The Battlefield
Tigress, Po, Lee, Mei, and Leo were ready for their departure into the battle zone. Miwa hugged Leo tight before he went. "Please come back safe," Miwa pleaded. Leo hugged back.
"I promise I'll come back alive," Leo assured. Meanwhile, Po was sharpening his katana when Tigra walked up to him.
"AH! Tigra! You scared me."
"Po... could I ask you some questions?" Tigra asked. Po nodded. "You and my daughter are dating?"
"I-I-I don't know what you mean," Po stuttered. Tigra silently looked at him. Po sighed, "Tigress and I are... dating now. We just confessed our feelings."
"And she returned them?" Po nodded. Tigra smiled warmly, just like Tigress. "Good. Another question. What do you plan to do when you face Wong-Hu?" Silence blanketed the air. Po's sword felt heavier than normal as he gently rested on the ground. He didn't speak. He folded his hands, stared off into the distance with a slight grunt, and blew a heavy sigh. "Whatever you do," Tigra spoke up, "I want you to remember that while you're the Dragon Warrior, you're also a Samurai. Samurai serve justice." She glared hard. He knew why. Hot rage hung around her. Po took a long breath and looked at the woman.
"I'll do what is right, Tigra." His eyes boldly stared up into hers. Tigra stood silent. There was no trace of fear, anger, or rage in his eyes. Life's heart still beat within, but Tigra couldn't explain what she saw.
"That's all I ask," She replied. She left the panda in peace while he and the others departed for the village at Mount Shang's bottom.
"So we have the troops coming behind us and the northern fleet, right?" Tigress asked.
"Well, yes on the troops behind us, no on the northern fleet. We can't wait anymore. We're just going to stop the attack and then wait for the reinforcements," Lee explained. Leo stopped in his tracks.
"That's...not a good strategy," Leo said.
"We have no choice," Lee sighed.
"Then we better hurry!" Leo darted off and the others ran after him. They reached the village in record time.
"That...was...very...tiring," Lee panted. Mei helped Lee up, giggling.
"Looks like you're out of shape," The orange cat laughed.
"I'm in shape. 'Tired' is a shape," Lee insisted.
"Um, guys? Can we focus on the mission here?" Leo said. The village was a little bleak and grey. Blackened brown houses in lonely stone streets were everywhere. The wind whistled loudly through the avenues, freezing anyone in its path, and Mount Shang stood proud, rugged, and tall behind the dismal town. The group just arrived when a loud roar sounded from the top of the mountain. Suddenly, people rushed to their houses and shut their doors and windows. "Well, looks like we're not going to be able to rest a little," Leo sighed. The group could see a mass of orange charging down the mountain.
"Lee, Tigress, you guys try and break some headway at the front. Leo, you go with them. Mei and I will stay down here and pick out any strays," Po instructed. The wolves and the tiger ran up the mountain into the snow. Leo jumped onto the first burly tiger he saw, speeding around the cat like a demon. Lee slashed through a heavily armored tiger almost with ease. Tigress pounced off from one soldier to another, punching them down into the snow. The mass of tigers was large, but Leo could faintly see someone distinct in the crowd.
"It's Wong-Hu!" Leo exclaimed pointing further back. Tigress could see Wong-Hu faintly. Po was right. She could hardly see him with all the snow. Lee's swords sliced through the shields. Leo slid and jumped over tigers, punching them out. Since he was a white wolf, he was hard to track for the soldiers. Tigress's strength was too much for any of the tigers. A horde of them charged her and she merely punched and kicked one after the others.
"Some are getting away!" Tigress shouted.
"Po and Mei will get them. If not Po then Mei will," Lee replied. Tigress jumped back, grabbed a sword and slashed right through a line of tigers. Of course, her sword broke after a while. "Whoa, that's some mad power." Lee marveled. Tigress leaped forward smashed right through another tiger's armor. When she lifted her head, a sword swung down on her. Tigress lept out of the way. There before her was Wong-Hu. Their eyes locked on each other. As the whole mass of tigers charged around them, Wong-Hu shook his head with a cocky smile.
"Amazing, now Tiger's sending women to fight me. The kingdom must be weak," He said. "Out of my way, child. I'm here for the panda. I don't have time for fighting a weakling like you."
Tigress growled, "Why don't you come and see how weak I am?" Wong-Hu swung his sword left. Tigress dodged it. She moved gracefully out of his swings. A tiger behind her charged at her back. Tigress quickly snatched the sword out of his hand, kicked him far away, and parried Wong-Hu's swing. The white tiger ducked down, grabbed the snow, and threw it at her. Tigress shut her eyes and quickly jumped out of Wong-Hu's swing. She had to listen and smell. As her sight returned, Tigress jumped over Wong-Hu and knocked the sword out of his grip. "Whoa." Wong-Hu took another sword from his back. He saw Tigress's smirk. "I didn't know my mother gave you such a big scar."
The white tiger widened his eyes. "Y... you're Tigra's daughter? She-" Then his lips curled into a long smile. Tigra was right about the unnerving smile he had. "You're the Jin-Min warrior, aren't you?" Tigress stayed silent; her sword still holding him hostage. "Then why are you fighting me? You know your prophecy. Even if you defeat me, you'll still bring glory and honor to the Jin-Min by destroying Japan. You know it's your destiny, what you trained for. Why prolong it?"
"You know nothing about me," Tigress growled.
Wong-Hu laughed as the horde around them cleared. Now there was just white snow all around them. "You don't think I know the stories of Master Tigress. How you were left alone in an orphanage and treated like a monster. I have done some sins against orphan children, but the crimes that people have committed against you seem insurmountable." Tigress lowered her sword, only slightly. "Even if you take me down, your legacy is still bound to being the warrior that destroys Japan. Whether I rule or you do, the story still stays the same. Why fight it?" Tigress thought for a small second.
"No, you've hurt too many people for me to ever join you." Her ear flickered as she smiled, "Plus, there's someone I want you to meet." Leo jumped over Tigress and took a major slash at Wong-Hu's chest armor, breaking it into pieces. Wong-Hu stumbled back, but Leo took a spear from one of the fallen guards and plunged it into Wong-Hu's arm. Leo was about to finish him off, but-
Sling
Wong-Hu clawed Leo's abdomen.
"LEO!" Tigress cried as Leo went down. Tigress picked him up and ran down the mountain. A few of Wong-Hu's men came to pick their leader up. The invasion was over and failed. When Mei and Po saw Tigress and Lee running down the mountain, they saw Leo injured in Tigress's arms.
"Quickly, get him into that house," Mei instructed.
Soon, Leo was bandaged up around his stomach. Tigress explained what happened.
Po sighed, "You guys are lucky you didn't get killed."
"Po, we were okay. If anything, Leo was the real menace here. You should have seen how he clawed at Wong-Hu," Tigress said.
"You did great, too," Leo muscled out. Mei gently pushed him back down on the bed.
"You promised Miwa that you would return unhurt," Po reminded.
"I promised that I would come back 'alive'," Leo corrected. Po grunted a sigh as he pinched his nose. Tigress rested her hand on Po's shoulder and smiled.
"It's alright, Po. We finished off most of Wong-Hu's men. Everyone's okay," Tigress said. Po went outside to look at the mountain. Tigress went with him. "What's wrong?"
"It's what Wong-Hu said to you. Do you have any doubt about your destiny?" Po asked with his eyes fixed on the mountain.
"I did... a little, but then I remembered the people he hurt. I couldn't do that. Even if the prophecy says one thing, I'm going to do what I need to do," Tigress replied. Then she leaned her head on Po's shoulder. "That and I wouldn't want to be against you in battle. It would tear me apart."
"But sparing is different?" Po asked, chuckling.
"Of course, I can beat you up anyway I want," Tigress replied. They both laughed. Then Po frowned.
"Why did you argue with me so much if you loved me?" Po asked. Tigress's smile turned into a frown.
"The truth is... I argued because I didn't want to seem...soft," Tigress said quietly.
"Tigress, the day you seem soft, is the day that Tigra is gentle," Po said, making her giggle a bit. "Just remember that even if you seem soft, that doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. I mean look at me," Po patted his belly. "And I'm Dragon Warrior and the Mighty Zaber."
Tigress smiled, "I love you." She kissed Po's cheek.
Po blushed, "I love you, too."
"Hey, you two get in here. It's cold," Mei spoke. The two went into the warmth of the little house.
to be continued.