Servants of Love

Po put his jade staff on the side of the table as he ate. A full week of rest from trials, freeing people, and any other thing that could possibly go wrong. Po started eating the soy cubes that he found in the back of the storage cabinet. Due to the different situations and traveling, Po's stomach had shrunk a considerable size. He didn't really mind; it just meant that he would finally not hear Master Shifu that there wasn't anything in the food storage. The Master didn't need him at the time, and Po was enjoying his rest and relaxation. Just as he was going to eat another soy cube, he heard a squishing sound. It came closer and closer to him. Through the door came a water soaked Tigress. Tigress growled at Po's snickering face. "Stop laughing," She growled.

"I'm sorry. You have to admit you look funny," Po laughed. Tigress punched him in the arm. "OW! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. What happened?"

"Monkey was expecting you to fall for one of his pranks and it just so happened that I was there instead," Tigress sighed. "Do you know where the towels are?"

"In the cabinet," Po pointed. Tigress grabbed a towel and sat down. Po's eyes widened when he realized something. Tigress's vest, thanks to the water, clung to her body well. Po shook his head.

"What's the matter, Po?" She asked.

"Um... nothing," Po replied.

"So, there's nothing from the Master?"

"Nothing yet. I've just been enjoying the time of rest," Po said. Just then, Zeng came in with a message.

"A message from the supervisor of Northern China," Zeng announced producing a scroll. Po took the scroll and read it out loud.

Dear brother in the Master, Po,

Greetings from Northern China. The famine here has ended and peace is lasting longer here than the Jade Palace ever has. My beloved daughter, Lola, would like to say hi to you as well. I've told her much about you and she hopes to see you again some day. You will want to see her soon because she's growing up fast. I hope that you and Master Tigress are doing well. Even better than well. Wish to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Jiu Zhu, a.k.a. Tai-Lung

Po grumbled underneath his breath when he finished reading it. Tigress chuckled at Po's frustration. "I think he's just joking around," Tigress said.

"Since when did you start agreeing with him," Po muttered.

"I'm not. I just think you're making a big issue out of a small thing," Tigress smiled. Po grumbled some more. "Well, I'm going to go take a bath. Monkey's 'shower' only got have the job done," Tigress joked. Po laughed a bit as Tigress left. Po shook his head again when he found himself staring at her bottom again.

"I'm a perv," Po muttered under his breath. He decided to go to his room to rest a bit. He was trying to get his sleeping pattern back on track. The recent events left him sleeping in the day and up all night. Po went to his room and started talking with the Master. "Master? Are you there?"

"I'm always here, Po. Even when you do not hear me, I'm here," the Master answered.

"You gave me some knowledge about feelings. How reasoning and feelings should be balanced. What if you're in love? I know love is something you do and not feel, but... I'm a little confused," Po said. The Master was silent for a while before answering.

"Why are you confused?" The Master asked. "What has caused this confusion?" Po trembled nervously. Should he tell the Master? He had never told anyone about this before, not even his dad. Po sighed, deciding to risk it. It's not like the Master was going to strike Po down for this.

"It's Tigress," Po said, "Being around her has made me feel... nervous and itchy. I... I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe I need to spend some time in the desert again." Po could practically feel the Master smiling.

"Do not be afraid, Po. Love does not cause fear, but courage. It creates patience, not rage. But do not lust after women as men without morality and principles lust. Lust is the feeling of the body, love is the knowledge of the heart.-(Copyright (c) by Lion Warrior)" With that, Po nodded and left his room. He didn't feel afraid anymore. Tigress was his best friend. Why should he be afraid of her all of a sudden? Po walked over down the barracks. Just as he passed Tigress's room, she opened it wide to go to the bath. The problem with that was the assumptions she had. The Furious Five were down in the valley and Po usually slept around this time. So, Tigress thought that she could make it to the bath with relatively few articles of clothing on. She didn't want to haul a big pile of clothes from the bath and back. So the image of Tigress only in her underwear really paralyzed Po. Tigress, realizing Po was there, immediately shut the door.

"Sorry!" Po apologized. "I didn't mean to... AGGH!" With that, Po bolted outside.

About thirty minutes later, after Tigress was done with her bath, she decided to figure out where Po went. Tigress went to the barracks where Crane and Master Shifu were. "Have any of you seen Po?"

"Yeah, he was at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom," Crane said.

"Did he look... um... flustered to you," Tigress asked, wondering if something was wrong with Po.

"Actually, now that you mention it," Shifu said, wiping away crumbs on his mouth, "He did rub his eyes a lot and shook his head." Tigress sighed and rolled her eyes. She didn't think that Po would react like that. She then walked up to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. As she got nearer to it, she could hear Po mumbling something as he rubbed the temples of his head with his hands.

"Forget," He chanted, straining his eyelids, "Forget." No matter how much or how long he did this, he couldn't get the image of Tigress's half naked body out of his brain.

"Ahem," Tigress announced. Po jumped and turned around.

"Tigress!" Po started stuttering, "Tigress, I swear I didn't mean to-" She stopped him by raising her hand.

"It's okay, Dragon Warrior," Tigress replied. "It was my mistake assuming you were in the room sleeping. You didn't do anything wrong." Po sighed relief, but he could tell something was off. Tigress only called him Dragon Warrior for formal or when she was trying to be impersonal. Also, her ears were down and her whole body seem to sag just a bit. Tigress did not show a lot of emotions but Po had learned to pick up on what he could find. "I'm sorry if the sight of my body disturbed you."

"WHAT!?" Po exclaimed. She thought he was grossed by her? "You thought I was grossed out by you? No, you have an incredible, sexy, and hot body, which is why I can't get it out of my head!" Po blushed bright red when he realized what he had said. "I mean that in the most respectful way," He squeaked. To say the least, Tigress was shocked by Po's outburst... and greatly flattered by it as well. "I'm sorry, Tigress. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just didn't want you to think I was some creep," Po said looking at the ground ashamed. Tigress smiled.

"You're not a creep," Tigress said, making Po's head go up. "You're a kindhearted panda that sometimes makes mistakes. I would never think of you like that." Po sighed out of relief.

"Thank you, Tigress," Po said.

"May I sit with you?" Tigress asked. Po nodded as they both sat. After an awkward silence, Tigress asked, "Do you really find my... look attractive?" Po looked away nervously grinning and scratching the back of his head.

"Can we get off that subject, please? It makes me feel uncomfortable," Po replied. Tigress nodded, even though she wanted to know. "But yes. I did find it- find you... attractive," Po stuttered. Tigress smiled.

"Thank you, Po," Tigress said, looking down on the village below. "That means a lot to me." Then Tigress came up with a question. "Po, you said something about the Master that disturbed me when we were in Bol-Lat. You said that the Master was a master of war. I thought he was a master of love." Po sighed.

"The Master is both. He is a Master of love and war, but not in the way you think. The Master hates war, but he'll use it if he has to."

"When does he have to?"

"To protect those who are his," Po replied, "Those who are his servants, his people, and his creation."

"Wouldn't that be everyone," Tigress asked. Po paused for a moment.

"I understand what you mean Tigress, but think about this. With the Mongolian people, the Master used them to destroy the people of Bol-Lat for their evil. The Master can use evil to do greater good. Yes, even the Mongolians are his creation, but only those who will serve and obey the Master will be his servants."

"And what are those people like?" Tigress asked.

"They are kind and respectful, inclusive to all people. They are a highly moral people, knowing the difference between right and wrong. They are slow to anger, quick to listen, quick to help, and slow to speak. They know they are not perfect," Po said plainly and bluntly at that point, "but through their struggle to perfection, they make the habit of obeying the Master easier on themselves. They do not only do what the law tells them but understand why the law is there. They have principles. They are happy, joyful people that have a deep love for the Master and his laws, for the only person who is unhappy with the laws of the Master is the one who has fallen out of their love for him. They are lovers of the law, lovers of love, lovers of the people, and lovers of the Master. They are like his characteristics, like his discipline, like his truthfulness, like his faithfulness, like his love."

Tigress sat there amazed. "The more you are with the Master, the more enlightened you are," Tigress commented.

"Of course, respect for the Master is the beginning of wisdom. Those who do not respect the Master may have knowledge but they do not have much wisdom. A man without much knowledge can be very wise, and it's a little easier for me," Po said. "What I teach and say is not from me but from the Master. I'm simply the messenger." Tigress smiled.

"One day, I want to be a messenger for the Master, like you," Tigress said. Po smiled as he rested his hand on Tigress's shoulder.

"I think you already are," Po stated.

Continued...