A Friend Indeed (Kung Fu Panda)

Dominoes

Monkey had been unsuccessful in his attempts to escape Tigress's wrath. His screams could be heard from the Hall of Warriors down to the base of the palace steps.

After thoroughly thrashing Monkey, Tigress decided that she would check on the other residents of the Jade Palace. Mantis, she had already seen at the entrance. Clearly, Monkey and he had been planning something. Monkey may have been put out of commission for now, but once he got over the trauma she inflicted upon him, she had no doubt he would be back to his usual antics. She would have to keep an eye open for the both of them.

The first place that she checked was the training hall, which had been getting progressively more and more intense with its implements. Clearly, becoming a master was something that required more than simple strength and dedication. As she opened the doors, a stray thought struck her. Even at it's current level, it could be very dangerous for a beginner like Po. She winced as she thought about the harm he could do to himself with his own clumsiness. Maybe a railing would be a good addition. It certainly wouldn't be more extravagant than the giant bronze bowl that Master Shifu had just had commissioned.

She spotted Viper curled up on the part of the floor that shot fire at random intervals. Yep, a railing would definitely make a good addition. Viper opened one eye before uncoiling part of herself to look up and wave her tail in greeting. "Hi Tigress!" she called.

"Good afternoon," Tigress said back. "Are you sure it's a good idea to be sleeping there?"

"Oh don't worry, it's not turned on right now. Besides, I like the warmth. Snakes aren't really made for winter, you know."

Tigress let herself smile for a bit. "Do you know where the others are?"

Viper put her tail to her chin. "Well, I heard Monkey scream his soul out earlier. I assume that was your doing."

Tigress flashed a grin in pride. "It was."

Viper gave a small chuckle. "Then there's Mantis. He said he saw some charts for pressure points in town the other day. He's probably down there right now."

"I passed him at the entrance," Tigress said, before rolling her eyes. "Tell me, has acupuncture ever actually worked?"

"Well not whenever he's tried it," Viper said. "But he's not giving up until it's worked one time." It went unsaid between the two of them that Mantis would lord it over the rest of them forever once it actually worked.

"And Crane?"

Viper smiled. "He's writing a letter to his girlfriend."

The made Tigress pull up short. ". . . Crane has a girlfriend?" Odd, he never mentioned one before.

Viper rolled her eyes. "Well not if you ask him, no. But I got him talking about what he did before all this Kung Fu stuff. Then he started talking about this leopard girl he knew and just would not stop. He writes letters to her on the weekly. 'Mei Ling' I think he said her name was." Viper coiled back up, seemingly reveling in victory. "She writes him back, too. Yeah, there's definitely something going on between those two."

Tigress started to head out. "I'll leave you to your rest."

Tigress wandered around the palace, a bit aimless. She passed by the students' rooms, including her own. She paused for a breath, before she started to grow curious. Crane had his door shut, and she could see his shadow practicing calligraphy. The others however, had left their doors open.

One by one, she took quick glances into their rooms. Viper's was unusually tidy compared to the other times she had seen it. Most of the time, Viper's room had been at least somewhat messy; never disorganized, but lived in. Tigress supposed the lack of mess meant that she was spending more time in the training hall. In Viper's room was her bedroll, as well as a sketch that she had brought from her village of herself and her father.