No one at the Jade Palace noticed that Tigress and Po were trying to avoid each other as that day continued on, mostly because they were exhausted from training and everyone went right to bed after dinner. The following day however, it started becoming noticeable. Instead of sitting next to each other or a chair over, Po and Tigress would sit as far away from each other as they possibly could. They didn't do anymore nightly training to improve their skills; they only trained together whenever they got paired up to spar. If one would run into the other in the hallway, they would simply say nothing and continue walking. And they hardly were in the same area at one time unless it was for dinner, training, or just rummaging around looking for something to do. Viper, who was a little worried they had gotten into a fight, asked Tigress a few days later what was going on, but Tigress assured her that everything was perfectly fine and told her of the plan her and Po had. When asked how long Tigress intended to avoid Po, the master admitted that she wasn't quite sure, but long enough for the rumor about them dating to die down. Viper addressed her concerns to her friend about this issue, but left it alone and let Tigress and Po deal with the problem.

Three weeks followed after the rumor was first started. The rumor had died down after the first week of existing, but much to everyone's surprise, Po and Tigress continued to avoid each other. Shifu supposed it was to avoid more rumors starting, but he had to admit to himself that it was a bit overdone. Over the course of three weeks, Mei-Ling and Shifu continued to meet in the cabin Shifu owned, (and only got caught once by Tigress who accidentally found them in a passionate kiss by the palace gates). Po got a little more comfortable with his dad and Scorpion dating and the insect even began to earn more trust from the villagers, especially when she opened up a small clinic so that she could get back to being a healer again. Mantis and Quan-Ying broke up a week after getting back together due to Mantis getting annoyed that she made time for the other guys in the village and never for him, (but then the two apologized and started dating again two days later). Viper and Crane continued to secretly date, a bit surprised no one had found out about it, but happy that they at least got some privacy. Monkey and Mantis finally laid off of the teasing seeing as none of their methods would work in bringing anyone together and they went back to just doing bets.

Tigress tried her best to remove any feelings of "infatuation" for Po out of her mind, but nothing she did, meditating, training, punching iron wood trees, and even yelling at herself, could make the symptoms go away. If anything, they actually got worse. Having minimum contact with Po did assist with watering down the rumor, but it did nothing to help the master completely obliterate the symptoms she was getting. Tigress was initially relieved to go through a few days without her cheeks turning fire red, her stomach getting majorly queasy, or time nearly freezing because she and Po happened to lock eyes. However, as a few days turned into a week, and then two, and finally to three, Tigress found herself feeling...empty. She really missed one-on-one training with her friend. She noticed he didn't smile as much, although it was hard to tell since she hardly saw him. She would occasionally reminisce over the various times they fooled around and how he actually got her to laugh. While she didn't enjoy getting caught participating in such activities, it was fun to let loose and have a blast like that. While they were sporadic, they were memories she couldn't help but ponder over whenever she would meditate. The master also had some trouble sleeping. She knew she was missing a friend to talk to, someone to confide in besides Viper who she noticed liked to add a particularly girly flair to everything. Tigress would feel bad about avoiding Po and there were even nights where she felt like flying across the hallway to wrap him in a hug and call off the plan. But she felt it necessary to vanquish any hints or seeds of rumors, so she had stuck to it and tried her best to bury her feelings deep within her.

Po was also struggling to avoid Tigress. The master cared about her deeply. He felt bonded to her, even more than he did with his best friend, Monkey. They fought together, trained together, laughed together, and even shared sporadic goofy moments together. And now they couldn't. Po couldn't help but feel that part of it was his own fault. Perhaps if he had been more insistent with his dad and left Tigress out of their family dinner or perhaps if he had forewarned his dad every time she came into the noodle shop, there would be no more awkwardness in even having a conversation. But what was done was done and he couldn't go back to fix it. He missed making up training moves with her and then using them to fight off bandits who would approach the valley. He missed trying to get her to laugh or just spending time with her and confiding things in her. After their battle at Gongmen City, he became more willing to talk about his personal life and about things that were bothering him, knowing that his friends weren't going to judge him because he may have had unwarrior-like problems. Tigress, who was a lot like him in that manner, (sort of), was one person he didn't mind talking to about those certain things. Talking to her or helping her with her own problems made him feel special and he cherished those moments he spent with her. But now those moments were over; Tigress was trying to avoid him and the other way around because of awkward rumors spreading around to ruin their friendship and nothing Po did made him feel better.

Three weeks following the start of the rumor, any hint of it had completely died down. But Po and Tigress were still avoiding each other which made their friends a bit nervous. After dinner one day, after Tigress went to meditate in the training hall and Po stayed behind to clean the pots he cooked with, the students pulled Master Shifu aside and asked him if they should interfere in the plan so that nothing bad happened. The grandmaster admitted to being extremely worried about the plan going too far, but he advised them to leave the two friends be until they came to the conclusion to put an end to it. He worried that interfering would make things worse as unnecessary interference had been what had started the old rumor in the first place. If things got worse than simply avoiding each other, then the masters could intervene and put an end to the plan themselves. A little reluctant, the students heeded his advice and went to bed to rest for another day of training tomorrow.

Tigress reached the training hall, it's stoic shadow looming a mere foot or two in front of her. She stopped in front of it, unsure if she really wanted to meditate inside. Normally when Tigress trained at night in the training hall, she had no problem improving herself or simply getting lost in the training. But lately when she had been doing it, she didn't feel motivated enough. She felt that something wasn't right and after about ten or twenty minutes of punching or meditating, she would retire for the night. Her brain flashed her a mental image of Po as her first clue, but the master dismissed it from her brain. Maybe I just need to find a new meditation spot, she thought to herself. She decided to try and meditate by the peach tree since she figured the smell of the blossoms could help her to relax. Tigress then turned around and headed towards the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. When she reached it, she sat down in front of the trunk and closed her eyes, taking in the scent of the peach blossoms.

The master tried to empty her mind and relax but all she could feel was a nasty pit in her stomach that made her feel a bit unhappy. She knew what it was; she had felt it several times before. She had felt it when she had been locked up in the Bao Go Orphanage; she had felt it growing up whenever she felt she had failed Shifu during training; she felt it when she was at the Garnet Palace with Mistress Mugan: loneliness. Except now it was a bit different. This wasn't a normal lonely pit in her stomach; it felt worse. Instead of making her feel isolated and overlooked, she felt small, insecure, and felt she needed a hug.

What is wrong with me?! I've turned soft! Is there nothing I can do to be myself again?!

Tigress sighed and opened her eyes, leaning against the tree trunk and wrapping her arms around her legs. She had tried everything she could to put her emotions back into balance, but everything she did seemed to only make them worse. The master looked out at the valley, the stars casting some light over the sleeping citizens and sending a tranquil mood across the nighttime sky.

Tigress suddenly heard footsteps approach the tree and she glanced over seeing a very surprised Po appear beside her.

"Tigress!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What a-u-u-u-um....I mean, sorry to bother you."

"Wait, Po," the master quickly called after him. "Don't go."

Po froze by the side of the peach tree, turning around to look at her. Tigress felt her cheeks grow hot from embarrassment, but she continued on, adding, "I think we need to talk."

"About...this plan...thingy that we've been doing?" the Dragon Warrior asked hopefully, coming back over and sitting down besides his friend.

Tigress nodded. "I think we've been doing it long enough," she told him. "As nice as it is not getting bothered by Monkey or Mantis, I don't particularly like avoiding one of my best friends for no reason."

Po perked up and smiled so hard Tigress thought his face was going to explode. "Best friends?" he asked happily.

Tigress couldn't help but laugh at his facial expression. "You're acting like I said I'm teaching you an all powerful kung fu move that involves noodles," she noted.

"Sorry but...I never thought I'd be considered the bestie of the ferocious Master Tigress!"

"Please don't say bestie," Tigress told him seriously.

"BESTIE!" Po exclaimed jokingly, wrapping her in a tight hug.

Tigress, having a brief cut-off of oxygen, was taken by surprise by the gesture and formed a facial expression that caused Po to start cracking up. The master caught onto the contagious laughter after he allowed her some breathing room and laughed along with him, then nudging him in the side so that he would let go. Po winced in slight pain, but soon ignored it as he kept laughing at her startlement.

"Seriously though," Tigress told him with a small smile. "I'd prefer it if you didn't say 'bestie'."

Po rolled his eyes. "Fine," he replied.

The two sat back against the tree, Po nervously twiddling his thumbs. "So..." he said slowly. "We can hang out again and not do the whole 'avoid-each-other' thing?"

"Yes, I think we've done this plan a little too long," Tigress admitted.

Po let out a sigh of relief. "Good," he told her happily. "Because I miss trying to kick your butt during night sparring."

"You almost never beat me," the master reminded him. "If you were a little more motivated like you are in a battle...."

Po laughed. "That's what I missed," he interrupted during her pause. "You constantly lecturing me on my kung fu skills."

Tigress cast him a sly grin. "Oh, come now," she told him. "You didn't miss kung fu stance lectures. That's what Master Shifu is for."

The Dragon Warrior clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. "You better hope Shifu didn't hear that," he warned her with a half-chuckle.

"He's either asleep or meditating. I doubt it."

Po finally calmed down and the two slipped into a short moment of silence, sitting against the tree watching the valley down below. Tigress felt her shoulder gently brush against Po's but she tried to ignore it and enjoy having her best friend back with her like normal.

It's just an infatuation, she kept telling herself. Po is my best friend. It's nice having my friend back. I can now spar and kick my friend's butt.

Po sighed happily and said, "Man, I didn't realize how much I missed this until now."

"Meditating by the peach tree?" Tigress asked him.

"Well, that," he acknowledged. "But I really missed just hanging out with you, whether we're fighting over the cookie jar, sparring, making up awesome moves to kick butt, cooking-"

"You make me do that one," Tigress reminded him with a grin.

"And I shall not rest until you can efficiently chop a radish in midair," Po told her elaborately.

Tigress chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that one, Dragon Warrior," she commented.

"I honorably accept that challenge!"

The master laughed in amusement with an eye roll.

"Finally!"

The two warriors yelped in surprise and turned to see Viper right beside the tree.

"Viper?!" Po exclaimed in shock. "Um...th-this isn't what it looks like!"

"I know," Viper told him with a smile. "I didn't think you two were...together, if that's what you thought. I'm just glad you're talking to each other and being friends again."

"We never stopped being friends," Tigress informed her. "We just kept apart to avoid more rumors."

"Well you both looked pretty miserable not talking to each other, so I'm glad this whole thing is over."

"Do you think Monkey's going to start the teasing thing again?" Po asked to anybody.

"If he does, he'll find out just exactly why the equipment was named "The Earthen Marks of Eternity"," Tigress growled.

Po nervously chuckled. "I should probably forewarn him on that," he noted.

"Don't. I enjoy getting even."

"I'm just glad you have a fun side to your revenge schemes on occasion," Po told her, quickly getting up.

Tigress stood up with a subtle eye roll. "Whatever you say, Po," she told him."We should probably get some sleep."

"Sounds good," Po stated. "You're helping me cook tomorrow."

"You want me to cook? You'll have to make me."

Po grinned. "Challenge accepted," he answered. He then walked back to the barracks, calling out, "Goodnight, Viper!"

"Goodnight, guys," Viper called over. When they had gone to bed, she quickly peered over the edge where Crane was hiding down below incognito.

"That was a close call," Crane commented, flying onto firm ground. "I wasn't expecting them to be here."

"Tigress said she was going to the training hall," Viper remembered. "I wonder why she didn't go there."

"Beats me. In hindsight though, that was a good thing. I mean, at least her and Po have dropped that stupid 'avoiding-each-other' scheme."

Viper nodded. "They had me worried for a moment," she concurred. "I thought Tigress was never going to drop it."

"With that rumor gone, hopefully everything can go back to normal," Crane said.

Viper thought for a moment. It did seem a bit unusual for Tigress to suggest such a rash and illogical plan to stop a rumor. On top of that, she was normally very consistent with her activities and never changed them at the last minute unless necessary. She always trains in the training hall, she noted as Crane set up his painting station. Never by the peach tree unless she needs the blossoms to help her relax. And that's only when she's seriously emotional about something. Viper remembered that fact well since she and Crane had discovered it while trying to help Tigress deal with her emotional imbalance regarding Master Shifu, her strive towards perfection, and her hormones bouncing around like crazy. While meditating by the peach tree, Tigress found that the scent of the blossoms helped her to relax almost instantly, but once she was relaxed and back to her normal hard-core self, she resumed meditating in the training hall. I'll have to ask her about that later.

Crane set everything up and stood back, looking at Viper. "Ready to resume your painting lesson?" he asked her.

Viper smiled at him. "As always," she told him, slithering over and grabbing one of the brushes.