The Final Battle

The howling wind bit deep into the fur of Tigress and Po as they continued their trek towards Juntoa Village. Trees provided brief cover from the chilling wind. Po's eyes squinted against the snow as the mountain's grew closer over the horizon. "I sure hope we are almost there!" Po shouted towards his wife-to-be. His words fought brutally against the wind to reach her ears.

Tigress stopped as she turned back towards her panda as she heard his voice. Her tail curled tightly close to her body to preserve heat. "We are, Po, just stay strong!" she replied, a warm smile on her face. Her amber eyes stared longingly at her panda as he pushed closer to her against the wind.

The stars above gently lit up the night sky as small dark grey clouds shifted in the wind. Village houses appeared on the horizon. Po could feel a joyful jump in energy as his jade eyes caught glimpse of the village. "I...it's the village!" Po gasped as he took off. His feet trampled through the snow as the panda hurried towards the buildings. Snow whipped through the air as the wind howled down the mountainside.

Tigress quickly followed her fiance as the two entered into the village. A large fire roared in the center as two small statues stood on either side. Each statue depicted a master of Kung Fu. Lanterns hung across the street as they twisted and turned in the wind. The heat from the fire emmenated out, warming the air in all directions. Tigress felt a warm kindle in her soul as she moved closer to the fire. Her eyes continued to glance lovingly at Po as she watched him. Her mind felt at peace when the two were alone, even though there were villagers around.

'I must keep him safe' Tigress thought to herself as she searched around the village. Her eyes caught glimpse of an older pig walking into one of the houses nearby with a sling around her arm. "Excuse me!" she called out, hurrying over to catch the pig's attention.

The elder pig turned, her face wrinkled with tire and stress. Her arm sat in a white sling as a few bandage wraps were seen elsewhere on her body. Her tired eyes glanced up at the feline. "Yes, who are you?" she asked, her voice shaky from weariness.

Tigress bowed softly to the elder before she responded. "I am Tigress of the Furious Five. I come from the Valley of Peace looking for an enemy of ours." she started. The old pig patiently listened as she continued on with her explanation. A soft wind wisped down from the mountain side as it passed through the village.

Po gawked and awed at the town. New statues, new people, he felt like a kid in a candy shop. His jade eyes continued to shift around as it took in the beautiful surroundings. "Man," he sighed, a smile passing his face, "if only this could be a romantic night for me and Ti, instead of us trying to find Ku Bah." Po stretched his back as his eyes gazed up towards the moon. The crescent moon shined high in the sky, it's rays gently lighting up the night. A faint glimmer along the face of the mountain caught his eye. A red light pierced through the passing clouds as it flickered like a fire.

"Is that…."Po started, his eyes squinting to see through the clouds. The flickering light continued as a black figure seemingly flew past the light. Po turned hastily to find Tigress, his eyes rapidly absorbing his surroundings. His heart quickened in pace as his mind scrambled. 'That had to be the bird, that must be where Ku Bah is!' he thought as his smile faded. A serious tone took to his face as he found his feline. "Tigress!" he shouted into the winter air.

Tigresses' ears perked as she heard her panda's voice. "Po?" she asked, turning her attention towards the oncoming panda. A hint of worry seeped into her thoughts as she noticed the serious look on Po's face. "Po, what's going on? Are you alright?" she questioned as her eyes grew with a sense of worry.

Po's lungs felt as though they were on fire from the crisp winter air as he suffered from his panda asthma. "I...ugh...I think I knew where Ku Bah is!" he finally said while trying to catch his breath.

Her eyes shot open as Po's words sank into Tigresses' ears. "Where?" she shot, her amber eyes staring readily into his soul. Her paw firmly placed on his shoulder as she waited for his answer.

Po's eyes glanced back towards the mountainside as he pointed up past the clouds. "I think there is a cave up there." he explained, still catching his breath, "I saw, or at least I think, I saw a fire through the clouds, and then there was a black...THING that blocked the fire out for a bit!"

Tigress felt a drop in her heart as she listened to her fiance. She wanted to believe him, but doubt crept into her thoughts. "Po...are you sure it wasn't a cloud?" she asked, her voice dropping slightly in consideration. Her eyes examined his face.

"Ti~!" Po said in an annoyed tone as he gave her a look, "Of course I'm sure! That has to be that black bird from Huegon! Ku Bah HAS to be up there!"

A sigh escaped from Tigresses' lungs as her paw left Po's shoulder. He was clearly convinced at what he saw, and she had been wrong before to doubt him. "Alright, love," she said, her face getting softer as she spoke. "We will go check it out." A smile surfaced on her face.

A sharp ramp traveled from the village, along the side of the mountain face, up towards a small cave facing out towards the forest. The ramp was covered with snow as Po and Tigress struggled their way up. Po's feet slipped along the snow, struggling to maintain traction, as Tigress pushed behind him. Heavy winds blasted down the side, threatening to push them off. Tigress instinctively dug her claws into Po's fur to maintain her balance. "Ye-ow! Ti, what are you doing?" Po shouted against the wind; his eyes squinting from the snow.

Tigress felt a blush rush to her cheeks as a frustrated groan escaped her lungs. "I'm trying not to fall to my death, Po!" she shouted back. The wind rushed down as it blasted by. Her tailed rattled in the wind behind her as the two continued their trek up the ramp. A bright fire became clearing near the top of the ramp as they drew closer.

A loud screech clung to the wind as a black figure quickly flew into the mountainside and disappeared. Po's mouth hung as the figure passed his vision. "D-d-d-d-did you see that Tigress?" Po whispered, turning his head towards his fiance.

"What?" Tigress asked as she pushed herself closer to Po, turning her ears towards him.

"Did you see the bird? It disappeared into the mountain. The cave must be right up there!" Po stated louder so his words could reach the feline. He pointed up towards the oncoming crest of the ramp.

Po and Tigress felt a wash of relief whip through their bodies as they finally reach the crest of the ramp. The wind suddenly lessend in strength as the snow on the ramp grew thin. The soft crackle of a fire grew in the surrounding air as the bright light emanated from a large cave in the mountain side. The fire's heat seeped through the air, gently warming the winter's bite. Po peaked his head into the cave, silently holding his breath, to get a quick glimpse of the cave. His heart dropped as his eyes fell on a dark figure standing by the fire with their back towards him. 'Those feathers….' he thought as his mind rushed for an answer. He stayed there, Tigress waiting behind him, as his mind searched his memories. '"It can't be…" he gasped silently, his words barely leaving the cusp of his lips.

"What do you see?" Tigress whispered as she inched her face closer.

"Fenghuang?" Po finally said, his eyes growing in the firelight. The crackle of the fire drowned out his voice as he quickly escaped behind the mountainside. "It's Fenghuang!" he silently shouted to his wife-to-be, giving her a surprised and worried look. "The black bird, it's Fenghuang!"

"Fenghuang? What is that owl doing here?" Tigress asked, her demeanor changing. Her face grew annoyed and slightly angry as memories of Fenghuang's fight with Shifu crept back into her mind. A surge of anger filled her heart as her claws sprang out from her paws.

"Do you think she is siding with Ku Bah?" Po gasped, his mind torn between a feeling of awesome and fear. "That's...so...i don't even know what to say here…" he tried, his eyes shifting from the cave entrance to Tigress and back.

"Bad." Tigress finished for her fiance, giving him a glare. Anger continued to crawl through her nerves as she replayed her memories. "We need to strike, now, to catch them off guard. We need to put Ku Bah into a demon jar." An eerie smile crept across her face as she imagined her fight with Fenghuang.

"The demon jar!" Po gasped, he paws scratching the sides of his face, "I completely forgot to bring it...I left it back at the temple."

A small chuckle escaped Tigresses' teeth as she gave her husband-to-be a teasing look. "I knew you would." she smiled, her voice softly kissing Po's ears. "I brought the jar with me." Tigress reached back and pulled out a small ornate jar of blue and grey.

Po looked down, a heat of embarrassment grew in his face. "Hehehe...thanks Ti." he said sheepishly as he gave his fiance a grin. "How are we going to do this?"

"Leave that to me, Po." Tigress explained as she placed her free paw on his shoulder. "You go in there and distract them, and I will find and trap Ku Bah."

There was something about her eyes. Po felt a wave of comfort and peace gently grip his nerves as he continued to gaze into her eyes. Her voice kissed the tips of his ears, her touch warmed his frozen fur. "Alright…" he agreed, his voice almost in a dreamy tone.

Po tightly gripped his paw as a nervous shiver caught his breath. "Alright." he repeated as he he quietly stood to his feet. 'Inner peace..inner peace..' he repeated to himself as Po attempted to control his breathing. The wind grew silent in the surrounding air as his focus grew. A quick turn of his feet and Po leapt through the opening of the cave.

His feet landed on the ground with a thud before he continued to charge towards Fenghuang. The owl turned as the thud hit her ears. Her eyes glared at the oncoming panda, sending a cold shiver down his spine. "Here we go!" he gasped as he charged in for the attack.

The sound rapid exchange of punches exploded out of the cave entrance and Po tried to distract Fenghuang. His paws brushed past the feathers of the owl's wing while her talon scratched his leg. Tigress snuck into the cave, her pulse pounding in her ears. The echoing thump muffled the world around her. Her eyes snapped to a large boulder further inside the cave for cover. Po and Fenghuang's encounter grew more intense with each passing second. The owl turned back, rapidly enclosing her wings as a dark chi churned near the tips. "Um…..Tigress!" Po shouted as his eyes caught the dark shine of the owl's chi.

Tigress readied herself behind the large boulder as she put the demon jar into place. Her ears perked attentively as she searched the cave for signs of Ku Bah. 'Why is he giving me away?!' she thought angrily as the heat of combat took her nerves.

Fenghuang swiped away at Po's feet as the panda began to lose balance. "Tigress! I don't think Fenghuang is working with Ku Bah!" Po shouted again. A bolt of pain blasted from his gut as the owl smashed her wings into his stomach. The force split the air as Po's body hurled back towards the entrance.

"What?" Tigress gasped, her ears picking up on the crash from Po's body. Her eyes shot towards the fight before they glued on her panda. A large black burn seared itself on his stomach fur from Fenghuang's chi. A flood of anger and protective rage took over her heart as a sudden tear dripped from her left eye. The feline snarled as she lunged out from behind the boulder, her claws aiming right for the owl.

"T-Tigress no!" Po struggled as a fire of pain built up inside his chest. His breath rapidly escaped from his lungs as a feeling of helplessness gripped his nerves. His eyes, wide and quivering, watched as Fenghuang launched a second wave of chi towards his fiance.

Her anger reached a boiling point as the dark chi bellowed towards her. Flashes of her fight with Po at the Jade Palace filled her head. She grit her teeth as the wave crashed into her, searing her sides. "Arg!" she growled as she launched herself again with another push off the cave floor. Her eyes met owl's eyes; black eyes with a yellow tint. 'The same as when Po was under control!' she thought.

"Please work please work please work please work." Po rampled as he built up his own chi in his paws. Sweat dripped from his chin as his focused his mind on the center of his being. Chi rushed through the palms of his paws as a humming ball of yellow light formed. The searing pain from his burn jolted up his nerves as he shot his chi. The yellow beam hurled through the air before it smacked into Fenghuang's side.

The owl let out a small grunt as she pushed off the panda's chi. A dark grin took her face as a deep laugh escaped from her throat, crackling in the air. "You really thought that would work again, panda?" the owl said, the voice a mixture of her's and Ku Bah's. The voice darkened the cave as it seeped through the owl's beak.

Tigress reached the owl, her attention turned towards Po. A light grin passed her face as she got close enough to attack. The muscles tensed rapidly in her arms as Tigress rocketed her paws out into the owl's ribcage. Cracks of bone snapped through the air as the impact from Tigress launched the owl towards the top of the cave. "Gotcha." She stated as she took a firm stance.

"Ugh!" Ku Bah growled as the owl snapped its wings . The wings stopped the owl's momentum as she floated in the air. "Little kitten…" she said, her eyes shifting between the panda and Tigress. Her wings flapped in the air as dark chi dripped off like rain. The chi burned the stone floor upon impact as tiny pillars of smoke wafted up. "I'm not letting you inside this time!" The owl swiped her wings behind her as she propelled forward.

"I don't plan on trying." Tigress replied with a smirk. Her feet pressed off the ground as she spun over the swooping owl. Her heel kicked Fenghuang's back as she passed over.

Fenghuang slid across the ground, her feathers scraping against the stone. Her eyes beeded with anger as the fight continued. Dark chi clung to the tips of her wings as she stood up, her breath heavy and a snarl on her face. "That's it!" Ku Bah shouted, the voice crackling in her throat. The owl crossed her wings as a large dark cross of chi flung out in front of her. The chi erupted with a bang in front of Tigress, the shockwave blasting her back towards the wall.

"Tigress!" Po shouted as he hurried towards his feline. Worry wrecked his nerves as he finally reached her. Small coughs struggled to escape her throat as he gently lifted her up. His jade eyes grew watery as a twinge of anger seeped into the back of his mind. "Ti…" he whispered.

"I-I'm fine...Po" Tigress coughed as she struggled to her feet. A sharp pain stabbed her side as a burn of chi dug into her skin. Her amber eyes shifted in thought as her mind rushed for a way to win.

"How can we going to stop her? We need to make Ku Bah come out so we can capture him." Po stated as he glared at Fenghuang. His claws curled into a fist as his anger grew.

A light went off in her mind as an idea rushed into Tigresses' head. "I think I got it…" she whispered as a small grin passed her face. Her paw reached up and tapped Po on the shoulder. "Distract her, I just need to get in one more Double Palm Strike I think and she will go down. I heard some bones breaking with my first strike." she explained as she kept her eyes on the owl.

Her words shifted through the air before sinking into Po's mind. A sense of worry dripped into his mind as he stared down Fenghuang. "It's time to end this, Ku Bah! You lost when you tried to take over me, and you will lose here!" he challenged, his nostrils flaring slightly with pride.

"Oh we shall see, Dragon Warrior." Ku Bah mocked, Fenghuang's dark eyes glaring into Po's soul. Her wings flapped behind her as the owl slowly lifted off the ground.

Po hopped on his feet as he amped himself up for the fight. His feet shifting with each hop. A large excited grin plastered itself on his face. 'Bring it on~!" he taunted in his usual fashion.

Fenghuang pushed off the air as the owl screeched through the large cave, shortening the distance between her and the Dragon Warrior. Her wings flipped up before they struck down, striking Po's arms. The panda crossed his arms to block, twisting them upon impact, attempting to grab the owl's wings. A deep laughter seeped through Fenghuang's beak as the two continued to exchange blows.

Tigress crept silently along the wall, positioning herself for another Double Palm Strike attack. Her mind calculated her surroundings. 'I have to land this hit…' she thought. Her heart rate slowed as the time around her seemed to slow down. Her amber eyes fixated on every move Fenghuang made. A kick from Po here, a clash of chi there, a spinning chop from Fenghuang. Everything was analyzed by her eyes as she waited like a tiger watching it's prey. A primal feeling appeared deep within her as time continued on.

Fenghuang was wearing Po down, each strike doing more damage than the last. The whips of her feathers felt like steel against his flesh. Burn after burn from her dark chi appeared along his fur. 'Anytime now, Ti!' he thought in pain, struggling to stay up. His fist launched out towards the owl's face. The air cusped around his wrist as Fenghuang easily dodged the attack. Her wings flipped back as the owl's entire body spun in the air. Her talons sliced deep into Po's skin. "Arg!" Po cried as he fell back. Blood seeped out of his wounds, bleeding his fur a deep red.

A snap echoed out deep into Tigress as her eyes caught Fenghuang in mid-flip; completely unaware of the feline. In an instant, her body launched forward and ripped through the air. Her claws unsheathed as her muscles readied for their strike. Strength rushed towards her arms.

Fenghuang's eyes caught a glimpse of the fast approaching feline. Her body twisted as a large grin plastered itself on her face. "Nice try~!" she teased. Her eyes widened, almost crazy, as her wings emeted dark chi. The chi clung to her wings like a blade. She whipped her wings in front, creating another dark chi cross. The chi tore through the cave air as it barreled down towards Tigress.

Po's eyes struggled to focus as more blood seeped out of his opened wounds. "No…" he gasped as fear of losing his fiance gripped his mind. His body struggled to move, his nerves firing with no response, as his muscles failed him. He stumbled to his feet as his vision slowly regained focus.

Tigress focused on the incoming dark chi. A small grin passed her face as she drew ever closer. 'I was saving this surprise for my next spar with Po' she thought to herself, as a sense of excitement started in her heart. The searing heat from the dark chi emanate through the air as the cross was mere inches from Tigresses' face.

"Tigress!" Po shouted, forcefully pushing his words out of his throat.

The cross smashed, exploding in the air, as Tigresses' body erupted into a flurry of blue flower petals. The petals completely overtook the dark chi as they swarmed the air. Fenghuang's eyes scoured her surroundings in confusion. Po's face hung as his mind tried to grasp what had happened to his fiance. The petals drifted in the air before they warped together behind the owl. Tigress'es body re-appeared, the same grin still on her face, as her paws made contact with Fenghuang's back. "Thank you." Tigress smirked as the strength from her arms all but shattered the owl's body. The air erupted with snapping bones as a loud screech of pain left her beak.

Fenghuang's body spun violently in the air before it crashed onto the floor. Small grunts and coughs escaped her lungs as her eyes shifted between the darkness of Ku Bah and Fenghuang's normal eye color.

A surprised chuckle escaped Po's hanging mouth as a sense of pride filled his mind. "That….was...so….awesome!" he said, his mind still in shock. "How did you do that?!"

Dark chi swirled around Fenghuang's head. "Po, the jar!" Tigress ordered, her words carrying her sense of worry.

Po hastily limped over to grab the jar from behind the boulder. A small trail of blood followed him as patched of his fur continued to increase in redness. Pain fired in all of his nerve endings as he picked up the jar. A loud whirring sound creeped out of the dark chi near the owl's head. "Got it!" he shouted, his words almost being muffled by the whirl.

Tigress looked up at her fiance, her heart breaking from his current condition. "Throw it here, Po!" she shouted. Each drip of blood created another sting in her heart.

Po grunted as he threw the jar. The jar spun in the air as it gliding towards Tigress. She reached out her paws, softly grabbing the jar, as the whirling sound grew louder. A sudden pop unleashed from the chi as a tiny dark bull jumped out of the vortex. Tigresses' eyes glared at Ku Bah.

"I'll be back, damnit!" Ku Bah threatened as he shook one of his hooves at the feline. His tiny legs turned and started to run.

"No you don't." Tigress replied as she snapped the jar open. She hurried herself in front of the escaping bull as the paw holding the jar scooped down. Ku Bah turned as the opening of the jar engulfed him. Tigress closed the jar with its lid in one swift motion, finally trapping Ku Bah inside. "Po...it needs to be sealed with chi." she explained, as a sigh of relief left her lungs. A soft smile formed on her face before quickly departing at the site of her beloved.

"Alright! Way to go, Ti!" Po exclaimed happily, a twinge of pain in his voice. He reached his arms out to grab the jar.

"Po...you're wounded." Tigress said softly, her words filled with worry for her panda. Her eyes grew soft and watery as she examined the trail of blood behind Po. "We need to get you back to the village."

Po gently took the jar from his fiance. A warm smile passed his face as his eyes look lovingly at Tigress. A bright yellow spun around the jar as an ancient seal appeared before disappearing on to the jar. "There we go, all sealed up." Po stated, still smiling at his feline. A weakness struck his knees as the panda tilted forward off balance.

"Po!" Tigress said worryingly as she caught him. "Let's go get you fixed up." she sighed seeing the grin on his face. A warm blush broke her the fur on her cheeks as she gave her beloved a kiss on the cheek.

As always, if you like what you read, review and favorite!

There are only 3 chapters left in this story, so I hope you all have enjoyed it! Finally things are starting to wrap up! If the reviews continue to be as good as they have been, I have more stories planned that I will post! A few one-shots that are after this story and then maybe 2 more installations.