Zaber

Prepare for Love and War!

Tigress sulked on palace steps looking at the village below her. The height reminded her of the Jade Palace. She sighed, bored. Po, Mei, Lee, and Leo left for the troops, and without Po to talk to and Leo to train her, there wasn't much to do. What about her old training? The arena, surprisingly, wasn't built up to the standard of the Jade Palace. You would think they'd know the strength of a tiger, she thought. Then Miwa came and sat next to her.

"Hmmm," They both sighed. Then they looked at each other and laughed.

"So...my niece," Tigress started.

"Yes, my aunty?" Miwa answered back.

"Is it true that you like Leo?"

"Yeah, but please don't tell him." Miwa blushed immensely.

"My lips are sealed," Tigress said.

"So do you like Po?" Miwa asked back.

"As a friend, yes."

"Do you like him as something more?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I asked the same amount of questions you asked."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did."

"No."

"Hey! Stop avoiding the question."

"What was the question?"

"Aunty Tigress," Miwa sighed, "If you hate the panda, just say so."

"I don't hate him! Why does everyone think that?" Tigress snapped.

"Because he's told grandpa and grandma about his life there and... you really didn't seem...kind to him," Miwa fumbled out.

Tigress hung her head. "I...Yes, I guess I was very abusive to him at first." She sighed and looked at the sky. "I just couldn't believe that he was the Dragon Warrior, the very thing I worked for my whole life. But, as I got to know Po, I saw he deserved to be the Dragon Warrior." Tigress chuckled a little, "Even if he made a lot of mistakes."

"So you like him more than a friend?"

"Yes...I Mean! Um...," She groaned while her niece laughed.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," Miwa winked, "So...what are we going to do without them? It's so boring around here. When did they say they would come back?"

"An hour from now," Tigress huffed. Miwa huffed too.

An old male tiger smiled stood behind them, "It's good to see you two are getting to know each other."

"Hey, Grandpa," Miwa got up and hugged Qiang.

"If you two have some spare time, I could use some help discarding some old things," Qiang said.

"Might as well," Tigress said, "There's nothing else to do." So the three tigers went into Qiang's room where a whole closet of dusty armor and old papers sat. They started moving the stuff when Tigress came across an old painting. "Is... this us?" Qiang looked over her shoulder and chuckled.

"Yes, you were just 6 months when we had it made. Your brother was one at the time," he said. The wedded couple was smiling in the painting while Tiger played with his feet in Tigra's lap and little Tigress smiled as brightly as the sun. "Your mother threatened the painter to paint faster. That's why we could hold the smile."

"What do you see in her?" Miwa asked innocently.

"Well, even if you see a vicious person, I see a kind, beautiful, smart woman. Someone who can love this hard old bag of bones and give him a good kick in the rear sometimes," Qiang smiled. He didn't know that Tigra was right behind her. When he did, he jumped and smiled sheepishly. It was the first time either Miwa or Tigress saw Qiang actually emote. But Tigra hugged him.