(We are starting to get into the action! This takes place during Secrets of the Scroll, where the Furious Five first meet! For reference, Tigress is about 16 years old, Leo Lung is about 28, and Shifu is about 48 years old.
5 years later. 10 years until Tai Lung's escape.
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"Steady, strong! Keep your chin up, Tigress!" Sharp orders were barked out, "This is the way of Kung Fu!"
In the courtyard of the Jade Palace, Master Shifu and Tigress were training. Both animals stood with their backs straight as a board, their heads up and eyes staring forward.
Shifu had a determined, fierce look in his eyes, but Tigress looked apprehensive. She never questioned Shifu's teachings, but she wanted... more. Her ears flicked. Her tail twitched. It was like a primal desire, but instead of hunting or killing innocent prey animals, it was to fight villains. She wanted to fight villains with her own Kung Fu- not with this simple-stanced air-punching routine.
Tigress felt her adrenaline growing. She had to do something! She felt something growing in her. It wasn't anger, hate, or aggression, but it felt similar. {Containment!} She thought. {That's the word.} Tigress punched the air in front of her. She began thinking. Maybe if she showed Shifu just a little of what she could do. She did not want to be contained.
She wanted Leo. He would always tell her what would be the best thing to do. However, Leo was out running errands in the village. He could not save her now. She wondered what the lion would say. He would probably say something along the lines of 'Well, do you want Shifu to see what he wants to see, or do you want him to see you for who you really are?' Tigress mulled on that thought. A swirl of leaves blew in the wind above her. She hissed involuntarily.
"Control!" Shifu ordered, seeing that she was thinking about something instead of focusing on her punches.
Her palms opened and her claws unsheathed. She could not focus! She could not control! Shifu looked at her. Her tail flicked. Her pupils shrank to slits and a growl grew in her throat. Shifu frowned.
Tigress leapt up into the air, slicing each of the leaves above her into tiny pieces. Shifu watched from below. Tigress fell to the ground below, exhilaration replacing the adrenaline in her. She landed on all fours. Her slitted pupils grew round, and a grin creased her face. What a rush that was! Shifu, however, seemed to disagree.
"Tigress!" He scolded. "What are you doing?"
Her smile instantly fell. Tigress's ears pinned to her head in fear. Shifu continued to scold her, pointing out how she had no control and how she had no form.
"I'm sorry.." Tigress said softly, "I..I won't let it happen again!" She stared at the ground in shame while holding her paws in a salute. She wouldn't listen to imaginary Leo next time. She would just focus.
"I wish I could believe that." Shifu said, the disappointment and anger obvious in his voice. He was about to continue, probably to give her a punishment, but a large figure walked through the front gates. Tigress glanced out of the corner of her eyes.
It was Leo, her brother. He had bundles of food that he had bought from the village for the palace. Tigress, however, did not move to greet him. Shifu stared down at her, "One hundred laps around the courtyard. And do keep your knees up."
Tigress nodded, "Yes, Master Shifu!"
Leo Lung walked up to Shifu, "What is going on? Did Tigress do something wrong?" He glanced at her, watching as she jogged around the courtyard.
"Yes, she did do something wrong!" Shifu said, matter-of-factly, "She can not focus or control herself. She wants to do things her own way." The red panda said, angrily. Tigress watched out of the corner of her eyes, and her ears were angled towards the two. Leo frowned, watching helplessly as Tigress huffed as she jogged around the courtyard. Leo and Shifu began to walk towards Master Oogway, who watched quietly from the steps while sipping tea.
"As opposed to... your way?" Leo asked innocently.
"She can not learn if she does not focus." Shifu replied, climbing the steps to meet Oogway. The tortoise looked at him sagely.
"Tigress only wants to make you proud." Master Oogway said, looking at Shifu.
"Maybe I could be proud if she had correct form." Shifu replied, stubbornly. He watched Tigress, his eyes slightly narrowed. Leo moved to sit on the other sit of Oogway.
"She simply wants to deviate from the norm. Tigress does not like doing things...well.." Leo searched for the right word as he watched Tigress run.
"Doing things my way? The right way?" Shifu demanded, turning his head to stare at Leo, "Remember you were my student once, too, Leo. You still are. "
"Yes. But Tigress is not me. We are different."
"An acorn can only become a mighty oak, not a cherry tree. You must let young Tigress grow into what she will be." Master Oogway said wisely. Leo glanced sideways at the tortoise before nodding. It seemed that, no matter what, Oogway always knew what to say. Shifu looked thoroughly annoyed. It seemed that, once again, Oogway was right.
But Shifu did not have time to think it over, however, as a frantic dog ran into the courtyard, "Master Shifu! Master Shifu!" All three masters, and Tigress- who slowed her jogging and looked at the canine- shifted their attention to the messenger as he gasped for breath: "He is coming! He is coming!"
Shifu, realizing this was a serious situation, stood and quickly ran to catch the canine, who fell to his knees; "What? Who is coming?"
"A giant of a warrior!" The dog rasped, "He calls himself 'Boar'! He is unstoppable! He is invincible! He is defeating the Masters one by one! He is coming to the Valley of Peace. You," the dog stopped to gather his strength, "you and Master Leo Lung are the only ones who can stop him."
Leo Lung's ears pricked forward as Shifu's eyes widened. Leo stood and leapt to the bottom of the stairs. Tigress had stopped jogging all together, her eyes wide with horror.
"We must prepare." Leo said.
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"I hold my ground. Steady, strong." Shifu said, "Boar will be here by morning. I have dealt with his kind before. Leo Lung, spar with Tigress. Keep her focused." Shifu ordered. Leo Lung, who was supplying rocks for Shifu to break, nodded. The lion beckoned over a goose, letting him take over helping Shifu train.
"Tigress," Leo advanced to her. Tigress, who was standing and punching in place, looked at him. "Care to fight?"
The tiger put up a fight, but Leo was still far more advanced that she was. He had no trouble pinning her to ground, putting her in a chokehold, or simply immobilizing her to where she could not fight back. However, while Leo fought, he noticed things in her. Her ears twitched, her tail flicked, and her muzzle curled to reveal her teeth. These occurrences, although they happened often, were quick. If he blinked he would miss them. Did they have anything to do with Shifu being angry about her lack of control or focus?
"He has been at this all day, hasn't he?" Oogway asked the two cats, walking up to them. He was referring to Shifu, who had been punching and destroying rocks all morning.
"Yes! He is amazing!" Tigress replied immediately.
"He certainly seems determined." Leo Lung said calmly.
"I will never be like him." Tigress muttered under her breath. Her tail flicked, but she quickly stepped on it. She glanced quickly, wondering if he had noticed.
"No. You won't." Oogway said bluntly, "Shifu. There is a matter of utmost importance." He said. Leo and Tigress's eyes widened as they stared at Oogway. Shifu did not stop training, however.
"What could be more important than training for battle?" He asked, glaring at Oogway.
"Let's order in." The tortoise said, holding up a paper menu with food on it. Tigress visibly brightened. Leo smiled. He always loved ordering food.
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Leo sat in a wooden chair. His fur was almost green with how sickly he was. His claws dug into the wooden frame of the chair. He could feel the sickness wrap around his stomach like rope. He felt so nauseous. The lion felt bile rise in his throat and he could not swallow it down. Leo leaned to the side grabbed a bucket, vomiting into it. Tigress watched helplessly from a distance, along with Oogway, who had no problem eating the soup.
Shifu, an unhealthy shade of green, stayed by his side, occasionally patting his mane when his body shook uncontrollably. Leo felt tears welling up in his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He had never been this sick before.
"What was in that food?" Shifu rasped. Leo's claws dug into the sides of the bucket. If he gripped the bucket any tighter, it was likely to splinter into a thousand pieces.
"We can not be like this!" Leo gasped. Shifu weakly wiped the lion's muzzle with a wet rag. Leo spoke, "Boar is coming! He will destroy the vil-" Leo was cut off as he stuck his head into the bucket, feeling the bile pour into the bucket.
Shifu motioned to a nearby goose. The goose waddled over. Shifu ordered the palace servant get Leo a new bucket. He would need it. The goose returned with a bucket and replaced it, breathing in through his beak and not even bothering to look inside it. Shifu, disregarding the goose's obvious discomfort, spoke to him before he left,
"There is a dangerous villain coming to the valley of peace. I have a scroll with four warriors from the Wang Fu village. Go and-"
"No, Shifu." Said Oogway, "Send Tigress."
"Master Shifu! I will not disappoint you!" The goose, lion, red panda looked over to see Tigress standing in front of Master Shifu. She fell into a bow.
"Kitten! Wang Fu is so far!" Leo rasped, his chest heaving.
"I can make it. I will recruit the warriors to defeat Boar!" She said eagerly, her tail twitching.
Shifu, his fur puffed up, thought it over. He looked at Leo, who was in no state to fight. Leo was going to be Shifu's back up. Now, both masters were in no state to fight villains, he had no choice. Shifu sighed. He handed the scroll to the tiger, and she looked up to him,
"Be back before dawn. Do not fail me." He ordered.
"I will not disappoint you Master Shifu." She said, jogging out of the door on her back legs. Leo looked at Shifu, who was coughing into his fist.
"Did you teach her to run like that?"
"Don't worry about it."
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Tigress jogged out of the Jade Palace, eager to begin her mission. She had not been outside the Valley of Peace since she was an orphan. But she shook that thought out of her head. She did not look back on her days as an orphan.
Suddenly Tigress gasped. A needle stuck into her foot. Her fur prickled and, being caught off guard, she fell and dropped her scroll. She sharply inhaled as she watched the list tumble down the stairs.
Tigress looked down by her feet. There was a tiny praying mantis standing there.
"Oh, uh, pardon me. I'm here to see Shifu, I'm the, uh, doctor." The mantis said, grabbing the needle out of her foot. Tigress gasped and stood up,
"The list!" She jogged down the stairs quickly. She had to get the list before she lost sight of it!
As Tigress ran through the village, she scanned each building, street, and alleyway for the scroll. She could not lose it. It was imperative she had that list. Suddenly she saw it! It lay in the alleyway behind a noodle shop, and Tigress quickly grabbed it, beaming in happiness. Now she took off in the direction of Wang Fu, eager to start.
When Tigress arrived at the Wang Fu Kung Fu school, she opened the list. She had to know who she was here for. However, as she read it, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. A cleaner? Tigress concluded it must have been a code name. {Of course!} She thought, {They must use a code name so nobody can figure who it is! To any normal animal they would not know who it is!}
Tigress pushed open the door and looked inside. Many large rows of tough looking rhinos stood, punching the air in front of them while four young red pandas watched from a platform. Tigress ran up to the bottom of the stairs that led to the platform,
"Masters!" She began, catching her breath, "The Valley is in great peril. Master Shifu sent me here to recruit four warriors."
The four red pandas signaled for the rows of rhinos to halt their punches, and they looked at her expectantly. Tigress opened her scroll,
"I am looking for a-"
A door creaked open to her right. Tigress looked up, not paying much attention. But she saw a crane with a water bucket and mop.
"A cleaner?" Tigress looked slightly confused. She glanced at her scroll and back at him. The bird stammered and smiled nervously, his large beak forming a grin. Tigress closed her scroll and walked over to meet him, ignoring the strange looks she was getting from both the rhinos and the red pandas.
"Master cleaner, it an honor to meet you. Master Shifu has asked that you return with me to the Jade Palace. You are needed there."
At this, the crane's beak dropped, "The Jade Palace? YES!" He said excitedly. Then, quickly recomposing himself, "Yes. Of course I will go."
"Good! We must hurry!" Tigress said, jogging past the four red panda masters and the rhino army. The cleaner said something to the masters, but Tigress ignored it. They needed to get moving if they were to recruit everybody in time.
As Tigress and the crane exited the school, Tigress opened the scroll again,
"Let's see. Who is next?" She examined the scroll and the crane moved in to look, "The...comedian?"
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"No! That is not a banana! That is my wife!" Monkey exclaimed, his eyes wide and grin on his round face. He loved delivering punchlines.
But the audience had different ideas. They began exclaiming how awful it was, and one patron even banged his head on his table.
"Ok!" Monkey said, whipping up a new joke in his head, "Two of us go into a bar-"
But before he could continue, the audience moved as one, in a rather panicked motion, towards the door. Someone even threw a tomato, but Monkey did not even see it.
Tigress and the cleaner, who has introduced himself as simply Crane, moved up to the dilapidated building. Right as Tigress was about to knock on the door, a flurry of sheep, bunnies, and geese stormed out. Tigress' eyes widened as she backed up.
As the people ran off, one she grabbed the lapels of her coat and spoke, panic obvious in his voice,
"Do not go in there! He is so ba-a-ad!" He bleated. He then pushed past her and ran away.
"Excellent!" Tigress smiled. The comedian must be in here. "Hello?" Tigress called out as she moved into the door way, "Master Comedian? I've been sent by Master Shif- ah!" The tiger gasped and backed up when a monkey hung upside down from the doorway.
"..Is everything alright?"
"Sure!" The monkey answered immediately, "I killed in there." He said, taking the scroll and reading it, "I can not read this. It is upside down." The monkey returned the scroll to Tigress.
"Master Shifu asked that you return with me to the Jade Palace."
The monkey gasped and fell to the floor, "The Jade Palace?"
"Master? Master Comedian? Will you come?"
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Tigress's mission was nothing less than successful. The dancer, who was a young viper who looked no more than 15 years old, eagerly accepted. Her father, Master Viper who wielded dangerous venom, exclaimed how proud he was of her. Tigress frowned. Shifu never really told her how proud he was of her.
Tigress had left the dancer's home, frowning. Monkey had asked who was next one the list.
"What?" She had asked, "Oh! Yes." Tigress opened her scroll back up. Her brows furrowed and she looked up, "The doctor! Oh! He is already there!" Tigress exclaimed, remembering the mantis that was curing the ailing Leo Lung and Master Shifu. "Let's go!" Tigress exclaimed happily, jogging back towards the Valley of Peace.
But as Tigress ran on her hind legs, she felt Monkey coming up from behind. He looked at her and stood on his own hind legs, huffing just as she was. Tigress glanced at him. The monkey howled with laughed and fell back on all fours, racing ahead of her.
The tiger gazed upward and saw Crane, flying with skill and precision between the tree branches. Then the dancer, who was named Viper, slithered between her legs,
"Coming through!" The snake said, a grin on her face. She slithered quickly towards the monkey and crane, leaving Tigress behind. Tigress slowed to a stop. She gazed at her feet. How come every body else seemed to be so comfortable in their own body, but she was simply tall and lanky, running on two legs?
{You are not meant to be like Shifu or Leo. You are meant to be yourself!} A voice inside Tigress's head told her.
Tigress ran all the way to the Jade Palace. But she did not run on two legs, oh no. She was a tiger, not a red panda, not a lion, not a tortoise. She ran on all fours. She easily caught up to the other three masters.
There was a joy that Tigress felt building up in her as she ran. This was something new. Something she had never experienced while training. She gazed at the ground passing her by so quickly.
As Tigress looked up, she gasped. A large rock and dirt formation loomed above her, quickly approaching. She felt something inside her take over. Tigress leapt into the air, building up power in her forearms. Tigress roared and smashed through the dirt and rock with her palms.
But, glancing down, Tigress's eyes widened. She had just leapt over a cliff! A river waited below.
"Woah!" She cried as she fell below. But water never touched her fur. Tigress looked up and saw Crane had caught her and was carrying her in his talons. She saw Viper slithering gracefully over the water.
Crane flipped Tigress over and landed her on Viper's back, allowing Tigress to surf harmlessly along the water's surface. Suddenly, two large sticks surpassed Tigress, Viper and Crane. The three looked up Monkey was walking on the large sticks like stilts. Tigress laughed.
As the four animals made their way through a bamboo forest, Tigress laughed and leapt along the bamboo stalks. She had never had this much fun while training. Shifu seriously needed to learn to lighten up.
Tigress spoke up, "Now I know why Shifu chose you!"
"Really?" Crane asked, looking at her, "Why?"
"Because.." Tigress huffed for breath while she ran on all fours, "you are amazing!"
"Nice!"
"Thanks!"
"At this pace," Tigress said, "We will get there just in time!"
"Great! Can't wait!" Crane said.
The four ran back towards the Jade Palace. They would do it.
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"Who are you all, again?" Leo rasped. Tigress stood in front of him and Shifu, with three other animals standing behind her. A snake, a bird, and a monkey. They did not even look like warriors.
Shifu stared in disbelief. Tigress beamed, "And with the doctor, we will have the four you requested! It was an honor to serve you!" She bowed happily. The praying mantis doctor was thoroughly confused. Shifu, on the other paw, was angry.
"Tigress, what is this?! These aren't the warriors!"
"Warriors? Where?" Asked the snake.
"You all are not warriors? Boar is coming! We must do something!" Leo growled. His growl ended in a guttural cough though.
"But..the list!" Tigress insisted, giving Shifu the scroll. Shifu opened it, took one glance at it, and snapped it shut.
"This isn't the list I wrote!" He growled. The red panda- or green, because of how sickly he looked- glared daggers at his apprentice.
"It..." Tigress hesitated. Her throat tightened, "It must be an accident!"
"There are no acc-" Oogway started. But Shifu stopped him before he could finish. He glanced at Master Shifu.
"Forgive me, Master!" Tigress fell into a bow. She stared sadly at the ground.
"Tigress, you need to understand that-" Leo breathed sadly. He wanted to help her, but with his terrible sickness and Shifu's stubbornness, it seemed unlikely.
"Silence, Leo. Let me deal with this." Shifu said. He glared at Tigress as he whispered lowly, "You disappoint me. Who will defend the Valley?" Tigress squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to cry. This was the biggest mistake she could have made.
"Maybe, we can help Tigress! We can fight..kind of." The bird interjected. The monkey and the snake agreed. They were eager to help.
"Well, I am not actually a doctor, so I am in!" The mantis said. Leo rolled his eyes.
"Except this isn't about fighting. This about defense. The Valley of Peace must be protected from this villain!" Leo insisted.
"Maaaster! The Boar!" A goat ran towards the group. "The Boar has been spotted in the Great Forest!" All of the animals went on high alert.
"You all need to go. For your own safety." Leo told the four animals.
"But Master Leo! Master Shifu!" Tigress pleaded, "They have skills! I have seen them!"
"They are not the warriors I sent for!" Shifu shouted at her. He coughed once, and gritted his teeth in anger. Tigress stared at Shifu in defiance, then caved. She bowed, and turned to the four animals that she had recruited,
"It was an honor to meet you. To meet you all. I am sorry" She said sadly. Shifu dismissed them all before turning to stomp into the Jade Palace.
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Tigress stood on the edge of the forest. Her eyes were wide. She was wrong. She was all wrong. They were just..normal animals. They were just civilians! Not warriors! She would have to face Boar herself thanks to her incompetence. Tigress felt like crying.
{No. There is a villain. He wants to hurt me. He wants to hurt Shifu and Leo.} The tiger gathered whatever strength she had left and inhaled. Her tail twitched. Tigress gasped sharply as the trees suddenly exploded outward.
"I am Boar!"
Tigress's tail twitched in fear. Boar was huge! There was no way she could face this creature alone, despite her years of training.
"I hold my ground." Tigress said, "Steady. Strong. This is the way of Kung Fu." Tigress said, feeling the strength gather within her. This was how Shifu taught her. It had to work. Shifu and Leo were still violently sick. They could not help her now without putting themselves at risk.
The boar stomped up to her, towering over the adolescent tiger, "So, you are going to stop me? Ahahaha! Let's see!"
Tigress bared her fangs and punched the boar right in the chest. She flew backwards at least fifty feet. Tigress felt her fist throb. Tigress's eyes widened in fear. This creature had armor for skin!
"Is that all you got? I am disappointed!" Boar snorted, stomping up to her. Without missing a beat, he began assaulting her with punches. Tigress blocked the punches, trying to cover her head. She had to defend herself! She could not do this alone!
"I was expecting a challenge!" The creature roared, punching Tigress right in the chest and sending her flying.
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Leo pushed the door to the Jade Palace open. He was still very sick, but he had stopped throwing up and had enough strength to walk outside. Shifu had followed him. Oogway greeted them both.
"We must help her!" Leo rasped.
"I must do something!" Shifu said at the same time. But Oogway moved his cane in front of the two, stopping them both.
"No, her destiny is not yours to control." He said sagely.
Leo made a noise, something between a gasp and a sob. He watched from the steps as the boar picked up Tigress and threw her into the air.
"NO!" The lion roared, "He will kill her!"
But Leo was surprised as Crane, the janitor bird, caught Tigress mid air and landed her near Viper, the dancer. Leo watched as Monkey, the comedian, ran up to the boar and used his long tail to bind Boar's hands together and punch and kick the Boar's face. Viper and Crane both worked together to batter the large foe as well.
Leo's gaze was averted as Tigress slowly rose. She snarled and leapt into the air, ripping her coat off to reveal her signature red top. She roared loudly: "I am Tigress!" Both Shifu's and Leo's eyes widened. This was a side to Tigress Leo never saw. Shifu was in disbelief. He did not know there was such power in Tigress's body. Maybe he should not have held her back so much.
Tigress roared and lunged at the boar, landing blow after relentless blow. Boar occasionally tried to counter but Tigress simply shrugged it off. The large, powerful boar was no match for the graceful, deadly tiger.
The mantis then grabbed the boar's face and held him still. Tigress yowled and punched Boar right in the chest, pushing him very far back.
Then, as one, all five of the animals charged at the boar. Altogether they twisted their hips, recoiled, and extended. All five animals, even the snake, landed a solid kick to the boar's torso and stomach.
Boar flew back, defeated and humiliated, and landed on his stomach. Tigress and the other four animals stood over their defeated enemy before turning back and returning to the Jade Palace.
Leo had never been so happy and proud of his adopted sister in his entire life. If he had the strength to, he would run all the way down the steps to meet her and congratulate her. And he did just that.