I do not own Kung Fu Panda, the characters, dialogue, names, or concepts.

CHAPTER ONE

The Choosing

Her heart would have been pounding, if she hadn't mastered any kung-fu warrior's most vital asset of internal calm – and really, really deep breathing.

She had no reason to be out of breath. She hadn't even begun to demonstrate her skill fighting the iron ox and his blades of death, when Oogway raised a hand.

But the hush that had fallen over the courtyard of the Jade Palace was enough to tempt her nerves on edge. With a nod from her Master Shifu, she lead the others into line. She snuck a quick glance to watch her four comrades dart to their places, and then stood absolutely still.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace," Shifu announced. "Master Oogway will now choose The Dragon Warrior."

There was a hushed buzz as Oogway slowly descended the stairs toward them. She tried to slow her racing thoughts with another deep breath. She was right where she belonged. Here, and now. Whoever he chose, she would be content – because whoever he chose, that master would become the Dragon Warrior – and, perhaps, finally bring contentment to Master Shifu. If Shifu was happy, so would she be. But she didn't deny to herself that in her heart, she yearned to be the one to finally bring him joy.

She was not Tai Lung. She could never be.

She would be better. The one Shifu got right.

She wanted to empty her mind in a familiar meditative practice, but in this moment, this one moment that she had been waiting for since childhood, this one moment that would define the rest of her life, she found that she couldn't. Her tail twitched gently. She couldn't stop herself from remembering the faces of the children who had shunned her, of the would-be parents who ignored her, and every other being in the Valley who cheered for her from a distance but kept her at arm's length when up close. All of them – except for Shifu, her Master, who had chosen her.

Shifu had dedicated his life to the Dragon Scroll. He himself had trained with the hope of one day attaining it. Then he trained Tai Lung to be everything he couldn't, and when Tai Lung failed – he chose her. And later she – albeit at the time unknowingly - chose her four comrades and became the leader of the Furious Five. She would not fail him. This time, he would fulfil his destiny, and she would fulfil hers. This time, she would be feared only by their enemies, and revered by all who had witnessed this day. This time, she would be chosen for all time.

She could feel it in her bones. A small smile came to her lips and her heartbeat steadied. Oogway had finally stepped onto the courtyard, listening only to the Universe as he moved with its rhythm.

And it was moving him closer and closer to her.

She dared not look up at Shifu. This was the moment she had been training for – the moment she had been waiting for her whole life. This was not pride – this was the fulfillment of a prophecy, this was a student finally about to make her beloved master proud. She took one more deep breath, as Oogway stood before them and –

The palace wall blew up.

At least, that's what it sounded like.

She turned to see fireworks exploding from behind the wall - and then – it looked like the flaming tail of an enormous dragon, a massive white ball of fire erupting and speeding up into the sky.

The crowd around them oohed and aahed as it grew, blasting colors and flames in a beautiful star above them. It was so bright she almost had to squint - And just as suddenly as it began, the light came soaring toward – no, a large blob flailing from the source was falling down to the courtyard –

Oogway didn't seem to notice the spectacle at all, he was so deep in tune with the Universe… He just kept walking towards her. She would have to do something – she looked up. For a brief moment, she had the strange thought that the falling blob looked like a Taijitu symbol – no, the blob wasn't just a blob, it was something – someone enormous – and it was screaming. Tigress immediately took a defensive stance, one arm held back ready to strike and the other extended. Was it some villain come to the palace to attack –

And then the animal smashed to the ground right in front of her feet before she could even finish forming the question.

She stepped closer, still on guard. Crane, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis gathered around it too, just as startled as she was. They looked at this enormous mountain of an animal. It was a giant panda – and totally unconscious, sprawled after having crashed on its stomach with its tongue lolling out. What was this - ?

She was still preparing for any kind threat from this gigantic fluffy bear so she hardly noticed when Oogway took one more step, lowered his claw, and opened his eyes.

The panda started to blink. "Wha…" she watched as it gazed, unfocused, first at Mantis, at Viper and Monkey, then at Crane, and then at her… and then at Master Oogway's outstretched claw. "Where you pointing…" it mumbled dazedly.

There was no controlling her inner state of calm now. Her heart was pounding. Master Oogway was pointing…

"Ooh!" The panda exclaimed. "Okay! Sorry." He scooched away from him, holding up an apologetic paw. "I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was."

Tigress finally lowered her stance. This was a new level of disrespect – practically blowing yourself up as a spectacle in front of the entire valley, interrupting the most important ceremony in living memory just to say you were there when it happened? This was self-absorption at its highest – but for all his idiocy, the pudgy panda was no threat.

And it looked like he was about to get his wish anyway… the Dragon Warrior was about to be chosen. Still pointed in her direction, Oogway's claw raised again as the panda stood up to get out of their way.

"How interesting…" Oogway whispered, gazing at the bear.

Patience was a virtue she had practiced for twenty years. But it was one she was willing to let go of right now. "Master, are - are you pointing at me?" she said carefully, stepping forward.

"Him!" Oogway said.

She blinked. Sure enough, as the panda moved aside, Oogway's claw followed – and it followed again when he shifted to stand in front of her.

Him…?

"Who?" the panda said.

Wait… this round, lardy, smelly panda, was…?

"You!" Oogway said, and smiled.

"Me?!"

Tigress backed away. She could feel her cheeks heating up as her heart continued to race. This is what she got for assuming Master Oogway's intentions… but still, it couldn't be that…

Oogway stepped forward. He announced for the whole Valley to hear: "The Universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" And he raised the panda's paw with his staff.

"What?" the panda's eyes went as wide as rice bowls.

"What?!" her comrades exclaimed.

As a warrior and master, Tigress often strove for a cool, undisturbed demeanor in the face of any challenge. But today she growled. This fat, self-inflated panda… was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior?

"What!" Shifu exclaimed.

Tigress looked up. Master Shifu…

Then the palace servant pig rang the bell, and the entire Valley cheered as the band erupted into joyous music and confetti fell from the rooftops.

No… No, no, no… this couldn't be happening… This was some horrible mistake… She felt Viper's eyes shift to glance at her, but she couldn't meet them. Twenty years of her life training until her bones thickened, her skin hardened, and her life altered until she lived and breathed kung-fu for Shifu, her master, all to make him proud and bring him joy, as she had promised herself to do ever since he had rescued her… and all to disappoint him when it mattered the most.

It felt like the ground had fallen from under her feet… but Crane met her eyes, turned to face Master Oogway and the panda, and bowed. And Tigress followed suit.

Only when she heard Shifu's agitated tones did she sneak a glance up. He was gesticulating wildly at Oogway as the pigs and geese marched the panda up to the palace stairs in the ornate sedan chair until it couldn't handle his weight anymore – it snapped, and he totally fell through.

This was unbelievable.

After the palace servants somehow managed to carry him away, she looked up at her fellow masters to find that they were already looking at her, holding their breaths. Her heart dropped, and she felt an awful lump form in her throat. Shame crawled its way to her face in the form of another flush – shame for herself, for her comrades, for… Tears might have crept to her eyes too, if she hadn't taken another deep breath, given them a nod, and turned toward Master Shifu, whose back was to them.

She inhaled. "Forgive us, Master." She closed her eyes and lowered herself, bowing. "We have failed you."

"No."

She looked up as Master Shifu turned. Was he…

"If the panda has not quit by morning," he said with firm resolve, "then I will have failed you."

She felt more water spring to her eyes and bowed again to hide her face. They would not let this… imposter steal everything they had worked for, everything they had fought for their entire lives, right from under their noses. Master Shifu would not allow such a dishonor to any of them. And soon she would be able to prove to him and to everyone that she had not been chosen in vain.