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Chapter 4 Hard Core Training

Tigress's body coiled in preparation. She looked at the goose she had chosen from those that ran the temple, to run the machine next to her. It was designed to act like a giant crossbow, only it fired disks instead of arrows. "Fire." She ordered. As the disk arched into the sky, she leapt after it. She kicked the stone disk with the side of her foot, shattering it effortlessly. She landed in a natural offensive stance. "Speed it up." Another disk was fired into the air, then another and another, followed by two at the same time. She leapt after them, showering the courtyard with chunks of rock. She kept going until bin of disks was completely emptied. As she landed for the final time, she noticed Po approaching.

"That was totally AWESOME!" Po exclaimed.

"That was a simple warm up." Tigress stated blankly. "When Master Shifu arrives, he will provide a proper work out for me. Until then, we will focus on you're training." She motioned to the goose, who dashed over to the storage shed and pulled out a small bin. It contained disks similar to the ones she'd been training with, only they were brown instead of stone grey. "These are soft clay disks." She picked one up and crushed it in her hand. It crumbled easily. "They will be you're targets for the warm up."

"Right…" Po smiled nervously. "Well let's get started then!"

Tigress smirked. "As you wish. The goal is to destroy the disk with you're foot. Go get it." She grabbed another disk and tossed it up into the air. Po leapt after it but he wasn't high enough. And as he lashed out his foot to kick his target, he set himself off balance and went tumbling back to the ground.

"Ow!"

"You're not jumping high enough." Tigress snapped, "And you're kick was ridiculous. You can't jump and then try and kick like that." She crouched and moved her hand up in front of her face. "Try and kick my palm."

"But won't that hurt?" Po questioned.

Tigress glared at him. "Of course not. I have trained for many years to feel no pain. A simple kick is nothing."

"Right…" Po scratched the back of his head. "If you say so." He took a deep breath and brought his foot up to kick her palm. "Ow! That was like kicking a bunch of bricks!"

"Wrong!" Tigress snapped. "Again." Hesitantly, Po brought his foot back up again. This time Tigress grabbed his foot mid strike. She pulled it up and then forward, twisting his ankle ever so slightly. Po wobbled slightly.

"Hey! Ouch!"

"Ignore the pain or you will never get anywhere in you're training."

"You still didn't have to be so rough." Po grumbled.

Tigress sighed. "Remember this position and strike again." She released Po's foot, scowling as he wobbled again. "Have you no sense of balance?"

"My balance is usually fine!" Po snapped, "I'm just not used to the position you were forcing me into!"

"Again." Tigress snapped, holding out her paw once again. Po paused, biting his lip thoughtfully for a minute. Finally, he nodded.

"Ok. I'm ready." He brought his foot up again, doing a sort of strange hop to adjust mid-kick. Tigress's eyes narrowed as his kick connected with her palm.

"Still wrong! You're kicks need to be strong and decisive! No hesitance! Now do it again!" Po narrowed his eyes and straightened his back.

"Right!" He lifted his foot and stuck again.

"Again." Was all Tigress would say. Po groaned and did it again, and again, and again. Until he finally collapsed onto his back.

"No more! My foot hurts too much!"

"That's pathetic." Tigress sneered. "Get up 'Dragon Warrior'. It is time to do the disks again." Po rolled onto his side and pushed himself to his feet.

"I couldn't hit those if I tried." he moaned. "It's too tiny of a target and I'm too tired." There was a pause as Tigress seemed to consider his words.

"Very well. Then we can spar instead." She crouched, muscles coiling and tail lashing. "Prepare yourself." Po looked like he was ready to faint. He bent his knees, putting one foot in front of him and one behind to help keep his balance. He stretched one arm out in front of him and the other bent and up by his face in preparation to strike.

"Ready." And as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Tigress charged forward. He didn't even have time to register her movements until her leg swung out and swept his feet out from under him. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. He blinked up at her from the ground.

"You weren't even trying." Tigress growled. She looked mildly offended. "This is not the warrior that defeated Tai Lung. Where is you're strength? I thought Master Shifu trained you at least a little bit. Show me THAT strength. The strength of the Dragon Warrior."

"Look. I'm tired and I'm hungry. Not a good combination. And Master Shifu trained me different then this!" Po grumbled.

"Attack me properly!" Tigress practically barked. Po straightened himself wearily and got into a defensive position, ready to dodge the expected attack.

"Ok…I'm ready." His tone was hesitant, wary. This time as Tigress charged forward, he sidestepped and bounced out of the way. He sensed an attack from behind and twisted around, arms coming up to block a kick that would have knocked him flat. She used his body as a platform to jump up and land a punishing blow to his shoulders. Wincing, he rolled away and jumped to his feet again, ready for more. Tigress stood there for a moment, watching him.

"Better." She murmured before charging again. Po tensed as she came at him from the front, prepared to dodge once more. But she seemed to blur as she moved almost to fast to follow, moving to his side. He saw stars as she delivered a kick to the side of his head. He hit the ground, vision slightly blurry as his head spun.

"Urgh…" He groaned. Tigress loomed over him, glaring.

"I can't believe you fell for that." She sneered. She brought her foot down for another blow. Working on instinct, with his head still aching, he caught her foot mid strike. Twisting it, he threw her to the side. Her body spun mid fall, letting her skid on her feet across the training ground.

She stared at him, gaze piercing. Was THIS the strength with which he defeated Tai Lung? The strength that had led her to call him 'master'? She scowled. One minute he was a useless idiot, and the next he nearly resembled a proper warrior. It was infuriating! She growled and flexed her paw, revealing claws. It had the desired effect. Po swallowed thickly.

"H-hey! No need for that!" When she didn't retract her claws he crouched again. Tigress never used her claws. Ever. He stared at her tensely. The intense moment was shattered when the cry of a falcon was heard overhead. The bird circled and landed awkwardly, a scroll clutched in its talons. Po noted, with some confusion, that the falcon was not much bigger then the scroll it carried. He narrowed his eyes as he got a better look at the seal on the scroll. "Woah! That's the scroll of the emperor's southern guards, the Sword of the Sun!" The Sword of the Sun was a fierce band of warriors that patrolled the south province of Sha Ling, keeping the peace at the command of the emperor.

"This should be taken to Master Shifu." Tigress murmured. She sheathed her claws and picked up the scroll. She took off for the Hall of Warriors. Po lingered long enough to gently scoop up the falcon, letting it come to rest on his arm, and then took off at steady pace for the Hall.

There it is. If you liked it please let me know!