Zaber

Damage Repair

Tigress smashed through the wooden dummy; splinters sprinkled the floor. She snarled, but her eyes watered and dripped with tears. "Okay," Lee said as Mei, Po, and he stayed out of sight behind a wall, "Just remember subtle heartfelt apology."

"But be kind and subtle," Mei reminded. She patted Po on the back. "Good luck." Slowly breathing, Po walked into the Training Hall. Tigress saw him. Her anger boiled back as she furiously continued to punch the dummies.

"What are you doing here, panda?" Come to try and apologize for what you did?" Tigress leered over her shoulder. "Well, you can try but it won't work." Po was silent. The tiger finally stopped punching and turn to him. "Well?" she said impatiently.

Po crossed his arms. "You know, you have no right to be angry at me for this," He said without hesitation or emotion. Mei face-palmed herself.

"Bup! He said-"

"I know what he said!" Mei hushed Lee.

Tigress forgot her anger for a moment, "That's not much of an apology."

"It's not supposed to be," Po said with narrow eyes.

A savage trapped growl exited Tigress's throat. Her voice slowly rose as she spoke, "You didn't tell me that you're a samurai, you didn't tell me about my parents, and you didn't tell me that I'm prophesied to destroy Japan!"

"And you're alive today because of it!" Po shot back. Tigress stepped back. "Do you really think I didn't tell you just because I thought you wouldn't like me? No, I lied so that you would be safe. That's my job as Dragon Warrior AND as a samurai. Look, I can live with the fact that you won't see me as a friend ever again, not like you ever did, but as long as you are alive and safe, I can die in peace! I didn't tell you for your own safety, not for my convenience." Po nearly yelled in a fury foreign to her. Tigress shivered a bit. This was a side of Po she had never seen.

"But," She quietly struggled, "But what about the samurai thing?"

"You can blame me for that, but you can't blame me for the other stuff. I'm responsible for everyone, especially my friends, even if they hate me," Po grunted out.

Tigress's ears lowered as she looked at the floor. She softly said, "Po I...I don't hate you."

"So what about-"

"Wouldn't you be angry too if a friend kept this away from you? I'm...I'm sorry. I've always seen you as a friend, Po, and I'm so sorry for what saying some of the stuff I've said." She was suddenly taken up in a big bear hug.

"It's okay." he said as Tigress hugged back, "I-I-I could tell you more about your parents i-if you'd like."

Tigress smiled. The panda was back. "That would be nice. And Po, I'm sorry for being so mean to-"

"Forget about it, Tigress."

"But I was so mean to you. And that was the same reason you ran away."

"It doesn't matter," Po smiled.

Tigress returned his hug. "Thanks, Po." A small precious moment of silence seemed to dart by as she slowly released him. "You can tell the Emperor and his queen to come out now."

"Okay guys, it's safe!" Po shouted back. Mei and Lee walked out of their hiding spot. Well, Lee walked; Mei marched right up to the panda's personal space, almost flailing her hands around as she spoke,

"You know NOTHING about being subtle, do you?"

"Milady, I've been around tigers long enough to figure out how they'll listen. In her world, that was subtle," Po replied.

"No...no it wasn't," Tigress corrected.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

"So, what about this Jin-Min Warrior. Am I really prophesied to destroy Japan?"

"I don't see how," Lee said, "We're at peace with the Jin-Min." Po and Tigress looked at each other with wide eyes.

"But we've been at war with the Jin-Min for years, Lee," Po stated.

"Yes, but the tyrannous leader of the Jin-Min was killed by a certain cat friend of yours, Tiger," Mei smiled. Po's mouth dropped.

"You mean Tigress's brother is the leader of the Jin-Min now?" He exclaimed. Po slapped his hand to his mouth. "Whoops, did I forget to mention that?"

"You did," Tigress glared, "But even if that's true, then why be concerned about me?"

"We're more or less here to take you to Tiger. You see, while the Jin-Min are truly our friends now, they have one person that doesn't like peace. An old, ruthless general," Mei explained.

"Wong-Hu?" Po guessed knowingly. The dog and cat nodded. "Wong-Hu use to be the general of the Jin-Min and the prime motivator. If the people are at peace, their no need for him. What happened to him?"

"When the peace treaty was signed, he mysteriously disappeared. Now there is anarchy popping up, and Wong-Hu is suspected to be at the center of it all," Lee explained.

"Suspected?"

"Most of the raids and attacks have been tigers. We can't figure out a leader just yet."

"Are they anywhere near the mountains?"

"Y-yes?"

"It's him. He loves being in his natural habitat."

Lee tilted his head. "I thought Bengel tigers liked the lowlands?"

"That's where you're wrong. He's a Siberian Tiger. They're usually higher altitude or further north. Plus he's invisible there so it makes perfect sense."

"Why?" Tigress asked.

"Wong-Hu is a white tiger. Imagine trying to dodge an attack when you can't really figure out what's snow and what's fur," Po grumbled.

"Speaking of which, how is your arm?" Mei asked.

Po chuckled, "Milady, it's been healed for a long time. It doesn't even twinge like it used to." The cat slowly nodded.

"So what's the plan?" Tigress asked.

"First, get you to Tiger. Then we're going back to Japan where Po will help Mei and I fight Wong-Hu," Lee said. Tigress crossed her arms.

"That sounds good, but what about the others?"

"The rest of the Furious Five will stay as the backup at a guard post. Master Shifu and Master Yijiro will stay here to protect the Jade Palace. We'll have Master Chou here as well," Mei replied.

"I get to finally see where I came from. And more importantly, why I was put here," Tigress said thoughtfully.

"Come on, pack your bags. We're leaving in the morning," Lee instructed.

"Sure thing, Tutu. Oh, I've missed saying that," Po said teasingly. Lee flinched as Mei laughed.

"Who's Tutu?" Tigress asked Po.

"Well since Lee is the Two-side Samurai, we nicknamed him Tutu. Mei has a nickname too: Milady."

Tigress smirked, "And did you have a nickname?"

"Yeah, since I was Zaber, I was nicknamed: Zing-Zing," Po replied, "Anyways, you better get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

To be continued.