So... I'm back again, and fairly quickly this time. It is more likely to be a little while before I post again this time, as I'm having maxillofacial surgery tomorrow (I have to have my wisdom teeth pulled...). Regardless, I did manage to slip in another story in my free time. This was originally meant to be a quirky, humorous drabble, one of roughly the same length as "Small", but as you can see it didn't turn out that way. I was in the process of writing this, and suddenly entered that state in which the story seems to write itself. The words flowed from my keyboard seemingly of their own accord, leading to the one shot you see now. I did manage to add in a decent amount of humor. And don't fear; there is no angst, at least not as in my last two one shots. I've tortured Tigress enough for a story or two...

Anyway, in light of the length of this drabble-turned-one shot, I'm changing the title of this story from "Various drabbles" to "Stories and Drabbles". I may or may not change this later; I don't really care for the title I just came up with...

On another note, I'm undecided on whether to post the rest of my one shots on this thread/story or post them as stand alone stories. I kind of like having them all together, like FFCrazy's one shot collection, but I also like them as stand alone stories. Please give me some feed back on this... I would greatly appreciate it...

Also, please tell me if this is actually appearing on the page listing all the stories. For some reason I can't find it there. If it isn't, then I'll either try to repost this whole collection (well, all two...) or post them separately.

Anyway, on to the story...

The day was serene and humming with life as Po made his way through the meandering courtyards of the Jade Palace. Shifu, for reasons he kept to himself, had departed earlier that day on a solitary mission, and had for once given his students the day off. After breakfast, the delighted panda had quickly begun to make his way to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom; it being spring, the tree was blooming, giving off a 'heavenly' aroma. Po wasn't one for meditation, at least in the traditional, hardcore sense, although as a panda he enjoyed to sit down and enjoy life every now and then. With a portion of monkey's coveted stash of almond cookies in paw, the Dragon Warrior was set to enjoy his day off.

As he made his way to the tree, however, he heard a faint, semi-repetitive splashing. From the light, almost ethereal quality of the sound, Po knew it was coming from far off, perhaps even at the foot of the mountain. Having been training with Shifu on his hearing for a while now, the panda decided to investigate the noise.

As it turned out, the sound had been coming from afar – the very bottom of the mountain. With breath labored, Po was finally drawing close to its source; it was clear that whatever was causing the splashing was at the river. The panda knew that, it being the early days of spring, the carp were running. Carp, however, don't usually make such a commotion, particularly one as mechanical and repetitive as this. Curiosity overcoming his exhaustion, Po pulled back the branch of a small tree to reveal a diminutive but defined orange tiger knee deep in the river, staring intently at the water with a raised paw. It took a few moments for Po to recognize the red vest the tiger was wearing. He watched in surprise as the female tiger brought her paw down on the water, creating the splashing noise he had earlier heard. Curiosity over came his instinct for self preservation, and he stepped out of the bushes

"Tigress? What are you doing here?" Tigress, shocked out of her single minded pursuit, looked up at the voluminous warrior with utter surprise. She had made sure no one had followed her; how did the panda manage what the gossip-hungry insect couldn't?

Embarrassed, Tigress addressed Po in a brusque manner. "What do you think, Po?" She grew increasingly more irritated as the Dragon Warrior stared at her with a nonplused visage.

"I don't know? Smacking the water?"

The tiger master brought a paw up to her forehead in exasperation. "Po, what species am I?"

"You're a tiger, right?"

"Yes. And what do tigers eat?"

"I don't know... Tofu?" Tigress had to fight back the instinctual urge to bare her fangs. Is he toying with me?

"No. Tigers are carnivores, correct?"

"Yes..." Po's eyes went wide as the realization struck him. "So you're... fishing?"

Tigress sighed, all her anger draining away at Po's veracious surprise. "Yes, Po, I'm fishing." The tiger master began to make her way back to the bank, feeling slightly guilty about her recent choler. As she stepped out of the river, she pulled the rope containing her catch onto the sandy bank: four carp and a catfish, a good haul for one day. Po laughed nervously; apparently he hadn't entirely missed the irritation that had laced her earlier words.

"So... do you want some help carrying all that?" asked the panda.

"I can manage it, Dragon Warrior."

"Oh... That's cool. I knew you could handle it." said Po, somewhat dejectedly. He followed the now fish laden tiger back up the mountain. "So... fish. Why fish? I've never seen you eating fish before. Ever."

Tigress sighed once again. She had been quite anxious to avoid this conversation. "I'm a tiger. I have to eat meat, Po."

"I've never seen you eat meat before..." said the increasingly apprehensive panda. "Don't you usually stick to tofu or something?"

Tigress was quite uneasy, almost fearful, about this matter. She had hoped it would never come up. Pausing mid step, she turned to face him, waiting a moment before speaking. The words didn't come easily. "I try to resist, but sometimes the urge to eat fresh meat is overwhelming." The icy rush of adrenaline greeted her as she prepared to continue. She was treading on unfamiliar ground. What would he think of her, a predator, a monster that stalks the night. For not the first time in her life Tigress sincerely wished she had been born a different species.

Feeling lightheaded and slightly dizzy from the adrenaline rush, she continued. "Tofu provides protein, but it does nothing to curb my cravings. I'm afraid that one day I'll snap and lose control..." The feline master began to stare vacantly at the ground, a distinct horror painting itself in her mind. "What would the village think? Even now they fear me." Of course she knew. They clap and cheer, of course, when ever she and the five return from a mission. They have festivals and parades in their honor. She never failed to notice, however, the glint of uneasiness in their eyes as she walked past, the specter of terror. They always hushed their conversation as she went by. Even their children edged away when she approached. Pain, and perhaps even fear began to claw its way into her visage as she ruminated on the matter. Alien, unsettling, Tigress began to be overwhelmed by her thoughts. She fought back in the only way she knew how. "They don't accept me, and never will. What would they do if they discovered I was eating animals?" said the tiger master, the edge of anger reappearing in her speech. "They tolerate me because I help them, but they would never trust me..."

A grim, malicious reticence settled on the pair. Tigress grew increasingly dizzy as the gap widened, horror overtaking her as she began to consider what the panda may be thinking. I went too far. She hadn't told anyone of her secret fear, save Master Shifu. Don't run. Fear drove the feline to action. "I apologize, Dragon Warrior. I spoke out of turn."

Silence. The icy claw of fear drove further into her heart.

Suddenly, Po spoke. "No."

Tigress looked up at the panda with a surprised, almost incredulous expression. "What?"

"No." stated the panda, a bit more forcefully. "You're wrong. The village adores you, Tigress. Who else could have stopped the Liu Khan brothers at Baldor mountain? Who else could have saved the emperor's daughter from the ten demons of Yixing pass? Who could possibly be as bodaciously awesome as you? No one."

A half opened peach blossom drifted in between the two warriors, prematurely shaken from its home. Po grabbed the blossom and continued. "I see how people edge away as you walk by, and I know you do too. But you always miss how they thank you under their breath, how they hang posters of you on their wall and name new foods and buildings after you. You walk by so quickly you never notice the kids playing war and fighting over who gets to be Master Tigress." Tigress suddenly looked up at Po.

"The village loves you, Tigress. You just have to slow down and look." Po blew gently on the peach blossom, causing it to open up. He stood in front of Tigress, a contented grin stretched across his face; he couldn't believe he just did that.

Tigress stared at the panda for a few moments, utterly shocked. A hint of peace began to permeate her consciousness. She didn't quite know what to make of Po's words yet, or if she was ready to accept them, but she felt better knowing that all isn't lost, that there's a different way to view things. Perhaps there was hope. Another thought suddenly hit her: when did Po grow so wise?

The panda in question noticed the change in her expression, chuckling slightly at her surprise. "Hey, you and Shifu aren't the only ones who read Oogway's scrolls." Po was even more shocked than Tigress, however, to see a slight grin split the feline master's face.

"Let's go. You can help me get these fish back to the palace." said the female tiger, handing Po a stringer of carp. Po excitedly grabbed the rope, following closely behind the feline.

After a few moments, he addressed Tigress. "Almond cookie?"

She sighed, but grabbed a cookie none the less. "Thanks, Po."