The Lion and the Leopard

Bao Gu Orphanage

Two months later

Shifu stared at the walking cane. How he despised it. He did not want help from a stick, even if the best doctors in the Valley of Peace insisted on it. Ever since Tai Lung shattered his hip, he had been relying on the cane. But, over time, the red panda's bones healed slowly and he could now walk with a subtle limp.

As Shifu walked down to the kitchen for breakfast, his cane in his right hand. He saw Zeng, a young messenger goose he just hired, waddle up to him.

"What is it Zeng?" Shifu sighed tiredly. The goose hesitated then handed Shifu a scroll. Shifu entered the dining room and sat down to eat. The red panda opened the scroll.

It was a letter. The Kung Fu master set his cane up against the table and proceeded to read the letter. It was from Bao Gu Orphanage. Shifu had heard of this place. But the letter didn't seem like an average one. It seemed to be a cry for help. Bao Gu seemed to be cursed with a terrible monster, and the staff needed his help with this monster.

Shifu called for a palace assistant to bring him some parchment and ink. Shifu then proceeded to write a to-do list for the palace servants. Shifu knew not how long this trip would take him, but he decided to just leave a list of things for the servants to complete. Once the whole list was finished and the palace looked spick and span, the servants could rest.

As Shifu packed his bags, his mind wandered to Leo Lung. His son had not yet returned. Shifu remembered tearing the Jade Palace apart for the lion. After a painful bout of overthinking and stressing, he had finally concluded that Leo Lung had either run away forever or worse. Shifu shook his head with a grunt. He did not want to be distracted on his trip to the orphanage.

Shifu looked over to a table near his bed and saw something that he never thought he would see again. The golden and white dominoes that he used with Tai Lung. The dominoes had been used to curb Tai Lung's powerful outbursts when he was a younger cub.

When Tai Lung was a young preteen, he would grow angry over some trivial matter. Tai Lung would then proceed to take his anger on whatever was in front of him. Shifu, Leo Lung, Oogway, and even some of the palace staff were in the crosshairs of Tai Lung's rage. Oogway and Leo Lung were able to fend for themselves, but the innocent geese, pigs, and rabbits were sitting ducks for the raging leopard. Some of the staff threatened to leave if he could not guarantee their safety from the snow leopard. Master Oogway had shown Shifu the dominoes, and, in riddle of course, told Shifu to use the blocks to help Tai Lung contain his power.

Now, the red panda wondered if he would be needing the wooden tiles. Shifu did not know what he would find at Bao Gu Orphanage- the letter did not specify what monster was contained in its walls. With a subtle shrug of his shoulders, he picked up the box of dominoes and placed them in his bag. Shifu then proceeded towards the exit of the Jade Palace.

Shifu finally arrived at the orphanage. The doors were open, and he could see adults mingling with children. It must be adoption day. Shifu felt a smile crease his muzzle. Bao Gu Orphanage seemed happy enough. There seemed to be no evidence of a monster.

The red panda waited politely until all of the adults had left, many of them accompanied by children. Shifu then approached the matron of the orphanage. The sheep looked relieved, "Master Shifu! You have arrived! I am so happy you will be able to tame this beast of ours."

"Show me where it is." Shifu said, getting straight to the point.

As the matron of the orphanage guided Shifu through the orphanage, she informed him of the situation. The Kung fu master remained silent, asking only the occasional question. According to the matron, it was a violent monster, who had sharp teeth and claws, and roared in the dead of night. Shifu asked what kind of monster this was, and the matron responded that her name was Tigress. {A tiger? No wonder they are afraid.} The orphans, of course, were frightened. The adults, she said, were too afraid to adopt it. {This monster is an orphan?} Shifu thought to himself.

At last the two arrived at a heavily barred, metal door. "Be warned!" The matron gave a last warning, "Nobody would come to adopt a child 'cause they are afraid of her. She's a monster. A monster!" The sheep bleated out.

Shifu nodded in understanding, and approached the door. He opened the heavy door with ease, and golden light flooded the room, highlighting the grey walls and clawmarks scored down them. Shifu spotted a little tiger cub, and he spoke softly, as to not scare her, "Tigress?" The little tiger cub turned her head slightly, and he could see one of her glaring eyes.

"I am Shifu." He introduced himself, "I am-"

"Afraid?!" The tiger cub interrupted, turning towards him. Shifu moved into the room and closed the door behind him,

"No."

"Well you should be!" Tigress turned to glare at him, "I am Tigress! Tigress the monster.." She said, lifting her chin defiantly, "..a monster no one wants." With that, Tigress sadly turned back to her corner, placing her chin on her knees.

"You are not a monster." Shifu countered easily, "You're just a little girl." Tigress lifted her head and looked at him in shock. It was obvious nobody played or interacted with the poor cub. Shifu then swiftly set up the wooden tiles he brought, picking one of them up, "Let us play?"

Tigress reached out for the piece that Shifu was holding. He let her take it. But Tigress quickly broke it, sending one of the pieces flying. Shifu quickly caught the piece and placed the broken tile pieces in one hand.

"You must learn to control your strength." And so the training began.

Over time, Shifu taught Tigress many games and skills, including the wooden domino game. He taught her precision, skillfulness, and most of all, gentleness. Although training was slow, it was easy to see that Tigress wanted to learn, and, even though Shifu lost countless wooden dominoes, her skill improved.

Shifu showed her how to throw tiles in the air and to catch them midair, but the cub would throw them in the air, catch them, and break them upon contact. Shifu had to teach her how to have a still hand and steady heart, and, slowly but surely, she improved. When Shifu left the orphanage that day, he had to buy a new box of wooden tiles.

With training, the tiger cub began to control her temper. The red panda could see a visible change in Tigress. She was less tense, and she started to move with grace and skill, instead of tense, heavy steps.

Weeks turned into months. Tigress no longer broke the wooden tiles, now placing them in patterns. Shifu talked to the matron, and Shifu brought Tigress to the courtyard of the orphanage. The other orphans looked on in fear, seeing Tigress out of her cell. Tigress looked at Shifu in apprehension. Shifu gave her a quick nod, and Tigress then set off to show the orphans what she had learned.

Not only were the orphans and staff impressed, but they all made quick friends with her. Shifu smiled as Tigress began to use the tiles to play with the other children.

"I believe my training here is complete." Shifu said to the matron, bowing to her. The sheep proceeded to thank the red panda immensely, going on about how much she had improved and how she was making quick friends with the other orphans. Shifu nodded, and left the orphanage.

But as Shifu was about to leave his hotel room and return to the Jade Palace for good, he received yet another letter from the matron of the orphanage. The orphans and staff of the orphanage loved Tigress, yet the adults were still afraid to adopt her. They did not see a gentle cub who could control her temper- they saw a raging monster who haunted the orphanage.

That was when Shifu remembered his two former sons, Tai Lung and Leo Lung. Nostalgia creeped up on him as he recalled the two big cats. The Jade Palace seemed empty without Leo Lung's quiet demeanor and Tai Lung's passionate energy. Now that Shifu thought about it, he could see both of his sons in the tiger cub. She had the power and strength of Tai Lung, yet she was kind and cared for others, like Leo Lung.

Shifu dashed over to the orphanage. As he approached the orphanage, he saw the doors were still open. He wasn't too late. But as he got closer, he saw that many of the orphans were gone. Except Tigress. The Matron was talking comfortingly to her, and Tigress made her way to a bench, where she sadly played with a tile. Shifu quietly took a tile from a nearby bench and placed his tile next to hers.

"Shifu!" Tigress said, looking up happily.

"Come. Let us go home." He said, turning and walking towards the door. He heard Tigress get up and run towards him. Shifu smiled briefly. As the two walked back to the Jade Palace together, Shifu glanced at Tigress. Yes. He could see his sons in this young cub. Maybe this was the Dragon Warrior after all.