Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

The Sun set, casting an orange aura over the land as both the father and daughter walked along the stone path that led back to the valley of peace.

Tigress scanned the area, having never been in such openness, her mind soon drifted to other things, She turned to the red panda, "Where do you live, Shifu?" Tigress asked.

"Please, call me baba, and our home is in the Valley of Peace."

"Where is that? I've never been there before." She looked down sorrowfully, "I've never been anywhere…"

He noticed this and looked down at her, "Do not worry, you will see it soon enough." Shifu said.

Tigress then changed the subject, "Where's mama?"

What? "I'm sorry?" Shifu said shaking his head in confusion.

"You're the baba so where's the mama?"

"There is no mother, I am not married."

"You're not, why?" Her eyes shone with genuine curiosity.

"I simply do not have time for romantic entanglements. The day I arrived at the Jade Palace I took up a sacred vow to devout my sole focus to kung-fu." He stated.

She then set a determined stare off into the distance, "Well if you don't baba, then I don't neither!"

Shifu chuckled, "Well Tigress, if you want to be like your baba, then you will need to learn how to speak like him—now it's not 'I don't neither,' it's 'I don't either,' remember that."

Tigress nodded her head up and down in understanding.

After a long period of silence, Shifu decided to ask her a question, "Tigress, do you know what kung-fu is?"

Tigress paused for a moment, trying to think then shook her head saying, "No."

"Well it is an art and it means excellence of self. What I taught you back at Bao Gu was kung-fu, or at least an intro to it."

"Oh, cool, I want to learn more, you will teach me, right?" Tigress asked.

"I will, do not worry, but I will warn you, the path to becoming a master is not an obvious, linear path. It requires intelligence and ingenuity." The tone in his voice was solemn and almost grim.

She twisted her face at the strange words that came from his mouth but ignored it, "I will try my best baba; I know I can do it!" The desperation in her tone and eyes was evident.

"I have faith in you, Tigress, I know you can…"

Not much later, Shifu and Tigress, made it to the Valley of Peace. Seeing it, made Tigress' eyes widen in awe. Never before had she seen so many lights or heard so many noises. The sight was so incredible to her that all she could say was, "Wow!"

"This is the Valley of Peace." Shifu said.

"Wow, where do you live?"

"In that palace, up there," Shifu said as he pointed to the small structure at the top of the hill, still in the sunlight.

"Wow, baba, you have a big house!" She exclaimed in amazement.

"It is not just a house, it's a school and a temple where learning kung-fu is a way of life."

"Wow…"

He looked at her, "We're going to have to work on getting you a more broad vocabulary."

Tigress did not respond; she only stared at the valley and its wonder.

Once they had made it through the town and reached the stairs, Tigress stared up in amazement, "Wo—I mean Whoa!"

Shifu deadpanned. Not what I had in mind for a more broad vocabulary.

"Why are there so many stairs baba?"

Her question snapped him out of his thoughts, "Well, our home is at the top of the mountain. We need some way to get up there."

"Why is it at the top of the mountain?"

Shifu internally sighed, so many questions. "Well it's a good place to keep an eye on the valley."

"Oh, that's nice." Tigress said, her eyes scanning the surroundings, taking in the sights of the village.

"Come," Shifu began, "We must begin our ascension to the palace."

Despite a few stops here and there, Tigress made it. Her face physically drained and exhausted from the amount of work she had put forth.

"Don't worry Tigress, you will be able to climb these stairs without any effort soon enough. You're body's just not atoned to the exercise, but that will change."

The tired tiger nodded her head up and down in understanding.

"Come. Allow me to show you around."

She followed him happily through the courtyard, her eyes flicking from corner to corner trying to see everything.

"This large building here is the Sacred Hall of Warriors." He pointed up the center stairs leading to a large building at the top. "Where we are standing now is the palace arena, it is the main area for holding special events, such as tournaments, master naming ceremonies, and so on. Off to the sides are the spectator stands. The common folk view events from the bottom floor, masters from the second." He turned to face her, "Are you getting all of this?" When she nodded in confirmation he continued, "Up there, on top that small platform is the Peach Tree Hill, home to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom." He led her to the smaller wonders of the palace, "This here is the Fountain of Timeless Life. It is said that whoever drinks of this water shall be prolonged in years."

"Like a tortoise?"

He smiled, "Yes, like a tortoise." After a pause he looked at her, "Come, Tigress, there is someone you need to meet."

Shifu then led Tigress into the Hall of Warriors where she turned her head in every direction, looking at all the objects it held.

"Master," Shifu began.

"Ah." Oogway said. "I see that you have made your choice—let me see this child."

Shifu glanced over his shoulder to see Tigress busily standing next to Master Flying Rhino's armor. He called her and she scurried to her baba's side.

"What a beautiful young girl. what is your name young one?" Oogway asked.

"My name is Tigress," She responded, albeit shyly.

"Tigress, how nice! My name is Oogway." Her apprehensive demeanor melted away at his gentle, caring voice.

"Nice to meet you Oogway," she joyfully responded.

Oogway chuckled, "It is nice to meet you as well."

Shifu then stepped in, "Tigress why don't you go look around at the relics while we talk."

Tigress nodded and then ran off to gaze at the relics; Oogway turned his attention back to Shifu.

"Shifu, I sense in you, uncertainty, why?"

"I fear that she will end up the same as Tai-Lung and the fact that she is less disciplined than Tai-Lung was... I fear, it is going to be hard to teach her."

"My old friend, the choices you make in her life will have their rewards and their rebukes, but it is up to you to decide what those choices are. Just believe in her and she will not disappoint." Oogway said and then bid Shifu a farewell, "Take her to the barracks and allow her to settle in."

"Yes Master," Shifu said as he bowed with his palm in his fist.

As he turned around to get Tigress, he realized that Oogway had referred to him as his old friend and not just his friend. With a sigh Shifu thought, 'I'm getting old.'

It was dark out when Shifu led Tigress into the barracks. The wooden structure was plain compared to the other ones and strangely it felt... comforting to her. "Tigress, these are the student barracks, where you will be sleeping."

"Where do you sleep baba?"

"I sleep in the Sacred Hall of Warriors, in a bedroom there. Here, let me show you the individual rooms where you'll be sleeping." He led her down the corridor, Tigress's eyes wandering over to the doors that barred each room. "These rooms, used to be the bedrooms of Kung Fu masters, which I will tell you more about later. You are the only one who sleeps out here now. Although I will have a servant check on you periodically. My room used to be the one at the end of the hall... but yours will be the one directly across from it." Shifu did not want to put his daughter in his previous room, for it was the room that Tai-Lung had lived in.

Tigress yawned, which gave Shifu the signal to have her go to sleep for the night. "Well, I think I've shown you enough for today. It would be wise to go to sleep."

Tigress nodded her head up and down in agreement.

"Now, here at the Jade Palace we wake up early, when the gong sounds. So I expect you to be up at that time too, everyday."

"I will baba," Tigress yawned.

Shifu then showed her into her room which Tigress immediately favored more than her old one at Bao Gu. This one had a nice dresser with a beautifully intricate design on the trim and a firm and quality bed. She also felt comfortable and cozy in the room, it was brighter and more inviting than the one at Bao Gu. It had a wooden floor and paper walls which ended before the ceiling, giving her a more open and spacious feeling. She also noticed that she had a wall of windows which weren't barred and could be opened. But the thing that she liked most about the room were the doors—they were thin and free, not watching and keeping her prisoner. Once Shifu had left, she hesitantly placed her hand on the thin paper door and tugged on it; the door sliding open with a smooth hiss. She stepped out into the hallway smiling, I'm free here. She then walked back into her room and left the door open. She proceeded to her bed and went trough her travel pack. She had only one belonging with her, a red gauze lantern, which had been given to her at a very young age. It was very important to her, it was the only thing that she owned, and she held it near and dear to her heart. Smiling at it, she placed it on top of the dresser which seemed almost impossible to reach for someone of her height. She glanced at it once more with a content smile and then went straight to her bed and went to sleep.