The Golden Gift - Part 2
Tired eyes opened, registering faint light glowing into their room, as the cool morning air brought a familiar chill to it. Mitigating the risk of dozing back to sleep, Tigress rose from her resting position, stretching out and cracking a few joints, before standing up. Today was the long-awaited Winter Festival. All the masters from the twenty-nine provinces were due to arrive at the Jade Palace around midday for the Palace Feast. While Tigress didn't dislike the formality of the Palace Feast, she preferred the feast Mr Ping provided. His feast brought a warmer, more relaxing atmosphere where you can enjoy yourself. You couldn't even talk at the Palace Feast unless the Dragon Warrior directed you to do so.
All you could at the Palace Feast was sit there and wait to be told when to speak, eat, and leave by the Dragon Warrior. While that's a strict tradition of the Palace Feast, given Po, the Dragon Warrior, hosts the feast, he has made them less formal, and more enjoyable. After reading the Creed of the Masters, Po begins the feast and permits everyone to move around as they wished. Formal traditions state that nobody should leave their seat until the host declared the feast over, but as Po has said many times, he gets restless after sitting down for many hours straight. Rather than boring everyone's brains out, Po's relaxed nature has allowed the Palace Feast to be less dull.
In saying that, it still doesn't come close to Mr Ping's feast. At least you don't have to wear ridiculous hats there. With the day having just begun, there was time to have a quick training session to loosen up the body before preparations for the Palace Feast began. Tigress never enjoyed the preparations, especially the fittings, but she had little choice. They had to be done, but what she enjoyed was working with the other members of the Furious Five to help Po set up the table for the Palace Feast. Ever since Po first called on them during his first hosting of the Palace Feast, it had become a routine for them during the preparations. Why shouldn't it be when you can have the dining table set up in under five minutes.
Now wasn't a time to worry about preparations, given they wouldn't begin for another hour, and even then, Po won't need their help until he's chosen a chef. Tigress left her room, seeing none of the others were up, before heading to the Training Hall. On the way, she realised she hadn't seen Po yesterday. Not that it concerned her, as she assumed Master Shifu had him preoccupied, but days have been few and far-between where she had gone a day without seeing Po. Even if it was a pass-by, usually she sees him somewhere. Upon arriving at the Training Hall, all thoughts within her mind turned to what training regime she wanted to complete today.
Tigress didn't want to exert herself too much, but felt as though some training to keep her on her toes was necessary. With the sun rising higher above the mountains, Tigress didn't have long before preparations begun, and knew once the others were up, they'd distract her concentration too. During this time of the year, they're not required to train, as they go off-duty two days prior to the Winter Festival. They must always remain vigilant, but ever since the Furious Five formed, Master Shifu allowed for them to have time off training two days prior from the Winter Festival until the next new moon. Although, this was after Master Oogway practically enforced Master Shifu to give the Five time off.
This period allowed them to visit their hometowns, or remain in the valley, to refresh themselves for the next year. Except for Tigress, who trained whenever she had the chance. Like now. Training amongst the Wooden Warriors, Tigress fought against the gyrating limbs, forbidding any of them from contacting her. This was not tough training for Tigress. Rather, a walk in the park for her, but it doesn't matter what exercise you do, training is still training. She didn't want to make herself too sweaty and worked up. Just enough to get her heart rate up and the adrenaline flowing through her body. Tigress didn't train with the Spiked Clubs because it required more physical exertion, plus to mitigate the chance of a freak accident.
It had been many years since she'd had a mishap with them, but now isn't a time to break that streak and get injured. As Tigress continued to train with the Wooden Warriors, the level of light in the Training Hall increased, signalling dawn had long past, and everyone would be up soon. She wouldn't stop training until someone dragged her out of the Training Hall, as she wanted to complete as much training as possible. With the amount of food she was bound to eat today, sweating off a few kilos would allow her body to handle the gain in weight because of food consumption. Unlike Po, however, she maintained awareness of her intake, ensuring she didn't overindulge, despite how inviting the food from both the Palace Feast and Mr Ping's feast were.
"TIGRESS!" Viper called out, half surprising Tigress, while also snapping her out of her bubble of thoughts.
Stopping the Wooden Warriors, Tigress turned to Viper, who was at the doorway of the Training Hall. "Morning, Viper. What seems to be the issue?" Tigress knew why Viper was here. She had done the same thing every year on the morning of the Winter Festival, but Tigress didn't want her fittings done. It was boring standing there while Maojiang, the Jade Palace fittings designer, measured and fitted this elaborate hat on your head. If Tigress wanted to look like a tree, she'd have asked, but unfortunately, this is another one of those formal traditions they must adhere to. She knew Viper wouldn't allow her to wiggle her way out of it.
"You know why I'm here, Tigress. Now, come on. We need to have our fittings done before helping Po with the table settings."
Tigress sighed, knowing no amount of ignorance would get her out of the fittings. After cleaning up the Training Hall, Tigress walked back to the student barracks with Viper slithering by her side. "I really don't enjoy doing these fittings. It's boring standing there, and the hats look ridiculous."
"I know, but you know we have to in respect for the traditions. Even Po still wears a hat, and he is much larger than ours."
Tigress glanced over at the Hall of Warriors as the two female masters approached the student barracks. "Do you know what Po and Master Shifu are doing?"
"Well, I assume Po is at the Palace Arena, finding a chef. As for Master Shifu, no idea. I haven't seen him since he greeted us this morning."
Walking down the student barracks, upon reaching the entrance of her room, Tigress looked at Viper. "After this part is done, we'll help Po set up the table for the feast."
With a small smile tucked on her face, Viper nodded. "Just remember, after the fittings are done, the better part of the day begins." Viper slithered into her room and closed the door, leaving Tigress to her own thoughts again. She knew Viper was right, though. While it was nice seeing all the masters gather, the best part of the day would begin once they arrived at Mr Ping's, where they can loosen up and relax. Tigress walked into her room, closing the door, before swapping out of her red qipao into the silver one she always wears for the Palace Feast.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
After clipping up the silver qipao, Tigress walked over and opened the door, seeing Maojiang standing at her door. Maojiang looked up at Tigress upon seeing her door open and bowed. "Good morning, Master Tigress. I am here to do your fittings for today's Palace Feast. Do you have time for me to do your fittings now? It should only take ten minutes."
Tigress bowed in return. "Good morning, Maojiang. You may come in."
Maojiang obliged, walking into Tigress' room, carrying a large bag with him. Tigress closed her door before turning around to see Maojiang place the bag down in the corner of her room. "What type of hat would you like this year, Master Tigress?" Maojiang asked, digging into his bag, pulling out a stepladder.
That was the last thing Tigress expected Maojiang to pull out from his bag, but reverted her attention back to his question. "Simple as always, Maojiang."
"Hmm… after all these years, you still don't like the fittings, do you?"
"With all due respect, Maojiang, I could use this time for more valuable activities."
Maojiang held up his trotter. "None taken. Now, could you come over here so I can do some measurements, before creating your hat." Tigress walked over to where Maojiang had set himself up, while Maojiang climbed up to the top of his two-step ladder, allowing him to reach above Tigress' head. Maojiang hummed a random tune as he took her measurements before climbing back down from his stepladder. "Thank you, Master Tigress. If you give me two minutes, I will have your hat created in no time." While Maojiang worked away on Tigress' hat, Tigress sat down on her bamboo bed, waiting for Maojiang to complete his works. After a minute, Maojiang turned around and walked over to Tigress, presenting her hat. "Here you are, Master Tigress. Put that on and tell me how it feels."
Tigress placed the hat on her head, which was almost the same design as all her previous ones, but with a few minor differences. While the hat felt comfortable on her head, they always seem bulky and unnecessary. The wearing of the hats was one of the few traditions Tigress didn't understand, but because it was a tradition, she respected it no matter how much of a nuisance it caused. As usual, Maojiang had a way of producing hats that seemed weightless. When the events of the Palace Feast distract your mind, you forget you're wearing the hat. That's until, either, you see all the other masters' hats, or when Tigress moves her head, the cotton balls dangling off the hat swivel around, catching her eye.
None the less, she appreciated the efforts of Maojiang. Tigress took the hat off her head and placed it on her bed. "Thank you, Maojiang. This will be just fine."
"Excellent. In that case, my work here is done." Maojiang bowed to Tigress. "Thank you for your patience, Master Tigress."
Tigress returned the bow. "It's been a pleasure, as always."
Maojiang packed up his bag and left Tigress' room. While waiting for the others, Tigress sat in her room and meditated, focusing on her breathing. Despite the sun being well above the horizon, the air was still cool, causing a white cloud of condensation to form on every exhale. Though it was cold, this didn't bother Tigress as the fur on her body insulated her from feeling the chilly temperatures. Tigress sat on the floor, continuing to focus on her breathing, ensuring her heart rate remained low but also rhythmic. "Ah Tigress?" the voice of Crane asked, alerting Tigress of his presence. "Are you busy? We're gonna go help Po with the table settings."
Opening her eyes, Tigress saw Crane and Monkey standing at her door. Tigress stood up, following Crane and Monkey out of the student barracks, soon joined by Viper and Mantis. "Wonder how Po went with picking a chef. Hopefully, he didn't banish anyone this year," Mantis said, chuckling as he said the last bit.
A subtle smile tugged on Tigress' lips, remembering the time when Po told them about what happened with the bunny chef. Although she couldn't recall what the bunny's name was now. "Well, to be fair, he didn't have anyone waving at him this time," Crane said.
Monkey sighed in annoyance. "How many times do I have to defend myself? I thought Po would have learnt what all the gestures were."
"Master Shifu only told him a few days prior to the Palace Feast that he was hosting it. Did you really think he'd learn everything in the first year?" Viper asked, chipping into the conversation. "Remember when he came and told us while we were fighting those bandits. We all feared on what could go wrong. In the end, he changed how we celebrate the Winter Festival."
"Oh, I'm glad he did. Mr Ping's feast is far better and more entertaining than the Palace Feast," Mantis said as the Five arrived at the Palace Arena, seeing palace servants cleaning up, but no sign of Po. "Looks like Po's picked his chef. Wonder who he picked this year."
At the far end of the Palace Arena, Tigress spotted Zeng talking to a few of the servants. Tigress approached Zeng, with the others following her, gaining his attention. "Masters! Good morning," Zeng said, bowing. "How can I help?"
Tigress returned the bow, as did the others. "Morning, Zeng. Would you know where Po has gone?"
"Ah, I believe he's showing the chef around, but if you hurry, he might still be in the Palace Dining Hall."
"He didn't banish anyone this year, did he?" Mantis asked, gaining chuckles from the others.
Zeng smiled, amused by the question. "No, thankfully. Master Po seems to have mastered all thirty-seven gestures. He hardly moves his arms anymore, and I don't blame him. Anyway, don't let me hold you up. All the masters will arrive in around two and a half hours, so we need to hurry."
The Furious Five bowed to Zeng, before heading for the Dining Hall, which was next to the Palace Arena. Upon walking into the Dining Hall, Po was showing an unknown deer, presumably the chef he had chosen, around the table. The noise gained Po's attention, causing him to turn around and see his friends approaching. "Oh, hey, guys! What's up? I'm just showing Xingyuner around. He's from, uh, where did you say you were from?"
"Yutian Valley," Xingyuner said before looking and bowing to the Furious Five. "It's an honour to meet you."
"The pleasure is ours," Viper said, as the Five bowed to Xingyuner, before Viper looked at Po. "We came to see if you needed us to set the table, but we'll wait if you need to show Xingyuner around first."
Po glanced behind his shoulder at the empty dining table, then looked at Xingyuner before shifting his focus onto the Five. "Well, I was gonna take Xingyuner to the kitchen and help him get started on the recipes, but"—Po looked back at Xingyuner—"would you like to see how awesome these guys are? "
Xingyuner looked between Po and the Furious Five, unsure what to say. "I will do whatever you wish, Dragon Warrior."
"Alright, let's show Xingyuner how we rock'n'roll!" Po walked over to where everything used for the Palace Feast was placed, picking up four large lanterns, and throwing them to Tigress. "Tigress! The Tahlia Leap!"
Tigress caught the lanterns—"On it, Po!"—before running up a pillar and back flipping off it, while throwing the lanterns towards the ceilings.
As Tigress scaled the pillar, Viper dashed across the room, grabbing four shuriken with strings and a hook attached to them from Po, before slithering up a nearby pillar. "Viper, Stars of Destiny!" Po called out. Viper threw the shuriken at the air-borne lanterns, with the hooks attaching onto the lanterns before the shuriken skewered into the wooden frame hanging above the table. "Woohoo! You guys are doing awesome! What do you think, Xingyuner?!" Although Xingyuner said nothing, the display happening in front of his eyes astonished him. "Alright, time for the place settings. Monkey! Spinning Wave Attack!"
"You got it, Po!" Monkey held up a stack of placemats by his tail, before kicking and landing them in perfect position around the table.
"Mantis! Pinwheel Attack!" Po said, continuing to command the Furious Five during their immaculate display of skill. Mantis leapt onto the middle of the table, before throwing up a stack of plates and throwing them around the table, having them land on top of the placemats Monkey had set out. "Yeah! Alright, I gotta help Xingyuner get started with the cooking. Will you guys be fine to finish the place settings?"
"We'll be fine, Po. Don't forget you need to carve the dragon sculpture too," Crane said.
Po's eyes widened as he placed his paws on his head. "I totally forgot about the sculpture! Thanks for reminding me, Crane. Come on, Xingyuner! Let's get started with the cooking. If you guys need me, I'll either be in the kitchen helping Xingyuner, or in the sculpture room."
"Don't worry, Po! We've still got two hours until everyone arrives." By the time Monkey finished his sentence, Po was long gone from the Dining Hall, having sprinted out with Xingyuner following. "Alright, never mind."
"Let's finish setting up the table, then we'll see if Po needs help," Tigress said, taking over command, with Po gone. "You boys finish setting up the plates and bowls. Viper and I will take care of the rest. Let's move, time isn't on our side."
The Furious Five moved around the Dining Hall in harmony, putting together the elegant set up that would be part of the Palace Feast. With the setup as large as it was, it meant there were many pieces that had to be placed on the table. For the place settings, it required four plates, four bowls, three primary sets of chopsticks, a saucer and holder, two cups, and two teapots. In addition, an extra forty-four sets of chopsticks were placed behind the placemats. Nobody knew why so many sets were required, but that was part of the tradition. That is for all twenty-nine masters who will attend the Palace Feast today. When you do the math, that's a lot of chopsticks.
While the setup used a lot of parts, the dragon sculpture occupied the most space, for it was placed in the middle of the dining table. All the food dishes Po and Xingyuner were preparing would be placed around the dragon sculpture. In the meantime, while the Furious Five continued putting together the place settings, Po left Xingyuner in charge of the food and went to the sculpture room to begin carving out the dragon sculpture. Some would find this task tedious, but for Po, carving the dragon sculpture was like making his action figures. Except, instead of using wood, he worked with ice, which was far more brittle and easier to shatter.
With time running out, Po started chipping away at the ice block, fearing he wouldn't complete the sculpture in time. Not only that, but he also had to leave enough time to transport the sculpture from the sculpture room to the Dining Hall. Despite the sculpture room being inside the western Palace Arena stand, it was never a simple task transporting the dragon sculpture to the Dining Hall. The steps almost made it certain Po would trip while carrying the ice sculpture. However, thankfully for Po, he always acquired the help from the Furious Five, with Crane carrying it most of the way by himself. As Po continued to shape the block of ice into the dragon sculpture, the Furious Five were placing the last of the dinner sets onto the table.
"Nice work, guys! Everything looks good. Should we check on Po?" Mantis asked.
Tigress, who had placed the last of the set of tea pots on the table, walked over to where the others had gathered. "Let's see how Po's going with the dragon sculpture. We'll need to help him bring it here." The others followed Tigress out of the Dining Hall, down a set of stairs that joined onto the western arena stand. Walking inside, the Five found Po in the sculpture room, chipping away at the ice faster than the eye could see. They had to dodge the occasional chuck of ice that flew towards them, which represented the madness going on inside the room. "PO!"
"AHH!" Po jumped, startled by Tigress' shout, before releasing Tigress and the others were in the room, watching him. "Oh, hey guys!" Turning back to the ice sculpture, Po continued to chip away while talking to the others. "How did you go with the place settings? I'm nearly done with the ice sculpture. Then we can transport it to the Dining Hall, before taking on all the food to… oh!" Po dropped the chisel he was using and sprinted for the doorway, past the others. "I haven't checked how Xingyuner is going with the dishes."
An orange paw grabbed onto Po's arm, pulling him back into the room. Tigress looked over to Monkey, and indirectly Mantis, who was on Monkey's shoulder. "Monkey, Mantis, check on Xingyuner, and let us know if he needs help."
"We're on it!" Monkey bolted out of the room, with Mantis clinging to his shoulder.
With that taken care of, Tigress looked back at Po, seeing the worry in his eyes. "Everything will be fine, Po. How many Palace Feasts have you perfected? Not once have you failed. You just need to stay focused on the tasks. We've got plenty of time until the masters arrive."
Tigress took her paw away from Po's arm, while Po sighed. "I know… you're right. I just, I don't know. Feel really anxious this year and I don't know why."
"Did something happen yesterday that's bothering you, Po?" Viper asked, gaining the attention from everyone in the room.
"Yeah, we didn't see you at all yesterday. We asked Shifu, but he said you had gone on a personal quest and couldn't tell us," Crane said, making Po's heart skip a beat.
He didn't want them to know why he was absent, for it would give away his gift for Tigress, but he didn't want to lie to them either. "No, no. Nothing happened. I was just in Jindesichou Valley getting stuff. Gifts, you know, for tonight."
Though Tigress could tell Po wasn't telling them everything, he didn't seem too jumpy, and with the Palace Feast a mere hour away, she could understand his twitchy behaviour. "If nothing's bothering you, we have an hour until the masters arrive. We'll wait for you to finish the sculpture before transporting it to the Dining Hall. Everything will be fine, Po. Just stay focused."
Po sighed again, knowing he had a lot to do with little time to do it. "Alright, alright." Turning around, Po walked back over to the almost finished dragon sculpture and picked up the chisel. "This should only take another five minutes, ten max, to complete." Just as Po started chipping away at the ice again, Monkey and Mantis returned, gaining everyone's attention, Po's in particular. "How is Xingyuner doing? Does he need help?"
"Oh, he's cooking up a big storm," Mantis said. "Although you can't walk into the kitchen. There's stuff everywhere!"
"Xingyuner has everything under control, Po. He's asked the palace servants to help take the food over to the Dining Hall when he's finished. Said he'll have it ready in twenty minutes," Monkey said.
Relief washed over Po's face, knowing his unintentional negligence of Xingyuner hasn't cost a perfect Palace Feast. "Thanks, guys! That's a relief." Po had finished chiselling the ice sculpture and was now cleaning it with a cloth. "Alright, are we ready to take this to the Dining Hall?"
"Ready when you are, Po," Crane said.
"Okay, first I'm gonna wrap these ropes around the sculpture and tie them together so you can hoist it into the air, Crane," Po said as he wrapped some thick ropes around the ice sculpture before tying them together. With the ropes tied together, Po handed them to Crane, which Crane grabbed onto before lofting himself into the air. "Alright, guys. We'll have to carry it through the doorway, but once we get outside, it shouldn't be too difficult to get it into the Dining Hall. You guys ready?"
"On your command, Po," Tigress said, grabbing onto the abdomen of the dragon sculpture, knowing it required the strongest person. Not that she doubted Po's ability. After the pressure Po had shown earlier, she just felt the need to take some weight off Po. Both physically and mentally.
Po held onto the neck of the sculpture, not putting too much pressure on it in fear of causing it to break, while Monkey and Mantis controlled the tail, preventing it from twisting in flight. "Alright, you guys gotta hold of it?"
"Yep, we're good, Po," Monkey said, while Tigress nodded at Po.
"Okay, Crane, slowly lift it into the air. Viper, can you guide us through the doorway and outside?" Po asked.
Viper, who was in the doorway watching, giving she had no limbs, nodded. "Sure, Po. Everything looks good for now."
"I'm going to lift it in the air now. You guys ready?" Crane asked.
"We're good, Crane," Po said.
With everyone in position, Crane lifted himself higher into the air, breaking the dragon sculpture's contact with the ground. Its weight, and structure, were now in the paws, wings, pincers, and hands of the Dragon Warrior and Furious Five. Approaching the doorway, Crane began descending, shifting the weight onto Po, Tigress, Monkey and Mantis, who were holding up the sculpture. "Okay, guys. You're gonna need to carry it through the doorway."
"You guys are doing good. Keep going straight," Viper said from the other side of the doorway. "A little lower, Crane. It's too high."
"Yeah, yeah, you guys good for me to lower it more?"
"We'll be fine, Crane," Tigress said. "Just make sure the sculpture won't hit anything."
As the four warriors carried the sculpture through the doorway, Crane and Viper watched, ensuring no part of the sculpture was going to collide with anything. Though the sculpture was heavy to carry, that didn't deter anyone's concentration, for they made it out of the sculpture room unscathed. Now that they had reached the main hallway, Crane regained control of the weight and carried the sculpture to the Dining Hall with ease. The next challenge everyone faced was placing the dragon sculpture down onto the dining table, and that relied on Crane more than anyone else, given they couldn't reach the centre of the table unless they stood on it.
Crane flew into the Dining Hall, carrying the dragon sculpture with care, hovering above the dining table as the others filtered into the room. "Monkey, Mantis, and Viper, can you help Crane place the sculpture on the table?" Po asked. "I'd get myself and Tigress to help, but we'd break the table if we stood on it."
The others laughed before getting onto the table and helping Crane lower it into position. With the sculpture now in position, all that was left was the food. "Awesome work, guys! That looks awesome!"
"Master Po!" Zeng said, interrupting and drawing everyone's attention to him. "Ah, the masters have arrived in the valley. They'll be here in twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes? We don't even have the food on the table! Zeng, can you get the servants to bring the food from the kitchen to here please?"
"Right away, Master Po!" Zeng flew out of the kitchen.
Po turned back to the others. "Thanks for your help, guys. You better get ready for the arrival of the masters. I need to check on Xingyuner, but I'll meet you at the Palace Arena."
"No worries, Po! We'll see you soon," Crane said, before Po left the Dining Hall. "We should probably get out fittings."
Nodding in agreement, the Furious Five sprinted for the student barracks, gathering their fittings for the Palace Feast. While the Furious Five prepared themselves, Po assisted Xingyuner and the palace servants in transporting the food to the Dining Hall. The last few minutes was a big scramble, but with all the palace servants helping, everything, down to the flaked jasmine, had been placed on the dining table, creating another perfect Palace Feast. All that was needed to complete the Palace Feast were the guests. Speaking of the guests, the guest masters were making their way up the thousand steps, on their way to the Jade Palace.
The Furious Five and Po stood in a line, with Master Shifu beside them, as they waited in the Palace Arena for the masters to arrive. Being the biggest guest, Master Rhino first appeared, followed by all the other guest masters. "Good afternoon! Please make your way to the Dining Hall, where we will begin with the Creed of the Masters, before commencing the feast," Master Shifu said as the masters entered the Jade Palace and made their way to the Dining Hall. With all the guest masters having entered the Dining Hall, Master Shifu lead Po and the Furious Five to the Dining Hall. It had taken a lot of effort, as always, but seeing all the masters in the room made that effort worth it.
Upon taking their places around the dining table, Master Shifu remained standing and cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Thank you, everyone, for making the efforts on attending this year's Palace Feast. It is an honour to have to all at such an elegant event, and I do hope you will enjoy the feast that lies before us. However, before we begin, first the Dragon Warrior will recite the words from the Creed of the Masters."
Po stood up, while Master Shifu sat down, and looked around the table, appearing amazed by all the masters that sat before him. "Thanks, Shifu! Ah, just, first, I'd like to say what an honour it is to have you all here again for another awesome feast. I'm not sure about you, but this food is making me extra hungry-
"Po!" Master Shifu said, interrupting Po. Small smiles tugged on the faces of the Furious Five, knowing Po had gone off topic again.
"Huh?" Po glanced at Master Shifu before remembering what he had to do. "Oh, right. Sorry. The Creed of the Masters is so awesome. I can't believe I still get to say it." Master Shifu cleared his throat, signalling to Po to get on with it. "Alright, here it goes." Po took a breath.
"We are warriors trained with discipline and honour. Though we are few, our passion to defend the weak is strong. We may not be called upon at every minute of the hour, but when needed, we ensure justice is served to those that have done wrong. We are warriors who defied the odds, surviving the most gruesome of battles when death stared down into our eyes. And now that we are on the other side, why do we even doubt victory? The only walls that exist are those that have been placed into our minds. Whatever obstacles you conceive exist only because you have forgotten what you have already achieved. We are warriors, not because we always win, but because we will always fight. When a warrior falls, there's only one thing we will remember them by: A warrior still."
Silence enveloped the room, as every master took in every single word the Dragon Warrior had uttered after reading out the Creed of the Masters. Not wanting the Palace Feast to continue with this sombre mood, Po took the liberty of getting the feast started. "Okay, everyone. Enjoy the feast!" Po was about to sit down when he remembered about his father's feast tonight. "Oh, sorry, before you start. After we finish here, you're all welcome to join me and The Five down at my father's restaurant tonight for the feast we hold down there. You've been there before. You know the drill. The always room for one more. Anyway, enjoy!"
While the Palace Feast maintained its sophisticated appearance, it was a lot more relaxed with Po hosting it. Although Master Shifu wished it were even more elegant, he couldn't be disappointed with another spectacular feast Po had created. He never seemed to fail, no matter how difficult the challenge seemed to be. The time flew by as everyone enjoyed the food Po's chef, Xingyuner, produced. Most of it without Po's help, too, which was unusual given Po would help with the cooking, but couldn't this year after nearly forgetting about the dragon sculpture. Nothing to worry about, though, as everything turned out just fine. As the Palace Feast aged on, a nervous Dragon Warrior sat at the realm of the table, deciding when best to leave.
Not only did he need to get to his father's soon, but he also wanted to place Tigress' gift in her room before forgetting about it, and stuffing up his plans. With that now being the foremost thought in his mind, Po stood up, gaining the attention of the masters. "Um, sorry to be leaving already, but I gotta help my dad prepare for the feast tonight. It should be ready in about an hour's time, so come down whenever." Though nobody else sensed anything, a certain feline had a feeling Po was up to something, which could explain his strange behaviour before. He's usually quite composed and organised during the Palace Feast, so it was rare to see him so flustered.
"Tigress? Are you listening?"
Glancing to her right, Tigress saw Viper looking at her. "Sorry, I didn't hear what you said."
"You've been watching Po all day. What's going on?"
"He's been acting strange, don't you think? How often have we seen him so flustered during the preparations for the Palace Feast?"
Viper looked past Tigress, to where Po once sat, before shifting her focus back onto Tigress. "I suppose. He seemed more tense than usual. He'd tell us if anything was wrong, though, right? I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe he just wanted to get down and help Mr Ping."
"Hmm… maybe. Speaking of Mr Ping's, shall we go there now?"
"If you wish. Everyone else might follow us."
Tigress nodded before looking to her left, at Master Shifu, who had his eyes closed. "Master." Master Shifu opened his eyes and looked at Tigress. "We're going to Mr Ping's. Are you going to join us?"
Master Shifu sighed, scanning around the dining table before looking at Tigress. "I might come down later, but don't let me hold you up."
Tigress stood up from the table, followed by Viper before walking behind the chairs of where Monkey, Crane and Mantis sat. "We're going to Mr Ping's. You boys care to join?"
"You bet!" Monkey said, leaping out of his chair.
"Sure!" Crane said, joining the group.
Mantis jumped out of his chair onto Monkey's shoulder. "Wait for me!"
The Furious Five left the Dining Hall, making their way back to the student barracks. They wouldn't stay long, as they only needed to freshen up and leave their fittings in their rooms before going to Mr Ping's. Upon walking into the student barracks, Tigress turned to the others. "We're leaving in five minutes. Don't be late or we'll leave you behind." The others nodded before everyone went into their rooms. Walking into her room, Tigress closed the door, before taking off the fitting and placing it on the bed. Tigress didn't notice it at first, but on second glance, she spotted a wrapped parcel with a scroll sitting at the head of her bed.
Curious to know who had left it there, Tigress walked over and picked it up. She suspected a certain panda was the culprit behind its appearance, which would explain his earlier behaviour, but this just seemed odd. While Po had weird ways of doing things, if this was Po's gift for Tigress, why would he leave it here and not take it to Mr Ping's? He had always exchanged gifts at Mr Ping's. That was when Tigress realised she hadn't gotten Po anything. She may not support the idea of gift exchanging, but for some reason, every Winter Festival, something inside made her feel the need to get Po something. This time, she had been so preoccupied in the lead-up that she forgot.
As guilt began to filter into her blood, Tigress let her paws inspect the gift. The contents inside the wrappings felt soft, making Tigress curious to know what laid hidden inside. What on earth could Po have gotten her? Before opening the package, Tigress detached the scroll and opened it, revealing a longer than usual message.
Hey Tigress,
I know this is probably unusual. Okay, it's extremely unusual, but unlike previous years, I should probably explain why I've brought you this gift. It's something I've wanted to get you for a while and knew it would drive me beyond insanity if I didn't. I never expect you to get me anything, as I know you don't like the whole gift exchanging thing, but your friendship is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. Before we met, I had the biggest fan crush on you. The reason I fell in love with kung fu was because of you. Everyone knows that. You inspired me to learn kung fu, but little did any of us realise how significant that moment in history would become.
We didn't have the greatest start, but there's no need to ever talk about that, as it's in the past. Once we formed a friendship, it gave me the opportunity to get to know you, to realise that, unlike what I had thought before meeting you, you weren't perfect. Like me, and everyone else in this world, you had flaws and issues, and somehow, I became lucky enough to become that person you came and spoke to about them. I'll never know why you always came to me, and still do, but I cannot express how honoured I am that you seek my advice and show that amount of trust in me. If it weren't for all those nights sitting at the Peach Tree talking about the issues in our lives, our friendship would be far different from how it is today.
Those one-on-one talks presented me a whole new perspective of you. It made me realise you were just like me. A life full of issues, and a personality full of flaws, hiding behind a tough exterior. But no matter what issues you had, you were always compassionate enough to care about me and my issues. Those late-night talks have always been some of the best moments of my life, especially early on. The person I had looked up to my entire life wanted to get to know me and become friends with me. Sometimes I had to pinch myself, literally, to make sure it was no dream. If this is all one big dream, well, then I wish for it to never end. If this is a dream, I just want you to know that you're awesome. That's pretty obvious. You know that. I know that. Everyone knows that.
Whether this is a dream, a matrix, or reality, I want us to enjoy every moment we get together, and to live like we're dying. You know Master Oogway's old saying - Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the 'present'. While today might be our gift, we have eternity to think about tomorrow. What do we want to achieve? Rather than wait for tomorrow, we achieve those things today as if tomorrow will never come. Our friendship is something I never want to lose, and that's why I'm petrified about how you're going to react to this gift. You're never one who likes change, but let me tell you, Tigress, the Tigress I know now is far different from the Tigress I first met.
In the many years we've known each other, we've had some awesome moments, and some rough days. I don't want to remind you, because the memories of Gongman City still haunt me too, but I'm also glad we had that journey. Not only did I discover my beginning and gain inner peace, but that was the moment where our friendship changed. We had been through hell, and when it seemed like death was our only way out, we survived. I will forever be thankful for the sacrifices you made for me on those boats, and am even more grateful you somehow survived. If you had… you know, I can't even say it, but had things gone far worse, I don't think I could have done what I did.
Knowing you survived helped me find inner peace. When I swam over to you in Gongman Harbour, it was in that moment where I realised just how valuable you were to me. I couldn't lose you. What you did, showed me just how much you actually cared about me. That you couldn't lose me either. You may be a hardcore warrior, but on the inside, you're the kindest and most caring person. After that moment, I knew we held each other close, and I know you never speak about your feelings, but your actions show them. And I'm glad you showed them, because it opened my eyes to a whole different version of you. A version that's, like, incomparable to the version I previously envisioned. Ever since that day, nothing is more valuable to me than your friendship.
Without you, I wouldn't be half the warrior I am today. You push me when nobody else can. Not even Master Shifu. Sometimes I don't even know how you do it, but I'm glad you do. Sure, we have our fights here and there, but what friendship doesn't? I'm lazy. You're not. That's bound to cause issues, but we make up and move on. I believe fights strengthen friendships anyway, but most of the time, I just surrender before you kick my arse down the thousand steps. No matter what happens during the day, however, we always say goodnight to each other before entering our rooms. It's those little things in our friendship that are most enjoyable.
It doesn't matter whether we're sparring, eating, meditating, or just walking in the valley, the time we spend together is the most treasured moments of my life. And so, to have been watching you learn how to utilise chi, and incorporate it into your attacks, has been awesome. I'm kinda jealous, to be honest. Maybe I should learn it too, but anyway. I know you may not agree, but you have changed a lot over the years. It's nothing to fear, though, because everyone changes. I'm sure you'd agree that I've changed since first arriving at the Jade Palace. That's half the reason I brought this gift for you. Don't get me wrong, you look beyond awesome in your red vest and all, but it's time for change. You need something that represents the new version of you, hence, my gift.
If you come down to my dad's and pummel me into the ground, I'll understand. I just want you to know that if anyone ever deserves something as awesome as what lies inside that parcel, it's you. If, for whatever reason, you don't want to accept the gift, that's okay. I won't be offended. Well, maybe a little, but I'll understand. This is your gift, so you can do whatever you want with it. Don't fear or stress about the value of it, because your friendship is invaluable to me. Before we met, something was missing in my life. I didn't know what, but since meeting you, I started feeling complete. Friendship is the sweetest form of love. When I say I'll be your friend till the end, it's as good as saying I'll keep you in my heart till its very last beat.
Sometimes I feel like we're friends. Sometimes I feel like we're more than friends. Then there are times where it feels like I've never known you at all. Wherever our friendship takes us, just know that it will continue to thrive off an eternal bond of trust and companionship. I really couldn't care what kind of friendship we have, just as long as you're by my side when I need it most. Anyway, I hope you like the gift, and I guess I'll see you at my dad's.
Love, Po.
After reading the letter from Po, Tigress didn't know if she wanted to open the gift. Not because she didn't appreciate the effort Po had gone through to get her something, but because of what was inside. Whatever it was seemed of high value, and the one thing Tigress disliked was when someone got her something expensive. Tigress couldn't sit here and stare at the parcel all afternoon, though. She had to open Po's gift, and then make two important decisions. First, whether to accept it and then decide on how to repay Po for such a gesture. The second thought was more dominant in Tigress' head though, as regret filled her veins.
Sure, Po said he expected nothing in return, but Tigress knows Po enjoys giving and receiving gifts. If truth be told, Tigress enjoyed seeing the happiness on Po's face when he received a gift from her, and that's all she wants. To see Po happy. With some hesitation, Tigress tore open the wrapping, and almost dropped it upon seeing the golden silk shimmering from the inside. Straight away, Tigress knew what it was. Taking it out from the wrapping and holding it up in front of her, Tigress stared at the golden hanfu in front of her. She shook her head, astounded, and a little annoyed, that Po got her something so delicate and expensive.
While its texture felt like water running over Tigress' paws, it no doubt would have been expensive. Tigress couldn't believe Po got her something like this. His behaviour all made sense now. Of course, he would have felt anxious, because this is no small gift, but Tigress was now stuck in the conundrum of having no gift for Po. That's all Tigress could think about now. She had to find something for Po, but what? Perhaps she had some kung fu souvenirs tucked away somewhere, but her heart knew that wouldn't be enough. Whatever she gave Po had to be something that could repay this gift. Something that would show Po what his friendship means for Tigress. Nothing came to Tigress' mind until-
"Tigress Are you ready?" Viper asked from the other side of Tigress' closed door, also snapping Tigress out of her thoughts. The lack of response caused Viper to open Tigress' door. "Tigress? Are you okay? We're ready to go." Upon entering Tigress' room, Viper saw Tigress sitting on her bed, appearing deep in thought. "What's wrong?" Viper's eyes caught a golden flash, bringing her attention down onto the golden hanfu that laid in Tigress' lap. "Ooooh! That's gorgeous! Who gave you that?"
Tigress was looking at Po's letter, scanning over it again while still trying to think of the perfect gift for Po, before looking at Viper for the first time since she entered the room. "It's from Po."
Viper slithered over, inspecting the golden hanfu. "It's beautiful. That looks like high-quality silk. Guess that explains his strange behaviour before." As Viper said that, her eyes landed on the scroll lying next to Tigress, making her curious. "What's that?"
"What are you two doing?!" the impatient voice of Mantis asked, before coming into the girls' view. "We spend all our life waiting on women!"
"Come on, Mantis. It's not like we're in a hurry," Crane said, following Mantis into Tigress' room, with Monkey entering last.
"I believe we were told to be ready in five minutes," Mantis said.
Before Crane could answer back, he noticed the golden hanfu in Tigress' lap. "Where did you get that from, Tigress?"
"Po gave it to her," Viper said, answering for the still quiet Tigress.
"Gee, he must've gone out of his way to get that. That's like some of the highest quality silk. Wait, why did he give it to you now and not at Mr Ping's?"
Everyone looked at Tigress, keen to hear the answer. Tigress lifted her head, seeing the others staring at her. Though she didn't know why he had given the gift to her now, she had to say something, otherwise they'd keep asking questions. "It's not our business to know why Po got Tigress that," Viper said, saving Tigress from speaking, before Viper looked at Tigress. "The important question to ask is, did you get Po something?"
Tigress sighed. "No, I forgot about it this year." Viper maintained her eye contact with Tigress, only raising an eyebrow at Tigress' response. "Don't look at me like that. I know it's bad, but I don't know what to get him. How can I accept something like this when I have nothing for him?
"Is there a reason he gave it to you now?" Crane asked.
Tigress shrugged. "He didn't say, just that he gave me this to signify the amount I've changed since Po landed in our lives."
"Gotta agree with Po on that one," Monkey said.
"I have not changed!"
"Come on, Tigress," Viper said, looking at Tigress. "You may still be the hardcore warrior you've trained yourself to be, but on the inside, you've changed. That's because of Po. Ever since Gongman City, your friendship with Po has gone to a different level. You don't look at us the same way you look at Po, do you? He's important to you, because he's shown you how to trust your heart and your emotions. And you do so with Po because you trust him more than anything else. He's brought everything you've ever wanted into your life."
"That doesn't solve my problem."
"Which is?" Mantis asked.
"How to repay this gesture. Nothing I've thought of seems adequate."
The five warriors remained silent for a moment before the head of Mantis popped up. "Why don't you wear it to Mr Ping's? I'm sure that would surprise Po."
Tigress glared at Mantis. "Really? That's only going to cause everyone to ask questions. Questions I do not want to be answering."
"Who cares what everyone thinks!" Mantis said, throwing his pincers in the air. "All that matters is what you want. Remember the line from the Creed of the Masters? 'The only walls that exist are those that are placed in our minds'. If we want something, we cannot make ourselves suffer because we fear the outcome."
"I agree with Mantis," Crane said. "While we're here to help you, you're the only one that can make the final decision. Po's shown you how to trust your heart. This is one of those times where you need to trust it, and go for it, because if you don't, will you gain more or less by not doing so?"
Tigress starred at the hanfu, as a battle raged inside between her heart and brain. She wanted to trust her heart, but her brain wasn't so sure. "Can you give me a few moments, please? I need some time to think."
"Take as long as you need, sweetie. We'll wait for you. Come on, guys," Viper said, slithering out of Tigress' room, followed by the guys. Crane closed Tigress' door, giving Tigress the privacy she needed. Tigress sat on her bed, looking at the hanfu, unsure of what to do. She valued Po's friendship more than anything else, and like Po had said, she wanted to remain by Po's side. Whether that was through friendship or more, Tigress couldn't care. All she cared about was never losing Po. While her brain was screaming at her, telling her not to wear the golden hanfu to Mr Ping's, for it would make her stand out, and that's the last thing she wanted, her heart said otherwise.
Out in the hallway, the others were waiting for Tigress, unsure when she would emerge from her room. Nor did they know what she'd be wearing, but whatever she did, they hoped it would be for the best. They had watched Po and Tigress' friendship build over the years, skyrocketing during the events of Gongman City. Ever since then, they sensed something was brewing. Po was unlocking Tigress' inner feelings, and Tigress was learning how to trust them. This bubbling brothel of emotions and inner thoughts had to give way soon. They could only hope Tigress would make the right decision, for they knew a lifetime of happiness waited for the two warriors.
The shuffle of Tigress' shoji screen brought everyone's attention back onto her room. To everyone's surprise, Tigress didn't come out wearing the golden hanfu. Instead, it was concealed back inside the wrappings, making everyone fear the worst. "Please tell me you're not rejecting the gift," Viper said, looking at Tigress with pleading eyes.
"I'm not rejecting it. I just don't wish to draw unnecessary attention to myself."
"So, what are you planning, then?"
"I, I'd rather not share. This is something that will remain between Po and I, understood?"
"Okay… well, I just hope whatever you have planned is the right thing. We're ready to go if you are."
Tigress looked at everyone, seeing some confusion still lingering on their expression. After having delayed the others long enough, she wished on not doing so anymore. "Let's go."
