One Of The Five Have Gone all Wrong

Chapter 8 ~ Nightmares of a monster

That night, Tigress went to bed with a clear mind. Even though there isn't something wrong with what had occurred that day, dreams isn't what occupied her sleep.

She tossed and turned so much that her blankets are thrown off. Images of golden eyes, the echo of a roar. Even more so baffling, a jade ring.

In her nightmare, she's scrambling around to get up. Everything, even herself, moving in slow motion. Yet the black figure continues in real time. Fearful and scared, something she hasn't felt since she was a child.

Shooting upward on her mat, her breaths heavy and her heart racing, Tigress looks around the room. Daylight had already peered through the window. Her breaths slow to a pace as she composed herself.

Tigress quickly got out of bed and dressed herself. It had been an usual dream, sure. Though she frequently had nightmares. Not every night, but most nights, yes. At first she wondered what they stood for yet never recieveed an answer.

She eventually gave up on trying to figure then out. Then again, those weren't as vivid as this one was. Chills went up her spine. What really gave her chills was the roar. It was so loud. She could feel the anger in its voice.

Tigress shook her head once more and put a start to another day. Another day to finish up a few things and her first day at the children center where she'll be watching  kids of different ages.

She'll have to skip breakfast for today since she doesn't have anything to eat. As she walked out the door and into the warm sunlight, the mood is interrupted by a voice that she thought wouldn't be here.

"Mornin' kitten." Tai Lung says from atop her roof.

"I thought you'd get the memo and leave."

"Apparently you didn't make that clear enough."

"What do you want?" She asks annoyed

"Well I don't know if you know but I don't exactly have anywhere to go."

"You not staying here." Tigress stated sternly.

"What? No. I'm saying that there's no place that I'm welcomed to stay during the day. Besides, I rather sleep in a tree than a bed."

Tigress isn't sure if he said that sarcastically or not.

"Suit yourself. Just don't touch anything."

Tai Lung is taken back by this. Tigress, the stern, strict woman that kicked his ass around when they fought on the bridge, is letting him hang out at her new home? He will not lie, he's grateful. It just seems out of the ordinary for her to do something like this but he isn't one to complain.

"Let me get this straight. You're allowing me to stay here during the day? Why not arrest me like the good girl you are?"

"One, if you ever call me that again I'll break your spine. Two, I told you; I'm not part of the furious five anymore. I want to live a life that I choose to live. Yes I loved doing what I did but I never got anywhere with who I am, not what I'm suppose to do." She explained.

"Hmm..." He had to agree that she's right. All her life- from what he can tell- is that she lived a life of being told what to do, when to do, and how to do it.

Come to think of it, she doesn't really express her emotions like any other. Besides anger of course. Unlike Po who's excited all the time, or Crane and Viper who are calm but will laugh as much as the others, it's strange to see her be so nice.

Even after watching them for the past few months, seeing if he could blackmail one of them, she's barely even let out a hardy laugh.

"What are you even doing over here anyway? Besides bothering me and having no where else to go."

"Well that was basically it." He admitted.

"What's so amusing to you about bothering me?" Tigressed asked as she arched an eyebrow.

"I'd say when you get all flustered from the things I say. It's actually flatering for a girl to react to whatever a guy says or does."

Tigress face heats up a bit. Thankfully she's colored orange nearly all over.

"Go jab a stick up your rear end." She yelled at him and walked away. She doesn't have time for him. He's going to make her late for work.

"See you later kitten." Even though she's long gone by now, he still spoke aloud. Only to himself, did those words get heard.

Tigress huffed a sigh the second she was out of ear shot. She briskly walked to the daycare center. It's already open but she doesn't see any kids yet.

"Oh hey you. Glad you made it. They'll be here any minute now." The cow girl says.

"That's good. I thought I was late for a second."

"Oh no, you're fine."

"Well I better get started huh?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Several hours went by. The kids came and they were very shocked that Tigress, leader of the furious five, is going to be working there everyday. They bounced around, talked, slept at nap time, ate at snack time, and finally went home to their families. While the other care takers looked exhausted or worn out, Tigress barely felt tired. Maybe it was a good idea to work here. Give the other women a break.

"Alright, well I'm off. See you girls tomorrow." Tigress waved. A few saying goodbye as well.

Hopefully she'll have a better night compared to the previous one.

After stepping over rocks, a creek, down a small hill, and through some bamboo, she made it back. The sun has begun to set and Tai Lung hasn't moved an inch.

"You can leave now." Tigress called up to him. He didn't respond. Nor did he budge. She figures it'll be better if she just went up there anyway.

Even though she climbed up there by jumping straight up, he still laid on the flat of the roof. She poked and prodded at him with a twig. Nothing. Maybe if I kicked him hard enough he'll wake up?

"Don't even..." He said the second she raised her leg up.

"Then wake up."

"I've been up for hour. The sun setting made it chilly."

"I don't see what's so relaxing about being up high and sun bathing?" Tigress questioned out loud.

"Youve never sat out in the sun before?"

"I did at the orphanage but not after Shifu came and got me." Tapping her finger to her chin as she thought.

Orphanage? Tai Lung didn't know about that. He figured that she was just an excellent student, not that Shifu adopted her- let alone she being at an orphanage. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she's the only tiger in China. Almost the same as himself; being the only snow leopard in China.

Back in his day they were all over China. Especially by the orphanage. Though no one really knows what happened to them. Nor what happened to the pandas but they were found.

"What?" Tigress asked, feeling awkward that he's been staring at her for a minute now.

"Nothing." He flicked his golden eyes elsewhere, pondering when the last time he even saw another tiger.

"Well, I'm going inside. Feel free to sleep in the roof. But if you step one foot inside then you won't be a male anymore."

Tai Lung took the threat to heart. He watched as she jumped down and went inside. Gracefully he lifted himself up, twirling his body around and landed on the ground. There's a theory that he wants to see about. Whether he's right or wrong doesn't matter to him, but will matter to her.

"Hopefully Ludo is still there. Doesn't usually go anywhere." Tai Lung told himself.