A young Tigress was seen running in a forest leading to a clearing where stands a white Southern China Tiger who was waiting for her. This Tiger is none other than Kael, Tigress 's male. These two met one day during a mission that tigress was entrusted to a neighboring village in the Valley of Peace. since then, they have continued to see each other and very quickly became best friends and ended up dating.
Kael, is a young feline touches everything, he helps in the forge or something when we need him. he is warm, clever, devoted and one thing that Tigress loves about him he is very protective but not possessive, he lets her her space and is always there when needed. He understands that she is fiercely independent even at that time and would never seek to lock her into a suffocating relationship.
At this age, Tigress was still a teenager becoming a young woman who wasn't lock on herself. she was curious, eager for knowledge and always ready to learn something and she is not 'yet' afraid to show her emotions and does not hesitate to show her affection to her male.
Kael was sitting near a little lake on a fallen tree trunk and his ears twitched when he heard similiar footsteps but didn't move at first and when he heard the step comming to a stop, he turns suddenly while getting up trying to surprise his love but he came face to face with nothing.
«Uh?!» he manages to says just before Tigress pounces on him from beside him. The two were now on the ground with Tigress on top of her boyfriend. «hey there beautiful» he says with a loving gaze
«hey there handsome, thought you could surprise me?» She says back
«i can always try» he answers back. The female tiger bring her muzzle to his and licking him a bit resulting in him laughing « ahahahaha that tickles» he stops and smiles while looking at her laughing male.
«So, ready for our lesson?» she asks him while standing up and offering him her paw to help him up.
He took it and answers while standing up «are you?» knowing fair well that his girlfriend love challenges.
«ohoh you're on!» and with that they star training. When they meet, they usually do a bit of training: Tigress trains him in the art of kung fu, it is a good way to spend time together too because she teachs him to defend himself and the others and of course she loves to teachs the one she loves the most the thing she loves the most.
On his side, Kael knows that Kung fu is the life of Tigress so he didn't mind learning it, he spend time with her and she's happy and that's the thing: The more important thing for kael is Tigress's happiness and securityand anyone could see it.
While they were sparring they were talking about their weeks «So, how was your week? i learned that you kicked that boar's ass» Kael says
«yes, 'Boar' Master Shifu was going to fight him but he got sick after eating noodles so i was ask to find four masters to come and fight this bandit but even that i failed» she says stopping the fight and looking down in shame
«how so?» Kael stops too and come closer to her. She didn't answers so he took her chin and lift her head up «hey, what happened? you know you can tell me right? i won't judge»
«i lost the scroll and find it but it was the wrong one so i brought back four persons who wasn't the warriors that my master wanted. I brought random villagers with me and disappointed him.» she says
Kael doesn't like to see his girlfriend sad like that «i see….and what happened after that?»
«i tried to fight Boar on my own» Kael eyes widened «yes, but the other came to my aid and we won the battle against him and now we are all a team» she says her spirit lifting up at the end
«i'm proud of you» came his answers that made Tigresse yes widened and look at him in shock: this was definitly not something she heard everyday. «i'm proud of you, you just kick some bad guys but not fearing to fight him face to face alone and i can see that you made new friends too» he finished with a big smile «i'm happy that you will have som company in that big house of yours, staying alone with your father must be really boring» he jokes a bit.
She smiles a bit and kisses him on the lips while hugging him «how can i deserve someone like you» she says breaking the kiss and looking at him love clearly in her eyes
«no no no, how can I deserve someone like YOU» he told back she rolls her eyes at that and nuzzles in his neck while chuffing.
«what about you?» she asks, the tiger kissed her forehead and answers
«Nothing much, i help in the forge and some villagers…the usual»
The two of them spent the rest of the day training, talking and cuddling. The scene was seen by a certain red panda who was not liking what he saw, he turns aroundd and go back to the palace waiting for her.
After a while The young woman went back to the palace and found herself face to face with her master at the top of the thousands steps looking at her with a stern look.
«Master» she bows to her master
«Did you enjoy yourself?» he asks in a cold tone
«y-yes master»
«This relationship with this man is harmful to you» he says sternly this of course shock his student and daughter. «emotions are a weakness for a kung fu master and I do not need a warrior weakened by a simple love relationship»
«B-but Master-» Tigress tries to defend herself but shifu wouldn't have it
«I don't want to hear it Tigress, either you choose kung fu and leave this distraction aside or you choose him and you can pack your things and leave this places.»
«but it isn't fair» she shouts «for once i have someone that brought me happiness and i have to throw this person aside?» she roared
«that's final, him or kung fu» He shouts back
The tiger runs to the barracks enraged leaving the angry red panda by himself. in the distance, Shifu could see Oogway shaking his head in disapproval but choose to ignores it for now and went back inside the hall of heroes. That night, The feline didn't sleep because she didn't know what to do. Kung fu is her life but Kael is the love of her life. Finally she came to a choice
The next day she went to Kael's village to brought him the news. Kael was working in the forge when he saw her outside «Tigress? what are you doing here? any problems?» he asks
«can we talk….alone?» she asks not looking at him in the eyes
Kael was starting to stress to death because he could sense that something was off «of course, come with me» he brought here outside in the forest nearby «so what do you whant to talk about?»
«We have to broke up» She says bluntly
The male was taken aback «What? why?» tears already appearing in his eyes.
«My master considers our relation like a distraction to my training and i have to break up with you if i want to fullfill my dream» she says crying too by now
«B-but but i didn't do anything wrong, did i?»
«no you didn't»
«But we can see each other in secret, no?» he tries to find aa way «i will be discreet, we will be discreet»
«no, it's too risky he has eyes everywhere» she sighs «and maybe he is right, maybe i have to free myself from you to become a master» this of course broke the heart of Kael
«You don't believe in that, it's not you» he retorts, anger was making his way slowly
«You don't know who i am, even i don't know» she growls too
«oh i think that i know more than this little panda knows you» he growls as well but calms himself with a sad sigh «if it is what you chosse and if this is what bring you happiness then so be it» he said while crying he didn't loose what was his main goal: her happiness. His beautiful blue eyes were now red from the crying.
Tigress finally looks at him in the eyes and the sight break her everywhere: her soul, her heart. «i-i'm so sorry» she says while turning around and starts walking away.
She was walking away when his voice came to her « Tigress…» she turns around to see him approching her «I made this for you…for us» he says while putting in her paws the halfof a necklace: hers was a silver tiger representing him while his was a golden tiger representing her… the two part can be attached to each other. She looks at her part and put it in her pocket and looks at him. She approaches to hug him but he step back shaking his heads sobbing. She looks down and turns around and went back to the Jade palace. On her way she heard a loud roar filled with pain and sorrow, she closes her eyes and keep walking.
She arrives at the top of the stairs where Shifu was waiting «I assume the distraction has been removed?»
He was met with a new face and tone that will be hi his daily life from that moment, Tigress wore a emotionless expression and she answers to her master, her tone cold without any life «yes master»
«very well»
She bows and walk back towards the iron woods forest while shifu stay there. The following weeks became the same and tigress has now build a wall around her heart, keeping her distance from everyone, becoming the famous hardcore warrior.
One day, reports arrived at the Jade palace that the village of Fenghuo has been raid by a small group of bandits, the name of the village was familiar to the Tiger because it was the village of Kael but what disturbs her is that this village didn't possess any guards but with his training Kael was able to protect his village since then and this village was always raid by small group so he could handle it but not this time…weird.
The Five arrives to the villages and finds the trouble. they manage to find the bandits and brought back the goods to the villagers. but since their arrival, Tigress has never seen the male tiger and when they bring back the stolen goods to the forge, the male is not there either... by curiosity she decides to ask the blacksmith to know if he is all right and that he was not hurt.
«excuse me sir, is Kael here? is he alright?» she asks politely but keep her new stoic stature and emotionless face
«Oh he left, dear» he answers back
«what do you mean he left?» her facade starting to break a little
«after you came a few days ago, when he came back, he resigned, took his things and left the village without looking behind him.»
Tigress looks down saddened by this but didn't let it show on her face…