Nope, I don't know Kung Fu Panda. I can only claim my OCs

Rao Shu means Forgiveness, and Xiao means Little/ Having respect for the elders

New Faces

She could feel something warm against her face. It was the kind of sensation that is pleasing to the body, and she thought for a moment that she had arrived in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tigress's eyes fluttered open and they adjust to the light, at the same time she gains feeling to her body which testified that she was nowhere near heaven. She never felt this much pain ever since their battle on the Weeping River, the fight against Tai Lung and his nerve strike or the time when she was blasted by Shen's canon. Anyway, she was glad that she's still alive.

She craned her head down and noticed the red blanket drapped over her , the thing that kept her warm. She removed it as she tried to lift herself up, ignoring her protesting body. When she was sitting upright, her orange eyes roamed all over the place, familiarizing herself.

It was just an ordinary household made of wood, with basic necesseties: a window was situated on her left, where she gazed through upon the wet environment outside; to her right, a small pale of water was sitting atop the table where a blood-stained cloth was hanging on it's rim, a little chest containing acupuncture needles like the ones Mantis uses, and a basket filled with many tools for medication; and on the corner of the room, there was a drawer. Her ears then perked towards the sound of cracking fire. She averted her gaze towards the open door across her, which she could see the kitchen beyond. A pot was placed on the woodstove above the fire.

Where am I, she thought. Someone appeared in her field of vision, putting more wood into the stove's dying fire. He possesed the figure of a warrior, sporting a brown shirt with black trimmings and black silk pants secured by a lighter-brown sash. His faded black stripes lashed across his white fur like expertly-made calligraphy. He was an animal unlike anything she saw.

White Tiger? Tigress had never seen another tiger with a different shade of color, but she was well aware that such sub-species exist.

She eyed him suspiciously, with all she'd been through, she didn't know whom to trust anymore.

"GAH! She's alive! She's alive!" someone bellowed, taking the tiger completely by surprise. She didn't notice the little mountain cat cub on the doorway who walked in. He is not more than ten years old, wearing a green vest and brown pants held together by a yellow waist band. He gave her a frightened look before backing way, and ran towards the older fellow. "Rao, Rao, she's live! And she's awake!" the mountain cat shouted as he tugged against his clothes.

Tigress' lips moved a mere centimeter apart while her eyes narrowed, clearly expressing her confusion.

The white tiger, known as Rao, paid little attention to the mountain cat and continued with his chore. "Quiet down, Xiao," he told the little cub.

The mountain cat cub, dubbed Xiao, leaned closer to the male tiger while fixing horror-filled dark yellow eyes on the south china tiger. "She's looking this way," he whispered spookily.

Now Tigress was even more bemused. Whoever are these people? What do they intend to do with her? Were they associated with those that attack her?

The mountain cat whispered more words to the older feline. She decided to avert her gaze, thinking that would keep the cub from freaking out.

"Pardon Xiao," Rao said, "he's doesn't do well in dealing with new faces." He scooped a generous amount of liquid from the pot and poured it into a cup held by his other paw. He walked towards the younger tiger and offered the cup to her. "Here."

She made no corresponding movement. Narrowing her eyes, she gazed at the offering suspiciously still unsure whether she could trust him. Tigress noted the many age marks on the white tiger's face, which through it,she estimated him to be between 50-60 years old. She also noticed that his eyelids were closed. Tigress immediately realized that Rao must be blind.

"Yes, I'm...visually impaired," Rao said as though he just read her mind. "And don't worry, you can trust me. There's no poison in this, I can assure you that."

Tigress sent him one suspicious look before stretching out her paws and grasped the bowl, bringing its brim to her mouth. She sniffed it's soothings aroma before taking a sip. As if by magic, her aching body started to feel at ease. She drank some more, making sure to mind her manners and little by little, the pain began to subside.

"Very effective isn't it? It's san qi. It was a huge relief I have some of it kept or else you'd suffer serious pain. They won't be available until the next two years." said the white tiger.

"Lucky you," Xiao said. "I guess you've chosen the right time to get battered and bruised."

"Xiao," Rao said with a warning tone.

"Sorry," the mountain cat cub apologized. He turned his attention back to the female tiger. "Seriously, you were very lucky. If Rao didn't happen to pass by, then he wouldn't have rescued you. He sure gave those bird brains a piece of his mind!" Xiao made a show of hitting an imaginary opponent.

Awe-struck, Tigress stared at the male white tiger. She honestly didn't expect anyone who had defects engage in combat; especially if one hasn't done any proper training. On the other hand, a person cannot be limited only to his phisical condition. Take Po for example. Fat he may be, but his far more skillful than her or any of the five. Maybe even Shifu, if he trains for a couple more years.

Shifu... Thinking about her friends and Shifu...it was awful. All her life she thought that she would be spending an entire lifetime with her fellow warriors, protect China from any sufficient threat, still continue her journey towards perfecting her skills, and...above all, what she really wanted all her life: get to hear Shifu those words-those four letter words!-someday. For now, she could only fool her ears that her adopted father was telling her, in a very tender voice,

"I love you."

Tigress felt a lump on her throat and her eyes started to bulge with tears. She quickly swallowed it down, disallowing her emotions take rule. Then suddenly, she remembered she hasn't formally thanked them yet.

"Thank you...for saving my life," she said softly, head slightly bowed.

"No problem," Rao replied. " I'll make more medicine for you for fast recovery. In the meantime, you should just lie down. " He retreated to the wood stove again and placed more firewood into the fire. "I hope you're warm enough. I have some more blankets in the drawers if you need some extra warmth."

"Thank you, but I'm fine," Tigress replied weakly, clutching the bed covers.

Xiao dragged a stoll near her bed and seated himself. He gazed with wonder at the tiger, his smile with his little fangs and the childish curiousity shining in his yellow eyes. Although, she felt slightly uncomfortable with it. "So, what's your name?" the cub asked casually.

She wasn't really certain whether to answer truthfully of lie. Gracious and kind these two may be, but that doesn't assure the thought of them to be foes. Still, there's no way a young one like Xiao to be involved in crimimal acts, nor Rao Shu, his far to good-hearted (based on his actions so far) to be anyone capable of misdeeds.

"Tigress," the female tiger replied.

"Tigress? What kind of name is that?" Xiao scoffed with one brow arching. "Isn't that what you supppose to call female tigers? Well, you are female so I guess it could pass."

Tigress scowled. Who in the world in this boy to insult her name? True, it wasn't the best the caretakers back in Bau Gu could come up with, but at least they didn't leave her unidentified?

"Still, that's no excuse. What? You're parents weren't creative enough?" Xiao jest with a chuckle.

"Xiao!" Rao warned.

Tigress looked away, sadly narrowing her eyes. "I don't have any..."

Silence.

The wind howled outside. The trees rustled and few red-orange leaves fell down from the their branches. Xaio simply stared at Tigress, his expression a display of sympathy and - as his lips breaks into a sweet smile - understanding. "It's okay," he said, eyes directed to the ground. "I don't too."

Tigress stared at the mountain cat.

Xiao's smile widened. "Yup, welcome to the club. I never knew my parents ever since I was little - well, littler." He added with a shrug. "Rao said that my mama died after giving birth to me, and baba left me under his care because he had something important to take care of, but promised to come back for me when it's finished. Ever since then, Rao took care of me. So, he's sort of my father now. Second father."

"You're quite fortunate," she told him with a chuckle.

"Uh-huh. I'm a pretty lucky kid." He grinned. "How about you Tigress; what happened to yours?" the cub ventured.

Tigress was unprepared for that questions. Though, it's very easy to answer. "I don't know."

"That's just sad. I hope they left a message for you at least. Did they?"

Her expression suddenly hardened. For some strange reason, she felt angry. "No...they didn't. Not a word. I don't know what their reasons are. Probably never will." She ended with a whisper.

"In time, Tigress, you will," Rao intervened as he entered the room carrying another cup of the same medicine he gave her earlier. He offered it to her and she accepted it with eagerness this time. "And you might be surprised at how great a sacrifice they did for you. Like any parent would for their daughter." She traced something strange in his voice as he uttered those words, somewhat erving. But she paid little attention to it.

He took the cup from her before making his way back to the kitchen again. Before leaving completely, he stood at the door and looked over his shoulder, particularrly at Xiao. "Leave Tigress for a while. She needs some time alone to rest." And then he left.

Xiao jumped from the stool and followed Rao.

Once the two were gone, she didn't lie back into the bed. I need to get out of here. But she couldn't do that now because her body needs time to heal. Plus her wounds...

Her wounds! Tigress checked her side and saw it wrapped in bandages, not the one she's been using over and over. And as she reaches for her shoulder, it was also covered by bandages.

Tigress sighed. So Rao had been treating her injuries; but since when? How long has she been staying in this place, being nursed by this pair of new faces? It could be days. But how many, exactly? She needed to leave immediately. There's no time to waste. Grateful she is to the kindness they've shown, but she doesn't want to linger too long for them to be a victim of her...bloody actions in the future...

That evening...

The moon was full, the wind soft, the stars like shattered diamonds in the sky. Tigress waited for Rao and Xiao to go to sleep before putting her plans to the action. She made sure to inform them of her gratitude by leaving a note over the pillow. She was subtle enough to ask Rao for a piece of paper and a quil earlier, making a pathetic excuse of wanting to do a little literature to entertain herself. He didn't seem to have suspected anything.

She folded the new blanket Rao had given her neatly atop the bed. Her body screamed of abuse but had no time to focus on that for she was in a hurry. She crept towards the door, the floorboards creaking beneath her feet despite her efforts of discretion. She reached the kitchen. Little embers remained on the stove. On her left, the door to the sala stood ajar, moonlight emitting from outside, washing the entire room with pure luminecence. She strode towards it, poked her head out to observe her surroundings before stepping outside.

Thankfully, the weather tonight is more agreeable. She will have no trouble, hopefully.

Tigress was ready to make a run for it when...

"You're not really leaving without saying goodbye are you?"

Tigress froze. She whirled towards the right, seeing an elderly white tiger resting under the cherry tree meters away from his house. Stunned to speak anything, she stood rooted to her place. Had Rao been waiting for her all this time? Had he known of her plan to leave?

Rao's closed eyes was facing the moonlit sky, his paws burneded with a long wooden staff. "You should have said earlier that you were in a hurry, it would have spared you the effort of trying to sneak past our noses."

She pulled herself together. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to cause you any trouble."

"Have you heard us say anything like that?"

Tigress looked to the ground.

"Well, did you?"

"No."

"No." Rao repeated with a slight edge to his voice. "You weren't causing us any trouble, Master Tigress. The only trouble you could have caused us is to have us worry about you the next morning when we saw an empty bed, not knowing that our guest had fled leaving us only a piece of note which it's only purpose is to tell us that she was grateful for our aid."

Her eyes widened in shock. Master Tigress? Did he just address her as Master Tigress?

Rao chuckled. "Don't be surprised. Yes, I know who you are and where you come from. Of course, I wasn't so sure at the beginning. But then I thought there can never be two Tigresses in China who became a well-know kung fu master and leader of the Furious Five." He added.

Tigress felt her eye twitch. She was suddenly reminded of the "other" Tigess who appeared in her dream; who was the one that convinced her that leaving was the only solution to her problem.

"You're a little far away from the Valley of Peace, don't you think?" he said, hastily changing the subject. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." She answered automatically.

"Nowhere? I never heard anyone on a journey to "nowhere"?" He said. "Were you on a solo mission?"

Tigress paused a moment before giving her reply, "that's one way to put it."

"Hmm. I'm not quite sure what you mean. But now is not the time to talk about it. Go back inside and well continue this conversation tomorow."The white tiger stood up from his position and headed for the residential building, brandishing his staff in front of him. "And I rather not have you running off while we're asleep, Master Tigress." He entered the house.

Closing her eyes, Tigress gave off a frustrated sigh. This wasn't what she planned her escape. She doesn't want to involve them in her problems, it should be hers to solve and hers alone.

Still, it's not like she has somewhere to go. She'll probably just keep on running until another threat to her life arises, maybe it would really signal her end. The last time was a close call, if it weren't for Rao Shu she would have died. She owed it to him.

She stole a glance over her shoulder towards the path between the trees yards away from where she was standing; before sighing in defeat and followed Rao.

The story takes a bit of a twist *wink*

R&R

Panax notoginseng is a species of the genus Panax. The scientific names for the plant commonly used are either Panax notoginseng or Panax pseudoginseng, and is most commonly referred to as notoginseng. The herb is also referred to as pseudoginseng, and in Chinese it is called (Tiánqī), Tienchi ginseng, san qi or sanchi, three-seven root, and mountain paint. Notoginseng belongs to the same scientific genus as Asian ginseng. In Latin, the word panax means "cure-all", and the family of ginseng plants is one of the most well-known herbs.

Notoginseng grows naturally in China and Japan. The herb is a perennial with dark green leaves branching from a stem with a red cluster of berries in the middle. It is both cultivated and gathered from wild forests, with wild plants being the most valuable. The Chinese refer to it as "three-seven root" because the plant has three branches with seven leaves each. It is also said that the root should be harvested between three and seven years after planting it.