The Second Chapter is underway! Forgive any mistakes I may have made, it's bound to happen once in a while. Can't get it right every time, ya know.

Let's get to it!

"It's over, Fenghuang." An elderly stern voice called out in a slightly tired manner.

Fenghuang was lying on the floor, beaten and slightly bloodied from the extreme duel she has just taken part of. She was struggling to keep one eye open as she looks up to her former Master she had willingly betrayed for her own selfish ambition. She thought she had fully caught up to him. She thought she could win. She thpught that she would be the one who would be in control.

She was brutally proven wrong on all counts.

While she had put up a decently even fight with Grand Master Oogway, it was painfully clear that she was still no match for him. She was exhausted, while his eyes showed no signs of such a thing. The very thought aggravated her intensely. Evident by her using one wing to pound the floor of the Jade Palace, cracking it slightly.

Dammit...damn that blasted tortoise...

She used both of her wings to prop herself up, trying to recover. Then she sees her former comrades, Shifu(stupid Teacher's Pet) most noticeably, bringing in some sort of cage. A cage that looked specifically like her shape and form...they saw this coming, didn't they? Of course they did. Ever since she came here they always seemed to keep their distance from her, and they have the nerve to come up with a countermeasure for an occasion like this.

Well she is having none of it. She refuses to be locked in a cage. As an avian, cages are the biggest offense to her freedom, which is best expressed through her wings. If these fools seriously think they can just contain her and lock her away, they had another thing coming.

They never really believed in her, did they? Otherwise they wouldn't even have something like that lying around in secret. Developing it AFTER these events would be slightly justified. But they had the cage prepared for her this entire time.

She never should have trusted them. They were never truly on her side. Oogway...maybe...JUST MAYBE...would forgive her one day. His other students? Beyond impossible.

So with the strength she had left, she raised her wings and blew forth a massive gust of wind that was powerful enough to push everyone back, all but Oogway, who just stood there with his staff in tow. She flapped her wings again, airborne. "You can't stay being the best forever, Oogway! Sooner or later, I'll surpass you! When I do, I will crush you, and everyone here who has done me wrong. Do you hear me? I will CRUSH YOU ALL!" Her rant complete, Fenghuang turned around and flies far away from the Jade Palace, as her former colleagues watched her retreat, unable to stop her. Oogway just sighed as he turned around and away from the scene. She knew that with great reluctance, he had turned his back on her.

It didn't matter to her. Isolation was her only companion from now on. Because as long she has such incredible power on par with Oogway, she'll never be accepted with open arms. Nothing but hostility from now on, but that's fine by her. She was better off on her on. No one would be able to hold her down anymore. No one can convince her to stray from her chosen path.

Because none of them really cared much. In their eyes she's just another criminal. In her eyes they're all hopeless fools. She'd never get caught in meaningless connections like theirs.

Never...

Fenghuang shifted in her sleep from her dream-based flashback, just a little bit as she lies on the bed in Po's room. Though when she heard the sound of of little feet coming up for her, she was quick to wake up from her slumber. Being an owl, she's usually more active in the night. But she trained herself to go countless hours without any sleep, which allows her to be up for a long time in the day. Still, that doesn't mean she doesn't get drowsy.

"Master Fenghuang! Good morning!" She was right about the rush of feet heading to the room, because Po came into the room, as his injured arm was properly bandaged by his father. Now he was handing to her with a cheerful smile. "I brought you breakfast in order to start your day!"

Huh. Fenghuang never thought that she would get the feeling of having breakfast. She was lucky to ever get food at all, with her experience of going without food for weeks. But again, that doesn't mean she doesn't get hungry. She takes the bowl from Po anf began eating. "You're pretty cheerful today, despite your brush with death yesterday."

"Eh, I'm choosing not to think about thatc it wouldn't do me any good. Wouldn't do any good for Dad, either. Nope, in fact letting him know that would not be helpful at all." Po shook his head while shrugging. "He's far too busy managing the shop to worry about things like that. I just gotta get better at being careful, that's all. Then I won't have him worry about me so much."

"Whatever you say, Cub." Fenghuang shrugged. "Say, can you go and get your father? I need to speak to him about something. Regarding our little cooperation."

"Um...okay." He nods as he runs downstairs to get Mr. Ping.

Fenghuang took the time to look around the cub's room. It was surely not the best of rooms. There is barely anything in here except for his bed and blanket, window, a child painting of Mr. Ping as well as a painting that looks like it was done by a professional. Yet the painting...she could see that it was more carefully preserved than the well-done one. But...why...? "Ms. Fenghuang? You wanted to see me?" She turned to the goose who entered the room, and he was in his cooking apron. "I'm preparing for the morning rush, can we make whatever this quick?"

"No problem." Fenghuang responded. "Yesterday...you said something that intrigued me. You said that you were a lonely goose, right? What kind of sense does that make, since you have so many customers every day? What's the deal with that?"

Mr. Ping froze up for a moment, then he sighed. He walked down to the kitchen with her, as he picked up a knife, looking at his reflection with it. "It's true, I have many customers on good days, and decent amounts on other days...but it doesn't mean that I'm not a lonely goose. Many of these people see this place as merely a place to eat. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't blame them for that. In fact had I not been a chef, I would feel the same way. I blame my own need for emotional attachment more than all else. The family left me behind, and as you can see...romance in my life is clearly nonexistent, no matter how much I tried. For the many years I owned this shop, I was no more than that goose who was great at making noodles." He placed his other wing on his cheek, smiling sadly. "My kind of situation is one major reason why me and Po can connect so well."

Fenghuang shook her head. "I don't see the problem, honestly. You have so many people around you, and both if you are very kind, sometimes to the point of foolishness. How can you both feel so alone?"

"It's quite easy. It is completely possible to feel alone in a crowd. You may be surrounded by people, but there is always something that sets you apart from the rest of them, and they wish to persuade you into thinking that its a bad thing. Po is a constant victim to this. People are constantly putting him down and making him feel worthless just for being who he is. He's a panda, so what? I don't see what is so bad about that!" His anger unintentionally rising, he stabbed his knife into the cupboard. "The adults telling him to get lost. The children that don't know any better than to bully him. Beating him up, shoving him down, taking his lunch...they're making him an outcast for something that's out of his control! I absolutely DESPISE those kinds of people!" He took a deep breath and looked at the ground. "...a chance. He at least deserves a chance. But for some resson they can't give it to him...JUST BECAUSE his species has never been seen in this part of China. I have a good mind to clobber all of those idiots for antagonizing my son like that..." He took a bit of time to calm down, while Fenghuang was given time to process what she was hearing. From her perspective, it looked like the panda was being tormented for being different. She thinks back to her own situation.

She at least DID something to earn the villagers ire. Po did not. That kind of perspective has never occurred to her. Ever. "But wait...he told me that he DOESN'T tell you those kinds of thngs about him being put through all of that...?"

"I would have to be a pretty bad father to NOT know what's really going on. Po lies to me about his pain to keep me happy, despite it doing the exact opposite. He's trying to be strong for me, because knows that if he or I retaliate to such behavior, we may find ourselves homeless. The paranoia from so many horrible events happening to this Valley, it's causing people to think very unreasonably, out of sheer fear. The Valley Of Peace...no matter how hard Oogway tries, and I do respect his efforts to prevent it...it seems that the 'Peace' in the title is beginning to lose it's meaning..."

"..." The owl was left surprised by Mr. Pings rant. It's almost like he's blaming the entire VALLEY for how his son is being treated. Their own fear and paranoia of another terrible event befalling them is causing a large majority of them to ostracize Po. Worse than that, it seems that all of that fear and paranoia is beginning to lead them to their own destruction. This was not a status she expected the Valley to be in during her very long term absence. She had no idea that the people here were being consumed by their own judging emotions. If even Oogway could not keep the situation completely under control, there was no doubt that things really were spiralling downhill for everyone here. She was merely seeing the effects they have on Mr. Ping and Po.

...she has been gone longer than she thought. And to think that she has a hand(or wing) in the state the Valley was in now. She was beginning to reconsider her next actions. She wishes to rule the Jade Palace and the Valley...but there's no point to it if the Valley was already broken. There's no accomplishment in it at all.

"...what I believe was the last straw...was the Tai Lung Incident two years ago that nearly destroyed the Valley, and various people were killed. That was the worst offense, considering he was tutored under Shifu." Mr. Ping sighed. "Thank goodness me and Po weren't here to witness it first glance...we hid out in the basement...he didn't see a thing."

Fenghuang was stunned. She heard about that disaster. The 'wannabe' Dragon Warrior. He made a whole lot of ruckus over a little scroll, big deal. But she would also think of this as a big major screwup for Shifu. Filling his son with so much pride that his arrogance was overwhelming and it caused him to turn on everyone he cared about.

Fitting, isn't it Oogway? Fenghuang thought sourly. That sounds like the exact same thing you did to me. Not surprising that Shifu would allow history to repeat itself...

Mr. Ping began chopping vegetables when he fully calmed down. "Although...I know of only one child in this Valley who could possibly know how Po feels and what he goes through daily, though we never actually spoke. She is a young tiger cub, I think."

"Tiger...cub?" Fenghuang repeated.

"The panda is safe..."

"I saw her right at the entrance of your shop. She just stared at the boy for a while then took off without even acknowledging my existence." She said, looking outside. She couldn't go anywhere right now, she had to stay inside and not be seen by anyone. This would not be easy. "You said she is the only one you know of in the Valley that can relate to his kind of loneliness. He's a panda, and panda's aren't well known around here. What's her deal then..?"

(Flashback: Two Years Ago)

All she could do was sit in the extremely dark room that had nothing but a candle, a window and a pillow, where the caregivers of the Bao Gu Orphanage have put her. At this point, she could not blame them for it anymore. She was hugging her knees as she wore a blank look in her eyes. The room she was placed in was completely made of metal because she couldn't break through that. But she did scratch the walls a lot with her claws.

Mostly because she wanted to get out, of course. Who locks a child in a cage? People who are afraid, that's who. She keeps saying she doesn't mean to. Multiple times, she has said that she was sorry for breaking something, or scaring the other kids(at worst, accidently hurting them), and currently her greatest weakness: losing her temper and lashing out at everyone because there are times where she just can't tolerate the children's abuse. Unlike another certain child, she DOES fight back. The problem with her was that she didn't know when to stop. She'll keep punching and clawing away at someone until she's sure that they leave her be. They have a word for someone like her.

"Monster..." She said quietly, staring into the metal walls. The word stings, and the people and children that voice them towards them say it as if it were horrible venom. This was a very troubling ordeal for her. When the children see her as a monster, it's preventing her from making any friends. When the adults see her as a monster, it ultimately prevents her from becoming adopted. Both cases are emotionally tormenting due to her desparate need for company. But they couldn't even give that to her. In an environment like this, there was only one thing she could do.

Leave.

It was the only thing she could think of. If such a place has treated her so poorly, she has no idea why she's staying there. So with a steady resolve gripping her, she turned to the bars and took the risk. Making sure no one by the door was passing by or watching her, she took her short opportunity, jumped to the bars of the window, and proceeds to forcefully break them apart enough for her small body to fit through, and she slipped through with much ease. It wasn't difficult for her to escape the place undetected, because she had a pretty good guess that no one there was going to miss her. The main priority to them was to get rid of the monster, not befriend it in any shape or form. She refused to stay somewhere she wasn't wanted. She's waited too long, and did not feel like doing it anymore. She was escaping, and she wouldn't come back. It was better that way, in her eyes.

...but now what? Sure it was cold, but it's not that much different from her metallic room. The problem was that she had to find a place to go. Where should she go...? Well, she doesn't care where she goes, but she didn't want to stay there anymore. Treating a five year-old tiger cub like this...it's unbelievable. She was not going to stay there like a caged animal, she was not going back there.

"Dear do we have here...? A cub all by her lonesome?" She turned quickly to see a red panda who was just barely her height. She thought that was a bit strange. "I see you ran all the way out here in the cold, then it must be for a reason, am I wrong?"

She nodded, keeping her head down. "I didn't belong in that place. They all said I didn't belong with them. Because everything I touch, breaks. I didn't know what else to do, other than get away. I don't want to go back there. I hate it there..."

"Well well then, I can't exactly leave you out here. How about you come with me?" His offer left her shocked and temporarily unable to respond. She rediscovered focus after a couple moments.

"You'd really take me...but...I'm a monster..." She whispered as she stared at her paws. "I can never control myself, my fangs and claws male people stay away from me...they think I'm scary..."

"If this is what they mean by a monster, they're horribly mistaken. They shouldn't ostracise a cub for something she can't handle yet. They should have called me.I am Master Shifu, and I'm certain I will be able to help you keep control of your strength. Trust in me." He said, holding his paw out to her. She dumbly looked at the paw, then to Shifu's smile. Could...she really do this...?

With a moment of hesitation, she made her decision...

(Jade Palace:Training Hall)

"HA!" The powerful force of double palms meeting wood. Wood Dummy was no more. Wood Dummy was completely obliterated by this powerful force of nature.

This powerful force of nature's name? A mighty snow leopard named:Tai Lung.

"Damn. I broke another one. Shifu really ought to make these more durable." He chuckled slightly. He hears the doors open, and turns to see Shifu standing in the doorway. "Ah, you're back, Shifu." He grinned. Then he saw a longer orange and black and white tail behind him, which confused him. "You didn't grow a second tail, did you?"

"Very funny, Tai Lung." Shifu rolled his eyes. "I'm here to introduce you to your new sister."

"Sister?"

"Come out, Tigress." Shifu stepped aside, revealing that she was trying to hide behind him. When her cover moved away, she flinched and looked away.

"U-um...h-hi...B-Brother..." She said shyly. She had always wanted to be part of a family. But now that she hsd one, she had no idea what to do next.

Tai Lung chuckled, his tone slightly scaring Tigress alongside his size and aura of fierce power. He kneeled down and patted her head. "So you're gonna be my foster sister, huh? I gotta say, you're kinda cute."

"Hey! Don't call me cute!" She growled, pouting childishly. "I'm going to train to be tough. Cute isn't tough."

"Woah. Little sis is fiesty isn't she?" He raised his paws in mock fear, then laughed again. "I like her already." Tigress noticed his fangs and claws, and couldn't help but wonder.

"You have fangs and claws just like me...are y-you...a monster too?"

Tai Lung raised an eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

"The orphanage I was being raised in didn't treat me very well because of my strength, claws, and fangs..."

He huffed. "That's it? That's their big reason for picking on a little kid? What a load of crap." He looks Tigress in the eye. "Listen up, as your official older sibling, lemme give you a lesson. You're a feline, just like me. There are many people who have claws and fangs just like us."

Tigress was surprised to hear this. "Really?"

"Yeah. There are hundreds like us all around the world, but that doesn't make us monsters. We're just different. Don't count yourself short. People treated me the same way, so I decided to deal with it and make my strength to accomplish my goal."

"You have a goal...? Can you tell me?" She said, waving her tail in anticipation.

"Sorry kid, we're not that close yet."

"Hey!"

Shifu chuckled. They meet for the first time and already they have engaged in sibling banter. It's amusing to watch. He leaves them to their own business. Tai Lung folded his arms. "So, Tigress. You wanna train yourself, is that it?"

"Um...yes...?"

"Good. You can at least throw a punch, right?" With her nod confirming this, he pointed to the dummy that's used for young ones. "Don't be shy now. A lot of things begin with a small step forward. At this case, it's a small fist forward." Tigress felt a bit nervous, she allowed herself to relax. She rememberd the pose Tai Lung took, managed to closely replicate it, and punched the dummy. It slid back and hit the wall, making a loud *BOOM* sound thst echoed through the entire room. Tai Lung was actually taken aback. "Woah..."

"Gah! I'm sorry!" She said quickly, bowing. She was once again confused as Tai Lung chuckled loudly. With his own skillful eye due to Shifu's training, he was able to see what one simple move could mean for her.

"Don't apologize for that! That was incredible!" Tigress's eyes sparkled at the praise and she didn't realize it. "Just think, Tigress. Once you learn to master your true potential, surely no one will see you as a monster anymore!"

Her eyes sparkled even brighter at this. It was possible? "And I'll make friends?"

"MANY friends." Tai Lung kneeled down, and placed a paw on top of her head. "Trust me, kid. Stick with me and Shifu, and you're gonna be one of the most well-known Kung Fu Master's of all. Count on it."

Tigress looks up at her foster brother with a very happy smile. Then she hugged him, nuzzling her head into his chest fur. He chuckled and just patted her head again as a response.

Their bond began this way. Tigress had a family to be with now. Shifu as her father, Oogway as her grandfather, and Tai Lung as her big brother. All three of them trained her in the basics of Kung Fu when she thought she was ready to starr. To their surprise, it was revealed that she was quite the prodigy herself. She learned very quickly, almost on Tai Lung's level. He was very proud of her, and Shifu was happy they were getting along.

Over three months, Tai Lung wss not being as fierce with his training as he used to be. Oogway thinks that Tigress may be the main cause. Understandable since now that he had a sibling, he had someone who could look up to him and admire his greatness. But after the first month, he began genuinely spending time with Tigress. Playing games, reading through scrolls, giving her cute baths(which neither of them enjoyed) . He was gentle with her when it came to training, and he would even tuck her into bed whenever Shifu couldn't do so. Overall, they had a pretty good Brother-Sister relationship. Tai Lung was a very kind big brother to Tigress, and Shifu was a loving father. It made her very happy.

...then one day, it all came crashing down.

She wss in a pretty deep sleep that day. Her brother was out with Shifu and Oogway to do some big reveal,and he wsnted to be fully representable. She could expect that about him, he always wanted to look his best so he could leave a good impression. It was a good trait for someone strong like him to have.

"AGH!"

Her ears twitched slightly as she suddenly woke up. "That sounded like Father...is he hurt?" Her concern taking over her, she left her room and ran down the hallway towards the sound, ready to do whatever she can to help if it was needed. She made a sharp turn on one hallway, to the Palace Halls.

She could only widen her eyes in pure shock, disbelief, and horror.

Her brother, Tai Lung...wasn't himself. His fur was rustled and wild, his tail lashing behind him, his claws on a heavily bleeding Shifu, and his eyes were slitted with violent blind fury, and his deep predatory growl was just as scary. Oogway was nowhere in sight, he was taking the priority of the citizens first because he thought Shifu was capable of fixing his mistake. If only he knew that Shifu lacked the will to fight back. Tigress looked on in horror. Her brother was someone entirely sifferent right now. This wasn't him.

He...he couldn't be a monster. He just couldn't be! He said so himself! "...Brother...?"

Tai Lung whipped his head towards her, letting out an even louder and feral growl, but ceased when he saw that itwas Tigress. And his action didn't go unnoticed. There were tears streaming down her face as her eyes are still wide, being unable to process what was happening before her. "Big Brother...why are you hurting Father...?"

Tai Lung looked towards Tigress, feelings of guilt taking over him. Tigress has just gotten into this family...she shouldn't witness this. His quarrel was with Shifu and Oogway, he didn't mean to drag her into their feud. "Tigress..." His voice was filled with guilt as well. He then returned his glare to Shifu. "This isn't over." He growled before he harshly threw him to the ground and busted through one of the walls, disappearing into the mist of the night.

Oogway rushed back to the Jade Palace when all the citizens were safe. But he arrived too late. Shifu was critically injured, bleeding heavily and having a shattered right hip, and Tigress was standing in a doorway, still unable to process what has just happened here. He rushed towards them both to help them both. Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

Shifu was reduced to limping and lost his son to darkness, Tigress has just been emotionally scarred three months after adoption, and Tai Lung managed to escape. This was a rather bitter day...

(Five Days Later)

Tigress was sitting alone on her room, lying on the ground as her eyes were closed.

"It's been a while since my big brother left. Master Oogway was sending big rhino guys to search for him qhen he ran away, but they never found him...but I can't understand why this had to happen. Why would he hurt Father like that? Now he's feeling really really bad, and he barely talks to me anymore. All he does is train me and go to his room. I swear I hear him cry himself to sleep at night. I do the same thing. Because of what Big Brother did to Father, I don't think he likes me anymore...'

'Master Oogway says that's not true. I want to believe him, I really do. But it feels too much like the time I was back in the orphanage. It hurts that Father hurts because of Big Brother...and now Father is ignoring me...it hurts so much...then Master Oogway told me the reason for Big Brother's bad actions. It was because Father always thought that he would be someone called the 'Dragon Warrior' . He thought that when Big Brother became this Dragon Warrior person, he would be even greater than he ever was before. But...Master Oogway said that he was not meant to be the Dragon Warrior. Big Brother didn't take it well when Father didn't even try to stand up for him...and so he took his anger out on everyone else. He only stopped when he saw me...then he left...'

'...I hate this Dragon Warrior stuff. Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it, HATE IT! I finally had a family, a family that truly cared about me. Then this one thing tears all of that apart! Big Brother is a bad person now, Father is not paying attention to me anymore, and Master Oogway is the only one who's truly there for me, but he has the entire Valley to worry about...'

Tigress hugged her knees as she glared at the ground. "Big Brother became bad because he wanted to be the Dragon Warrior and make Father proud. Well...I'll make Father proud of me, my OWN way. I'll become strong, so that people can respect me. I won't become what Big Brother turned himself into." She whispered the last part, hugging her knees tighter as a tear ran down her cheek.

"I won't become a monster like him..."

(Present Time)

Tigress was walking through the streets when she eventually left the Jade Palace. She could feel that people were still keeping their distance away from her, and whispers could be heard all around her.

'Stay clear of her. Don't make her angry.'

'Who names their child 'Tigress' anyway?

'Not a good parent, for sure."

'Heard that her temper still isn't completely under control.'

'Let's hope she doesn't become the next Tai Lung...'

Apparently these people forgot that words can hurt just as much as punches can. Because that last one really stung Tigress hard. But she refused to let them see it. She won't.

One day, they'll stop seeing me this way. I'll become strong enough to keep them safe, and then they won't avoid me anymore...

"HA-HA! You snooze you lose, tubby!"

"What?" She heard a scuffle going on, and followed the sound of the noise. She turnes to the alley and saw that a goat and a pig her age kicked a panda to the ground.

Wait...PANDA?!

"HEY!" she growled furiously, gathering all three of the boys attention, Po's most noticably.

The bully duo turned to the source of the growl and got very frightened. "Gah! The monster found us! RUN!" They shoutd as they ran off from the scene. Tigress unclenched her fists and watched as Po picked himself up, dust himself off, and smile.

"Hey, that's one less injury than last time."

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Tigress shouted, getting his attention again. "Those two kicked you while you were down! Why didn't you fight back, panda?!" Truth be told, she was always following him from a distance. She was interested in him because his own circumstances matched hers in many ways. But this...this was so much contrast on the bully card. When bullies try physical harm on her, she shuts that DOWN. At the cost of getting even more hated by complaining parents. But this panda just sits around and takes the abuse, dusts himself off, and goes on about his day as if nothing happened. Something about that mindset just...bothers her. She noticed he was looking around, looking quite confused...much to her confusion. "Did you not hear me?"

"Those guys said that they saw a monster, but I don't see one."

She blinked. "You don't agree with them? That I'm a monster?"

The panda responded by laughing. "Ha! You're not a monster, you're a girl!"POW! "OW!"

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" She said, as Po nursed a bruise on his head. She expected him to react, but not like what he did.

"Haha, okay. I admit, that was a bad choice of words. I mean is that I can't see you as a monster. Why would I?"

"Well...my claw and my fangs...also I'm really strong...and people think that's a very bad thing..."

"...why is being very strong a bad thing...?"

"Because I can't always control it..."

Po blinked the he rubbed his head. "Yeah...I never really understood why they would think that's a reason to pick on people. If you want my opinion, they're kinda dumb for that." Tigress looked up at him to see his confused face. "People are picking on you for being strong and having claws and fangs. They may think you look scary, but that's hardly a reason to pick on you. They call me fat and lazy, and they tend to take my food because they think I eat too much. That part is kinda true actually, but that's just me being me. I'm not going to apologize to them for being myself." Tigress looked at him in shock. "Anyway, what's your name? I'm Po. Maybe we can be friends...?"

"W-What?! My name is Tigress...W-Why would you want to be my friend? People are picking on you and me for different reasons. If we spend time together, it will just get worse. Besides, I'm not totally alone, I have my Father. But...he's so strict and sad all the time...it's like most of the day he's not really there..."

"Huh. With Dad working a lot, we don't get a lot of time together either." Tigress seemed shaken by another similiarity between the both of them. The only main difference there is Mr. Ping's lack of time and Shifu's lack of care. And both are very crucial when it comes to raising children. Their fathers were having an extremely hard time raising them, and it was becoming difficult for them to take. "So whaddya say, wanna be friends?"

"I...I..."

"Don't think about it, just say yes." Po smiled at her, holding out his paw. He seemed fairly confident that she would say yes, and strangely the smile he gave alongside the gesture put her heart as ease for some reason. This was a genuine gesture to her, and his Jade Eyes back up this up. Her heart desparately craves friendship, and yet it's also afraid of rejection, like the many times it's happened to her before. Will this really be any different...?

...I...I have to try...

Tigress outstretched her paw as it grasped Po's. The reaction was instantaneous. "Hahaha! Awesome! A we're new buddies!" He laughed jovially.

Tigress was taken aback, but then she smiled. "Buddies...a friend..."

Fenghuang was watching them both from atop a roof, making sure her chi remained nonexistent for the time being, as the cold winter air blew by her feathers. "Hm...the goose was right, that tiger cub looked like she would have done anything for attention. They were both alone, even with their fathers who don't have a lot of time for them. This allowed these two to connect easily. After all, misery loves company."

She thought back to her time in the Northern Mountains, sitting in the cave in nothing but total isolation from the outside world, due to her being too afraid of Oogway. Fear of Oogway kept her crom ever leaving the mountain for nothing but food and water.

She sighed. "Yeah...misery loves company..."

(Valley Of Peace: Entrance)

"Is this the Valley of Peace...?" A young small croc asked, looking up to the sign, and then the village. He carried a backpack and he was wearing a small helmet. "Yeah, it's gotta be. I made it! Now maybe I can find something that will help me in my self-made mission. But...what do I do now...? I didn't really plan that far ahead..."

...

He growled as he grabbed his helmet and threw it to the ground. "Gosh...freaking...DARN IT!"

...Now who could THAT young one be...?

Anyway, this time we looked into Tigress's history with Shifu and Tai Lung at her young age. What could be next? You'll see soon enough.

Later~