The idea for this fic just came to me, one day after I had heard this song for the first time again in many years so I hope you enjoy reading it. This is my first widely published fan fiction. Please R&R

Disclaimer; I don't own Kung Fu Panda or any of it characters, nor do I own the song those rights belong to Brian McKinght and his record label.

P.S; The only slight change that I made to the song lyrics, is that I changed the word girl in the chours to boy, so that it would better fit Master Tigress as the singer. Also this fic is set after the events of KFP 2.

Chapter One

*** Melody of a lonely Maiden***

It was a pleasant summer night and a single kung fu warrior sat mediating under the blossom covered branches of the Peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom attempting to calm her mind. Three months had past since Po had defeated the crazed peacock Lord Shen and the powerful weapons that he had created with the Dragon Warrior, Furious Five and Grand Master Shifu returning to the Valley of Peace hero's once more and the saviors of China yet again. But in actuality very few, apart form the warriors themselves and Master's Ox, Croc and Shifu, knew just how close the legendary fighters had come losing there final showdown with the disillusioned former crown prince and if it had not been for the Dragon Warriors inner peace technique, than the battle could of had a much different and more dire conclusion then it had. Ever since there return from Gongmen City, attacks by the local croc bandits on villages within the Valley and on its outskirts had been virtually non-existent and even though the resident kung fu masters og the Jade Palace welcomed the lack of crime, one master in particular would have preferred the distraction from Shifu's constant training or the encouraged studying of Oogway's thousand scrolls of kung-fu, to keep her thoughts from drifting to certain kind-hearted and lovable panda. This master was none other than, Master Tigress, the master of tiger style kung fu and south China tiger, had trained all her life to never show emotions of any kind because she had been raised to see them as a mark of weakness by Shifu and had hardened her heart forever locking them away or so she believed but then he came it her life and started to slowly chip away at the defenses, that she had encapsulated her heart in.

Admittedly the feline had no idea when Po's kind-hearted nature had begun to work its magic on her and soften her hardened heart but it became all to frighteningly real, just how much she had come to care for him when she thought the blast that had launched said panda out the wall of the cannon factory and far over the distant horizon had killed him. Visibly shuddering as the memory of that horrifying moment pushed to the forefront of her mind, Tigress could still smell the giant panda's singed fur as the cannon blast launched Po by her outstretched paw in a sparkling ball of bright orange flame and black and white fur. Taking a deep breath in and exhaling it out in an attempt to quell her mind, the female warrior tried to focus so that she could enter a meditative state but ever increasing romantic thoughts of her being tenderly embraced in the arms of the dragon warrior and blissfully enjoy every moment of it had prevented her from doing so. It was the first time in her entire life that the tiger had ever felt the way she did around the panda, when ever he was close by she felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside and she always found it easier to smile around him; it was as if she was a completely different person around him, than she was around the rest of the Five. Needing to vent her emotions since mediation was resolving the issue, the feline stood up from where she sat lotus style under the petal covered branches and after briefly stretching walked over to the cliffs edge. Casting her gaze over the quiet valley of sleeping residents below, Master Tigress opened her mouth and began to sing, a song that perfectly reflected how she felt in the depths of her heart about the sweet and gentle Dragon Warrior.

It's undeniable... that we should be together...

It's unbelievable how I used to say that I'd fall never

The basis is need to know, if you don't know just how I feel,

Then let me show you now that I'm for real...

If all things in time, time will reveal...

Yeah...

One... you're like a dream come true...

Two... just wanna be with you...

Three... boy it's plain to see... that your the only one for me...

Four... repeat steps one through three...

Five... make you fall in love with me...

If ever I believe my work is done... then I start Back at One (yeah)

Deeply breathing in and exhaling a breath before singing the next verse, Tigress felt tears begin to pool in the corners of her amber and yellow eyes as the gut-wrenching pain of watching as her sweet panda was engulfed by the sparkling orange flame of Lord Shen's firework powered cannon ball impacted his make shift shield and being absolutely powerless to stop it even if she could. At that horrifying moment in time, the feline felt as if her very heart had been ripped, still beating from her chest and casually tossed aside, all her drive and determination to keep fighting the peacock from conquering all of China and destroying kung fu in the process completely gone. Tears freely flowed down the tiger's cheeks as she resumed singing.

So Incredible... the way things work themselves out...

And all emotional, once you know what it's all about babe...

And undesirable... for us to be apart...

Never would of made it very far...

Cause you know that you've got the keys to my heart

Cause...

One... you're like a dream come true

Two... just wanna be with you

Three...boy it's plain to see... that your the only one for me

Four.. .repeat steps one through three

Five... make you fall in love with me

If ever I believe my work is done... then I start Back at One...

Meanwhile back in the student barracks of the Jade Palace;

Po had been unable to sleep, kept awake by ever increasing romantic thoughts of him taking a certain feline kung fu warrior gently in his arms and giving the tiger a reason to purr. Long before he was proclaimed to be the Dragon Warrior by the ancient and wise Master Oogway, the kung fu loving panda was a huge fan of the Furious Five especially Master Tigress in particular. As far as he was concerned the female tiger was just as beautiful as she was deadly skilled at kung fu and what had begun as an innocent crush, had grown in to much deeper feelings since being named the Dragon Warrior and defeating Tai Lung. However the giant panda was unsure if it was even possible for a hardened warrior such as herself to even to feel the same way that he felt about her for him but he did know one thing, he wouldn't be able to keep it hidden from the tiger for much longer. Throwing the thin blanket off him, the panda sat up and quietly opening his bedroom doors as to not wake the other master's, closed the doors just as quietly and avoiding the squeaking floorboards of the hallway made his was toward the kitchen for a light snack and glass of water. Hearing a heavenly voice singing somewhere off in the distance, just as he was about to enter the kitchen, a few minutes later, the Dragon Warrior forgot all about what he had come to get and went to locate the source of the beautiful singing instead.

Back with Tigress, at the Sacred Peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom;

Tears continued to roll down the master of tiger style cheeks, tears of happiness this time as she remembered how safe and warm the feline felt in his arms as Po hugged her after she had helped him out of the water following Lord Shen's defeat once and for all. The warm and fuzzy feelings she felt well up inside her chest when ever he was around especially when he had swam over to check on her, after the peacock had used his cannons to clear the entrance to Gongmen City harbor from its urban river and she had pushed him out of the way because the tiger could not bare the thought of losing her sweet panda for a second time. Closing her eyes the warrior poured all of her heart and soul in to the last verse of the song, belted it out for all the Valley of Peace to hear her lonely maiden's melody.

Say farewell to the dark of night... I see the coming of the sun...

I feel like a little child... whose life has just begun...

You came and breathed new life

Into this lonely heart of mine...

You threw out the life line... just in the Nick of Time...

One... you're like a dream come true

Two... just wanna be with you

Three...boy it's plain to see... that your the only one for me... boy and...

Four... repeat steps one through three

Five... make you fall in love with me

If ever I believe my work is done... then I start Back at One.

Having followed the voice back to the singer, on the rocky outcrop that the Sacred Peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom grew on, Po's eyes grew wide when he saw that it was none other than, Tigress. The panda had no idea that the feline could sing, let alone had such a beautiful voice to sing with.

"Tigress, that was amazing I didn't know that you could sing, let alone have the beautiful voice of an angel. I mean just wow, is there anything that you can't do and be prefect at it," the tiger heard a voice compliment her from really close by.

Turning on the balls of her foot paws, Tigress got in to her fighting stance but relaxed when she saw that it was just her sweet panda and smiled warmly at him. Returning the felines smile with one of his own however it was quickly replaced by an expression of concern when he noticed the moist tear streaks that dampened her cheeks. Walking toward the master of tiger style, Po embraced her in a one armed hug with his left arm while he gently wiped the last fringes of tears away from his secret lover eyes with his raised right paw. Seeing her like this caused the panda to experience pain far worse than any physical injury, could ever possibly hope to inflict upon him. Leaning in to the palm of her sweet panda's right paw as her tenderly caressed her left cheek after weeping the last of her tears away, the feline allowed a very noticeable purr to rumble from her throat as the two warriors eyes locked with one another's.

"Kitt…I mean Tigress," Po said catching himself before the affectionate pet name that he had for his secret love could slip out completely, knowing how much it agitated the tiger, "What are doing out here and at this hour too, shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I could be asking you the same thing, Po," Tigress said giggling softly at the way her sweet panda had caught himself mid thought, "You were just about to call me, kitten, weren't you?"

"Um…yyeeess," the panda answered drawing out his answer before cringing expecting the feline to punch him for even thinking it but when it did not come relaxed his face and stared down at the tiger, "Aren't you going to punch me, for even considering it?"

"Funnily enough, Po, I am ok with that word as long as its you that's calling me it, everyone else not so much and especially not our enemies," Tigress said beginning to get lost in the depths of the panda's bright jade green eyes, "As for why I'm out here, I could not sleep and had thought that maybe some mediation would help my relax."

"So, kitten, who's the lucky guy that caused you to break out in to song?" Po asked in a slightly nervous tone, knowing that whom ever it was they were extremely lucky to have Tigress' love and sighted heavily knowing that there was very little chance, that he could ever be that lucky.

"Does this answer your question, my sweet Dragon Warrior," Tigress growled wrapping her arms around the panda's neck and lacing the fingers of both her paws together, before pulling her head away from the palm of Po's right paw.

Leaning toward one another without even realizing it, the panda and tiger slowly inched ever closer together. Tilting their heads to either side slightly as their noses touched, a few moments later, the two warriors both closed their eyes as their lips met in a gentle kiss. Purring even more loudly as they kissed, Tigress could have cared less if the two of them were completely different species, she absolutely loved the panda even with all of his faults and knew with all her heart that she had found the mate that she had secretly longed for all these years. Rubbing her cheek over Po's after they broke apart for air, five minutes later, the feline tenderly licked him upon the very same cheek before resting her head on front of the panda's chest. Wrapping his arms around Tigress' hips, a few moments later, he felt her snuggle even deeper against his chest and just knew that it meant she felt safe and protected there.

"It was me, wasn't it?" Po asked even though he already had a pretty good idea of what the felines answer was going to be, just by her actions.

"Yes, it is, my sweet panda," Tigress' slightly muffled voice answered back while she adjusted where her head lay, so that she could gaze in to the eyes of her lover with her own yellow and amber ones, "For a while now, ever since you defeated Tai Lung I guess, when ever you are around me I just feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside and find it easier to smile than I do with the rest of the five or even Shifu, for that matter. But it really become apparent to me just how much I cared about you, by how powerless I felt when I though that cannon blast had killed you. I had never felt so weak in my entire life, it did not even get my attention when Monkey looked to me for reassurance that you would have wanted us keep fighting, when it was clear we were soundly beaten."

"I wouldn't lie to you, kitten, that trip was certainly harder on the two of us, than the others," Po said lightly stroking his paws over the tiger's lower back tentatively, unsure of how she would react to the semi-intimate gesture, "You could not imagine how long that I have wanted to say these words to you, Tigress, I love you."

"I love you too, Po," Tigress said pressing her body against the panda's as she her lovers fingers slid over the back of her red silk vest and for the first time in her life, since Shifu had adopted her from Bao Gu, felt truly happy, "You know, I already have a pet name for you also."

"Really, kitten, what is it?" Po asked curious to know what it could possibly be.

"Do you promise me, that you wouldn't laugh?" Tigress asked back, feeling slightly nervous over being so intimately close with the man she dearly loved yet blissfully happy at the same time.

"I promise, kitten," Po said freely stroking his paws slowly up and down the felines back since she seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was.

"Its dumpling, my pet name for you is dumpling," Tigress said lightly nuzzling the side of his neck, "It sort of came to me one night as I was watching you, pour your heart and soul, in to the delicious meal that you were preparing for us and it just seemed fitting since you like to cook so much. You think its weird, don't you."

"Naw, I think its kind of cute that you already had a pet name for me just like the way I already had one for you," Po said resting his head on top of hers gently, "Now its getting pretty late, kitten, don't you think we should be returning to the barracks."

"Yeah we probably should, if we stay out here much longer it will be morning before we know it and god knows what the rest of the Five will think especially Mantis, not to mention Shifu," Tigress said enjoying the feeling of being in her lovers arms and never wanting to ever leave there comforting warmth again, "And just between us, I think they have suspected that there has been something romantic going on between us ever since we returned from Gongmen City when nothing has been, up until now that is. The funny thing is that I came out here because I could not sleep and now I feel like I could fall asleep right here, embraced in your strong yet gentle arms, dumpling."

"I'm feeling kind of sleepy myself, kitten, come on lets get back inside before it gets any later or we just might fall asleep right here, underneath the branches of the Peach tree of Heavenly Wisdom in our lovers embrace," Po said returning his paws to their original pace upon the felines lower back and interlocking their fingers.

"Yes, dumpling, lets," Tigress agreed with her monochrome lover yet was deeply reluctant to leave his comforting presence for any length of time but knew that if she wanted to gain Shifu's approval of their relationship then it was unavoidable, at least until the couple had his approval, "Not that I'm totally against that wonderful idea, my love, but maybe we should wait until we have my Baba's approval before giving it a try."

Lifting their heads from where they gently rested one atop of the other, the now unofficially dating warriors shared a passionate kiss. Breaking their embrace as they broke the kiss, a few moments later, the panda and tiger wrapped an arm around the others back and began to descend the stairs back toward the training hall. Carefully avoiding the squeaky floorboards in the hallway outside of the student quarters, a short time later, they tenderly kissed one last time before bidding the other goodnight. Smiling as they glanced back over their shoulder as they quietly opened the doors of their rooms, both knew in their hearts that no matter what obstacles life put in there way the couple would face it together and persevere; the first possible barrier to there blossoming relationship was Tigress' adoptive father and the Jade Palace's current Grand Master, Master Shifu. Quietly closing their adjacent facing bedroom doors behind them, a few moments later, Po and Tigress crawled back under the covers of their futons and both fell in to a deep restful sleep the moment their heads touched their pillows.

This intailly was just only going to be a one-shot but after I reached the end of the Song-fic I decided to expand on the original idea, more chapters will follow. Please R&R All opinions welcome.