A/N: It's December! Yay! I am singing all day! I am so happy! I love Christmas! *calming myself* Okay, I am alright, totally calm… LOOK! There is snow outside my window! Yeah, that's right! We have snow in Denmark right now! Wohooo!
Thanks to all those who have reviewed and also to those who just read my story. Thank you!
*sighs* no, I don't own Kung Fu Panda.
Behind The Golden Eyes, Questions
Tigress was bored. There were no other words. Yes, she wouldn't mind studying scrolls; she had done it many times before moving to the Dragon Palace. She could remember that. But she didn't like sitting on a chair for hours, listening to an old sheep.
The tiger was having a fight with not yawning; also last night she hadn't slept well. She blinked a couple of times, before glancing at her teacher. She had never really been in a school before. When she was young she had been training at the palace where Shifu had taught her what she needed. School was for the other children; those who didn't do kung fu.
But here she was, trying to not fall asleep.
"Master Tigress? Master Tigress, could you please answer my question?"
Tigress quickly woke up. She mentally scolded herself. She was behaving like some lazy teenager, not a kung fu master. Glancing up, she tried to look interested in what her teacher was telling her.
"Could you please repeat it, Master Sheep?"
The teacher shook his head. "I said; Master Tigress, could you please answer my question?"
Tigress tried not to groan in frustration. "I mean; could you please repeat your question?"
Master Sheep widened his eyes, before moving his glasses a little. "Yes, yes. Then tell me, when was the first Shadow Warrior seen?"
Tigress searched through her brain. Shadow Warrior was the correctly name for they. But the most used was they. "At the same time with the first dragon." She answered.
"At the same time with the dragons' death. You must listen closer, Master Tigress." The sheep said, before walking back to his scrolls. A growl was stuck in Tigress' throat. She hated when she was wrong. But now she had been sitting here for hours. Thinking about all the time she could have used on training instead didn't help her mood.
A scroll was put in front her, a signal to start reading it. Tigress sighed and let her eyes read what felt like scroll number 1000 today.
When she was done, she was sure she could the city's history. At least some parts. Thousands years ago, the dragons were protecting the city. That explained the name. But the dragons could sense that their death would come sooner than expected, so they gathered a group of students. They taught them kung fu, and those students became the 'Elders'. Just before the dragons passed away, they gave the Elders the responsibility of protecting the city.
But not all had been happy with that decision. Some kung fu masters were against the Elders, and started to do anything to make them leave the city. Those masters were called Shadow Warriors, because they never went for an obviously attack. They were hiding in the shadows for their chance to destroy what they could and then they would disappear before anyone could see them.
The Elders and the Shadow Warrior were still fighting today. Of course not with the same members; it was many hundred years since the first Elders' had followed the dragons. But then it was the masters' children that must take over their parents' place. The master of the Dragon Palace was the Elders now.
Tigress wasn't sure if Master Mei-Hua really was one of the Elders. She had told her that she had never known her parents, so how could she have been taught by them? But it seemed like she was one of the most respected masters here, so maybe she had been chosen to join them?
A weak sound of a whistle destroyed her concentration. It was a melody she couldn't recognize, but she could guess who made it. She tried to ignore it, but she couldn't keep her eyes on the words. She glanced at the closed window, then up to Master Sheep. He didn't look like he was hearing the whistle. Not that it was a big surprise; Tigress was suspecting him to have some bad ears. It was probably his age fault.
Tigress remembered the episode from yesterday. It was so humiliating! How was she ever going to talk with Enlai again? Now she couldn't hide behind a false name… She mentally slapped herself. She was a kung fu warrior! Of course she was brave enough to meet some stupid gardener.
The whistling didn't stop, and Tigress was clenching her fists as a try to block the sound. There was only one way to make this stop…
"Master Sheep, can we take a break? I need some air."
The sheep looked up from his scrolls. "Huh? A break? Well, I guess you can get a half hour."
Tigress bowed before he could say more. "Thank you, Master Sheep." She quickly leaved the room, causing the teacher to drop his glances. He snorted. "Only young can move that fast, but my legs are fine." With that, he glared angrily at his cane. And then he slowly left the room.
"I have seen you, just so you know."
Tigress sighed and jumped down from the roof. She landed just in front of him, the tiger that she had heard whistling.
"Honestly, I am confused." Enlai said, stopping working with his spade.
"I would be surprised if you weren't." Tigress told him, knowing what he was talking about.
He looked her into the eyes, and she didn't avoid. "Well, are you going to introduce yourself?"
"I am Master Tigress, student of Master Mei-Hua."
"Just to be sure, I should bow for you, right?"
Tigress shrugged, but he had already done it. When he was erect again, he had a satisfied look and his face, that made Tigress flinch.
"I am a bit curious about yesterday. Why giving me a wrong name? I have been trying to find some reasons…"
"Tell me if you find some. I need one." Tigress murmured, causing him to chuckle.
"Well, there are my eyes, my deep voice, my…"
"If you think that I am interested in you, then save your breath, 'cause I am not." Tigress hissed, face just centimeters from his. She was forcing herself from not hitting him.
Enlai just laughed calmly by her anger. "What was it then that brought you out here to talk with me?"
"Because your whistle is disturbing my concentration." Tigress snarled, but took some steps back from him. The male tiger seemed completely untouched.
"Concentration? With training or…"
"If you absolutely need to know, then I am studying the city's history." She sighed, trying not to think about the many scrolls that were left.
"The dragons, the Elders, the Shadow Warriors? All that stuff?" Enlai said, examining his claws.
"Yes, I am…" Tigress slowly drifted off; when she realized that something was wrong. Why did he know about the Dragon-City's history? She could tell that he wasn't from here; if he was then she would have noticed him when she was walking around in the town with her master. Where had he learned about all this?
"How do you know?"
Enlai looked up, surprised. "Excuse me?"
"The Elders are very carefully with letting information about them. Only few know the history, so how have you learned it?"
Tigress glared at him, demanding him to answer. After some silence he finally spoke.
"Let's make a deal. I will answer your questions and you will answer mine?"
Tigress thought about it for a moment. She hated deals like this, but she wanted to know more about this gardener. And if she had to tell a little about herself, then she would do it.
"Fine, but if lie, you are going to regret it!"
Enlai smiled calmly to her. "Deal. Would you like to start?"
"How do you know about the city's history?"
"I guess I should have seen that coming. You are a stubborn person, aren't you? But don't worry, I will answer. I have been on a lot of journeys and there are always new things to hear. Have you ever try being in a bar?" He asked her.
Tigress snorted. "Do you know who you are talking to?"
"I think it is Master Tigress, but I guess I can't be sure on that." He told Tigress, causing her to blush so slightly. "But believe me when I say that you can hear pretty interesting things about places." He waited a moment, smiling, before adding, "And people. Now it's my turn. Tell me; why are you here?"
"Master Mei-Hua came and visited Master Shifu." She began, but was caught off.
"Your ex-master?"
Tigress glared at the tiger like he was completely stupid. "You could say that."
But Enlai wasn't finished. "But why did you leave?"
"Master Mei-Hua showed me a side of kung fu that I've never seen before. She taught me much in short time. And I have always wanted to know more, be better. So I decided that it was time to leave the Jade Palace."
The male tiger glanced at her. "Always greener on the other side, isn't that what they says?"
Tigress shook her head. "It's not like that." She said, suddenly having an empty feeling in her stomach.
"Did you like your life before she came?"
"Yes, I… I used to live in an orphanage. Not exactly the best memories. Then Master Shifu took me in as his student and I have been living in the Jade Palace since." She told him with an emotionless voice.
"What about friends? Were there other students?" Enlai asked her again.
"Yes, there…" Tigress searched through her brain. She knew that there had been students, but their faces were gone along with their names. She started to feel cold, her body shivering. "I… I don't want to talk about it." She hissed at him, trying to hide the pain that was haunting her brain.
Enlai glanced confused at her. What was happening to her? "Are you okay? You look…"
"I am fine!" Tigress hissed at him.
The male tiger held his arms up in front of him as a way to protect him. "Relax! I didn't know it was a sensitive subject! Now when we are getting so good at talking with each other, how did it go with your dress?" He asked in humor.
His distraction worked on a way. Tigress forgot the cold feeling and was filled with anger instead. Yes, in fact she had got a dress. And now it was hanging in the back of her closet, never to come out. But before she could answer, or rather sneer at the gardener, another person entered the scene.
"Master Mei-Hua."
"Your highness."
The two bowed to the older tiger, showing their respect. Mei-Hua smiled to them both.
"Tigress, Master Sheep is looking for you. He is stuck on the second floor, so I was send instead. It is not very polite of you to run of like this. You know his legs aren't the best. Tigress, are you feeling sick? You look a little pale." She looked her student over. True enough, Tigress wasn't feeling well. She was back to the fact that she had forgotten something important. She felt sick. Her stomach was like a rock and her head filled with mist.
Before she could answer, Mei-Hua was already putting a paw on her forehead, trying to figure out her temperature. "You better go to your bed, Tigress. I think you need some rest."
Tigress gave her a very weak smile. Her master led her away, taking her student to her room. Though, Tigress felt a little good about this situation. At least she was not going to have any more school the rest of the day.
The laughter. The harsh names. The darkness. Bao Gu Orphanage.
A soundless scream escaped Tigress' throat. She was back in the horrible place. She glanced at the closed door, a door that would never be opened.
"Monster!"
At the yell, she curled herself into a ball, trying to protect herself. The fearless warrior she had been was gone. She was only a little scared cub. She never wanted to hurt anyone. It just happened, and she couldn't control it.
She needed someone to save her. She needed help. If just someone would come, someone who wasn't scared of her…
But she knew it was only dreams. No one would want her. No one could ever care for a monster.
Her little body started to shiver when she heard footsteps. Who would come now? Would they make her life even worse?
Her destroyed room was now so cold that the floor felt like ice. And Tigress had nothing to keep her warm. Nothing…
The door swung open and the warm filled the room. Tigress glanced up to see a silhouette of a tiger, the first person that wasn't scared of her.
She slowly got up, ready to follow this tiger to the world's end…
Tigress woke up panting, gasping after air. Groaning, she opened her eyes to stare directly into her maid's worried face.
"Lu Cu!" The tiger backed away in surprise, ended up with hitting her striped head in the back of the bed. She groaned slightly by the sharp pain. She rubbed the sore spot carefully. "What are you doing?"
The mountain cat showed her a wet cloth. "You have fever, Master Tigress. Master Mei-Hua sent me to look after you."
Tigress slowly nodded to her. She tried to remember what had happened. Master Sheep, Enlai's whistling outside the window, the questions… She held her head in her paws. How could she have been so stupid? He had tricked her! Why had she first seen that now?
She had asked him one question. One! And he had asked her like four times! He owed her some answers…
"Do you need anything, Master Tigress?"
"No thanks. I'll just try to sleep again." Tigress sighed and lay down again. But every time she closed her eyes, there was this pain in the back of her head, not allowing her to rest. After some time, Tigress let the headache win.
She sat up, starring at the maiden who was busy with sewing something. "I apologies for taken your name yesterday. It just happened so quickly and I didn't know what to do. Please forgive my mistake."
Lu Chu glanced surprised at her. "Of course I forgive you, Master Tigress. And I think I know what happened. He doesn't exactly look like a monster." The maid said with an innocent voice. "But of course it is none of my business." Lu Chu quickly said, after glancing at Tigress.
The tiger was stunned. Was Lu Chu really thinking that? How could anyone think that she was interested in Enlai on that way? It was impossible! Completely impossible! She was a kung fu master, and she didn't need a love life. She was doing great. And there was no way that she could fall in love with that arrogant gardener! The only thing she felt was anger against him, and that was fine with her.
"You are right, Lu Chu. It is none of your business." It came out harsher than she had wanted.
Lu Chu bowed to her, apologizing for what she had said. "Yes, Master Tigress. Please forgive my words."
"You are forgiven. Now, can you please get me my scrolls about the Shadows Warriors?"
The maid obeyed and walked out of the room. Tigress sighed and rubbed her temples. This was the last time she would study all day with Master Sheep. She wanted the many thoughts to go away, and that was usually done with training. Tomorrow she would do that. But first some more studying.
Yawning, she glanced at the door. Maybe she should get some sleep first. After all, she wasn't feeling well and she wanted recover as soon as possible.
When Lu Chu came into the room again, Tigress was already asleep. She looked at the sleeping form with worried, green eyes full of concern. She knew that something wasn't right, but right now she couldn't do anything about it.
With a last glance at the tiger, she blew the candles out and closed the door.
A/N: Sorry for my late update. But I have finally finished my other story Friends Forever. But just so you know; I will never abandon this story, but there will probably be times where my chapters are late. If you really are dying to know when I will post them, then jut pm me. Then I will try to say how far I am with the chapter.