Never Again

Oookay, I'm terrible with titles…and summaries but seeing as how you are so kind as to click on this story I won't blather on too much seeing as how not a lot of people read this part of a chapter anyway…

A/N: This has been edited because of annoying mistakes that I decided to fix

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KUNG FU PANDA or KUNG FU PANDA 2 or ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS

"NO!"

The force of the blast knocked me off my feet and I felt the searing heat of the weapon's shot through my thick fur. I pushed myself up in time to see my friend disappear into the night sky, gone, forever.

It couldn't be true; one of my closest friends couldn't really be gone. This had to be a joke. A cruel, sick joke played by one of those people who loves seeing others squirm. But the laughter that finally managed to break through my ringing ears told me otherwise. Sure, this was a joke, but the punch line wasn't funny to me, only the sick peacock cackling on his creation; the same creation that stole my friend from me.

My horror was soon replaced with fury, and I turned my gaze upon the culprit. I would rip his throat out for daring to laugh, for killing my friend. He would pay dearly. I snarled and leaped for him, only to be pinned down by the gorilla that had stopped me from reaching Po in time. I twisted in its grip and managed to land my foot in its stomach, but even though it was winded it wouldn't let me go. The stupid animal knew better than to let a raging tiger free. Damn him.

I suddenly stopped struggling, what was the point now anyway? We lost. There was nothing we could do now, except wait for our end, the same one that Po suffered. I felt something foreign swell up in my throat, something I had not done since I was a cub, hardened from my days in the orphanage.

I roared.

The sound echoed around the factory, my grief now known to all the workers and my friends somewhere behind me. I didn't even bother moving when the fact that I started my captor into letting me free registered in my mind. There was no point, we lost. Shen's evil laughter rung in my ears as I let out another wail, I was unable to stop it from exploding from my open maw and shredding my throat with its force. I knew I was boosting his ego with my cries but I couldn't stop, it was too painful. One last scream and the next thing I saw was darkness.

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When I woke I found myself in a cell, my feline eyes managing to pierce the darkness much easier than I knew my friends could. I saw them huddled together in a corner, probably trying to hatch an escape plan. I wanted to join them, I wanted to be free as much as they did, but I wanted to lie here more. I wanted this to all be a terrible nightmare. I wanted to wake up to the morning gong and rush out of my room to see the form of one of my closest friends and the goofy grin plastered across his face as he bid me good morning.

But you don't always get what you want.

My ear twitched when I heard my name being mentioned and I decided to at least listen in to what my friends were talking about. Maybe they already had a plan concocted and were just waiting for me to wake up. I started to move when my name was mentioned again and I froze. The tone Viper used was unsettling.

"I can't believe he's gone."

Monkey nodded, "I know, it's hard to picture him being hit with that…what did Shen call it…a zen ball?"

"I know." Mantis added solemnly.

"Guys, I'm worried about Tigress." Viper attempted to whisper to the others, she probably suspected I was awake or was soon to wake. "I mean, did any of you see her face after…it happened?"

"You mean before or after she tried to attack Shen?"

"I've never seen her so angry before." Crane mused, "And that roar…" He shuddered.

Monkey nodded, "It…it must've been terrible seeing that first-hand. Do you think she'll be okay, Viper?"

Viper sighed, "I…I really don't know. I've never seen her like that, she sounded so heartbroken."

Heartbroken? Was that what this feeling was? The pain and emptiness I now felt like a gaping hole in my chest, was heartbreak? But, I didn't love Po, not that way anyway…right? Wouldn't I feel the same if I lost Viper? She was the only one other than Po who knew my other side, the side I never showed anyone for fear of being judged as weak. I would miss her as much as I missed that stupid, goofball of a panda now wouldn't I?

I honestly have no answer, nor do I want one. If I lost another friend—

Suddenly the bars to the cell opened and two gorillas' entered, both holding shackles to no doubt bind us in so we would be helpless and forced to face our doom. I growled low in my throat when I recognized one of them; he was the one who held me back. An irrational urge to attack forced my body to pounce before my mind realized what I was doing.

My sudden movement seemed to catch everyone off guard, including the gorilla, much to my satisfaction. My paw slashed horizontally across his face, my claws unsheathed. I felt a deep sense of fulfillment when he yelped in pain and quickly followed up with another slash with my opposite paw, this time digging into his exposed belly after he reared up and clutched his face in pain.

The other one finally decided to try and grab me from the side, but I would have none of that. I dodged his lumbering arm by leaping over it and planting my foot square in his face then kicked off of it, resulting in me being launched at my intended target while my launch pad crashed into the opposite wall. Spinning in mid-air, I landed a kick on the face of the bastard who dared to keep me from reaching Po in time. It was his entire fault! I could've saved him! I could've saved Po!

I let out a yowl of triumph when I felt the crunch of the beast's nose beneath my foot, but it wasn't enough. This…this beast had to go through the pain I was feeling before I was satisfied. Unfortunately for him, I wouldn't be done for a long time. And, unfortunately for me, I wouldn't get the chance to inflict that pain because a cowardly sideswipe from his partner knocked me away and I slammed into the cells wall, darkness engulfing me once more.

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There was something warm and bright nearby. I forced my eyes open to see the flames of a torch being held close to my face. My arms were strung above my head and the heavy weight of the shackles reminded me of how hopeless our situation still was. The warmth I felt surrounding my body alerted me to the fact that my friends were shackled to me, but I wouldn't look at them. The ruthless murderer, who took our friend from us, stood gloating not a foot away.

It's beautiful that you will ruin thousands of lives just like you did ours?

It's beautiful that you took my friend from me you bastard?

I snarled. Sinking my claws and fangs into your body is an even more beautiful thought.

His plan to rule over China was a horrifying one, using these…cannon contraptions to destroy all that people know and love and start over with him as the supreme ruler. My thoughts drifted back to that soothsayer, the one who foretold that Po was the one to defeat this insane peacock, and a sudden flash of anger burned within me. If she hadn't predicted anything, none of this would've happened! Po would still be alive, China wouldn't be in such terrible danger, and I wouldn't have failed him. I wouldn't have lost Po, my best friend.

"Po would want us to remain strong, hardcore. Right, Tigress?"

I wanted to agree with Monkey, of course Po would want us to remain strong, but it was too soon. At least, it was too soon for my broken self. I tried to smile for my friends in an attempt to comfort them, but how could I? How could I when the pain of my failure plagues me so? My attempted smile quickly disappears and instead I was pressing my lips together in an attempt to hold off my inevitable tears that would come soon enough.

The sound of an explosion and screams of the residents of Gongmen shook me from my sadness. The innocent were being victimized once again by that damned peacock. I growled and struggled to turn to see Shen. How dare he do something so cowardly? Why did he find it fit to prey upon the innocent?

My blood boiled, we would find a way out of this and when we did, Shen would be mine. He would pay dearly for all the pain and suffering he's caused. No matter what, he will die by my claw. There would be no 'or die trying', oh no, the only way I would die is by taking him down with me. There wasn't much to—what is that?

"Po?"

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I had never felt as happy as I do now, fighting alongside my friends, ALL of my friends. I grinned as Po knocked a wolf aside and kept his crouched stance, sensing my approach. I leaped upon his back and used him to launch myself at another wave of enemies, my heart swelling with the knowledge that I could do it again, that I will be able to do it as many times as I wanted because he was here, he was alive.

Shen's loud screech made all of us freeze and turn to look at his boat which had the largest cannon of all perched upon its bow. We watched as he killed his wolf commander and leaped upon the cannon then grinned sadistically. My eyes widened, no! He would not do this to me again!

"Po!" I pushed him aside and stood in front of my comrades. I took the brunt of the blast. My fur was burning, my head was spinning, and nothing made sense anymore. All there was left was pain. I must've been a sight; a tiger on fire, how funny is that? Apparently hilarious to the bird who shot me and blasted all of us into the air.

Suddenly the unbearable heat was gone; there was only a stinging left from where the fire managed to sear my skin through my fur. I opened my eyes to find I was underwater. How did I get here? My mind was muddled and losing focus and I realized that I had no idea which way was up. I started to panic and let out a silent cry into the murky water, the air escaping my lungs only made me panic more until I remembered that air rises in water. I let out another wave of bubbles and followed them as fast as my weakened body would allow.

I gasped when I finally broke the surface; I was safe, until I started to sink again. I suppose taking the brunt of an explosion would leave someone feeling weak. Even with my blurry vision I managed to spot a piece of wood, no doubt from one of the ships that had been shattered by the cannon, and grabbed it. Good, I was still alive, but oh so tired. I wanted to sleep so badly but I had to hold on, at least until my strength returned.

"Tigress." A hoarse voice whispered my name and for once in a long time, I felt a paw grasp my own. I lifted my head weakly and saw Po staring at me in both happiness and concern at finding me. I tried to tell him I was alright but all I could do was gasp for air, so instead I tightened my grip on his paw and gave him a small smile.

He was here.

He was alright.

He was with me.

We were about to die.

My breathing got heavier at that last thought. I was both afraid of death but also happy because I wouldn't be losing him again. We would go down together and I wouldn't have to suffer that horrible feeling of hopelessness again.

Wait…

Why was I moving? Why wasn't Po still holding my paw in his?

I lifted my head to see him swimming away from me as I drifted in the opposite direction. No! Don't leave me again! My eyes watered and I raised a paw as much as I could in a futile attempt to reach him. He was going all noble on us. He was going to sacrifice himself to save us.

Not like it mattered, the rest of us would be next. Damn you Po, why couldn't you be at my side. Why must you be so noble? Maybe if I gave in to sleep it would be over faster and I could wait for him and my friends in the afterlife. My lips curled into a bittersweet smile, Goodnight guys, I'll see you soon.

An enormous splash awoke me from my almost slumber. What was that? My eyes were wide as I watched Po dance around on an upturned boat with his paw on fire. What the hell did he just do? I found my answer when another shot rang and Po…caught it. My eyes must've been the size of dinner plates as shot after shot Po returned fire until finally he managed to throw one straight back into the barrel of the cannon it was shot from. The resulting explosion was blinding.

I wasn't sure how long it took for me to regain my vision but when I did I saw something that made me grin. The weapons were gone, and Po was fighting Shen, on equal ground. There was no way Po would lose now.

"Tigress!"

I whipped my head around to see Crane waving at me with his good wing. I blinked and after testing how much strength I had left, I started swimming to where he was. When I pulled my water-logged body out of the water I realized that everyone who had fought beside me was there, except Po.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" I spoke calmly and gave them a small smile, but the glares I received almost made me wince. "What?"

Viper hissed, "What the hell did you think you were doing? That blast could've killed you!"

My smile melted off of my face, leaving a blank and probably sad look if the slight change in their demeanors were anything to go on. "I was-"

BAM!

I spun around and witnessed the boat that Po had been fighting on was suddenly blown to pieces. I froze; I had just lost him again. My body went limp in defeat and I fell to my knees, Why him? Why me! There it was again, that foreign but painfully familiar feeling building in the back of my throat. My eyes watered and just as my jaw dropped to let out a cry of anguish a loud splash came a few feet from me. The splash drenched my slowly drying fur once again, and also filled my mouth with foul tasting sea water.

I spluttered and coughed as some managed to sneak down my windpipe. I turned my eyes to the sea just in time to see a big, sodden, black and white shape break the surface and grab hold of a piece of wood drifting near it.

Thank god. That stupid panda was safe.

I quickly got to my feet and reached a helping paw down to him, a soft and relieved smile gracing my features. He was alive, he was safe, and still with me. He sent me a smile and grasped my paw with his own and I helped haul him out of the water. As much as I hated him for the worry and hurt that I suffered in the past two days, I couldn't help but say—

"Now that was pretty hardcore." For in reality, it was. I've suffered years of pain and broken bones to get to where I was today. My paws no longer feeling the pain of my brutal punches, nor my body being as soft and vulnerable as it had once been when I was a cub; I was solid. I was the perfect warrior and knew I could survive most anything.

But, he did survive everything. Every brutal punch we had given him in an attempt to drive him off, every hit that he took from Tai Lung and still managed to defeat him where we, The Furious Five, failed, and even surviving being shot directly by a cannon and living through two explosions! He was more hardcore than he realized.

As he locked eyes with mine, I think he might have understood how proud and relieved I was. I think he had at least an inkling of how worried I had been for him, of course that could just be my imagination. Although, does it really matter? All that matters is he was here, he was alive, and he was—hugging me?

I knew I must've looked like an idiot standing there, wide-eyed in the embrace of Po, who was apparently as relieved to see me as I was him. But he wasn't as good as I was with keeping emotions in check. Always the impulsive one…I really should keep a closer eye on him. But none of that mattered now. His head was buried in my neck and I could feel his trembling as he held me close, I honestly thought he'd never let me go and the funny thing was, I didn't want him to. If my arms hadn't been pinned to my sides by his then I would have most likely returned his bear hug, and probably shocking our onlookers further.

As it was Crane's beak had fallen open in a look of disbelief, as did the rest of our comrades who looked at us as if we had lost our minds. Especially me, because I was letting Po hug me, I was allowing him to hold me as close to him as he could, without attempting to push him away or squirm from his clutches.

I think I really did lose my mind during that mission. Something in me snapped, and I had no idea what. The only thing I do know is he was never leaving my sight. I would not risk losing him, never again.

Hmm…This didn't exactly turn out the way I imagined it to. This was meant to be short, mostly centered on the time when Po was hit by the cannon and shot off into space but it turned into this really long story...and sorry if it has a crappy ending.

R&R please