Hearing the knock, both females froze on the spot. 'Who could be visiting this late.'
Mei Mei approached the door gingerly while Tigress bolted from her seat to grab her qipao and quickly dress herself.
A familiar goose appeared on the door.
"Mr. Ping!" The female panda addressed the goose. Mei Mei knew who the goose was, she saw him during her ribbon dance performance. She giggled inwardly recollecting the forlorn look on Dragon Warrior's face as he pleaded both of his father to help him escaping potential embarrassment joining her ribbon dance. However this was her first personal encounter with the goose.
Mr. Ping stood by the door, his eyes immediately delved into the panda in front of him and recognized her as the ribbon dancer who flirted with his son earlier today. 'The panda girl who had a crush on Po...interesting...'
Mei Mei squirmed uncomfortably, clearly not enjoying the silent treatment from the goose who was just staring impishly at her. The goose snapped from his trance and quickly make his intention known.
"Is Master Tigress here?" He lowering his head to peek behind Mei Mei large figure.
"Oh yes, were you looking for her? Do come on in." Mei Mei made a gesture to Mr. Ping to enter the room. The goose saw his son's best friend sat on the stool next to Mei Mei's pink dresser.
"Tigress!" He lounged towards the tiger before she even had a chance to put her tea down. A pair of wings embraced her bandaged arm. Tigress was stupefied clearly not expecting such display of affection. Mei Mei walked into the room with quizzical look at such a weird interaction between the goose and the tiger.
"I've been looking everywhere for you." The goose released his wings haltingly. All of a sudden Tigress remembered that Mr. Ping was asking about his shop earlier, but she hadn't got a chance to give him an answer.(** if you watched the movie KFP 3, you'll see Mr. Ping asked this question when Tigress just arrived**)
"Yes, your shop is fine Mr. Ping. Looks like Kai was only interested to destroy the legacy of Master Oogway."
"No no, that's not what I am here for... but thanks for the news. So you said everyone is...gone?" He perched himself on a stool next to Tigress.
The tiger gave a positive motion. "Kai even eradicated Jade Palace." She replied mournfully.
"That's a bad news..." The goose responded petulantly. He folded his wings and examining the tiger from head to toe with apprehensive look.
"Oh my gosh, you are badly injured. What am I going to say to Po! What happened to your arm? and your knee? and is that broken toe?" Her ripped qipao revealed a massive bandage on her arm that still oozing with blood. Her torn silk trousers definitely not helping sealing anything either.
"Mr. Ping, calm down... I am fine, I scraped my arm when I climbed the frozen waterfall. Beside Mei Mei had took a good care of me." The goose and the tiger eyes turned to the female panda who still stand there nervously. She felt like she should leave the two having the conversation, but there was part of her that dying to know more about her fiancee's dad and the tiger.
"You climbed that?" He was reminded of how many time Po told him how awesome, hardcore and bodacious was the leader of the Furious Five. At first he suspected his son was just exaggerating the fact - after all Master Tigress was Po's favourite - but seeing is believing. The tiger just smiled."You've underestimated me Mr. Ping."
"Ah good... good... " He rubbed his beak.
"A moment ago Po has asked me to look for you, making sure your injuries are attended and you are fed." He paused. "But good to know you are fine." Then there was momentary reticence. Tigress wasn't sure why Mr. Ping had not excuse himself to leave yet, and she secretly prayed he would ask her to go with him to escape the misery being questioned by Po's fiancee.
Instead the goose scooted over closer to her, with a low voice almost like whispering clandestinely but with imploring edge, he riposted. "Tigress, I need to ask you a favour." Tigress just threw a hesitant look. 'This can't be good.'
"And what is that Mr. Ping?"
"I need you to talk to Po. You see, a moment after you came, I overheard Po having a heated argument with his Panda dad over the bridge. Apparently, he'd been lying to Po." He explicated in melancholic tone. Tigress expression remained phlegmatic.
"I am afraid I don't get what you mean Mr. Ping." She said tonelessly.
"Li was lying when he said he knew how to manipulate chi. He couldn't do it, and he couldn't teach Po either." There was slight anger and disappointment in the goose's voice knowing all their trip were basically for...nothing other than Li's selfish belief that running away could potentially save his son. But his feature was quickly soften in discernment.
"Po was upset his father had lied to him about something very important - and his comrades, his master even China had to pay dearly for it. He blamed Li for his absence in Valley of Peace when he was needed the most. But I can understand Li's sentiment. He couldn't afford to lost Po twice. He loves Po more than the world itself." He expounded.
Tigress tried to retain her composure. No doubt she was angry that Li had lied to everyone over his egotistical love for his son. His lies had cause her to lost nearly everything. She clutched her fist, but she was quickly reminded how did it feels like to lost someone she hold dear, how broken she was at the thought that Po had died after being struck by the cannon. How she had lost her will to fight, her will to live. 'Li would feel the same'. She exhaled deeply.
"So, what you want me to do Mr. Ping?"
Mr. Ping stood in front of the tiger and held one of her paw with his wing.
"Tigress, you are always be the one standing by my son in his weakest moment. I know Po trusts you with his life, and I am sure you will do the same. Po's judgement is clouded with indignation at the moment, he won't be able to think straight. We all know that Kai can only be defeated by master of Chi, you had to assist Po with that…. Somehow". His voice dropped together with the look on his eyes.
Tigress was deeply in thought. She didn't know how to manipulate chi as well. She doubted herself and started to fear the worst of Kai may fall upon them.
"I don't know whether I can really help Mr. Ping. I had no idea about chi as well, that's why Po was sent here." Tigress said precariously.
The goose silently nodded. He tightened his grip to the tiger's paw.
"Yes I know. But that was what happened during Gongmen's battle as well. I wasn't there to witness it, and most of people would say the Dragon Warrior had won against Lord Shen armada single handedly. Po gained almost instant fame. My noodles sale shot up the roof -" He chortled at the rumination of his son who loved being the centre of attention, not in arrogant way - but there was no denying that Po quite comfortable to be under the spotlight. In contrast, Tigress only appeared when she was needed, efficiently took her action and then she would dissolve into the background.
"...but I knew better. Po wasn't winning that battle alone. You were there. And what you've done is what Po can't live without. You've sacrificed yourself shoving him out of the way of the cannon. If you hadn't done that, he might never stand a chance to defeat Lord Shen." Tigress ponder upon the goose's word, still unable to comprehend where the conversation leading to, but she decide to keep listening.
"At this very moment, you might not know how to help Po. But when the time come..., all you need to do is to follow your heart, just like what you did back in Gongmen." The goose looked into tiger's sunset orbs. "Please Tigress..., just go and talk some sense out of him. Only you could help him." The goose coaxed her.
With a resigned tone, the tiger held her words. "I promise Mr. Ping". A big smile of hopefulness wiped across his beak. Tigress watched the goose turned to leave. He waddle to the door. "Thank you Tigress... Now I must speak to Li. I'll speak to you again later... if we are still alive." He let a gleeful-satirical laugh. He gave a gesture to thank Mei Mei who was still bedazzled trying to measure the matter of the problem at hand.
With Mr. Ping gone, Tigress felt very uncomfortable remembering where the conversation was left with Mei Mei. There was a minute recess between them that feels like forever. Finally, Tigress opened up her voice.
"Mei Mei, I had to go. Thank you for-"
"Wait..., you did care for him don't you?" She quickly restarted their previous conversation and asserted the tiger accusingly.
Tigress sighed in defeat, she knew the panda wouldn't let her off the hook without further explanation. "Yes, I care a lot for Po if that what you were asking." After witnessing her conversation with Mr. Ping - Tigress knew there was no point of denying. "I think you have a right to know and I can accept if you hated me." The panda just about to utter another word of protest but Tigress gave a sign not to interrupt her.
"For a long time Po thought that he was the only Panda left, and now he found you all. I am sure you and him will make a great couple, have cubs and help your race from brink of extinction, don't let me stand in your way." Mei Mei sensed both sincerity and agony from the tiger's voice. Sometimes women could be hard to figure out.
"Did you ever told Po how much you... cared for him?" the panda threaded gingerly, fearing the warrior would just punch her for invading her personal space.
"That's absurd." She snapped. Mei Mei swore she could almost hear a growl.
"Why so? He should have his say in this." Mei Mei rebutted stubbornly.
"He deserve better." Clenching her first in indignation, she was tormented from her own words. But she determined to convince the panda on her opinion otherwise.
"What do you mean?" The panda deadpanned.
'No kidding, she is as persistent and annoying as Po.' Tigress muttered to herself. "I can't deny his chance to be happy." She almost yelled at the poor panda, who just flinched and staggered backward, stumbled on her own feet and almost hit the door. But Mei Mei knew she almost successfully extracting the truth out of the tiger.
"Are you saying that he will be happy with me? How can you be so sure?" The female panda cornered her.
Mei Mei saw the tiger gritted her teeth as fury bubbling up in her chest, her figure trembled trying to kerb her emotions, but she was quickly mollified."It's not that simple Mei Mei." She insisted.
"I'm sure it wasn't. But I can't risk myself marrying someone who loved someone else. And I need to know." The panda said undeterred.
She felt exasperated. "That's hardly my fault." She snapped harshly.
"I know, but I want to know whether you had to feel for him. Since I think he does."
'Wait, does he? How can she be so sure?' Tigress sighed, she about to explain herself again.
"When I came here…, I did have a second thought about what going to happen to Po. About his chance of wanting to stay in Panda village….. for good, about his chance being home among his kinds." The tiger's voice start to shake on the prospect losing the person she cared the most, but she carried on.
"Being here is his dream. I knew him for years and I know he had been waiting for this moment to happen - meeting his biological dad and other pandas. And as an orphan myself - I can say there is no better happiness than being reunited with your origin, people who you can call family, and finally found a closure. It comes to me that Po might meet someone here, someone that would love him better than I do, someone who can be a great wife to him, one that can cook, acts feminine, soft spoken, gentle, affectionate and loving."
Mei Mei was silent while focusing her mind on digesting every word she said.
"I am a warrior, all assortment of feminine pursuit and proclivity was not what I could offer. All my life has been dedicated to train. My body are built for combat not too look pretty, bruise and scar are my beauty, I am taught to be fearless and not to be submissive, and all I know about loving someone is always involving dying in battlefield." She expounded poignantly, and quickly appended,"...now, I hope you understand when I said, Po deserve someone better - not someone who incapable of affection."
The panda perceived Tigress's sentiment and her reasoning, however she saw the warrior amber orbs glistened with tears that she fought hard to hold back. Tigress silently resented herself for going soft especially in front of stranger. She was hardcore platinum soul warrior, there was no question about that. But didn't mean her heart wasn't capable of love.
"I can't be attached to any of my comrades than I need to be. If you love Po, and you can make him happy…. I will definitely support you. After all, you are his kind - a panda. You are more suitable mate to him than me." The female tiger in front of her conceded, admitting that she would surrender her chance being with the man she loved as long as he had the happy life he deserved. Wave of thoughts and emotions crashed into her, her heart was aching on her own words, shattering all the hardcore image she was trying to hold.
Tigress exhaled heavily, it was a hard work for her to declare those words to Po's fiancee, but it was necessary. She lost her parents once, her hope for love and affection was gone until Shifu and the rest of the five becoming the part of her life - it wasn't perfect, but she was grateful. Now Kai has taken all that she cared for - left for the bear, would she lost Po too to Mei Mei?
While Tigress was still busy meddling with her own thought, a pair of black cuddly arm cradled her. Her fur was soft and warm, just like Po. The scent of peach blossom became apparent as the figure clasping her chubby arm and pulling her close to her chest. Tigress stiffened, her mind goes blank and her brain commanding her to come out of the grasp, but her limbs betrayed her. The hug felt reassuring - melting all her worry away. It was then she realised Mei Mei embraced her sympathetically, acknowledging her struggle and misery she'd been through.
The panda quickly released her arm and stepped back perceiving the tiger might beat her into a pulp for touching her. To her surprise Tigress just smiled warmly thanking her in silence. Mei Mei relieved Tigress had somewhat felt better. Both of them knew they wanted Po to be happy, hoping he would end up with the right girl. Po knew his side of the deal with Mei Mei, he was aware she was willing to be his wife should he choose her. But how about the tiger?
"Tigress..., would you be willing to do make Po happy... should he choose you?" Mei Mei cautiously approached the tiger.
Tigress was dumbfounded. "To be honest, I don't - I…."
Mei Mei sympathetically placed her paw on Tigress's winning her attention. "...loving someone does not just means you willing to die for him,...but also to live for him. And you must tell him how your feel. You both had a chance being very happy with each other, even when it's just for a day, or a week or a year. It's better than nothing. Lest worry about the future and enjoy what you have today."
Tigress concentrated at her statement, before she could react, Mei Mei grabbed her other paw and looked at her golden eyes. "Listen, if we managed to come alive after facing Kai, please promise me that you'll confess your feeling to him, I'll be happy to write off my crush on him." She chuckled - but giving her a serious look.
"Pinky promise?" She put up her pinky claw and gave Tigress the notion of doing the same.
Tigress shook her head more expectantly that she think she would. "Sorry Mei Mei, I can't. You are betrothed to Po, that is a serious promise. I don't want to come between you both."
"I'll speak to Li Shan and my mom. I am sure of this Tigress, you need to believe me. If I were to marry Po one day, I wanted it out of love, out of my merit, my effort, not silly arranged marriage. This will give both of us a fair chance to win him, and for him to choose and to get the happiness he deserved." She raised up her little claw.
"Please….?" She smirked.
Tigress confided her thought once more and resigned as joining her claw on the panda's "I guess you are right. Thank you Mei mei, I never thought I will make a friend when I came here."
"Nah, I think you have a soft spot for Panda". The bear let out a feminine giggle. "Hey, why don't you wear my qipao while I fixed yours. I think it's time to help the Dragon warrior formulating plan to defeat Kai so you can confess your feeling." She teased her. "You'd better be quick or else he'll be mine." Tigress just snickered on the panda's joke.
For the rest of the day, Tigress stood next to Mei Mei and Lei lei (**you can see this in the movie, they are really look like best friends!**), and story be told the pandas escaped the genocide one more time - thanks to Po (who sacrifice himself). For now, we all just had to wait until the time was right for Tigress to be honest about her own feeling. And if it needs to be a better friend than the one who understand your joy and sorrow from the moment you met them.
Isn't great to have a panda friend?
*The next chapter will be about Mei Mei becoming a new student in Jade Palace.