Oops!

Po was starting to learn more from Qiang than me. Tigress talked about how Qiang was very silent and emotionally sound and quiet. Her mother, with whom she spent most of her time with than her father, was exactly as Leo and I painted her. Though sweet most times, her silent vicious nature would always come out when Monkey or Mantis made a joke about something. And it made the monkey scared for his life. Tigress was a little curious about Qiang. "Why is he training Po so much? And he's doing it very well," Tigress commented.

"I don't know, really," I said, pouring her tea. "But I think it's best. Po's been really excited about your father's teachings. I guess he can really relate with Po better than most." I smirked at her. "What's your excuse?" Tigress glared and snarled at me.

"Po and I can relate very well."

"Oh really? What's his favorite place to go?"

"Kung Fu festival."

"What does he want to be able to do before he dies?"

"To stuff 50 bean buns in his mouth."

"Why does he sleep on his belly?"

"Because he thinks it will make him lose weight."

"What's his favorite color," I smirked. Tigress grimaced.

"No one pays enough attention to figure that out. You know that" Tigress growled out. I smiled.

"Okay, what story that I've told is the best to Po?"

"The story of Tai-gee."

"Why?"

"Because it means that Po didn't kill Peng's uncle."

"What's his favorite action figure?"

"Me," She said with a little prideful smirk. Once she looked at my smug smile, her smirk disappeared into an irritated side look.

"Was that pride I heard," I smiled.

"Okay, so I... kinda like the fact that I'm his favorite. That doesn't say anything."

"Well, I take back that notion that you don't know Po. I guess you know him better than I thought," I smiled. Tigress still looked at me with a distrustful look. "Why don't you trust me?"

"I've learned to trust you only with a yardstick," Tigress muttered. Just then, Qiang and Po came in.

"That was... hard in the least," Po sighed.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Qiang said.

"I would like to thank you for taking over Po's training for me, Master Qiang," I said.

"No need. I always wanted to teach the Dragon Warrior as well as my own daughter," Qiang responded.

"Well, your daughter is a different story. I have to teach her personally. And her first lesson she's late for," I instructed her. Tigress groaned and went down the mountain towards Mr. Ping's shop. I observed Po a little closer. He had lost some weight though not noticeable to the passing eye. His face was less round. The subtle muscle development in his arms was encouraging. He was really changing. However, it was really unusual to me that Qiang practically took him as his second son. That reminded me. "Don't you have a son?"

"Yes, but he had to stay in the kingdom. Political issues," Qiang sighed. "You don't know how troublesome some tigers are. Especially our females."

"Tell me about it," Po and I chuckled. Unfortunately, I didn't notice Tigra in the doorway.

"What's that suppose to mean," She asked. We all halted in fear.

"Bye!" I disappeared and went to my house. "Whew that was close." I went into my room to a tower of random items ascending to the roof beam where I hid the journal. On top of them was Krystal trying to get the book. "Krystal!"

"Whoa!" She lost her footing and fell into my arms. "Don't scare me like that," She exclaimed hitting me in the chest.

"Why are you trying to get my journal," I asked. She couldn't look me in the eyes.

"Toooooo... do something," Krystal lied. My face fell.

"Krystal."

"I was trying to look at the surprise that you had for me. I just really want to know," Krystal said frustrated and excited at the same time. I laughed as I set her down on the bed. I got the book from the roof. "

"Here."

"Really? You mean it!"

"Yeah," I said as she practically snatched the book from me. "Well, I'm going to go."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be in earshot when you scream," I simply said. There was a knock on the door. When I opened it, I got punched in the gut by a bruised panda. "AH OW! What the heck, Po?!"

"That's for abandoning us when Tigra came in," He said upset. "She is very scary. And she hits very hard. AH! My arm!" I snickered. Po punched me again.

"Ow! I'm sorry. It's funny."

"Oh yeah, why don't you go and call her old," Po remarked. Then Krystal emitted a high-pitched scream. Po looked at me with a weirded out face.

"It's alright. She just... unwrapped her present," I explained. "Now, if there isn't anything else-"

"Actually, there is," Po said as he came into the house and went to the kitchen. "I was thinking of getting a gift for Tigress. I wanted to know if you had any suggestions."

"EEEEEEEE! OH, MY GOSH!" Krystal screamed from the other room.

"Ignore her. She's in nirvana right now reading my journal," I smiled. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing, I just want to give her something special," Po said.

"It depends on what you know about Tigress. You would want to get something that reflects who she is and shows how much you care about her."

"Well, she doesn't like expensive stuff. That's why getting her something is hard," Po explained. Krystal rushed in with a mischievous smile.

"I can help you," Krystal smiled, grabbing Po's hand and rushed out the door with him. I just sat there confused and bewildered. I thought about the gift that Krystal could possibly choose for Po. I was suddenly interrupted by another knock at the door. I opened the door to see Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane.

"Another legend, I'm guessing," I asked. They all nodded. I welcomed them into the kitchen. "I'm honestly running out of legends."

"There must be one that you remember," Mantis said.

"There is one. There is a myth rather than a legend of a vast empire where all criminals and heroes live in peace and harmony. Four brothers whose father and mother were killed by their own protector, not only overthrew their protector's power and authority but assembled a small kingdom. Their sole rule: all shall help and protect the innocent, poor, helpless, and fellow persons. Anyone who didn't follow these things would be put to death. This was more of a threat than a punishment used. There was of course mercy, but some people refuse to give up that which hurts others and themselves. So this is the judgment. Light and mercy are available and gifted, but people want to keep doing the bad things they do. Those who do those things hate the light and mercy given to them and will not go to it because they don't want their deeds to be shown."

"Whoa," Viper commented. I could see Krystal and Po coming back behind them. They rushed into Krystal's room with a large bag. No one but I saw it.

"Anyways," I continued dismissing it. "At the center of the empire is the four brothers who are coequals. Their main job was to end corrupt leaders or warriors that oppress and bullied their subjects rather than protect their subjects. Any village or kingdom with these kinds of warriors was immediately taken by force and the warrior sent into servantry. Criminals were rehabilitated and also sent into society to help it. This legend of the Empire can only not exist if warriors don't become corrupted." Everyone applauded. "Thank you for everything, now go away please," I said unceremoniously shoved them out. I locked the door and went to Krystal's room.

"Get out!" she screamed. I shut the door back. "It's not ready yet."

"Could I just know why you're in such a rush."

"Sense," Po said. I sensed around. I could sense Tigress and Qiang coming to the house.

"Oh so they saw you, wondered why you were evading them, and now they're coming."

"Yeah, so shut it so we can concentrate," Krystal shouted. I rolled my eyes and went to the journal, which was still on the floor from Krystal's happy episode. I started writing in the journal until I heard the door knock. I opened the door.

"Well, what brings you two here," I asked.

"Well, actually we were wondering if Krystal and Po were here. We saw they-" Before Tigress could finish, there was a great commotion behind me. "I guess they're here."

"And why would you want to take an interest in it," I asked.

"Cats have a natural curiosity," Qiang stated. Just then, Krystal pushed Po outside of her room with a gift in his hands. Po was sweating bullets. I could hear him gulp.

"Master Qiang, why don't we leave these two to talk," I said, getting him to come with me. We actually went to around the house to the window of my room, open it up, and listened from the door.

"Po is everything okay," Tigress asked.

"I... um... wanted to give you something for being a great friend and to try and make up for what ahem happened in the Training Hall," Po said giving the gift to Tigress. She opened it to see a beautiful portrait of Tigress made out of clay. I teleported into Krystal's room, who was eavesdropping as well.

"There is no way you were able to make that in the short amount of time," I said to her.

"Po had been practicing with clay and he always made a portrait of Tigress," Krystal explained. "Now shut it, I'm listening." I rolled my eyes and teleported back to my room.

"Po, this is... amazing. Thank you," Tigress said. I was watching through a peek hole. She set the portrait down on the table in the kitchen. Tigress smiled mischievously. "I also have a present for you."

"Really, what is it," Po said looking excitedly around Tigress. Tigress kissed Po on the lips.

"Three times in a row, not bad," I whispered to myself. I forgot that Qiang was near me.

"I knew she was into the panda," he said.

"You knew this," I asked.

"I'm old, not blind," he remarked. I could also hear Krystal's quiet squeal. Tigress and Po parted.

"Is everything okay Po," Tigress asked.

"I'm fine," Po said stiffly, "But I think I know what Krystal was screaming about."

"Well, thank you for the gift," Tigress said with a smile. She took the portrait and went away. It was a little while before Po bellowed.

"LION!" I came out of the hiding place. "You spied on Tigress and me."

"How did you know," I asked.

"Krystal only screamed like that when she was reading your journal which obviously had the time Tigress and I kissed in the Training Hall," Po explained. I was genuinely surprised that he was able to figure that out.

"Who ever said you were dumb really didn't know you," I said. Krystal came out of her room with a happy bouncy attitude. Po glared at me.

"Stop spying on me," Po declared.

"Can't promise that," I smirked, disappearing before he could grab me. I teleported to the kitchen, where I saw Tigress ran past the doorway and run into her room. I was curious. I knocked on her door.

"Tigress, are you ok aaa y-" She pulled me into her room and shut the door.

"I kissed Po," She whispered.

"You did," I said, pretending to be surprised. "Why are you so shaken up about it?"

"Because I... I think I like Po," She said more of surprised that she said it. "What do I do? I didn't mean to kiss him. It just... happened. What do I do?"

"Kiss him again," I playfully shrugged.

"Lion," Tigress remarked.

"Just be nice and kind and be yourself," I smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure he likes you too."

"You think so," Tigress asked.

"I know so," I smiled. Po and Qiang were gone when I got back home. I was writing all of these things in the journal with Krystal watching. She smiled, but she then looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"In a while," She said sadly, "You'll be going home. It won't take long for these two to be going together." I stood up and lifted her chin.

"WE are going home. Together. I'm making sure that Demi takes you with me. One way or another," I assured her. She smiled and kissed me on the lips. My initial shock about this wore off quickly. Once we parted, Krystal led me by the hand to the master bedroom.

"Why don't we sleep here tonight. I think we've gotten close enough to each other to sleep together," She smiled. I smiled back as I kissed her on the forehead to hear her cute giggle.

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you, too," She replied.

Love, true love, never fails.

to be continued.