Hello readers. After a while of thinking I decided to write a sequel to my first story, Past the Breaking Point, as I have found inspiration in recent events in my life. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own KFP

Chapter 1

"WAAAATAAAAHHHH!"

Monkey flew backwards across the training hall after having the displeasure of receiving one of Po's 'belly bounces' straight to the face. Down, but not out, he picked himself up and bounded back towards Po.

"Heheh, you gotta watch for things like that," Po advised, stepping back into a defensive stance in preparation for the primate's counterattack. "Every master has their own set of tricks."

"Yes, master!" Monkey replied mid-attack. Those words still felt rather strange to him when addressing the panda in front of him; he had yet to become accustomed to Po supervising training sessions rather than Shifu.

Out of nowhere, Po managed to grapple Monkey mid-wheelkick and slammed him to the ground, pinning him instantly. Monkey's eyes were frozen with shock at the agility and ferocity with which his new master had defeated him, and looked up to meet a small grin on the panda's face.

Po released his student and the two bowed to one another, and Monkey returned to the end of the line consisting of the rest of the Five. Crane was up next.

"You ready, Crane? Cuz I'm ready…to go undefeated today!" Po remarked.

"As ready as I'll ever be…" Crane replied, warily stepping back into his ready stance.

Tigress moved up behind Viper as the line shifted forward. Behind her, Mantis mumbled softly to himself regarding his fresh defeat sparring Po; Monkey was quick to join him.

"Relax. This is the first time we've sparred since the battle with Kai. We're just out of shape," the feline explained, turning her head toward them.

"Easy for you to say," Mantis retorted.

"Yeah, you weren't Jombi-fied like the rest of us!" Monkey jumped in. "Plus, you got extra training and lovey-dovey time with your sweety p-" Before he could continue, Tigress launched out a hand and pinched his lips shut.

"Don't call him that. Ever." She snapped. Monkey's startled eyes went wide as he looked up to her and nodded a silent 'okay.' Mantis started to giggle until she shot him a glare that shut him up. She released Monkey and sighed, rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to the center of the training hall.

She saw that Po was having a hard time reaching Crane – mostly because the avian was on the defense and had resorted to evasive flying in an attempt to tire his opponent. In this hiatus of action, Tigress let her thoughts drift as she gazed upon her lover.

More than ever before, she admired him. This was only reinforced by the fact that he had managed to slip into the role of teacher so well. Sure, it had been a rocky start, but considering his level of experience compared to the rest of the masters, he had caught on remarkably in a relatively short amount of time. She felt incredibly lucky to have him in her life. Lucky to be able to love someone, and to have them love her back in a way that she never dreamed possible. She had previously resigned to living a life of solitude, and never imagined that she might find someone like…well, someone like Po. She wanted nothing more than for him to be happy, as happy as she had been with him.

Tigress began to think back over recent events concerning their relationship. The battle against Kai the Spirit Warrior was still fresh in everyone's minds, especially hers. Memories began to trickle back to her.

When Po was making ready for the journey to his ancestors' village, she insisted on accompanying him but was ordered to stay at the Jade Palace by Shifu. The feeling of helplessness as the one she held so close to her heart was leaving, just like that…

The feeling of shame as she retreated from her first confrontation with Kai, mixed with anticipation…she would be able to see the one she loved again, and together they would stand against this new threat…

When she arrived at the panda village and met Po's worried gaze for the first time in weeks…how he held her close to him as she explained their dire situation… the reassuring strength of his arms that carried her exhausted form…and the kiss they shared after he assured her that everything would be alright…

When she had to confront him, the exasperation building as she saw him whack away at his own construct in a futile attempt to prepare…the rising anticipation and dread of facing Kai in their still woefully unprepared state…

The various tender moments they caught here and there when Po wasn't busy carrying out his idea of 'training' the panda army…several silent moonlit nights in which they simply enjoyed each others' presence, wordless…

The heart-wrenching moment when Po sacrificed himself to banish Kai, and she thought he might be gone for good…and when she poured her heart and soul, everything she had into saving him in the Spirit Realm. She was willing to give up every ounce of her Chi for him…even if she perished as a result…

The blinding light and rush of adrenaline that surged through her as he returned to the Mortal Realm…when he looked down and their eyes locked, and she smiled for the first time in days, the biggest smile she had worn in a long time. The tears that welled up in her eyes as she lunged toward him, wrapping him in an embrace as the petals still fell around them, surrounding friends and family still looking on in awe…

Tigress was momentarily pulled back to the present when Crane flew in front of her…upside down. Po had managed to strike him out of the air on one of his passes. The avian slammed into the wall and slumped over, grunting in both pain and defeat.

"Try to keep some more distance while flying until you're sure you're ready to strike," Po instructed.

"Yes…ugh…master," Crane groaned. "I know, I know…" he grumbled under his breath as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Viper, you're up next!" Po exclaimed, enthusiasm still lining his voice.

"Yes, master!" she replied, wasting no time as she made her way to the center of the hall.

Tigress looked again upon Po. Their eyes locked for a second, but his broke contact when Viper announced her ready state. Tigress' eyes, however, remained on Po. They then landed on the four long scars that ran across his face.

Evidence of her mistake. Her failure to control herself.

Her eyes fell to the ground and she felt her face scrunch up into a grimace as another set of memories assaulted her conscience.

The night leading up to the moment when she lost it…the feeling of utter confusion in her mind and confliction in her heart…the terrible nightmare that sent her over the edge…and the Peach Tree…

The moment itself was too painful to think about. She squinted her eyes shut hard and exhaled, desperately trying to avoid reliving it in her mind for the hundredth time. Though it had been several months since it happened, the guilt surrounding her actions had since waxed rather than waned, regardless of whether she was forgiven or not, which she knew she was; Po had made that abundantly clear on multiple occasions. But that didn't stop the routine waves of remorse from plaguing her soul every time she recalled the incident, and it was getting worse. On top of that, she had recently been questioning her ability to make her mate happy; after all, she wasn't exactly cut out for relationships and she knew this.

Somewhere in the haze of her conscious she recognized the familiar touch of a snake's tail on her arm, but it was too late; her fist, rather than her gaze, reached Viper first as she reflexively punched her square in the face.

She whipped herself back to reality and saw what she had done.

"Whoa there, tiger…" Po called, "I know you're eager to fight, but let's keep it in the ring, alright?" he chuckled.

"I…" was all Tigress managed to get out.

"I'm alright," Viper assured, lifting her head up, a bit dazed. "I was just going to say, Tigress…oh…what was I going to say?" The snake paused for a second. "Oh, right. You're up next."

"Right. Apologies, Viper," Tigress replied. The snake just giggled and shook her head as she made her way to the back of the line.

Tigress stepped into the center of the hall, shaking her thoughts out of her head in an effort to clear her mind as she stopped and turned to face him.

"We haven't done this in a while, Ti…" Po noted, "But I'm on my A-game today! Who knows, maybe this time I won't get my butt kicked!"

"We'll see about that," she responded, a small smile gripping at the edges of her mouth.

The two bowed and announced they were ready. Then they began.

A blur of motion ensued as the two lunged at each other, exchanging blows within seconds. But Po was beginning to tire, and for a moment, Tigress appeared to have the upper hand. That was, until she leapt upwards in an aerial attack aimed at his face.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as her eyes locked onto her target. Her palm-strike was ready to fire forward, when a flashback hit her like a brick. Briefly, the same shocked expression from months past found its way back onto his face, and the scars seemed to jump out at her. The focus in her eyes faded along with their ferocity, and her form crumpled.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't hurt him again.

Po capitalized on her hesitation and delivered a quick kick to her abdomen, sending her flying across the room. She landed with a grunt and lay there for a second before propping herself up on an elbow, the other arm grasping at her stomach; though the physical pain was nothing compared to the tempest of thoughts and emotions whirling through her.

"Woohooo! Yeah!" Po spun on his heel and pumped his fist in a small victory dance. "I told you I…"

When Tigress continued to lay there, attempting to catch her breath, eyes fixed on the ground, and uttering nothing more than a cough, Po's jovial expression dropped to one of worry.

"T-Tigress?" he rushed over to her side, and squatted down next to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you…okay?"

"I'm…I…" she replied in-between breaths. She looked up to see that the rest of the Five had gathered over her, their eyes full of concern as well. She cleared her throat and finally managed to catch her breath. "I just need some time. I'll be fine."

She gathered her strength and pushed up to her hands and knees. Po was quick to help her up the rest of the way. She was sure to keep her eyes far from his face, terrified of what she might find if she were to look back upon him. He didn't seem to notice, though, wrapping her in a quick hug.

"Alright…take as much time as you need," he said, releasing her. "Want me to walk you to your room?"

"I can handle it, Po," she replied sharply, moving away from him and toward the door. She just needed to be alone.

"O-okay...I'll come check up with you later, then."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." She reached the door. "I just need some time…" she repeated under her breath, and made her way outside.

The masters exchanged worried glances as they resumed their training.

Evening was giving way to nightfall by the time Tigress finally sat up on her bed. She scanned her room before her, dimly lit by what was left of the day.

The darkness was calming, she felt. It helped her think, alongside the fact that she had yet to be disturbed. She found herself somewhat surprised that Po hadn't come to check up on her, though she did make it clear that solitude was what she wanted. The ache returned to her chest, both physical and emotional, as she recalled the day's events. She sighed.

Perhaps solitude wasn't what she actually desired; a talk with someone, just to take her mind off of what was bothering her, sounded more inviting at the moment. But at the same time, she needed some distance from those who she normally interacted with; she had been around Po and the Five constantly in the days following the battle with Kai. It was a shame the pandas had returned to their village so far away in the mountains. In truth, she missed them. It had been a new and fresh experience, so much out of the ordinary. She missed the extra company that was never far away. She missed Po's father, Li Shan, who carried himself in a jovial demeanor that reminded her of Po. Most of all, she missed the adorable bundle of fur that was Lei Lei, so innocent and oblivious to the problems of the world. Spending time with her had been an escape for Tigress, a time to forget about her troubles and live in the moment.

The tiger smiled softly, closing her eyes and recalling the fond memories the two had shared.

Her little voice, calling "Stripey Baby! Stripey Baby!" every time she wanted her attention…

Looking out over the mountains, Lei Lei pointing to each one, saying, "Oooh! I wanna go there! I wanna climb that one!" Her adventurousness warmed Tigress' heart…

The necklace of flowers she had worked on so hard, and presented so proudly…

The tea parties the two had enjoyed together…and the one time that Po joined the two, acting with an air of faux-etiquette, pretending to be a wealthy noble or something along those lines, Lei Lei giggling and doing the same…

Lei Lei looking up at Po, and asking…

Her eyes opened and her face scrunched into a frown. A darker memory had infiltrated the rest.

"…where did you get those scars on your face?"

Tigress stood up and cursed under her breath, a low growl building in her throat, forbidding the memory to continue. Why couldn't she just move past this? Why must she be constantly tormented by the guilt that flooded back with each recollection, growing more potent every time?

She slammed her bedroom door to the side and strode out into the now pitch-dark hallway, bridling with a growing sense of resentment toward herself. Heading towards the only place she knew that could help her cope, the training hall, she sulked the entire way outside. The night-time atmosphere that met her was dense, muggy, and hot; it wasn't nearly as comforting as she hoped it would be to take in a deep breath of fresh air. Instead, it just frustrated her further. Needless to say, she was quite eager to let loose and wreck something.

The doors to the training hall blew open as she kicked them in. Hunched over in rage, she marched in and began to lay waste to a wooden training dummy when she suddenly caught herself mid-punch. She took a few deep breaths and backed away, looking down at her fists. Her ears flopped back and she sighed.

This was the same lack of control, same unbridled rage that caused her to hurt others…that caused her to hurt Po. She felt ashamed of herself, acting out like a little kid in a temper tantrum. After so many years of training and self-discipline, she still couldn't control herself. She shook her head and turned around, trying to calm herself.

Her eyes fell on the oblong figure of the training dummy that still sat in the corner of the room, on which Po had demonstrated his 'mastery' of Kung Fu on his first day in the palace. She walked over to it and placed a hand on its side.

As much as she disliked the idea of being attached to inanimate objects, she couldn't help but feel a certain closeness to it. Not only had she spent much of her early years training with it, but more recently, it began to remind her of Po, of his clumsy yet resilient nature. Her eyes scanned its face, the wide eyes and ridiculous jagged mouth; she couldn't help but smile as a wave of warmth and affection washed over her. She leaned forward a bit and wrapped it in her arms. It wasn't long before she was purring, running her hand up and down the length of the dummy as she caressed it.

"I knew I'd find you in here," a voice said from behind her.

Tigress immediately released the dummy and spun around instinctively into her defensive stance. It was Po.

"…also, you left the door open." He finished.

Tigress exhaled and stood up straight, regaining her normal posture. She felt a bit silly for overreacting.

"You know I hate it when you do that," she replied, slightly exasperated and somewhat embarrassed.

"Ti, what's wrong?" he asked, disregarding her statement and moving closer.

She couldn't help but make eye contact this time. All of her recent ruminations flashed through her mind, along with an oh-so-familiar wave of guilt. Her eyes were back to the ground within seconds, and she remained silent.

"Hey…whatever it is, I'd be happy to help, alright?" he prodded, sincerity and concern lacing his voice.

Happy…

"Would you be, though?" Tigress asked. Po's expression shifted to one of confusion. When he didn't respond, she continued. "Po…are you…happy with me?"

"What do you mean?" He questioned, perplexed with her question.

"I mean…do I make you happy?"

He paused for a moment, the look of confusion on his face dissolving into one of incredulity, as if to implicitly ask, 'is this a joke?' When he saw that she was in fact serious, he responded.

"Of course! You're the awesomest most hardcore Kung Fu master in China, and when I'm with you I feel awesome too…I love you, more than anything!"

His words simultaneously filled her with joy as well as dread. It made the next part of what she had to say that much more painful, for she saw only one way to end the guilt that was tormenting her so.

"Po…I love you too, but…"

"…'but?'" Po's expression had returned to that of worry.

"Every day, I'm reminded of my mistakes. Of when I…hurt you, and I just…"

"Oh, Tigress, c'mon…that was months ago, and I already forgave you, like, ten times now…"

"I know, but…how do I know that it won't happen again?" She sighed and shook her head. "I think…I think we should distance ourselves, Po,"

"…what?" Po's crestfallen face shifted to a bewildered frown.

"…it would be better this way," She continued, glancing back up at his face. A trace of pain was now evident in his eyes, and another pang of guilt shot through her. She looked away.

"Tigress…" Po started. "You aren't doing anything wrong, you aren't hurting anybody, least of all me…"

The mix of guilt, dread, and now frustration building inside of her was beginning to be too much for Tigress to handle.

"That's not the point!" she snapped. "Just because it's not happening right now doesn't mean it won't ever happen again!"

"No, that's not the point either!" He retorted, and followed it up with a paraphrasing of an old lesson he had come to learn. "If you're always concerned with the past and the future, you'll never enjoy what you have now!"

Tigress hunched over, balled her fists and forced her eyes shut in a scowl.

"I can't risk it! I love you too much to hurt you again, don't you get it?!" she spun around and struck the first thing she saw with all of her pent-up angst…

…which just so happened to be the training dummy. The force of impact from her fist tore it apart and blew it into pieces. The mangled remains of the leather casing lay scattered across the floor as feathers rained down from above.

She inhaled sharply, gasping at what she had done.

"I…I need to go…" she had to choke back sobs between her words as tears began to well up in her eyes. She bounded out of the training hall on all fours, letting go and allowing herself to sob openly as she did. Her wails echoed throughout the courtyard.

"No, wait! TIGRESS!" Po yelled, dashing out the door after her.

He barreled after her through the gates leading to the Thousand Steps, only to trip and find himself falling face first into the blackness of the night.