A/N: And I am back! Thanks for the support, guys! You have no idea of how much each review and favorite means to me! Seriously; after posting a chapter I constantly keep checking my mail! So thanks!

And sorry for the cliffhanger. You know me.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

Long Lost, Long Hidden
Pour A Little Salt

Tigress felt like the first time the pandas had seen her. Everybody's eyes were on her and questions were flying through the air as whispers.

Why was she back?

What had happened?

Was it true what she had said about Shen?

Why did she return?

But Tigress ignored them, while Weimin walked towards Ning who was waiting outside her eyes while looking not so happy. Tigress sent her a calm glance and then made her way towards Ruolan's house.

Kiew had to be there, right?

Ruolan smiled to her when she saw her. "Tigress. You are back early."

She nodded. "I have to talk with Kiew before I go to the Jade Palace," she told him and looked through the room they were standing in. Kiew was not there.

"I think she'll be glad for that," the panda with the kind eyes said. "But did you send the letter?"

"Yes," Tigress answered. "But I don't know if they will believe it." She wondered how they would react when they saw her. She missed them; her heart was aching.

How long time had they believed she was dead? Had they hold a… Her funeral? Or just some kind of ceremony since they had not had her body.

"They will when they see you," Ruolan told the tiger. "Besides; they hope for you to be alive."

Tigress thought for a moment that it would have been more true of the panda had said that they had 'hoped'. If they had been doing that, then they probably were not doing it anymore.

Too long time had passed.

Tigress gave her a grim smile. "They are scared to hope too much."

"Understandable," Ruolan breathed out. "This is a miracle after all."

Seeing that she was wasting her time as she wanted to get to the palace, Tigress said, "I'll talk with Kiew."

Knowing that the panda she was searching from probably was in the room they shared… Or had been sharing… Tigress was not sure where her home was for the moment.

She entered the room without asking if someone was in there. Kiew looked up at her, clearly surprised, when she saw the tiger. The panda was sitting on Tigress' old bed and remained sitting as Tigress glanced at her.

"You are back!" Kiew exclaimed, but then squinted. "Why?"

"Because you and I need to talk," Tigress said and sat down beside her.

"Wow; you sound so serious. Like you are going to leave us. Wait; you already have," the panda spat and turned her back towards her.

"Kiew…" Tigress sighed.

The panda remained angry. "I don't want to talk with you!"

"But you have to," Tigress told her sternly. "Or else I'll just have to do the talking."

"You left!"

"I know," the tiger sighed. "And I will have to do it again."

"Then why are you here?"

"To make you understand."

Kiew moved around as if she was uncomfortable.

"I don't want to leave. Not entirely. A part of me just wants to continue living here. With you and the others. With you as my sister. Just to continue living as Nuo or Jia or whatever you want to call me. But I can't. Not anymore."

"But…"

"As a Master I have a responsibility. I have to make sure that China is safe; and I can't do that by staying here," Tigress told her. "And I also have another family, who thinks I am dead."

"I feel sorry for them," Kiew admitted. "But I don't want you to leave! I know it's childish; I am always childish! I know that I am supposed to act like a grown up because I am one, but right now I can't! Why was it so easy for you, Tigress?! In the second you remembered them, you were already on your way out of the house! And I just don't want to get left behind!"

Tigress sighed. She did not like how Kiew was looking at her. She was starting to feel guilty… "I am sorry, Kiew. But as soon as we have talked through at the Jade Palace, I'll come back to see how you are doing. I'll visit you as often as I can. And now, when Shen is gone, you are all free to go, Kiew. You can live in the Valley of Peace if you want to!"

The panda stared at the ground. "I just don't want you to forget me."

"I won't."

"Yes, you will!" Kiew exclaimed. "You will be out there, busy with being awesome, because you suddenly are a Kung Fu Master, and while you are fighting, I'll be stuck at home; washing clothes! And without you this time!" After her outburst, Kiew became very quiet.

Tigress moved closer to her as she wanted to comfort her. "It won't be like that," she promised. "Kiew, when I had lost my memory; when I had lost my whole life, you were there to build up a new one for me. You became my sister." She paused before saying, "And I still want my sister. Even though things may be different."

And so the two sat in silence for a while, both thinking and hoping.

Kiew was the first one to speak. "I would like to live in that valley. It sounds nice… and peaceful."

Slowly, Tigress started to smile. The panda caught her glance, and did the same. But suddenly, Kiew threw herself forward and pulled the tiger into a hug.

Tigress was shocked in some seconds, but then hugged back. "Thanks," she muttered. "For understanding."

"You'll soon be back, right?" Kiew asked her.

"Soon. And you can start packing while I am gone," Tigress said. "But maybe we should talk with Ruolan about it first."

"Why? She'll love the idea!" Kiew exclaimed. "She doesn't want to lose you too!"

Tigress let out a relieved sigh. At least now she would still have her panda family.

Family.

Before the accident the word had seem to foreign for her. Now she had two families.

How weird was that?

"You can't leave yet," Kiew suddenly said. "Eat dinner here."

Tigress was hungry, and she did not leave without any stuff again. This time she could plan the journey. "Okay," she said softly. "But then I'll have to go."

"So who are they?" Kiew asked as they ate. Ruolan was there too, joining the conversation as well.

"Who?" Tigress asked, a bit confused.

"Your other family," Kiew explained. "I want to know who they are."

Ruolan then said quietly, "I've heard of Master Shifu. He was Master Oogway's student."

"Exactly," Tigress said. "But Master Oogway is dead."

"Who's Oogway? Should I know him?" Kiew asked.

"Yes," her mother told her. "You should. I just ever told you about him since I didn't think we were going to leave the village. But he was the one who created Kung Fu."

Kiew raised an eyebrow. "Okay, that's big."

"Shifu is… He adopted me from the orphanage, but our relationship is… Difficult," Tigress sighed.

"Explain, please," Ruolan said while tilting her head.

Tigress thought about what to say for a moment. "I thought he was going to be my father, but he never acted like one. I tried to make him proud, but he never let me realize that he already was."

"He doesn't sound nice."

"Kiew!" Ruolan scolded.

"What?! He doesn't!"

"He made some mistakes, yes. But that was to avoid making other mistakes… He is just having troubles with how to be a father and a master," Tigress explained. "I'll talk with him when I come back."

Ruolan nodded slowly. "You often realize your mistakes when you lose something."

"Then there is Po. He is Weimin's son, and the Dragon Warrior; a title I thought I deserved. Even though he grew up in a noodle shop, he is a very talented warrior."

"I would like to meet him," Kiew said. "I mean, he is kinda family; he's a panda too!"

"And I am the leader of the Furious Five-" Tigress began, but was cut off by Kiew.

"That's a fun name. Why so angry?"

"It's not…" Tigress sighed. "We didn't choose the name, okay? But there is Viper, Monkey, Crane and Mantis."

Kiew started giggling. "You all have fun names!"

"They have real names… We just don't use them. Master Shifu always just called us by our species."

"Then why don't you have a real name?"

Tigress shrugged. "They never really gave me one in the orphanage. A tigress is what I am, so that became what they called me. Shifu kept calling me it, and then it just became stuck."

"I could…"

"No," the tiger quickly exclaimed. She did not want one of Kiew's new names for her. "'Tigress' is fine, Kiew. It's my name."

The panda scowled. "Okay."

"And they are your friends?" Ruolan asked, getting back to the subject about the Furious Five.

"Yes," Tigress answered and then turned towards Kiew. "You will like Viper," she told her, thinking of her second sister. "You share a lot of interests."

"I would like to meet her," Kiew said dreamingly. "And then you are running around, saving China?"

Tigress let out a short laugh. "You could say that. But yes; we do fight a lot of enemies and sometimes we will meet big threats. Like Shen."

"He was hard to kill, wasn't he?"

Tigress thought back, and suddenly the image of Po getting hit by the weapon appeared in her mind. "We all nearly died," she then revealed. "But Shen's death was an accident; we avoid killing as our main priority is to defeat them and give them their punishment."

"Shen deserved death…" Kiew muttered, and Tigress silently agreed on that. She would never be able to forgive Shen for what he had done. Never.

Tigress stood up, seeing how they were all finished with eating their soup. "I guess I have to find Weimin and get going," she muttered.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here for tonight?" Ruolan asked. "It's already evening…"

Tigress knew she was right; staying here could be a good idea. "I just don't want to delay it any further."

"Travelling at night is stupid. Besides; you have to think of Weimin. He is not as old as he used to be," Ruolan told her softly.

Kiew stared at her mother with widened eyes, but then a sly smile came to her face. "Oh, Weimin would be so mad if he knew you said that."

"It's not a secret."

"So? You still offended him!"

Ruolan sent her daughter a sharp glance. "I just told Tigress to be careful with him."

Tigress nodded slowly. "I will. You are right, Ruolan; I should stay and then first leave tomorrow-" She did not have the chance to finish her sentence as the door suddenly flew open.

It was Ning who stormed into the house.

Tigress, Ruolan and Kiew all rose from their chairs, sensing something was very wrong.

"Ning, what is going on?" Ruolan asked, but the doctor ran past her and grabbed Tigress by her arm.

"We have to hide the tiger!" she exclaimed quickly.

"What?" Kiew asked nervously, and she and Tigress looked at each other as they tried to figure out what was going on.

"Somebody entered the village," Ning breathed out. "Some strangers and they are not looking friendly. They said they were here for the tiger."

Kiew did not listen for more, but grabbed Tigress paw and tried to bring the tiger into their room. But Tigress refused and remained where she was.

"What are you doing?" Ning scolded her. "I told you to hide!"

"But I am not doing it," Tigress said sternly. "I am no coward. Who were they?"

"They are many," Ning told the others. "But the one who asked from you was a snake."

Now the choice was between Viper or the one who had…

"Was it a male?"

"Yes."

Tigress let out a small growl. "Then I know who they are."

"Who?" Kiew asked, but Ning pushed her away.

"There is no time for that! They are here to kill; and honestly I don't think they care if we others die too! I told Weimin it was a bad idea to leave the village! I told him!"

"They must have followed us…" Tigress muttered quietly. Who had seen her? She had tried to make sure that she had been alone in the shop… That stupid snake!

She then turned around and raced towards the door.

"Tigress, wait!" Ruolan asked and ran after her. "You are going to get killed!"

"I remember how to fight; I'll be fine! Stay here and take care of Kiew!" Tigress yelled back. Ruolan hesitated for a moment, but then closed the door.

Tigress raced through the streets, claws unsheathed so she could use them if necessary. That snake… She remembered him clearly and that was why she was going to beat him badly. He deserved it!

They had been the one who had nearly killed her! Who had taken her away from the Jade Palace!

They deserved her anger!

And now they were here to try and kill her again. Apparently they did not want to leave a job unfinished. But if they wanted a fight, then they should get one.

It did not take long time before she found them.

They were standing at the edge of the village; a big group of different kinds of animals. Weimin was standing in front of them; staring back at them. It was clear that he would not let them enter his village.

The panda was holding a staff and was using it as support. Tigress realized that their walk together must have made him tired. She started to feel guilty; this was not a good time for being tired.

Tigress growled as she placed herself beside Weimin, staring at the strangers with hate in her eyes. The snake from the battle was close to them; directly in front of them.

He smiled when he saw her. "Finally! We have waited in a long time…"

"Leave the pandas out of this," Tigress snarled. "Leave them alone and I'll go with you." She could just as well fight them another place than here. She just did not want her friends to get hurt.

The snake tilted his head. "That was the plan," Seh told her. "But now I just realize how perfect it all is!"

"What?"

"You sent a letter to your little palace," the snake taunted her. "Telling them that you were alive, where you were and who had saved you… And when you don't show up, they'll come and look here for you. And when they come, we do not only have you, but also the Dragon Warrior's lost family." He set his eyes on Weimin who glared back.

Tigress stepped in front of the panda. "You won't get any of us," she hissed.

"But if I remember right, my dear, then you didn't exactly win the last time," he hissed back.

"And if I remember right, then you kissed the back of my paw."

Seh's eyes narrowed; now he was mad. It was like his teeth were itching to be sunk into the tiger's body, filling her with poison. This was going to be fun.

And so he leapt at her, fangs ready.

A/N: And I'll leave it here. Muhahahaha! I am evil!

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