KFP- Tigress's Story

I could swear my heart stopped as I watched Po and Shen fighting in the factory. That stupid panda! Why couldn't he do as I told him? I snarled and whipped through the wolves attempting to block my path, knocking them aside like so many pots. But I couldn't knock aside the gorilla, couldn't get to Po before that cannon went off. I saw him flash by me, a blur of black and white mixed with the explosive, colorful powder that shot the metal balls, and my breath went with him as he soared out of the factory and into the river.

Deep in my gut, I knew, just –knew-, he was dead. And any hope of stopping Shen went with him.

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I hung there, chained with my friends, the rest of the Furious Five, feeling nothing but sadness and despair. "We must be strong, hardcore. Right, Tigress?" Monkey asked, but I couldn't answer. I could only close my eyes, the image of Po flying past me replaying through my mind on a never-ending loop. If only I'd been faster, stronger, more ferocious, I could have reached him.

The chain was hoisted up, and the boat began moving. I couldn't think, wouldn't let myself think. Eventually, I sensed something different in the air. Looking up, I scanned the horizon, finally spotting something out of place. Someone was standing on a roof top a good ways ahead of our ship, and as I looked, I realized it was a familiar silhouette. "Po," I whispered, my whisper echoed by the rest of the animals chained to me. After a monologue that only he could hear, typical Po, he finally managed to blunder his way down to the waterline, onto the ship, and toss us an ax that Monkey used to break the chains.

We landed on the deck, and fought our way through the wolves, with the help of Master Ox, Master Croc, and Master Shifu, managed to block the entrance to the harbor with their own ships, and then it was like déjà vu. I saw Po standing there, the cannon being aimed at him, and I couldn't watch him be hit again. I lunged and shoved him aside just before the cannon went off. Then everything was black.

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The next thing I remember, I hear him whisper, "Tigress," and take hold of my arm. I could barely muster the strength to raise my head, and speaking was impossible. All I could do was give a weak sob, and lay my head back down. What could any of us do? We'd failed. Shen would sail, and China would fall.

I felt Po gently shove me back, and heard him start swimming away. Don't leave, I wanted to cry out, but all I could do was stretch out one hand, reaching for him, and gaze from under slitted eyes and watch him haul himself onto an overturned boat, stand, and take a stance. No, I wanted to shout, don't do this! What did he think he was doing?

As if in a dream, I heard the cannons begin firing, and watched in horror as the first one headed straight for him. When he deflected it, I was stunned. As he continued deflecting, and occasionally sending the metal balls back to the ships that shot them, my amazement, and admiration, grew.

As he caught the last one, and then fought one last time with Shen, I made my way to one of the few surviving boats, and pulled myself up onto it. And when Po surfaced, I was there to help him up. "That, was pretty hardcore," I told him.

He smiled at me, and then hugged me. Stunned at the emotions coursing through me, I froze, noticing that Crane's jaw had dropped, again. When he set me down, I couldn't move for a few seconds.

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When we returned to the Valley of Peace, I didn't stick around for the celebrations, choosing instead to head for the Jade Palace and my room. When I entered, I looked around. This was the room I'd occupied for many years, since Shifu had adopted me from that orphanage. It was pretty much the same, barely furnished, and I frowned. Monkey and Crane often teased me about living a life of "bare necessity." On the way to Gongmen City, Po had said I was "so tough I didn't feel anything." Was that really how I was?

With a sigh, I settled down onto my rug, curling up on the center. I certainly didn't feel nothing anymore, at least where Po was concerned. Only question was, what did I feel, and what was I supposed to do about it?

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In the following weeks, I tried to act like everything was fine, nothing had changed. But deep down, I knew it had. Everything had. When? I had no idea. I was in the training hall, ferociously attacking one of the moving dummies, when I heard someone enter. It had to be Po, everyone else was taking time off to visit their families. I didn't know why Po hadn't, he had Mr. Ping to visit down in the valley.

"Tigress?" Po said, and I could hear the hesitancy in his voice, smell his fear. I gave the dummy one last solid kick, and then turned to face him, my chest heaving from the exertion.

"Yes, Po?" I asked, letting my gaze drift over his body, finally landing on his arms and chest. What would it be like, I wondered, to be held against him, to feel his arms around me…?

"Um, I just wanted to say…. Wait, why are you looking at me like that?" I jumped, bringing my startled gaze up to his, suddenly aware of my tail twitching furiously. I blushed.

"No reason. What were you saying?" I forced myself to look him in the eye, but my mind wandered.

"I just wanted to say, thanks again, for everything." I tilted my head, and took a tentative step forward.

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything." I noticed he looked uncertain about why I was approaching him, but he held his ground.

I carefully reached out and hugged him, and felt him gingerly hug me back. "I should be thanking you," I said, my voice muffled against his chest.

"Me?" he asked, sounding astonished. He pulled back and looked down at me, confusion on his face.

"For surviving," I clarified, before leaning up to gently kiss him. When I pulled back, he was shocked, and I blushed, my ears flattening in embarrassment. I stepped back, and gave him an uncertain grin.

He smiled back, but the look in his eyes was faraway. Absently, he bid me goodbye, and headed out of the training hall. I sighed and turned back to the training dummy.

Well, now I knew how I felt, but I still had no idea what to do about it. Or how Po felt.

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As I left the training hall that day, I avoided everyone, choosing instead to climb the top of the Jade Palace and settle on the roof, looking out over the valley. My ears flicked as I heard voices, and looking around, I spotted Viper and Crane moving through the courtyard together, Crane looking at Viper like she was the most special person in the world.

I sighed, wishing, perhaps a bit forlornly, that Po would look at me that way… Straightening, I gave myself a shake. I was the hardcore one, the one with nerves of steel, a soul of platinum. I couldn't let this get to me. Yes, I liked Po, perhaps more than like, but there was nothing that could come of it. A panda and a tiger couldn't be together.

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The next few weeks saw things change even more. Viper and Crane were spending more time together, and Monkey had begun talking about a certain "Tai Lei" from his hometown, and Mantis was making eyes at a new female praying mantis that had recently moved into the valley. It seemed like everyone was finding someone special, except for me and Po.

Nope, just me.

"Tigress!!!" Po came running into my room, flinging open the screen door. "GUESS WHAT I JUST SAW?!"

I leapt to my feet, instantly on the defensive. "What? Bandits?"

"No, nothing like that…" he took a deep breath and then said, "A female panda!"

I felt myself freeze, but forced a smile to my face. "That's great!" I said, thankful for once that Po was so oblivious he couldn't see my heart breaking. "Romance is in the air, isn't it?" I said, forcing myself to sound nonchalant.

Po looked at me oddly. "Romance…? OH! No, no, this panda is related to me!"

Hope blossomed but I tamped it down. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yea, she's my aunt! She's been gone for a long time, longer than 20 years, so she didn't know about Shen, and my parents…" His voice trailed off, and I could see the pain in his eyes. I reached out and put my paw on his shoulder, and he smiled at me gratefully. "But she's determined to find some survivors. She said my father, her brother, was a tough old panda, and would never be killed in some raid by a stupid, strutting peacock and some cocky wolves. She invited me to go along with her," he finished in a rush, and looked at me, a mixture of emotions on his face.

I grinned. "Are you going?" I asked, genuinely excited for him, but also concerned about what he might find.

He shook his head. "I've accepted what happened, and I'm content to stay here," he told me, and then pulled me into a crushing hug. I froze for a second, but before he could release me, I hugged him back. "With you," he said, and I felt that pesky hope growing again.

"Really?" I asked, pulling back to look at him. He nodded and pulled me close to him again, and I rested my cheek against his shoulder. Maybe this could work…

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Slowly, Po and I began to spend more time together, exploring these new feelings. As far as I knew, nothing like this had ever happened, and panda and a tiger, and I wasn't sure if it would work, but I was willing to give it a try as long as Po was. And he was more than willing to.

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Almost two years after we stopped Shen, and I realized how much Po meant to me, we stood before the altar, with Master Shifu performing the ceremony as Po and I were married, Viper my maid of honor, Crane, now married to Viper, Mantis, still refusing to settle down and have his head eaten, and Monkey, finally getting to the "serious" part of his relationship with Tai Lei, Po's best men.

It was the happiest day of my life.

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"Mom!! Daddy's got my toy and he won't give it back!!" A little snake yelled. Viper rolled her eyes and turned on Crane.

"Dearest, why do you have her toy?" she demanded, glaring at him. Sheepishly, Crane grinned at Viper and gave the little snake, adopted by them along with several other snakes and little cranes, her toy back. With a happy giggle the snake wriggled off.

Viper shook her head and Crane leaned down to rub his beak along her neck. "I was seeing how her kung fu training was coming along, honey," he said, an innocent look in his eyes. I snorted, and Crane glared at me, then looked back at Viper.

I was distracted by my own children, a little tiger cub, and a baby panda, who both wanted to be held at the same time. I laughed and complied, satisfied with how my life turned out.

Po came over and kissed each child on the head and then kissed me. His eyes alight with love, and I was sure some of it was for the bowl of noodles in his hand, he asked me, "So, Tigress, ever imagine that you'd get the chance to rescue orphans like yourself? Or that you'd be married to a panda?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No, but I wouldn't have my story any other way," I told him, looking around with pride.

Maybe none of our stories really had happy beginnings, but they all had a happy ending.