Trying is Better than Nothing
"You ate the last cookie!"
The panda shrunk several sizes. "It was just there! I thought no one would take it and-"
"Po! This is why we hide stuff from you. Why don't you learn to ask someone before immediately shoving things into your mouth!" Shouted the tiger. She stormed down the hall and the loud shut of a door echoed after. Crane watched the whole thing unfold from the precarious safety of his seat in the kitchen. The panda stood with a horrified look that slowly turned miserable.
He plopped his face onto the table, groaning, "Ugh, I'm such a mess up."
"Don't beat yourself up, Po," Crane sighed.
"Why shouldn't I? Ugh! I just wish I wasn't so much of a louse. And that I didn't eat so much," Po sighed.
Crane shook his head. "Po, you're a panda. Pandas eat a lot. We already know that. "
"Then why do I always get on Tigress's bad side?"
"Well, it's not because you're a panda."
"Crane, I'm serious. What is it about me that always put me on the same side of Tigress's claws?"
"That's not true and you know it," Crane corrected, turning a bit stern. "Tigress may have some anger issues, but she doesn't take out all her frustrations and aggressions on you."
"Oh yeah? How many times has she shouted at you before?"
"You should ask Monkey," Crane chuckled a bit.
Po glared. "You know what, forget it."
"Po, come back."
"Why? So I can get laughed at?"
"No, no, I'm not laughing at you," Crane explained, letting the panda slowly sit down. "I'm laughing because Tigress is just like that. She still struggles with her anger."
"Okay, but what is it about me that makes me the prime target?" Po asked. Crane shrugged. "Ugh, you know what. I need some fresh air." The panda got up and walked out without so much as a bowl of bean buns for a snack. Crane sighed. Thinking back to what the panda said a few moments ago, everything he said was technically right. Tigress did seem to single Po out more for her frustrations than the rest.
But why?
Crane looked at the empty cookie jar on the table. The source of the problem.
Why would she be upset about cookies? She didn't even like cookies that much.
Crane rubbed his feathers across the bottom of his beak like they were fingers petting his chin. It made no sense, really. Tigress didn't have any legit reason to be upset with the panda... this time. But why would she act like this?
The avian warrior rose from his chair and ambled down the hall toward Tigress's room. He knocked on the door.
"Go away, Po!"
"It's... me."
The door slowly opened. "Oh, Crane. What is it?"
"You know, I was just in the neighborhood and uh... well, I was wondering about something," Crane said.
"What?" Tigress asked with impatience.
"Why are you angry at Po all the time?"
Tigress rose her eyebrow. "Have you seen him?"
Crane narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I have. And he's our friend."
"Crane, I didn't mean-"
"Tigress, what's wrong?" Crane asked directly, "You can't be this upset just because Po ate your cookie."
"It... it was the last one."
Crane could see that her mask was breaking and took a step forward, "You don't even like cookies that much. Especially oat."
The two warriors stared at each other. Crane had a nervous twitch forming in his eye. He hated standing up like this, especially with his friends. His heart started thumping in his chest. The tiger wasn't moving. Her stern glare still sent chills down his spine. And now more than ever, Crane could feel the same kind of anger boiling up inside of her, and he did not want to suffer Po's punishment.
Finally, Tigress sighed, "Po just... gets on my nerves."
"Why?"
"I don't know, I just-"
"Is it because he's Dragon Warrior?"
Tigress's head snapped up. "What? No! I'm past that."
"Are you?"
"Yes," Tigress said firmly. Crane rose his wings in defense. The tiger sighed again. "Honestly, Crane. I...I don't know why I'm like this to Po. And... I hate it."
"Huh?"
"I hate that I get so upset with Po over the smallest things. I never had this problem before." She walked into her room, silently letting Crane enter and close the door behind him.
"What about when you were an orphan?" Crane asked.
"It wasn't like this. Back then, I was angry because I didn't know... how else to act. With Po, I know how to act but... I don't do it."
She sighed as she sat on her cot. "I don't know why I do this to him. He's kind and brave. He stands up for what he knows is right, even if he's wrong. He's stubborn, though he makes it work for him," She smirked a bit to herself "And he's caring, and-"
She stopped. She looked at Crane. Crane's beak dropped, making a little creaking sound. The room stood still. Tigress's eyes were wide open, and she couldn't form any words for a long minute.
"No," She finally said, bolting up from her cot.
"It would explain a lot."
"No, I don't."
"The constant time around him."
"No!"
"Always wanting to spar with him."
"No I don't!"
"And it does make sense why you seem to fight with him over the littlest things. Kind of like my grandparents."
"I do not!" Tigress exclaimed.
"Why are you so against it?"
"Because!" Tigress shrank after shouting the words. "What if he doesn't like me back?" She sighed as the reality of her problem fell squarely on her shoulders. She threw her head into her hands with a loud groan. "I've done nothing but get angry at him over the littlest things. And for what? All because I don't know how to express my feelings?"
"Where actions fail, words might prevail. Why don't you just tell him?"
"Didn't you hear what I just said?"
Crane smirked, "I heard something that Tigress would never say. I heard quitter words."
The tiger rolled her eyes. "Don't try to appeal to my ambition, Crane."
"But it's true and you know it." Tigress groaned, heading to the door. "What's the worst that can happen if he says no?" Crane suddenly asked. "The absolute worst that could happen if he says no?"
"He hates me?"
"Well, I like you."
Tigress spun around. Her eyes glared hard but wide. "What?!"
Crane smiled, "See, now would you hate me for saying that?"
"I would be highly annoyed that you did that simply to prove a point," Tigress hissed, "But... I see your point." Crane smiled. "But... I don't think I'm ready to tell him. Not yet."
"Then what are you going to do?"
Tigress paused. Her eyes traced lines in the floorboards as her shoulders sagged. Her sigh rose the loudest on the quiet air. "I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how to... express what I'm feeling without taking it out on others."
"Well, maybe you should say that to Po. I'm sure he'll understand."
Tigress nodded and left the room in search of Po. The panda sat under the Heavenly Peach Tree, not eating, but just blazing a visual trail into the far-off mountainscape. "I just don't understand," He muttered. "Why does she always do this with me? I'm not that annoying, am I?"
"You aren't."
"DAAHHH!" Po spun around and saw the orange feline standing overhead, leaning on the tree. "Oh, it's you," The panda muttered.
The tiger took a seat next to him. They stared off into the distance; not a word was shared or even uttered for a moment. All they could feel was the wind whistling through the tree's leaves. Tigress heard their impatience. Sudden gusts of wind would howl through the leaves. As if the very wind wanted them to get on with it. "Tigress," Po spoke up with the same impatience of the wind, "What do you want?"
"I... I want to say that... I'm sorry for getting angry at you over something so small," Tigress replied. "I didn't mean it."
"Hmm, well, it's okay," Po grumbled.
"No, it's not."
"What makes you say-"
"Po, it's obvious you're still upset." Po said nothing. "I know that it feels like I'm... directing all of my anger towards you-"
"No, that's exactly what you do," Po said bluntly.
"But... that's only because... I don't... know."
"Huh?"
"I don't know why I get upset with you so much," Tigress sighed, exasperated. "I don't hate you. I don't despise you. I just... I don't know how to handle some of my emotions sometimes."
"Buuuuut I thought you don't feel anything."
Tigress perked her head up. "What?"
"Yeah, on the boat ride to Gongmen City, you said you punch the Ironwood trees to-"
"That's to feel nothing physically. And... over time...I still feel the pain. I've just gotten better at ignoring it. I've... distanced myself from the pain if you will."
Po tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. Tigress couldn't suppress the small amused smile on her face. "How do you distance yourself from pain?"
"I don't... suppress it. That only makes things worse. I don't fight it. I just... let it come and go." She looked at her paws. Her mind traced each and every time her fists bled and throbbed until she didn't hurt anymore. Emotionally anyway. But ever since Po came, she had learned a new way of distancing herself from the pain. Now, she simply accepted the pain. And somehow, it felt less painful.
"That doesn't explain why you have a hard time expressing yourself," Po spoke up. "I mean, other than angry Tigress. You have that down pat."
A small laugh flowed from their lips. The tiger sighed, "Po, there's a lot of emotions that... I don't allow myself to feel. Yes, anger is one because it's the most familiar. But... when other emotions come up, I don't always know how to express them. Whether that be annoyed, frustrated, hateful, or any other emotion that can disguise as anger. It's... difficult."
She felt a soft paw on her hand. Her eyes traveled up to Po's kind wide smile. "But not impossible."
"R-right," Tigress stuttered a bit. "Po, I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be the target of my emotions. I was just... I was having a bad training day and... I thought I could distract my frustration by... eating a cookie."
"Something you don't usually do," Po mentioned. Tigress turned her head to him. "I've never seen you eat a cookie unless I'm offering."
"Because you make a face that's hard to say no to," Tigress smirked.
"You can blame my panda charm," Po chuckled.
The tiger held Po's hand and smiled. "I promise to try not to let you be the center of my emotional problems."
"It's okay. At least I know now. And I can use it to my advantage."
Though his tone didn't sound mischievous or threatening, Tigress couldn't help but eye the panda suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
"You'll see," Po smiled.
Tigress did try her best to not make Po, or others, the targets of her emotions, but when Po was the target a few weeks later, the panda was prepared.
Po was sitting in the kitchen as usual with Crane when Tigress barreled in with her whole face snarling. "Po!"
"Uh oh."
"Would you stop leaving your bowls all over the Training Hall!" Tigress shouted, tossing the bowl at Po. "This is the third time I've tripped on those stupid things!"
"Tigress, don't you think-" Tigress glared the avian warrior into silence. Po stood up, carefully placed the bowl on the table, and stood in front of Tigress.
"I'm sorry," Po simply smiled.
Tigress still snarled. "Sorry isn't enough! Some of us take training very seriously and-" Before she could say anymore, Po wrapped her in a warm bear hug. "W-Wh-What are you-"
"Shhh, just let it out."
Tigress froze. Crane simply watched in shock and awe as the tiger in the panda's arms simply melted into a mellowed kitten. "Now what's wrong?" Po asked.
"I keep messing up this Kung Fu move."
"Go back to the Training Hall and I'll help you, okay?" Po said, releasing her. The tiger gave a small nod, much like a shy child. Her shoulders relaxed almost to the ground and for a moment, Crane could've sworn her lips fought against a smile.
As she wandered back to the Training Hall, Crane finally asked in one breath, "How did you do that and teach it to me now please."
Po chuckled, "You just gotta learn Tigress's language."
Crane blinked, "I didn't know she had a language. And I also didn't know you knew how to speak it."
Po shrugged with a wide smile. "I'm learning."
Po eventually got better at figuring out the emotions that Tigress was trying to convey, almost too well. In fact, it came to bite him in the butt when he did figure out that Tigress liked him.
Tigress could remember the day perfectly. They had just come back from a successful but very dangerous mission and she asked Po if he could come with her to the Peach Tree. When she told him how she felt, the panda froze. "Uuhhhh Uhhhhh Uuuuuhhhhh."
"Po?"
"Ummmmm Uuuhhhh."
"It's okay if you don't like me back," Tigress sighed. She knew that was a complete possibility. After all, with the amount of shouting she did, who would like her back?
"Ummmmm."
"Po?"
"Iiiiiii... don't know how to respond to this emotion," Po said hopelessly.
Tigress rolled her eyes. "How about I make it easier for you?"
"O-Okay."
"Do you like me back?"
"Yes," Po said quickly.
"Oh," Tigress didn't know what to say after that. "Ummm. Okay."
They stared at each other.
"I'm... starting to understand what you mean by figuring out how to respond to this emotion," Tigress said.
"I know right?!" Po exclaimed, though more than happy.
Tigress smiled. These two had a lot to learn about how to understand each other. But trying is better than nothing.
The end
