Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda.
It was the middle of the night and Shifu lay awake in his bed, contemplating on whether or not he should adopt the girl and become a father once again. She shows so much potential, Shifu thought. But the way Tai Lung turned out... I couldn't take it if that happened again. Maybe a good night's rest will help aid my decision—who am I trying to fool? I haven't had a good night's sleep since Tai Lung... well, I might as well try.
Shifu then fell into a deep sleep where his troubles ceased and he found peace.
The next morning, Shifu awoke to a rested and rehabilitated state. His happiness soon came to an end when he remembered the matter of adoption. He looked out the window and sighed, "I've made my decision."
Clouds slowly passed the Sun, Shading the children as they ran across the stone floor and under the tall tree whose long branches escaped the facility at the top. A young feline plopped down beneath it along with a bunny and a goose who she had made friends with since Shifu's test. She stared up, wondering, I wish I could escape like the tree... They soon got up from laying on the cold, hard stone floor which wasn't the least least bit comfortable, and the fact that the roots of the tree had caused some of the stones to become cracked and unsettled didn't help either. The orphanage was in bad shape. That much was evident to any eye. And not only were the wall falling apart from lack of reinforcement, but the caretakers there weren't exactly the good either. In fact, one might find their titles ironic, for none of them seemed to even care for the children's well-being... well all but one—Ms. Yang, a kindly sheep was the one diamond in the otherwise, ruins that composed the staff of the facility. Although she had her difficulties, Ms. Yang always tried her best to ensure the children of the orphanage be happy and stay safe. She had been terrified by Tigress from the day she arrived until the day she had demonstrated that she had learned to control her strength. Since that day, she has been happy and has grown to actually like the feline, along with the other children. In the days when Ms. Yang wasn't working there, the 'caretaker' in charge would force her to be locked up in her room, away from them and the children. But today as the Sun seemed to find strength through the clouds, so would she. A young and now, happy Tigress continued to play with the children of Bao Gu. She joyfully laughed along with a duck and a bunny as they played with a red ball. Amid the laughter and playful screams of other children playing, they heard a gong crash. The Children's faces lit up instantly as they ceased their activities. It was time for adoption—a time the children had spent countless hours preparing for, especially one tiger in particular.
Tigress made her way through the children crowded at the door, waiting in anticipation to see if whether or not, She would finally have someone to call mother and father. She had long been rejected by parents, for they feared her strength—but not this time. This time was different, she had learned to control her strength and it was all thanks to Master Shifu. She knew that she would never forget him and that she owed him her life. He may have been strict, but at least he believed in her and that gesture meant more to her than he will ever know.
As the large doors of Bao Gu opened, her heart began to pound in anxiety. The families immediately began to adopt the children and one by one, the group grew smaller and smaller.
"How many families are left? I can't see," Tigress asked her bunny friend.
"I—" The bunny began but was cut off as the crowd of children separated them.
Tigress finally made it to the front doors, and what she saw crushed her spirit. There were no more families left. They were all gone. Had they not seen her? Had she been too far back? She then saw in the distance, two sheep walking away, without a child. Her heart filled with pain, 'They really didn't want me. I'm still just a monster.' The goat care taker approached her, "Come dear, there's always next time."
The care taker led Tigress away from the doors and to a table where a single domino laid flat. She watched the caretaker return to a small bamboo table where someone was waiting facing away from her. Ignoring them, Tigress then sat down by herself and tried to understand why. Why would no one adopt her? Was she not good enough, even after her training? Defeated, she put her head down, on the verge of crying until someone placed another domino next to hers. When she looked up, she saw the one person whom she was least expecting to see.
"Shifu!" She yelled in joy. Why's he here? Did he come back to teach me?
He stood solemn, "Come, let us go home."
Her mouth opened in shock and it took all of Shifu's training for him to suppress a joyful laugh that surfaced his tongue. She glanced at him, unsure whether or not to obey. She then opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out.
Shifu smiled inwardly, thought: She is overwhelmed with emotion. I believe I've saved her from hell. He saw her continued loss for words, said, "I understand your confusion, seeing that I was your teacher for the past few months. But now, I've adopted you... you are free to leave this place and come home.
Home... the word sounded so powerful to her. A word she never thought would be directed to her. With all the pain and sorrow lifted from Tigress' heart, a wide smile touched her face as she leaped over the table she was at, and followed Shifu—her new father—to a place she could now call home.