A/N: Hi guys, here's a somewhat short chapter. ^-^' But I will try to make the next ones longer. :) Anyways, enjoy!

"So… How do I look?" Bai Hua asked. She slowly spun around once. She had just received the new clothes that Tigress had told her she'd find for her; a red silk vest with golden vine patterns and black silk pants.

It was different from what Bai Hua usually wore – even despite her parents being tailors.

"It suits you," Tigress said with a smile. "It seems I made the right choice to give you these robes."

"What's special about them?" Bai Hua asked curiously.

"They belonged to me," Tigress said, a faint smile on her face as she shortly reminiscence the moment when Shifu had given them to her. "I have used them for training since I started – I hope you like them."

"I love them," Bai Hua said with a smile, Tigress returning the smile.

"Now, we should join the others," Tigress said and exited Bai Hua's room, the young owl following her new Master. Bai Hua was a little nervous about starting her training at the palace – she didn't even know how good Hui Dao was. What if he was better than her? That meant that she would have to train harder to keep up with him!

As the two made their way towards the Training Hall, Bai Hua told Tigress a little about her life before she came to the palace. She had told Crane about it on the way, but she hadn't told Tigress very much, despite her being the head of the Jade Palace.

"What did your Master think of you coming here?" Tigress asked as the two walked towards the Hall.

"Well, Master Yansu was fine with it," Bai Hua explained. "He told me that it seemed fate had big plans for me."

"And your parents?"

"They were overjoyed," Bai Hua said with a wide smile. "My father said that I was destined for greatness."

"Is that so?" Tigress asked with a chuckle. Kind of what Tigress had expected to hear. But she knew that time would prove this right or wrong. Finally the two came to the Training Hall.

Entering, the two found that Viper was teaching Hui Dao while Monkey and Crane were training themselves. Tigress quickly approached Viper, closely followed by Bai Hua.

Bai Hua was impressed with all of the training gear to say the least. The training gear they had had back in her local Kwoon was nothing compare to this. The Gauntlets of Wooden Warriors… They had had some mechanics similar to those, yet a bit different.

The Field of Fiery Death… Bui Hua hadn't ever tried a training mechanism like that, but she had heard about it… Yet, she didn't quite plan on getting all her feathers burnt off anytime soon.

And the other mechanisms… Bui Hua got a little nervous, seeing that they were seemingly able to kill her in an instant. Hopefully she'd get to start out with something a little easier.

"Oh, there you are," Viper said interrupting her and Hui Dao's lesson. She then noticed the outfit that Bai Hua was wearing and her face lit up. Hui Dao noticed as well, but simply raised an eyebrow. "Oh, she's wearing your old robes! They suit you."

"Thanks," Bai Hua said, sending the reptilian a smile. "So… What do we start with?"

"I would like to start by seeing how much you can already do," Tigress said calmly. "That's always a good way of finding out."

Eventually Bai Hua followed Tigress and Viper as they led her and Hui Dao outside. Once the four were outside, Bai Hua and Hui Dao positioned themselves to that they were facing each other with about two meters between them.

Tigress looked from Bai Hua to Hui Dao. At face value, the two were already very different… Now to see how different their skills were. Both students looked at Tigress, waiting for her signal. She waited for a few seconds… Then she eventually nodded.

Tigress knew Hui Dao well enough to know that he didn't know very much Kung Fu; only all the basics and a few more advanced moves, but it wasn't much. Having talked to Bai Hua, Tigress knew that the young owl did know… quite a lot more than that.

The two students kept their grounds for some time, then eventually Hui Dao made the first strike. The black cheetah jumped forwards with a punch, having his knuckles first.

Bai Hua knew the technique and easily dodged. Tigress noted that she was fairly fast; Hui Dao also seemed surprised. Bai Hua then made her own attempt to attack, doing a chop with her right wing.

Hui Dao, being a cheetah, was naturally much faster and easily dodged. The young feline stepped aside and in a dash he was behind Bai Hua. Hui Dao then repeated his attack, but amazingly Bai Hua was able to block it.

Tigress and Viper watched in silence, both somewhat impressed with what they had seen so far.

Bai Hua then slashed forwards with her left wing, which Hui Dao blocked, but then she struck with her right wing, just as the black cheetah blocked the first attack.

Hui Dao just barely managed to dodge by taking a short step backwards. Hui Dao then dashed to Bai Hua's side and managed to land a series of short, quick punches to her torso until she eventually blocked with one wing. Bai Hua then struck Hui Dao with her wing, hitting him in the stomach region, knocking him back.

Hui Dao eventually pulled a few feet back, then charged Bai Hua several at full speed from different directions, striking her every time he crossed her. But Bai Hua still managed to block every time.

"Enough," Tigress said when she saw that Hui Dao was growing tired from all the running. But at least it seemed that the training that the young feline had had this far had helped; when he started, he wouldn't have been able to make it this far.

"I have seen enough," Tigress said in a softer tone of voice as the two students stopped. They quickly bowed for one another, then bowed to Tigress and Viper.

"It seems that you know all the basics, Bai Hua – and a lot more as well," Tigress said calmly. Doing this, Tigress also noticed that Hui Dao didn't wait, but simply reentered the Training Hall, seemingly impatient. Viper shortly followed him and Tigress turned back to Bai Hua. "I believe we should start with… How long have you been training Kung Fu?"

"Since… Well, for a long time," Bai Hua said calmly. "All my life, almost."

Tigress nodded slowly. "Very well, I suppose we'll have to go over the techniques that you know."

"Is something wrong?" Viper asked Hui Dao as the two entered the Training Hall.

The black cheetah shook his head. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"… Never mind," Viper said after looking at his face for a while, trying to read his expression. But it didn't quite work; he was almost as stone-faced as she had seen Tigress be sometimes. "Let's just resume training."