So hardcore, you don't feel anything.

Tigress punched the ironwood tree harder as the words repeated in her head. She could feel the bandages around her torso loosening but did not care.

A few days back, they had returned from Gongmen, and due to the wounds, none of them were allowed to train. Master Shifu had prohibited entry into the training hall, and it was locked up for good measure. Tigress had sustained many injuries, including burns and broken ribs. Due to the extent of her injuries, she was especially warned and prohibited from strenuous activity. The ironwood trees seemed like the best option to vent her frustration. She had made sure that she was deep inside the forest to avoid getting caught.

In the prison, Po's words had affected her so much that she had hugged him in front of everyone to prove him wrong.

She punched the tree even harder at the memory. Maybe he was right. She really was cold and unfeeling, the crack in the tree and the lack of pain in her paws were proof.

The hardcore can't understand.

She snarled and punched the tree with all of her strength. The trunk bent and its upper part fell to the ground.

She did understand him because they were similar in ways neither of them had thought possible. Neither of them had blood relatives, nor did they know their parents. She understood him better than anyone else, but she couldn't express it. She only appeared cold and indifferent.

Tigress moved towards another tree and started punching it.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain panda was searching for her in the forest. The tree falling down had given away her position. Po spotted Tigress punching a tree and called out to her. She didn't even flinch.

Po walked up to her and called out again.

Tigress's ear twitched and her pupils constricted. Someone was there, and they were very close. She growled and, on reflex, turned around to punch whoever was there.

"PO!" Tigress quickly retracted her fist. Po chuckled nervously at the near-miss. He didn't want to dwell on the possibly ugly outcome if she hadn't controlled her punch.

"You should have... said something! I could have... punched you!" She said while panting.

"I did, but you couldn't hear me."

Tigress's ears perked up at the idea of how long he could have been there. She was always perceptive and on alert.

"Tigress, is-is something bothering you?" Po asked, his eyes moving from her to the broken tree and then back to her.

She took a step back. "No," she said abruptly, putting back her usual stoic mask. "Why would you think so?"

Po raised an eyebrow, making a face that read, "Seriously?"

"Why else would you break a tree? I thought you had learned to control your strength a long time ago." Po said, pointing at the broken tree.

Tigress's eyes widened, realizing that she had been caught.

"I was just...venting my...frustration." She answered reluctantly and looked away.

"Tigress, that's no way to vent frustration!" Po said in an exasperated tone while gesturing towards the broken tree. "You only end up hurting yourself more."

"Then what do you think is the better option?" Tigress crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed at him for questioning her lifelong method of venting frustration.

"Well. Haven't you considered talking to a friend?" Po asked with a nervous smile.

Tigress sighed and dropped her arms. "I am not good at "talking" about my problems. I'd rather just," she narrowed her eyes and clenched her paws into a fist, "punch them out."

Po gulped. She was clearly irritated. One false move and he would be sent flying. But he would take the risk if it meant she would open up. Just then, an idea came to him.

"How about talking while sparring?" Po said, assuming an attack stance.

For a few seconds, Tigress mulled over the idea, then mirrored Po's stance and said, "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Start talking," Po said with a determined face.

Tigress let out a low growl and started attacking him. Luckily, he managed to block her attacks.

"So what's bothering you?" Po asked while tilting to the side to avoid a punch to his face.

She didn't dwell on where to start, instead, she settled for the first thing that came to mind.

"Your words."

That caught Po off guard, and it cost him. He managed to barely avoid a punch to the shoulder, but lost his balance and fell.

As Po was getting up, Tigress shifted her gaze towards her paws, stroking her right paw with her left.

"You really think I can't feel emotions? Does the numbness in my paws mean I am numb at heart too?" She said in a monotone.

Po realized what she was referring to. He lowered his raised arms with a hurt look on his face. "No Tigress. I was wrong. You are not hardcore on the inside." He took a step forward and held her paws in his own.

Tigress looked at him. She hated that she could not feel anything beyond the shape of his paws. No texture, no fur.

"You care for me to the point that you can't watch me be killed. You care and feel, but you just have a different way of showing it. The very fact that you took the canon shot for me is proof enough. I don't think that's something a cold, unfeeling, and hard-to-the-core person would do." He smiled and squeezed her paws. "It's something a caring friend would do."

That was it. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. Tigress felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. She let go of his paws and rested her forehead on his shoulder. No one had given her that kind of assurance before. His words repeated in her head, and she felt a warm feeling in her chest, and the hint of a smile formed on her lips. It was surprising how quickly his assurance had washed away her frustration.

"Thank you, Po," she whispered softly, so softly that if Po hadn't paid attention, he would have missed it.

"See, I was right," Po said, wrapping his arms around her. "Talking to a friend, he-" He didn't get to finish as he felt Tigress's head sliding down his shoulder and her body going limp. Just then, he felt something wet on his paws. He turned his paw to find blood on it.

"Tigress! TIGRESS!" He caught her before she could fall. Her head dropped backward, revealing a face filled with pain. Her wounds! Her wounds must have opened due to exertion.

To be continued...