Chapter 17

No. That... that can't be possible. No. No...

If I pretend it's not real, will everything go back to normal? Not logical.

Why wasn't I there? Logic

Now what? I don't know...

Distraught over Crane's untimely death, Tigress sat up a tree, listening to the bird's song.

Birds.

Crane.

..How everything seemed so peaceful.

Peaceful.

Crane.

Everything reminded her of him... Crane was the member of the Furious Five she had known for the longest. He had been there about a year after her, and was like an older brother. Crane was the one who would always be the funniest, not intentionally, in heart-to-heart situations (although Tigress had only had two, both with a certain Panda, and Mantis' jokes just weren't funny). However, she didn't know that much about his thoughts. After all, now she'd never know what his favourite colour was. Or why he always wore that hat. Or did he love Mei-Ling, as speculated by Viper, Mantis, Monkey and Po.

Love was such a difficult thing to know, but it was such a simple chemistry. Shouldn't it be easy? The deatils weren't hard to understand...

Crane needed avenging. Tigress knew it.

Tigress was going to win this, for Crane. And for all those who have died. And for all who will.

Slowly, she brought out her claw and carved, in as delicate a handwriting as she could manage, Crane's name into the tree beside her. Deep enough so it would be there, forever. Angling herself so everyone could see it, Tigress decided it would be safer for her to move tree. She'd been there for a while, better to lose traces early. So, as she got all her temporary belongings into the rucksack, she left one final sign of respect to Crane. On her knees, she bowed down on her knees to Crane, and touched three fingers to his name.

Love.

Happiness.

Peace.

Remembering it from her orphanage, when a maid had died of old age, and they saluted her by placing three fingers on her name to symbolise it.

"Goodbye, Master Crane. Rest in Peace." Nodding at his name, she leapt off, and started to run around the forest. Feeling a few tears spill from her face, whether due to speed or emotions, she dried them, steeled herself, and ran onwards, not really paying too much attention to her surroundings. In the general direction away from the Arena's centre, she was running, as well as along. It was all too calm...

SMASH! Tigress felt herself colliding with someone, and them both falling to the floor. Not giving whoever it was time to react, she scrambled up a tree, quickly grabbing her knife as she did.

"Who are you?" Yelling down to the figure, before she looked at it properly.

"I saw him die. Crane."

Recognzing the voice, but not quite able to place it, probably due to her head trauma, Tigress replied , "Reveal yourself!"

"Tigress?" Suddenly, the voice clicked into place, and it wasn't a threat. Suprised she hadn't realised it earlier, a shocked Tigress called down:

"Viper? Is that you?"

A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating, life and all that rubbish. I will be on holiday next week, and I doubt I will be able to update, but DO NOT FEAR (!), I will try my very best to write up a few chapters whilst there and supply you with more when I get back. So don't expect much for a week or so, and I'm unsure if I'll update tommorow. Maybe. OKAY AS LONG AS YOU RATE AND REVIEW YOU DON'T HAVE TO BOTHER WITH THE NEXT BIT! Also, in reply to a PM saying my chapters are too short: I prefer to have my chapters in that style, it works better for me updating, and I despise not finishing a chapter. Done it once, and I really hated it. As I am very busy, I don't have time for long chapters, so I try and give more often chapters, even if they're short, and that basically makes a week's story. Also, I think that short chapters aren't generally any worse than long chapters. Depending on the author, longer chapters may work, or shorter ones. I prefer short, sharp ones. That doesn't make my work any worse than someone who spends a million years typing out a chapter (okay, mildly overexxagerated there). Hope that satisfies. And to all of you wanting Mantis dead: YOU HEARTLESS PEOPLE! Lol, just joking, and I am thinking about who to kill next. How long until the chapter I based this all around comes up... ;) Rate and review please, and OMG OVER 70 REVIEWS! Thank you! Now, I'm gonna stop because you are all getting bored, so R and R, and bye!