A Familiar Stranger [Kung Fu Panda]

Recovery

It had taken them all a few days to return to the valley of peace as there was simply no rush, Po kept wanting food stops and nobody could refuse them as he had just saved China and Tigress was now feeling the impact the blow had had on her once the situation was calm and her adrenaline was no longer running at a high.

They were greeted with applause from all the villagers when they arrived, Po waved to everybody with warmth and immediately made his way to his fathers restaurant.

Shifu and the others started to head towards the Jade palace but Tigress, who had made the journey leaning against her sister for support pulled towards Mr Ping's.

"Shifu..." Tora called him as she supported Tigress towards a chair.

Turning around he seen his Tigress collapse into the chair looking exhausted. He then turned back and stared at the steps up to the palace. He walked over to Tigress, placed his hand on her paw and as she brought her eyes to his she looked at him with a pained expression.

"I... I can't..." she was silenced by Shifu raising his hand. He nodded in understanding.

Noticing this after a long embrace with his father, Po approached them.

"Tigress you can stay in my old bedroom for tonight." He smiled, placing his paw on her shoulder.

"Oh you would be very welcome Tigress! If you would all stay for a bite to eat aswell!" Mr Ping would not be convinced out of this idea, and they all accepted the meal.

After an evening filled of jokes, laughter and love for each other the five excluding Tigress thanked Mr Ping and headed towards the Jade palace for the night.

Po insisted on staying to help his father clean up and they both headed into the kitchen with several bowls, joking with one another.

Shifu and the sisters were left alone. Tora did not wish to leave Tigress for the night but there was no room for another here.

"Tigress, you are not to do anything whilst recovering..." Shifu was strict but caring in this order. "...that includes kung fu, exercise, cooking, cleaning, anything that is not resting!"

Tigress stared with a blank expression.

"For how long?"

"Until you feel completely no pain, a weapon like that can inflict injuries that would take a year to heal."

"A YEAR?!" Tigress made to stand up but winced. Tora placed paw on her shoulder for comfort.

Shifu would normally not accept one of his students yelling at him but considering this situation he understood Tigress' frustration. Kung Fu was all she had ever known, stopping that would place her in a position where she would feel useless and unproductive. She would have to embrace that for a while.

Instead of verbally responding, all Shifu did was place his hand on hers for a moment and then he left, following the rest of the five.

Tora tried to comfort her sister with encouraging words but after 10 minutes of no response as she stared blankly at the dragon warrior poster on the restaurants wall, Tora bid her goodnight and left.

Tigress was alone at the table, searching her own head for a reaction. At first she had been outraged but now, she felt nothing. Her heart was an empty pit of feeling for the thing she had devoted every day of her life to.

Po looked up from cleaning his bowl to see Tigress with tears on the verge of falling. It pained to see his friend like this. It pained to see her so defeated when she was always so powerful and in control.

"Tigress?" He walked slowly to her.

"Can you get me up the stairs?" Her deliberate avoidance of the word 'help' made Po feel more for her.

"Sure."

That night Tigress lay in the room Po had grown up with, she was so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed the never ending kung fu memorabilia. Posters, action figures, children's stories, drawings and toy weapons.

She didn't sleep, she stared straight up at the ceiling. Suddenly she was back on the boats, the weapon was in front of her, there was a bang, she was underwater and finally back staring at the ceiling of Mr Pings noodle restaurant.

Tears welled in her eyes to the brim. She would not let them fall. Though the memory of the impact replayed in her head.

Am I ever going to do kung fu again? Was the last thought she had before rolling to her side where she was faced with the window, there stood Po's action figure of herself in her signature fighting stance.

The tears finally fell, marking her face with hot tracks. She cried her heart out into deep hours of the night. Finally she caught her composure, steadied her breathing and turned her pillow, which was now wet, to the dry side.

She fell asleep as the sun rose.