"Lotus?" The older panda knocked and then entered his teenage son's bedroom, curiously walking in on said son slouched over his work desk, mysteriously carving away whilst close to a candlelight despite it only being the afternoon.
Woodsheds, paint, and crafting supplies from Li Shan's abandoned workshop littered around Lotus as he simply waved a, "Hey, dad." to his father and quickly endorsed himself back to his work.
Li rolled his eyes and walked to his son's side, "I need you to do a little village errand for me."
"Aww, come on, dad! Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" The moody teen waved his craft to his father to emphasise his point, only making Li chuckle. "Yes, yes, I know, making your little 'dolls'—"
"ACTION FIGURES." Lotus narrowed his jade eyes and turned to, showing Li his whole face and upper torso, making Li jerk back.
"Yeesh— I am NOT gonna get used to that..." Li Shan muttered, referring to the long patch of fur on Lotus' head that hung a bit over his face. Li would have been fine with extra-grown furs if it weren't for the black stripes his son embedded on his head. Yes, it was clear his son was going through a... certain phase in his edgy teen years...
"Did you REALLY have to put black ink into your hair? And what is with that vest?" To add insult to injury in Li's eyes, Lotus also went out of his way to wear a bright red vest with green vines inserted in the stitches.
Lotus rolled his eyes as well in annoyance. "It's called a QIPAO, dad. And Grandma Panda made it for me! She made it so I could look just like Master Tigress!" He finally showed the older panda what he was dabbling with, which was the early process of a pale of wood being shaped into a tiger. The young panda brought the figure back to himself and muttered to himself a little. "Well, it's not EXACTLY like Master Tigress but it's pretty darn close and is still super cool—"
"Lotus, I don't really have the time or, frankly, willingness to bear with... all of this, right now, so can you please just help your old man out?" Li coldly replied, making his son solemnly sigh before turning towards him with that same coldness. "Fine." He said bitterly. "What do you need help with?"
"Ms. Chun just needs you to go over to the orphanage and help out with the kids."
"Oh, sweet! Why didn't you say so?" Lotus instantly brightened up and grabbed his usual bag filled with scrolls and books that he eagerly wanted to show the kids and was quick to dart out the door, making Li Shan quirk up an eyebrow as he slowly walked out with his cub. "You know, you don't share that much enthusiasm when I task you with anything else other than the orphanage.."
"What can I say? I love hanging out with the kids!" Lotus briefly turned back to his father before opening the door to their hut and started out, barely letting Li follow behind.
"Wouldn't you rather hang out with someone that's... I don't know... closer to your age? Like Mei Mei!"
"Haha! no." Lotus firmly replied. "Mei Mei just doesn't... get me. None of the kids my age do. Besides..." The young panda took out his scroll to read and gave his father one last glance.
"The kids don't judge me."
And before he could protest or argue, little Lotus darted out of Li Shan's sight, making him sigh, moderately disgruntled.
Meanwhile, Lotus was already passing through the village smoothly, burying his head deep in his scroll containing the legends of Master Eagle and zipping passed all the onlooking and gossiping villagers. They all whispered amongst each other whilst taking double-takes on the young boy. They were most likely questioning his choices on his appearance at best, or straight up making fun of it at worst. Lotus didn't mind. He liked how he looked; he looked like his idol. His inspiration! That was all he could ever want.
Soon enough, he made it to the orphanage and knocked on the front door after putting his scroll back in his bag. He waited patiently for a few moments until a kind, middle-aged female panda opened the door, gasping loudly upon looking upon the chiefton's son.
Lotus somewhat expected this reaction, so he didn't pay much mind to it as he simply made a friendly wave. "Hey there, Ms. Chun!" He smiled sweetly.
"Oh, my— Lotus? Oh— forgive me, I barely recognised you! Did you um..." The older pandess grinned with uneasiness as she gestured to her head, "Did you do something to your fur..?"
Lotus only politely nodded, "Yes I know it's a bit 'wild'... Anyways, where are the kids?"
"I-in the backyard..." Ms. Chun awkwardly pointed behind her and opened the door widely, albeit with hesitation, to let the young panda inside. "They're all playing together... bUT PLEASE DON'T COME TO THEM SO QUICKLY YOU MIGHT STARTLE THEM—"
"I won't!" Lotus called back reassuringly and opened the backdoor to lead himself to the children. Ms. Chun closed the door and leaned against it, muttering something about Lotus being a strange boy or whatnot. Either way, he couldn't care less, as he looked on at all the kids hanging about in the backyard. Children of varying ages, infants to about six or seven-year-olds at the oldest, carrying out all their activities. Some were playing tag, some were playing kickball, some were taking turns on the bamboo swings, all whilst the toddlers and babies hung out in their own little outdoor cubby away from all the chaos, playing with ragdolls and building pebbles.
Lotus made a quiet beeline to the toddlers and infants, before being momentarily stopped by two twin girls—both six—hugging his legs suddenly. "Uncle Lotus! Uncle Lotus!"
"Poppy! Peppy!" Lotus beamed and let the girls stand in front of him before he knelled down to their eye level. "How have you guys been? How is everyone?"
"We're good, uncle Lotus!"
"We're all playing together!"
Poppy and Peppy piped, one after the other, with Lotus keenly listening to the best of his abilities. "I can see that! Are the younger ones being nice to each other?"
"Yep! All good!"
"But Lei Lei is still hiding in the corner away from them..." Peppy replied to Poppy as she pointedly to an almost one-year-old panda cub with violet eyes and two bows on her head, playing with a little panda ragdoll and babbling to herself only. Lotus smiled sadly at the sight and stood up to place his paws on his hips. "Just as I thought..." He mumbled before walking passed the twins, patting both their heads and walking over to the gentle little cubby.
The teen was careful to not step on any tiny cub before making it to Lei Lei's little corner and sitting next to her. He gently waved his hand into her peripheral vision to get her attention, which was successful as Lei Lei turned to the boy with a huge smile on her face and erratically gestured to him, babbling in joy at his presence as he chuckled and brought the infant onto his lap. "Hey, Lei Lei! It's nice to see you!"
"Cuddah!" Lotus had no idea why she liked calling him her own baby form of "Cuddles" but he smiled nonetheless. He enjoyed the nickname regardless. "Oh— I got you something you might like..." He gently put her tiny form down beside him and reached into his bag, making Lei Lei release a curious little coo.
"I know you usually like playing with yourself but... I figured that maybe your little doll could use a friend of his own..." And with that, he pulled out a miniature tiger ragdoll and displayed it for the little cub, which made her squeal in delight as she reached up for it, convincing Lotus to simply give her the ragdoll.
Lei Lei held the beauty in her tiny paws, beaming brightly and waving her arms around in excitement. "Stwipeh bebeh! Stwipeh bebeh!"
Lotus chuckled, "What's that? Stripey baby? Well— I guess she is one, huh?" He amusingly looked over the whole adorable affair. Lei Lei tugged on Lotus' qipao, urging him to join her in her little 'game'. "What? You want me to play dolls with you?" Lotus smirked in agreement. "Alright, I'll be the panda so that you could be the... stripey baby." He winked at the giggling cub as they both found solace in playing only together.
Lei Lei, now at age five, was sitting on her bamboo bed whilst adjusting the ears to her now worn-out tiger doll that she happily kept all this time. She hummed to herself gleefully as she played with the feline ragdoll in her lap, before having her attention spring up when all of the kids playing out in the hall called out, "UNCLE LOTUS! MASTER TIGRESS!" in excitement.
The little cub obviously gasped in delight surprise at that and placed her doll on the pillow before hopping off her bed and bolting it into the hallway where indeed, the great Cuddles and beautiful Stripey stood at the entrance to tend to the swarming kids.
Lei Lei paid no mind to the other kids, however, as she dashed past them all and latched straight onto Tigress' leg. "Stripey mommy!" She called out excitedly, making the feline bashful and embarrassed. Tigress awkwardly turned to Lotus and whispered to him, "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that name..."
"I know how you feel," Lotus replied, diving his focus from Bao sitting on his shoulders to the flushed tiger. "How do you think I feel when some of the other kids call me baba Lotus or—in Lei Lei's case— baba Cuddles? It's cute but also awkward.."
"BABA LOTUS! BABA LOTUS!" Bao mocked the older panda by chanting the name, again and again, simply to annoy Lotus as he playfully rolled his eyes. "Haha, very funny—do you wanna hear another Master Tigress story or not?"
"TIGRESS STORY!" Everyone called back, making Tigress a little bit flattered at the willing attention from all the kids. She made sure everyone gathered in the library/story room and sat down on the main rocking chair with Lei Lei on her lap.
"Now let's see, what story should I tell...?" Tigress contemplated the open air, before being caught off guard by the sudden thud that, when she looked at the crowd of curious-looking children, turned out to be Lotus himself plopping down amongst them. The only tiger couldn't help but cock up an eyebrow. "Um...?"
"What?" Lotus shrugged, "I'm not ashamed to be your fanboy. Ooh! I wonder what stories are you gonna tell! Are you gonna tell us about the time you beat those pirates with the Furious Five and overthrew the great Captain Shayu? Or the time you went against the Secret Serpent Sister Society, fifteen to one!? OOH, OOH! OR ARE YOU—"
"I believe I'm the one telling the stories here, Lotus?" Tigress smirked, making all the panda cubs giggle along. Lotus seemingly shrank in his spot in embarrassment but laughed it off as he rubbed behind his head. "Sorry, Ti. Go ahead!"
"I believe I want to tell something a bit more... simple." The feline master nodded, turning towards Lei Lei and the kids. "Have I ever told you stories from when I was a child?"
Everyone around her gasped in delight. "NO?" They all exclaimed, excitement littering their eyes, especially Lotus'. Tigress made a small laugh. "Oh, I have a bunch of stories of the sort. Let's see..." She rocked back, keenly watching Lei Lei happily lean forward to listen to her stripey mommy.
"Okay, well... there was this time where I was a wee bit like all of your ages, perhaps six or seven at most...? Doesn't matter— but I remember thoroughly how the biggest mission for me at the time was... to sneak on Master Shifu."
Though all the kids looked at each other in confusion, Lotus mischievously rubbed his paws together. "Oh-ho-ho this should be good..."
Bao, on the other hand, raised his paw politely, "Who's Master Shifu?"
"Uh, duh! Remember?" JoJo turned back to Bao with sass, "That's the little guy who took care of Master Tigress!"
Lotus and Tigress looked at the brightness and eagerness of the children in fondness as Bao poked his tongue out at JoJo jokingly, before Tigress cleared her throat and continued on, "That's right. And as I'm sure you remember, Master Shifu was known as a very prestigious master of his generations, as well as known as someone..." She let go of her hold on Lei Lei and put her claws to her ears, dramatically raising them over her head, "With GINORMOUS ears!"
Giggles of entertainment sprung up from all the kids, including Lotus, even though he himself felt taken aback as he didn't expect Tigress to make fun of her Master a little bit.
"And with his ears, came his great sense of hearing, which made even the slyest of spies in the furthest of distances feel intimidated to sneak up on him. Oh, shush!" The tiger jokingly clasped her paw around Lei Lei's lips and looked around, "We should be careful, he may hear us mocking him..."
Yet again, the laughter came, and Lotus easily joined the crowd, ecstatic at the hidden sense of humor coming from the hardcore Master Tigress.
"Sneaking up on Master Shifu was impossible, everyone was warning me not to do it, but I was determined and, frankly, quite stubborn. Old habits die hard..." She playfully muttered, making everyone laugh again. She smiled to herself in pride and told the tale of how she tried sneaking up on Master Shifu, only for it to end up with her small form in a pile of scrolls, flipped upside down. Jokes came along the tale, and laughter came with it, all whilst Tigress sat back in satisfaction. They all begged for another tale. And so she told another. And another... and another.
The stories and jokes went on until it was passed sunset and it was time for bed for the lot of them. Lotus and Tigress finally tucked the children into their beds, with the feline staying behind just to tuck Lei Lei into hers.
"Will you tell one more story..?" Lei Lei yawned, tiredness twinkling in her violet eyes. Tigress smiled, "I will tell you more tomorrow..."
"Promise?"
The tiger hesitated on her answer for a moment, but then gently brought her paw to Lei Lei's face. "I... promise."
Lei Lei sighed happily into her pillow before she sprung up and pulled out the tiny tiger ragdoll. She held it out to the somewhat questioning tiger. "Is for you!" She smiled.
Tigress' eyes widened and took the doll in her huge claws. It felt so delicate in her grasp. Just like Lei Lei.
"For me?" Tigress asked with a hint of surprise. The little cub nodded and yawned again. "So you don't forget!"
Tigress didn't know if she was referring to forgetting about her promise or if it was something greater, but nonetheless, the tiger held the doll close to her and bowed her head in gratitude. She finally blew out the candle in the pink-tinted lantern and walked towards the exit, turning back to the sleepy cub one last time. ".. Good night, Lei Lei."
"Good night, Stripey mommy..."
Tigress showed a ghost of a smile and then walked out, spotting Lotus leaning against the wall with an all-knowing smirk. "She likes you..."
The feline frowned, walking passed the smug panda and towards the front door. "I know..." She opened the door and got ready to walk out before Lotus stated something that struck a chord within her.
"And you love her."
Yet, to Lotus' bewilderment, Tigress simply walked out of the orphanage in silence, making him a bit concerned for his friend. He walked out after her and trailed behind.
"Ti? You okay? Did I say something wrong?"
Tigress stopped and clenched, taking a deep breath and bracing Lotus for what would come from the feline. But what did come out of her next was quite... unexpected. She turned towards the oblivious panda with a bit of... sadness in her eyes.
"I do love her... and that's what I hate."
"What are you talking about?"
Tigress closed her eyes and sighed through her nose. She finally exposed the little tiger ragdoll that she was cradling to herself, which made Lotus worry just that much more. Finally, she continued.
"This was... meant to solely be a mission. A task that I am supposed to complete in Oogway's favor," She started, running her paw through her face. "And yet I have managed to make a child—an orphan, no less—look to me responsibly as... as a mother figure? And I just let that happen like some soft gush—what am I supposed to do or even say to the child when I leave?"
The question stunned the panda. He looked down, his expression unreadable but obviously showing a slight revelation. He had spent such amazing months with the tiger that he seemingly forgot the main reason why she was here. Tigress once again turned her back towards Lotus.
"I have... become too attached. Too vulnerable."
He slowly looked up at Tigress, biting his lip nervously. "So... what does that mean for you?"
Try as she might, Tigress couldn't find an answer. She stared down at the tiny doll in her grasp, and then slowly shook her head, "I don't know..."
She clasped her paws together over the doll, careful not to ruin it.
"And that's what admittedly scares me."
Before Lotus could speak, Tigress simply walked up that pathway leading to his hut, already too far for him to catch up to.
"Darling! Please—would you and little Lotus stay still?" Li pleaded lovingly to the female panda in her finest attire, struggling to hold the active baby close to her as he squirmed in her grasp.
"I'm trying, DEARIE!" Lily grit through her teeth in a devious manner. "The little rascal doesn't like sitting in one spot, what can I say?"
"Well if I'm going to paint this, then I'm going to need you to work with me!" Li Shan scoffed and continued to glaze over his work, making Lily pout in annoyance before smirking at her son. She brought him close to her lips and whispered in the cub's ear.
"Get him, baby." She mischievously whispered, before gently setting her cub down and encouraging Lotus to crawl up his father's desk without his attention, catching Li by surprise as Lotus took a bite off the corner of the paper.
"Wha—LOTUS!" He exclaimed with a bit of playfulness in his tone, taking the paper from Lotus' mouth, making him coo and giggle whilst flapping his arms. Lily took the playful cub in her arms again and stood in front of Li Shan with pride in herself as her husband simply just took the paper and continued to paint upon it.
"Hmph, he's really got your appetite..."
"Aww, but look, he's got your smolder~!" Lily squished Lotus' baby face together and pouted cutely at Li Shan, making him laugh in amusement. "Ah yes, the smolder is certainly uncanny, my love."
Lily smiled and held Lotus close, humming her iconic lullaby to her son and bouncing him gently in her arms, causing Lotus to release a calm "goo" as he settled, letting Li Shan finally focus on his painting.
"Don't go away, stay another day~..."
"That song works wonders on the little guy..." He commented as Lily kissed Lotus' forehead, "Ugh, I can't believe it! One-hundred days with our little Lotus already! Time sure does fly by!"
"Ha! For you, maybe!" Li piped up, "With all the sleepless nights this little active dumpling caused for us, I'm already starting to grow grey furs!" He joked whilst Lily rolled her eyes.
"Oh hush, you love him~!"
Li chuckled, "No doubt about that. I tell you, Lotus is probably the first and only man I'll ever love."
Now it was Lily's turn to laugh, this time at the udder absurdity of that statement, "HAHA! Okay!"
"Alright, almost done..." the grown panda took a few moments to fully concentrate on his small art piece, letting Lily a chance to look at her artistic husband in endearment. She walked over to her love and looked over his shoulder to watch him insert the final details through his ink brush. The way his hands delicately waved through the paper to form a fulfilled and beautiful sketch always mesmerised her.
"Aaaaand... finished!" his waving call brought Li's wife back to reality as she kissed his shoulder. "It looks beautiful, Li Shan. You really captured Lotus' smolder!"
"What can I say?" Li sat back in his chair with a smug look, "Takes one smolder to know one. Though I will admit I'm a bit rusty as I haven't painted in a while..."
"Oh stop it!" Lily playfully hit Li's shoulder, but her strength still prevailed in hurting his arm a little. "It looks wonderful! I love it. You know, I've always admired your artistic talents~..."
Li Shan had to blush at that statement and look away from his flirting wife, "Well, it has been a while thanks to inheriting my father's role as chief... so, I thank you for encouraging me."
Lily smiled. "And I thank you for keeping your art alive. Please... promise me you'll continue to keep art in your life. No matter the circumstance?"
Li Shan smiled back and took his wife's free hand and kissed her knuckles. "With you here... my art will never need to leave."
Lily leaned down and kissed her husband's lips for a split second, lingering against them to whisper softly. "I love you..."
"I love you too."
Li Shan shakily sighed as the cold night breeze blew threw him as well as the purple lotus tree that hangs above him. He looks longingly at the picture of his long-passed wife and the incense he placed whilst seated down peacefully.
This was his solace. His comfort. And he prayed that nothing would interrupt it.
But, as the universe likes making Li the fool, his ears twitched from a sudden presence walking into the area, stopping, and then turning around to retreat. He scoffed to himself.
"You know, I may not have cat-like reflexes and senses like you but I still am keen on my surroundings since the ambush from when Lotus was a cub. I know you're there."
Tigress froze and slowly turned around to Li's place under the lotus tree.
"The question is..." The older panda finally turned to the feline himself. "Why are you here of all places?"
For the first time in a long while, Tigress gulped with a bit of nervousness, thinking of dodging the question and throwing it back at him for a moment, but admittedly thought better of it. After all, how can you ask a widow why they're at their lost love's grave? She straightened her posture to be stiffer as she softly answered him. "I needed some... peace and quiet."
All she heard was Li hum, but it was enough to drive Tigress' nerves further up the wall. "I'm sorry... I know how meaningful this place is to you and Lotus and I shouldn't have walked in on you possibly mourning, but I just needed a place to think to myself and—"
"Master Tigress." He firmly urged, causing Tigress to cease her rambling and stand at attention. He gestured for her to sit beside him. So she quietly walked over and did just that.
There was a moment of odd silence between them. Not awkward by any means but definitely not comfortable either. Tigress didn't know if she should say something or wait. Finally, Li Shan sprung up the conversation.
"I know you've been avoiding me."
The young feline was struck with surprise, and it took her a moment to form her words carefully. "I-I haven't, I just... I've just been busy training your son and forming errands.."
"Oh, don't give me that..." Li rolled his eyes. "I bring you into my home, let you sleep in my son's bed... and yet I don't even get a glance from you, let alone a full sentence. I have to say, since our little exchange after you arrived here, this is the first real conversation we've had one to one. Why do you avoid me?"
Tigress had to take a moment. Feeling put on the spot was something she's used to as a warrior, but there was probably only one person that caused her to stumble when confronted so directly back home. Which had something to do with her behavior with Li Shan. She took a deep breath.
"... In... all of my years of living... very few things have intimidated me... the main one being my master, Shifu, back at the Jade Palace and, um..." She started to fidget with her claw knuckles to cope with the situation. "Oddly enough... you remind me a lot of him... especially in terms of intimidation... sorry."
"You're sorry for being intimidated by me?" Li had to grin a little before chuckling. "No wonder Lotus thinks you're special..."
Tigress blushed and looked to the ground to hide it. For a while, she has been hearing left and right how much Lotus' life had been affected by Tigress in such a positive manner, and every time, it managed to bring heat to her cheeks. For what reason? She would never know..
Yet, amongst her absence in thought, Li Shan stated something after another moment of silence that very much intrigued the feline.
"Y'know... I painted that picture."
Tigress turned to the small, partially bitten painting of baby Lotus being held by his mother. She tilted her head, admittedly impressed. "You... did?"
"I was quite the artist, myself..." Li smiled sadly. "Everything I used to draw, paint, sketch, it was all inspired by Lotus' mother..."
Master Tigress smiled a little, oblivious to the older bear's melancholy. "... You're very talented, Mr. Shan."
"Please," He dismissively waved, "Call me Li... and... I'm glad you think so. Lily loved all the drawings and paintings I made. I remember... during the times she would train with Master Oogway, I would sketch her and her skills.."
"You met Master Oogway?" Tigress turned to the panda with expanded eyes.
"Only a couple of times," Li calmly replied. "But I wasn't as intrigued by him as I was by..." His eyes moved to the singular picture he made of Lily. "Her... she was my inspiration to create. My color to life."
Another quiet moment. Tigress looked down yet again, not in bashfulness, but in contemplation. It was clear that she was putting extra thought into what she was going to say.
"... You said you... used to draw.. what happened?"
Li Shan took a deep, depressing sigh, now putting his melancholy up front. "I... I lost my color..."
Tigress could feel her ears falter and her heart crack from the tragedy, biting her own tongue for her ignorance.
"I haven't drawn once since she was gone, it was as if..." Li Shan could feel tears starting to form in his eyes. "I didn't just lose my color... I lost my life." He did his best to sniff the tears away.
"... Why would you tell me this?"
The older bear squinted his eyes and huffed a bit in laughter, and looked at the questioning feline with a warm, but broken smile.
"I should have known long ago that Lotus had lost his color. His life practically ended before it even began. His mother was gone and I..." He hesitated, frowning at the memory, "I wasn't any help. I completely closed myself off emotionally because of the grief. I was afraid to... get attached. I feared if I pulled him too close or showed him too much it will only hurt just a little more when I have to let go..."
Tigress shuddered at the familiar words. It's not like she has said them out loud before, but it was definitely words that something deep inside of her would keep repeating. 'Never get attached or too close, or else it will hurt more once you have to let go.'
"I can... sympathise with that."
Li Shan hummed. "That, however, doesn't make it an excuse... I mean, that was my son, and yet all I have done was keep him trapped and in the dark. My boy had no one to turn to. The village thought he was strange, I couldn't give him the emotional attachment he desired, thus making him emotionally distant towards me as I was towards him, and no mother to turn to... he had no color in his life."
Tigress exhaled deeply through her nose, feeling all these words strike her like a knife.
"But then..." The two finally turned to each other, face to face. Li Shan continued. "You came into his life."
"Me?"
"I still remember it, clear as day. I was returning home after scavenging through China in a disguise, as I usually do, Lotus was about... fifteen years old? Anyway, I usually like to give him some news scroll along with some stories and books, and once I gave him the most recent scroll, his face just... lit up. It was the latest story on, what he claimed to be, 'the awesomest team discovered in kung fu history; the Furious Five'." Tigress' eyes widened as Li only chuckled. "He hadn't known a thing about kung fu beforehand, but something about a 'dashing, super-duper cool tiger' joining the crusade and 'kicking butt' just seemed to draw attention from him. His words, not mine!" The elder bear through his hands up playfully whilst the hardcore tiger blushed again, yet smiled in flattery a little and listened on in anticipation, not caring to hide her flushed cheeks anymore. "He was not the same since. He would rave and beg to bring anything kung fu related, he was smiling like wild, creating little toys, drawings, and even his own stories non-stop, he even went through a phase to look like you for a bit! Don't tell him I told you that! But it was clear you're his favorite..."
Li Shan just smirked as he watched Tigress' face slowly build up a hot burn in her cheeks as she avoided contact from that moment. Li Shan continued on.
"And now... here you are. His hero, teaching him something he wanted to do for how many years? My— I have never seen Lotus glowing this much since he was but a cub!" At this point, Li was pretty much beaming at the feline master, easing her nerves. "And it... made me realise something."
Tigress tweaked up her eyebrow in curiosity. "And what's that?"
Li darted his eyes to the ground in thought. "If... Lotus was able to find his color then... it gives me hope that I can find mine again, in the thing that truly matters to me most..."
And yet another moment of silence, but it wasn't as unbearable as before. It was... calming now. A violet-colored lotus falls from the tree above into Li Shan's lap. He took it into his paw and, at last, let a tear slip from him.
"Word of advice, Tigress..." Both their eyes found each other again with Tigress feeling stunned from the sudden drop of formalities. "Don't be afraid to let yourself attached to someone... I've learned too late that uniting with someone, being vulnerable with someone you know you can trust, actually makes you a lot stronger than you think..." He gave her the lotus. "Don't make the same mistake I did..."
Tigress said nothing and simply took the flower in her claws. She held it close. Gently. Her smile was nothing but sincere.
"Go on." Li urged. "It's late... you should sleep."
Instead of arguing, she happily obliged and got up, heading out of the pathway to leave the panda in solitude.
But there was a reason she glanced behind her towards him one last time. "Li?"
At the call of his name, Li Shan turned towards the tiger.
"You should... try painting again. I hear it eases the mind, and..." She hesitated for a moment. "There's still color, where ever you may look. You just need to let yourself open your eyes and... see for yourself."
Li took a moment, but then slowly, he nodded in agreement. "You're right..." He smiled. "I'll try."
And with that, Tigress took her leave, at last leaving the fatherly bear in his solitude.
An old-as-time pandess walks through the rickety bridge with her handbag and cane, an old worn smile as she heads to the chiefton's hut to gift her grandson for his birthday.
"Eighteen!" Grandma Panda chuckled to herself. "Our Xiao Lotus is eighteen!... Oh, if only his mother was here to see how much he's—" Yet, her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sound of... shouting?
"Oh no..." The old panda muttered as she quickened her pace towards the hut in which the muffled yelling was coming from. She knew exactly what was going on, and she simply dreaded the thought of it. 'Today of all days?' She thought bitterly as she entered the home of the lonesome father and son during their screaming match.
"YOU KNOW WHAT—WHATEVER! JUST—JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lotus, at last, shouted as he stormed to his room, but his father persisted as he slammed the door.
"DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, LOTUS—OR I SWEAR TO GODS, I'LL BREAK AND RIP EVERYONE OF THOSE RETCHED KUNG FU ITEMS IN THAT ROOM—"
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, LI!?" Grandma Panda called her son's attention, making him turn back and soften his expression a bit, but he still showed anger. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Nothing, mom, just... Lotus and I had another fight."
"You mean the THIRD one this WEEK?" Grandma spat. "And on his BIRTHDAY, no less!"
"HE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT GOING OUT INTO THAT HORRIBLE WORLD AND LEARNING KUNG FU! DOESN'T HE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME SOMEONE WENT DOWN THAT PATH!?"
"No." She replied to her baffled son. "He doesn't know. Because YOU kept him in the dark! In fact, you kept us ALL in the dark ever since SHE passed—"
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HER PASSING IN MY HOUSE!"
The room quickly became silent, with even Li himself being taken aback by his tone and how close he got to his mother's face. His mother, however, was not phased, as she swatted the finger he used to accusingly point at her away with her cane.
"That is no way to talk to your family. Not with your mother OR your son."
Li sighed and took a step back.
"Day in and day out, I see and hear your son crying in his room, morning until night, because the boy has NO ONE to turn to! You're the only thing he has closest to a family, and you completely just— shut him out! No wonder he's rebellious, emotionally isolated, and constantly wants to leave the village and learn kung fu. I'm surprised he hasn't gone mad yet!" She scolded her son, before walking past him and heading to her grandson's room. "I will talk to him. He needs to be listened to. And YOU need to cool down. So get out and take a walk."
"WHA—YOU CAN'T JUST—ugh! You can't just kick me out of my house!"
"As your mother, I can. Now get. After you've calmed down you can come back." She coldly replied, which made her son simply huff before he stomped out the door, slamming it behind him. Grandma Panda rolled her eyes.
"I am too old for his dramatic butt..." She muttered quietly before gently knocking on the door.
"GO AWAY!" Lotus shouted through the door, sounding as if he was sniffling and holding back a sound.
"Xiao Lotus? It's Grandma Panda." She smiled with a hint of her own sadness. There was silence for a moment as the grandma waited patiently for her grandson's response. Finally, he spoke, though it was softer now.
"... C-come in."
And with her grandson's permission, she entered on Lotus curled up on his bamboo bed, turning his bear back towards the door. His hair poof has now vanished thanks to an... emotional incident, that made him cut it off. His entire room, however, was filled with walls of kung fu geek-extraordinaire, the creme de la creme of fanboy merch. Posters, action figures, and makeshift weapons alike. It was mostly a mess, though. Grandma Panda, with some effort thanks to her age, and as to not step on any 'fake' ninja stars, made her way past the bed to Lotus' side.
She grunted and struggled to sit on the mattress thanks to her height, having her grandson sit up curiously. "Oof, be a dear, and help your favorite grandma, hm?" She smiled, and Lotus being the kind soul he was, gave a small smile back and gently lifted her onto the bed next to him. Grandma Panda couldn't help but yelp a little from the sudden movement.
"Oh! Oh my! Hah! So strong! Thank you, sweetie." She beamed with squinted eyes, reaching up towards Lotus with her tiny paws. The young panda lowered his head to assist his grandma, inviting her to pinch his face and pat it. "Oh, look at you, so big now... eighteen years old!"
"Grandma.." Lotus muttered, not really in the mood.
"Oh come on! You're officially a man now! You're old enough to have your own hut, drink sake..."
"Grandma."
"Go out with a beautiful girl and make cubs of your own~" The old pandess smirked despite Lotus' protests, nudging his belly and making him burst out in laughter.
"GRANDMA! HAHA!"
"Come on, celebrate! This is your big day! You're old enough to do whatever you want."
Lotus felt his smile shortly dissipate when his elder relative said that, hanging his head low and having his ears fall with him. "Apparently I'm not old enough to see the world if I wanted to..."
The silence lingered between the two as Grandma Panda sighed. Meanwhile, Lotus felt tears rising to his eyes.
"Why does dad do this...? Why does he shut me out? He doesn't wanna get close to me or the things I like but he's SO hung up on keeping me here! Why does he even bother!? Does—does he hate me THAT MUCH that he wants to torture me by keeping me trapped here?"
"Now don't you say that Lotus, do you understand? Your father loves you... you're all he has left after your mother passed... he just wants to keep you safe." The old pandess put her paw on her grandson's shoulder as he scoffed. "But I know that isn't an excuse... he still hurt you. But he doesn't realize it because he only sees himself as the one hurting... still, I promise he loves you. He loves you very much. He just... is in grief still. Which again, isn't an excuse, but the problem you both have is that you don't see things from each other's perspectives."
"Perspectives?" Lotus gave a grotesque expression that displayed his confusion. "Alright, fine, say that is the case. But I am EIGHTEEN now! I'm eighteen and dad still doesn't want anything to do with me other than expect me to stay put! H-he literally threatened to destroy all the things I cared about over a fight on my BIRTHDAY!" The poor boy couldn't take the emotional baggage anymore, and just let his emotions pour out of his eyes. "I-it's my birthday and dad just wants to fight..." He simply stopped then and there to sob into his paws. Grandma Panda listened on with a broken heart and rubbed her grandson's back, pulling him close and whispering soft shushes to calm him down.
"Hey, it's okay, my Xiao Lotus... there, there..." She removed the paws from Lotus' face and did her best to wipe away his tears. "Oh, come now, dearie, you shouldn't cry on your birthday..." She playfully comforted, letting her boy break out a small smile through his matted and droopy face.
Grandma Panda reached into her handbag with a satisfied smile of her own. "Now, do you want me to show you your gift, or are you going to keep sniffing up a storm?" She smirked, making her grandson chuckle a little and wipe his nose too. "Alright, close your eyes~"
"Grandma, I appreciate what you're doing already, but I'm not—"
"I said close your eyes, Lotus."
"Okay, okay!" Feeling intimidated as usual by his grandma's stern tone, he complies and closes his eyes, allowing Grandma Panda to take out her paw-made gift for him. She made sure Lotus had his paws out already so she could unfold the gift and have him hold it.
"Alright... now, open your eyes~"
Lotus just needed to slowly crack one eye to see the beauty of the gift and widen his eyes at the sight, gasping to himself as well.
It was glorious. It was a forest green, silk-fabricated robe. A darker jade strap around the middle to hold it together. The ever-so-detailed yin and yang symbol hung in the back, and every stitch that held the cloak together was sewn with nothing but love and patience. Lotus jumped to his feet.
"HOLY MOTHER OF DUMPLINGS! GRANDMA! YOU MADE THIS FOR ME!?"
"No, I made it for the Emperor," Grandma Panda sarcastically grinned, "Yes, I made it for you! Go on, put it on!"
Lotus was more than willing to oblige this time, immediately setting his arms through the fabric and putting it on. It was a little big for his already ginormous size, but once he tied the strap together, it was a perfect fit in his eyes. He felt the fabric. "Wow! With silk-like this, it MUST have been made for the emperor! Where did you even get material like this!?"
"I have my ways..." His feisty grandma winked in reply. She slumped off the bed and waddled to Lotus. He knelled lower to her level and let her pinch his face again, "Oh, look at you, my Xiao Lotus... so handsome. So kind, and hardworking..." She cupped the side of his face. "Just like your parents." That caught her grandson's full attention.
"... Your mother would be so proud of you."
Lotus felt more tears droop down his face, but it wasn't as harsh as before. It was softer. Happier. He melted into her touch and fully beamed.
"Oh! And don't worry about your father destroying your things. I can keep them in my hut."
"Y-You mean it..?"
"Of course! Whatever it takes to help!"
Not being able to contain himself, he pulled his grandmother up into a big, warm hug, making her yelp again in surprise but easily reciprocate the action.
"Thanks, grandma..."
"Of course."
Li Shan was looking everywhere for both his son and the tiger all morning. He looked out the hut balcony, in the village, and even the area that held his special Lily mural. It was when he got to the open meadow with the many exotic flowers that he saw the panda and the tiger, practising a form of tai chi together in the lavender section. 'Of course...' He thought with a smile and a shake of his head. Those two have started to train there and spend a lot of time in this area as of late. He made his way through the fields, towards the two.
"Lotus? Master Tigress?"
The two both perked at the call of their names as Li finally made it to them. "Phew—sorry to interrupt your training session, but this is a matter addressed to the both of you."
"Why? What's wrong?" Lotus asked, a tint of worry in his tone.
"Nothing's wrong, but, um..." The older panda hesitated before turning towards the unsuspecting feline. "Master Tigress, uh... Grandma Panda wishes to speak to you."
Tigress was taken aback a little but was not as shocked as her ursine companion as his eyes were the size of dumplings and his jaw dropped to the floor. She curiously looked between the two, now a little worried herself. "Is that bad?"
Lotus seemingly picked up his jaw and stumbled over his words a little, "Well, no but—it's kinda... weird... I mean you've been here for four months and she doesn't wanna talk to you until NOW?" He turned back to his father, "Do you know why she wants to talk to Tigress?"
Li simply threw his hands up. "I only know as much as you do." He got between the two young adults and gently ushered them forward. "But we mustn't wait. We don't want Grandma Panda's narcolepsy to get to her before we do!"
Once they have made it back to the Chief's hut, Li pointed up to a hut that was at a higher point of the mountain, away from the village entirely. That was Grandma Panda's home. Lotus suggested he would go with Tigress but Li held him back as he stated something along the lines of 'personally talking to his son'. So Tigress was sent on her way whilst Lotus was held back at the balcony whilst his father momentarily vanished to get something important. His son decided to throw on his iconic green robe in the meantime. Once Li Shan returned, Lotus took up some conversation.
"Do you think it's wise to keep grandma's hut up so high like that? I mean, she's getting older and it's getting harder for her to come to us."
Li shrugged as he brought out an old, worn-out box with him. "I guess you're right... Do you think we should move her?"
"Well, she seems cosy up there, but I feel like, if she's willing, her being closer to the village would help a lot. Just in case we can't assist her, at least one of the villagers will."
"True. It does take a village to raise a child."
"Hope it's the same for the elderly."
Li chuckled, before gesturing for his son to come closer to the box he had. "Come on, son, I want to show you something..."
Lotus eagerly leaned forward like he was a child again, making Li grin in fondness before he opened the top of the box. The young panda looked into it before his face was struck with a bit of shock.
They were... drawings.
Not just any drawings, they were drawings of Lily. His mother. Only it seemed like it was her over the years. From her teen years until adulthood. Watercolored sketches of her meditating, striking a high kick, and even using chi littered the box. But there was more material. Her sat by an open window, her dancing, her laughing whilst in wedding attire, cradling her pregnant belly and even her tiredly holding a newborn baby cub. There were a few others that covered scenery, flowers, and other pandas that he could faintly recognise, but they were all just mostly... her.
Lotus picked up the first drawing up top; her being seated at an open window. He gently held it—cradled it, even, as if it could decay in his paw at any moment. "Are these all... mom?"
Li slowly nodded as he reminisced. "I used to draw her all the time..."
His son vastly looked up at him, even more, surprised at that statement. "You? You drew all of these?"
"Where do you think you got your creative mindset from?" Li smirked, before retorting to a more neutral yet firm expression. "I'm... I'm done being closed off from you. I know I can't... make up for all the mistakes I have made with you in the past.." He hung his head sadly. "But I hope, as a start, you can ask me any questions about your mother and I! And I promise I will answer with full honesty."
Lotus gave a sceptical look. "Panda promise?"
Li willingly drew an 'X' over the left side of his chest. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a rice ball in my eye."
The young panda gave a small laugh in reply.
Meanwhile, Tigress finally made her way up to the old pandess' hut, knocking on the front door respectively and waiting for a reply.
"On your left!" An old, shrivelled voice piped up from the side of the porch, catching the cat off guard a little. Slowly, she made her way—on her left—to the side of the house, catching sight of the wide windows that could easily look into the old woman's house.
But the sight of it threw Tigress into a loop. Kung fu gear, merchandise, and articles were all littered on the inside of the hut. "What the—"
"Those are my grandson's."
Tigress gasped and held her breath, turning in the direction of the sudden sound whilst in her kung fu stance out of reflex.
"Calm your whiskers, I'm no delinquent."
The feline relaxed at the sight of the small, elderly pandess, but still breathed heavily and placed her paw on her heart. "Apologies. You... startled me."
Grandma Panda laughed. "I don't mind. It wouldn't be the first time!" She was rocking back and forth on her white rocking chair, her cane at her side as she fiddled with her knitting.
Tigress cautiously walked closer to Grandma Panda, clearing her throat. "I, um... heard you wanted to speak with me?" The old pandess turned to her.
"Darling, please, you have no need to be nervous! Sheesh, don't tell me this was how you would act around that crazy old tortoise!" Tigress widened her eyes. "You mean Oogway? You've met him as well?"
"Of course I did! You think I was waddling around with a cane forever!? I was there when my Xiao Li fell in love with sweet Lily! Hah! The wreck he was when he was meant to go on his first date with her..." Grandma Panda sighed in reminisce to herself, only further striking the tiger with confusion.
"Ahem, Grandma Panda, why did you call me here? I have never seen you in the village."
"Oh, these old, grimey legs can barely make it past the front door. I always have someone help me down..." The grandmother set down her knitting. "Still, I have been looking out... and I've been watching you for a while, Master Tigress."
"I beg your pardon?" The feline jerked her head back a bit in confusion. "How? And... why?"
"The view from my porch alone can overlook this whole village. I am the eyes. If you thought Li's hut was able to uphold the scenery, hah! You should come up here more often!" Grandma Panda rocked forward to the tiger enthusiastically, before tending back to her knitting. "As for why... see for yourself, my dear."
Tigress took a moment, but then walked over to the bamboo railings holding the front porch together and looked over the edge. It was true. You could overlook the whole village! From the meadows to the very front entrance. Tigress spotted many of the pandas down below, conversing, playing, napping, and eating; the village was very much so thriving. The main thing that caught Tigress' eye, however, was the lonesome two pandas closest to her sight, standing on the balcony of Li's hut, was Chief Li Shan himself and his son, Lotus. The tiger master tilted her head. She could see them getting oddly emotional whilst looking at an old box together.
"Well? What do you see?" Grandma Panda asked knowingly.
"I see.. Lotus and Li Shan talking." She looked back and narrowed her eyes at the old pandess. "Why do you ask..?"
Grandma Panda smiled sadly. "You know... those two used to be at each other's throats. They used to fight all the time."
Tigress' eyes widened. She only saw Li and Lotus fight once; when she first arrived at the panda village, but she had no idea this was—or used to be—a common occurrence. "They used to fight? How come?"
The old pandess sighed. "We lost many pandas during our ambush those twenty years ago, but the one who took the most emotional damage was Li when he lost Lily... he completely closed himself off. Lost all attachments to what mattered to him the most, even his own son. And Lotus... well... he was a teenager. An ambitious and misunderstood teenager. Villagers his age and older all criticised him, even his father, and having no mother to turn to... let's just say, their own grievances and anger clashed a lot. Not to mention Lotus' desire to head out into the world and Li's strict rule on keeping him inside.." She huffed. "It was not a good time for any of us, especially for them... but then you arrived."
"What?" Tigress jerked back again, feeling familiar words strike her with surprise.
"That kung fu merchandise inside? All Lotus'. And out of all of them, your face seems to pop up among them the most. I'm guessing you're his favorite." She smirked at the already off-guard Tigress. The feline glanced down in embarrassment. "So I've heard..."
"Your presence changed those two a lot for the better. That old box Li's showing? It's filled with all of his drawings." Grandma Panda sniffed and braced herself for the waterworks. She laughed bitterly. "He hasn't touched his art in twenty years. Tried drowning the pain in his work instead. And now..." She gestured to the two, making Tigress look out towards them again, and perking up at the sight of them holding each other in a sobbing hug.
"Now he's letting himself be vulnerable with his son. And it's thanks to you."
The feline looked back, perplexed and shaking her head. "Me? No, no, I had nothing to do with—"
"Please, don't be so modest. I've seen you. I've seen your effect on Lotus. You've nurtured him and let him grow in ways we couldn't. And I'm sure Li would never reveal himself like this if you weren't around to shake his world... and now, I can pass with peace knowing my Xiao Li and my Xiao Lotus have now grown to understand each other, with their bond ever so strong." Grandma stepped down from her rocking chair, momentarily heading inside to grab something of her own.
After a few moments, she stepped out with a folded piece of clothing. She handed it to the feline. "For you, my dear..."
"Oh, gosh, Grandma Panda, I-I couldn't—I don't even like wearing—"
"Please." The panda firmly interrupted. "Take it. To show my gratitude..."
Tigress hesitatingly opened up the article of clothing, before being completely mesmerised by the design. It was a golden hanfu. With minty-white lotuses with a deep green lining covering the front and the back, enchanting leaves trickled down its long sleeves, whilst being held together by a thick, hemp sash. She had to admit, even with how difficult it would be to wear in battle, she... actually liked it. The size was even mostly accurate.
"How did you..."
"I'm able to tell someone's measurements just by looking at them." Grandma Panda winked. "It's my specialty... do you like it?"
"I..." Master Tigress smiled in gratitude and respectfully bowed. "I admire it greatly. And I'm honored... thank you, Grandma Panda."
"Aww, please, call me grandma! And you shall be my Xiao Tigress, hmm?" The loving grandmother happily stated, causing Tigress' heart to secretly flutter at such a maternal name. She nodded softly and bowed again, before taking her leave, feeling a little giddy.
She snuck back into the hut whilst Lotus and Li were still outside, talking privately. She didn't want to intrude and didn't really want Lotus to see what she got. She quickly entered her temporary room and made a beeline for the bamboo bed. She ducked low and grabbed the handbag she took with her that was hidden underneath the bed, before sitting down on the mattress and setting the bag down with her. She dumped out all the contents inside.
The bunch of letters from back at the Jade Palace. A wilted purple lotus flower. An old tiger lily flower crown. A small, worn-out tiger stuffed doll. And a single, pink lotus petal, that was able to miraculously stay colorful and lively. It was the first monumental thing she had gotten on this journey. It was what led her here. Her smile of endearment rang true for all of these items. And now, joining the group of sentimental items, she placed the hanfu in the bag first, and then gently set the other items back in there and carefully stored it under her bed. She took a seat back on the bed and laid a deep breath.
Maybe Li Shan was right. Maybe she shouldn't be so scared to get attached...
~~A/N; Yes, I took inspiration from the KFP3 concept art of grandma panda giving Tigress a dress and I made it MOSTLY similar to Tigress' canon hanfu in KFP3. sue me! UmU
omg HAPPY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO UPLOADING THIS FIC FIRST THING TO FANFICTION .NET! AND HAPPY 10 CHAPTERS! (wow only ten chapters in the span of 2 years- not the best look- BUT STILL MONUMENTAL REGARDLESS :D)
thank you to the many people who have had the patience and love for this fic and AU as I did- and for the OGs who were there since I first started publishing- you all are just- amazing! I mean- 68 reviews, 54 favorites, 63 follows, and overall 9,395 views!
I am truly honoured. and will continue to feel honoured the more you guys support this story! You're all wonderful!
these numbers and this fic may not seem like a big deal to you guys (especially with how this fic started out), but it is a huge deal to me! This AU and fic is my baby- and to watch it grow with you guys is more than I could ever ask for!
So, as a small notion of my gratitude...
Thank you to 9123aortiz, ATS-Hex57, Agatha Goldenwords, AmazingAdam9, Batorsag, BendyInkwells, Calmoose415, CharlieFreemantheJumperch, Eduardo Perez, Ella Le Hissy, Erigon, FanOfTheFiction07, Footrot Flats, Frozenwolfheart22, Greenbolt14, GreyThrowaway, Joshua Hatfield1, KINKYyogurt, MIKE202303, Markens, MondaysAreBoring, Naidvar, No-name-pal, NoXVZhuusox, OdeClock, PoandTigressLove, Rankclone, Redwall4ever22, Sesshoru, Strombobo, They glow in the dark, TiPoLover98, blacecomics, brotro, caboose97, chrissymama, daft pirate, glatsukishima, gwencarson126, hejdi, 20044, josereyes121367, kiritoissei, marvelomac1010, mosesh224, mudaship39, nliochristou, potterlover54, savageboss, thundering dragon, tyivonnorton24, widmalj, 420, zoorock310, Starless Echoes, JustAnotherWriter140, Dawnofplumeria, Puppies and Nightlock, Story ideas, Egv Yr Tong, VeGiTiPo, jspeedfur2005, KMlovesfanfics, NJKWCUHE767BEGD73BB, Cri0blossom, and all of the Guests including Hi, Smiley, Gabi and Rose! Thank you all for contributing in supporting and letting me improve as a writer for you all!
WHEW that is a large wall of names! just goes to show how truly blessed I am for all of you!
here's to 2023, to improvement and growth, to milestones big and small!
I hope you guys have a fantastic year moving forward, remember to live, laugh, love, and until next time...
Yarart, out! ;D~~