Grandmaster Oogway calmly and slowly made his way to his Scared Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom for a moment of peaceful meditation by himself. He was troubled, much like his aging student, Master Shifu. Oogway could see the poor master recede deeper and deeper into an emotionless shell of who he used to be, growing more irritable and short tempered as each day brought with it the harsh reminder that Tai Lung was a dangerously locked away and that Shifu had failed him both as a master and as a father. He noticed the pain in the red panda's eyes while he trained that new tiger cub, known as Tigress; he had brought to the palace not so long ago. The pain was evident in her eyes as well, only a different kind - disappointment and hurt feelings, it was. They both suffered, that much was certain. Oogway only hoped that his daily hours of meditation would enlighten him as to how to help Shifu, and in turn the poor little girl as well.

"Death of the heart is the saddest thing that can happen to you..." The turtle mumbled to himself.

Despite his old age and failing hearing, the old turtle strained to listen to a sound he had not expected to hear at the base of the Sacred Peach Tree. The faintest sound of sniffling - of crying. Further inspection of the sound deducted that they were the sobs of a child. They were desperately sad; long breaths taken in that came sputtering out in sobs of distress. Oogway was concerned but did not hesitate to discover the source, which he knew would be in his usual spot beneath the tree's usual cascade of blossom petals.

Both his frail heart and usually soft smile saddened when he entered the scene of young Tigress sitting near the edge of the cliff, huddled into a small, upright ball - knees brought to her chin as her face buried into the arms resting on them. Her little body was shaking as her crying called for her to draw in several raspy breaths. She sniffled again, one or twice, and brought her stripped tail closer to her so that it wrapped around her feet.

Pausing to wipe her nose, Oogway quickly interjected, but in a gentle tone, "Young one, why do you cry so in such a sacred place?"

Tigress' ears pricked and swiftly spun her head around to face him. Gasping, she got to her feet in equally record time and bowed to him, fist to paw like Shifu had taught her.
"M-Master Oogway!" the startled cub stammered, a little embarrassed. She straightened up slower this time.

Said master smiled lightly - but it was a sympathetic smile - and inched towards the upset, little tiger. His heart couldn't help but weaken further when he saw her face - cheek fur stained with both dried and wet tears, eyes a slightly lighter shade of red than her already scarlet irises. It was a depressing sight, no doubt.

Tigress wiped some of the warm tears from her eyes as she remembered his question and began to fumble for an answer. "I-I was...*sniff*...just-"

"I know, but why were you crying, my child?" he asked gently, beating her to the punch.

Although the cub dried her eyes, it looked as if it was of no use because she looked like she was about to cry some more anyway. Tigress squinted her face in remembrance of why she was sad.
"Because-Because, Master Shifu hates me!"

Shame and hurt dripped out of her eyes in tear form. Sitting herself on one of the over-sized roots of the Peach Tree, the little girl brought her paws to her face and wept pitifully into them. She seemed so small for one who always acted so strong and tough. Her usual mature demeanor (as she was forced to grow up rather fast for someone her age) sometimes allowed Shifu, Oogway, and even Tigress herself to forget that she was just a young orphaned cub, no older than 7 years old.

Oogway sat beside her, keeping his staff in one hand, and placing the other lightly on Tigress' shoulder. She couldn't help but flinch at his touch, for no one had ever petted her so kindly and genuinely.

"My child..." he said softly, "Master Shifu does not hate you."

Tigress removed her paws from her eyes and rubbed her forearm across her nose. "Yes he does," she replied indignantly.

Oogway paused and then rephrased. "Well then, what lead you to believe such a thing?"

Tigress sniffed again and then began her story...

Tigress poked her head out from one of the hallways that poured into the Sacred Hall of Warriors. She spotted her master by the edge of the Moon Pool, focusing on one of the 1000 scrolls of Kung Fu.
Tigress smiled as she picked up a small chest by her feet and padded quietly into the hall, her tail waving happily behind her.

"Hello, Baba!" she greeted him with a bow.

Shifu didn't turn around, let alone budge from his spot, still reading his scroll. He sighed and replied in a firm, slightly agitated tone.
"Tigress, I have told you before. I am to be addressed as your 'master'. Nothing else."

Tigress' ears flattened against her head in a crestfallen manner. "My apologies, Master," she mumbled.

"What is it you want?"

The cub brightened as she remembered her reason for coming. "I-I have my box of dominoes here. I was...hoping that we could play together. Like back at the orphanage!" She displayed her decorative box to his turned back, a small smile still plastered hopefully on her muzzle.

One of the red panda's large ears twitched, annoyed by her suggestion. Tigress drew back for a moment due to her master's silence, thinking of what to say next. She then got on her hands and knees and took from the box a couple gold painted, wooden dominoes. She began placing them carefully on the ground. In a few seconds, she had masterfully arranged over a dozen in a perfect beginner's pattern.

She looked at her bit of work with pride, not noticing that both of Shifu's ears had flattened down, obviously a visible sign of his irritation.

"You see, Master! We can-"

"Enough of this child's play!" Shifu yelled as he swiftly kicked down all the dominoes that the cub had placed upright a few moments ago. They skidded against the jade floor of the palace and stopped just before Tigress' knees. One even chipped in the corner from the red panda's small explosion of fury.

He looked at the tiger with disappointed eyes. "These dominoes are for training, not playing! Besides, you have already mastered this skill! These dominoes are useless to you! Throw them away!"

"B-But, Master, I-"

"I gave you an order, Tigress, and you dare challenge me? Insolence is intolerable for a Kung Fu master! If you would so rather lovingly play with these old pieces of wood, then perhaps the Bao Gu Orphanage is a better place for you!"

Tigress' heart practically exploded in her chest, the salty tears forming around her eyes. "N-No, Master! Please forgive me! I meant no disrespect! I promise, I am a worthy student!" She bowed her head all the way to the ground, paws holding her up.
"Please, Master..."

As Shifu watched her beg for forgiveness, his stern expression instantly turned remorseful. He had regretted what he'd said immediately. Again, he had been too harsh on the cub. It was his fault that every time he looked at her, her stripped, orange fur flashed spotted gray and her scarlet eyes tinted into golden orbs...

Despite his depressed face, his voice remained cold. "You are forgiven," he whispered loudly enough for her to hear. Tigress lifted her head, revealing a horrified expression. Her master had already turned around, his hands behind his back.

"Leave me, now..."

The distressed tiger cub swept the remaining domino pieces back into the box with one, agile flick of her paw and bounded back to the hallway from which she had entered. Once she was clear away from the aged panda, the tears began dripping off her cheek fur. She couldn't let him see her cry. This weakness would only make him more upset with her. Leaving behind her a trail of fallen tears, she dropped the box of dominoes outside her room door and raced on all fours to the Sacred Peach Tree...

Oogway listened to the cub's story with an open heart. Shifu had been short-tempered with the girl before, but never had he threatened to actually send her back to the orphanage! She was a prodigy. Oogway saw great potential in her Kung Fu whenever she practiced (which was constantly). It wasn't her fault for once trying to bond with her 'father'.

Tigress became suddenly restless, trembling slightly. She looked at him with round, pleading eyes. "Master, he-he wouldn't really send me back to the orphanage, would he? I-I don't-"

"Small one," the old turtle soothed, "Once bitten by a snake, she is scared all her life at the mere sight of rope."

Oogway's words spun around in the little tiger's head, trying to understand. Part of her was angry as to the fact that the old master never made lessons clear to her. He always spoke them in proverb form. Although, she still wanted to please him and try to comprehend. But tried, though she did, she couldn't help but give Oogway a confused expression.

The Grandmaster simply chuckled, amused by her complexity. "You have allowed yourself to be swayed away from rationality, all because of one incident with your master. Uncalled for, though it was, as all unprovoked snake bites are, you should not fret over something you know not to be true."

Tigress became serious, focusing intently on her thoughts. "So..." she started, "I shouldn't be scared of Master Shifu abandoning me. Just like she rope isn't a snake!"

Patting her head softly, Oogway chuckled once more. "You catch on quickly, little Tigress."

Tigress smiled for the first time since her encounter with the aged turtle, grateful for his praise. But it didn't last long as another thought entered her mind. Another sinister one... "But Master...why does he look at me funny sometimes? It's as if I remind him of someone else. Is that true?"

Oogway sighed in a distressed manner. "Yes. But, likewise, you are not to blame for that either. Your Master Shifu has suffered great pain in his recent past, and I am saddened to see that you indeed remind him of the one who caused him such torment."

It was silent for a moment before a small voice piped in, "It's Tai Lung, isn't it?"

A flash of shock swept the master's face before turning to the tiger cub beside him. Her expression was blank, as if simply waiting for an answer. Oogway was impressed with her. She was not only strong and talented, but also smart and observant for a student of her age. She would make a fine warrior indeed...

"Correct," he replied with a nod. "I'm afraid, he has hardened Shifu's heart. My student has made his share of mistakes, but this pain he bears is not deserved, I must say." He paused. "He truly does love you very much, Tigress. He just can't show it the way he'd like to."

Tigress looked at the turtle curiously, taking in all this new information about her adoptive father slowly. She eventually smirked at the turtle in a playful way. Oogway noticed her expression and chuckled again to himself. "You'll have to excuse an old master like myself. Perhaps I have rambled a little too far."

Using his staff as a lever, he got up from his seat on the root of the peach tree. He made a move to leave before he turned back to her abruptly, pointing with a gentle claw.
"But above all things to remember, young warrior, follow what you know to be true and honorable. Shifu may be your master, but your heart is the true decider of your destiny. It whispers, but listening closely to it will never lead you astray."

Although she didn't understand fully as to what he meant, she took comfort in his soft tone and nodded respectfully.
She got up to bow to him, fist to paw. "Thank you, Grandmaster," she said.

"No..." he corrected her with a wave of his hand. "Thank you, Tigress, for our talk has soothed my worries. Perhaps I will not need to meditate this night, after all..."

Tigress watched him walk slowly down the incline, grinning with her head tilted slightly at the overall thought of the turtle. He amused her the way she imagined a grandfather would.

"Oh and one more thing, if you please," Oogway persisted. "For the god's sake, go ahead and have yourself a peach. You may find it...enlightening." He tapped his staff on the trunk of the peach tree and, as if on cue, a peach fell from the tree above and landed directly into Tigress' paw.

Oogway chortled to himself as he trotted away for good. "I love doing that."

The tiger cub was left with the peach in her paw. Her stomach grumbled hungrily, and with a shrug, sat down on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Valley and took a bite of the peach.
It was sweet and ripe. She savored the flavor. Happily, she looked down at the fruit and saw the pit in the middle of it where a generous bite had been taken.

"Soft on the outside, hard on the inside..." she thought. "Just the opposite of Master Shifu..."

Her face twisted in determination at her next thought.

"But I'll change all that! I'll make him soft on the outside. I'll show him exactly what I can do, and then someday, he'll have to be proud of me! I promise. I promise I will..."

THE END
I hope you enjoyed!