melody that helped her sleeping soundlessly.

"Master Shifu?" It was Po; holding a cup of tea. "Thought you'd fancy some..."

"Thank you." Po tiptoed in, sitting on a stool close to Tigress' bed, watching the sleeping form with a soft smile. "She was so cute a little kid..." he chuckled softly. "What happened?"

Shifu shot him a complexion of shock, before he too chuckled. "Her destiny to grow and morph into a beautiful young warrior was set to take place..." His paw reached out and gently brushed his fingers along her head.

Po looked around. "A very neat and tidy Master might I add." Everything remained untouched since all the mayhem took place; no one in the Valley has seen Master Tigress in her state now, and he has heard of some villagers echo their concerns about her absence. Mr. Ping miraculously kept quiet about the whole scene, and with Li's help they only told villagers that she was on a mission on the Dragon Warrior's behalf.

"Yes..." Shifu's smile grew warmly. "To think that she changed from this frail little thing, determined to do her very best..." Po watched Shifu's movement slowly reduce its speed, until his paw was hovering over her sleeping form. Turning to look at his face, Po noticed his entire arm was shaking, and that his face was twisted into discomfort and pain. "Tigress..."

She watched him for what felt like a matter of minutes, but she soon gave him an answer. "Spots always got it right..."

"Master?"

"Mmmm, quite right old girl- you're far to skinny."

Tigress furrowed her brow, but her heart stopped running; Shifu could see the normal rise and descend of her chest. "You're not going to fatten me up are you?"

"Well we could..." Shifu remembered the look of horror on her face, but Tai Lung just smiled at her and ruffled the fur on the top of her head. "But you're a warrior in the making, starting now... what's your name?"

...

She clung to him out of fear, but once he stopped and coaxed her to open her eyes, and she forced herself to look and wave at Shifu, seeing everything from a new perspective. "Don't worry, you're in the safest of paws now, and I'll always have your back..."

...

There was a slight chill crawling along his neck, when he looked up at Oogway... who was sombre.

"Master..."

"Yes?" Shifu turned towards Po. "Is something wrong Po?"

"I was just about to ask you that..." The younger panda chuckled. "You seem a little... unsettled? Is everything okay?"

He exhaled deeply, long, and exhausted, hold his head in his paws almost hopelessly. "I don't know..." Peeling the palms away from his eyes, his continued to carefully fix his stare on the concerned panda. "Am I doing more wrong than I am doing right?" He asked, instantly feeling woeful and pathetic. "I don't know what I'm doing..." He looked up, staring out the window. That figure was back; back to give him the answer... only to vanish in a small cloud of smoke, but those eyes were were in front of him, a-lined with the stars that simmered in the calm and peaceful twilight. "Am I going in the right direction?"

There was short pause then he expected. "I think you are Master, don't worry." Shifu's ears picked up his ex-students voice. Turning his head to meet his large, kind green eyes, Po gestured towards the door, with his finger upon his lips. Granting himself the access to nod once, Shifu quietly made a moved towards the door, passing through backwards so he could watch Tigress' sleeping form remained in place.

Walking down the hall, Shifu and Po were side by side. At first they were in silence, with Po studying Shifu's face; which was twisted in worry until they reached the kitchen, where the rest of the five were waiting for them, drinking tea, and notifying the Dragon Warrior that his father, Mei Mei and Lei Lei had just left. The panda thanked them, and gently ushered the older Master to sit while he made more tea.

"How is she Master?"

"She's growing," Shifu knew to say his thoughts out straight; he speculated, judging by his time with Tigress; she was getting taller, skinnier, wider, then skinnier again, same size as Shifu, then an inch or two bigger than him. "This could mean she'll change again."

"Is this what happened the night before she morphed from baby to child?" Viper asked inquisitively. "I can recall catching onto the fact she looked a bit bigger than she was that morning, almost a toddler like height."

"Yes, but the same night, the Granter came back to me."

"In your sleep?"

"Yes. It praised various things about the progress being made, before telling me to 'Let down the reins, before things have to get drastic'." Shifu watched each of their faces fall one by one; Crane fell first, and the others followed after seeing the avian's reaction. Before anyone could ask him what was wrong, he ran out of the room, out of the bunk house.

They weren't far behind him.

Hope you like it guys! Merry (late) Christmas! Just wanna let you guys know that Caging the Bird has been updated so please check it out, and leave a review!

And thanks again those who reviewed my competition entry! I got first place! Wouldn't have been possible without you guys!

Ciao!