See the end for author's note.

Disclaimed: I don't own KFP.

Healing

Po was panicked. He really was. Just one minute ago he was out having fun with his people. And now here he is, starring in horror as a very ill Tigress approved the village. Needless to say, he was by her side immediately.

"What are you doing here?" he asked worried and wrapped an arm around her shoulders for support. He can felt the others were looking at him, but he didn't care.

Tigress can barely answer for she was too exhausted. She muttered a series of words like 'Kai', 'the masters', 'jaded', 'the pandas', and 'danger' before completely unconscious.

"Tigress? Tigress?!" Po was freaking out. "Dads! A little help here?"

Li Shan and Mr. Ping recovered from their shock when his son called and ran to the pair. "I will get her to my hut and you will go get the healer. Come on, I will help you."

Li extended his arms toward Po as to told him to let him carry Tigress. But Po shook his head. "No, you go get the healer. I will carry her myself." he said firmly.

Li looked at his son unsure, but decided not to argue with him. He nodded and took off.

Po carried Tigress in his arms and followed Mr. Ping to get to Li's hut. He set her on the cot carefully. Her eyes were closed tightly and didn't seem to be open anytime soon. That make Po even more worried. What could have cause to her this much damage? And where are Master Shifu and the rest of the Five?

She did say something about Kai though, he thought. But it couldn't possibility be him right? But...if it does, does that mean the others are...?

His train of thought was cut when Li come back with a healer. She told the males to wait outside, so they did. But Po was very uneasy. He kept walking back and front until the ground below him leave a trail.

"Son, please, calm down." Li told him.

"Calm down? You expect me to calm down when my best friend is in there while I'm out here doing nothing! And I can't even know what has caused this to her!" Po finally exploded. Realized his mistake, he sighed and added. "Sorry dads. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm just worried I guess."

"We all do. But I knew Master Tigress as long as you do, well maybe not but you get the idea, and I know that she is a strong woman. She will be fine." Mr. Ping assured him. Po smiled a bit.

The door opened quietly and the healer come out. Po dashed to her right away. The healer has already prepared her answer.

"I have bandaged most of her wounds, the others are just old scars which is unhealable. She didn't have much wounds anyway, just some bruises and broken bones." Po looked relief to hear that. It didn't last long though cause the healer countinue. "But her energy has ran out completely. It seem like she hadn't eat or sleep for 4 days. If the Valley of Peace was really is as far as you said then she has came here in record time and that's not good at all. A tiger like her shouldn't be in cold area like this in such a state. Not to mention that cliff she has climbed."

"But she will be okay right?" Po asked hopefully.

The healer looked sad. "Po, although it is true that we healers help the patients when they are injure, but we usually just bandage the wounds up to prevent them from being infecting. The healing process is do by the patients themselves. Their energy will heal the wounds. So, if your friend don't get her energy back soon, her wounds can't be heal, and I'm afraid she won't be okay after that."

Po looked terrified. Tigress is going to die? No, he thought, I won't let that happen. Not again.

He frown, trying to come up with a solution for this. Then it hit him. This was exactly what has happened to Master Oogway. And at that time, to heal him, the pandas have used...

"Chi." Po whispered. The healer looked at him, confused. "That's what she need. She need chi. Just like Master Oogway."

He turned to Li Shan. "Dad," he said, "I think now is the right time for me to learn chi."

To his surprise, Li looked just as terrified as him lately. And somewhat...guilty?

"Son," he said, his voice uneasy, "We need to talk. Alone."

Po looked confused but followed Li nevertheless. When Li was sure that no one can hear them, he faced Po. "Son," he said. Po just tilted his head in confusion. "I think it time to tell you the truth." What on earth was he talking about? "The truth is...I don't know chi. None of the pandas in this village does."

For a moment, Po thought he was joking, but then he realized he wasn't. Those words kept ringing in Po's ears like how the wind were howling. For a good long time, nothing was heard except the cold breeze.

"So you lied to me?" Po asked emotionless, his eyes didn't tear from the ground as he did so.

"I-" Li sighed. "Yes."

"Why?" Still that tone. Emotionless.

"Why?" Li asked back, can't believe he will ask something so obvious. "Because I finally found you after so many years. And now a maniac is coming to take you away from me again. I can't let that happen."

"So your decision is to lied to me? To take me away from the home I grown up with? To separate me from my friends?" Po asked, finally showing some emotion. Even though it was anger. "Because of you, I've left the Valley unprotected! I've left my friends unprotected! And now one of them is going to die because of it! I don't even know what is happening to the others!" Po snapped at Li for the second times in the day which was very out of character for him.

Li just stood there, take in all the scold. He knew he deserved it. "I am so, so sorry son." he finally said in shame once Po was done. "I just don't want to lost you again."

Po had cooling down a bit, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned and walked away. "Lotus," Li called out, "Where are you going?"

Po stopped briefly, but didn't turned back. "Goodbye dad." he said and countinued walking.

Back to the hut, Tigress didn't wake up yet. Her breath was slow and light and she was covered in bandages. Mr. Ping sat by the cot she was lying with the healer. They didn't really know what to do now so they just sat there, watching the tiger's unmoving figure and wait for something to happen. Anything.

The door opened and Po stepped in. Although Mr. Ping didn't know what just happen, he can say his son was slightly upset by something. His expression turned from anger to worried when he saw Tigress.

"She's still not waking up yet?" he asked, but he knew that was a dumb question.

The healer shook her head. "No. I'm sorry but nothing that I know can heal her completely. From what I have learned, only she can do it."

Po nodded in understanding. He sat by the cot next to Mr. Ping. He took Tigress' paw in his, rubbing it gently. He wondered if she can feel his rub, his worry for her. He felt sad for her for punching those iron trees for so long. He wished he has been there for her, to tell her that she didn't need to do this, that she is loved.

Po squeezed her paw at the thought, tears were forming in his eyes. There were so many things he has yet to told her, so many things to let her know. He was intended to invite her to Panda Village once he get back. She will surely love those panda cubs, especially that little girl name Lei Lei. But now he will never have the chance to show all of that to her. Unbeknown to him, Mr. Ping and the healer have left to give him some privacy.

"Ti?" he said on the edge of tears. "Please, open your eyes." He looked back to her face. She seem so peaceful but yet, so lifeless. "Please don't be like this anymore, you're scaring me. Where is the hardcore Tigress that I know?" he looked back to his paws which were still holding Tigress'.

"You know," he started again, "I always looked up to you since I was young. And I still do. My biggest dream back then was just to see you guys, the Five, and be your friend. Even though you've said bad things to me on my first night at the Jade Palace, I know it's because you just want to protect me. You know that if I continue this training, eventually I will hurt myself. That's why you were the only one who was about to stepped in when I started the training course right?" he asked, even though he knew she can't answer it.

"You always there for me, to keep an eye on me, to get me out of trouble, even if I've created that trouble myself. You have saved me so many time and I owe you a lot. But now..." a single tear fell on Tigress' paw, followed with many more. "...I will never have the chance to return your favors. It's just not fair."

"Please Tigress, wake up and be by my side once again, as my teammate and best friend." There was no answer. His vision had became blur because of all the tears he was holding back. Crying isn't helping at all and he knew it, but he can't stop it.

Is there nothing I can do to help her? he thought, wiping his eyes. Probably not. She needs chi, and no one know how to use it anymore. Dang it. If I know chi, I will have heal her by...my...self... His eyes wide in realization, no longer blur.

That's it! He looked on the desk, a green scroll lied there. It has fallen out of Tigress' robe on the way to the hut. Mr. Ping has picked it up thinking it was something important. And he was right.

Po stood up, grabbed the scroll and unroll it. Surely, inside it, there was a picture of a group of pandas, healing a wounded Oogway. There were bright golden light coming out off their paws. Po knew that must be chi. If no one can teach me this, then I will learn it myself. he thought with determination. It can't be too hard. Master Shifu once said I'm a fast learner.

He started to think. What did Master Shifu say by the way? Something like 'chi is the life energy that flow in everything' and stuff like that. He also said something about finding who you are. What does that suppose to mean?

"Gah!" Po groaned and fell back in his sit. He placed his paws on his head and slid them down. "This is hopeless." he murmured, his paws still cover his face. "What was I thinking? It no use. I can't learn chi anyway."

"So you want to give up the only hope to save Tigress?" said a small voice in his head.

Po looked up from his paws. Tigress was still laying there, didn't have any sight of awareness. But somehow, her peaceful state seem to gave him courage.

He stood up again. No way he will give up now. Tigress need him. And he need her.

Okay, let start again. Finding who you are... That mean find your center right? Find peace. It pretty much like Inner Peace and I has mastered it long ago.

Po took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. His arms and legs started moving in the same way they has been in the old Panda Village. He let them moved, flown, let them have they own mind. He can felt the energy inside him move along with his movements. They were warm and calming like a fire. He figured out that now what he had to do is to direct that fire, to make it do as his will. In this case, to make it heals.

His paws finally met and Po stretched one of it toward Tigress, forced his energy went through it. A dime golden light appeared in his paw, but not for long before it disappeared.

Po scoffed. Of course. It's not gonna work on the first time. It will take time.

So Po started again. And again. And again. And again. Each time the chi will be brighter than the last time, but it didn't last long enough to do anything whatsoever. Po was getting doubtful again. His breathing faster. What if he can never do it? What if even he can, it won't work? What if he was wrong and this isn't what Tigress need?

Po inhaled deeply. Now is not a time for being paranoid. He had to stay calm. He started again. This time with much calm and slower. He tried to block away all of his emotions. Then here came that part when he fail before. He forced the chi out with determination and all his worries. The chi shined a bright gold and started surround the tiger before him. Then the light slowly died down.

Po felt exhausted. He had to leaned onto the table to keep himself out from falling. Giving chi will drain your energy fast. His eyes then drew back on Tigress, waiting to see if this will work.

Tigress slowly opened her eyes, and was great immediately by a over-happy panda. She groaned and rubbed her head. "Ugh my head... What's happened? Where am I?"

"You alive!" Po shouted before embraced her, tightly. Then he remember she was still injure, so he released her. "Um... Sorry." he smiled awkwardly.

Tigress coughed. "You should be. You almost kill me!" Po just grinned wider at that remark. Now he knew she was fine.

Tigress just grumbled at him. But then she her eyes wide. "Oh no." She finally remember why she was here in the first place. "Po we have to warn the pandas. Kai is on his way here and he- Oww!" she winced when she attempted to get out of the bed. Her bones were still broken.

"Whoa, not so fast Ti," Po pushed her back to the cot, "You wounds are still not heal completely. You need to rest."

"But-"

"No buts. I forbid you from going anywhere until you're heal."

Tigress sighed. She knew he was right. "Just...let me know something. Have you learned chi yet?"

Po smiled. "I have."

"Oh thank god." Tigress breathed out, relief. "I was worried that you haven't. That is our last chance. I guess Li hasn't lied atfer all."

"Yeahhh, about that..." Po rubbed his neck nerviously. He can't tell her that his dad did lie. "Actually, you are the one who has helped me learn chi." he finally said instead.

"Me?" Tigress asked surprised. "But I didn't do anything. I remember I have pass out but that's it."

"Yep and you still manage to gave me a heart attack with that." Po murmured to himself. "It's a long story really. We will talk about this later. For now, just rest and don't worry too much okay?"

"But Po, what about Kai? I have seen his skills, we are no match to him." Tigress still refused to rest. Po lightly kissed her forehead.

"Then we will fight to our last breath. But I know, as long as we have each other, everything will be just fine."

The ending was suck. I know. I just couldn't figure out how to end this properly.

So what do you think about this AU? It just an idea that popped in my head when I see those pictures in The Art of Kung Fu Panda 3. I always want to know how the story will turn if Tigress was pass out at the village. This is my thought on how it would have been. I don't have enough idea to make it longer so this is just a one shot, but it probably be my proudest creation yet. Took me days to finish but it was worth it.

I have a lot of homework to do next week so I'm gonna take a little break now.

R&R