AN: This story takes place six months after the events of the first film, and after the holiday special. The events of any of the Secrets collection, and the sequels, have not yet taken place - at least, in my canon.
The sun rose early over the Valley of Peace, burning away the last of the morning mists from the tips of the tall mountains. The mountains themselves threw long shadows, stretching for miles. Down in the fields and villages, a biting frost still clung to every blade of grass; a visible warning that winter had not yet concluded. This warning was echoed in each shiver that ran down a farmer's spine, in the wisps of vapour that haunted each breath, in the crispness that accented the morning air. Winter still had its grasp on the Valley of Peace.
But not for much longer – for the trees at the Jade Palace were beginning to leaf out and gild the dark branches with green.
Shifu observed the new leaves as he approached the student's barracks. Leaning heavily on Oogway's staff – his staff, he often had to correct himself – he noted the first sign of spring with a small smile and an approving sound.
The New Year was surely fast approaching.
He wandered his way into the barracks, limping slightly from his old injury, aided by the sturdy cherry-wood staff left behind by his old Master. The damage to his limb did not bother him though; he was far more concerned with the minor noises that his sensitive ears picked up from each of the six bedrooms that lined the central corridor: a rustling of blankets was Monkey, trying (and failing) to fretfully smooth out any creases, a crinkle of straw was Crane adjusting his hat, and the gentle breathing of Tigress was all that betrayed her position as she waited just before the door. Po – judging by the loud snores – was still in deep slumber.
That was no surprise; despite all his time here, the Panda still had a track record of lazy mornings and struggled to rise as early as the rest of the Five on a daily basis. No matter, thought Shifu as he posed himself at the head of the corridor. Six more months and he will surely be in a routine by then.
The bell was rung; before its chime had even faded away, five of his six students emerged from their doors. With well-taught discipline, they all stood tall and recited their good mornings, but the sixth door remained untouched. From inside, Shifu heard the Panda grunt and roll over.
"Panda!" He called. He was ignored; Po only grunted once more and mumbled something in his sleep. With an impatient sigh, Shifu stalked down the corridor to throw open the final door. "Po! Wake up!"
A firm jab to the ribs from a long wooden staff caused the Panda to jerk awake and slip off his narrow, low-lying bed. He cried in pain as his head hit the wooden floor hard, and somehow tangled himself up in his blankets in his disorientation. "Ow! Uh – g-good morning, Master Shifu!"
"Get up, Panda," Shifu only croaked, disgruntled but not truly angered by his student's bad habits. "I have some important news to share before we start today's training."
This caught the attention of all: most of the Five turned to look at each other, a few brows were quirked in curiosity. Even Tigress – the most stoic of the Five – could not help but twitch her ears. Po blinked and scrambled up to his feet, escaping his knotted blankets.
Shifu turned and began to tread once more down the corridor, passing each of his students as he spoke. "Ever since the Dragon Warrior's triumph at the Winter Feast, I have made some decisions regarding the upcoming New Year Festivities." The Master stopped and turned at the head of the corridor. Each of his students eyed him with wonder and anticipation. He smiled grimly. "I have decided to give you all leave of the Palace the week surrounding the New Year. You are free to travel to your homes and visit your friends and family if you chose to, although you are always welcome to stay and enjoy the celebrations down in the Valley. The choice is yours – now! The Dragon Warrior needs to learn how to put his feet to good use. Jog a lap around the Palace, then join me in the courtyard to begin some stance training."
"Can you believe it? We get to go home!"
Monkey exclaimed in wonder as he ran along the winding path of the gardens, past the stone statues of the Masters, his four hands working faster than any two feet. Shifu's students were three quarters through their lap, and each step brought them closer to its completion. The end could not come sooner enough for Po; although the Five were well trained enough not to be affected by such a mere warm-up, it was enough to exhaust Po – especially so early in the morning and before breakfast!
"I know! We have been here for nearly ten years and not once has Master Shifu allowed us to go home for the holidays!" Viper exclaimed as she slithered between Po's aching feet with great pace.
"S-s-seriously?" Po gasped between large gulps of air. "Ah! Not – not – phew – not even once?"
Crane glided gracefully lower down to linger just over Po's shoulder. "Nope," He answered. "Not even once. Something mighty serious must happen for Shifu to give us time off. I mean – when was the last time one of us had to leave the Palace to go home?"
"I did – when my father was sick!" Viper said. She sighed blissfully; the stones that curved and cut beneath her scales did not bother her one bit. "I can't wait to see him again. It's been so long – and my sisters! I will barely recognise them! They were so little when I left to join the Jade Palace!"
"So – uh – that's where you're going for the New Year, Viper? To see your Dad?"
"Yes! They live in a village a few miles from here. My father is the guardian there; when he was sick, I was called home in case the worst happened and I had to take his place. Thankfully, he got better and I got to come back and continue my training! But, that was a few years ago – I haven't seen any of my family since!"
"Wow!" Po exclaimed as they turned the corner and began to climb the final slope upwards to the training courtyard. Po's knees began to shake with each step. "Wh-what about the rest of you? Are you all gonna go home?"
"Well I sure am!" Crane swooped upwards, barrel rolled and then caught a breeze that took him ahead with only a single flap of his long wings. "It'll be nice to see Mei Ling again."
"Who's Mei Ling?"
"His girlfriend." Viper giggled with a rattle of her forked tongue. Mantis and Monkey both joined in the laughter and the three shared a look of amusement.
Crane, after hearing this, turned his head sharply and inhaled a breath. "She's not my girlfriend."
"She's your crush then! Either way, you always get all gooey-eyed and panicky when her letters arrive." Mantis fired as he hopped onto Monkey's back. Another chorus of laughter roused from the group as he fluttered his eyes in mock imitation. Crane only rolled his eyes and flew a little higher, not partaking in their humour, his beak clamped shut. Mantis continued, "Anyway, I am definitely going to go visit my Mom. I haven't seen her in years either."
"Oh yeah?" Po was beginning to slow down now as the steps grew steeper and steeper towards the pinnacle of the hill. "Whereby does she live?"
"Oh – she's in the Huang-Lin Prison."
Po tripped over a jutting stone and nearly skidded to a halt against the stone. He was not the only one: Crane had to quickly dodge a low tree branch he had missed as he turned his head back in shock, and Viper was a split-second away from being treaded on by Po's stumbling feet.
"What!"
"Did you just say-"
"Your Mom is in prison?"
"Yeah! Haven't I told you guys?" Mantis replied nonchalantly to his friend's stunned looks. "She's been there ever since I was born, serving a life sentence for murdering my Dad. Ripped off his head – to be honest, that's how every guy-mantis wants to go."
"She ripped off his head?" Po was astonished and in the wake of this jaw-dropping news, forgot about his fatigue. His feet carried him without protest as he gaped at Mantis.
"Yeah, of course she did – do any of you know about mantis biology? Jeez – pick up a scroll sometime, huh?"
"Mantis, that's insane!" Viper exclaimed.
"No it's not, it's nature – Mommy Mantis eats the head of Daddy Mantis and the world keeps turning. It's just the circle of life!"
"You sure that's not just what your Mom told you so you wouldn't hate her for murdering your father?" Crane piped in, the earlier taunting now simultaneously forgotten and forgiven.
Mantis only shook his head and shrugged his tiny shoulders. "Of course not! It happens to everyone eventually."
"Nope! My Dad is very much alive."
"Mine too! Last time I checked, his head was still attached to his body – yow - blisters!." Po commented as the group came close to the gates to the courtyard. They were already thrown open in expectation of their arrival. "Guess I'm just gonna head down the Valley and spend the New Year there with my Dad. He'll be glad of it – he's thinking of bringing some new dishes to the restaurant and – I'm sure he wouldn't mind you guys having a taste – before – phew - before – you set out?"
Upon hearing this, Monkey hummed in thought. "Mr Ping's cooking? Ho-ho! Almost sounds worth staying – but! I am long overdue a visit with my grandparents. They will want to see some of my Kung Fu just to prove that this is not some great big prank!"
The group finally raced into the training courtyard and slowed their pace to a jog. Shifu was absent – but the doors to the dojo were wide open and chatter could be heard from inside. The group began to gather at the steps to wait for their master's arrival. Po leaned heavily on his knees, his legs once again shaking from exertion, panting excessively. "What about you, Tigress? You gonna – visit – your – family? Aw man, I need to get into shape!"
With that, Po finally collapsed to the floor with a wheeze, oblivious to the tension that now suddenly grew around him.
Tigress, who had been running ahead of the group on all fours, had not said a word since they left the barracks. She had reached the courtyard before any of them and stood up fully with her back to her fellow students. She did not turn around and instead stayed perfectly still, her face obscured. Her breathing, as always, was carefully controlled. The only sound that could be heard was Po's groans and complaints as he tried to catch his breath and developed a cramp in his right leg. The others paid him no attention and all looked at each other anxiously, waiting for the inevitable response.
"No," Tigress eventually replied after a long pause. Her voice – to the rest of the Five's surprise – was calm and collected. "I'll be staying right here."
An awkwardness fell – most of the Five turned their eyes to the ground. Monkey shifted on his knuckles nervously, and Viper pursed her lips. She gave Tigress a long, sad look. Po, who was too busy fussing with his cramped leg, did not notice the sudden change in mood.
"Ow – ow! Ow – are you sure? Won't they – ow – won't they miss you?"
Tigress clenched a fist.
At this, Crane bowed his hat. Mantis bit his lip and rubbed his pincers together, while Monkey visibly winced and cringed away. All wished that Po would sit up and take notice, but he did not see the stillness that Tigress held her body with. All he heard was her soft reply of:
"No. I don't think they will."
It struck him as an odd thing to say and as he finally turned his head to see-
"Students!" Shifu called as he emerged from the dojo's threshold. His students all leapt to attention. Even Po had enough discipline to struggle to his feet once again. "We shall begin with today's exercises! All of you, line up and follow my example. Today, we will make the Dragon Warrior wish he had never been born!"
"Too late for that." muttered Mantis.
While the morning rose early, evening settled in late.
The temperature plummeted as the sky deepened to an inky blue and the stars burst into the sky in their thousands. Candles were lit to fight away the growing dark, for the moon was only a silver crescent and provided very little glow. Yet still, the sky was clear and the night was still. Not a sound could be heard – except for the occasional groan and whimper of a certain Panda.
"Man, Tigress was definitely not pulling any punches today!" He commented as he rubbed a sore spot on his arm, where a bruise was surely forming underneath his fur. "Ow! She can sure hit pretty hard."
Four of the Five and Po were gathered in the barrack's kitchen. Tigress had excused herself, claiming not to be hungry and would rather turn in for an early night, and thus returned to her room. On the stove bubbled a pot of noodles, the lid slightly rattling as hot air pushed it back, desperate to escape the confines of the pot. Monkey was chopping the herbs under the supervision of Po. The Panda's hands were sore and stiff from a hard day's worth of training and he struggled to hold the knife for more than a few seconds. Thus, he resigned as chef for the night and allowed the others to take over under his guidance.
"I'm not surprised!" Mantis replied flatly. "After what you said this morning, I'm only shocked you didn't end up the same way as my Dad!"
Po frowned in confusion. "Wha-what do you mean? What did I say this morning? Did I say something? Was it about her? Did I upset her or something? Aw man, I really didn't mean to! What did I say?"
"You mentioned her – her family." Viper whispered from across the room. She was curled up on the counter, occasionally stirring the noodle pot with her tail wrapped around the handle of a ladle.
"What's wrong with that?" Po asked, as oblivious as he had ever been.
"It's just that – well, Tigress isn't much a talker to start with-" Crane scratched his plumage with a claw. He was in charge of the spices and pinching out the right measurements. Around him he had gathered various jars, each filled with bright powders with strong scents. "And she's pretty private. She doesn't like to talk about those kinds of things. She gets…touchy…as you found out today."
Po winced as he pressed a hand again on a bruised and tender part of his arm. "Yeah…you can say touchy again." He mumbled but his jade eyes still searched his friends for further answers. "But what is up with her family? She's never mentioned anything about it to me – I mean, I know I haven't known her for years like you guys but…we've been getting better…she doesn't call me fat nearly as much as she used to – and the other day, she helped me tidy the dojo when it was my turn! And she likes my noodles and she jokes around now during dinner…and I've seen her smile…she doesn't hate me anymore, does she?"
"Of course she doesn't hate you, Po," Viper shook her head with conviction. "But it's not really our place to tell you about Tigress's past."
"It took a long time before she told us the story." Crane added.
Viper gave a sad sigh. "It's a really sensitive topic with her. You're just going to have to wait until she is ready to open up."
"Oh…how long will that be?"
"Who knows?" Mantis shrugged. "Like Crane said, she's a private person. Can any of us say that we know her fully?"
The room fell silent. Monkey's chopping ceased as he turned to look at the others with gloomy eyes. Even the boiling pot of noodles seemed to quieten with the Masters. They all looked at each other with down heartened expressions, but none of them fought Mantis' observation. Even though she was their friend, Tigress still held many secrets close to her heart.
"She used to be a lot more open when she was younger…" Viper said softly, breaking the silence. She stirred the noodle pot once more and removed her ladle. "But all those years of training…of trying to impress Shifu…"
"She closed up – like a clam!" Monkey added as he scrapped the last of the herbs into the pot to mix. "Became more serious, more devoted to Kung Fu - she even stopped laughing at my jokes!"
Mantis guffawed and waved a pincer dismissively. "She never laughed in the first place! Your jokes are terrible."
"Hey! I had sell out shows before I switched to Kung Fu!"
"Yeah but how long did people actually stay in those seats?"
"Enough, guys! This is about Tigress. It's clear what's been eating at her today: watching us all leave to go to our homes, our families…it's not going to be easy for her." Viper interrupted as she dropped from the counter and moved to take her place in her chair. "Maybe…maybe we shouldn't go?"
"Are you kidding?" Po's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You guys said yourselves you haven't seen your families in ages! Viper – your Dad, your sisters! And Crane, what about Mei Ling! Mantis – your Mom is in prison for noodles' sake!"
They each looked away, all feeling a strange mixture of shame and longing. "But Tigress…"
"Now I might only have known Tigress for half a year, but I'm pretty sure I know her well enough to know that she wouldn't want you all staying here just for her."
Viper sighed. "You're right…I just wish there was something we could do…"
They all sat in silence, pondering for a way to help their friend. Po, out of all of them, thought the hardest. He was exactly sure what had happened to Tigress and even though he badly wanted to know, he knew at the same time it wasn't fair to go pressuring his friends to spill the beans. He stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth and closed his eyes. After many minutes had passed, Po rose to begin serving out the noodle soup and – after a second's hesitation – laid an extra bowl out.
"I'll be right back," He said as he took two bowls full of soup and began to retreat deeper into the barracks with strong determination. "I think I've got an idea!"
"Po! Don't go prying-"
"I won't, trust me!" He shouted back down the corridor as he made his way towards the student's bedrooms.
The sleeping quarters were dark, even darker than it was during Po's first night there. No one had lit any candles there yet and even Tigress's bedroom laid in darkness. Po crept towards the door with all the stealth he could muster - even though the creaking of the floorboards clearly gave him away.
"Psst! Tigress! Open up – it's Po! I brought noodles! Are you awake?"
No sound came within.
Po remained there, debating within his mind if the price of his life was really worth opening the door a crack to see if she was inside. He listened carefully but he couldn't even hear her breathing – but that was not new with Tigress. She was so quiet, so stealthy, that sometimes she would creep up on Po without even trying. The only person who never seemed surprised by her was Shifu and it was pretty obvious why, his ears were huge. Po thought it was totally cool how Tigress seemed to melt into shadows and appear from nowhere – but now, it was a bit of pain. He kept still and listened as carefully as possible for just a little noise – a slight sniff – anything – that would let him know that Tigress was inside.
But he heard nothing.
Giving in, Po skilfully balanced the two bowls of noodles on one arm and slid the bedroom door open a tiny crack. He peeked in – and Tigress wasn't there. The window was slid open and through it, Po could see an orange figure lit by the light of a lantern making their way up Peach Tree Hill in the distance.
"Tigress…"
Tigress couldn't sleep. She had tried for nearly an hour but for some reason, it would not come to her, so she decided to meditate instead.
She had always found that peace came easier to her on Peach Tree Hill, near the Sacred Peach Tree. Oogway had been wise when he chose such a place to plant the tree – the view was amazing. From this height, Tigress could see the pale moonlight reflecting from the rivers below, and the warm lights that glowed in the windows of the villager's homes down in the Valley of Peace. The air was cool and clear, and even on a cold and frosty night like this one, Tigress never felt chilly.
It was the perfect place to mediate. The perfect place just to sit and think – to think about Shifu, her home, her friends…and Po…that Panda…what was she to do?
Tigress uncrossed her legs and sighed, looking down over the edge of the cliff at all the families that lived far below. "It's not fair…" She whispered.
"What's not fair?"
A voice came from behind her. Her ears perked up and Tigress spun around, her eyes wide in surprise. There stood the very focus of her thoughts, as though summoned like an apparition – Po, with two bowls of steaming noodle soup.
Despite everything, Tigress could not help but cock a smirk. "Did you just sneak up on me?"
"I did? Wow – I didn't mean to – not like I was trying to or anything – hey! Do you think my stealth mode is naturally getting better? Wo-ah! Either that or…you were just…thinking…really hard."
Tigress's smirk softened. "I think it's more likely the latter. Po, what are you doing up here?"
"I brought you some dinner. I know you said you weren't hungry but I thought that maybe…you were…hungry? A little bit?" The Panda suddenly turned shy. Even though Tigress couldn't see it, underneath his fur, his cheeks had turned warm. Really should've thought of a better excuse, Po scolded himself. Hope she doesn't call me out on it.
"That sounds like a lazy excuse to me." Tigress commented and quirked an eyebrow. "Why are you really here, Panda?"
Po crumbled under her gaze. Tigress did not truly need to glare to apply the pressure; her eyes glowed like fire coals and were enough to convey any coercing. So Po sighed and shuffled forward cautiously. "I-I wanted to ask you something. Nothing-nothing personal or anything, it's just…"
He swallowed visibly and broke away from Tigress's fiery gaze. Her face remained passive and he could not tell if she was angry or upset or worse – what was worse? Po didn't know. He didn't want to know. He just knew that he was toeing the line here and one wrong move would be enough to cause Tigress to hurl him over the cliff edge.
But in the silence, Tigress interrupted it with a few soft words. "I am actually feeling a little hungry. Is that noodle soup?"
Po met her eyes once again. The pressing fire had died in her eyes and shallowed into a warm glow similar to the lantern that sat at the base of the peach tree. Po smiled, and Tigress twisted the corners of her lips in a similar fashion. Appeased, Po approached. He handed her a bowl and sat down beside her.
"It is. The Five made it but it's still my Dad's recipe. You know, I've been thinking of trying to make one of my own. Just something different, you know? A few different spices or herbs, maybe add something new and see how it tastes. A little change for dinner instead of the same old noodle soup."
"Experimentation is always good. It helps one find who one is truly meant to be." Tigress replied and raised the bowl to her lips. She drank noiselessly. "Although, sometimes you just can't beat tradition. If you do create a new recipe, I have to admit – I will miss Mr Ping's noodle soup."
"I'll cook it now and again just for you."
"You are very kind."
"How about on Thursdays?"
"That sounds perfect. Now, Po, about this question of yours. What is it?"
Po swallowed a mouthful of noodles. "Oh – uh - it's about the holidays. I know you said that…you weren't going to go anywhere but…I've been thinking…why don't you come and stay at my Dad's place with me? Doesn't have to be for the full week – it's completely up to you - but I thought that maybe, it would be a nice change? You can have my old room and I'll stay in with Dad or sleep in the kitchen – he won't mind, if anything he would love the advertising. He'll probably start making posters or something."
Tigress gave a slight chuckle. "I can imagine. He was very…enthusiastic when we all first met him."
"He still hasn't cleaned chopsticks you all used for dinner. He keeps them up on a shelf in a clear box as an exhibit."
"He hasn't even washed them?"
"Nope. Doesn't plan to either."
Tigress grimaced. "Next time I'm there, I'm afraid they might accidentally fall into some soapy water."
"Well, if you do want to come stay for a while, you'll have plenty of opportunity to do it." Po laughed and gave Tigress a beaming smile. In spite of herself, Tigress found that it warmed her heart and she returned it, for Po certainly had a kind of unorthodox charm about him – he was so open and friendly, the complete opposite of Tigress – but at the same time was so naïve about it that one could not help but be instantly drawn to him. Even after his tactless enquiries from the morning, Tigress found it easy to forgive him.
"Thank you, Po, but I think I will stay here for the holiday. The Jade Palace is my home; I should do some private training instead. But perhaps I will visit?"
"Sure thing! Whatever is easiest for you," Po replied warmly, showing that no offence had been taken at the rejection of the offer. "You're always welcome at Ping's Restaurant. But if you change your mind about staying, just let me know. I'll have to clean my room first."
Tigress shook her head slightly. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"I mean it's mostly clean – I haven't stayed there in a while – it's just that I'll have to do a little – uh- redecorating…"
"Redecorating? Why so? It might be nice to see the room you grew up in."
Po began to squirm. "Well," He spoke, his voice climbing the octaves. "It's just I have a few…posters …aw come on, you know I'm such a fan! My room is practically plastered in Kung Fu!"
"Do you have a poster of me?" Tigress teased.
"Of course! I have a poster of every Master of Kung Fu – apart from Master Mongrel, his merchandise is always so elusive." Po grumbled with a frown. Tigress saw his fanboy frustration and softened her playful look into a more sincere one.
"Don't go redecorating on my account, Po." She reassured and began to twirl her chopsticks in her noodles. "I'll only visit for dinner one night. Besides, I am sure you and your Dad will have many activities planned around this time of year. I would not want to intrude."
"You will never be intruding. My Dad's the kind of guy who thinks – "the more, the merrier!" That's why he keeps the restaurant open during holidays; more people visit, so we've always got a crowd to hang out with – like one big, weird, extended family-"
Po said the words before he even realised what he was saying. Once he had said them, his stomach dropped like a sack of flour, his eyes widened and he sucked his lips inwards. Tigress, on the other hand, only lowered the bowl of noodles from her lips and sighed sadly.
"Family…" She mumbled gently and looked once more down to the floor of the Valley of Peace, watching the lights of the village glitter in the night. "Did…did the Five tell you? About my family?"
"Uh…no. They – they said it wasn't their place to say anything. And you don't have to either – if you don't want to – I know we haven't known each other for very long-"
"Six months is quite a long time in some eyes." Tigress argued. "And it's about time I told you. But first – I should apologise for my behaviour this morning. I believe that I was little tough on you, a bit standoffish."
"Yeah, no kidding," Po snorted. "But it's still awesome – I mean, how many people can say they've had the Hammering Punch of Lei Fong used on them by Master Tigress."
Po was forever the fan, but Tigress still felt a twinge of remorse. "I am sorry, Po. I never should have taken my envy out on you this morning. It's not your fault…or the Five's…"
"Envy?" Po blinked and his imitation of the Hammering Punch of Lei Fong faltered. "Huh? What envy?"
"The truth is, Po," Tigress began, a frown forming on her face. "I don't have family. I never have – nor do I have a home outside of the Jade Palace."
"What? You don't have family? No parents?" Po gasped.
Tigress shook her head gently. "When I was a baby, I was found on the doorstep of the Bao Gu Orphanage outside of the Valley of Peace. I was raised there but…I was too strong to play with the other children. I spent most of my time locked in my bedroom, isolated, and angry. Even the caretakers were afraid of me – I had claws, fangs, and an immense strength that I could not control. When I did interact with the others, I always ended up hurting them in some way. So for the safety of the other children, my door was padlocked and I was not allowed outside."
"You were locked up as a kid? That's – that's so wrong!" Po cried in dismay, throwing down his bowl of noodles and spilling some over his pants. He paid the spilled soup no attention; his horror was firmly fixed on Tigress's tale. "No wonder you were so messed up- aye-I didn't mean that-"
"No, Po, you are right. I was 'messed up'. I couldn't understand it all – I was just a little girl who wanted to play and be friends with all the other children. I was so angry; I would break all my furniture, rip my bedsheets, and tear my clothes to shreds. They gave me little soft toy bunnies to play with and to keep my company, but I would hug them too hard and they would burst. Even the things I loved turned to shreds. When it became too much, I would break down the door and escape to try and show the others that I was not the monster they feared me to be. It never worked. They would catch me in a net and board up my room again. I hated it there…I was so alone. I wanted a family so badly – the children would get adopted every month and I would watch them leave from my window, but I was never even given the chance to prove myself to anyone. No parents wanted me, and so for five years I never got the chance to find a real family."
Tigress continued her tale, and only stopped when she heard a congested sniff to her left. She turned her head and saw tears streaming from Po's eyes, and gaped. "Are you crying?" She asked, although the answer was evident.
"Ti-Tigress..that's…that's so sad. I'm so sorry…"
"It's not your fault, Po," Tigress reached out a hand and patted his arm to comfort him. "And this story has a happy ending. When I was five, the orphanage sent for Shifu to come and help me. Shifu trained me discipline and after some time and much practise, I could control my strength. I could hug the other bunnies without hurting them. We would play games and I was never locked in my room again. I was finally happy."
"I'm glad," Po sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes with his large arm. "But- did-didn't you ever get adopted?"
"I did," Tigress nodded. "Shifu adopted me and brought me to the Jade Palace to begin training as a warrior. That is why this place is my home, and also why I have nowhere else to go nor any family to visit for the New Year."
"But doesn't that mean…Shifu is your Dad? Isn't he your family?"
The smile on Tigress's face faded. "No…he may have adopted me, but he did not truly raise me as a parent would raise a child. He was my Master, not my father. After Tai Lung…as I said before, Shifu never allowed himself to love another person…not even me. No matter how hard I tried to make him proud, I only ever seemed to disappoint. I tried to be more like him, and that was wrong. I tried to be more myself, and still that was wrong too. Any affection, any approval was few and far in between."
"And when I hear the others talk about their families – Viper and her father, you and Mr Ping, even Monkey and his grandparents...how supportive they are, how they show how much they love you…" Tigress paused to swallow, and to wet her mouth. All of a sudden, her chest felt very tight and there was a lump in her throat. "Shifu has never shown me such love. Don't get me wrong, I respect him and I adore him as my teacher – but as a father? I don't know…"
"I think he does love you, you know?" Po whispered. Now, it was his turn to return the comforting touch to the arm. "Deep down, although he hasn't shown it much."
Tigress did not reply, but nor did she pull away from Po' touch. She only lowered her eyes and set her ears back. "I wish he did."
For a while, nothing more was said. Tigress returned to eating her dinner, and so Po did too. They ate in a comfortable silence, hearing only the occasional creak of the peach tree branches, until Tigress set down her empty bowl with a tinkle of chopsticks against the china.
"You know," she began, the earlier sorrow vanquished from her voice with much self-control. "I haven't even told the Five this much about my childhood. You didn't put anything in those noodles, did you?"
Po chuckled. "Nope, it's just plain old noodle soup. But I guess I just have one of those faces, you know? People just seem to open up to me easier. It's probably all the Panda fat."
This time, Tigress was the one who gave a small laugh. "That seems true – and I should thank you."
"For the noodles? It's no problem, the Five did most of the cooking, and my great-grandfather is the one who came up with the recipe."
"For the noodles, and for being a friend."
Po looked up from his empty bowl. Tigress was staring at him with her bright, warm eyes and a small smile on her lips. Po had to admit – she was quite a sight, with the glow from the lantern playing with the orange tones of her fur against the starry background, the intricate patterns of her stripes angling her face to look far more beautiful than any make-up could ever achieve. She had always been so scary, so intimidating with her snarls and glares back when they first met but now that she was cordial and open, heartfelt, and approachable, Po could now finally appreciate just how striking Tigress could be.
He returned the smile. "It's no problem, Tigress. If you ever need anything, or somewhere to go…I'm here for you, and so are the Five…and so is Shifu. Families aren't always related by blood, you know?"
Tigress closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes…no one would know that better than you."
"Yeah, like I said – big, weird, extended family. I always called half our neighbours my Aunt or Uncle when I was a kid, and none of them are even related to me and Dad."
"I was referring to – oh, it doesn't matter, you're right." With a shake of her head, Tigress's confused frown dissolved. If Po hadn't worked out the biological difference between birds and mammals yet, then he probably never would – and Tigress did not want to be the one who told him. "Anyway, we should get these dishes back to the kitchen. I believe it's Mantis's turn to wash up tonight."
"Yeah – or we could give them to my Dad and he'll keep them in his shop to keep forever and ever, completely unwashed."
"Po – don't make me throw up."
The Panda laughed, and the two got to their feet and began the descent together, walking closely, now firmly cemented as friends.