Chapter Three...

That night, Shifu decided to show up and join them for dinner, after being on low profile, as Tigress quoted what she felt was the actions of the others earlier on. They welcomed their Master to sit as Po stirred the noodle soup in total silence, staring down a the watery broth blankly as his mind in was in a different world of their own. The slippery noodles swirled around at every action the wooden spoon made, until they were swimming in the same direction as one other.

"I see Tigress hasn't really left her room..." Shifu's voice crawled into his ears, snapping him into focus immediately. Po twitched his head just enough to see their Master looking at the empty chair. Shifu sat a the head of the table, ears slowly level with the shape of his head. His chair facing Po's direction. "Or she's not joining us for dinner tonight."

"She's following the healers orders Master." Viper's voice took over as he twisted his head to watch the conversation behind him. While the elder Red Panda's eyes were on the serpent beside him, who was taking pauses to have a dainty sip on her cup of tea through her words, as Mantis, Monkey, whom shared a vaguely similar look he had, and Crane, watching Viper and Shifu with a slight perplexed look, ready to speak when he was needed of assistance. "She's resting in her room."

"And I'm sure she left to get food when she needed it..." Crane said.

"You mean none of you have seen her leave her room?" Shifu's chopstick tightened in his grasp. "And there is a small chance she hasn't eaten for the past few days? With the condition she's in?"

"We've been going to the village... on patrol." Monkey replied in slow, and almost stuttered defense, when Shifu turns to him sharply. "While just walking around. Passing the time until we get back to training, you know?"

"Besides, this is Tigress we're talking about Master." Viper straightened up calmly, ignoring his slightly agitated look. "She's done these fasting spells before..."

"Not when she was injured." Shifu free paw raised to lightly pinch the bridge of his nose, bowing his head, and closing his eyes. "I feel I am the cause of her not eating right now." He sighed as they all merely glanced at one another, while Po took the pot off the heat. "I was too harsh... practically forcing something onto her... I assume she showed you?"

"Yes..." Po responded for the first time. He took the wooden spoon out of the pot, and wiped his paws in a towel near-by. "And explained how she got them..."

"I should go and apologize." Shifu went to stand, but Viper stopped him, saying that Tigress needed her space, and that he should leave it until tomorrow. "Alright... your right... Po? Can you bring Tigress down some food?" Po nodded while dishing out the food, and Crane took out tofu cubes and passed them too him. "And maybe... sit with her for a while?" Po smiled, taking the last to bowls, and tofu cubes, and began to withdraw from the conversation that blossomed between the others.

She twisted her upper body this way and that slowly, taking in every detail that there was on her body. Her longer tunic sat motionless on the floor beside her feet, as she was still clothed in the one she wore showing Po and the others her marks. The very ones that have been on her frame for as long as she could remember, and this she had realized only over a recent period of precious, clouded time, still haven't sat comfortably... especially when it came to being in the bath house with the others... mainly with Viper, as she was the only other female inhabiting the Jade Palace whom she had to share the wash rooms with. Thankfully the serpent was more of a bath-lover than one for showers.

As a tentative paw slowly placed itself on the bandages, before she slowly turned, balletic almost, she took a gander at the older ones. The lashing sound of leather, and the one of metal clattering, and of bones crunching, went out of her mind as quickly as it came, but it was loud enough for her to shut her eyes as she reeled her paw back from her flank, shutting her eyes as she took a big step away from the mirror, fists forming. She felt her breathing become shallow, even when her suddenly tensed muscles convinced her mind that everything was perfect otherwise. The very thought of her 'body art' as a topic in conversation to the others almost sickened her as she slowly twitched her head to look at the mirror once more. She was a person; A being regarded as an individual... a creature that was capable of feeling, not some lifeless, cold object to be paced and exposed to the eyes of the judgmental world. To be honest, that's all she usually felt for the past while, and now that the others know about these marks made by the past, she felt like her privacy was split into the water that ran from the mouths of her comrades, and soon the villagers will eventually receive and drink in the information...

Round, gentle, and uncomfortable eyes stared back at her ominously. "That shirt suits you." She didn't react dramatically to Po's voice as the doors slid open. She could sense his footsteps when she took another look in the mirror, and wasn't in any mood or motivation to jump away. Besides, there was nothing to hide from him.

"Thanks... need something?"

"No, but you do!" He held the bowls he had in each paw with a small smile. "Wasn't sure if while we were out if you got somethin' to eat so... Shifu figured you'd be hungry." The smell was strong enough for Tigress' mouth water, if she allowed it, but she nodded, and gestured him to come in. "You should be resting." He said. "Master Shifu is in the kitchen with the others having dinner... and he is sorry about what he did." Her eyes cast to the floor in response, and walked to her bed, pushed it towards the wall, where she sat and swung her legs up, resting her head and back against the wall, before returning her gaze on him walking towards her after a single blink, eyes heavy with lack of sleep. Po spotted this as he pulled a stool and sat in front of her without consent, and recommended her to drink this remedy his father used to make with Soya milk and honey, which helped him sleep at night as a cub, as he sat with her awhile.

"It's not that I can't sleep on purpose." She suddenly replied through his sentence, speaking for the first time. "It's just trying to get comfortable that is the problem I'm having."

"I getcha." Po laughed as she quietly slurped up some noodles. "The bandages are wrapped so tightly around you it's almost impossible to get comfy while feeling like your being mummified." He ended the ultra long noodle that would[ve, or could've, went on for eternity, swallowed, and then smiled. "But think about it. In a while, you'll be walking around with a new addition to the collection." He started laughing, and Tigress found herself smiling too, but then her eyes turned to her distant reflection in the mirror, where she saw herself and Po, whom was still laughing, while she saw the visual contrast between herself and Po, standing out as bright as anything; his cheeriness at a seemingly innocent joke, and her, just staring silently, with her tranquil gaze slowly fading with her smile, at the sight of the bandages wrapped around her torso. Po's laugh quickly died as he followed where she was looking, placing his bowl down, and grasped one paw over the other. "There... there is nothing to be ashamed of with those scars Tigress." He said, solemnly enough to make her turn to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry that I laughed... but I also see them as stories, or body art. You know... something that means to you." He gestured at her frame. "Have you never thought of that?"

"Of course," she stared down at the soup loosing its steam, and the noodles just sitting there, soaking up the soup whilst looking like they weren't doing anything. She suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. She slowly passed the bowl to Po, who just stared down at it in his cupped paws. "Each of these... 'stories'? They have a dark background Po. Something that shouldn't be opened, and should of remained sealed..." She sighed and just turned her head to the wall. "I'm trying to take my mind of these things. I'm just stuck here."

"You can come to the kitchen?" Her fists tightened. "When Shifu isn't there...?"

"Maybe later..." She turned back to him. "If my scars are still a topic in conversation, I would rather not."

"...Not anymore..." Po said as casually as it would surface, and Tigress didn't batter an eyelash. "We can grab some tea when the others go for their showers in the bath house?"

"I need a shower more than a cup of tea... but the bandages and stitches can't get wet..." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, clearly very vexed, and Po felt bad for her... until he had an idea.

"Wait here." Were the words she reopened her eyes to, and watched Po leave with the bowls. She rolled her eyes before returning to the world of black in front of her.

"Not like I plan on going anywhere anyways..." She muttered as she returned to the dark nothingness that greeted her when her eyes secured.

Hope you like it everyone!

Please please PLEASE review!
KFP3 IS OUT IN THE USA TOMORROW/NOW (Finished this at like 9:10 in the evening over here XD) You guys are so lucky! It's out over here in march! I have t wait another 2 months!

Hope everyone who is going to see it tomorrow enjoys it! I've been watching tv spots and listening to the soundtrack and I'm dying to go see it! Hope it turns out the way everyone wants it to be!

I hope I can watch it sooner... XD

Ciao!

Reaching out will be updated asap, and after that it'll just be uploads of oneshots XD taking a break from big stories for a while XD maybe until I see the film myself lol XD