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    "you're balance is off, Tiffany." Shifu said below me. he had me on a rope above him in the training room. there was no net, so I was nervous.
    "I'm doing fine!" I said as I tried to balance but the rope was swaying side to side.
    "says the one going to fall..."
    "bite me!" I said before I fell on the floor. "too late, the floor took care of that."
    Shifu raised my arm and put his mouth close to my hand. I felt the heat from his breath when he said, "next time, I will bite you." he dropped my arm.
    "more like gum me." I scoffed as I stood up.
    "oh? now I am old?" he smiled.
    "if the dentures fit..."
    "lets see how to do against a old man then." he positioned himself to fight. he came at me and I ducked. we never try our hardest when we are playing. I went for a kick but he blocked it and threw me at the wall. I leapt off of it. I ran to him when a big gust of wind threw the door open. it hit me in the face. "are you alright?"
    "is my nose bleeding?" I asked.
    "no, no. I think not."
    "darn it!"
    "what?"
    "I never had a nose bleed before. looks like today isn't the day."
    "of course, that must be horrible." he said sarcastically. suddenly I was out.
Shifu pov
    one moment me and my student were talking and then she was crushed under the same wagon of tools that threw out my back. I shook her, "Tiffany, wake up. are you alright?!?" she didn't budge. "its okay. I'm getting help." I picked her up like a bride, with her size it was awkward, and carried her inside. "Splinter, I need you!"
    he ran out and stared at me in shock. "what happened?"
    "the wagon knocked her out. we need to fix the loft floor."
    "bring her to the couch." I did as Splinter instructed. "I will get her book. get a damp cloth for her head." I did so and he came back. he opened Tiffany's doctor book. its the book full of information that she uses when we are sick and injured. "it says that she will come back to us in a while. it is only a bump. she has always been pretty thick skulled."
    "cant she still hear us?"
    "I suppose."
    it was now an hour later when we heard a knock at the door. me and Splinter looked at each other in concern. Splinter shook his head no. he turned the lights off. "package for Master Shifu!" a voice cried outside. Splinter shot me a glance. I put my hands up in defense. I didn't order anything so I didn't know why he was here or how he knew my name. "I know he is in there. now open the door." I looked back to my student. at the moment she was helpless, that means we must protect her. we got in our fighting stances. "fine, if you wont open the door, I will let myself in." there was a thump on the door. then another and another until the door flew off the hinges. dust cleared and I could believe me eyes. it was Tong Fo!
    "how did you find me?" I asked.
    "you know him?" Splinter asked.
    "yes, he does." Tong Fo told him. "we used to fight in China. I almost got his father and him, but then..."
    "we defeated you. why are you here? how did you find me?"
    "I have a friend who seen you here. Junjie was always reliable."
    "what do you want?"
    "you."
    "excuse me?" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple gem shaped as a flower. "the Jia-Li jewel! how did you find it?"
    "like I said, Junjie is a reliable source.'
    "what is it?" Splinter asked.
    "this is the gem of Jia-Li." my old foe told him. "you see, there was a beautiful woman named Jia-Li. she was good and pure. she healed the sick. one day, her father grew ill. she enchanted this gem to look in his mind and find the problem. she then found out she could control him. not wanting to danger her father, she locked it away. then Junjie gave it to me. in the wrong hands, this can control people's mind. in my hands, I can control Shifu."
    "you will not get the chance!"
    "I believe I will, Rat." he lunged at me but Splinter kicked him. he grabbed Splinter's leg and climbed up. he jumped off his back. I tossed him at the wall. he shook his head to clear it and stopped. something caught his eye. I looked at what he was staring at. I was horrified. he was eyeing Tiffany. "whos this?"
    "no one of your concern." I hissed. Splinter got in front of her.
    "heavy sleeper..."
    "yes... she is."
    "how did you get ahold of a human?"
    "none of you're concern."
    "fine then. so, what is she? a slave? a friend? a girl friend?"
    "of course not! she is a student!" I covered my mouth after I said that.
    "you're student? what a... gem."
    "you wont touch her!" I went at him but he leapt over me. Splinter managed to block him. Tong Fo kicked him so hard he flew and smacked the wall. he jumped up on her.
    "she is hurt? she is not sleeping! she will still do." he placed the gem on her head and a hand on her heart. there was a bright glow. "see you soon." he grinned.
    he ran out. "I will catch him!" Splinter said. "make sure she stays here."
    Splinter left. I walked up to her. she had a purple flower mark on her head. "what have I done?"
Tiffany pov
    I don't remember what happened but I woke up in a strange place. I was surrounded by green bamboo. "where am I?" I asked myself. I looked around and noticed it looked like a forest.
    "are you okay?" a woman's voice asked. I looked around more and seen a Tiger lady in a red shirt that had vines of gold on it, and black puffy pants. "you had a big fall."
    "I...did?"
    "yeah."
    "oh. where am I?"
    "our happy place for some reason."
    "your what?" I scoffed.
    "happy. place."
    "my bad."
    "no, something is wrong then. I'm getting the others."
    "others? where are they? what others?"
    "hey guys!" a small mantis popped out of no where and landed beside her. a crain in a hat and blue pants flew from the sky and landed on her other side. a snake with 2 flowers on her head slide past me and went beside her friends. a monkey in brown pants swung from the bamboo trees. then a big panda in patched shorts jumped from the sky. "we have a visitor for some reason. something must be wrong."
    "let me see." the mantis said. he got in my face. "black tight pants, black hoodie, Mohawk, steel toed boots... yep, shes not from here..."
    "I know that! we need to know why shes here."
    "maybe shes lost." the snake said.
    "something is odd about her. is that a tattoo?" the monkey asked.
    "what?" I asked. the monkey pointed to his head. I pulled out my phone and used it as a mirror. there was a purple flower on my head. "what the hell is that?!?"
    the tiger came closer and stared at me. her golden eyes were locked on m head. "I know this. the victim of the Jai-Li gem has this mark on their head until they are free. question is, who is her master..."
    "I don't know. I was training with my master and was knocked out. I don't even know how this happened."
    "maybe it knocked you out and you landed here." the panda offered.
    "why would I do that?" I asked.
    "maybe something is wrong and your spirit called out to us." the tiger said.
    "I don't even know you."
    "doesn't matter."
    "maybe Shifu would know." I said depressingly while standing up.
    "you... know Shifu?" she asked. she was at disbelief by the looks of it.
    "yes, he is my Master. he and another has been teaching me how to fight and defend myself. do you know him?"
    "we were his students. he is alive?"
    "yeah. if your-.... who are you?" my eyes met hers.
    "I am Tigress." she said. "this is Mantis, Crain, Viper, Monkey, and Po. who are you?"
    "Tiffany. this is such an honor. he talks about you all the time! I thought you were dead."
    "we are. this is our happy place, we are in the Valley of Peace."
    "am I dead?!?!"
    "no. you wouldn't be under the gem's spell if so."
     "how can I get back?"
    "I don't know. well, we'll have to wait and see if anything pops up."
    "what? that's you're plan?" Po asked. "maybe she can do something."
    "try focusing!" Viper suggested.
    "on what?"
    "home."
    "should I click my heels too?" I scoffed. "alright..." I was think about home and all I could see was Shifu and Splinter. "I think I hear something..." It was a voice I know. 'Tiffany, I'm so sorry. don't wake up yet. please... Tong Fo cant have you. you belong with us. not him. stay still, alive, but still. plea-' "its Shifu!"
    "Shifu?" Tigress asked. "what is he saying?"
    "stay still, don't wake up. I cant belong to Tong Fo. who is he?"
    "only the biggest problem right now. he is a villain. he must have the gem and her. when she got hit in the head it knocked her out. when he took over her mind she was brought here."
    "what do I do?"
    "stay here until we can fix it."
    "and do what?"
    "hang with us. we wont leave you here alone." Po said.
    "a-..alright..." I said defeated. I am now to trust a bunch of strangers.
    they took me to this amazing palace. I see why they call it the Jade Palace. everything was jade. they took me to the hall of heros. we sat near a big pool that was below a golden dragon gazing at us. "he used to sit here and meditate." Tigress whispered to me.
    "was he happy?" I asked.
    "very... is he happy now?"
    "most times. he has days when you all are on his mind. he likes to compare me to you. it kills me."
    "when you see him...tell him... we're happy and safe and that he should be too."
    "I will if I ever get back."
    "I looked at some scrolls and it says that a strong heart can break the spell." Mantis told us.
    "alright, Tiffany, just focus on not being his puppet." Po said.
    "a good will can break it too."
    "this should be easy for her then."
    "PO!" Tigress yelled. they all looked at me and I was twitching. "your stressing her out!"
    "sorry."
    "Tiffany, I don't know what to say..."
    I stood up. "I just need a strong heart and will." I said as I walked out. I walked until I seen a stone path. it lead to a tree on a hill. I followed it. turns out, it was a peach tree. "Shifu...Splinter...I-...I'm lost. I don't know what to do. please... help me." I plead. "what do I do? you never taught me how to fix this! please...answer me...ANSWER ME!!!...I'm scared..."
    "that's why were here for you." I turned around and seen Po. "he liked this spot too. not as much as I do, but-"
    "should I take my leave then?"
    "no. I meant... so... some day."
    "what do I do?"
    "I don't know."
SHIFU POV
    Splinter came back. "I lost him."
    "what?!?"
    "you seem to know him best. what do we do?"
    "he has to come for her soon. we need to tie her down. if she wakes up while under his spell, she could prove deadly. her mind is gone. she wont know us."
    "fine then." we took her to the training hall and tied her to a post. "are you sure this is needed?"
    "I am afraid so."
    "what can we do?"
    "we need to find him. stay here. its my turn to look for him."
TIFFANY POV
    me and the others were at the pool in the hall again thinking. "if he comes close to you, it will act up. he must have left the house since you seem fine." Monkey said.
    "how will we know when he is close to my body?"
    "I... don't know."
    "of course."
    "its not all hopeless."
    "I guess..."
    "you'll see."
    "why did you bring me back in here? its depressing."
    "we need to talk about this." Tigress said.
    "I thought we were going to wait and see what happens.."
    "we are. but we need to find out how to break this."
    "maybe, I need to focus and check in on my world."
    "whats the point? they cant help now. this is up to you."
    "I know. but, I don't know what I'm doing.'
    "we all don't."
    "hey! maybe if she washes her head it will come off." Po said.
    "I don't think it works like that."
    "worth a try."
    "I swear, if you-" before I could finish, he pushed me in. heres the thing... I cant swim. I was trying to keep my head above the water but I sank. Tigress pulled me out. after getting the water out of my throat, I glared at him. "what the hell is you're problem?!?"
    "sorry."
    "are you okay?" Viper asked.
    "I think so." I assured her. "I cant swim."
    "we noticed." Mantis said.
    "another thing I cant do..."
    "you know something? you seem hard on yourself." Crain said.
    "you need to-" Mantis was cut off.
    "maybe if she finds the spell she can break it! part of her head is here now. the spell is in her head so it should be out in the open. if she finds it, she can break it!" Po said.
    "that is-" Tigress started. "a good idea..."
    "he had a good idea?" Mantis asked.
    "he had a good idea." Monkey confirmed.
    "how will I know what it looks like?" I asked.
    "it will look abnormal." Viper told me.
    "that helps. should we-"
    "no! not now. you heard Master Shifu. wait here. keep checking in though." Tigress told me.
    "you told me not to."
    "and I changed my mind. you're head is the one thing that is the connection of this world and yours. you can tell us what he is saying."
    "but I cant talk back."
    "I know. but if he says something important, then you can tell us."
    "if you think it is best..."
    "I do. come on. if your staying here then you need a room."
SHIFU POV
    I ran through the woods looking for that monster. I seen nothing. I could give up. I promised that I would protect her. I will not lose her. not to Tong Fo.
TIFFANY POV
    I was now alone at the tree again. I didn't want to stay there. they are nice but it is not my home. "Shifu, I have no idea if you can hear me. I can hear you though...it's different... your not here to tell me what I can do, I have to trust a bunch of strangers, I guess I have to find this thingy, I don't even know if I cant do it. what if I wake up? I don't want to hurt you or Splinter. what if it effects me here? I don't want to hurt anyone. not... Tigress... "
    "what about the others?" I heard a voice say.
    "Po, I think we need a no sneaking up on me rule." I turned and seen Tigress. "oh, Master Tigress! what are you- hi..."
    "are you okay?"
    "no. I don't want to hurt anyone but I don't want to stay here."
    "maybe you don't have to. your visiting so you wont hurt anyone."
    "I don't want to hurt you though!"
    "you wont. I am a master. I can handle you." we were quite. "I have a goal. it is to make you a better warrior for Shifu. you are going to learn more things here so when you go back, you wont need him as much."
    "so, I'm not good enough?"
    "your fine, but your not like us. we knew the basics as kids. I am trying to teach you that so when you come to he can teach you more things."
    "why?"
    "hes... my dad. I have to try and help him. if you go back knowing more then you do now you can fight Tong Fo."
    "alright...whats first?"
Splinter POV
    I was all alone with my friend. I was speaking to her. she would not answer me though. I know she could not. I still remained, I know she could hear me. "My Dear, I know you can hear me. I know you are there. I am here for you. I know you. you would not hurt a single soul. you can break this. I have faith in you. I know we will be reunited again. you never quit."
TIFFANY POV
    I snapped out of meditation while panting. "what did you see?" Tigress asked.
    "nothing. I heard Splinter...he... believes in me. haha who knew?"
    "I see why."
    "that's where you guys been hiding?" Po asked as he walked to us.
    "I'm always in the training hall." she said emotionless. "how is that a surprise?"
    "well,... shes here too."
    "we were meditating."
    "well, stop. we have an idea. we should look for the thing!"
    "what?!? we need to keep her here until Shifu-"
    "he cant tell us anything anymore. knowing Shifu, he may have Tong Fo already."
    "what if he doesn't?"
    "then-"
    "she will hurt him."
    "and the Splinter guy."
    "exactly!"
    "guys?" they looked at me. "I think we should at least know the location. just in case."
    "if... if you think its best..." the tiger said defeated.
    "where do we look?"
    "split up?" he offered.
    "fine then. me and Tiffany will look here. you can look in the kitchen."
    "Tigress," he started. "that's only a little funny." I rolled my eyes.
    "please stop it. she needs to look inside of herself to find it. its her mind. if she finds it in there then she can find it out here."
    "how do I do that?" I asked.
    "what do you think?"
    "meditation?"
    "sounds like a start."
    "alright. what do I do?"
    "first, you must get past the 7 chakras. if you do that then you can look deep inside of yourself and find anything. you can become one with the world. this world and yours."
    "wow..."
    "you might even be able to talk with Shifu!...and Splinter..."
    "then how do I start?!?"
    "well, you have to get over your fear."
    "how can I? I cant become unafraid over hurting my loved ones. I-...I-..."
    "you have to let it go. the only thing it will do is hold you back."
    "how do I feel about it then?"
    "you feel that it should not happen. you cant be afraid of yourself."
    I closed my eyes and focused. "nothing can change you. you may be under that monster's spell but you can fight it. your not bad. you are good. you may have evil thoughts but you will never act on them. you are a hero. a hero!" I said to myself.
    "you are a hero."
    "I...am...hero..." I gave a deep sigh.
    "do you believe it?"
    "I maybe have bad thoughts but I will never act on them. ever... I am a hero. my masters trust me so I should too."
    "exactly."
    "whats next?"
    "well, you cant feel guilty. think about what makes you feel guilty."
    "me? I-..."
    "what? what did you do that makes you feel guilty?"
    "I shamed my father. I was depressed and I tried to kill myself. if I was only stronger then my father would love me."
    "why do you think he doesn't?"
    "he hit me and so did my sister. he never did anything about it. I was never good enough."
    "if he doesn't like you for who you are then you should focus on those who care about you. Shifu cares. if your father is too blind to see the good things you have then that his fault. you deserve better then that."
    "I do?"
    "of course. you have others that care about you. like your masters. who needs the ones who hate you when you can be surrounded by those who love you."
    "your right!"
    "I know. now, about that shame."
Splinter pov
    I feel it. there is something changing with in you. you are changing before my eyes and you are not even moving. I wonder what is happening to you. I can tell you are not alone. you are with someone. you are with friends. but who are they. it does not matter. when you wake, when you are free, then you can tell me.
Tiffany pov
    after going through many chakras, I have become emotionally tired. I was relieved when we came to the last one. "there is only one left. it is the one that you will most likely hate..."
    "why?"
    "you have to detach yourself from earthly possessions. including your masters..."
    "what?!?! but I thought they were the ones I-"
    "I know. but if you're only concerns are them and not the battle, you could lose."
    "are you sure this is the only way?" she nodded. "but I'm in love with one of them."
    "Shifu hasn't been much of a-"
    "not him."
    "this Splinter guy then?" I nodded. "you have to let go."
    "I-I...cant. I cant let him go! he is everything to me. he is my entire world! how can I possibly do that?!? he is my heart, soul, and mind. I cant."
    "you must. imagine if you lost and died. you would lose him. to protect him, you must let go."
    I thought about it for a moment. "alright... lets get this over with..."
    "alright then. focus. think about them. they are the ones who love most, the ones you would die for. now let it flow through you. its warming your very heart. now... let it go..."
    "just let go... I-"
    "just. let go..."
    "let go." I opened my eyes to a tiger staring at me. my flower began to glow. "is he near me?!?"
    "no. that's all you. your becoming stronger in the heart. its something that can break that spell."
    "how can I break it? I'm not strong enough yet."
    "but you are getting stronger. good work."
    "thank you."
    "now, I need you to focus. do you think you can get ahold of Shifu?"
    "I don't know. I will try." I closed my eyes and tried to see Shifu. Shifu, are you there? its Tiffany. can you hear me? please, Shifu, I need you. answer me! "I don't think he can hear me."
    "what? but, you- did you do it right?"
    "I think so."
     "then why cant he- can you see your body?"
    "should I?"
    "kinda."
    "alright. let me see if I can." I focused on me now. an image started to come. "I think I see something." it was a blur at first. when it cleared, I could see it was Splinter near me. "its Splinter!"
    "ask him where Shifu is."
    "alright. I will try." Splinter, can you hear me? I need to know where Shifu is. Tigress wont shut up about him.
    "excuse me?" I heard his voice.
    "where. is. Shifu?"
    "he is out... how are we talking?"
    "I opened the chakras and now I can talk to you with my brain I guess. I don't know, something about focus."
    "well, first, I am proud of you. second, he has been trying to catch a man called Tong Fo."
    "I know who he is. he is the one who cast that spell on me with that gem."
    "you did hear us."
    "yeah... when will he be back?"
    "later, I hope."
    "I have to go. someone is getting a little cranky. see you soon."
    "wait, My Dear,-"
    I left the conversation. "so, Shifu is looking for Tong Fo."
    "oh darn it."
    "but we can wait. lets look for tha-"
    "no! we need to keep you safe. if you get hurt here, you will be hurt out there!"
    "I-"
    "we need you."
    "more like you need me."
    "what?"
    "I know what you have been going. you were trying to use me to get ahold of Shifu. you don't care about me. just talking to your master. I cant blame you. but, using me is hurtful."
    "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK-"
    "you never mention Splinter. it has always been about Shifu." I stood up and walked to the door. "thank you. but I need to leave. I am going to find that spell and break it. I cant stay and be your cell phone. I have to go home." I left with closing the door. after stepping a few steps away from the door, I heard her steps come closer. I then ran. I couldn't let her hold me back. I had to find a way home.
Shifu pov
    I failed her. I could not find her puppet master. I stepped in the door when Splinter ran over to me. "Tiffany... she spoke to me."
    "she woke up?"
    "no, she spoke to me telepathically."
    "but, how? we never-"
    "she told me that someone named Tigress will not stop talking about you and that she has learned her chakras. she has learned it without us."
    "Tigress? how does she know her?'
    "she did not explain."
    "this is... great! I can learn what happened to my students. I can find out if my family is okay!"
    "what about her?"
    "who?"
    "Tiffany." Splinter said. his eyebrows where pointed down. I forgot about her. she is my student too but I need to know. "what about her?"
    "we will wait. Tong Fo will return for her."
    "what do we do?"
    "fight and protect. try to find him and I will keep watch."
Tiffany pov
    I ran to the kitchen to find the others. "we are leaving to find the spell!"
    "finally!" Po shouted.
    "didn't Tigress say-" Viper started.
    "she is not the boss of me." I scoffed.
    "shes gonna be pretty mad." Mantis added.
    "I don't care. I cant wait for my masters this time. I have to settle this on my own. but I need your help. how do we find such a thing?" I asked.
    "walk around and look for something abnormal."
    "easier said then done. I'm in a happy place, who knows whats abnormal here?"
    "I do. its you." a voice said.
    "don't be a brat." I said. I turned around and seen Tigress.
    "I mean. its inside you. but not out here. you find it with focus and it will show. then you can defeat it."
    "wait, it was inside me the entire time? I thought it was out here!"
    "no. just in you. this is our heads. not yours. its going to be in you alone."
    "why didn't you tell me I was a walking time bomb?!?"
    "because I-...your the only one. your the only one that can talk to your world. I needed you to talk to Shifu. I just needed to tell him some things."
    "you could have just told me instead of lying to me."
    "I'm sorry..."
    "how do I summon it?"
    "with focus, strength, and heart."
    "you know, I keep hearing that but I still don't understand."
    "we could just let her stay." Po said. "come on, I already made us a new theme song. it includes her. it goes: straight from the-"
    "no! it will happen when it happens." Tigress said.
Shifu's pov
    I was watching our student when I was tapped on the shoulder. I looked behind me and found no one. I turned back around and gasped. she was gone. I got in my fighting stance. she was up. but how did she escape? I heard laughter but it wasn't feminine. it was deeper. something knocked me to the ground. I got up and faced my attacker. Tong Fo was holding Tiffany. since she was bigger, he held her in the bridal position. the flower mark on her head only grew brighter and brighter. I was in trouble.
Tiffany's pov
    I was freaking out. this stupid mark was glowing very bright. "what do I do? it wont stop!"
    "relax. I'm sure you're masters have everything under control." Po tried to assure.
    I felt a strong headache coming on. I fell to my knees and held my head in my hands. "ugh. I feel strange..."
    "don't fight it!" Tigress said. "this may be the key to the spell."
    "alright."
Shifu's pov
    "just put her down. no one has to get hurt. all you have to do is leave and stay gone." I told him.
    "that's exactly what I plan to do." he lunged at me with my student still in his arms. I couldn't risk hurting her so I jumped to avoid the crash. I held on to a supporting beam while looking down to him. "its just that easy." he started walking to the door. I ran across the beams and closed the door with my tail. he looked up. I jumped down in front of him. "this human must be worth something to you if you keep fighting. question is, what is her importance?"
    "put her down."
    "I know she is human but there are more of them around here. does she know something? can she do something? or, is it that you cant stand to have another student die on you're hands?"
    "this fight is for us alone. why include her?"
    "because, I came here to control you but seeing her I thought how she could be controlled and fight you. once defeated, I could take you back to China. you wont believe the bounty there is for you among the criminal vindicates."
    "this is all for money?"
    "that and the shock value."
    "what if this worked? what could you possibly want with her then?"
    "nothing. but, considering where we are, humans are scarce. she could fetch a nice price in the slave market. even the groups including...what do they call it here?... ah yes, pimps is it? not much to look at but I'm sure even this can provide a good time at the right price."
    I snarled and attacked.
Tiffany's pov
    not a moment ago a big purple flower popped out of my head and landed in front of us. it was a glowing purple flower at 8 feet tall. the stem was in 4 so it made it appear to have legs and arms. it was kind of cartoony if you thought about it. Tigress ran after it with her claws out and attempted to push it back but it didn't move. she went through it. Mantis went to attack its pressure points but he went through too. "we cant touch it!" Crane complained.
    "PO!!!" Tigress pushed him out of the way of a flying boulder. they were safe at the moment. Po threw pebbles at it but they went through.
    "how do we fight something we cant touch?" he asked.
    "carefully."
    Crane flew high in the air and circled above the flower beast. it kept it's 'eyes' on him. slowly the thing stepped back until he tripped backwards. he got back up. Viper tried to whip her tail but no luck. it went through. Monkey appeared out of no where and went to kick it. it took an arm and wrapped it around him. Monkey was thrown at me. I dodged him. "great, it can touch us." I groaned. I ran to it and tried to cut it with my scissors but no dice. it completely ignored me and went for Tigress. she never seen it coming. it threw her the ceiling. her back hit the dragons face and she landed in the pool underneath it. "NOOOOOO!!!!!" I ran to her. after pulling her out I just sat there with her in my arms. "I'm sorry, I don't know what to do. even after you're help, I still cant fight it. we cant win."
    "we can too. focus. you maybe thinking about the wrong thing. try to think about other ways of harming it." she suggested.
    "maybe we cant harm it because its not a person. we are fighting a spell, a thing, not a person."
    "true... tell me, do you even care about you're masters?"
    "what? of course I do!"
    "why?"
    "well, their my best friends. hell, their my family. I would be dead with out them. I owe them my life."
    "and Splinter?"
    "I-..."
    "tell me."
    "I love him."
    "how much?"
    "I would die for him. why are you asking these weird questions?"
    "your head." I noticed it was glowing. "a strong heart..." I set her down and walked over to the monster.
    "I wont do it!" I shouted. "I wont hurt anyone! do you hear me? I have spent to much of my life being the bad guy. no more! I refuse to hurt the ones I love. I am not that monster I was before. do you hear me? I am not bad. I WILL NOT HURT ANYONE EVER AGAIN!!!!"
Shifu's pov
        we had ceased our fighting when we seen something remarkable. her glowed brighter and brighter until it vanished. "what? what did you do?" Tong Fo snarled.
    "I didn't do anything. it takes a strong heart to break it. that's what is special about her. she has a strong heart."
    "but I still win." he brought the gem to her head. "if she keeps fighting it then the gem will kill her of stress. either that or I slice her neck out."
    her eyes fluttered open. "is that so?" I asked. her eyes went wide then vicious. I had to keep his attention. "what makes you think you can do such a thing with me protecting her? even if she doesn't need it."
    she grabbed his neck and threw him across the room. he hit the wall then stared at her. "Tong Fo, this ends here." she said as she stood up. her voice was deep now. I never heard her speak that way. it reminded me of Tigress. she picked up the gem near her and threw it to the ground. it shattered.
    "what-... why did you do that?!?" Tong Fo asked.
    "distract him." she told me. that fact she said it so bluntly shocked me. I lunged at him. punch after punch he kept backing up. once against the wall, I tripped him. he rolled himself to the center of the room. he picked up a shard from the gem and came at me. the run was short lived however, because Tiffany put a crate over him. she sat on the box while he shook it. she put it right side up and closed it. "nice work." she smiled.
    "you too. are you okay?"
    "now I am."
    "good. now, what do we do with him?"
    "I was thinking jail. write a note explaining what happened and ship him to... that jail in China."
    "I am a person!" Tong Fo argued.
    "but were the better ones. you tried to control me!"
    "it... was a joke."
    "sure it was."
    it was later in the evening when I knocked on Tiffany's bedroom door. "Splinter just left to ship out Tong Fo."
    "alright." she answered. her tone wasn't happy like it should be. it sounded... depressed.
    "Tiffany?" I opened her door. she was sitting on her couch. she has her knees to her chest and her face in her arms. "are you alright?" she nodded. "whats the matter?" she shook her head. something must have gone wrong because she is silent. she is usually a very bubbly person for a Goth. I got on the couch and stood in front of her. now our heights were matched. "what happened?" she looked at me and it broke my heart. her eyes were red and glazed over. her cheeks and nose matched her eyes. she was crying. "why are you crying? you did it. you defeated Tong Fo."
    "I know." her voice cracked. "its just-... Shifu, why do you stay with me?"
    "will... you are my student."
    "why bother with me? I'm nothing like Po or the five."
    "what makes you say that?"
    "I met them."
    "Splinter told me."
    "I guess my spirit called out to them for guidance and I ended up in their happy place. I seen them fight and they were amazing. Tigress was so strong and wise. she did try to use me as a phone but her heart was in the right place. she told me to tell you that they are okay and happy and that you should be too. but how can you be when I fail you?"
    "you have done no such thing. look at yourself. you defeated Junjie and Tong Fo. they are master criminals in China. all because you don't think you match up to the best doesn't mean your not. you have talent. you do have things that hold you back but you proved to me that you have the one thing that every kung fu master needs. you have a strong heart. I am proud."
    what she did next, it shocked me to say the least. she had her arms armed around me and pulled me to her lap and against her. she had her face in my shoulder. "I was so scared. I thought that I would hurt someone because I didn't have you to guide me. I felt so alone..."
    I put my hand on her cheek. "you weren't though. you had friends on the other side. they helped you."
    "I know." her tears were going through my shirt but I didn't mind. this was the first time I have ever seen her cry like this, let alone talk about her feelings. "I thought I was going to become a monster."
    "I highly doubt you would. I have faith in you and so does Splinter."
    "what if I do become one? I don't want to fall in my old habits and use you're teachings for bad."
    "believe me, you wont. my master once told a student of mine something."
    "what?"
    "yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. that is why they call it the present."

Description

    "you're balance is off, Tiffany." Shifu said below me. he had me on a rope above him in the training room. there was no net, so I was nervous.
    "I'm doing fine!" I said as I tried to balance but the rope was swaying side to side.
    "says the one going to fall..."
    "bite me!" I said before I fell on the floor. "too late, the floor took care of that."
    Shifu raised my arm and put his mouth close to my hand. I felt the heat from his breath when he said, "next time, I will bite you." he dropped my arm.
    "more like gum me." I scoffed as I stood up.
    "oh? now I am old?" he smiled.
    "if the dentures fit..."
    "lets see how to do against a old man then." he positioned himself to fight. he came at me and I ducked. we never try our hardest when we are playing. I went for a kick but he blocked it and threw me at the wall. I leapt off of it. I ran to him when a big gust of wind threw the door open. it hit me in the face. "are you alright?"
    "is my nose bleeding?" I asked.
    "no, no. I think not."
    "darn it!"
    "what?"
    "I never had a nose bleed before. looks like today isn't the day."
    "of course, that must be horrible." he said sarcastically. suddenly I was out.
Shifu pov
    one moment me and my student were talking and then she was crushed under the same wagon of tools that threw out my back. I shook her, "Tiffany, wake up. are you alright?!?" she didn't budge. "its okay. I'm getting help." I picked her up like a bride, with her size it was awkward, and carried her inside. "Splinter, I need you!"
    he ran out and stared at me in shock. "what happened?"
    "the wagon knocked her out. we need to fix the loft floor."
    "bring her to the couch." I did as Splinter instructed. "I will get her book. get a damp cloth for her head." I did so and he came back. he opened Tiffany's doctor book. its the book full of information that she uses when we are sick and injured. "it says that she will come back to us in a while. it is only a bump. she has always been pretty thick skulled."
    "cant she still hear us?"
    "I suppose."
    it was now an hour later when we heard a knock at the door. me and Splinter looked at each other in concern. Splinter shook his head no. he turned the lights off. "package for Master Shifu!" a voice cried outside. Splinter shot me a glance. I put my hands up in defense. I didn't order anything so I didn't know why he was here or how he knew my name. "I know he is in there. now open the door." I looked back to my student. at the moment she was helpless, that means we must protect her. we got in our fighting stances. "fine, if you wont open the door, I will let myself in." there was a thump on the door. then another and another until the door flew off the hinges. dust cleared and I could believe me eyes. it was Tong Fo!
    "how did you find me?" I asked.
    "you know him?" Splinter asked.
    "yes, he does." Tong Fo told him. "we used to fight in China. I almost got his father and him, but then..."
    "we defeated you. why are you here? how did you find me?"
    "I have a friend who seen you here. Junjie was always reliable."
    "what do you want?"
    "you."
    "excuse me?" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple gem shaped as a flower. "the Jia-Li jewel! how did you find it?"
    "like I said, Junjie is a reliable source.'
    "what is it?" Splinter asked.
    "this is the gem of Jia-Li." my old foe told him. "you see, there was a beautiful woman named Jia-Li. she was good and pure. she healed the sick. one day, her father grew ill. she enchanted this gem to look in his mind and find the problem. she then found out she could control him. not wanting to danger her father, she locked it away. then Junjie gave it to me. in the wrong hands, this can control people's mind. in my hands, I can control Shifu."
    "you will not get the chance!"
    "I believe I will, Rat." he lunged at me but Splinter kicked him. he grabbed Splinter's leg and climbed up. he jumped off his back. I tossed him at the wall. he shook his head to clear it and stopped. something caught his eye. I looked at what he was staring at. I was horrified. he was eyeing Tiffany. "whos this?"
    "no one of your concern." I hissed. Splinter got in front of her.
    "heavy sleeper..."
    "yes... she is."
    "how did you get ahold of a human?"
    "none of you're concern."
    "fine then. so, what is she? a slave? a friend? a girl friend?"
    "of course not! she is a student!" I covered my mouth after I said that.
    "you're student? what a... gem."
    "you wont touch her!" I went at him but he leapt over me. Splinter managed to block him. Tong Fo kicked him so hard he flew and smacked the wall. he jumped up on her.
    "she is hurt? she is not sleeping! she will still do." he placed the gem on her head and a hand on her heart. there was a bright glow. "see you soon." he grinned.
    he ran out. "I will catch him!" Splinter said. "make sure she stays here."
    Splinter left. I walked up to her. she had a purple flower mark on her head. "what have I done?"
Tiffany pov
    I don't remember what happened but I woke up in a strange place. I was surrounded by green bamboo. "where am I?" I asked myself. I looked around and noticed it looked like a forest.
    "are you okay?" a woman's voice asked. I looked around more and seen a Tiger lady in a red shirt that had vines of gold on it, and black puffy pants. "you had a big fall."
    "I...did?"
    "yeah."
    "oh. where am I?"
    "our happy place for some reason."
    "your what?" I scoffed.
    "happy. place."
    "my bad."
    "no, something is wrong then. I'm getting the others."
    "others? where are they? what others?"
    "hey guys!" a small mantis popped out of no where and landed beside her. a crain in a hat and blue pants flew from the sky and landed on her other side. a snake with 2 flowers on her head slide past me and went beside her friends. a monkey in brown pants swung from the bamboo trees. then a big panda in patched shorts jumped from the sky. "we have a visitor for some reason. something must be wrong."
    "let me see." the mantis said. he got in my face. "black tight pants, black hoodie, Mohawk, steel toed boots... yep, shes not from here..."
    "I know that! we need to know why shes here."
    "maybe shes lost." the snake said.
    "something is odd about her. is that a tattoo?" the monkey asked.
    "what?" I asked. the monkey pointed to his head. I pulled out my phone and used it as a mirror. there was a purple flower on my head. "what the hell is that?!?"
    the tiger came closer and stared at me. her golden eyes were locked on m head. "I know this. the victim of the Jai-Li gem has this mark on their head until they are free. question is, who is her master..."
    "I don't know. I was training with my master and was knocked out. I don't even know how this happened."
    "maybe it knocked you out and you landed here." the panda offered.
    "why would I do that?" I asked.
    "maybe something is wrong and your spirit called out to us." the tiger said.
    "I don't even know you."
    "doesn't matter."
    "maybe Shifu would know." I said depressingly while standing up.
    "you... know Shifu?" she asked. she was at disbelief by the looks of it.
    "yes, he is my Master. he and another has been teaching me how to fight and defend myself. do you know him?"
    "we were his students. he is alive?"
    "yeah. if your-.... who are you?" my eyes met hers.
    "I am Tigress." she said. "this is Mantis, Crain, Viper, Monkey, and Po. who are you?"
    "Tiffany. this is such an honor. he talks about you all the time! I thought you were dead."
    "we are. this is our happy place, we are in the Valley of Peace."
    "am I dead?!?!"
    "no. you wouldn't be under the gem's spell if so."
     "how can I get back?"
    "I don't know. well, we'll have to wait and see if anything pops up."
    "what? that's you're plan?" Po asked. "maybe she can do something."
    "try focusing!" Viper suggested.
    "on what?"
    "home."
    "should I click my heels too?" I scoffed. "alright..." I was think about home and all I could see was Shifu and Splinter. "I think I hear something..." It was a voice I know. 'Tiffany, I'm so sorry. don't wake up yet. please... Tong Fo cant have you. you belong with us. not him. stay still, alive, but still. plea-' "its Shifu!"
    "Shifu?" Tigress asked. "what is he saying?"
    "stay still, don't wake up. I cant belong to Tong Fo. who is he?"
    "only the biggest problem right now. he is a villain. he must have the gem and her. when she got hit in the head it knocked her out. when he took over her mind she was brought here."
    "what do I do?"
    "stay here until we can fix it."
    "and do what?"
    "hang with us. we wont leave you here alone." Po said.
    "a-..alright..." I said defeated. I am now to trust a bunch of strangers.
    they took me to this amazing palace. I see why they call it the Jade Palace. everything was jade. they took me to the hall of heros. we sat near a big pool that was below a golden dragon gazing at us. "he used to sit here and meditate." Tigress whispered to me.
    "was he happy?" I asked.
    "very... is he happy now?"
    "most times. he has days when you all are on his mind. he likes to compare me to you. it kills me."
    "when you see him...tell him... we're happy and safe and that he should be too."
    "I will if I ever get back."
    "I looked at some scrolls and it says that a strong heart can break the spell." Mantis told us.
    "alright, Tiffany, just focus on not being his puppet." Po said.
    "a good will can break it too."
    "this should be easy for her then."
    "PO!" Tigress yelled. they all looked at me and I was twitching. "your stressing her out!"
    "sorry."
    "Tiffany, I don't know what to say..."
    I stood up. "I just need a strong heart and will." I said as I walked out. I walked until I seen a stone path. it lead to a tree on a hill. I followed it. turns out, it was a peach tree. "Shifu...Splinter...I-...I'm lost. I don't know what to do. please... help me." I plead. "what do I do? you never taught me how to fix this! please...answer me...ANSWER ME!!!...I'm scared..."
    "that's why were here for you." I turned around and seen Po. "he liked this spot too. not as much as I do, but-"
    "should I take my leave then?"
    "no. I meant... so... some day."
    "what do I do?"
    "I don't know."
SHIFU POV
    Splinter came back. "I lost him."
    "what?!?"
    "you seem to know him best. what do we do?"
    "he has to come for her soon. we need to tie her down. if she wakes up while under his spell, she could prove deadly. her mind is gone. she wont know us."
    "fine then." we took her to the training hall and tied her to a post. "are you sure this is needed?"
    "I am afraid so."
    "what can we do?"
    "we need to find him. stay here. its my turn to look for him."
TIFFANY POV
    me and the others were at the pool in the hall again thinking. "if he comes close to you, it will act up. he must have left the house since you seem fine." Monkey said.
    "how will we know when he is close to my body?"
    "I... don't know."
    "of course."
    "its not all hopeless."
    "I guess..."
    "you'll see."
    "why did you bring me back in here? its depressing."
    "we need to talk about this." Tigress said.
    "I thought we were going to wait and see what happens.."
    "we are. but we need to find out how to break this."
    "maybe, I need to focus and check in on my world."
    "whats the point? they cant help now. this is up to you."
    "I know. but, I don't know what I'm doing.'
    "we all don't."
    "hey! maybe if she washes her head it will come off." Po said.
    "I don't think it works like that."
    "worth a try."
    "I swear, if you-" before I could finish, he pushed me in. heres the thing... I cant swim. I was trying to keep my head above the water but I sank. Tigress pulled me out. after getting the water out of my throat, I glared at him. "what the hell is you're problem?!?"
    "sorry."
    "are you okay?" Viper asked.
    "I think so." I assured her. "I cant swim."
    "we noticed." Mantis said.
    "another thing I cant do..."
    "you know something? you seem hard on yourself." Crain said.
    "you need to-" Mantis was cut off.
    "maybe if she finds the spell she can break it! part of her head is here now. the spell is in her head so it should be out in the open. if she finds it, she can break it!" Po said.
    "that is-" Tigress started. "a good idea..."
    "he had a good idea?" Mantis asked.
    "he had a good idea." Monkey confirmed.
    "how will I know what it looks like?" I asked.
    "it will look abnormal." Viper told me.
    "that helps. should we-"
    "no! not now. you heard Master Shifu. wait here. keep checking in though." Tigress told me.
    "you told me not to."
    "and I changed my mind. you're head is the one thing that is the connection of this world and yours. you can tell us what he is saying."
    "but I cant talk back."
    "I know. but if he says something important, then you can tell us."
    "if you think it is best..."
    "I do. come on. if your staying here then you need a room."
SHIFU POV
    I ran through the woods looking for that monster. I seen nothing. I could give up. I promised that I would protect her. I will not lose her. not to Tong Fo.
TIFFANY POV
    I was now alone at the tree again. I didn't want to stay there. they are nice but it is not my home. "Shifu, I have no idea if you can hear me. I can hear you though...it's different... your not here to tell me what I can do, I have to trust a bunch of strangers, I guess I have to find this thingy, I don't even know if I cant do it. what if I wake up? I don't want to hurt you or Splinter. what if it effects me here? I don't want to hurt anyone. not... Tigress... "
    "what about the others?" I heard a voice say.
    "Po, I think we need a no sneaking up on me rule." I turned and seen Tigress. "oh, Master Tigress! what are you- hi..."
    "are you okay?"
    "no. I don't want to hurt anyone but I don't want to stay here."
    "maybe you don't have to. your visiting so you wont hurt anyone."
    "I don't want to hurt you though!"
    "you wont. I am a master. I can handle you." we were quite. "I have a goal. it is to make you a better warrior for Shifu. you are going to learn more things here so when you go back, you wont need him as much."
    "so, I'm not good enough?"
    "your fine, but your not like us. we knew the basics as kids. I am trying to teach you that so when you come to he can teach you more things."
    "why?"
    "hes... my dad. I have to try and help him. if you go back knowing more then you do now you can fight Tong Fo."
    "alright...whats first?"
Splinter POV
    I was all alone with my friend. I was speaking to her. she would not answer me though. I know she could not. I still remained, I know she could hear me. "My Dear, I know you can hear me. I know you are there. I am here for you. I know you. you would not hurt a single soul. you can break this. I have faith in you. I know we will be reunited again. you never quit."
TIFFANY POV
    I snapped out of meditation while panting. "what did you see?" Tigress asked.
    "nothing. I heard Splinter...he... believes in me. haha who knew?"
    "I see why."
    "that's where you guys been hiding?" Po asked as he walked to us.
    "I'm always in the training hall." she said emotionless. "how is that a surprise?"
    "well,... shes here too."
    "we were meditating."
    "well, stop. we have an idea. we should look for the thing!"
    "what?!? we need to keep her here until Shifu-"
    "he cant tell us anything anymore. knowing Shifu, he may have Tong Fo already."
    "what if he doesn't?"
    "then-"
    "she will hurt him."
    "and the Splinter guy."
    "exactly!"
    "guys?" they looked at me. "I think we should at least know the location. just in case."
    "if... if you think its best..." the tiger said defeated.
    "where do we look?"
    "split up?" he offered.
    "fine then. me and Tiffany will look here. you can look in the kitchen."
    "Tigress," he started. "that's only a little funny." I rolled my eyes.
    "please stop it. she needs to look inside of herself to find it. its her mind. if she finds it in there then she can find it out here."
    "how do I do that?" I asked.
    "what do you think?"
    "meditation?"
    "sounds like a start."
    "alright. what do I do?"
    "first, you must get past the 7 chakras. if you do that then you can look deep inside of yourself and find anything. you can become one with the world. this world and yours."
    "wow..."
    "you might even be able to talk with Shifu!...and Splinter..."
    "then how do I start?!?"
    "well, you have to get over your fear."
    "how can I? I cant become unafraid over hurting my loved ones. I-...I-..."
    "you have to let it go. the only thing it will do is hold you back."
    "how do I feel about it then?"
    "you feel that it should not happen. you cant be afraid of yourself."
    I closed my eyes and focused. "nothing can change you. you may be under that monster's spell but you can fight it. your not bad. you are good. you may have evil thoughts but you will never act on them. you are a hero. a hero!" I said to myself.
    "you are a hero."
    "I...am...hero..." I gave a deep sigh.
    "do you believe it?"
    "I maybe have bad thoughts but I will never act on them. ever... I am a hero. my masters trust me so I should too."
    "exactly."
    "whats next?"
    "well, you cant feel guilty. think about what makes you feel guilty."
    "me? I-..."
    "what? what did you do that makes you feel guilty?"
    "I shamed my father. I was depressed and I tried to kill myself. if I was only stronger then my father would love me."
    "why do you think he doesn't?"
    "he hit me and so did my sister. he never did anything about it. I was never good enough."
    "if he doesn't like you for who you are then you should focus on those who care about you. Shifu cares. if your father is too blind to see the good things you have then that his fault. you deserve better then that."
    "I do?"
    "of course. you have others that care about you. like your masters. who needs the ones who hate you when you can be surrounded by those who love you."
    "your right!"
    "I know. now, about that shame."
Splinter pov
    I feel it. there is something changing with in you. you are changing before my eyes and you are not even moving. I wonder what is happening to you. I can tell you are not alone. you are with someone. you are with friends. but who are they. it does not matter. when you wake, when you are free, then you can tell me.
Tiffany pov
    after going through many chakras, I have become emotionally tired. I was relieved when we came to the last one. "there is only one left. it is the one that you will most likely hate..."
    "why?"
    "you have to detach yourself from earthly possessions. including your masters..."
    "what?!?! but I thought they were the ones I-"
    "I know. but if you're only concerns are them and not the battle, you could lose."
    "are you sure this is the only way?" she nodded. "but I'm in love with one of them."
    "Shifu hasn't been much of a-"
    "not him."
    "this Splinter guy then?" I nodded. "you have to let go."
    "I-I...cant. I cant let him go! he is everything to me. he is my entire world! how can I possibly do that?!? he is my heart, soul, and mind. I cant."
    "you must. imagine if you lost and died. you would lose him. to protect him, you must let go."
    I thought about it for a moment. "alright... lets get this over with..."
    "alright then. focus. think about them. they are the ones who love most, the ones you would die for. now let it flow through you. its warming your very heart. now... let it go..."
    "just let go... I-"
    "just. let go..."
    "let go." I opened my eyes to a tiger staring at me. my flower began to glow. "is he near me?!?"
    "no. that's all you. your becoming stronger in the heart. its something that can break that spell."
    "how can I break it? I'm not strong enough yet."
    "but you are getting stronger. good work."
    "thank you."
    "now, I need you to focus. do you think you can get ahold of Shifu?"
    "I don't know. I will try." I closed my eyes and tried to see Shifu. Shifu, are you there? its Tiffany. can you hear me? please, Shifu, I need you. answer me! "I don't think he can hear me."
    "what? but, you- did you do it right?"
    "I think so."
     "then why cant he- can you see your body?"
    "should I?"
    "kinda."
    "alright. let me see if I can." I focused on me now. an image started to come. "I think I see something." it was a blur at first. when it cleared, I could see it was Splinter near me. "its Splinter!"
    "ask him where Shifu is."
    "alright. I will try." Splinter, can you hear me? I need to know where Shifu is. Tigress wont shut up about him.
    "excuse me?" I heard his voice.
    "where. is. Shifu?"
    "he is out... how are we talking?"
    "I opened the chakras and now I can talk to you with my brain I guess. I don't know, something about focus."
    "well, first, I am proud of you. second, he has been trying to catch a man called Tong Fo."
    "I know who he is. he is the one who cast that spell on me with that gem."
    "you did hear us."
    "yeah... when will he be back?"
    "later, I hope."
    "I have to go. someone is getting a little cranky. see you soon."
    "wait, My Dear,-"
    I left the conversation. "so, Shifu is looking for Tong Fo."
    "oh darn it."
    "but we can wait. lets look for tha-"
    "no! we need to keep you safe. if you get hurt here, you will be hurt out there!"
    "I-"
    "we need you."
    "more like you need me."
    "what?"
    "I know what you have been going. you were trying to use me to get ahold of Shifu. you don't care about me. just talking to your master. I cant blame you. but, using me is hurtful."
    "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK-"
    "you never mention Splinter. it has always been about Shifu." I stood up and walked to the door. "thank you. but I need to leave. I am going to find that spell and break it. I cant stay and be your cell phone. I have to go home." I left with closing the door. after stepping a few steps away from the door, I heard her steps come closer. I then ran. I couldn't let her hold me back. I had to find a way home.
Shifu pov
    I failed her. I could not find her puppet master. I stepped in the door when Splinter ran over to me. "Tiffany... she spoke to me."
    "she woke up?"
    "no, she spoke to me telepathically."
    "but, how? we never-"
    "she told me that someone named Tigress will not stop talking about you and that she has learned her chakras. she has learned it without us."
    "Tigress? how does she know her?'
    "she did not explain."
    "this is... great! I can learn what happened to my students. I can find out if my family is okay!"
    "what about her?"
    "who?"
    "Tiffany." Splinter said. his eyebrows where pointed down. I forgot about her. she is my student too but I need to know. "what about her?"
    "we will wait. Tong Fo will return for her."
    "what do we do?"
    "fight and protect. try to find him and I will keep watch."
Tiffany pov
    I ran to the kitchen to find the others. "we are leaving to find the spell!"
    "finally!" Po shouted.
    "didn't Tigress say-" Viper started.
    "she is not the boss of me." I scoffed.
    "shes gonna be pretty mad." Mantis added.
    "I don't care. I cant wait for my masters this time. I have to settle this on my own. but I need your help. how do we find such a thing?" I asked.
    "walk around and look for something abnormal."
    "easier said then done. I'm in a happy place, who knows whats abnormal here?"
    "I do. its you." a voice said.
    "don't be a brat." I said. I turned around and seen Tigress.
    "I mean. its inside you. but not out here. you find it with focus and it will show. then you can defeat it."
    "wait, it was inside me the entire time? I thought it was out here!"
    "no. just in you. this is our heads. not yours. its going to be in you alone."
    "why didn't you tell me I was a walking time bomb?!?"
    "because I-...your the only one. your the only one that can talk to your world. I needed you to talk to Shifu. I just needed to tell him some things."
    "you could have just told me instead of lying to me."
    "I'm sorry..."
    "how do I summon it?"
    "with focus, strength, and heart."
    "you know, I keep hearing that but I still don't understand."
    "we could just let her stay." Po said. "come on, I already made us a new theme song. it includes her. it goes: straight from the-"
    "no! it will happen when it happens." Tigress said.
Shifu's pov
    I was watching our student when I was tapped on the shoulder. I looked behind me and found no one. I turned back around and gasped. she was gone. I got in my fighting stance. she was up. but how did she escape? I heard laughter but it wasn't feminine. it was deeper. something knocked me to the ground. I got up and faced my attacker. Tong Fo was holding Tiffany. since she was bigger, he held her in the bridal position. the flower mark on her head only grew brighter and brighter. I was in trouble.
Tiffany's pov
    I was freaking out. this stupid mark was glowing very bright. "what do I do? it wont stop!"
    "relax. I'm sure you're masters have everything under control." Po tried to assure.
    I felt a strong headache coming on. I fell to my knees and held my head in my hands. "ugh. I feel strange..."
    "don't fight it!" Tigress said. "this may be the key to the spell."
    "alright."
Shifu's pov
    "just put her down. no one has to get hurt. all you have to do is leave and stay gone." I told him.
    "that's exactly what I plan to do." he lunged at me with my student still in his arms. I couldn't risk hurting her so I jumped to avoid the crash. I held on to a supporting beam while looking down to him. "its just that easy." he started walking to the door. I ran across the beams and closed the door with my tail. he looked up. I jumped down in front of him. "this human must be worth something to you if you keep fighting. question is, what is her importance?"
    "put her down."
    "I know she is human but there are more of them around here. does she know something? can she do something? or, is it that you cant stand to have another student die on you're hands?"
    "this fight is for us alone. why include her?"
    "because, I came here to control you but seeing her I thought how she could be controlled and fight you. once defeated, I could take you back to China. you wont believe the bounty there is for you among the criminal vindicates."
    "this is all for money?"
    "that and the shock value."
    "what if this worked? what could you possibly want with her then?"
    "nothing. but, considering where we are, humans are scarce. she could fetch a nice price in the slave market. even the groups including...what do they call it here?... ah yes, pimps is it? not much to look at but I'm sure even this can provide a good time at the right price."
    I snarled and attacked.
Tiffany's pov
    not a moment ago a big purple flower popped out of my head and landed in front of us. it was a glowing purple flower at 8 feet tall. the stem was in 4 so it made it appear to have legs and arms. it was kind of cartoony if you thought about it. Tigress ran after it with her claws out and attempted to push it back but it didn't move. she went through it. Mantis went to attack its pressure points but he went through too. "we cant touch it!" Crane complained.
    "PO!!!" Tigress pushed him out of the way of a flying boulder. they were safe at the moment. Po threw pebbles at it but they went through.
    "how do we fight something we cant touch?" he asked.
    "carefully."
    Crane flew high in the air and circled above the flower beast. it kept it's 'eyes' on him. slowly the thing stepped back until he tripped backwards. he got back up. Viper tried to whip her tail but no luck. it went through. Monkey appeared out of no where and went to kick it. it took an arm and wrapped it around him. Monkey was thrown at me. I dodged him. "great, it can touch us." I groaned. I ran to it and tried to cut it with my scissors but no dice. it completely ignored me and went for Tigress. she never seen it coming. it threw her the ceiling. her back hit the dragons face and she landed in the pool underneath it. "NOOOOOO!!!!!" I ran to her. after pulling her out I just sat there with her in my arms. "I'm sorry, I don't know what to do. even after you're help, I still cant fight it. we cant win."
    "we can too. focus. you maybe thinking about the wrong thing. try to think about other ways of harming it." she suggested.
    "maybe we cant harm it because its not a person. we are fighting a spell, a thing, not a person."
    "true... tell me, do you even care about you're masters?"
    "what? of course I do!"
    "why?"
    "well, their my best friends. hell, their my family. I would be dead with out them. I owe them my life."
    "and Splinter?"
    "I-..."
    "tell me."
    "I love him."
    "how much?"
    "I would die for him. why are you asking these weird questions?"
    "your head." I noticed it was glowing. "a strong heart..." I set her down and walked over to the monster.
    "I wont do it!" I shouted. "I wont hurt anyone! do you hear me? I have spent to much of my life being the bad guy. no more! I refuse to hurt the ones I love. I am not that monster I was before. do you hear me? I am not bad. I WILL NOT HURT ANYONE EVER AGAIN!!!!"
Shifu's pov
        we had ceased our fighting when we seen something remarkable. her glowed brighter and brighter until it vanished. "what? what did you do?" Tong Fo snarled.
    "I didn't do anything. it takes a strong heart to break it. that's what is special about her. she has a strong heart."
    "but I still win." he brought the gem to her head. "if she keeps fighting it then the gem will kill her of stress. either that or I slice her neck out."
    her eyes fluttered open. "is that so?" I asked. her eyes went wide then vicious. I had to keep his attention. "what makes you think you can do such a thing with me protecting her? even if she doesn't need it."
    she grabbed his neck and threw him across the room. he hit the wall then stared at her. "Tong Fo, this ends here." she said as she stood up. her voice was deep now. I never heard her speak that way. it reminded me of Tigress. she picked up the gem near her and threw it to the ground. it shattered.
    "what-... why did you do that?!?" Tong Fo asked.
    "distract him." she told me. that fact she said it so bluntly shocked me. I lunged at him. punch after punch he kept backing up. once against the wall, I tripped him. he rolled himself to the center of the room. he picked up a shard from the gem and came at me. the run was short lived however, because Tiffany put a crate over him. she sat on the box while he shook it. she put it right side up and closed it. "nice work." she smiled.
    "you too. are you okay?"
    "now I am."
    "good. now, what do we do with him?"
    "I was thinking jail. write a note explaining what happened and ship him to... that jail in China."
    "I am a person!" Tong Fo argued.
    "but were the better ones. you tried to control me!"
    "it... was a joke."
    "sure it was."
    it was later in the evening when I knocked on Tiffany's bedroom door. "Splinter just left to ship out Tong Fo."
    "alright." she answered. her tone wasn't happy like it should be. it sounded... depressed.
    "Tiffany?" I opened her door. she was sitting on her couch. she has her knees to her chest and her face in her arms. "are you alright?" she nodded. "whats the matter?" she shook her head. something must have gone wrong because she is silent. she is usually a very bubbly person for a Goth. I got on the couch and stood in front of her. now our heights were matched. "what happened?" she looked at me and it broke my heart. her eyes were red and glazed over. her cheeks and nose matched her eyes. she was crying. "why are you crying? you did it. you defeated Tong Fo."
    "I know." her voice cracked. "its just-... Shifu, why do you stay with me?"
    "will... you are my student."
    "why bother with me? I'm nothing like Po or the five."
    "what makes you say that?"
    "I met them."
    "Splinter told me."
    "I guess my spirit called out to them for guidance and I ended up in their happy place. I seen them fight and they were amazing. Tigress was so strong and wise. she did try to use me as a phone but her heart was in the right place. she told me to tell you that they are okay and happy and that you should be too. but how can you be when I fail you?"
    "you have done no such thing. look at yourself. you defeated Junjie and Tong Fo. they are master criminals in China. all because you don't think you match up to the best doesn't mean your not. you have talent. you do have things that hold you back but you proved to me that you have the one thing that every kung fu master needs. you have a strong heart. I am proud."
    what she did next, it shocked me to say the least. she had her arms armed around me and pulled me to her lap and against her. she had her face in my shoulder. "I was so scared. I thought that I would hurt someone because I didn't have you to guide me. I felt so alone..."
    I put my hand on her cheek. "you weren't though. you had friends on the other side. they helped you."
    "I know." her tears were going through my shirt but I didn't mind. this was the first time I have ever seen her cry like this, let alone talk about her feelings. "I thought I was going to become a monster."
    "I highly doubt you would. I have faith in you and so does Splinter."
    "what if I do become one? I don't want to fall in my old habits and use you're teachings for bad."
    "believe me, you wont. my master once told a student of mine something."
    "what?"
    "yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. that is why they call it the present."