The Necklace

"Po, are you sure you want to give it to her? It's the only thing you have to remind you of... her." Mr. Ping told is son, a bit worried about the decision he was about to make.

"Yes dad, I'm sure." Po replied.

"But, you haven't even told her how you feel about her." Mr. Ping continued.

"I know." Po replied in a dry tone. He lifted the object to his eye level, and watched as it swung slightly in different directions. His face wore a worried expression as he gazed at the object.

"I know, there is a strong chance, that she won't feel the same. But if she doesn't believe me, I will show her this and explain to her and hope she understands. If not... then... I guess it wasn't meant to be." Po sadly stated.

Mr. Ping sighed. "I see... and I also see that nothing I say will change your mind. I know you love her, Po. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I know, dad. But this is my choice. I can't go on, wondering if she has any feelings for me. Because if she does, she'll never admit it. So I gotta be a man, and make the first move." Po said with determination, though on the inside he was a nervous wreck.

Po placed the object back into the box it had occupied and placed it into his pocket.

"Wish me luck." He told his father, as he walked out of his old room and out his father's restaurant. He was definitely going to need it, for what he was about to do.

"Good luck, son." Mr. Ping said quietly, worried about the outcome of what his son was about to do.

After about 30 minutes, Po made it back to the Jade Palace. He looked over to the hill which possessed the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly wisdom, and sure enough, the creature he was looking for was there meditating. He took a deep breath, exhaled and cautiously and nervously, made his way to the tree.

"What do you want, Po?" Po heard when he made it to his destination. He frowned at her tone. Already, she was annoyed by his presence.

Taking another deep breath, he composed himself enough to say what he had to say.

"Tigress... I have something important to tell you." He told her.

Tigress sighed, and opened her eyes. She got up and turned to face the panda, her arms folded. They stood a few feet away from each other.

"I'm listening." She told him, giving him her full attention for the moment.

Po walked up towards her, closing the distance between them.

"Tigress, this... what I'm about to tell you may seem sudden, and you may not believe me. So I'm just going to say it." Po said. Tigress raised an eyebrow curiously towards the panda.

"Tigress, I'm in love with you." He finally confessed.

Tigress' eyes widen in shock. She wasn't expecting that. Her expression softened and she turned away from the panda, giving him her back.

Tigress spoke up after a moment of silence. "You're right, I don't believe you." she said. The tone she used was one he had never heard come from her. It sounded... sad, hurt.

"Why don't you?" He asked. He had expected this, but he needed to know why.

"Because... I'm unlovable. I have never received love throughout my entire life, not even from Shifu. Everyone is afraid of me. Yes, they respect me as a warrior, but... they all see me as a monster. And monsters don't deserve to be loved." She explained, a tear escaping from her eyes. She was being weak, in front of the one person she didn't want to show weakness.

"You are not a monster, Tigress. You are a strong, talented, and beautiful woman. Any man would be the luckiest man in the world to have you as their mate." Po told her truthfully.

Tigress gave a soft smile. He was so sincere in what he was saying, and she knew it, because that's who he is.

"Thank you, Po." She said, her back still towards him. "But, I'm going to need more than just your word to believe that you possess such feelings for me." she told him.

Po smiled and pulled out a small box from his pocket, and walked closer to the feline.

"I have something for you, Tigress." he said, causing her to turn around. When she did, their nose almost touched, causing both to blush. Po took a small step back to put a little space between them. He brought his paw up to her view.

Tigress looked down at his paw and raised a curious eyebrow when she saw a small worn out box in his paw. Po opened the box and pulled out a necklace. It wasn't anything fancy. It was a plain pendant with the yin-yang symbol, and connected to it was a plain old rope. When Tigress saw the condition of the panda's gift to prove his love for her, she gave him a questioning look.

"I know, you're not one for jewelry, Tigress. And I know this may not look like anything special, but it is." Po paused for a moment, and Tigress stood patiently to hear what he had to say.

"This necklace... means everything to me. It's... it's the only thing I have... to remind me if my mother."

Tigress' eyes widen and she gasped at what she just heard. She couldn't believe it. The one thing he had, to remind him of his birth parents, and he was giving it to her.

"Tigress... I love you, so so much, that I'm willing to give you this necklace, which is very important to me, to prove it." he told her. He held the necklace out to her, hoping she felt the same way towards him, and take it.

Tigress looked at the necklace in his paw and smiled. She took hold of his paw and closed it over the necklace. Po frowned and looked down, feeling heartbroken, until he felt a pair of lips on his. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized Tigress was kissing him.

When they broke apart, Tigress nuzzled into his neck fur. Po felt his fur getting wet as she nuzzled him. She was crying.

"T-thank you, P-Po. That more than proved to me that you really do love me. Thank you."

Po smiled and hugged her. She too confessed her feelings for him and Po felt like the luckiest guy in the world. She also told him, that she will wear the necklace someday, but for now, he should hold on to it for safe keeping.

Published: 20.10.13

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