So, here we go. Gooey mess of TiPo angst. Enjoy.
Promises
If only...
If only she'd admitted it.
If only she hadn't tried to deny it.
The stern, greying panda and his loud, snobby daughter had come on a day like any other. The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior hadn't even noticed they'd been standing there, the bears watching them the entire time as they progressed through the grueling Training Hall routine. Well, most of them. Po had been multitasking between grappling and darting his way through the Wooden Warriors, bantering with Tigress and trying to recuperate a sticky dumpling that had fallen somewhere on the floor.
At last, Crane paused long enough to notice the newcomers and he gave a shout. "Hey, guys! They're...here!" The avian shot a quick glance at the Dragon Warrior then nervously fixated his golden gaze on the female panda. "...Early."
Po flipped out of the arena and mopped the sweat of his brow. The panda had actually lost so much weight since the last year that he was more burly than...well, obese, now. Much more fit, possibly lean, even. Maybe one could likely consider him handsome, for a panda.
Even his face seemed slimmer, harder, more square-set. He might of even been an inch or so taller, since he'd begun standing up straight and proud. But no need to worry, our little cuddly, innocent Po was definitely still there, as hungry, goofy and fanboyish as ever. Green eyes flashing briefly with shock when he saw the two pandas, and he looked to his friends in question.
Tigress blinked and chewed at her bottom lip, paws balling into fists. Her sharp, suspicious sunset eyes speculated the female panda's violet ones until she couldn't bear to stare at her chubby face anymore. Po gawked at them for a moment then gathered his bearings and bowed briefly.
"Who...who are you?" He asked. The female panda gave a high-pitched giggle and fanned her face that had plastered to it a bright, store-bought girly grin. The male, who looked old enough to be her father, grunted and muttered in a deep voice, dark obsidian eyes narrowed.
"We have come as an offer of peace."
If only he'd of tried harder.
If only he'd been quicker to confess.
"What?" Po shouted once Monkey had left to give Shara and Hi-Ran, the female panda and her father, a tour around the Grounds. His green eyes were huge with shock and even a slight spark of rebellious anger. "M-Master Shifu, you can't be serious! Another arranged marriage?!"
"Po, listen to me," The sage Grandmaster snapped fiercely, but his eyes betrayed his emotion. "None of us want this for you, but you must do this, for the sake of China. War could be disastrous. You would be accepting a responsibility and a greater honor than you could just being Dragon Warrior." He gave a loud bang on the table top with his staff.
"Shifu, I've got my life here!" Po argued. "I leave, and I'll never see you all again. Not you, not the Five, not even my dad!" Though the fire in his voice was strong, there was a note of pleading panic in it that finally gave in. "Please, Master, I'm begging you..."
Shifu's expression softened for a bit, but then it sagged, his face looking so much older than it usually did. "Panda, it is your choice. You hold in your paws the fate of China...or the fate of yourself. I hate to burden you, but I insist you choose. And please-" The red panda exhaled, looking exhausted and haggard. "Please choose correctly, Po."
Po was breathing heavily, his feelings mixed and confusing when he rushed out of the Kitchen-and nearly smacked into Tigress. Seeing her, something else welled into his throat, piercing and shredding everything else. The fellow warrior searched his face and gave a quavering sigh.
"Tigress...I...I can't...I just want to-" He fumbled over his words but the striped feline hushed him, brushing her fingers against his lips.
"Po," she whispered gently. "Don't let me get in the way of your decision. This is your life, and your choice. I won't let China burn because of..." her breath caught, she stared at the floor and cringed before unexpectedly rushed past him. The Dragon Warrior closed his eyes tight and clutched his head in his paws, groaning.
He bit his tongue until it started to bead with little droplets of blood, the liquid sweet and metallic in his mouth, but he didn't care. He slid down against the wall and stared blankly at the doors opposite to him, and thought.
If only she'd said more.
If only she'd been there.
Po had stood firm and straight when he'd announced his choice. Viper had almost started crying, Shifu tried to keep stern and congratulate him, the three other boys swallowed regrets and the pain, and Tigress just smiled. But not for real.
She'd said she was proud of him. That she had never had a better partner. And that he'd be missed. But her amber eyes were smarting and cold and filled with agony.
That night, right before the panda had left, he'd gotten to see Tigress one last time. Po had to force himself to act dignified and brave, but his best friend could see through everything.
"Ti," He gulped. "I...I have so many things I want to say...before I leave."
She'd smiled this little half-smile of sadness that broke the panda's heart in a million pieces. "I know, panda. But we can't say anymore, can we?"
"But, I had this whole speech planned-"
She laughed mournfully, lightly and hugged him, a tight, warm embrace that conveyed more than anything else could of. She wrapped her arms around his neck while Po held her close and wished vainly time would freeze, head nuzzling against hers and muzzle pressed against her cheek, breathing in the scent of jasmine and catnip and salty tears.
Sometimes, what you do could mean and demonstrate so much more than words could ever say...
It was a long time until they reluctantly drew apart. Tigress helped situate his backpack strap on better, avoiding eye contact. The Dragon Warrior cupped her face with one paw and her eyes darted back up to him nervously when he wiped an almost unseen tear away from the corner of her eye with his thumb.
"You'll write?"
"Okay." Po granted her a trademark geeky grin, but it was more difficult to smile that time than any other time, sadder than sadness itself. It faded quickly into a half-attempt and then to a meek straight line.
"Just remember, Stripes, goodbyes aren't for forever. I'll see you again. I promise."
If only he'd fought.
If only he'd been quicker.
They wrote back and forth for a short while, but that stopped, and soon Tigress found herself not daring to hope for any of his letters. One year passed, and Hi-Ran, Shara and Po made their annual tour through the villages. They got two hours in the Valley of Peace, and Po wasn't allowed to go anywhere except Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop, where he had a heartfelt renunion with his goose father.
Po was giving up hope of seeing his friends at all when suddenly Mantis and Monkey skittered in, rowdy and whooping with laughter. They saw Po, looked away, then looked back with popping eyes and hanging jaws.
"Big guy?" Mantis gasped.
"Buddy!" Monkey shrieked. "Po! Why didn't you-what?!"
"I can't leave from here-woah!" He laughed as the primate and insect tackled him with a robust hug. "The...guards..." He grinned. The others turned to find two panda guards in armor glaring at them behind bronze helmets.
"Well, screw them, we're gonna see ya no matter what!" Mantis yelled.
"I've only got thirty minutes left..." Po winced, looking at the sun. Monkey and Mantis looked at each other and came to a mutual agreement.
"We'll go get the others. Viper's around town and so is Tigress. Mantis will go looking for them, and I'll find Crane and Shifu." Monkey said. Po's eyes shone gratefully.
"Thanks, man."
"No prob! Be back in a sec!"
~oOo~
It was ten minutes later than almost all the Masters were crowded at the table, asking questions and poor, but very happy, Po trying to answer the stream of them. Well, as I said, almost all.
Tigress gave one last kick to the bandit, panting, then turned, hearing noise swell from Mr. Ping's. It took her two seconds to realize what was happening, and her excitement nearly made her explode, unbelief freezing her senses.
Then she ran, bolting away, forgetting the unconscious thieves, and burst through the entrance of the resturant.
"Po?" She called out weakly, trying not to hope too much so that it wasn't true. "Po?!"
This time her voice carried out past the other's voices and the panda rose out from the group, blinking with just as much scared wishfulness. He was just as Tigress remembered him-maybe a bit more mature, more serious and ashen and even more muscled. Vaugely, she wondered how, since he was forbidden from Kung Fu, but when her gaze caught his she saw nothing different. Bright, jade green, innocent and caring...but broken, too. Trying to steel against emotions but they were leaking out anyway.
She took a step forward the same time he did. Then another. And another. And...and then the panda guards moved in with uncanny speed and blocked the way, spears crossed at Tigress's chest. One snorted, the other growled, both were separating her from Po.
"Hey-hey! Mart, Jun Wan, she's a friend! Let her through."
"Can't. Strict orders, we must not let the tiger see you, my Lord." Mart informed gruffly.
"Who-"
"Lady Shara and Emperor Hi-Ran, Sir."
Po stared at them then back at Tigress with a look of shock, horror, and pain. "No. No, I can see her! Let me through!"
He started to push his way through, but they shoved him back, this time the metal spear points at his neck. "Can't." Jun Wan snarled.
"But I-"
"Po," Tigress stopped him. "It's okay. It's okay. Don't worry about me. I'll...I'll leave." she saw his determined look and narrowed her eyes. "Po, don't. Stay...stay here."
She turned and left, not once looking back.
If only she'd of helped more.
If she'd only accepted.
The second time she saw the panda, it was three years afterwards, and he was running for his life.
"Guys!" He panted, exploding into the room. He looked jaded and pushed beyond limits of exhaustion, arms and legs shaking, drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, but his eyes were still fierce and even protective. Shifu and Viper had been in the Palace and both had dashed to help.
"Po, you okay?" Viper gawked. "What are you doing here?"
"Vip-jus'...keep him..safe..." He heaved, handing her a bundle of cloth and buckling to the ground, out cold even before he'd hit the floor.
"What-" Viper stared down at the heavy bundle she had clutched with her tail and a panda cub's large green eyes looked back at her curiously. "Who-?"
Tigress and Crane suddenly both ran in as well, having heard the commotion. "What happened?" Tigress demanded, but stopped short when she saw Po unconscious on the floor. "What's he doing here?
She whispered that last question out and then slowly walked over. Viper looked around frantically, and Shifu began poking around to see if his former student was wounded in any way, inspecting the damage.
"Viper, what-?" Tigress gasped, but the snake handed her the heavy bundle of silk and black-and-white. She looked down and the cub giggled, resting one little paw on her nose. The feline looked from the big bear to the little one, understanding gleaming in her fiery eyes. "It's his son, " She guessed. "But why would he be running away with him?"
"He's got plenty of week, day, and hour-old wounds." Shifu observed. "So he was being followed and attacked all the way from the Forbidden City to here."
"That journey would of taken at least a month, two in weather like this!" Crane yelped.
"If you came running and fighting the whole way for your...or your child's, life," Shifu muttured, "Maybe three weeks."
"We need to keep them safe," Tigress said calmly, "For all we know, he might of led those hunting him to us, and we need to be prepared."
"Yes, good point, Tigress. Crane, you and-ah, Monkey, there you are! Please, don't question anything until later. Would you mind helping Crane take Po into the kitchen, were there's a fire? Viper, you could go get him the mat. Tigress, you take care of the cub. I'm...I'm going to go keep an eye out."
Shifu stalked out into the chilling winter night amidst the snow and scoured the horizon, his breath coming out misty and the starless sky looking down at him coldly as he waited for the danger to approach.
~oOo~
Inside, Tigress sat beside Po's mat and the baby play on her lap, making sure he was close enough to the fire to be warm but not enough to get singed. He sure was curious, and active. Tigress had taken one quick glance at the former warrior beside her, looked back, and just had time to realize the little boy was gone before he'd bitten down, hard, on her tail.
She swallowed an undignified mew of pain and swivelled around to find the cub chomping down happily. Scowling, she grabbed him and dislodged her tail from his perilous jaws. He pouted sulkily.
"Ah, ah, no, you can't eat my tail." Tigress said, her scowl fading. Mini Po gurgled again and rolled off her lap, crawling faster than possible behind her. Tigress lashed her tail to the side, and he pawed at it for a firm grasp, yanking at thin air. Back, forth, back forth...Amused, the warrioress watched the cub stubbornly refuse to let her tail out of his sight as he kept trying to get it.
Finally, he sat down and frowned so bitterly, sniffling, eyes wide and begging, that Tigress giggled herself and tickled his nose with her tail. He laughed and snatched at it, and this time she let him catch it.
He played around for a little bit longer, then started yawning and rubbing his eyes. Tigress smiled, cocking her head to one side, and picked him up. The cub cooed sleepily and nestled down in her arms, eyes drooping shut. Her smile turned into a tender half-smirk, and she ruffled Mini Po's ears gently, running one finger down his forehead to his nose. Gosh, he really was adorable.
"You..you like him, don't ya?"
Tigress's head turned to see Po griving her a lopsided grin, eyes open, propped up on his palms. She swallowed nervously. "Yes, I suppose I do. What's his name?"
"Chihong," Answered Po mildly. Tigress started to hand the cub back, but he shook his head feebly. "Just hold on to him for a moment, please,"
He winced in pain as he sat up straight and cracked his knuckles, then his back. He felt his middle and realized his chest and arms were wrapped in plastering bandages. Trying to laugh made him grit his teeth in pain. "So, I guess you saw how bad of a beating I got?"
"What happened?" Tigress asked quietly.
"Shara wanted to leave Chihong in an orphanage, since he was a boy, maybe because she just wanted a daughter to carry on her line and then marry her off to some other powerful warrior." Po sighed, studying the scars on his paws.
"When I refused, she put me under house arrest and forced me into chains. They were going to leave to the orphanage, but I broke out in the nick of time, just managed to grab Chihong and ran. Guards and bounty hunters, maybe assassins have been trailing and battling me since I left. I left a fake clue that I was heading towards Gongmen, and hopefully they'll buy that, just to give me some time. But Shara's smart, smart enough to...to kill her father and get away with it." He nodded gravely when his friend's eyebrows jumped in shock.
"She's going to find us, sooner or later, if I ever stop running."
Tigress listened with atentive ears, then she looked down at the innocent cub in her paws, breathing through her mouth slightly. "I'm sorry." She managed at last, not able to look at him straight.
"Don't be." Po shrugged. "Not your fault." But his words were hollow.
The feline wanted to blurt out so much more, but her tongue had formed into a knot, throat too dry for her to speak, until suddenly she caught sight of Po's paws. The skin and fur had been skimmed off, and they bled at the slightest movement, and since they were trembling slightly, the panda's hands were soon sticky.
Tigress set her jaw firm and frowned, then got up and walked over to the couch, were she propped Chihong up on a pillow before walking out the door. Po watched her go, puzzled, then shook his head remorsefully.
She returned a minute later, a roll of bandages in her paws.
"Do you like playing Doctor?"
If only he'd stayed longer.
If only he'd been brave.
"Ow!" Po whined. "Ti, this hurts!"
She laughed, gently wrapping up the last of the bandage around his fingers. "Remind you of another episode involving bandages?" She dabbed a bit of healing salve out from the container at her side and began to rub it into his paws, adding the finishing touches.
Po watched her as the fire made shadows and light dance through her eyes, and the candlelight adding a warm glow to her fur. "Yeah," He said finally, "Back on the way from Gongmen. Except it was you who was getting the bandage treatment, not me."
"At least I stayed still."
Po tried to stop wriggling so much, but complained, "Ha! You, still? Right. 'Oow, stop it!' 'Not to tight, panda!' 'It's squeezing, squeezing!'"
"You exaggerate," She stuck her tongue out at him and grinned. "I did not sound like that at all."
"Yes you did! 'Po, stop it, you're ruining my fur!'-Ow!" He laughed as his friend whacked him lightly upside the head.
Over on the couch, Chihong gurgled and twitched in his sleep, and the former Dragon Warrior and Master Tigress both turned to look at him with an almost equal amount of fondness. The elaborately marked feline stared back at the panda, who was still watching his son with a look of keen protection, and pursed her lips in a taut smile.
"It'll my turn for watch duty in a moment," she whispered. "I'll be outside if you need me. Try and rest,"
"But..." Po exhaled. He still wanted to talk with the feline.
"You'll be safe." she assured, resting her paw over his arm, and giving Po an ultimate look that said everything she hadn't yet spoken, she patted Chihong one last time and left.
If only she'd done more.
If only he'd gone to the impossible.
Po woke up, groggy, to a loud, sharp cry, and immediately bolted to his feet, a blanket he hadn't fallen asleep with sliding off him. Judging by the darkness you could spot through the window, it was still night time.
He whipped around, ready for anything, but all he saw was Tigress picking Chihong up from the couch and cradling him in her arms, murmuring coaxingly to the panda cub, smiling sweetly and breathing out a laugh when he grabbed her snout with both paws and stopped crying, giggling through his tears. Po's worry and fear melted into a warm, confident and happy kind of feeling of relief and of something else...
"Shh..shh, it's alright. You're safe now.I'm here, buddy, I'm here." Tigress nudged her nose against Chihong's and he chuckled louder, tugging at her ears, then putting his fists into his mouth and cooing. Then she froze in surprise when Po appeared behind her, grinning, wrapping his strong arms around her waist.
She thawed quickly, though, and let herself lean back into his warm fur, toasty from sleeping so near the fire. And everything felt right. Perfect. Like this was how it was meant to be. Chihong stared at both of them, smiled this huge, goofy smile of satisfaction and drowsed off again. His father traced one paw gently down his head, outlining the black markings around his eyes. Tigress granted Po an uneasy grin and let her head drop in the crook of his neck.
"You know, Po, this is what I want," she said softly. "This...this is how it should be."
"And how it will be," the panda vowed. "I promise, someday, it will be like this."
Tigress's eyes grew wide, anxiety clouding them. "Po-"
"You know I always keep my promises, Stripes," he tried to reassure. Tigress bit her lip.
"That's what worries me." she muttured. "You know, we know, that something between us could never work. Literally, it's illegal. You could die, who knows what could-"
Her words were cut off when Po leant down, grabbing her face gently with one paw, and pressed his lips softly against hers, making Tigress's heart eaither stop dead or start beating so fast she couldn't feel it anymore. Warmth flushed her face red but for some reason she wouldn't break away, nose against his. Instead she waited until Po pulled back, embarrassed but looking at the same time determined.
"Ti, I'm...sorry," He stammered, then sighed. "It's just that...that I feel like I'd do anything for not only Chihong but for you. And for us. We're going to get through this, I know we will, and we'll do so together." He clutched her arms firmly. "Alright?"
Tigress hesitated, scanning the panda's face. "You," she began, "Are the most stubborn, hard-headed...foolish, bear I've ever known." With every word she drew in nearer, until the former Dragon Warrior felt self-conscious. She was so close he could smell cinnamon. "And...and..."
This time she finally let her emotions take reign and she pulled the panda in towards her, paws placed around his neck. When she kissed him, this time it felt...right. Good. Real. Actually, more than real; it sent tingles down her spine, time seemed to slow, and nothing else seemed to matter. Po felt like smirking in triumphant satisfaction and if it wasn't for the need of air, they would of blissfully stayed that way forever.
"And, all right, furball." Tigress's words tickled Po's ear and the panda nuzzled the top of her forehead fondly.
"So, if you're over here, who's out there on watch duty?" He teased, voice muffled.
"Crane, I think," mumbled Tigress, who peeked down at Chihong. The cub seemed fine, and she smiled in an almost motherly way at him. "This little guy couldn't have a better father," she stated. Po blushed modestly.
"Or a better step-mom," He grinned. Tigress's eyes widened.
"What are you suggesting by that?" She questioned warily.
"Just that through this night you've acted more of a mother to Chihong than Shara ever did." answered Po, "And thank you for that."
It was Tigress's turn to color herself pink, and slowly an unwanted but grateful smile stretched its way up her snout. "You're welcome, Dragon Warrior."
~oOo~
This is a better love story than any of those weird vampire books I bought,Viper thought giddily, watching her two friends behind the safety of a closet's wooden side. She felt like jumping ten feet in the air and initiating a wild victory dance. God knows how long she'd waited to see this day.
But then she began to feel light vibrations tremor through the floor and immediately recognized Crane's light footsteps. She gasped; if the avian Master came in now, he'd ruin everything!
"Have to stop him," she muttured to herself, and swifter than shadow, she slithered across and under the gap of the door like a green blur. And just in time, too.
"Hey, Viper!" Crane whispered. "Everything alright?"
"Yea-ha! Perfect!" she lied very unconvincingly. Crane cocked his head, calculating.
"Are you sure? How are Po and Tigress?"
"Even...even more perfect!" she yelped horsely, drawing up to the base of her tail so she 'stood' just as high as the black-necked bird, who's yellow eyes narrowed.
"You're lying. What's happening? Let me in."
"No!"
"Is Po hurt? Did Tigress do something to the cub?"
"No! Crane, stop!" They were whisper-shouting now, and Crane was struggling to get past the snake, who kept being an annoyingly pretty obstacle.
"Let me through!" The avian grumbled, finally shoving past her and going for the doorknob, and Viper was forced to desperate measures. In a matter of seconds, a plan formulated in her head, possibly addled by too many romance books.
In one rapid movement, she'd sped up to the bird, coiled herself around his neck and kissed him.
Crane lurched back in shock, stumbling in an awkward feathery heap, then he went rigid, eyes staring and unbelieving. Viper slithered back up and tried to act casual.
"Get up," she ordered.
"Okay." Crane said dumbly, but he didn't move, paralyzed.
"C'mon, you idiot," a very flustered Viper pushed him to his feet. "Go, wake up Mantis. His turn for guard duty."
"Okay."
"Now!"
"O...okay." The bird left awkwardly, so distant he nearly tripped over his own feet. Viper rolled her eyes but smirked, watching the former janitor stalk away.
Well, her favorite pairing had been saved.
If only there had been more time.
If only they had made more time.
Tigress was sitting on the couch next to Chihong, yawning that funny way cats do (which Po found somehow really cute), and trying not to doze off too quickly. The panda sat dejectedly by the fire, examaning his suddenly interesting bandages. It was the third time the little cub had awoken them that night, and they were exhausted, especially Po.
Luckily, though, Tigress somehow managed to quiet him quicker than he could cry, maybe by instinct or maybe magic, Po didn't know. But she was still smiling, cuddling Chihong against her and looking after him as if he were hers. The cub's father, of course, helped out, or tried to, but Tigress wouldn't let him because he 'needed to recuperate his strength and take a break', and anyway, she had it under control too.
When the cub finally escaped into slumber, this one seemingly deep and profound that would hopefully keep him asleep during the rest of the night, Tigress glanced over at Po and smirked. The poor guy looked rejected and even uncomfortable, too thoughtful for his own good.
"Hard to get used to the tough, stone mats we have here, again, Lord Po?" she said. The panda looked up and grinned sheepishly.
"Nah, I'm just...thinking."
Tigress shrugged and patted the place beside her invitingly. "It's a lot more comfortable here."
Po hesitated, the rims of his ears scarlet. "But..."
"Well, if you prefer the floor..."
Shaking his head, the monochrome bear staggered up sleepily and sat down beside Tigress, leaning back into the plush cushion with a satisfied sigh. The feline snuggled up close to him and used his chest as a fluffy pillow, so close she could hear his jumpy heartbeat, and let him hold Chihong for a moment.
"Go to sleep," he murmured.
"Who, me or Chihong?"
"All of us, including myself," Po retorted, gently enveloping his two favorite people in an affectionate bear hug. Tigress purred and hugged her knees up to her stomach and smiled, forehead against Po's snout and at the same time smoothing down Chihong's untidy, ruffled fur fondly.
"Night, Ti," Po murmured as the South Chinese tigress began closing her eyes. He stifled a yawn and drawled sleepily, so he almost didn't believe he'd said it, "Love you."
Tigress closed her amber eyes last and mumbled back half-asleep, "Love you too, furball."
If only they'd been faster.
If only destiny wasn't that cruel.
Tigress awoke curled up at the far end of the couch with Chihong snoring on her head. She blinked as a string of drool splattered on her nose and the feline stared skyward, chuckling quietly. It was around five thirty in the morning, and dark grey light seeped in through the window, bleaching everything a depressing, hoary shade.
Attempting to move as surreptitiously as possible, the feline slipped Chihong off of her and laid him carefully next to his father. The baby panda impulsively cuddled up as close as possible. In turn, Tigress smiled faintly at the sweet scene before kissing Po softly between his eyes, fondling the other little panda's ears and getting up from the comfortable position.
With a start, she realized how low her guard was and she did a quick scan of the room, pricking her ears at the faint sounds of her friends' snores in the Student Barracks. Nothing was wrong, except...
Gulping, she realized that if Master Shifu found her here...well, use your imagination.
Casting a last warm glance at the two sleeping pandas, she slunk stealthily out the door, closed it with care, turned around to go in her room and found herself face to face with a VERY happy Viper.
"Hi." said Viper. Her smile was too big too fit on her face. It looked like she was riding in a wind tunnel, it was so peeled back. Creepy.
It took Tigress two seconds for everything to click, and she felt like slapping herself, embarrassment and anger and shock at her own stupidity flooding through her mind. But all she said, calmly, was, "You were spying,"
"Uh-huh."
"And you saw...everything."
"Uh-huh."
"And you've kept your mouth shut so far?"
"Uuuh-huh!"
Tigress mumbled something under her breath, trying to keep ger knees from knocking. Her gaze was murderous. "Viper, I swear, if you so much as hint one little-"
"Don't worry." she squeaked. "I still think I'm dreaming."
"Keep it that way." Tigress muttured. Then she turned heel and stalked over to her room, scowling before walking in. Viper let herself fall to the floor with a dreamy sigh.
"It's all so perfect." she hiccuped with pleasure.
~oOo~
Around two hours later, everyone had come to the kitchen, and Po was letting Viper hold Chihong, trying not to grin at Tigress's envious expression. "You'll get your turn." He grunted under his breath, and the striped Master bumped him lightly with her shoulder, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.
Shifu offered Po some nourishment, but he strangely refused, pleading for the chance to cook. Though it was an odd request, everyone instantly opted for it since they hadn't had a taste of Po's food for over four years.
While he cooked alone (they'd offered to help but he'd declined), the bear was able to relay what had happened. Then after a brief pause of letting the news sink in, he announced that breakfast was served.
For the next twenty minutes, it felt like pure happiness just eating the long-missed and craved-for noodles, dumplings and other delicacies the cook/warrior/lord had made. Chihong began acting fiesty and excited at the aroma and Po had to literally restrain him from diving into the pot of SI soup.
Tigress, looking smug, got to feed the little guy, and Viper watched her, smiling unrestrained. While they all participated in conversation, Po had to juggle between talking, joking and helping the feline with Chihong.
"Here, do you want to hold him or feed him?"
"Both,"
"Aww, Ti, it's gonna be hard."
"I didn't say you couldn't help, furball."
"Okay then," Po gave her a hasty grin, leered at Mantis for something he was talking about, and situated himself so that both he and Tigress were holding Chihong, which meant they were uncomfortably yet comfortably close, depending on who's point of view you saw it from.
"Alright, so just let me hold the bowl and let's see if we can stop him from eating everything, plate and all. Just a bit closer...right."
Po's son giggled, clasping his paws and watching with eyes that drank in everything. The grown-up's chairs were pressed against the other. Their heads were both bent low, so that if they looked up it was most likely they'd have a collision. Tigress wasn't noticing that she was leaning into Po and he didn't notice he had his arms around her again, holding the bowl in the palm of one paw and supported Chihong's head in the other.
Though they were still speaking with the others, they suddenly became very conscious of their position, and instead of jerking back, Tigress scooted in closer to the Giant Panda and began to feed the impatient Mini Po. Adult Po had a very unexpected look of affection in his eyes, at least for someone who was wanted dead or alive. Shifu seemed to the only one who noticed the strangeness of it, watching the pair laugh and smile at each other and at their cub. The Grandmaster stopped his thoughts short. THEIR cub? No, no, no, it was Po's cub, one that he must keep safe at all costs.
Shifu waited until breakfast was over to deliever the harsh advice. No, not advice. Orders. Sighing, he waited until everyone had left before pulling his former student aside.
"Po," he began, coughing, "I'm afraid it's impossible for you to stay at the Palace. You are always welcome here, but with an entire army and angry Empress at your tail, not even we could hold them off, and for the sake of your home, you, your...family." Po was about to ask what family, but just by the look Shifu was giving him he could tell that the red panda saw beyond his little curtain of friendship with Master Tigress and had put two and two together.
"You must run," the Grandmaster continued. "I've sent a messanger to the Montèäk Province in Mongolia, where you'll be safe."
"Will I go alone?" Po suddenly asked.
"No; I'll send some guards grom the Anvil of Heaven with you, and between them and your hopefully-not-rusty skills, you'll most likely make it, if you leave now. Not even that crazy female panda would cross the border of Mongolia, with an army or not, since they'd see it as a threat." Shifu answered reassuringly. "A few rhinos and two bears won't do any harm."
But looking at the former warrior's face, Shifu realized that hadn't been what he wanted to hear. "Thanks, Master Shifu." Po sighed, faltering. "I'll...I'll get some supplies ready and say goodbye to my father."
Shifu exhaled, crossing his staff in front of the clumsy bear before he exited. "Po," he muttured. "I know you want her to go with you. And I know you love her, and that you're the best kind of man I'd want for her, but I can't let her go with you."
The panda swallowed, looking at the floor and trying not to show how crestfallen he was.
"I also know she'd go with you, anywhere. But...But I have to forbid her from going on this mission."
"Yeah. It's me they want, not her. And I can relate, really, I can. You want to protect her not only as a student but a daughter."
Shifu gave Po a grateful look. "So, do you really understand?"
"Yes...Master." Po gave a flicker of an empty, sad smile, bowed, and left, mumbling out one last, "I do."
If only they hadn't listened.
If only things had been different.
Mr. Ping wiped away the misty tears away from his brown eyes and nodded. "Yes, Po, I understand. Just...just come and visit, please. A-and let me know whenever Chihong has a birthday party...and please write...and..." The elderly goose sighed. "Please, son, be safe."
Po decided not to confirm that risky promise and gave a short nod of his head, taking hold of Chihong once more. "Bye, dad. I...I'll miss you."
He turned to leave, and Mr. Ping watched him go with a sense of dread and loss, as if he'd never get to see his son again.
Po had just stepped out of tue Valley's borders, and he was looking at his already previous home wistfully when he'd heard the sound. The panda whipped around in a ready stance and found himself nose-to-nose with an upside-down feline.
She was hanging from a tree branch, arms crossed, frowning. "You left. Without saying goodbye."
Po groaned softly, wincing. "I...I couldn't say goodbye, Ti. I'm sorry."
Tigress didn't bother to ask why, and instead flipped off the branch and landed nimbly beside the former Dragon Warrior. "So where are we going?"
Po halted abruptly and grabbed her shoulder, looking at her dead in the eyes. "No. It's not 'we', Tigress. I'm going, just with Chihong. No one else. You can't come."
"You can't go alone."
"No. That's why a few rhino guards are going to escort me to Mongolia. And you're going to stay here."
"I'm going."
"Listen to me! Shifu's forbidden you from going. I'm forbidding you from going. If we get caught by Shara and her army-"
"At least you'll have another Kung Fu Master to help."
"No...argh, Ti! I thought you said I was the stubborn one...Anyway, no. I won't let you come. You've got your life here." He gritted his teeth in frustration.
"So did you. Po, I can't stay. I don't only want to, I have to come with you. Please." Tigress wouldn't admit it, but she was on the verge of tears. She refused lose him again, but a nagging thought whispered that there was no possible way that she'd be able to come. She stared longingly at Chihong, who was awake but uncharacteristically silent. "Po. I'll follow you if I have to. I'll break out of the Palace and track you, but I'm going."
Po started to protest again, but he realized how pointless it would be, and emitted a dark sigh. "You know, I should go tell Shifu about this."
"You'd lose time for travelling. Like you're doing right now."
"I should tie you up to a tree."
"Where's your rope, Spiderman?"
"I shouldn't be letting you do this."
"But you are, huh?"
The panda rubbed the side of his head. "Yeah. I am. I'm such an idiot, and I'm letting you come. But when I get there, you'll come back to the Valley, okay?"
"Promise." Tigress grinned softly, the choking sensation of hopelessness in her throat subsiding. "So, where to?"
Po reached into his pocket and cursed himself silently. "Where...where's the map? I thought I...?"
"Yeah, I figured you'd forget it." Tigress shrugged, wagging a scroll in front of him. Po shook his head, thinking, she knows me to well.
"What would I do without you, Master Tigress?"
"Make noodles." She suggested as she unrolled the parchment, and the panda exhaled a short laugh. "The Montèäk Province, you say? I hope you brought a coat."
~oOo~
Two weeks later, Po wished he'd brought an entire wardrobe of coats.
The rhinos hadn't been smart enough to bring any kind of winter garment except heavy capes they were using as sweaters, and it was only the prospect of money that edged them forward. Tigress had her head dipped, chattering, hugging her arms for warmth. Beside her, Po kept Chihong inside his coat and wrapped in a cloak, the little panda's head peeking out and the patches of black on his face frosted white.
Both the adult panda and tigress had long since become numb to any kind of feeling. Snow flurried mercilessly at the battered group, whipping past mountains, pricking at fur and biting at skin. Tigress had to blink out icicles. She stopped for a moment and fumbled with the map, not even feeling the paper, and tried to read the markings, snow crusting around her eyes. Wind howled and made the document hard to hold with it fluttering and writhing like it wanted to fly.
"There's supposed to be a cave or forest around here, just another half mile! We can take shelter there!" she shouted, brittle voice nearly drowned by the gale. But they all heard her, or maybe just 'shelter', and their pace quickened. Tigress pocketed the scroll and dropped in beside Po. Chihong was snuggled in as close as possible, nose running and a little mound of snow on his forehead.
The feline wiped the white stuff off and shared a quick glance with the older panda, then bit back a laugh. "Nice beard there, Santa Claus."
Po rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Master Shifu." He chuckled as Tigress grimaced and rubbed her mouth, the moustache line of white powder disappearing. Then she reached over brushed the snow of Po's snout too, tracing lines over his eyebrows and getting her hands chalky. Even through the snow, the panda's blush was noticable.
"U-uh...thanks?"
"C'mon, panda. We're falling behind." She answered coyly, smirking. "Hurry."
If only it had never happened.
If only wishes could come true.
It was a forest, but the dense evergreen needles provided enough of a leafy roof for the snow not to coat the ground. The floor was slippery, rocky and glittering with a thin pelt of white. The rhino's immediately set to work and kindled a fire with Tigress's help. Po took out the provisions and let them cook, too exhausted to do anything else but lean against a tree and wait.
Unfortunately, Chihong woke up at that moment, nose twitching, blinking drowsily. Po smiled sadly at him. "Hey, bud. Had a long nap, didn't you?"
The cub giggled and grasped at his father's muzzle, unsure why the older bear looked so sad.
Tigress walked over and sat down with a bowl of steaming soup in her paws, offering it to the panda, who switched the food for Chihong.
"You don't know how lucky you are, little guy," she growled playfully at him, tickling him behind his ears. "You got a free ride the whole way. Now how are you going to pay your daddy for that, hmm?"
Chihong's eyes gleamed, and suddenly he turned to Po and piped up, "Daddy?" As if it were a question, not sure if he was using the word correctly.
Po froze mid-bite and forced himself to swallow, turning to look at Chihong in shock. "What? Did...did he just...say..."
"Daddy!" Chihong finished, clapping his paws and laughing. The biggest smile Tigress had seen on him since he'd arrived lit up the former warrior's face.
"Yes! Yes, that's right, Chihong!" He set down his bowl and Tigress let him hold the cub, the feline smiling just as uncontrollably.
"That's right, bud, that's right!" Po laughed gleefully. "Ti, did you hear him?" She nodded and breathed out a laugh at the panda's overexcited attitude. "He said it! I've been waiting, like, for so long and you finally got him to say it! How'd ya do it?"
The rhinos seemed to be talking and laughing too loudly by the crackling fire to overhear any of their words, and Tigress was glad for the privacy. This was a moment no one else was supposed to listen in on.
Really, she was just as giddy as the panda, but it was hard to express that kind of attitude. "I don't know." she answered Po's question, but he wasn't listening, though she didn't mind, observing the father and son. Chihong was now looking very sheepish and timid, shy at having said something so important.
"Aww, c'mon, buddy, just say it one more time. Daddy. Two syllables. It's really simple." Po prompted, but not really forcefully or with much persuasion. The panda cub, whom they'd dressed in a scarf and a vest that was a bit loose on him other than his normal shorts, had wriggled out his smothering blankets and somehow crawled on top of his dad's head, giggling with surprise when he
looked down and found two identical jade green eyes laughing right back at him. Then Chihong glanced to his side, gnawing on Po's ear, and saw Tigress grinning at him, and he gurgled happily in recognition at the person who he'd come to accept as family.
"Hey, Ti, can't you get him to say it again?" Po asked, placing one arm around her middle and drawing her closer to him. Tigress sighed, a teasing glimmer in her eyes.
"Maybe I can, maybe I can't." She smirked. This time Po hugged her and nuzzled head against hers, pretending to sniffle.
"Pleeeease?" He begged, doing his best puppy-eyes expression. Tigress, who suddenly realized how warm it felt like this, shook her head in defeat.
"All right. I'll try," she murmured, then added quickly, "If you keep holding me like this."
Po grinned, ducking his head up and accidentally bumping his nose against the tiger's, though she didn't mind, smiling instead. "Deal." The panda accepted, pulling her into an even more cozy, gentle embrace as promised. The striped feline stopped herself from purring in pleasure and let her head drop on the crook of the panda's furry, slightly iced shoulder.
"Chihong?" Tigress said, and the panda slipped down first on to Po's lap and crawled into Tigress's arms. "Hey, smart boy." she greeted gently, touching one finger against his nose, and the cub looked down bashfully at her praise. "Do you think you could say 'daddy' again? C'mon, you're such a smart little panda. You can do it."
She was pretty sure he couldn't understand scarcely any of that, but the young cub suddenly grew serious and silent with concentration.
"You can do it, buddy. For Daddy? For me?" she coaxed.
"Da..dah...dad..dy?" he pronounced slowly. Tigress smiled triumphantly, rubbing him between ears and exclaiming, "That's it, my smart little boy, that's it!"
"Dad..dy. Daddy!" Chihong tried one more time, beaming when he got it right and saw the pride flash in both the grown-up's eyes.
"You did it, Ti!" Po said joyously, hugging her tighter then ruffling Chihong's forehead. This time it was the pantherine's turn to feel shy.
"No, Chihong did it." she corrected, looking down with a caring, rare expression on her face as Chihong snuggled against her silver parka and started yawning again, chewing her tail which had somehow ended up in his mouth again.
"I wonder how you got him to say it." Po mused, though mostly to himself, glancing over at the rhinoceri, who had their backs turned, three asleep, one lazily guarding and munching on the leftovers. No one was paying any attention to them.
Tigress stifled a yawn and used her cloak as a blanket, making sure Po was covered up too, since his cloak was being used as a thin mat underneath both of them. "I suppose we should sleep while we can." she muttered.
"Good idea." Po agreed. He closed his eyes then opened them again in delighted surprise after Tigress snuck him a brief kiss and then curled up as close as possible to him, head tucked under his chin.
"Goodnight, panda." She told him, eyes already closed and voice dying into a murmur. Po smiled at her, listening as she purred almost inaudibly in her sleep.
"Goodnight, Stripes. Goodnight, Chihong." he said, feeling as if the only people in who existed were them three as he listened to the wind sigh and fire crackle, and saw the shadows flicker and sun sink scarlet beyond the cloudy horizon. Slowly, his content grass-colored eyes closed.
But he was asleep so quickly he didn't hear Chihong mumble, half-awake, "'Night Daddy. 'Night...Mommy..."
If only it had all been a dream.
If only it had never been a nightmare.
They travelled for another week across the barren, snow-laden mountains, and the guards were nearly to the point of mutiny until Tigress promised them double the pay and now there were as courteous and helpful as possible, though Po wasn't sure how long that would last.
He felt warily uneasy, and he knew that Tigress shared his suspicions too; the little tickling of his conscience that whispered that they'd been too lucky so far, that it was very strange for Empress Shara not to have caught up, or that they hadn't seen or heard of any clue having to do with her army.
The setting got more apprehensive and tense everyday. Tigress's temper was liable to flash out every now and then and she got in a few squabbles with the leader of the rhino guards, Lee Long. Later, she felt guilty about having caused trouble and almost turned back to the Jade Palace, but Po stopped her. Funny how ironic life can be sometimes.
Chihong was grumpy and cold and loud, but no one could blame him, since everyone else was in the same state. Sometimes, the whole group would journey non-stop for two days without rest and he'd be the only one to steal a few decent hours of sleep. It was nothing at all like a happy family vacation, or road trip, but through it all they'd...well, not enjoyed, but stuck with it, grown to love each other even more. Tigress was wondering how'd she even survived four years without her best friend or his little cub she'd come to adore.
It was evening, and the cold was feeling homicidal. Wind bayed, snow buffeted through the air and chunks of rock skittered off the mountain's side, soaring down into the misty chasms below. The party of seven stuck as close to the side of spearheaded stone as possible, shivering like crinkled leaves. Po looked like a fit polar bear, Tigress like a calico cat and the guards like freakish albino mutations. They hadn't come across any shelter in four days straight, and most of them felt exhausted enough to drop and never get up again.
"W-we have to f-find shelter!" Po yelled over the moaning northen wind. "O-or we won't m-make it!"
Tigress shuddered out a nod. "I'll sc-scout ahead and l-look f-for any k-kind of c-cave!" she told him, trudging ahead through the snow, clutching her shaking, numb arms, smearing the wet snow off for it only to be more heavily ladden on her shoulders again.
The feline narrowed her amber eyes, biting her bottom lip, squinted at the white-and-grey area. Nothing. Nothing but more bleak white-and-greyness. A sinking feeling of despairing, agonized hopelessness seared like ice through her. But then she turned to look at Po and Chihong and slitted her eyes defiantly, daring the mountains and its cold with an ardent anger. They would survive. They had to.
She teetered forward a few more feet and nearly fell in shock, not able to comprehend the sudden discovery that made her heart leap crazily. There, just past this mountain...was the border! They'd made it! They'd made it to Mongolia!
The breath of shock she'd sucked in created a puff of fog when she exhaled, and her eyes started dancing wildly. She turned and called, "We've made it! It's the border! There's Mongolia, right past this mountain! We made it!"
The rhinos almost started an avalanche with they're whooping and clearing, and Po looked up at the sky as if thanking someone. He turned and laughed when Tigress tackled him with an overjoyed hug, a second later grinning at Chihong in nervous excitement.
"Po, we've done it!" she repeated in disbelief. "I was beginning to wonder if we'd make it, but we did!"
Then her smile gradually faded as Po's eyes started swirling with pain. He swallowed hard, and Tigress knew bad news was coming.
"Ti...I'm sorry," He started, and Tigress started to realize where this was heading. "You can't come with me any farther. You have to go back."
Tigress's eyes widened, her heart skipping faster and faster, breathing cut short. She shook her head. "No. No! I'm coming with you!"
"Tigress, I can't let you go." Po said. "I'm stealing your life from you."
"Y-you and Chihong are my life!" Tigres hissed. "I couldn't live if you l-left me a-again."
"I made a promise to Shifu." the panda growled. "I promised him you wouldn't come to Mongolia with me. And you...you promised you wouldn't come. I trusted you, Tigress. And I still do. Don't break it."
Tigress thought up a million possible excuses and protests but all that came out when she opened her mouth was a dry squeak. Po could barely stand doing this, but he kept himself strong, trying to shield his emotions from taking over and yeilding. Finally, the feline resorted to nothing, and all that came out were tears, little rivulets that cut down her face and slipped off and froze before they hit the ground.
The feline had punched Ironwood trees, gone through bone-breaking, blood-shedding training, gotten nearly killed countless times and been blasted with a cannonball that should of destroyed her instantly. But this kind of pain...the misery and hurt of letting go...was on a completely different scale. "I can't leave you," she whispered at last. "But I gave you my word. And I'll keep it."
She blinked as Po reached over and brushed one tear away with his thumb, just like he'd done a time so long ago, and gave a tug at the sides of his mouth in a pitiful smile, then decided better on it, knowing that if it wasn't genuine, it wasn't worth it.
"We'll see each other again," he told her. "We will, someday."
Tigress nodded absently and looked down at Chihong, who as if sensing the sadness of it all, had begun to cry softly. Tigress picked him up and hugged him close, rubbing his back until his sniffles became inaudible. She squeezed her eyes tight, trying not to let anymore tears drip out and kissed the top of the cub's head tenderly. "You'll remember me, okay?"
Chihong cocked his head at her and reached out to put both paws to her nose, clear green eyes looking into crimson ones. He frowned and mumbled, "Mommy?"
Tigress drew in a sharp breath as the panda cub wrapped his little baby arms around her neck, and held him tighter, as if she'd never let go, letting out a breathy laugh. "That's right, my smart boy. That's right. Remember Mommy."
Reluctantly she tore away and gave Chihong back to his father. "You look after him, panda," she tried to sound bitter, but her voice shook. "Look after him for both of us."
"I will. Promise." He vowed. Tigress's smile wavered for a moment as the panda grasped both her paws, jade eyes locked on ember-orange.
She kissed Po for the last time, in a heartfelt but grieving way, frosted whiskers and surprisingly warm lips against his, before pulling back and whispering, "You look after yourself too, furball."
Slowly she backed away, just linking on to the panda by a few stubborn fingers before parting and walking towards home stiffly, a warrior again, off into the blizzard.
If she'd only hoped harder.
If only he hadn't let her go...
Tigress, along with two of the guards from the original quartet, were traversing back the way they'd come, the feline's footseps heavy and her heart like lead. She'd tried to believe this was right, but it was impossible. She felt like a traitor, abandoning the two she cared about most, and on the way she'd already made up a hundred different comebacks, persuasive and clever things that might of guaranteed the possibility of going. But it was too late now.
Tigress hadn't said goodbye...because she couldn't. The warrioress hadn't wanted to believe it was farewell once and for all. Maybe someday, when miracles were feeling generous, she'd find him again, and Po's promise that still rang in her ears would come true. But today...today that wouldn't be happening.
Because today was the present. And a gift she didn't want to accept.
Suddenly, she broke out of her thoughts and a persistent little voice in her head started whispering, danger, danger. It was around here. There, somewhere, everywhere. She stopped short, frozen in place, listening through the wind and trying to glimpse anything through the curtain of now softly-falling snow. But she saw nor heard anything.
"Everything okay, Master Tigre-mmf!?" Lee Long tried to ask, but the South Chinese female tiger had whipped around and pressed her paw against his snout to quiet him, tail lashing, green-gray cape whipping out behind her. Her ears were swivelling around, tingling with the sensation that peril was near, trying to locate it.
And then she heard it. Pawsteps, light and quick. Chips of ice and snow were raining down from above, and Tigress craned her head up, eyes narrowed, a snarl about to escape her throat. Up skyward, on a winding ledge, was a dusky, dark shape. At first Tigress was as still as possible as she watched the shadow shift and meld. Maybe it was her eyesight playing tricks on her, but her instinct told her better.
Then she pounced up on the ledge, feet sliding on ice. She skittered upright, digging her claws into the waxy ground and growled. But the shadow was gone and in it's place swayed an pine tree branch that had mysteriously gotten caught up on the cliff.
Tigress was just beginning to relax, though, when she heard the chilling laugh, and then a sense of dread crawled into her chest, the persistent whisper now a blaring alarm. Danger!
Something was wrong, she realized two seconds before she heard the avalanche begin to roar in the distance.
Po, looking guilty and feeling worse than that, was plodding on the trail with the two rhinos behind him talking and sniffling over the separation scene they'd just witnessed in low voices, when the earth began to tremble.
The three looked up at the sky in first surprise, then confusion, then slackening terror. Snow was falling in clumps, icicles shattered and zinged to the floor, impaling anything below. The trembling went to a grumbling rumble, then a loud snarl then a defeaning roar, louder than a waterfall, than anything Po had ever heard.
Rocks began to cascade down, crashing into the mountain, crunching against the stone and sending shockwaves along the trail. Boulders came next, rocketing southwards, breaking and ripping off chunks of the mountain road. The rhinos shouted and panicked, running away only to careen back as more of the rockslide came hurtling down and causing chaos.
Snow showered towards earth, stinging eyes and screening vision. Po jumped back as a jagged slice of earth whammed down where he had been standing two seconds ago, crushing stone and leaving a wounded groove across rock, and he was sent staggering from the force.
"Go!" He demanded, tumbling up to his feet. "Gin, Qui-Lan, get as close to the side of the mountain as you can!"
The guards tried to then shrieked as fissures appeared on the mountain's sides, spreading up like cobwebs, like it wanted to crack it in two. More fracture-lines spread through the floor beneath them, and the rhinos started bawling, waiting for their doom.
Just as both the stone beneath was about to split and another boulder came spinning towards them, Po kicked them back with such force they landed sprawled on the ground around fifteen yards away, on a piece of sturdy ground where the avalanche wasn't so bad. Po somersaulted back in time to watch the stone crumble away and the rock plunge two inches past him and into the abyss below.
He and the rhinoceri where safe, for now, but then he looked down and his heart stopped dead when he realized that he wasn't holding Chihong.
Back over in the heart of the landslide, the cub was wailing and crawling around blindly. Overhead, the angry, hungry bellowing of the avalanche was hammering louder and closer, making the landscape shudder, tons of rock and oceans of snow speeding down the slopes, but all Po could hear was the beating of his own heart and feel the horror creep up his spine.
"No!" He cried hoarsely, hopelessly, then as the thundering destruction was set loose, he dove forward and curled up over Chihong like a live black-and-white shield.
And then everything came pounding down with the wish to kill, and nothing was going to stop it.
The Dragon Warrior heard an evil, femenine laugh through all the commotion, though, and the last thing he could remember before his world disintigrated to pain and darkness was one name.
Shara.
But sometimes, if only isn't enough.
Wishing and hoping and dreaming are just a waste of time.
Tigress's paws barely touched the ground, skimming over snow like she was weightless or flying or both. She didn't realize it, but she wasn't breathing from the terrible suspense. The more white than orange tigress had sprinted nonhaltingly for over two kilometers and she was feeling woozy. But she didn't stop, adrenaline and nearly hysterical fear driving her faster and faster.
Then she came to the aftermath of the catastrophe and balked to a brutal stop, scraping claws against the icy trail and the uneven, sharpened rocks drawing ribbons of red on her paw pads. Over in the corner, Gin and Qui-Lan were huddled down, cowering and unsure if they could come out. Tigress didn't notice them, absorbing in everything, already beginning to quake in shock.
No.
No!
A hill of rocks had fallen from above, stacked unevenly, flattening the road, crumpling anything under it. Snow blanketed the whole motionless pile. Tigress's feet nearly gave away from under her, and her limbs seemed to melt into water.
"Po," she tried to say, but it came out a harsh, voiceless whisper. "Chihong..."
She forced herself to her feet, and suddenly a crazy kind of hope made renewed energy flow through her, rage combined in it too. They couldn't have come this far for an ending like this, could they?
She sprang up and shoved aside rocks, hearing them clatter over the side. With strength she didn't have, boulders were heaved sideways, mounds of snow pushed into chasms. But she couldn't find them, and her eyes started to blur as she cleared the wreckage.
Hope was waving goodbye when Tigress heard it. Faint, and muffled, maybe even just her imagination. But the cries grew louder, pleas for help. The warrioress's search became frantic, and as she scattered a few more stones and hefted away a chunk of ice, she saw them.
Different, sharp emotions started weaving through her head, and her heart completed the Training Hall course in one big leap. Eyes wide, Tigress buckled over to her knees beside the panda and turned his battered, limp body over. Just by one simple touch, she could tell he was completely broken inside, but he still held Chihong tight in his arms and he let out a scratchy, low groan.
"Po," she gasped, choking on her words. She crouched over him and smudged away the dark blood trickling down his eyebrows. Chihong was still terrified to tears, and his nose was scraped, but otherwise he seemed fine. His father, on the other hand...
Tigress tried to stop from crying, she really had, but she wouldn't obey herself and the tears streaked down anyway, glistening and warm as she bowed her head, letting it rest on Po's chest, which was still moving up and down ever so painfully. "Get up!" she ordered him, looking up for a moment. "Don't you die on me, panda! Don't you dare! C'mon!" She searched the panda's bruised face, distorted through her hazy, obscured vision as she mumbled feebly one last time in a shuddering breath, lowering her forehead against his. "Please,"
She was sure he wouldn't respond when his voice rasped, "H-hey," He managed to open his eyes a little bit, numb to the pain that was dragging him away. The striped big cat slowly glanced up, blinking, to find Po smiling peacefully at her. "Hey, Stripes."
Her heart stammered to life again, daring to hope. "You're gonna make it, Po," she told him, grabbing his paws, her voice shaking with determination. "You are not going to die. I'll get you to the border...the rhinos can help, and then we can get a healer there-"
"Don't make those kind of promises, Tigress." he wheezed, grimacing in pain. Whenever he moved, another scar was revealed, another wound that would never heal. "You know I can't make it."
"You can," The feline strained not to sob, caressing the side of the panda's face gently and flattening her ears against her skull, "And...and you will!"
"Ti," Po squeezed her paw softly. "It's pointless. You...you know that." He coughed at the end. His fur was a jigsaw puzzle of red, black and white.
She did know. But she wouldn't believe it. "You promised me!" she accused, face wet and cold with running tears."You promised me we'd get through this together, panda!"
"It's not..not over yet," Po croaked. Using the last of the working power in him, he handed over Chihong to Tigress, and she took the cub with trembling paws, clutching him uneasily. "Look after him. For both of us. Promise me."
"No! Both of us...both of us will look after him! Not just me! He needs you here!" This time Tigress didn't try and stop from sobbing, looking down at the ground with droplets of salty water dripping down to the ice. "I need you here," she choked out.
"Tigress." Po said sternly, lifting her face and staring at her directly in the eyes, eyes that weren't afraid of anything, not even death. Green, the color of jade or spring grass, that said more than anything else could. "Promise me."
Swallowing, whimpering, she nodded. Po smiled with satisfaction, as if thanking her. Breathed out a sigh. Closed his eyes. And didn't open them again.
~oOo~
"No," Tigress whispered, drawing her bowed head away in realization, and everything inside her seemed to collapse and burn, torturing, ripping her whole life out from under her. Nothing else mattered now. She'd failed. "NO!"
Po was dead.
She circled the words around in her barely processing head. Po was dead. Gone. Forever.
She would never know, though, that it was Shara who'd caused the avalanche. However, later, she would figure out the Empress had been lost in a blizzard, not able to contact her army, and never seen again.
But right now, that didn't matter. How Po had died made no difference to her. Just the fact that her best friend, the person she'd grown to love more than almost anyone else, would never laugh, or smile, or see her again was what held any importance.
Tigress's breathing was just quick, loud panting, haggard and panicky. Everything around her had broken. And for once, she couldn't be strong, or hardcore. She got up again and the world spun sickeningly, stomach churning.
Then she roared, half screaming, half snarling, a wretched, heart-broken sound that echoed across the mountain range, and the hurting, the indescribable agony in it would of pierced through the hardest of hearts. And the funny thing was, she didn't hear herself.
Her roar ended in a strangled sob and Tigress crumpled to her knees, sliding against the mountain wall, her shoulders racking violently as she cried as quietly as she could, the rhinos watching from a safe distance and shedding a few tears themselves. The feline dug her claws into her paws until they started bleeding, but she didn't care about anything anymore, not the pain, not the unfairness of it all.
How could he have left her?
How could she have let him?
Unwanted, abusive memories flashed through the Master's eyes, starting with the Dragon Warrior tournament and sweeping past everything that had led up to this, and suddenly she felt empty. Her misery eventually died away to silent tears, the moaning of the wind grieving for her.
She stared, expressionless, at the black-and-white body of one of China's most feared warriors going cold beside her, and she was too numb to feel any kind of pain. She should of died in his place, but life seemed to hate her like that. Why was she the one alive, and Po the one gone? They'd been so close to their goal! And so she had no one to blame but herself...
Chihong was staring at the unmoving body of his father without understanding, then at the tiger holding him, who seemed far away and distant, her foggy crimson eyes clouded with an expression he was unable to comprehend. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. He looked up and asked, "Mommy?" in bewilderment, voice tight, hungry for an explanation.
Tigress, too unfeeling to sense the cold, too distracted to notice that night was creeping over the horizon and that the snow had stopped falling, looked down at the scared panda cub when she heard him and her eyes cleared, a new hardness and fierceness in them.
The look of quavering fear on the cub's face slowly provided that she could think straight again; no, it wasn't really her fault, though some of her still shouted faintly that she should of done more. It wasn't anyone's but fate's, whom she decided she hated more than anything else. A few seconds ago, she had been wishing she could die herself. Just to leave this horrible earth and all its pain. But then again, there was still part of Po left with her, and she'd made a promise. Chihong needed her right now. More than Po could need her.
She glanced up at the sky, where stars were twinkling softly in the navy canvas. Then she looked back, and realized with a start that Po was gone. Not a stain of blood left. But in his place, a swirl of peach blossoms wafted up to the sky and joined the heavenly bodies above, brighter and cheerier than any other stars Tigress had ever seen.
Chihong giggled as a few more petals brushed against his nose, then Tigress felt the gentle, sweet-smelling breeze ruffle her fur and she smiled faintly, tears pricking again as Chihong laughed, innocent to the knowledge of mortality, and he grinned, "Daddy!" But as he watched the flowers drift away, he blinked, confused. "Daddy?"
"He's still there," Tigress reassured softly, holding his paws in one of hers and pointing at the stars. "Watching us, beyond the sky." And Chihong nodded as if he could understand.
"Watchin' us." He repeated slowly, and Tigress swallowed hard, eyes searing.
"That's right, smart boy."
After a while, she got up and dusted the snow off her. She wrapped her cloak around her stiff shoulders and hugged Po's cub, their cub...her cub...as close to her as possible, feeling his warm breath against her neck and hearing his content, sleepy murmurs. And she remembered Po's promise that someday they'd all be together. "But not yet, panda," she confirmed, feeling two caring jade-green eyes gazing over her. "Someday, but not today. I've got a promise to keep."
She turned back towards the direction of China and let the stars guide her home.
Yay, plot twist. Told ya it was angsty. Hah. Don't sue me, I don't own KFP. Tell me your opinion: love, hate, meh. All is appreciated, but no flames please!
-DOTS