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We are today with another chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

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Some Distance Away From The Valley Of Peace

The small village had remained unchanged for many years, and it looked as if it were to keep on with that method of living for many more. It was much, much smaller than the Valley of Peace, only holding about one thousand people. A lot of them farmed, but the center of the town held people of a slightly greater variety of occupations.

The town was not exactly on the way to anywhere important, and was actually quite out-of-the-way. The people hardly got any visitors, so the few that did received lots of that old-fashioned hospitality.

Unless, of course, its visitors wished to remain out of the spotlight.

Such was the case for a stranger walking along the streets, his head down and his footsteps quick. The place reeked of nostalgia for the goat, who was surprised he could still remember the turn of its streets and the smell of its air.

Shao had not been back home ever since he left when he was a child. It may have been his hometown, but with his parents' death, he had little to go back to, so he had preferred to carry on with life. But now, after all that had happened in the last few weeks, the goat felt like he needed something to start with, and what better to start with than by going back to the beginning?

He could still not believe the sudden turn his life had taken. He had been just another person. He hadn't lusted for power. He hadn't wanted more out of life. He just wanted to help people from becoming orphaned like himself. That was why he couldn't understand why he felt so terrible about what he'd done. Didn't they teach that good triumphs over evil? So how could he have failed?

The main thought that dominated Shao's mind was that maybe, just maybe, he not been the good, but the evil, in his own story. It had taken him a long time to arrive at that conclusion, but when it did, it blew his mind. It just didn't seem possible. He had seen first-hand the damage that predators wreak on the world. They had murdered his parents and many, many others, and one in particular had wreaked so much chaos on the Valley of Peace that even Oogway felt the choosing of the Dragon Warrior was necessary to stop him. The evidence was before him. So why had it been so hard?

He could remember that feeling he had felt while he was making all of his schemes, that feeling deep down. Something that tugged and tugged, telling him his actions were wrong. He had ignored it, choosing the evidence over his own instincts. If only he could understand why that feeling had been with him. Sure, murder was a dirty business that no one in their right minds wanted to do, but if it had been with the best intentions, then it shouldn't have been that hard.

But it was when he thought about who he was trying to kill that he really began to understand why he felt that way. Master Croc wasn't some warlord or power-hungry challenger of the Emperor's throne. He had defended Gongmen City against those kinds of people for years. Shao had been convinced that one day, his predatory instincts would get in his way and lead him down the wrong path, but he began to realize that maybe that was the whole point of kung-fu. Perhaps that was what he trained years upon years for under the great Thundering Rhino. To keep those aggressive instincts in check.

Master Croc hadn't been a bad person. He probably wouldn't have become one. But Shao had killed him anyway. And that was why he felt like a monster. And the same could be said for Tigress. Now that he looked back, he couldn't comprehend how he had become so obsessed with her. How could he have ignored everything she had done? She may not have known it, but the tales of her great deeds and trials were folktales among the citizens of the Valley. Tales of great personal tribulations and rising up after defeat, but he had turned a deaf ear to all of it because he could only see the person who had brutalized that pig in the orphanage.

Now that Shao thought of it, he could no longer point his hoof at Tigress anymore. She had nearly torn the face off of someone who had mocked her, even after she warned him to stay away. He had killed two people for much less. And was responsible for four more.

Shao was beginning to understand that he was not a hero. He was a murderer, and he was deserving of the penalty of death. But fate had spared him. So what should he do now, he had wondered?

At first, he had given plenty of thought to killing himself and becoming free from all his self-inflicted wounds, but he lacked the will to do it. After that, he had no plan nor idea of what he was to do next. He couldn't go back to the Valley, as he knew Tigress would probably be searching for him for the rest of her life. And who knew about the two leopards? They may be on his trail now, hiding behind some bush, only to spring out and pin him to the ground and drag him away.

He had finally come to the conclusion that this was the punishment the gods had bestowed him with. His punishment would not be death. It would be to live with his sins for the rest of his life. It was only fitting that Croc and Po's faces be the first thing he saw when he woke up, the last thing he saw at night, and the only thing he saw while he was dreaming.

The goat dragged his feet as if bound by chains. In all honesty, they were. Those chains were stronger than any metal. He knew that his own chains covered him and weighed him down, and they nearly dragged him to the ground in despair and hopelessness.

He knew he couldn't blame anyone else anymore. He couldn't blame predators. He couldn't blame Tigress. His greatest enemy was on the other side of the mirror, close, but out of reach.

The Valley Of Peace

Tigress' stride was already quite long, and combined with her purposeful speed, she was back in the hospital lobby very soon. She quickly walked up to the receptionist.

The female goose's head instantly popped up at her approach.

"Can I help you, Master Tigress?" the young goose asked with a hint of awe, amazed to be in her presence.

"Yes, the two leopards who came to the Valley, the mother and son, do you know if they're still here?"

"Oh, you mean Masters Lianmin and Peng?"

Tigress instantly relaxed, as she didn't say their names with a hushed silence or anything that might have indicated that she had hurt them.

"Yes, do you know where they are?"

"Umm, well I suppose they went back to their room at the Valley Inn, but I'm not really sure."

Tigress nodded her head in thanks and the goose did the same. She turned around and walked out of the door, finding herself once again in the Valley streets.

The state of mourning was beginning to lift on the Valley, as the town couldn't stay in the state of stillness it had adopted following the death of their protectors. Even though Tigress couldn't blame them, she still felt sparks of anger fly through her chest at the sight of it all. How could they just seemingly shrug, say "Oh well, that was unfortunate," and move on with their lives? When Po and her family had just died? Were they so uncaring and ungrateful for all they had done for these people?

But ultimately, she also knew that they had their own families to take care of, and that regardless of whatever personal reaction they might have had to the terrible event, they still had to perform the duties life required of them. So she put those thoughts aside as she combed the streets for the inn.

Truth be told, she wasn't as familiar with the layout of the Valley as she might have liked. She was, of course, well knowledgeable of the major streets and alleys that were frequently used by the bandits to attack, but when it came to individual places, such as shops, she was a lot less knowledgeable. It wasn't as if she had ever spent much of her free time down in the Valley. Not that she didn't wish to be among the people she protected, but she needed to always remain in top condition if she were to keep the people protected. After all, there would always be more bandits and more power-hungry lunatics to fight, and she had to win every single one of those fights. She had too much to lose.

In fact, now that she thought deeply about it, it was her own lack of focus that had killed Po. If she had been alert, she would have spotted the murderer and would have been able to catch him in the crowd. At the very least, she could have saved Po. After all, Po's method of training, while had certainly been less tense than Shifu's, and did have it's merits, Tigress now knew that it had made her too lax, too laid-back. With a pang of sadness, she recalled talking to Po on the boat right before they had reached Gongmen City. She had just flipped him over after he had suggested he should punch the ironwood trees when she had told him with a hint of amusement-

"I don't think hardcore is really your thing."

But it was hers. And she had let Po try to make her like him. At first, she had embraced it, thinking it brought her closer to him. But now she knew it had gotten him killed. Of course, she still blamed herself. Po had seen it. Why hadn't she?

"After I bring Po's child… my child, into this world, I have to get back to training. But not like I was. It has to be harder than ever before. If I don't get stronger, then the evils of this world will trample me and my sister. I have to be stronger… for them."

Making the vow to herself that she would become stronger, she finally spotted the inn. She quickly entered and found herself in yet another lobby, with yet another surprise receptionist, this time an older male bunny, who had run the Valley Inn for years. His bushy brows rising up, he quickly asked-

"Master Tigress! Why, this is a surprise. Can I help you?"

Walking up to the counter, Tigress quickly replied-

"Yes, please. I'm looking for Master Lianmin. Is she here right now?"

"Oh. Umm, I think she left some time ago. But I believe Master Peng is still in their room. I-"

"Which room is he in?"

"Well, I think it's…" The bunny reached in front of him to look at the log he kept. "He's in… the first hall, left side, second-to-last room."

"Thank you," Tigress answered, turning around and entering the left-most hall. She then followed the bunny's instructions, walking to the end of the hall and stopping at the second-to-last room. Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing an apology, she raised her paw and knocked on the door.

There were a few seconds of silence until she finally heard the lock click in place and the door opened.

"Hey mom, so-" Peng began, thinking his mother had returned. When he saw it was, if fact, not his mother, he stopped, his eyes growing wide.

"Oh, Master Tigress."

Tigress hesitated for a moment, expecting him to say something else, but he simply remained standing there, slightly tilting his chin up to meet her gaze. Eventually, though, he dug himself out of his trance. He put his fist in his palm and bowed, and Tigress returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry, but you surprised me. I… really didn't expect you to be here. Is there something I can help you with?"

Tigress shifted uncomfortably in place, as she was never very good at apologies.

"Yes, umm, I- well, first, how are you doing?"

"As good as can be expected, I guess."

"And your mother?"

"She's good."

Suddenly, Peng backed up. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Please, come in."

"Thank you," she responded, walking into his room, and Peng closing the door behind her.

The room was a simple one. There were two single-sized beds and a dresser in the corner, and a closet in the other. A small window let in some light, and a small night-stand rested in between the two beds against the wall, a mostly burnt-out candle standing on top of it.

"So-" Peng began, sitting down on the inner edge of one of the beds, gesturing with his paw for Tigress to do the same on the opposite side. She accepted the invitation, sitting across from him.

"-Can I help you with something?" he finished, echoing his earlier question.

"Yes. I went down to the Valley Square just a few minutes ago…" Tigress paused, painful memories flashing by her head. Peng's eyes drifted towards the floor as he too was reminded of his own failures. He said nothing, respectfully waiting for Tigress to get her emotions together. After one or two minutes spent in silence, she tried to get back to her point.

"And I had… a few flashbacks. You know, when I woke up in the hospital, I couldn't remember what had happened in those… final moments."

Peng tried his best to hide it, but Tigress still saw something flash across his eyes. It then occurred to Tigress that if she did hurt them, he might try to hide it from her.

"And I recall attacking you. Both of you," she finished, her voice getting low.

Peng hesitated for a split-second before assuming a face that suggested she was wrong, but that split-second cost him.

"Don't say I didn't. We both know I did."

Knowing he was caught, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He then shrugged.

"Well, we're both alright."

"Are you sure? I didn't hurt you or your mother?"

Peng then remembered the gash that Tigress bit out of Lianmin's shoulder. She still had that arm in a sling as they spoke.

"No, you didn't hurt us," he replied.

Tigress leaned forward. "I'm so sorry. I… I just… when the explosion happened… I…I…"

Peng held up his paw. "I understand."

Tigress sighed, finding nothing pleasant to speak about. She fiddled with her fingers a few seconds before looking back up at the young leopard. Her eyes were now shiny with impending tears.

"And do you know what happened to the… that murderer?"

Peng's ears fell down and flattened themselves to his head. "He got away."

Tigress clenched her fists and lowered her head. Po's killer had gotten away, and it was her fault. She lost control and forced Peng and Lianmin to subdue her instead of catching the real enemy.

Wiping her eyes with her paw, she looked back up at the young leopard.

"And do you know where he went?"

He sadly shook his head.

"No. We know where he lives and where he works. His house is a mess. He tore through it to get the things he needed to leave. And his boss at the pharmacy where he worked: he also left. His shop is completely cleaned out now."

"Wait," Tigress asked, confused. "His boss? He was involved?"

"Oh, it was way more than just his boss. The plan was hatched by the bandit clan under Duan Jing. It turns out that the killer's boss had made cheap and flashy weapons for them for years, but he recently learned how to make something new."

"So it was the bandits all along? I thought we were dealing with an assassin. Are you telling me he lived right here in the Valley?"

Peng nodded.

"I'm afraid we were very wrong about him. He's no assassin."

Tigress looked at him in confusion as every assumption she had ever made about this killer was unraveled.

"So what is he? A bandit?"

"No, in fact, he's not really an important member of their plans. He's just… unstable, and they exploited that just in case they got caught. If he was the one who got caught, then the blame would fall on him. I mean, they planned for him to die in that explosion. So wherever he is, he's hiding from them, too."

This news was shocking to Tigress, but as she thought about it more, she realized that it changed very little. She had originally assumed that the bandits had hired this assassin to kill Po, but instead they just used his insanity to do their dirty work. Either way, the bandits were responsible for her family's death.

Then, a new question came to Tigress.

"So why did the killer want me dead? Why not Po?"

Peng shrugged. "We're still not sure. We think that he had some bitter grudge against predators."

Realization dawned on Tigress as she connected the dots.

"Master Croc…"

He nodded. Tigress pinched the bridge of her nose with her paw and closed her eyes, trying to sort out all the new information. It seemed impossible. She and her family had defeated threat after threat, from Boar's strength, Tai Lung's vengeance, Shen's army, all the way to Kai's unnatural abilities. And yet they had been killed by an "unstable" person who had a day job and a dumb grudge.

She knew thinking about him didn't help to catch him. So she decided to push her thoughts to the side and continue the conversation.

"So where's your mother now?"

"I think she's talking with Master Ox and the Soothsayer."

"The Soothsayer? Master Ox? They're here, in the Valley?"

Peng seemed confused for a second, but he soon remembered that Tigress wouldn't have seen them.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, they're here. In fact, they're going to stay for a little bit while Grandmaster Viper takes you and Master Viper to his home village.

Tigress knitted her brow. "You know about that?"

Peng instantly bit his tongue, berating his own stupidity. The meeting in the hospital break room was not what he wanted to talk about with her. Especially after some of the thoughts that his mother had stated.

"Yeah, I heard about it."

"So do you know what he's going to do? I mean, he can't stay away from Gongmen, especially now that Master Croc's…"

Peng chuckled. "Well, they have an idea."

"What's that?"

"Master Ox and Grandmaster Viper have agreed to call other masters that they know to come over here."

"Other masters? But they can't stay here either. They have their own people to protect."

Peng inhaled as he prepared to deliver their genius plan.

"Oh, they're not staying that long either. Only long enough to train the new recruits."

"The new recruits?" Tigress echoed.

"Yeah, umm," Peng looked down, finding himself unequal to the task of explaining to the great Master Tigress their plan to train a bunch of kids to take the place of the legendary Furious Five. But he had no choice, so he mustered what courage he had and proceeded.

"Do you remember that kung-fu club I used to run?"

Tigress nodded.

"Well, when I started helping my mom, I kind of fell out of touch with the club, but I still have a good friend there. The plan is that she'll send the best members of the club to come and train under the masters that can come here."

Tigress was silent as she digested those words. Peng gave a soft, cynical smile at her reaction.

"I didn't say it was a good idea."

Initially, the idea seemed absurd to Tigress, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. With Viper injured, and her about to undergo childbirth, the Valley was completely defenseless. Master Ox's presence might keep the bandits away for a little while, but the bandit clan that frequently preyed on Gongmen would soon take note of their best defender's absence and seize the opportunity, putting him in a difficult position. The truth of the matter was that they had only a little time given to them before the bandits made their move, and it was essential that they do something meaningful with that time. And while having a group of teenagers to defend the Valley may have not been the most optimal option, it wasn't exactly a terrible one, either. After all, Peng himself was a self-taught kung-fu prodigy who had kept Po on his toes in a fight. If the others had half his skill, then perhaps they might turn out alright. And, on top of that, they didn't need those kids to defend the Valley forever, only long enough for Viper and her to come back, at which point they would be in a much better position than they were in now.

"No, no," Tigress finally answered. "It makes sense." She then recalled something he said earlier. "So your mother's speaking with Master Ox right now?"

Peng nodded.

"And… were you not invited?"

He gave a soft smile. "I think they believe I'm still a child."

"And do you?"

He raised his brow, as the question had taken him by surprise.

"Do I what?" he asked.

"Do you believe you're a child?"

He cocked his head, both grateful and humbled that someone on Tigress' level had the interest to talk about himself.

"Well, no, but that doesn't seem to really matter. If they think I'm a child, then that makes me a child. Perception is often more important than reality."

Tigress' brow raised, surprised by his rather mature answer. "How old are you, Peng?"

"Nineteen. But, I don't let it bother me. My time will come soon enough. And something tells me it's going to have to be sooner rather than later."

Peng's meaning was not lost on Tigress. "So you're going to be one of those recruits that will be trained?"

He smiled. "Well, I thought so, but my mom has different ideas. I think that's what she's talking to Master Ox for right now. She's trying to explain to him why we're leaving."

"Leaving?"

"Yeah. It was a great idea to her until she found out that I was a part of it."

Tigress couldn't help but give a soft smile, as she understood exactly where Lianmin was coming from.

"Hey, don't blame her. She just wants-"

"To protect me," Peng finished. "I know, I know, but who's going to protect the people of the Valley? There aren't a whole lot of people like me. And this is the time that I'm needed. Did you know-"

He now stood up, his passion for his stance taking an evident hold.

"-Did you know I only learned about my uncle because of Oogway?"

Tigress's eyes grew wide. "Oogway? Really? Well, I mean, it doesn't surprise me too much. He seemed to... " She paused, as she was about to say, "have a plan for everything," but the question then came to her: did he have a plan for this? Did he know this was going to happen the day he picked Po? That he was destined to die?

She then realized that Peng was waiting for her to finish her sentence, so she simply gestured for him to continue.

"He came to me and told me about him. Of course, he only told me I had an uncle who was a great warrior in the Valley of Peace. He didn't tell me about… the other parts. But the point is, without him, I'd still be a potter! I don't think he came to me for nothing. I mean, I don't want to seem arrogant or anything, but I just have this feeling like this is what he came to me for. For this moment. I refuse to believe that he came to me while on a pleasure trip. This is the time that I'm needed!"

With his momentum seemingly gone, he plopped back on the edge of his bed, heaving a deep sigh. His head now hung down towards the ground.

"If only Mom saw things the same way."

Tigress waited a few seconds until Peng picked his head back up.

"Well, I think I've strayed far from the point of your visit."

She held her paw up. "No, no. I just…"

Peng's ears perked up at this. "What?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you. I understand what you want, but I also know how your mother feels." Thoughts of Lei Lei were going through her mind at the moment. Even if she were about twenty years old and a skilled fighter, she knew she would never want her to take on the same profession she did.

Now that she thought about it, she wondered if Shifu ever had similar thoughts.

Tigress stood up. "Well, I came to see if you were alright. I suppose I should be leaving now."

Personally, Peng wished to speak to her more. He may not have been as big a fanboy as Po was, but he still looked up to her. But what he didn't want was his mother coming back with her there, as he knew their interactions usually didn't end well, and his mother's opinions on Tigress' future probably wouldn't help decrease the tension. Plus, he also preferred that Tigress not spot the sling on her mother so she didn't realize that he had lied about it.

He stood up as Tigress walked to the door. He politely opened it for her, and she stepped through. Before she left, she turned back around.

"Again, I just want to-"

But Peng held up his paw, cutting her apology short, his eyes saying "There's no need."

Tigress shifted her weight as she tried to phrase her next sentence in the best way.

"Well, whatever you and your mother decide, I wish you luck."

He nodded. "Thank you. Oh, and congratulations for your baby."

"Thank you." She turned to leave.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

When Peng closed the door, he turned around and leaned his back against it. He let his eyes drift up in thought.

"Well, she's doing better than I thought. Maybe all these "future warnings" about Tigress are just overkill."

Happy with that thought, he hummed a nameless tune to himself as he walked over and opened a bag, revealing one of the many kung-fu scrolls that he used to study.

He knew it was a good time to brush up on a few things.

Another day, another chapter! Step by step, we get closer to the end. I mean, not that I want it to end, I- okay, I'll stop now :)

Frozenwolfheart and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until next time, we hope you-

Stay safe and keep being awesome!