Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda/Simple fanfic is all

A/N: I always thought their dynamic was interesting. I wanted to write an argument between them for years, but she has so much respect for him as an adult, it seemed difficult. But SOTS came out and I loved the idea of the teenage Tigress rebelling a little bit.

Again

Chapter 1: The Caretaker

Commands, that's all she ever got from him. If it wasn't commands, it was lectures. If neither, then silence. She could take commands, she could swallow the lectures... but the silence

She was blessed to have a home at all, a place to live, food to eat, a roof, a bed, clothes, her fortune was endless. Of course she had no right to complain. How ungrateful of her to ask for more. Clearly she was getting too used to having such luxuries or else she would never be having these thoughts.

But still...

Was it truly selfish of her to ask for a bit of positive recognition? Any recognition other than a curt nod or a harsh tap from that damn flute of his if her stance was less than perfect?

Since her adoption she had always been a very obedient tiger. She was the perfect student. Every day she would do what had to be done and then some. When she was finished, she would ask if there was more she could do. In her training she was an avid listening. She excelled, if it's not too bold to say, above all other students and practiced until she would bleed. Was it so terrible of her to want to be acknowledged for these things? Not all of these things, but ANY of these things?

She tried not to take it to heart, the things he would say and do. Shifu was by no means an abusive caretaker. He did not beat her or call her names. He did not harass her or make her uncomfortable. He did not mistreat her, although his training could be rigorous and his punishments, Tigress thought, a bit unfair. He would yell too, shout himself hoarse if things didn't go his way, and Tigress was not immune to this treatment, but he was not abusive. Shifu was never abusive.

He intimidated her, that's all. He was Stoic.

She could never go to him with her problems unless the problem was kung fu, and even then she would do everything in her power not bother him with her presence.

He talked-down to her... in his own way. He was the elder and he made it known. Every word he spoke was with purpose, every glance was judging, every wave of his hand dismissive.
His cold, short-tempered demeanor was sometimes too much for her to stomach. At times, she could not bear to be in the same room as him, but what could she do? He was her teacher, her master, he was always there and always present. Even when he wasn't around, Tigress still worried that the old red panda would see her trip over the training hall's deteriorating floor boards, or run away from as swarm of bees that lived in a tree she thought she'd kick for fun, or slip on the wet cascading stairs of the Jade Palace... or cry.

Only once had Master Shifu seen Tigress cry. The day he had come to take her home with him, Tigress sat alone at a small table. She'd cried because no one had wanted her.

Back then, when she would huddle in the corner of her room at the orphanage, Tigress would have fantasies about what life would be like when she was adopted... if she was adopted. She would dream of little houses with bright colored decorations. She would imagine a mother doting over her and fussing about her appearance.

"Smile more, dear!" She would say. "You're so pretty when you smile!"

Her father would be a kind gentle giant with big arms wide open and waiting for her to jump into. He would spin her around and around and they would laugh as he joked and made faces at the dinner table.

When she grew too heavy to lift he would smile sadly and whisper "Oh, why can't you stay my little girl forever!"

Well...

That's what she imagined, anyway. A far away scene from a dream that seemed so silly now that she was here living on the jade palace grounds.

Shifu was her guardian, but he was no father to her. He'd made that very clear from the start. They would be forever master to student. Tigress supposed it was better than nothing. She cared about Shifu dearly and was grateful for all he did for her... but sometimes, when she was alone for too long, she would see those loving faces from her dreams. Her father threw his arms around her. Her mother wept for her, not able to stand the sight of her beautiful little girl so upset. The small house was still waiting, the colorful decorations collected dust as Tigress forced herself to stop thinking of such foolishness.

Reality came with some complaints, yes, but Tigress never voiced them. If you're not bleeding or dead you have nothing to complain about. It was a good motto to live by, especially when living with Master Shifu. Counting her blessings got her through the day, after all. It just seemed like lately those blessings were not enough.

Tigress felt the anger within her rise a little more every day and it worried her. Others would grumble and hiss about her master's poor attitude, not her...

Never Tigress.

She took it as she always did, bit her lip and looked at her feet... but for the last couple of weeks, for reasons unknown, his cold manner and biting comments were enough to spark a temper within her that she thought to be long gone and dead.

"Tigress..."

And it scared her.

"Tigress, are you listening?"

Damn.

She curled her paws into fists. This was the third time this week he had caught her daydreaming, very unlike her. The last two times she had immediately apologized, taken his look of disapproval and accepted her punishment of cleaning the training hall alone. But something was biting at her, pushing at her this time...

"Tigress?"

She lied.

"Yes." So simple and calm, it might have been the truth. Of course, her master knew better than that.

His eyes widened and he did a double-take, looking up at her with a shocked expression. Tigress almost laughed. He had never been shocked by anything his student had done, in all their years together... It was almost fascinating to see and gave the red panda a much less intimidating air. It was wrong of her, but the look of surprise on his face only made her braver, somehow, and she instantly hungered to see it again.

Yes?

The red panda's ears flattened against his head as he looked up at Tigress with an unconvinced scowl. He knew she had not been listening. He knew she knew HE KNEW she had not been listening! The simple answer "Yes" had been dripping with impertinence and, it coming from his most loyal student, Shifu wasn't sure how to react. The young tiger's recent change in attitude as of late hadn't escaped his notice. It was as if she was slowly losing the composure he'd helped her gain... he honestly had no idea why.

Tigress stared over his head at a spot on the far wall. Her face was even for the most part, except for a slight crease in her brow. She was angry, he deduced, but why? He could not think of a single thing he had done to offend her, no argument that had gone sour, no punishment that had not been deserved.

The old master shook his head. Whatever the reason, he would not be disrespected and definitely not in front of his other students. Tigress was supposed to set the example.

"Very well then." Shifu tilted his head and feigned a gentle smile. "Recall the legend behind the Azure Daggers."

"Why?"

Shifu's smile faltered. "Why?" She was trying him. Why was she doing this? He didn't understand,

"I told you, Master," She continued to stare at the wall, her posture rigid. "I was listening."

Crane, the tall bumbling bird beside her, flapped his wings and gulped. "Tigress," He hissed, leaning into her ear He was clearly uncomfortable... Tigress couldn't bring herself to care. Something had come over her, some fantastic bout of valor that she was not proud of, but could not stop. All her anger was releasing in this very moment. The blazing anxiety she felt towards her master was overflowing and making itself known by way only Tigress could manage:

Peaceful insubordination.

"If you were listening, Tigress," Shifu continued, agitated yet confident with his stupid ears flattening and straightening and flattening "-then repeating what you were told is not a taxing request." His voice was calm as if he were explaining the difference between the sun and the moon. He was talking down to her, making a fool of her... he wouldn't let this go until she accepted defeat, like she was some villain fighting him on a battle field. If she had just apologized, he would have been pissed, but moved on regardless... now everyone in the room was looking at her and she had nothing to say...

Well, that's not exactly true.

Tigress shook her head and straightened her posture. "The legend of the azure daggers..." She paused, second guessing herself. Maybe this was going too far. But as she lowered her gaze and looked her master in the eyes, she saw his confidence returning, saw that awful smug hook at the side of his mouth.

"The legend of the azure daggers," She breathed "Is a very old story about kung fu and daggers."

If the tension in the room hadn't been thick enough to cut with a knife, Tigress was sure the rest of the five would have snickered and snorted. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Monkey holding his breath.

Almost laughing herself, she stared bravely into her master's eyes. This time, the surprise quickly wore down leaving tense shoulders, shaking tiny fists, and flat ears,

Shifu was furious.

Viper uncoiled herself and poked her head out of the line-up. She opened her mouth to break the tension, but Mantis beat her to it, leaping onto her head and chirping "Well, I mean, she's not wrong."

"Mantis!" Viper hushed.

"What?"

"ENOUGH!" Their master shouted. All five students took a nervous step back, including Tigress.

"Tigress, step outside." He turned his back to them, ears still flat as pancakes. "The rest of you, will stay and, one by one, recite the legend of the azure daggers and the urn of the whispering warriors."

Her friends all turned their heads to look at her, eyes big and wondering.

No, of course they wouldn't understand. No one could. No one, except Tai Lung, she supposed.

Tai Lung

She immediately regretted that thought. Tai Lung would not have known what it was like to be her. Tai Lung had a father and a father was something Tigress would never have.

That harrowing truth reignited her bitterness. The excitement of rebellion was lost, and what remained was only anger.

Angry at Shifu? Angry at Tai Lung? Angry at her parents wherever they may be? Angry at the world and how it gives and gives and gives nothing to her? Angry at herself for wanting more than what she was blessed with?

She should apologize right now, in front of everyone. She should bow and beg for his forgiveness. She'll tell him how wrong she was to have picked an unnecessary fight with him.

But the anger. The anger would not let her speak. The anger she felt wanted to keep the petty argument going to see how much she could hurt him.

"OUTSIDE, I SAID." Came his raspy bark, echoing loudly off the walls of the training hall, daring Tigress to defy him further.

With a heavy breath, the tiger turned and left through the wooden doors. The rest of the five stood in place, staring after her.