Kung Fu Panda 1. Chapter 1

Hi guys so this is DemonBlade1410, finally back. I know I'm not exactly the most active writer, but recently I've been reading a lot of Kung Fu Panda fanfics and honestly speaking, I think Po x Tigress is one of the cutest couples ever, but I'm practically in love with Tigress, so I decided to write a story about her with an OC!

This OC is basically who I want to be if I was in that universe and Po didn't exist. So you know, OC becomes Dragon Warrior and so on and so forth. It's a little different from what you guys would normally expect. I'm a martial artist, but I major mostly in Muay Thai, as well as about six other martial arts, so yeah; there will be no Chinese martial arts for my OC. So yeah, this will be Tigress x OC, so if you don't like it, don't read it. Do remember to review my story, I'm open to all comments, but that doesn't mean I'm going to listen to _all_ of them.

It was midday in the Valley Of Peace. It was, as the name suggests, peaceful. Two dark brown eyes were watching the Jade Palace, a place where only the most revered Masters of Kung Fu could live. A young white tiger, a teenager, knelt at a windowsill, his head resting on his hands, his eyes fixed on the single most captivating structure in the whole valley. He turned slightly as a man called his name, reluctant to remove his eyes from the palace. His thoughts were on the palace, or rather, a certain tiger that lived _in_ the palace. A memory flashed before his eyes. He was four years old, and a beautiful tiger captivated him. He presented her with a flower, a Lily, encased in a crystal, and watched as she shyly accepted.

'Taiki! Come. Your turn to spar!' An elder white tiger called. He had a Thai accent and a kind face. He held up his hands in a traditional Muay Thai fighting stance. Taiki sighed, tearing his eyes away from the palace and running over to his trainer, master, and friend.

'Okay Master Luang, get ready!' Taiki launched himself at his Master, laughing in delight.

Further away though, up the thousand steps, inside the training hall, another young tiger trained furiously. She struck the wooden warriors hard and fast; ignoring the bruises on her arms and legs. She launched herself out the other end of the rows of wooden warriors. Her arms and legs felt like lead, her chest burned, and she desperately needed water. The young tigress turned expectantly to the small red panda that oversaw her training; half hoping that he would acknowledge her progress. He offered only a simple nod, before walking off, pausing at the door.

'Dinner begins in an hour Tigress. Be showered, changed, and rested before then.' He said curtly. The young tiger, Tigress, bowed quickly, holding it.

'Yes Master Shifu.' Tigress gasped, her chest heaving from her exertions. The panda briefly acknowledged this, before walking out the door. Infuriated, the young master-to-be kicked the wooden warrior, making it spin. Tears threatened to leak from her eyes, but she fought them back. A true warrior, she reminded herself, does not cry. A memory flashed in front of her eyes.

She was four years old, standing in a Muay Thai dojo, the only place that trained students in the art of Muay Thai, as Master Shifu spoke with the dojo Master. She blushed slightly as a rather handsome white tiger, around her age, held out a beautiful flower encased in a crystal he had hidden behind his back. A Lily.

'Umm, I-I thought you might like this, b-because it's pretty, just like you.' He stammered, a blush rising on his cheeks. Tigress blushed hard, trying to keep herself in a presentable manner.

'Oh…thank you.' Tigress graciously accepted the flower, cradling it gingerly in her paws. She looked at the young white tiger, who was blushing furiously. 'What's your name?'

He started slightly, looking around as if she might be talking to someone other than him.

'T-Taiki.' He stammered, blushing furiously, giving her a small smile.

'Tigress.' The orange tiger smiled at him, and he blushed even harder.

'Tigress? It's time to leave.' Master Shifu called from the other side of the room. Tigress looked at him, before glancing back at Taiki. She leaned towards him and kissed him gently on the cheek. Taiki tried hard not to faint. Tigress skipped happily over to Master Shifu, the crystal clutched tightly in her paws.

As they walked back to the Jade Palace, Master Shifu noticed the young tigress smiling to herself, admiring the preserved flower clutched in her paws.

'Say, he was a nice boy.' Master Shifu smiled as Tigress blushed furiously and stammered, flustered. He chuckled to himself quietly.

End

Hey! So that's the end of the first Chapter of Taiki's Tale. I'm still working on the second one so…chill out and have some ice cream! I'll post the second chapter sooner or later! See Ya!


	2. Chapter 2

Ni Hao (Chinese for 'Hi') guys! This is DemonBlade1410 with another Chapter of Taiki's Tale. If you don't like it, don't read it! Reviews are appreciated.

Time Skip: 7 years later

Tigress sat quietly in her room, tapping her claws against the wooden table. Her eyes were fixed on the flower sitting on her table, perfectly preserved in a crystal block. She sighed as she once again remembered the young, stammering boy who had captivated her in that moment. She took the flower in her paws, gently hugging it to her chest. There was a knock on the door, and she returned the flower to her desk, quietly composing herself before allowing the visitor in.

Master Shifu entered the room, looking around, as if he hadn't seen it before. Then again, he rarely entered her room in the first place. He padded softly over to the tiger. He glanced at the flower on her desk before addressing her.

'Are you prepared for today?' He asked her, his tone emotionless.

'Yes Master.' Addressing him formally, she searched his eyes for even a hint of pride, but he showed nothing. The panda eyed her for a moment before leaving, shutting the door behind him. Tigress sighed, frustrated. She lifted the flower off the table, cradling it in her arms. Right at the bottom, engraved into the crystal, was a name. One name. The name of the boy who gave it to her. The name of the first and only one to show her love, to show her kindness. Taiki. She'd done that with her claws after they'd left the dojo, so she would _never _forget his name.

Tigress sighed softly. She didn't have time to dwell on her past. She set the flower down on her table and marched out the door, her face set with a look of determination.

'Come Taiki, we will be late! Time waits for no man!' An elderly white tiger, fit and muscular despite being sixty years old, bounded up the steps to the Jade Palace like a younger man. Taiki ran up to meet him. Taiki was a young white tiger in his early twenties, approximately 25 years of age. His body was good, very good. He had worked hard on it, and he'd driven himself to the peak of his physical capabilities. He wore a pair of blue training pants, a black sash wrapped around his waist. He wore a black sleeveless vest, and he had a Katana and Wakizashi strapped to his back, blade edges facing outwards, allowing him to draw the blades and slash at the same time. Taiki bounded up the steps with his Master. Today was the day, the day they were choosing the Dragon Warrior! He half-hoped that it would be Tigress. He wondered if she still remembered him.

'Taiki! Come!' His Master's voice shook him from his thoughts, and they charged up the steps.

They finally reached the top and took their places. Taiki ignored the stares from the girls around him. Girls always admired him, but they were always too girlish for him. He preferred girls who were less girly; he never got along with the girls ones. He was set on one girl in particular, even if they probably could never be together. And he had come to watch her today.

'Hey…those girls look at you. They think you look good, no? Taiki turned to look at his grinning master, before punching him on the arm.

Tigress watched as her comrades, the other members of the furious five, faced off against the training machines. One by one, they trashed the machines easily. The machines weren't actually used for training; they weren't even a challenge. They were meant to wow audiences, to show off the skills of the furious five. Tigress readied herself as Shifu introduced her. She eyed the machine, with it's seven broad-headed axes for arms, and smiled. It was going to be easy.

Taiki watched in awe as Tigress demolished the machine in record time, faster than any of the other members had theirs. He clapped enthusiastically and got to his feet as the crowd roared in approval. Then, Master Oogway held up his hand for silence.

'I sense the Dragon Warrior's presence.' Taiki froze. He watched intensely as the Turtle Master surveyed the room. Suddenly, he felt a push from behind him, and a goat bleated in fear as she fell onto Taiki. Distracted, he lost his balance and fell over the rail, falling onto someone and rolling down. Finally he rolled to a stop, just in front of Master Tigress.

Tigress stared at him in shock, a memory tugging at the edge of her subconscious. She looked him over. He was handsome, and very muscular. She mentally slapped herself. She wasn't supposed to find him attractive! He'd just dishonored the five, _and_ Master Oogway, due to his folly.

She saw master Oogway smiling, his finger raised, pointed right at the white tiger. She watched as the tiger got to his feet groaning. Taiki clutched his head, and he saw a single finger in front of his eyes. He shot straight up, apologizing profusely and backing out of the way as Master Oogway continued to point at him.

'Sorry! I'm so sorry, you see, there was an accident, and…' He was cut short as Master Oogway raised his staff.

'Citizens of the Valley Of Peace! The Dragon Warrior!' Master Oogway pushed Taiki's hand up with his staff. Dumbfounded, he stood and watched as he was hoisted onto a carriage and marched into the jade Palace.

Master Shifu started after Master Oogway. 'Master Oogway, this was a mistake! You were about to point at Tigress, and this…whatever! Fell out of the crowd! It was an accident!' Master Oogway stopped him gently.

'There are no accidents.' He smiled at Shifu before walking off.

End

Yaaaaaaaay! That's Chapter 2 done. Do follow. Reviews are appreciated. Chill out and have some ice cream, I'll post a chapter 3 eventually. See Ya!


	3. Chapter 3

His guys so this is DemonBlade1410 with a Third Chapter to Taiki's Tale, hope you guys like the story so far, but if you don't like it, don't read it.

The chauffeurs dumped Taiki unceremoniously on the floor of the Hall Of Warriors. He got to his feet, rubbing his backside.

'Well so much for the ceremonial entrance. I-whoa!' He looked around. Weapons, armors and artifacts of all kinds lined the hall. He ran around like an excited fan girl, admiring the weapons. He stopped in front of a jade green sword.

'Whoa! Cool!' He stared at the sword; the green jade was mesmerizing. He reached out to touch the handle, but stopped when a voice called out.

'Are you done yet?' Taiki spun around, drawing his Katana and stopping at a ready stance in a single fluid motion, _kissaki_ pointed forward. Master Luang, despite being Thai, had an affinity for Japanese weapons, the Katana especially. Taiki loved the Katana, and master Luang had spotted an innate talent for both martial arts _and_ weapon mastery in him, training him intensively in both fighting arts.

Shifu eyed the tiger's stance. The style was foreign to him, and the tiger held a sword of unknown crafting, definitely foreign. But the wary confidence yet comfort in the weapon handling was a rather obvious sign that this man could hold his own. Shifu waved his hand dismissively.

'Put that away before you hurt someone. We only hurt people in the training hall. You'll get your turn soon enough.' Taiki eyed the master warily, but sheathed his weapon. He didn't look like he was joking. Master Shifu was a rather small panda, but the way he held himself clearly showed that there was much more to him than met the eye. Taiki doubted he'd be able to stand up to Shifu in a fight, much less beat him.

'Come, let's introduce you to your new training partners.' Master Shifu walked out of the hall of warriors, Taiki trailing along behind him. They entered the training hall, and Taiki jaw dropped. He watched in awe as the furious five performed acrobatic moves, demolishing the challenges set before them. Their speed and power seemed almost impossible. He watched Tigress smash a swinging club, and a piece flew at his head. Taiki caught it wordlessly, still mesmerized by the sight. Shifu noticed the instinctual defense, but said nothing. The five completed the course and assembled in front of Master Shifu, bowing in respect.

'Students, meet your new _"Dragon Warrior"_.' The words came out bitter, as if Master Shifu was disappointed about something. 'Introduce yourself why don't you?'

Taiki glanced at the five before bowing.

'My name is Justin Li, but my master nicknamed me Taiki. It means Radiance. It's Japanese.' Taiki waited for a reply, and Tigress spoke up.

'So your foreign?' Taiki perked up, answering her question.

'Yes. I'm Singaporean. My father was Malaysian and my mother was Singaporean. I took an interest in Muay Thai, a Thai battle art and fighting sport, hence I met Master Luang in Singapore. Master Luang from the Kiatvichian dojo trained me in Muay Thai and weapon mastery. Before coming to Singapore, he lived in Japan for ten years, where he taught Muay Thai to Japanese fighters. He's been a huge fan of Japanese weapons ever since.' A small smile graced Taiki's lips. 'He's a very good friend of mine, and he taught me everything I know.'

Master Shifu nodded slowly, seemingly disinterested. Then he spoke up.

'Very well then, you will face off against an opponent of your…_capabilities_. Master Tigress.' Tigress stepped forward wordlessly, eyeing him warily. He was fit, and he looked strong. And handsome, and _very_ attractive-wait what? Tigress mentally slapped herself again. His name was the same as the boy who gave her the flower. A coincidence? He was a white Bengal tiger, around the same age as her. No, there were too many similarities. But she didn't have time to dwell on it right now. She readied herself, watching Taiki nervously draw his Katana.

'No weapons.' Tigress's ears twitched when she heard Master Shifu's voice. Taiki sheathed his blade, unstrapping his swords and laying them on the platform. He stepped forward into a traditional Muay Thai guard, left hand and left foot forward, both hands up, guarding his chin, standing at a 45 degree angle. He exhaled slowly, calming himself.

Tigress struck first. She launched herself into a flying front kick, which Taiki deftly evaded. She spun around, her left arm outstretched in a spinning backfist. Taiki blocked it with a double forearm block. She spun again in the opposite direction, her left arm coming around in a palm heel strike. Taiki shifted his head to the side, the punch shooting past his head. He felt the wind from the punch, giving him an idea of the kind of power she had.

Tigress, enraged by her failure to land a single strike, swung her right fist in a straight punch to his head. Taiki deftly pushed it to the side, throwing a right cross to her face. Tigress reeled from the blow, skidding backwards slightly. The other members of the five murmured in surprise. They'd never seen Tigress reel from a hit.

Enraged, Tigress went on the attack again. Taiki retreated from her onslaught, blocking and dodging as he did so. But he saw an opportunity when Tigress over-committed to an attack. He pushed her fist to the side, grabbing her wrist. He elbowed her hard in the temple, side-stomping the back of her knee, before launching his knee into the crevice between her arm and shoulder.

Pain shot up her arm, and Tigress cried out with surprise. Taiki swung his left leg up in a roundhouse kick, catching her hard in the back of her head. He spun his leg over her arm, swinging his right leg in a spinning back kick, all the while maintaining a firm grip on her wrist. Tigress desperately ducked her head down to avoid the blow, before crying out in pain. Taiki's movements had twisted her arm into a painful lock as he brought his legs down, and he placed his left hand on her shoulder, pushing her to the ground and deepening the lock.

Tigress bit down on her lip, trying not to cry out. She knew that any longer and she might have a serious injury to her arm and shoulder. She also knew that if she so much as twitched in the wrong direction, she'd break her own arm. Pushing herself off the ground, she gritted her teeth as the pain heightened, before tucking her head in and rolling forward, relieving the pain. She spun out of the lock, wrenching her arm out of his grasp and side kicking him weakly. Taiki didn't even budge as the kick connected with his chest; there was too little force to even push him, let alone hurt him.

Tigress backed away slowly, clutching her arm. It was a humiliating defeat. She was the leader of the furious five! She wasn't supposed to be defeated, ever! Seething, she crouched down, ready to pounce, but Master Shifu's voice rang out.

'Stop!'

Tigress halted her attack, growling openly as she righted herself, massaging her arm. Taiki looked up, took one glance at Tigress and looked down again.

Master Shifu paced up to Taiki. Taiki continued to stare at his feet.

'Well Dragon warrior, it appears I may have misjudged you. I suppose you'd have to be quite the fighter to triumph over _Tigress_.' Master Shifu nodded deftly. Taiki heard a low hiss at Master Shifu's words. When Master Shifu had left, Taiki walked over to Tigress, who was still massaging her arm. A large bruise had formed on her cheek.

'That was a good fight.' Taiki offered her his hand. Tigress slapped it aside.

'You got lucky.' Tigress stalked off angrily, kicking a wooden warrior as she went, snapping its head off.

End

So that's chapter 3 done. I hope Tigress is in character because I don't really know how to portray her. Taiki's a pretty cool guy, humble in victory. I don't know when Tigress will start being nice to him; I'm just going with the flow. So chill out, have some ice cream, and do review!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys so DemonBlade1410 here with another chapter for Taiki's Tale. So I'm making the chapters really short so that I have time to think in case of writer's block, but still giving you guys the story progression you want to see! So here's chapter 4!

Tigress winced as Viper prodded her shoulder. It was red and swelling slightly, and she moaned when Viper's tail poked her shoulder again. They were sitting in Tigress's room.

'I think there's damage to the ligament. You twisted it too far.' Tigress looked up incredulously.

'I twisted it? He was the one putting _me_ in the lock!' Viper shook her head slowly.

'I distinctly remember you pushing off the floor, which twisted your arm even further. In case you haven't noticed, that caused this. His lock wasn't heavy enough to do this kind of damage.'

Tigress rolled her eyes. She slid her vest back on and was in the process of buttoning it up when there was a knock on the door.

'Come in.' She said absently, fiddling with the buttons. The door opened and an unfamiliar voice rang out.

'Hi.'

Tigress snapped her head up. Taiki was standing outside, his head poking into the room. She growled when she saw him, and he seemed to shrink into himself.

'How's your arm?' Taiki asked softly, his eyes full of concern. Tigress hissed, and he looked away. Tigress looked back at him and almost choked. He was looking away from her, his eyes lidded and his mouth curled into a slight pout. He was so cute! Tigress fought the urge to moan. She tore her eyes away from him, growling.

'Fine.' She muttered through her teeth. Taiki glanced at her shoulder, and his eyes narrowed.

'No it's not. Here, let me.' Taiki walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. He stepped over to her carefully and gently inspected her shoulder. Tigress shuddered at the feeling of his paws on her skin, his digits running through her fur.

'Uh…' She glanced at Taiki. He was blushing madly.

'I need you to remove your vest.' He muttered, and flinched when she growled.

'Fine.' Tigress glared at him before removing her vest. Taiki gulped as he caught sight of her bare, toned stomach; he tried and failed not to stare at her large, covered chest. Her chest wrappings suddenly seemed really thin and inadequate. He shook his head to clear it, and carried on inspecting her shoulder. He found the problem. Her shoulder had slightly shifted out of the socket.

'This might hurt.' Tigress caught his words, though they were barely a whisper. She rolled her eyes.

'Pfft. I'm not a baby, I can take a little pain.' She shot back, closing her amber eyes. Taiki took a deep breath and pushed her shoulder. Tigress's eyes shot open and she screamed in pain.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!' Taiki could do nothing but hold her as she screamed into his chest. He'd pushed her shoulder back in, and the pain had to have been excruciating. The rest of the five, as well as Master Shifu, burst into the room.

'What is going on in here?' Master Shifu demanded. Viper slithered up to him and explained what was happening. Tigress pushed her face into Taiki's chest. He blushed furiously, before he realized what she was doing. She was discreetly wiping away her tears. She didn't want to let the others see her cry.

Taiki gently wiped them away, drying his hand on his pants. Tigress glared at him, buttoning up her vest. She stood and walked to the door as Viper ushered the others out, leaving Tigress and Taiki alone in the room. Tigress looked at him expectantly, and Taiki got off the floor. He walked towards the doorway, and he stopped.

'Sorry about the shoulder.' He looked away hesitantly, and Tigress smirked.

'Don't worry about it. I'll break yours next time, then we can call it even.' Taiki couldn't tell if she was joking or not; she didn't sound like it. He slid quietly out the door, shutting it behind him.

Tigress dropped across her bed. She remembered the feeling of his paws on her skin, her cheeks feeling rather hot. She gently slapped herself on either side of her face, pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind.

The next morning

Tigress bolted out the door at the morning gong, greeting her Master. They looked to Taiki's door. It hadn't opened.

'Taiki!' Master Shifu flung the doors open, only to be greeted by an empty room. He looked around bewildered. Taiki's pack (he'd gone to collect his belongings after the sparring session) was unpacked and lying empty in the corner. His Katana and Wakizashi stood in the corner.

Tigress peered in, bewildered. Had he left? No, he couldn't have, he wouldn't leave his swords behind.

The five made it down to the training hall with their master. On the training grounds in front of the hall stood Taiki. Only, he was standing on his front paws. His ears twitched slightly as they approached, and he tilted his head to look at them.

'Oh, morning guys. Good morning Master Shifu.' Taiki gasped out. Sweat was running down his arms and chest, collecting on his nose and dripping off. Their guess was that he'd been in that position for a while already. Shifting his balance, Taiki took his left arm off the ground. He hopped on his palm for a few seconds before springing off his paw, landing deftly on the ground. He picked up a towel that was lying nearby and started drying himself.

It was then that Tigress noticed that he was shirtless. His arms were heavily muscled, and his body had been worked to perfection. She felt herself blush, and she thanked the gods for her orange fur. While Taiki scrubbed clean, Master Shifu busied himself sending the furious five on a heavy training course.

A man approached the doorway of the training grounds, a Ninjatō clutched in his paw. Taiki spotted him when he arrived, and his face lit up with delight.

'Master Luang!' Taiki charged over to hug his old master. The elder tiger smiled gently, slightly amused by the younger's behavior.

'Now now Taiki, that sort of behavior won't do. Can't have you being childish in front of your friends.' Master Luang laughed heartily, and Master Shifu had approached to greet his old friend.

'Master Luang, how have you been?' Master Shifu questioned, a slight smile breaking across his face.

'I've been just fine Master Shifu, although things aren't as lively anymore without young Taiki around. Life is quite dull at my age.' Master Luang joked. He turned back to Taiki.

'Here my child, this is for you.' He held out the sword. Taiki looked at him incredulously.

'But Master, this is yours!' Taiki protested feebly. This Ninjatō, as well as Taiki's Katana and Wakizashi, had been gifts from the fighters in Japan to Master Luang when he'd left. He and Master Luang had treasured these gifts very much, keeping them in tiptop condition, even more so when Master Luang had entrusted the Katana and Wakizashi to him. Master Luang shook his head.

'That is precisely why I want you to have it. Apart from you, it has been my only treasure.' Taiki looked at him hesitantly, before taking the sword gently from his hands. Unable to resist, he drew the blade.

The Ninjatō, with its signature square hand guard and straight blade, made a formidable sword. Taiki eyed the polished black steel of the blade. A groove had been cut into the back of the blade to strengthen it and relieve some weight, and a small dragonhead emblem had been engraved into either side of the blade collar. The guard and handle wrappings were jet-black, as was the blade and blade collar. The sheath was jet black, and it was stored in a leather cuff that was fastened to a belt. Taiki sheathed the blade, slinging it across his back. He bowed to Master Shifu and gave Master Luang one last hug before retreating to the training hall.

Taiki walked into the training hall. He withdrew the blade on his back, admiring the cold black steel. He readied himself, spinning in a complex kata as he whirled the sword expertly. The blade was perfectly balanced; the strikes were powerful without compromising speed, and the hand guard allowed complete freedom of movement. Overall, it was a weapon worthy of a Master.

Taiki was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't notice that the five had finished their course and were watching him, until monkey coughed. He paused mid-swing, looking over his shoulder at the five Master watching him work.

'Remind me never to get into a sword fight with you.' Monkey gave him a nervous smile as he spoke, and they burst out laughing. All except Tigress of course. Taiki spun his sword.

'Come on guys, we've got training to get to!' Taiki charged into the training course, yelling at the top of his lungs.

End

Well that's the end of Chapter 4 guys. I haven't figured out how to put lines in between the paragraphs for transitions, so if anyone could tell me how it would be really appreciated. But anyway, chill out, have some ice cream, and do follow and review. And yes, in case anyone says something about it, animal "fingers" are called digits. Most animals only have four digits on each paw.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, DemonBlade1410 here with another Chapter for Taiki's Tale. I've been overhauling the one other story I wrote for Gods Eater Burst last year. It's got three chapters and I wrote that when I was still an amateur so don't judge. Do read and review, it's incomplete so do review to tell me whether I should carry on or just give up. So check it out, and thank you to all the readers who gave me such positive reviews on my work here, hope you guys like how the story progresses. So without further ado, let the story commence.

'Then I was all like, aw hell no, you don't do that kinda shit to me.' Taiki said, and the five of them burst out laughing.

'That's awesome!' Monkey clutched his sides while laughing. The five of them were sitting in the kitchen, taking a break from training. Except for Tigress. She'd stormed into the training hall angry and flustered earlier that morning, and hadn't come out yet.

'So what happened to Tigress? Who got her fur all up in a twist?' Monkey questioned, popping a cookie into his mouth. Taiki started laughing.

'I pulled her tail for fun, she tried to kill me.' He choked out, and the four stared at him incredulously. Mantis's jaw dropped.

'Dude, how are you not dead right now.' Taiki looked at him quizzically.

'Because I'm awesome.' He announced, kicking his feet up and leaning back in his chair.

'More like I decided not to kill you.' Taiki toppled out of his chair when a familiar voice rang out from the doorway. Tigress stood there, a plate of tofu in hand. She made her way to the table and sat down…right beside Taiki, who'd just climbed back into his chair. He could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo, and he tried his best to ignore it. Her fur was still hot and wet from her shower, and Taiki decided to distract himself with cookies. He shoveled a few into his mouth, ignoring the stares he was being given.

'Dude, I think Tigress is scaring the crap out of him.' Monkey said.

Taiki choked on his cookies, and he coughed violently.

'I-am-not-scared-of-her!' He got out between coughs. Tigress glanced at him…and kicked him off his chair. A bout of laughter emanated from the group, and Taiki climbed back into the chair.

'Not funny guys.' He muttered.

And then, a screaming duck burst through the door.

'HEEEAAAAALP!' The duck charged in, barreling into the table and bouncing off.

'BANDITS! BANDITS!' He screamed. Viper grabbed him and tried to calm him down, but he kept screaming.

'BANDITS IN THE VALLEY! BROKE MY STUFF!' He screamed. Taiki didn't waste a second more, he charged out the door and down into the valley.

'Taiki wait!' Tigress yelled, but he was already gone.

Taiki charged down into the valley. Sure enough, there were plenty of signs of disturbance. People gathering up broken things, a few broken stalls, and so on and so forth. He followed the path of destruction, and sure enough, he chanced onto a group of bandits threatening a poor old pig at his store.

'What do you mean you aint got no more money! This is a store dammit! You're just hiding it from us!' One of the bandits, obviously the leader, was screaming. Obviously, he wasn't all that bright either. Taiki coughed, and the bandits turned towards him.

'I'd appreciate it if you left the nice man alone.' Taiki squared up to them, setting himself as a direct challenger. The bandit leader looked at him and laughed.

'Or what? You gonna try and drive me outta town? You're outta your league kid.' The bandit stepped forward and took a swing at him. Taiki ducked the blow, socking him hard in the gut. He side-stomped the back of his knee, and blocked the desperate backfist from the bandit. He grabbed hold of the bandit's wrist and swung his legs over his shoulder, spinning him into the same lock he did to Tigress. Only this time, he dropped the bandit straight onto the floor with the momentum of the kicks, twisting his shoulder way too far and wrenching it up, snapping it easily. The bandit screamed in pain, his face going white.

'That's one down.' Taiki muttered, eyeing the other bandits. 'Who's next?'

The other bandits charged him, and he spun easily, taking out each attacker in quick succession. His techniques were straightforward, brutal, and powerful. He decimated the bandits, leaving the ten of them sprawled across the ground in a less than a minute. They groaned as they got to their feet. Taiki readied himself for another assault, but an orange and white blur shot past him.

Tigress easily dispatched two bandits, side-kicking another. She knocked two others away, them being no match for her fighting skills.

'Tigress down!' Tigress swiveled around to see another bandit aiming to strike her. She went to block it, but Taiki spun around, grabbing the bandit's wrist and sweeping him to the ground. He kicked the bandit away, sending him flying into another of his kin. Taiki flipped over Tigress's shoulder, dropping onto another bandit who was about to hit her.

'Stop saving me!' She hissed, and Taiki held up his hands defensively, before pulling her aside as another bandit tried to kick her. He grabbed the bandit's foot and flipped him over his shoulder, axe kicking him as he hit the ground.

'I said stop!' She yelled, breaking a bandit's nose. Taiki ignored her and kicked another bandit. He spun around, hands at the ready, only to realize he'd just taken out the last one. Tigress stormed over to him and grabbed him by his collar.

'I said quit saving me!' She yelled at him. Taiki slapped her hand away.

'Well would you rather be dead?' he yelled back. Tigress threw her hands up in frustration, viciously kicking a nearby bandit who was starting to get up. A cough from behind alerted her to the presence of the other members of the five, who'd simply watched them fight. She glared at them and ran off, heading towards the Jade Palace, Taiki hot on her heels.

That Night

'Why won't he listen? I _told _him not to save me, but he still does! Why is he such an idiot!' Tigress vented, Viper looking at her quizzically. The two were sitting in Tigress's room, and somehow the topic of Taiki had come up.

'Sister, I'm going to ask you a series of invasive, yet completely serious questions.' Viper looked Tigress dead in the eye, and Tigress nodded her understanding. Viper took a deep breath and sighed.

'Ok…first off. Have you been feeling unnaturally hot around him? And have you been subconsciously admiring him?' Tigress nodded slowly. Viper sighed again.

'Has your heart rate been increasing when you're around him? Have you been seeking his attention?' Tigress nodded. Viper closed her eyes.

'Ok…have you been thinking about him a lot?' Again Tigress nodded. Viper looked her dead in the eye. 'While touching yourself?'

Tigress choked.

'WHAT!' She screamed, and Viper curled up defensively.

'I'm just saying, it's only natural for you to do that.' She said, and Tigress spluttered.

'I do not touch myself!' She whispered furiously, her cheeks rising in color. Viper rolled her eyes.

'Okay hot shot; you don't touch yourself, fine. But from everything else, I'd say your starting to like him. As in, '_love_' like him.' Tigress's jaw dropped, and she stuttered a few incoherent words. Viper looked at her and laughed.

' I thought so.' She said triumphantly, before slithering out of the room.

Later That Night

Tigress lay in bed, her mind a sea of thoughts. She couldn't believe that she, a hardcore warrior, had fallen for someone. Sure, he was hot, skilled, and kind of amazing, but she wasn't supposed to do that! She rolled over into her pillow, letting out a frustrated groan. She needed to sleep, but her head was buzzing with so many thoughts that she couldn't. She needed to meditate.

Tigress got off her bed and walked towards the door. She looked back at her table, where a small crystal block stood. She felt a compulsion, and after a moment of decision, swept the block off her table and quietly slipped out the door.

She had one destination in mind; the sacred peach tree hill.

So that's the end of this chapter, hope you've been enjoying this story so far. So chill out, have some ice-cream, and do review to let me know what you wanna see in the next chapter, I am very much open to requests.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, DemonBlade1410 back with another chapter for this story. I've been posting a lot of chapters recently. Guess I've been having too much free time. Well, go ahead and read.

Taiki laid his sharpening iron on his table. He spun his Katana experimentally before returning it to its sheath. He grabbed a cloth and applied a few drops of oil to it. He drew the blade of his Ninjatō, gently wiping the black steel with the oiled cloth. He nicked his finger, and looked at it with an expression of mild surprise. His thoughts were elsewhere, specifically on a certain Tiger sleeping in the room next to him. He gazed at the paper wall that separated them.

'It's so thin, if I so much as tripped I could go tumbling right into her room.' He muttered to himself. He carried on wiping his Ninjatō.

'_I wonder what she thinks of me?' _ He thought to himself. _I'm not exactly the most wonderful guy around. _He nicked himself again. He sucked on his bleeding digits and cleaned the blood off the blade.

'_Why does she hate me so much?' _He thought to himself. _'She doesn't seem to like me at all. What'd I ever do to her?' _

Taiki sighed and dropped across his bed, staring at the cold black steel in his hands. He spun the sword, twirling it in his hands. The sight was mesmerizing. He sighed again, sheathing the blade. His head was an ocean of thoughts and emotions; he was never going to get to sleep like that. He opened his door and stepped out, not even bothering to put on his vest.

'_I need some air' _He thought, sliding quietly out of his room and into the corridor. He quietly slid down the stairs and into the kitchen. On instinct, he grabbed a couple of cookies from Monkey's jar, popping one into his mouth. He slid out the door and into the grounds.

He looked up at the stars; they were beautiful tonight. He smiled to himself, thinking about the past. He thought about the sunrise, how it always reminded him of Tigress's amber eyes, and how much he loved her. But they could never be together. Taiki's smile faded. No matter how much he may love her, she probably hate him. And even if she didn't, Shifu would never allow his only daughter to date someone, especially since they were Kung Fu warriors, Masters of their styles! They shouldn't have emotional attachments because it could get in the way of duty.

'_Shouldn't' _He thought. _'Not couldn't'_

He carried on walking.

He passed by the training hall, the cold night wind nipping at his bare chest. He opened the doors; the training hall was empty. He chuckled slightly. What was he expecting, a red carpet? Everyone else was asleep. His ears twitched. He spun around, his light brown eyes glowing in the dark. He searched for the source of the sound. Padded footsteps…few animals had pads on their feet. That narrowed it down to felines. He reached behind his back, grabbing air. He cursed under his breath; he'd left his swords in his room.

A figure came round the corner, something cradled in its hands. Taiki prepared to pounce, but then he caught whiff of the intruder's scent, and smiled.

Tigress.

Taiki's smile turned to a confused frown. What was Tigress doing out so late? Shouldn't she be sleeping? Then again, so was he. He hoped she wouldn't detect him, but he wasn't moving, so she couldn't hear him, and he was downwind, so she couldn't smell him either. He decided to follow her a little ways, see where she was going. But the general direction she was headed suggested one place; the sacred peach tree hill. He quietly bounded after her, a huge grin on his face.

So that's the end of this chapter, will post a chapter 7 soon enough, so chill out, have some ice-cream, and do review, follow, and make requests. Peace.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys, DemonBlade1410 back with another chapter to this story. I really have way too much free time. So yeah, do give more requests on what you wanna see because I can't be doing all the thinking now can I? Nuff said, read on.

Tigress arrived at the peach tree hill, the small tree overlooking the valley. She picked a peach of one of its low-hanging branches. She normally didn't have midnight snacks, but she felt compelled to do so. She sank her razor sharp fangs into the peach, feeling its skin break under her teeth, the sweet juices tumbling into her mouth. She smiled at the taste.

Finishing the peach, she sat down, placing the small crystal block in her lap. She gazed at it again, the white lily shining out at her from inside the clear crystal. She ran her finger over the engraved word at the bottom.

Taiki.

Her thoughts once again fell to the white Bengal tiger. He was the same color and species as the boy from the Kiatvichian Dojo, and counting the years, he was the correct age. His name was also exactly the same, and how many people had the name _Taiki_ anyway? There were too many similarities for it to just be a coincidence.

'Couldn't sleep?' Tigress almost jumped, but she kept herself composed. She turned to see Taiki standing there, leaning against the tree.

'_Speak of the devil' _she thought, hugging the crystal to her stomach. Taiki's eyes travelled down to the small peach seed lying on the ground next to her.

'Or were you looking for a midnight snack?' He chuckled, and Tigress picked up the seed. She gently dug a small hole in the ground with her claws, placing the seed in and covering it gently with earth. She heard a plop and looked up; Taiki had dropped down beside her. He sighed wearily, looking years older then he really was.

'When did you become an old man?' She giggled, and Taiki stuck out his tongue. She giggled again. He was just like a kid! His face changed back to serious.

'The stars, they're beautiful tonight.' He said, gazing up at the sky. Tigress looked at him. He seemed so…at peace. And yet, something seemed to be troubling him. Her eyes travelled lower. His bare torso was riddled with scars, some more obvious than others. She ran a hand over the biggest one, a long white line leading from his right shoulder down to his waist. It was perfectly even, rising only slightly out from his skin, so if the line of missing fur wasn't so obvious it could easily have gone unnoticed. His shoulders had obvious signs of stabbing, and his back seemed to have had been sliced through multiple times.

'_How much has he been injured?' _Tigress thought to herself. Even so, medical salves could easily remove the scars. They'd been extremely useful to the five, them having been injured many times protecting the valley.

'It was a while back.' Taiki muttered. Tigress perked up, curiosity taking over her. Taiki leaned against the trunk of the peach tree behind him.

'A thief tried to raid a store in broad daylight.' He continued. 'It was quite stupid really. It should have been easy he only had a knife! But the cowardly fellow took an innocent lady hostage.'

Taiki grimaced.

'I couldn't risk her getting hurt, so I just stood there as he drew the blade down, across my chest. Eventually I passed out from blood loss. I woke up a few days later, chained to a post. Someone, I don't who, tortured me for days. He never gave a reason why, nor even made a sound.' Taiki's face was a mask of anger now.

'I never even saw his face. The only thing I know about him is that he has a skull tattooed on his left hand.' He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists, trembling with anger. A warm paw closed over his, and he looked up. Tigress was gazing at him, her amber eyes filled with pity, and…understanding?

'What happened after that?' She whispered, gently squeezing his paw. Taiki took a deep breath before continuing.

'Master Luang. He broke in one day, but my captor escaped out the window. I never saw his face, and Master Luang refuses to tell me how he looks like. He always told me, revenge was the path of the Demon, and that life is too precious to be lost so easily.' Tears threatened to leak from his eyes, and Taiki began trembling. Tigress laid a hand over her chest.

'It's okay, I understand.' She took a deep breath before elaborating.

'When I was 18, Shifu sent me on a mission. It was a simple one; rescue a hostage. Not something I hadn't done a million times before. It was easy, I got in, and I got out. I got the hostage out. But at the last second, I was shot.' Tigress pulled up her vest, showing a scar on her stomach.

'I woke up a while later, the arrow still through my side. My captor refused to remove it, kept using it to keep the wound open. He tortured me, trying to get information on the jade palace. I refused to make a sound, and it angered him even more.' Tigress closed her eyes.

'He kept injecting me with a nerve stimulant that caused me intense pain each time. It was the worst thing I had ever experienced.' Tigress wrapped her arms around herself.

'Master Shifu rescued me, and we defeated my captor together. He was sent to prison with a life sentence, and we haven't seen him since.' Tigress giggled. It was a beautiful sound, and it hit Taiki's ears like nothing ever before. All his worries and pain just evaporated, just like that. Tigress stretched out against the tree trunk, looking over at Taiki. Taiki laughed, looking at her.

'What's so funny?' She shot him a puzzled look. Taiki stifled his laughter.

'It's just, in front of the furious five you seem to hate me. When we're alone, you seem to be fine with me. What's up with that?' Taiki settled himself comfortably against the trunk, and Tigress looked away, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Anyone else would have missed it, but Taiki's eyes were razor sharp, and he noticed the slight color change despite her orange fur. A grin crept across his face.

'Could it be…that you actually like me? But you just want to keep up appearances, don't you?' Tigress looked away, and her eyes fell onto the crystal sitting in her lap. She picked it up and held it out to him.

'This is why I'm curious about you okay!' She hissed. Taiki took the crystal from her, understanding dawning on his face.

'I knew you'd realize eventually.' He said, a huge grin breaking out across his face. Tigress giggled again.

'There was no way I could ever forget you. Look at the bottom.' Tigress pointed, and Taiki looked. His eyes fell onto the rough engraving on the crystal. His name. Taiki.

Taiki placed the crystal down between them, standing, looking over at Tigress. She stood, watching him intently. He swallowed. What he was about to try and do was either going to get him killed, or make him the happiest man alive. He took a deep breath and leaned forwards, slowly closing the distance between them.

Tigress's eyes were lidded, and her breathing slowed. She watched him come closer, and closer.

'_Why am I not stopping him!' _She mentally screamed. _'This is wrong!' _

But her body refused to respond.

Taiki felt their lips connect, and his head went fuzzy. Her lips were incredibly soft, and he could feel their fur brushing against one another. Tigress wasn't faring any better. Her head was fuzzy, and she was slightly stunned. The kiss was gentle and scared, tentative, afraid of going further.

Tigress pushed forward slightly, deepening the kiss, and Taiki moaned. The two finally broke apart for air, and Tigress took a deep breath before Taiki's lips closed around hers again. She moaned into his lips; the feeling was incredible! She wrapped her arms around his throat and pulled him closer. Taiki placed his hands on her waist, pushing her up against the peach tree. Tigress giggled.

'Oh! You sneaky tiger!' She exclaimed, connecting their lips once more. She silently slid her tail between his legs, and in one swift motion, swept him to the ground. They lay there laughing for a moment, and Tigress snuggled into his chest.

'I hope you don't think we're going any further than this. Not tonight at least.' Tigress poked Taiki in the chest, and he chuckled.

'Of course not. I'm not that kind of guy.' He muttered, wrapping his arms around her as sleep enveloped him.

'Goodnight love.' Tigress whispered, closing her eyes. This was going to be very interesting.

Okay! That's the end of this chapter, hope you like it. I recently got the third metatarsal in my right foot broken, so I'm stuck in a cast for at least a month. But, at least I can keep you guys happy with new chapters since I won't be preoccupied with sports and whatnot. So chill out, have some ice-cream, and do review some suggestions.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys DemonBlade1410 here, sorry for being away so long, exams and laziness and broken legs and such. Here's another chapter for you guys.

Tigress stirred as bright yellow beams hit her face. She pushed herself off her rather warm bed, and rubbed her eyes. She felt her leg brush against grass, and her 'bed' move, and she looked down. She gasped and covered her mouth.

Taiki lay beneath her, and she was straddling his hips. She covered her face as she hazily remembered the events from the previous night.

'Oh my god…' she moaned, but a pair of warm hands found their way to the back of her head. She pulled her hands away from her face, only to be met with a heavy kiss. Taiki moaned into her lips, and it sent waves of pleasure through Tigress's body. She pushed him back down, deepening the kiss.

'Ahem.' Tigress broke the kiss and jumped off Taiki. Viper sat on her tail, looking at them with a rather interested look.

'Oh no don't mind me, go ahead, carry on.' She said, smiling. Taiki got to his feet.

'I need to shower.' He stretched and yawned. He gave Tigress a quick peck on the lips and left. Viper stared at Tigress.

'What?' Tigress nervously fiddled with the buttons on her vest. A few had popped out when they were sleeping, so it made certain…implications. Viper giggled.

'Details. Now.' She demanded, and Tigress coughed, a blush rising on her cheeks.

Taiki walked out of the showers, a towel over his shoulder. He walked to his room, grabbing his swords and marching to the training hall. Master Shifu didn't supervise them, he expected them to be training when they should be. Not doing so would result in severe consequences, if he caught you, that is. He slipped his Katana and Wakizashi into his belt, tying them in place, and strapped his Ninjatō to his back. He pushed open the doors to the training hall, only to be greeted by a certain orange tiger master.

'Taiki.' He turned to see Master Tigress leaning against the wall.

'Hey.' He smiled, leaning in to kiss her. Tigress turned away, and Taiki frowned. She sighed and crossed her arms. Taiki tilted his head and looked at her, and she almost crumbled right there. She shook her head to clear it.

'Something bothering you?' Taiki asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Tigress heaved a sigh and turned to look at him.

'I don't know about this relationship. What happens if the others find out? Or worse, we break up, then what happens?' She fretted, and Taiki took her in his arms.

'Well, if we decide not to go ahead with this, things are going to be strained between us all the same. Besides, so what if the others find out? You're not ashamed of me, are you?' Taiki pouted, and Tigress giggled.

'No, I'm not.' She said, kissing him.

'Holy crap!' The two broke apart, turning to find the source of the exclamation. The rest of the five stood at the door, Monkey had his hands over his mouth, Crane's jaw was on the floor, Mantis was blubbering quietly, and Viper was silently watching them.

'Well we enjoyed about ten seconds of secrecy. I guess that counts for something.' Taiki muttered, taking Tigress by the hand and leading her down the hall.

Training after that was same as always, a little boring, but not so much. Taiki was now training himself to use three swords in effective combat, a feat few had accomplished. It was made a little easier as the Katana had a connector wedge that could be extended from the butt. This could be inserted into the butt of the Wakizashi and locked into place, combining the two into a single double-bladed sword. The Ninjatō also had an identical wedge, so the Wakizashi could connect onto either sword.

He also had several knife belts strapped to his body. He had four broad-bladed knives strapped to his thighs and the side of his shins, one on each. He also had around forty throwing knives strapped to his belt in two pouches, as well as ten more on the belt over his shoulder, which also held his Ninjatō. He wore sheaths on his forearms, which held knives to the back of his arms, three on each arm, altogether adding up to about sixty knives on his body.

He was currently practicing on training target. He charged across the room, unleashing knives as he went. They thudded into the targets one by one, slamming into them with almost impossible accuracy. Taiki stopped and looked at the targets. Most of the knives had landed on or close to the red bulls eyes. He started pulling his knives out.

'That's impressive.' Taiki turned to see Tigress walking up to him. He took her in his arms and kissed her. They were both sweaty and nasty from training, but they didn't care. The two started retrieving the knives, laughing and chatting as they did so. They began sparring, lightly striking each other, and laughing as they talked and exchanged blows. Viper smiled as she watched them silently, her tail on her lips.

'They make a good couple, don't they?' Viper started as a familiar voice broke the silence. Master Shifu stood beside her, watching the two tigers spar.

'You're not mad? I mean, she is your daughter.' Viper questioned, and Master Shifu sighed.

'She's a big girl. She can make decisions for herself.' He muttered, turning and exiting the hall. Viper sat back down on her tail, heaving a sigh of relief.

Later that night

Tigress moaned into Taiki's lips. The two were currently sitting on Taiki's bed, making out. They dropped across the bed, almost falling off.

'Master Shifu said to meet him early tomorrow. He probably has a mission for us.' Tigress nuzzled into Taiki's chest, and he chuckled.

'Well that'll make a decent change. All we've been doing is training all day. It'll be good to get out and do something useful.' He rubbed soothing circles into her back, and Tigress sighed.

'I'd better get back to my room, we need to sleep.' Tigress pushed herself off Taiki and made for the door. He grabbed her paw.

'No, please, stay.' He begged, tugging gently on her paw. Tigress groaned and turned to him, pulling her paw out of his grasp.

'I can't Master Shifu might find out. Can you imagine what he'd think?'

'I don't think he can, but maybe I could.' Tigress started and turned to find the source of the voice, only to spot Master Shifu standing in the doorway.

'M-Master Shifu! Thi-This isn't what it looks like!' She stammered, her cheeks turning a bright red. Master Shifu shook his head.

'No, I think that this is exactly what it looks like. While I don't approve of this arrangement, you are free to make your own choices.' He crossed his arms with a huff. 'Now, I _was_ intending to speak to you about something, but I think it can wait till morning. Good night.'

Master Shifu exited the room quietly, shutting the door behind him. Taiki took Tigress by the hand.

'I don't suppose there's a reason for you to leave now, is there.' He asked playfully, gently stroking her arm. Tigress laughed and pulled him down onto the bed.

End. Bye.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys, DemonBlade1410 here with an update to this story. Sorry for being away so long, final two years of secondary school, plus I'm in Junior College now so I have way less time than before. Anyway, I'll try to post more often.

"Quantou City?" Taiki popped another cookie into his mouth, crunching noisily. Master Shifu shot him a disapproving glare and Tigress smiled behind her paw.

"Yes, Quantou City. As one of the most widely renown locations of kung fu practitioners, I believe it would be extremely beneficial for the six of you to take a training trip there." Master Shifu ran his hands through his beard. "Their kung fu may well influence your own."

Taiki shrugged.

"Whatever you say Master." He replied easily, popping yet another cookie into his mouth. He felt the weight leave his hands, and he turned to see monkey staring into the jar, wide-eyed.

"You ate all my cookies." He said, raising his head ever so slightly to look at Taiki. Taiki gulped and smiled sheepishly.

"Umm…I'll buy you some more?" He grinned nervously, slowly inching towards the door.

"NOT A CHANCE!" Monkey yelled, diving towards him. Taiki yelped and darted out the doorway, Monkey hot on his heels. They disappeared down the corridor, their screams reverberating throughout the jade palace. Shifu sighed and dropped his face into his hands.

"Yes, this trip will most DEFINITELY be beneficial."

"This blows." Taiki grumbled, swatting aside Tigress's fist and retaliating with a right cross. He spun on the spot, releasing three rapid spinning hook kicks. Tigress deftly evaded each one, before kicking Taiki in the chest.

"What does? The fact that I'm beating you?" She grinned, kicking him again. Taiki grunted as he absorbed the kick, before sweeping Tigress's legs out from under her. She planted her palm into the floor, spinning in midair to land on her feet.

"Not that. The fact that we've got to sit on this boat for two more days with nothing to do but train blows." He replied, grabbing Tigress's arm and twisting it into a standing kimura lock, pulling her face close to his.

"All we did back home is train anyway. How's that any different from this?" She shot back, turning her back to him and sliding out of the lock, swinging her legs up over his head and planting her paws into the floor. She lifted Taiki off his feet, throwing him backwards over her. Taiki thrust his hands out, catching himself in a handstand. He kicked out backwards, catching Tigress in the shoulder, and flipping onto his feet.

"The difference is that I could walk around the Jade Palace when I didn't feel like training. The only places I can walk to over here is front boat and back boat." Taiki rolled his eyes.

"Bow and Stern you mean." Tigress replied, rubbing her shoulder. A small bruise was forming there, and she cursed. Taiki walked over.

"Sorry" he muttered, running his hand over the dark patch and kissing her. Tigress leaned into the kiss.

"Just suck it up for two more days and you can walk anywhere you want." She laughed, nuzzling Taiki's neck.

"_How on earth did I get such an amazing woman?"_ Taiki thought to himself, hugging her just a little tighter. The two made their way back below deck to their quarters, paw in paw.

Heya guys, sorry for taking such a long hiatus. I sincerely apologise to those who've been waiting for me to update this, and I promise to do my best to post as often as I can in the future. So do review, if you want to scold me do just PM me XD, and chill out and have some ice-cream.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys, DemonBlade1410 here, trying my best to update as much as possible what with JC assignments. I'm actually supposed to be doing my work, but as you can see, I'm not XD. SO anyway I've decided to write more short chapters than work towards long ones since I won't have much time to do so anyway. I apologise for any cliffhangers and I will try to post more often. Though I seem to be unable to keep my promises.

"Whoa!" Taiki scrambled up the mast of the ship, his mouth hanging open, slipping on wooden post in the process. He looked back up, finally managing to clamp his jaw shut.

In the distance stood the massive city of Quantou, the martial arts hub of the ages. From where he hung, clinging to the side of the mast, he could see the massive docks in the distance. He could make out boats, larger than the one he was on, and far greater in number. He stared out over the city, with buildings and structures as far as the eye could see, before finally sliding down to join the others.

"So this is Quantou City huh? Nice place." Mantis hopped onto the deck, narrowly avoiding a puddle of water. Taiki silently paced forward to stand beside Tigress. He felt the sea breeze brushing past his fur, and rubbed away the moisture that appeared there. He took her paw quietly, rubbing his digits over the back of it.

"This is going to be fun." Taiki whispered, grinning at her. She glanced at him, and smiled, before returning her gaze to the wonder of the city that had practically materialized out of the fog.

The six masters stepped off onto the docks, taking in the sights. The architecture was breathtaking, distinctly Chinese yet carrying a certain flair that was no longer seen in other cities. The designs were old, embodying a true shaolin village like those long lost. To the Five, this was a place of serenity, peace, and power.

To Taiki, this was the coolest fieldtrip ever.

"This is amazing!" Taiki quietly freaked out as they passed by a series of never-ending stalls and shop houses. Everywhere, in the alleys, in the backs of shops, in the trees, everyone was practicing kung fu. Even the children were training together at the playground. It was a fighter's dream come true.

The five made their way down to the center of town, the main town square, Taiki basically gawking at everything they walked past.

"Close your mouth, you look like an idiot." Tigress swatted Taiki on the head. Taiki snapped his mouth shut, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just that everything here is like a dream come true to me!" He sighed happily, spinning in circles around Tigress. She rolled her eyes.

_"__He's such a child at heart."_ She thought to herself, smiling.

At long last, the six of them finally made it to the town square. A huge palace like structure overlooked them. It was similar to the Jade Palace in design, but much larger. Taiki's jaw dropped again, earning him another swat from Tigress.

"That's the HuQuan Palace. It's the home of the Kung Fu masters in this city." Tigress explained. Taiki simply nodded, unable to quite say anything at the moment, and started up the stairs.

Entering through the gates, they were greeted by a large open training/meditation area. Students were everywhere, strolling about, talking, sparring with each other, a few meditating under the trees. All in all, it didn't look much different from the Jade Palace.

"Looks pretty similar to back home honestly." Taiki remarked, brushing a butterfly off his whiskers. A goat walked into him, met his eye, flinched and looked down, muttering an apology and hurrying off. Taiki raised an eyebrow, but pushed it to the back of his mind. They neared a massive set of doors.

"So is this their version of the Hall Of Heroes?" Mantis smirked, scratching at his antennae, and Taiki shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Two attendant ducks pulled the doors open for them as they entered. Taiki briefly acknowledged them, before his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

This place might have resembled the Jade Palace on the outside, but its interior was worlds apart. Taiki was greeted by a massive hall, endowed with beautiful carvings and tapestries. Twelve pillars stood in two rows, leading down to a massive Tiger sitting in an equally massive throne, facing them, a huge sword leaning against the table by his side. He was heavily built all the way through, with an air of power practically radiating from him, dressed simply in a silver and gold robe.

The masters approached silently, bowing respectfully to the Master. The Tiger rose from his throne, and returned the bow. Taiki gawked slightly; the Master towered a good head and a half above him.

"Master Hu, it is an honor to be here." Tigress said, and the Tiger nodded.

"The honor is mine. I welcome you to HuQuan Palace, my home. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to ensure my hospitality to you is second to none. Come, let us walk." The Tiger slung his sword over his back, and beckoned them to follow. Unconsciously, Taiki's hand fell to the swords at his waist, and Tigress shot him a glare.

The walk turned out to be a short tour of the buildings and facilities. The Palace, whilst seemingly big, was specially structured so that every building was within convenient and quick walking distance of each other. The six were impressed, to say the least. Finally, the group came upon a large hall with heavily built doors. Master Hu stopped, and turned to look at the group.

"And this, esteemed guests, is the training hall." He announced, smiling wickedly, pushing the doors open. The group was met by a vast array of training equipment, wooden dummies, wooden warriors, sandbags, target posts, a whole selection of weights, and….people?

"What are those?" Viper exclaimed, watching as a student fought the oddly shaped creature. They were similar to the different animals in terms of shape and size, but were featureless, nothing but shadows. Even as they watched, those that fell to the ground disappeared, vanishing into smoke. Master Hu chuckled deeply.

"Those, young ones, are what we call shadow warriors. They are made from the shadows of the hall by a magical item called the Orb Of Silhouettes. It is a precious item, not easily crafted, and it is not only our greatest training tool, but also our pride and joy." He waved his hand across the hall.

"All the other tools can simply help to condition you, but the Orb Of Silhouettes can mimic real combat perfectly. It is the best form of training we have to offer, and thanks to it, our students are better than any other."

Taiki quivered in excitement.

"This is going to be so AWESOME!" He squealed, barely able to contain himself. Monkey chuckled.

"You said it brother." He started towards the door, only to be met by crossed spears. Yelping, he leapt back in surprise.

"Hey! What gives?" Monkey yelled, glaring angrily at the spear bearers. Master Hu laughed, a deep throaty rumble.

"You didn't think that we'd just let you walk in here and use all of our equipment did you?" He laughed once more, the deep boom nearly deafening the six warriors.

"Uh, we sorta did? I mean, this was supposed to be a training trip, right?" Taiki shrugged, glaring down the Master. Master Hu shook his head.

"Only the best may train here. Everyone student here has earned their place, their right, to be behind those gates." He leaned down to Taiki's level, locking eyes with him.

"Only the strongest should be nurtured, wouldn't you say? It only makes sense, that the strongest should win, it is survival of the fittest after all. Why do you think there are so many fighters in the valley, yet only so many students in here?" He declared, and Taiki's eye twitched. He clenched his fists, and stared back into the Master's eyes, not showing the slightest hint of fear. Master Hu grinned dangerously.

"They weren't good enough. That's why they're down there and we're up here. Obviously we can't just go about letting anyone and everyone train here, now can we? So of course there will be a selection test, to ensure that only the strongest enter." He smirked, and Taiki's eye twitched again.

"Uh, well, then why can't we train here? We're the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. We're kinda the best." Mantis interjected, scratching his head nonchalantly. Master Hu finally broke eye contact with Taiki, whirling to face Mantis.

"Oh? And I suppose you've fought everyone in the world and concluded that you are, in fact, the best fighters on the planet? You've beaten anyone and everyone, and no one can best you?" He challenged calmly, and Mantis suddenly found his 'pincer thingies' extremely interesting. Taiki took a deep breath and steadied himself.

"It doesn't matter. We deserve to train here, and we'll prove it to you. Bring us your test." He declared, locking eyes with the Master again. Master Hu laughed once more.

"Very well then. Bring out the contenders." Four Tigers approached from behind. Master Hu smirked and waved towards them.

"You will fight each of my students. Those that defeat them may train here, and those that do not can join the rest in the valley." He announced, smirking infuriatingly. Taiki cracked his neck, planting his fist into his palm.

"Alright, who's first?" He challenged, stepping forward into his Muay Thai guard. He assessed the four Tigers. They were only slightly smaller than him, but built almost the same as he was, and he guessed from their muscle builds that they were they types to focus on raw power rather than speed. Master Hu laughed again.

"Oh don't worry boy. You and the lady there are already allowed to train here." He said, gesturing lazily at Tigress.

"It is the others who must pass the test." Taiki turned to face him.

"Tigress and I pass? Why? We haven't done anything yet." Taiki narrowed his eyes, and Master Hu looked condescendingly at the other four Masters.

"Simple." He said, smiling so wide that he bared his teeth.

"You are Tigers."

Whoa ho ho, cliffhangies! Sorry but I've always wanted to do that XD

So anyways, I'm working on the next part of the story for now, and hopefully I'll get it posted soon! So until then, chill out, have some ice cream, and don't forget to follow/review! Anyways, my computer is being a douche and not letting my upload my story files, so if anything goes wrong it's cuz i had to use the copy and paste function.


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Kung Fu Panda, Adventure, Romance