Clashing of Artists

"Whoa," Tai Lung muttered, shocked. Po sighed. The two of them and Master Shifu sat at a table at Mr. Ping's shop, absentmindedly watching little Lei Lei play with her action figures. While Tigress was heard arguing with a white stubborn goose, the large panda had just told them about suppressing his romantic feelings. "I... didn't realize you did that. Or... could do that."

"Your emotional control is more than I thought, Po. Though, and I say this from experience, I wouldn't call suppressing attraction a good thing," Shifu said.

"It is when you're the Dragon Warrior," Po sighed. "Even before Lu-Shi, it was hard. And like I said, I'm... still getting used to the idea that people actually like me for me. Of course, now I know that I've been friend-zoning a lot of girls."

"Eh, some of them needed to be," Tai Lung replied. The panda rolled his eyes. "What about now?"

Po shook his head, "I'm the Dragon Warrior. Why should I get into a relationship that's going to be dangerous?"

Tai Lung nodded somberly as Shifu stroked his beard with a long sigh. The panda was right.

"Isn't everything dangerous?" Lei Lei asked, still playing with her action figures. The three looked at her. "Ms. Stripey says that everything can be dangerous. But you shouldn't be scared."

Po smiled a bit, "Yeah, but you don't want to put people in danger, Lei Lei. They could get hurt."

The little panda tilted her head. "Doesn't everyone get hurt? I know Ms. Stripey was very sad when you turned into flower petals." Tai Lung bit his lip to stifle his chuckle at the little girl's phrasing.

Po sighed and rested his head on his hand. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."

"Lei Lei is on to something," Shifu said, "Even if you were to stay away from relationships altogether, your friends would still be in danger as well as your family. And from the sound of it, you aren't worried about people getting hurt. You're worried about the pain of loss."

"I..." The panda stopped and sighed, hanging his head. "Ugh, you're right. I nearly lost you guys several times and... I don't want to know the pain of losing someone so close to me."

"The pain isn't the problem, Po," Tai Lung spoke up. "Any pain that you can't bear, kills you. If it doesn't, you can heal from it. But you have to choose that. I chose not to heal from my disappointment. Master Shifu chose not to heal from losing me. You see where that got us. And you already know the tiger's story. It's a choice. Pain is going to come no matter what. It's how you deal with it that makes the difference."

Po chuckled, "I didn't know you gave motivational speeches."

"Don't read too much into it, panda."

"What's... motibasion?" Lei Lei asked.

Tai Lung, Po, and Master Shifu smiled, "Motivational."

"That's what I said."

"Alright, that's it! You're banned from this kitchen," Mr. Ping squawked. The tiger stormed out, clutching her fists, and sat right down on the table next to the three. "And the shop!"

"WHAT!?"

"You heard me!"

"Oooh boy," Po sighed, "Here we go again."

"This happens often?" Shifu asked.

"Yeah, but they usually make up later. Like I told Tigress, too many cooks in the pot sours the dish."

"So... what now?" Shifu asked, watching Tigress march out of the shop.

"Tai?"

The snow leopard rubbed his chin. "How about I take your father? Would be a nice change."

"That's a bad idea," Lei Lei said. "Mr. Pig-"

"Ping, Lei Lei," Po corrected.

"Mr. Ping always hits you with a spoon," The little panda said.

Tai Lung smirked. "I think I'll be fine, little girl."

"I'm not little," Lei Lei huffed.

"Alright, I'll take Tigress," Po sighed. The two split up, leaving Shifu alone with the little panda. Lei Lei and the Kung Fu master glanced at each other in silence. The red panda gave a small cough.

"Soooo... do you want to learn Kung Fu?"

"Hmmm, okay," Lei Lei smiled.

Meanwhile, Po stepped out of the shop, but he didn't go far. The cross-armed tiger leaned her back against the wall, glaring into the air. Po sighed, "I really don't get why you two get into these spats."

"He's so stubborn, Po! Everything has to be done his way! But there's more than one way to do something! How else am I supposed to learn?!"

"By listening to him?"

"You're not Shifu!" The tiger pointed a sharp claw at him.

The panda tilted his head. "I... thought we were talking about my dad."

"We... are..."

"But... My dad saying no to your experiments reminds you of... Shifu?"

Tigress sighed, sliding down to the ground as she huddled her tucked legs. "Every disapproval reminds me of Shifu."

"But disapproval isn't always a bad thing. You two are just having... a clash of artists. He has his way of doing things, and you have yours. You have to learn that you two are different and you're going to learn things that the other doesn't like. Like me when I do something you don't like. I try my best not to, but I won't know what's wrong until I do it or you tell me."

"I guess," Tigress murmured.

"Besides, you cooking is still an adjustment for everyone, most of all my dad. You usually play by the rules."

"Not always. Cooking is one of the few things where... I don't have to play by so many rules," Tigress sighed. "But..." She trailed off, tucking her head into her arms. "You're right. I shouldn't have gotten upset."

"No, no, it's okay to get upset. But you shouldn't let that affect how your relationship goes on. Remember, my dad does like you. He just likes his way of cooking too. He won't change unless he wants to," Po smiled, "Just like Shifu wouldn't change unless he wants to."

The feline sighed, "You're right."

While this happened, Tai Lung ducked his head under the door of the kitchen before ducking again from the wooden spoon aimed at him. "Enough with the spoon!"

"Eh, why don't you go away, you, you, Ack whatever you are! Cat!"

"Wow, you're not calling me a criminal anymore. You're really mad at Tigress, aren't you?"

"She doesn't listen anymore! Not everything is a new experiment. I have a business to run, you know!"

"I'm sure she knows that, but that can't be the reason why you're angry with her," Tai said, sitting on a nearby stool.

"What are you gonna do? Tell me how she's trying her best? Remind me that she's got a passion for cooking that my own adopted son doesn't? Show me that she's... a lot like me when I was just starting," Mr. Ping slowly hung his head, frowning.

"Or you could do all that yourself," Tai Lung smirked.

"Alright, alright. I just wish she wasn't so stubborn about doing things her own way."

"Like you are."

"Watch it, Spotty."

"Ah, the goose is back," Tai Lung smiled. He glanced over to Shifu where the red panda was teaching the little panda a kick. "It's a clashing of artists. It happens more often than you think. But Tigress wants to cook. Didn't you say she has to learn her own way of cooking?"

"Yes! But... oooh, I didn't think she'd learn so fast I... it was so nice to have my pupil for a while that... I'm worried that she'll leave like Po when she realizes she doesn't need me." The goose sniffled and shook his head. "Ah look at me. Whining about a fully-grown woman that I'm treating like my little panda."

"Mr. Ping." The goose and snow leopard snapped their heads to the door where a tiger stood. Mr. Ping quickly rubbed his eyes and glared.

"Eh! I thought I told you you were banned."

"Dad, come on, we all heard you," Po smirked.

Mr. Ping hung his head and sighed, but a striped paw knelt to his level and lifted his head. The tiger warrior smiled widely as she hugged her cooking master. "Mr. Ping, I wouldn't be good at cooking without you. For that, I will always be grateful. And Po and I aren't leaving."

"Can't really leave since I'm Dragon Warrior but Ow!" Tai Lung elbow-nudged Po into silence.

"Even if we do leave, it doesn't mean you're alone," Tigress pointed to Master Shifu and Lei Lei laughing with each other. "People change and grow. They learn. Even if we leave, you'll have someone around to teach, someone else to learn from. Just like Po."

"Eh, what makes you think I learned from Po?"

"Didn't you tell me you would've never put tofu in your soup without Po following his dream to become Dragon Warrior?" Tigress smirked.

"I... I..." Mr. Ping sighed in defeat. "Sometimes you listen way too much."

"Tell me about it," Po and Tai Lung grumbled. Tigress smiled and hugged the goose again as he hugged back with his own sniffles.

The bear and snow cat decided to leave the two alone for the moment. "I'm surprised Po," said the snow leopard, "I thought you would've been jealous a bit."

"Nah, it's nice to know that my dad has more 'children' to take care of. Nice not to be the 'sole heir'."

"And yet, he likes you more than me," Tai Lung murmured. Po clapped his back and grinned.

"Don't worry, he'll grow to like you."

"Hey! You two! Since you're not doing any work, why don't you serve tables!" Mr. Ping shouted from the back.

"Oh Uhh look at the time, I think we have a bandit raid to fight! Come on Tai Lung!"

"Right behind you!"

"Po! Tai lung!" Tigress and Mr. Ping shouted with wooden spoons in their hands.

Continued...

A/N: I don't care if I did a good job of representing this concept but, by gum, this was a cute concept!