Promises, we make them everyday and every night of our lives. Some promises we make are easy to keep, but then there are others that are near impossible to keep, and yet we still say them. One of the biggest ones that are made is the promise that I swear to protect you. To me, that is probably the biggest promise no one can ever keep. Why? Because you can't protect someone all the time, not from everything nor everyone in this world. That's why, when the one we love most in our lives gets hurt, we blame no one but ourselves because we made them a promise of a life time and yet we couldn't keep it. This happens everyday and why so many people are in torment over themselves and like all the others, Po himself is dealing with the pain of a promise he made to his Tigress. As the Valley of peace was being hurled with rain that was as hard as Steele and thunderous strikes were being echoed through it. The people were residing in their homes due to this, but instead of laying in bed or telling stories to pass the time, they were all on their knees, doing what seemed to be like praying. Why though, what could all of them be praying for? Well, over in the valley's hospital, laid someone who was in critical condition. Someone who was known to all and whose family was huddled all around her. Someone who experienced a pain no one wants to happen, as she was raped and beaten nearly to death, as you may have guessed, this person was Master Tigress.
"I can't believe something like this could happen," A saddened Mantis said, looking down at his friend who was covered from head to toe in bandages.
"I can, no matter where we go or how hard we try, there will always be people who do this kind of thing. As much as I hate to say that, it's true." Crane stated, Clenching his wings up tightly.
"Yeah well, if she wasn't alone, this wouldn't of happened. I should of went with her," Po exclaimed, clenching his teeth in hatred. Seeing this, Shifu had placed a hand on the pandas paw.
"Po, this isn't your fault. You know how strong she is, there was just to many of them for her to fight. Besides, these kinds of things you can never see coming," Shifu stated to the panda, but his words only fell on deaf ears.
"No master, you don't understand. When me and Tigress came together, when we professed our love to each other. I made her a promise of a life time," Po stated, looking down at his master.
"What kind of promise brother? If I may ask?" Viper said, wanting to know.
"I looked her in her eyes, took her paws in mine, and told her with all my heart 'Tigress no matter what, I'll always protect you from harm.' Yet I'm standing here fine and she's laying here with ske thing that will always be with her," Po stated, as his eyes started to become heavy with water which soon began to fall.
"That's why I know it's my fault this happened, if I would of kept my promise to her, the ones who did this would be gone and she would be fine." Hearing this, all of his friends looked at each other with sorrow.
"Panda, you don't know that. For all you know you could be dead right now and the same thing may of still happened," Shifu said, trying to ease the pandas pain.
"Well it better me than her, I can be replaced in a heart beat. But her, all of her life she's gone through hell and it just keeps going, tell me master, where's the fairness in that?" Po asked with anger, staring down his master.
"That's enough Po! Don't think your the only one who feels guilty in this room, I'm her father and yet I'm helpless to do anything to help her. The same goes for everyone else in this room, all we can do now is help her through this and have hope!" Shifu shouted with anger, feeling his heart become heavy with sorrow.
"You still don't get it, when she was getting raped, when those guys were having their way with her. I bet the last thing on her mind was hope amidst all the tears she was shedding and the crying for someone to come and stop them, crying out for me her boyfriend to come and save. Damn it!" Po shouted, flipping over a small table that was in the corner which caused a loud crash to echo through the room.
"Guys just calm down, the last thing we need is to bring her more stress." Monkey stated, causing the panda to stope breathing heavy and for him to take in calm breaths. However the loud crash had already awakened the sleeping tiger.
"Mmmmm, guys is that you?" Tigress asked quietly, gaining the attention of everyone in the room and for them except Po to come to her side.
"Yes it's us Tigress," Viper said softly, slithering up onto the bed and next to her sister.
"Sorry if we woke you daughter, things just got a little heated with all that's happened." Shifu stated, looking his daughter in the eye who looked in his eyes.
"I see, that's ok baba. I wasn't sleeping that well anyways," Tigress said before letting out some coughs and for her to take in deep breaths.
"Shhhhh, save your energy. Your body is still healing," Shifu said, taking one of his daughters paws with his own, gently squeezing it.
"Yeah, but where's Po at. Is he here or at the palace?" Tigress asked, looking at her friends, hoping to hear that he was here with them.
"Of course he's here Tigress, but...," Monkey said looking over to the corner of the room to which Tigress followed, seeing her boyfriends back to her.
"Po, what are you doing all the way over there?" Tigress asked with wander, but could slightly hear sobbing come from him.
"I don't know Tigress, I just don't know if I can look you in the eyes right now." Po sobbed, making Tigress's start to feel a bit heavy knowing why he would say such a thing.
"But I want to look in your eyes Po, I want to see a face that I know wouldn't hurt me." When Po heard this, his eyes widened and started to slwoly turn his head enough to where you could see his left eye and cheek.
"How could you say that Tigress? It's my fault you got hurt, I wasn't there to keep my promise. I'm just like the bad guys that we take down everyday," Po told her with sorrow in his voice. Tigress could only look confused by his words and that was when she started to rustle herself in the sheets.
"What are you doing Tigress?" Mantis asked with worry.
"If he's not goign to come over here, then I'm goign to him, so could you guys please help me up." Tigress chocked out, trying to sit up only for her to fall back down in pain.
"No way, we are not goign to make things worse for you." Shifu told her flatly, making Tigress start to cry a little bit, gaining the pandas attention once again.
"Please Po, please just come to me. I'm begging you," Tigress cried out, letting the tears roll down her bandages, and in an instant Po quickly walked over to her. He had then placed a paw on her chest gently.
"I'm here Tigress, I'm right here." Po told her, looking her right in her eyes as she began to look into his jade green eyes. The two had then began to stare at each other in silence until Tigress broke it.
"I'm so glad to see you again Po, to see that kind face of yours." Tigress stated with happiness, Po could only smile back and place his paw onto his lovers paw.
"I'm glad to see your are alive Ti, but I'm still sorry that I wasn't there, I tried so hard to protect you from evil but it slipped by and got to you." As the panda began to hold the tigers paw tightly, letting tears drop onto her.
"Oh Po, please don't feel like your to blame. No one is, and I know that," Tigress simply told him, knowing how much he was hurting inside from the guilt his mind was plaguing him with.
"I know if you could, you would stay by my side every second of day and night. This wounds and scars, though they will take time to heal, I know you'll be there to help me through this. Besides your the one thing that can make my heart heal." Tigress said with a small smile on her face lifting her lovers paw to her face with his help and began to lick it slowly.
"I will Tigress, we all will be here for you," Po told her, placing his head onto hers, gently rubbing their heads together, causing the feline to let out a soft purr.
"I love you Tigress and I always will no matter what." Po told her lovingly, placing a soft kiss on her lips, only for her to kiss back for a few seconds.
"I love you to Po, and I'll always trust what you tell me. Don't you forget that." Po could only nod his head at this, and though the guilt would stay with him, he would always remember that Tigress was never angry nor ever blamed him for what happened, but loved him as she always did. Making him realize, that though we can't always keep a promise to it's core, it'd the thought and meaning behind them that gives us the hope that someone really wants to try and protect us from harm.
Ok first off I want to say that I wasn't trying to play rape off as something you can get over with quickly. I was just trying to show her strength that she had but also the effects it had on her and that when such an incident happens it can take those loving people to bring you up even if it's the slightest, it goes a long way. But I hoped you guys liked what I tried to do here with promises and if you want tell me what you thought thanks.