A/N: And I finally updates. Sorry, but The Search For Golden Times got all my attention. It will probably happen again, so you'll have to be patient. I apologize, but I'll choke myself if I write to many chapters to this story at one time.

Did you know that Mama Lin wasn't originally planned to be in this story? I needed Win to talk with someone in chapter 2, and then suddenly Mama Lin came up in my mind. Now she is one of the persons that the story builds on. Well, sometimes a story takes unexpected twists and turns.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda and I make no money of this.

Shadows Of The Past, Opening Up

"Mama Lin?" Tigress asked but it was already too late. The thing, whatever it was, had already begun. The wolf had disappeared along with everything else. She was surrounded by nothing, a feeling that scared her. Never before had she felt anything like this. All the pain she had felt when she had been alone was nothing compared to this. The nothingness was worse than she had ever imagined.

And then suddenly, it was all gone. Or more exactly, things had appeared. She was suddenly back at the Jade Palace, back home again. But in reality, Tigress wasn't truly there. Her body wasn't, but her soul was. Even though she had no legs or arms Tigress could still move around.

As if the moon had called her Tigress came outside in the search of finding somebody. And she found that someone. By the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom a familiar old red panda was sitting. "Shifu…" But with no mouth, Tigress couldn't whisper his name even though how hard she tried.

Master Shifu was sitting at the edge of the hill, clutching his staff hard. His eyes were sorrowful and his ears was hanging, a sign of his sadness. Tigress came closer, her heart aching with her master's. She couldn't bear see him like this. "Master? Master, please!"

But he couldn't see or hear her. And that was when Tigress noticed the flowers. They were around the peach tree, their colors nearly drowning in the darkness. The realization hit her heard. They had given up. "Master. Master, look at me," she begged but to no avail. "I'm alive. Look at me; I'm alive."

Slowly, Master Shifu stood up and started to walk back to the palace. Tigress started to panic, she couldn't let him live like this. She had to show him that she wasn't dead. Suddenly, it just happened; she used the word she had never dared to use, "Father, look at me!"

Shifu didn't as much as look back. "Please…" Tigress tried, but then understood it. Shifu was here, but she was not. She was in the wolves' village, not here. That was why he couldn't see her, because she wasn't there.

With that feeling Tigress let herself fall back into the nothingness. But this time it was only for a short moment, and seconds later Tigress opened her eyes. "Take it slowly, girl. It must have been some of a travel." The voice belonged to Mama Lin who was leaning over her with the biggest grin on her face.

"What happened?" Tigress moaned, her headache killing her.

"You did it, girl. You did it. So, how was it?"

Tigress blinked a couple of times before sitting up. "Before I answer your question, could you then please tell me what happened?" she repeated, her voice hard and annoyed.

But, as Tigress should have expected, Mama Lin only ignored her, "Where did you go?"

"Back home to the Jade Palace," Tigress told her while rubbing the back of her head.

"And did you find what you was looking for?"

"How did you know that…?"

"Please, girl. If you hadn't known where to go then you would have been stuck in the nothingness. But your heart told you to go to the Jade Palace. Why?"

Tigress was quiet for a moment before answering, "I needed to know if they were fine. That they weren't hurt. But they… They think that I am dead," she finished, closing her eyes in agony.

"But you are not."

"But they don't know!" Tigress snapped at the wolf, "They don't know, and I need to tell them it."

"You know that you can't leave this place," Mama Lin said to her, frowning.

"I have to," Tigress told her and started to walk back in the direction of the village.

Mama Lin tried to grab her arm but the tiger shook her off. "Girl, you need to listen. You can't leave! You'll put us all in danger."

"Then at least allow me to send a letter where I tell them that I am alright," Tigress nearly begged, not wanting to give up her hope.

The wolf shook her head while looking at her with sorrowful eyes, "You know that you must not do it. If you sent them a letter then they will come searching for you. I can keep travelers away from the village, but not people who are actually searching for it. If they are determined to find you, then I can't stop them from doing that. If they find this village, then everything is ruined."

"I have to do something," Tigress hissed at her.

"Do you want to bring us in danger? Do you want Win in danger? No, I didn't think so. What you must do, girl, is to learn everything that you can. Defeat Shadow and defeat Mang, then you can go home. But not before that," Mama Lin told her.

"What about Master Shifu and the others? Shall we just let them keep thinking that I am dead?"

"We have to. Maybe they are miserable now, but try and imagine what they think when they see that you are alive!"

Tigress knew that Mama Lin was right. She had started her training here and now she couldn't stop it. She had to finish what she had started. Simple as that. But why could something simple be so hard? Keeping the thought about how happy her friends would be when she finally returned, Tigress nodded, "Then let us begin the training."

Mama Lin grinned, "Don't you think you had enough, girl? After my first soul-travel I was exhausted."

"Soul travel? Is that what you call it?"

"Do you have a better name? Didn't think so. Before you ask, then I can tell you that you will hear my story later. Not now; you need to rest. Patience, girl. That's the thing we could all use."

"So," Mama Lin started, "where did you get that?"

Tigress lifted her eyebrow in confusion, "What?"

"The stone. The necklace," the wolf corrected herself, "Not many bear an ordinary stone. You obviously don't prefer jades or gold. Why?"

"Win gave me it," Tigress told her and received a smile that she didn't like, "But that was long time ago. I lost it and then Master Shifu gave it back to me. That's what makes it special."

"I see. It looks good on you by the way," Mama Lin said before turning back to her breakfast.

"Thanks," Tigress said a little unsure. She had finally taken the necklace out from under her vest, letting others see it. Now she wasn't sure if she should hide it again. "So what are we going to do today?"

Mama Lin chuckled, "You sound way more happy about me as your master now. What made the change?"

"I want to learn. You are the one who can teach me. You was just not what I expected," Tigress told her while crumbling her bread between her fingers.

"What? Did you expect another Master Shifu?" The wolf went directly into the subject.

"Sort of," Tigress snorted, "You are not exactly a 'normal' master."

"Explain 'normal'," Mama Lin grinned, "You are right, girl. I am not like Master Shifu. But is that a bad thing?"

"It's a thing that you have to get used to."

Mama Lin sent her a questioningly glance, "You miss them a lot, don't you?"

"The Jade Palace is my home and they are my family. Win is a lot, but I will never be able to stay here. I just don't think he understand it."

"Win believes that you have a family here in him and his parents. The boy has never liked Shifu and he refuse to change his feelings."

"He should. Master Shifu has changed and so have I. We are opening up," Tigress told her.

"He adopted you, didn't he?" Mama Lin took Tigress' silence as a 'yes', "Do you know how you ended up in Bao Gu Orphanage?"

Tigress shook her head, "My earliest memories are from there. I have asked Master Shifu, but he didn't know everything else than a couple found me when I was a baby and brought me to Bao Gu." She suddenly froze as a thought entered her mind, "But what do you know?"

"Why do you think that I should now? I have only known you in a short time."

"But you knew that I was coming. Mama Lin, it isn't a secret that you have more knowledge than us. If you know anything about my past, then tell me. I have the right to know the answers to my questions."

Mama Lin was silent for a long time. "I know as much as you, girl," she finally said and returned back to her breakfast.

"I know how to find Mang," Tigress told her as she entered Win's room.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" the black wolf asked annoyed after falling out of his bed by the shock of Tigress' outburst.

The tiger shrugged, "It isn't my fault that you are still asleep."

"Who let you in by the way? My parents aren't home."

"It was you who said that I could always visit you," Tigress reminded him.

Win rubbed the last sleep out of his green eyes, "But that only counts when I am awake."

"You are awake now. Focus, Win."

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

Tigress sighed loudly, "That I know how to find Mang."

Win immediately widened his eyes, "Wait! What? How?"

"Leave that to me. I just need you to keep watch."

"Is it something that Mama Lin taught you? Can I learn it?"

"Yes, and no. When can we do it?"

Win lifted his eyebrow, "You are really serious about it, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. He killed Huei Woo, Win. Why should I not be serious?"

"Didn't mean to make you mad. Sorry. But, Tigress, are you sure that it is a good idea. If the others…."

Tigress cut him off, "You are backing out? I thought you said that you wanted to fight him?"

"I don't want to fight him. I never have. He is my brother and…" Win tried to explain but again Tigress was too quick.

"So you are not going to stop him?"

"I didn't say that, did I?"

"But that is what it sounded like. Win, if you are not going to help me then I will fight him on my own," Tigress told him, eyes flashing.

Win choked a growl, "You can't do that."

"Watch me," the tiger sneered and turned to leave.

But before she could go Win grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "Fine! I am going to help you. But we are going to think things through, okay? No rushing into fights you can't handle."

"And what makes you think that I would do that?"

"Well, there is your temper…"

"Enough said about my temper," Tigress growled but then relaxed, "So when are we going to do it?"

"Depends on when you are ready. After all you are the one who knows what's gonna happen," Win told her.

Tigress knew that he was right; the only thing she needed him for was to stand guard. The rest was up to her. "Tomorrow night. Meet me by the lake in the forest."

"So we are going to leave the village? Tigress, are you sure that…"

"Yes, I am sure. I am not going to find him, just trying to figure out his plans. It's not going to be dangerous."

Win shrugged, "If you say so. Can I go back to sleep now?"

"What made you so tired?" Tigress asked the sleepy wolf.

"Stood guard all night. People have begun to doubt Mama Lin's power. They are not sure of how good she is protecting the village. I and some others offered to give them extra security. I think I am regretting it now. So I see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow night," Tigress corrected him, "By the lake. You better not forget it."

Win yawned, "Don't worry; I'll be there."

Tigress gave him a small smile, "Sleep well, Win."

"Thanks. But please remember to knock next time."

"You are causing yourself too many problems, girl."

Tigress looked up, confused, "Excuse me?"

"I know about your and Win's plans," Mama Lin said as she walked around in the kitchen.

The tiger narrowed her eyes, "Are you going to stop us?"

Mama Lin shook her head, "I told you that I trusted you. I still do. It is your choice; I just don't think that it's a good idea."

Tigress flattened her ears. So much for 'your choice'. "I know what I am doing."

"If you are saying it," Mama Lin murmured.

"I… We are going to be fine. Trust me."

"I do, girl. I do."

A/N: I know that 'soul travel' is something different, but I needed a name for my weird travel thing. Hope you understand it anyways.

So my practice to my play started, so you have to wait some time before the next chapter. Sorry!