True Love

Tigress / Tai Lung

By: Skyyler

AN: This story is connected with the previous story, called Reminiscing. Might wanna listen to Tru Love by Phil Whickham if you want some connection, even though it has nothing to do with it.

The tigress sat, eyes staring down at her surroundings, holding her legs up against her chest all the well. One of her arms was settled on top of both of her knees, as she licked her hand thoroughly. It was all she could do now... for there was nothing to do. There were no places to go... and no animals to meet. At least.. not anymore. I waited for you, and yet, you didn't show. How could you... for getting my act up, along with my weak hope. Please, just come back... She stopped licking her paw, as she placed her head aside from her arm. All she could hear now was her slow heart-beat, pounding ever so softly, yet now, it seemed like thunder in this dark-filled, quiet room. Inspecting the ground with a squint, she found the wrist band he dropped, just before running away from her. He wasn't afraid of her, nor did he not want to be near her, but all he could do was run. He said he would come back for her, but...

Sighing softer than a butterflies wing-beat, she leaned over, and picked up the green wrist band, looking it over in silence. Would this be a gift to me... or just a mistake? She observed it, finding it was just a normal wrist band, like it always was. Would something this simple be so complicate? She set it down, as she soon got up and slowly made her way over to her window. The planks of wood softly creaked as she set her weight on each one, until she got to the wooden-framed, watcher's passage. Opening it up, she looked out among China. The beautiful night air silenced her, as he eyes seemed to glow from the moon-lit's everglow. Before the hot springs that the five bathed in, the buildings were lit up peacefully in the night sky Their windows were slowly flickering from the candles that were steadily being disturbed by the soft wind. Could something be more intimate than ordinary love? Could something like this turn into something more, even if, there cannot be anything to gain? She let down her shoulders at the on-going thought of her lost love, or so she thought. Turning around, she trudged back to her bed in her own dismay and tragedy.

A thought then quickly passed her mind by. It spoke with a soft, tinted, and weak voice, as it echoed through her thought-filled head. It's been three years, Tigress... I'm sure you know where I am...

Softly gasping in confusion, Tigress looked around. "Tai Lung?" She softly whispered. Seconds passed, as she grew desperate for a reply.

I'm sure you know how I got here... and what had possibly happened to me.

Tigress, deep in deceived thoughts, fell to the ground, and covered her face with her shaking paws. "I'm just imagining this... Tai Lung isn't going to come back..." She couldn't believe anything she was thinking, or that, what anyone could have possibly even been saying.

Because I can't come back, Tigress... Hasn't Shifu told you?

The tigress poked her head out of her paws, as she blinked her eyes open. "What has Master Shifu not told me? About you, Tai Lung? He knows where you are?" She knew he was crazy, now, but this was better than utter, desperate silence.

He knew a long time ago, and still knows. He wants to keep it secret from you... He wants to keep me, secret from you...

Tigress' face quickly changed. Anger filled her heart, along with her chest and throat. In rage, she got up, and bolted out of her room, waking the three new students; Viper, Mantis, and Crane up on her way out.

…

"Where is he...?" Tigress barged into Master Shifu's room in angst, as he woke up with a gasp.

"Tigress, what are you-"

"Tai Lung, Master! I need to know where he is!" Her clenched paws wanted to cover her water-filled eyes.

"Tigress, I don't understand-"

"Where is he?!" She ran after him, kicking over a desk on her way. "Where is Tai Lung?" Her strong, furious voice soon turned weak and dark. "I... I know you know where he is..."

Shifu quickly realized where she was getting to. But, how could he tell her... she was only thirteen years old... and she was still a baby girl, wasn't she? Should she need to know?

"I need to know!" Tigress cried.

Shifu's eyes quickly turned light, as he looked up at her in pity and a tint of sadness in his eyes that had shown his emotion very clearly. "I... I'm sorry, Tigress..."

Tigress blinked, as she took a step forth in desperation. "What? About what, Master?"

"Come... sit down." He beckoned her over to his bed, as he sat as well.

The feline shook her head. "No! I won't sit down! Just tell me where he is, Shifu, I don't want your details." She sniffed.

Shifu slowly brought his eyes down to the marble floor she stood on. "Tai Lung... he..." He sighed, keeping his gaze at the floor, as he began to hesitate his long breaths. "He was desperate... to become the Dragon Warrior... he, tried to become what he knew was fate."

"What? Why, Master?" Tigress gasped.

"Master Oogway, said he had darkness in his heart. He was apart of Black, and we couldn't do anything about it..." He looked back up at her. "He wasn't destined to be the Dragon Warrior, but still he wanted to take that scroll, by force, after injuring many the Valley of Peace. He was... He was put in prison, Tigress."

A tear escaped from Tigress' quivering eyes, and stained her fur. She didn't look into his eyes, but was looking a little away from him, as if staring into oblivion. She was in desperate thought. "Which... which prison?" She breathed.

"He was put into the Chor Gom prison-"

Wind knocked him in the face, as he soon looked up, finding his door was flapping in and out. Tigress was gone.

Shifu breathed in quickly in reply. "Tigress! No! It's dangerous! You can't..."

Chor Gom Prison

Tigress finally stopped running, after hours of putting up with the winter's harsh, freezing weather. The guards noticed her, as they soon put up their spears to her, giving her no entrance. Growling in her madness, she broke the spears from the middle, and knocked out the guards in a matter of seconds, giving a fist to their temples.

Busting through the doors of the prison, she was met with many more guards, yelling and ranting quick orders at their own crew, and her. Flying past them, she got to a bridge. She slowly turned her head to the side, and looked down. She saw she was standing on the edge of a massive cliff, one that led to something... or someone that she couldn't very well see. Catching her breath, she looked around. Massive rhino guards were coming from each side. She had no where to go. She looked back down, as adrenaline rushed through her veins. She was going to do it. Alright Tigress... here we go... here we-

Jumped.

Wind caught her body, as it blew her fur divided. Finding a decent landing spot, she flipped and touched her feet with the floor. A rapid stinging and numbing sensation hit her legs, as she went flying across the cold, stone ground. She didn't land it perfectly.. but then again, she could never, because she only learned how to land massive jumps like that last week... The pain came. She cried in sharp pain, as she tried to get back up. Limping across the bridge, she staggared her breath. The tigress looked over the second long bridge that she just landed on. She was much closer to the bottom... which...

Tigress gasped quickly. She couldn't believe what she saw. What a terrible sight... She quickened her breathing, as she got to her feet, and jumped again.

Cold wind whipped her fur away from her face. The seconds seemed to dwell, as the silence came back to her. I need to make this jump..

Landing with a massive thump, she felt something crack in her ankle. It felt fine for a second, but when she moved, the pain came again. Grunting and whimpering in great pain, she stumbled to her feet once again, and...

She blinked in agony, as tears rushed out of her eyes. She looked up, and saw... Is this who I think it is...? Guards were coming down from all over now. She slowly limped over to the snow leopard, who seemed to be trying to hold back his dripping tears into a bowl filled with dirty water...

"T.... Tai Lung?" She asked in a weak voice, over the wailing rhino voices all all around her.

The snow leopard didn't pick up his heavy head. "Tigress... I... I'm sorry..."

"You... how, how could you do such a thing, Tai Lung?" She cried, crawling over to him. Something in her foot was broken.. and she knew it now, from the on-going pain. A warm sensation rushed to her ankle, as it just made her feel even more pain. She wanted to throw up at the spot.

Tai Lung didn't respond, as he was covered in his own disgrace.

"How could you..." She looked at him, as his head still hung low. She could see tears falling from his eyes, as well.

"Tigress, it's just me... I know, it's all my fault..." He slowly pulled his beaten, yet still soft and furry head up. "I'm... I'm fine, Tigress." He smiled through his tears.

Tigress brought her head down, as she took very sharp breaths in her on-going pain. Her eyes could no longer hold her emotions, as the lump in her throat finally gave in. She began to sob right on the spot; regardless what kind of an animal she was... she just couldn't see Tai Lung like this.

"No, please Tigress, don't cry, I..." He tried to comfort her, but he had no hands to use, because they were tied down by the frozen chains. "Tigress, be a big girl... you know that this was never your fault..."

"I know it wasn't, Tai Lung..." She could hear the gate quickly come down. She shook off her tears, as she looked back up to him. She slowly brought her head up to his. Their faces were only a couple feet apart. "I just can't believe you never came back... I... I missed you, Tai... I, I expected you to be there! I expected you to come back for me...!" She hiccuped her crying.

"Hey," He caught her weary gaze. "I'm here, aren't I? And even when I'm not..." He softly sighed out, as a white cloud escaped his muzzle from the atmosphere. "...just know, I'll... I'll always be with you." His lower lip quivered. "I love you, Tigress, I've loved you so much... and, and I always will love you..."

"I..." She hesitated in her deep emotion, as it tied close to his. "I love you, too..." Tigress replied, as she looked into his eyes. She slowly brought her face as close as possible to his. The sound of stamping footsteps came into their hearing. She closed her eyes, as their soft lips touched.

Tigress smiled. "You're real furry." She crawled a little closer to him, until he slowly backed away, against the wall. Tigress then brought her head slowly up to his, and their noses met. Touched.

Tai Lung blinked.

Tigress pulled away. She was now pretty much on top of him. "Am I a good... kisser?" She smiled, letting her fangs show.

Tigress looked at him in lust; yet great pity and sorrow, as she quickly got forced away from him, by the guards rough hoofs. They grabbed her shoulder and legs tightly, as they yanked her out. Everything was silent, and all she could see was Tai Lung, staring at her with desperate eyes. Her vision blurred, as they dragged her out, as far as possible from him.

Tigress took it a step higher, when she took her paws to his pants and slowly tugged on them, as Tai Lung started to roll up her shirt...

Tigress looked at him in desperation, as well. She could remember everything about Tai Lung. He was always solemn, but that's one thing she loved about him. She loved how he would try to ignore her when she wanted to be next to him for once... she loved how he would always stand outside the Jade Palace, staring out at the stars, every day. He would always dream of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but his dreams were crushed. She remembered walking out there, and standing beside him, staring at the same stars as he was. She not only looked up to him, not only was she just a friend to him... That night showed us who we were... no, this is no ordinary love... Rivers of great, clear tears flew from her red eyes, as her quick shots of breaths quickened her heart-beat. She could see Tai Lung beginning to sob in hs own mess. No, it was never ordinary love that we had, nor ever... what we have now...

Is True Love...

Review?

-Skyy.