Hey guys!

I'm so, so, so, so, so (and so on and so forth) sorry that this chapter is so short. I have been so busy with homework and family and all other stuff. Sorry again!

Chapter 8

"For over hundred years ago four groups of bandits all wished for the same. They wanted to rule over China. Together they were stronger than all of the kung fu masters. They still are."

Master Proelio sat with his back to a tree. He had told Tigress to sit down too and now she was sitting cross-legged in front of him. He was looking at the bough he was holding and Tigress felt like he was telling a legend. Not that she liked it. It would be easier if he just told it quick so she could come home before her friends would get worried. The moon was already up on the sky but the clouds were hiding it. But the darkness didn't bother Tigress.

"But the four groups began to fight against each other because the masters of these groups couldn't agree with each other. So they split up. One group went north, one east, one south and one west. Something tells me that they once again are working together."

"How do you know that the bear-leader is one of The Ruler of the Four Winds?" Tigress asked and looked at Master Proelio who just kept glancing at the bough.

"The black bear had a scar across his left eye," he answered, "The leader of the group from west has that too."

"And how do you know all this?" Tigress asked.

Master Proelio stood up. He threw the bough away.

"I just know," he answered and then the smile was back once again, "We should probably start heading back. Let's go."

And then he started walking towards The Jade Palace that seemed so mighty in the dark. Tigress stood up and followed him. They walked in silence for a while. But Tigress had this feeling that Master Proelio was looking at her. It was like he was examining her. Tigress found it annoying.

"Why don't you just fight the bandits? You could make an army." Tigress tried to start a conversation so Master Proelio would stop looking at her with his impassive glance.

"I am," Master Proelio just answered, "You and your friends are my little army. That's why I'm here."

Tigress didn't understand. Why them?

"Why us?" she asked the second that the question was inside her head.

"I could choose the world greatest and strongest men," Master Proelio said, "but they didn't have the intelligence that The Furious Five and The Dragon Warrior have."

Tigress didn't answer. Master Proelio wasn't finishing speaking.

"And besides," he continued, "I needed another tiger by my side."

"Why? I'm weak."

Master Proelio stooped and so did Tigress. The mystical male-tiger looked right into Tigress' amber eyes with a seriously look on his face. The smile wasn't there anymore but this was the first time Tigress dared to look back at him.

"You are unique, Tigress. Always remember that."

Next day

It was first now that Tigress realized that Master Shifu had been gone for the last two days. Again it was Master Proelio they greeted at the morning. He had told his students that they should meet him after breakfast outside The Jade Palace. Tigress tried not to wonder about if he would tell them about yesterday. Instead she tried to join her friends' conversation when they ate their breakfast.

"The people in the city are talking about some kind of festival," Monkey said and took another piece of bread.

"And why are they having this festival?" Tigress was actually interested. She needed something else to think about.

"They're celebrating us!" Po answered with a big smile and with his mouth filled with bread.

"Celebrating us?" Tigress said with a frown. She didn't like that idea. Why couldn't the citizens just say 'thanks' and then forget about it?

"Yes!" Po didn't notice Tigress' frown and just kept on smiling.

"And when will they have this festival?" Tigress asked quietly and looked down at her tofu. She had lost her appetite.

"We don't know yet," Crane answered, "Just sometime in the near future."

Tigress was finish eating her tofu and stood up. She was not in the mood for talking right now. She was still thinking about last night. Master Proelio had told her to meet him in the training hall after today's training. Tigress didn't know what he would talk with her about and she didn't like that.

"Are you already finishing eating, Tigress?" Viper asked carefully. Tigress didn't like that the snake still was worried.

"Yes," Tigress answered to quickly and added: "I'm not that hungry."

Her friends' stood up immediately. Tigress looked at them with an inquiringly look on her face and it was Viper that dared to explain.

"We'll follow you" she answered silently, "And Master Proelio is also waiting for us and for the training to begin."

Tigress just shook her head and started walking. The others followed her and were walking right behind her. Why were they so worried about her? She had to admit that she had been a lot more absent lately but that was only because of Master Proelio and The Ruler of The Four Winds.

Speaking of which, Tigress still didn't trust Master Proelio. He did not tell her how he knew all those things about The Rulers of The Four Winds. Tigress had this feeling that the male-tiger was hiding something for her. He had always been hiding something for her. And because of that Tigress didn't trust him.

"There you are!" Master Proelio smiled his normal and cheeky smile when he saw his students walking towards him, "You have been training hard and now I know what you are able to do."

So Tigress was able to be beaten by a dummy and humiliate herself for over a hundred times?

"So today will be easy," he continued, "We are just going to take a walk."

"A walk?" Tigress couldn't stop the words leaving her mouth and Master Proelio turned his golden eyes at her.

"Yes. A walk," he said, "Is that a problem, Tigress?"

The way he talked to her made Tigress silent. She couldn't explain how he talked to her. She actually couldn't figure out if he was talking up or down to her and if he was acting happy or cold.

"I didn't think so," Master Proelio sounded quite content. And then he turned his back on them and started walking towards the forest. It was the exactly same way that Tigress ran when she was running away from Master Proelio and the horrible felling.

Her friends didn't hesitate but followed him. Tigress started walking too. She walked fast and soon she was walking right beside Master Proelio.

"Where is Master Shifu?" She asked without looking at him.

"He's visiting someone in the neighborhood." Master Proelio didn't look at her either and Tigress had this feeling that he was lying.

"Who is he visiting?" she asked suspicious.

Master Proelio didn't answer but speeded up so Tigress walked next to Po instead. Tigress looked suspicious at him.