Hey there folks! I had this new idea and I just HAD to write it down. This is a (admittedly) tremendously long one-shot, but I couldn't help it. Anyway, I really liked this whole war and gritty theme that I kind of have going for this story, and if you'd like to see a whole multi-chapter story expanding out on this idea, please let me know on the reviews. I have purposefully kept the "enemy" ambiguous here so that I could later use them in a multi-chapter story (like I said, all you have to do to get one is ask.) and flesh out their design, origins, etc. So, for now, you can imagine them to be whatever you want.
And before you panic, let me assure you I haven't abandoned "A Journey of Two Warriors", its just that like I said, I had this idea pop in my head, and I HAD to write it down. With all of that said, I'll stop ranting now and let you enjoy this one-shot.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda.
At Long Last
Finally… after so long, it looked like it was coming to an end. So many lives from both sides lost, so much destruction, so many innocent endangered, so many cities levelled… this had gone on for far too long. Ancient China was known for its battle worn culture and war-torn history. This, had been another one of such battles. But instead of inter-province skirmishes, this was something different. Something that hadn't occurred since decades… an all-out war, against another nation. All it took was one power crazy corrupt leader of one of China's neighbors and one coupe within said neighboring country, and all went downhill from there. What followed was one of the bloodiest clashes to have shaken the earth, as two superpowers locked horns in battle. One trying to take everything from the other, one trying to protect everything it had. The emperor of China, the son of heavens himself had donned his battle armor and had called every warrior capable across China to arms to defend her from the incoming invaders.
The emperor, a regal red crowned crane, was the one who headed the entire operation. Unlike what one would think, he wasn't a stereotypical royal. On the contrary, he was a very serious and rational person, and actively led and participated in the effort. He took strategic advice from a council, which comprised of grandmasters of Kung-Fu whose intellect would be of much more value than their battle prowess. The second-in-command to the emperor was an old and wise red panda. You may know him by the name of Grandmaster Shifu of the Jade Palace. Being a student of the Great Oogway, he took his place as second in command after the wise turtle ascended. Yes, before all of this, when the turtle was still around, apparently, he was the one who fulfilled the role of being the emperor's advisor and second-in-command, and no one even knew!
As was their duty to China, the Kung-Fu council were the first to react, immediately taking to the front lines and evacuating villages at the border. Every capable master had taken it upon themselves to put themselves in the way of the invaders and what stood behind them… their home. But like mentioned earlier, this hell was now coming to an end. Things were going to be okay… soon. They were far from being okay right now though, the entire country had had been brought down to its knees by the sheer scale and magnitude of the event, but in the end, they prevailed. China was safe now… for the most part. The last of the invaders will be taken care of within the next few weeks and that crazed maniac was assassinated by one of China's protectors, whose identity was yet to be revealed. The new leader of the neighboring nation would be coming over to the capital to sign the new treaty and to make amends. A lot of rebuilding, both in terms of international relations and national infrastructure was due in order. With that said, that brings us to the present, on a large barren place, which was the battlefield, on the outskirts of China near the border.
The sky was dark, almost as if it were midnight and instead of the mesmerizing blanket of stars that generally adorned the skies, a few lonely stars twinkled in melancholy against the black backdrop. In reality, dawn would be due in a few hours, but it was as if the sun itself were terrified to show its face to the battleground. Tigress stood eying the landscape… or what had remained of it, rather. Craters dotted around the vast open land, weapons strewn across, and the scent of death still hung around heavily in the air. Several closed in holes could be made out on the ground, where now lay the warriors from both sides of the war who had laid down their lives performing their duty. A few Rhinos were still hard at work with shovels, trying to the clear the battlefield of its aftereffects. Stray fires crackled and burned amongst the debris that lay scattered, large wooden wheels of chariots, bloodstained armor and rubble littered the ground as far as the eye could see.
Our brave feline warrior stood looking over the field, her posture rigid and straight, ears twitching by instinct to alert her of any sound. She released a deep sigh as her amber eyes fluttered shut. She hadn't had sleep for a week now, not that she would be able to get any anytime soon, not after what she'd been through.
Her attire, along with the rest of her, had changed too. She was no longer wearing her traditional golden Hanfu or the red Qipao. She was clad in iron armor from head to toe, with the exception of her head for now, since she'd removed the helmet which rested near her foot at the moment. A heavy iron breastplate and a leather tunic for her upper body along with shoulder guards and arm bands, with more iron surrounding her waistband and cascading down her legs. She wore jet-black trousers underneath the leg armor. Two Dao were strapped to her back, crossed against one another. The iron was dented and scratched in several places, having lost its luster long ago. Old blood stains, dirt and grime stained it and amidst it, stood out the phoenix crest adorned on her chest plate, which denoted her ranking.
"If not sleep, at least we'll be having moments of peace from now on. In fact, it's been so long since I have experienced any peace that I wonder if I would even ever be able to revert back to normal again." She thought to herself.
Years of being forced to awaken at an odd hour at night and defend herself, years of surviving under constant threat of invasion, years of not allowing herself to lower her guard for a single second had made her completely desensitized, and she found it odd to even try to be… normal.
It was weird when you would wake up in the midnight and not find a dagger pressed to your throat, it was weird to wake up today early and hear the quiet conversations of tired soldiers rather than their blood curling screams as swords burrowed into their chests under the shadow of night, it was weird to wake up and see the frontline empty, rather than the enemy lined up with another attacking wave. Basically, it was weird that now the seemingly endless war was nearing its end.
This was going to take a long time to heal from. Her physical injuries had already started forming scars, and it did not bother her in the slightest. The mentals ones though… an involuntary shudder ran down her spine as she remembered her first kill in the war, the first time she had to mercilessly strike down another being who was just doing his duty, as she did hers. Despite fighting and slaying millions of foes from that day forth, it still sometimes sent a chill down her spine as the same guilt and horror would rise up within her again. There was nothing that could have been done though, she did what she had to, as did everyone else.
She silently thanked her ancestors and the gods above for returning almost her entire family back to her without them losing their lives. The remainder of the Furious Five, who were given their own battalions and provinces to secure and protect, had just returned yesterday, and fortunately, all of them were alive. Of course, all of them had sustained heavy injuries, but injuries were the last thing that scared any of them now. Almost nothing could scare them, not after what they had seen. Master Monkey, or more appropriately, Duifu (Lieutenant) Master Monkey had suffered a broken femur in a clash with one of the enemy's officers and was thus now recovering in the camp infirmary. All of the Five were given the post of Lieutenant, with the exception of Tigress of course. Her rank was… a little different than the rest of her comrades'.
"There is only one more person who I wish could have been here with us, then it would have completed the reunion." She continued her own inner monologue. She had waited a long time to receive a message, or any sign from said person about when they would return, but the last one she had received was a year ago, and it hadn't mentioned anything about returning back then. Everyone had just assumed they had died in the battle, and had told her to move on too. Yet, she had not given up hope, she could sense it that they were still alive, she didn't know how she was able to tell, but something deep within her conscience kept giving her that assurance that they had survived and will return… soon, if everything went well.
She understood that in dire times like these, it was not always possible to send messages to your allies, there were multiple problems with that. One: it could get intercepted and vital information could fall into the hands of the enemy; Two: the messenger might get taken down, taken as a hostage or simply might lose it in the heat of battle; Three: it would give away the positions of the sender and receiver if not practiced with care, so sending messages was scarce and employed only when absolutely necessary.
Sensing the presence of someone closing in on her position, she opened her eyes again, forcing all of the exhaustion out. She wasn't worried about who it was though, the approaching pair weren't hostile. The war was now almost over, and she could at least allow herself not to worry about sudden ambushes. She didn't immediately turn to address them though, as she continued looking over the abused terrain with her back turned to them.
Two pairs of heavy footsteps could be heard and slowed down as they came to stop behind the tiger. The sound of a large battle hammer being shoved into the ground could be heard followed by the loud clanks of iron armor and shifting of leather straps as both persons who had come to approach her dropped to one knee, kneeling with heads bowed in respect.
"General." Came a deep masculine voice, addressing the tiger that stood in front of them. It belonged to a large rhino. His eyes were black and held the look of a person who had seen and been through a lot of things. His horn was chipped off at the tip and his armor was dented in several places.
The second of the pair was a giant panda, Hom Lee, who was holding a torch so that they could see in the dark and a quill and scroll in his other paw.
Upon hearing the emperor's call to arms, surprisingly, the pandas were the second to respond immediately after the Kung-Fu council. Though an endangered species, neither panda showed hesitance in joining in with the rest to perform their duty to their motherland. Their morale, sense of honor and pride was nothing but boosted by the fact that one of the most powerful warriors of China, who was also the Dragon Warrior and one of the fore front leading warriors in the battle, was also a panda. Po, was his name. Yes, the very same Po Ping of the valley of peace.
Lee, as everyone called him, was a messenger. Since the pandas were kind and easy going by nature, most of them offered to help in the war effort by taking up non-warrior roles, these included but were not limited to: healers, since they were expert at herbs and medical concoctions; Reconstruction effort, since they could use their large size and greater than average strength to haul heavy materials; And a ton of other jobs like blacksmiths, cooks for the camps and of course, messengers.
Some pandas however, who were adamant followers of the Dragon Warrior, took to combat roles as well. The Dragon Warrior had handpicked a few select exceptionally skilled pandas to form his own battalion, which was then transferred directly under Tigress' control for high value missions since Po was mysteriously sent out to deal with the enemy on the eastern front, where the invading force was the strongest and also housed a direct entry point to the capital of the invading nation, coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
The Dragon Warrior was in class of his own with no traditional military rank given to him. He either took direct orders from the emperor himself, or the second in command, no one else. Nobody knew where he was sent, and his whereabouts always remained unknown. He played a crucial role in the entire campaign, even before he was sent away and after. No one questioned his actions though, even if the details were murky, since everyone knew about his loyalty to the nation and they trusted the fact that whatever he was doing, he was doing for the best.
"The western perimeter has been secured. The last of the resistance having been pushed back with the rest taken under custody or neutralized." The rhino reported.
"Our scouts have reported no significant activity across the border, either, General." Lee added.
"Very well." Came her short reply.
Tigress turned to acknowledge her speakers.
"Rise."
The two rose back up to their feet, with the rhino picking up his battle hammer off the ground and swinging it back to his shoulder.
"Commander, gather up a patrol and set for Haijin at once. Their new leader may have good intentions at first glance, but we are not taking any chances. Make sure the pass is secured and maintain logs of any carriage that passes through. You are to send your fastest messenger with a warning at the first sight of a threat, shall it arise."
She then looked at Lee, who handed her a quill and a scroll for her to write down her orders.
Briefly taking a moment to write down the message, she rolled up the parchment and handed it back to him.
"Take this to the aerial scout unit. Tell them they are to leave at the earliest."
Both bowed to her and turned around, each going their separate way to carry out their new orders.
She turned back to look at the field as the smoke, ash and soot that hung around in the air started parting to allow the first rays of the sun to hit the ground.
"Tea?" A velvety, feminine voice broke through the silent early morning air.
As soon as she heard that voice, she immediately turned around and bowed low.
"Your Majesty?" Tigress enquired. What was the empress doing out here?
Unlike what one would think, the royal family did not live in the safety of the high walls of their palace back home in the capital. No, they lived right amongst their soldiers, their people, their subjects, where they belonged. The royal family was given a separate large tent in the camp that was just a few paces away from they stood now. Though the empress, who was also a majestic red crowned crane did not participate in battle, she stayed by her husband's side, helping him in the logistical and strategic affairs of the battle, along with the council of advisors.
"Please, no need for the formalities." She kindly voiced, walking over to her and standing by her side, holding two steaming clay cups of Oolong. "In fact, it should be I bowing to you, General. Your actions have truly proved your worth as a warrior and leader."
"Thank you, your majesty." Tigress replied. Rising from her bow and taking the cup that the queen offered into her paws.
The queen never regarded Tigress as someone below her, and had told her multiple times to call her just by her name. She saw her as a friend and a fellow comrade, but Tigress' discipline was far too deep ingrained in her personality to just address the empress of China by her name.
Even though all threats around the border and even far beyond for that matter had been neutralized, Tigress couldn't help but feel concerned about the queen's safety, for they were standing at the edge of a battlefield. A deserted one, but a battlefield nonetheless.
"Your majesty, do you need me to escort you to your chambers? It isn't safe out here."
The avian smiled at the General's concern. Even when the war was about to end, this tiger never knew when to ease up.
"There are no threats to worry about anymore, and I know you have already received a positive report from the scouts as well. I assure you; I am safe here."
"As you wish, my lady." Tigress turned to look back at the sight she'd been staring at for all night long. She hadn't had anything to eat in the past two days either, leaving her worn out to the bone, but it didn't bother her. And, this tea was more than enough to rid her of any exhaustion from the lack of sleep.
As the queen eyed the landscape, her eyes fell on the rhinos working on the burial of the fallen. Seeing that, her expression turned somber. "I wish it wouldn't have ended this way…" The empress said in a sorrow, regretful tone. "So many lives lost, all because of one power hungry individual and his delusional followers." She was never the one for violence, and it pained her to see what the war had brought upon both nations.
Tigress remained silent, her ear twitching to acknowledge her speaker. She only released a sigh through her nose in response, which said all that she wanted to say without speaking a single word.
The wind was starting to get stronger, kicking up swirls of dust. A sandstorm might be soon on the way. Both of them silently stood there, occasionally drinking their beverage.
"General!" A loud yell broke through the silence, it sounded like Lee's voice.
Instinctively, Tigress tossed aside the empty cup and reached behind her back with her paws, whirling around at an impressive speed and stepping reflexively in front of the Empress to shield her if any threat was to come. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she drew out her blades, one guarding the empress and one raised to her other side to deflect any projectiles or arrows.
Her eyes dilated back to their normal size and she lowered her swords once she realized that there was no threat after all. It was just Lee running towards them yelling, and though it was unusual, it was better than having to face multiple crossbows locked onto your face when you turn around.
Lee dashed madly through the uneven terrain making his way from the camp. He stumbled over the rocks trying to maintain his balance while his feet ran as fast as they could carry him. His straw hat blew away due to the wind and he was no longer holding the torch from earlier, since the sun was starting to come out and he could see reasonably well.
She strapped her swords back in their place and moved out of the way of the Queen, as they waited for the messenger to stumble his way over to them.
He came to an almost crashing stop but caught himself before he could fall. He hadn't even noticed that the Empress was present with the General. Panting wildly, he wheezed out,
"General, there's something you need to see." He shakily pointed in the direction of the camp and breathed out another sentence, "Main entrance gates."
"Invaders?" She questioned.
"No…" *pant* "it's some…thing? Some… one else…" *pant* "The sandstorm's increasing in intensity, couldn't really see much." *pant* "All I know is someone might be coming from the road that leads to the east, guards told me to alert you." He replied, finally getting his breath under control.
As if on cue, the sound of the horns could be heard echoing through the camp. Soldiers started scampering to their equipment, getting ready to face whatever was coming their way. You could never know whether it is friend or foe who is approaching, so being ready to defend the camp if necessary was protocol.
"Get to the safety of your tent, my lady. I'll go see what this is all about." Tigress turned to the empress, who nodded in return. The royal guard immediately showed up to their position to help escort the female crane. "Lee, head to the barracks. Alert the commander and his battalion and tell them to rendezvous with me at the gates."
"Right away, General." He quickly bowed and made his way to where the commander had earlier gone.
Tigress picked up her helmet and put it on, and without leaving another moment to spare, sprinted towards the gates to meet their new visitor.
She dashed through the camp, ducking and dodging racks of spears, stray shields and the rhinos that were running about in the middle, trying to get to their stations. The two large wooden watchtowers and the massive oakwood gates faded into view as she neared the rendezvous point. The commander and his battalion had already arrived and were waiting for the General to give her next orders, it seemed like their outing to Haijin might have to wait after all. Archer geese stood at the ready on the walls of the encampment with locked crossbows. The ballista was unmanned but wouldn't be required even if the newcomer was hostile… if he was an ordinary foe, that is.
Swirls of dust and sand whirled around about a li ahead of the gates, concealing the identity of the traveler. All they could see right now was just a dark circle moving towards them as it got bigger amidst the sandstorm.
Tigress signaled silently with her hands for all troops to be on standby, as she herself went and stood in the gates at the forefront. She narrowed her eyes to make out any feature that would give away who the person was, and she was starting to make out some features of the shadow like entity. She reached behind her back with one paw and gripped onto the handle of the blade, ready to draw it at a moment's notice, while the other paw remained free if she needed to signal any of the troops.
The large frame of person could now be visible, though it still remained dark and finer details weren't visible. The person took easy strides, as if not in a hurry. Holding in one hand he held a long spear… or at least that's what it looked like, which occasionally touched the ground. He appeared to be rather large, almost as large as a rhino. So, it was obviously not one of the smaller species. The silhouette of his face did not hold any outlines of a horn though, rather, the edges of a helmet could be made out as he closed in on their position further. The shape of the helmet made it look like the silhouette of a traditional Chinese dragon's head, and they could make out triangular glowing golden eyes piercing through the swirling dust and sand, further nailing the whole dragon persona.
Everyone shifted uneasily, the archers' fingers gripping tighter on their triggers of their crossbows. Whoever it was that was approaching, wasn't someone ordinary. They could feel massive amount of just… raw power radiating from the mysterious figure's direction. Despite the oddity of the situation, Tigress did not give the signal to engage, rather she patiently stood observing him.
Outlines of armor could be now seen on his body, confirming that it wasn't a random traveler, rather a warrior. Majority of his figure still remained shrouded in darkness, but all of his features were now distinctly visible.
He was about 6'5 tall, and the tilted shadow of the hilt of a blade behind his shoulder could be made out. He was now almost near the gates, and that's when reality struck Tigress.
As soon as she saw the Dragon-like helmet clearly, her eyes flew open and she immediately signaled… everyone to let their guard down? Everyone was a little confused, to say the least. Nonetheless, they knew better than to question her judgement. So, one by one, the archers lowered their crossbows, and the rhinos slowly parted their shield wall, bringing the massive circles of steel to rest at their sides.
The General's reaction, to the approaching figure was… strange, to say the least. She stiffened up and stared wide eyed into the glowing eyes of… whatever that… thing was as if she couldn't believe what she was looking at. Apparently, she was the only one who had shown recognition towards the figure, the rest of the soldiers being utterly confused, and terrified for that matter. He did look intimidating with that dragon like silhouette of his face after all… not to mention those glowing golden eyes. Hushed murmurs of nervous excitement and anticipation spread through those present.
Finally, the glowing of the eyes ceased as the figure, whose arms, legs and body could now be almost seen, stepped out of the hurricane of sand that was covering his identity for so long. And what everyone saw… shocked them to the core.
His gait was that of a true apex warrior, every step taken with purpose, his back straight and broad shoulders swaying back and forth in grace with his stride. The muscles of his free paw strained and bulged out without him even flexing them as he moved.
Striding out of the whirling mass, came in the Dragon Warrior, clutching in one hand a… no, the silver spear, the very one that belonged to the king of their enemy, it's tip glistening in the early rays of the sun. He was clad in iron armor dark as the night, from head to toe. The most striking piece of the set being the iconic dragon's head shaped helmet. Strapped to his back and shoulder was a massive broadsword which swayed in harmony with his stride. The armor had scales on it, to resemble the hide of a dragon. Dents, scrapes and brown coatings of dried out blood and dirt adorned his battle-worn breastplate.
His eyes were still jade green, but they looked like they now held the wisdom of an entire dynasty, and beyond that wisdom, a great deal of pain and suffering was reflecting within them. One look in those eyes and you would see that he had been through a lot, and had seen a lot of things. He looked like he had been through hell and back, but carried a victorious aura around his calm composure.
He came to a stop a few ten paces away from Tigress, who still stood stupefied. His face was serious, unlike his old persona who would always be seen with a goofy grin. A few of his strands from his black fur had greyed over, and his face was neutral.
Everyone's jaws dropped to the ground, and they stood gaping with broken brains at the legendary warrior standing in front of them. Everyone had assumed that he had died long ago when the emperor had sent him away to some unknown location and had never expected to see him again. Yet, here he was, standing in front them very alive as if he wasn't assumed to be dead.
Large shoulder guards protected his robust shoulders, and around his right paw gripping the spear was an iron gauntlet, with material and its state similar to the rest of his armor. The left arm was free, the only armor piece covering it was an armband which had several cracks in its iron.
He had lighter armor on his lower body to allow mobility. He wore tattered brown leather battle shorts which had tears and slashes along with patches of darkened fabric signifying burn marks all over them. Below which were the shin guards and shaolin wraps underneath to keep the sharp edges of the guards from burrowing into his flesh. Finishing it off with simple but worn-out sandals.
He let his hardened gaze shift through the mass of warriors that had gathered in front of him. And finally, letting his eyes shift to the fore front, his eyes fell on her. A noticeable change in his eyes could be seen as his gaze softened, and almost as if the two had practiced for this moment, both of them simultaneously raised a paw to their helmets and took their respective ones off.
Po dropped his Dragon helmet down in the sand, where it kicked up a handful of it and landed with a heavy metallic thud. Tigress did the same and dropped hers to the ground as well.
A sea of emerald met fiery amber and for the first time in four years, the two legendary protectors of China felt some form of emotion rise to their surface.
"General Tigress?" The Panda asked in a surprisingly level tone.
"Dragon Warrior?" The tiger responded back, in her own level tone.
Both felt an immense whirlwind of emotions rack their bodies as they heard each other's voices after so long. Neither blinked, staring at each other still questioning whether this was all real. Tigress could not believe that he had returned… alive and victorious.
Po planted the rear end of the spear into the ground, drawing his broadsword out and thrusting it's blade in the earth where it held the weapon in place, and took a step forward, reaching behind his back with both paws and pulling on two leather straps. The chest plate came loose and after removing the last two straps at his side, separated in its front and back halves crashing to the floor with a mighty metallic clang, revealing his bare torso to everyone who stood. He did not plan on ever picking that back up and putting it back on anytime in the future.
His physical appearance had significantly changed than the last time they'd seen him. His chest was now muscular, his stomach was almost flat and his shoulders were broad.
Tigress took shaky steps forward and came to a stop when she was at arm's length from him, not once breaking their gaze. Both felt mist cloud their eyes as the hurricane of emotions continued racking their brains.
"Po?" Tigress asked softly, this time with a voice that was nowhere leveled. She spoke so low that only Po could hear her, while the rest stood still, frozen in a trance.
"Tigress?" Po answered back barely above a whisper. The warmth in his voice returning in full force.
Their eyes glistened with the tears that they were fighting to hold back. Tigress slowly brought her paw and placed it on his strong chest.
A single tear slipped out of her eye and traced down her cheek fur. Slowly, but surely, for the first time in what felt like forever, both felt traces of a smile coming to their muzzles. She traced his muscular chest,
"I've waited so long to do that." She said, her voice laced heavily with emotion. The corner of her lips tugged into a pained, but affectionate smile.
Four. Long. Years. It had been four years since this war had separated them, and she had waited for ages to just… feel him there with her. She couldn't feel his soft fur in her paws due to having lost feeling in them. But she could definitely feel his form, his shape and the pressure as her palm pressed against him.
Po sniffed, trying to compose himself. His weak smile widened and without saying a single word, he simply opened both his arms wide, inviting her into an embrace.
At lightning speed, she crashed into him, throwing her arms around his neck. And before he could even react, her muzzle crashed into his and she pulled him into a passionate kiss, not caring about the fact that an entire army camp worth of soldiers was watching them. He was alive, and he was here with her now, that is all that mattered.
He closed his arms around her being careful not to cut himself against her blades strapped to her back, not planning on ever letting go. His own tears now flowed freely as he closed his eyes and reunited in a… rather intimate embrace with her, much to his pleasant surprise. He was expecting it, of course; but he did not expect it to be in front of the entire world to see.
She still couldn't believe he was here. For years she had clung to a thin strand of hope and now it had come to fruition. She wanted to feel more of him, all of him. She caressed the back of his neck as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.
An asteroid could have hit the earth and wiped everything out, and neither of the two would have cared. They wanted this moment to last forever. Po tilted his head so he could try to match her intensity of the kiss.
They parted after a good solid minute, when the need for air called, panting heavily. Putting their foreheads together and smiling.
Finally coming to their senses, both of them straightened up and composed their expressions. Po withdrew his arms so she could turn around. Both of them were greeted with the mind-blown gawking looks of the entire camp staring at them.
As if on cue, every soldier present there snapped out of their trance and dropped to one knee, kneeling and bowing to the hero of China. Multiple thuds of knee guards hitting the ground echoed through the crowd as everyone bowed to him.
"All hail Dragon Warrior!" They chorused in unison.
"Please, on your feet soldiers." Po requested them to rise.
They immediately rose and parted to form two lines facing each other to welcome the returning legend. Loud cheers and shouts from the soldiers welcomed the Dragon Warrior. Po went back to the spear and pulled it out, leaving the sword embedded in the ground and went to stand beside Tigress.
"Ready a tent for the Dragon Warrior and alert the emperor of his return at once." She said to Lee and the others. "Commander, resume your journey to Haijin with your battalion." Tigress ordered.
The commander and his battalion bowed to the two once again and passed them by as they went on their way to Haijin. The rest returned to whatever they were doing before and a few of the rhinos left to ready a tent for Po and to inform the emperor.
"So," Tigress spoke up as they started walking side by side through the entrance. Not even a minute had passed by since he'd returned and she already found it just as easy as it was four years ago to fall into conversation with him. "It took you long enough." She stated, shooting him a sideways glance smirking at him.
He sighed and then took a deep breath; the next sentence was going to be a lot to say in one intake of air, literally.
"What can I say? Went to the eastern perimeter to aid the troops there, broke into the enemy's capital, got captured, broke out of a prison, blew up said prison, assassinated the leader of a freaking country, almost got killed, fought an entire army on my own and then walked the length of China to get home." He exhaled out.
"You know, standard Dragon Warrior stuff." He added sarcastically.
He wasn't boasting. Rather he was hinting at the fact that their lives had become so much crazy that all of that now sounded pretty trivial to him.
"Oh?" Tigress rose an amused eyebrow at him. Not many had the luxury nor honor of knowing a person who could take down armies on his own, let alone have said person as their lover. Tigress felt a sense of pride simmering in her chest and a wave of warmth washed over her as she repeated that thought in her head.
"Yep. Also, I probably haven't had a bath in ages. Sorry if I smell." He sheepishly offered.
Tigress fondly smiled at him. Personal hygiene was the last thing they could be worried about in the heat of war. She herself hadn't had one in a month.
"We're all like that Po." She reminded him.
She grabbed his paw and intertwined their fingers as they walked through the camp. Po was loving how rebellious she was for someone of her stature, not giving a damn about who saw them and who didn't. But again, if the General was holding paws with the Dragon Warrior, there weren't many who could object on them besides the emperor, which he wouldn't of course.
They passed a wide rectangular stone building, a gust of hot air mixed with steam hitting them as they passed the door way. Motioning to the side towards the stone building, she said,
"We could hit the hot springs once we're done with our audience with the emperor." It was more or less a statement than a suggestion, and Po simply nodded to agree.
They passed several other buildings as they proceeded to make their way to the royal family's abode: The big wooden building with two chimneys that was the kitchen, an open area with benches and tables acting as the cafeteria, a forge of weapons where the blacksmiths and masons worked, the stone dome-shaped armory, and dotted amidst all of these important buildings lay the tents which housed the Chinese army. Some had soldiers snoring away in them, some had groups huddled around campfires outside talking and laughing, some had the occupants playing cards. All in all, it felt like organized chaos, everything had its place in the camp.
Po noticed that the main buildings like the kitchen, the armory, the baths all had one thing in common: They were made from more durable material like wood or stone. While the rest like the barracks, the tents, the one large white canvas tent that was the infirmary all had the ability to be quickly disassembled and moved if necessary. It was a very clever design.
"Your design?" Po asked knowingly. Tigress was a strategic genius both beyond and behind the borders.
"Mm-hmm." She caught on to what he was referring to, as he took in all of the details, big and small about the camp. It hadn't become the sprawling labyrinth that it was now four years ago when he was last here with her, so it was almost as if he was visiting a new encampment altogether.
"Very clever, I must admit." He complimented her.
Tigress felt a little heat rise up to her cheeks, but it didn't show because of her orange fur. Plus, she'd put her helmet back on, so it provided additional cover. It had been far too long since she'd heard his kind voice showering her with praise and compliments, and she'd almost forgotten how good it felt to have him around here. Now she had plenty of time to again get used to his evergreen presence and she wasn't planning on letting him go anytime soon. She'd missed him a lot.
"Thank you." She replied back.
A minute of walking later, they found themselves standing in front of a large tent. It wasn't made too large, nor was it decorated with the emperor's emblem. It almost looked like a regular tent, the one you'd find all around the camp, if not for it's slightly larger size. This was to prevent it from drawing attention of invaders, if they ever managed to break through the camp's defenses.
"Another brilliant play, Tigress." Po thought to himself, admiring the feline's planning capabilities. Not that he doubted those anyway, but after having been to multiple of the enemy's fortifications, he could safely say that he'd missed her organized approach to everything.
The royal guard immediately bowed and parted their crossed spears to make way for them. One rhino raised the flap while the other motioned for the two to enter. Tigress went in first, Po following suit.
Multiple lanterns illuminated the inside of the large tent, which had minimal furniture. A bed for the royal couple in the corner with two nightstands, a large wooden closet for them to store all their belongings, a stray armchair, a comfy sofa in the middle of the tent upon which sat the rulers of China and a round table in front of it.
Tigress stood back as Po walked up to the to the emperor and empress. He kneeled down on one knee and bowed, holding the spear of the fallen warlord upright in the paw that wasn't resting on his knee.
"My lord, I have returned, having completed the task you gave me."
"Rise, Dragon Warrior." The empress gently commanded.
Po rose to his feet and looked up at the proud expressions and gentle smiles the royal couple had plastered to their faces.
"I won't lie and say that I always knew you would make it back. Almost all of China had assumed your demise when we received no reply from you to our message a year ago." The emperor humbly and honestly acknowledged. Then, his smile turned wider,
"But if there was one person in all of China who could have successfully accomplished the daunting task I gave, it was you, Dragon Warrior, and you have proved that right."
Tigress smiled at him as she looked upon the exchange. The empress noticed her fond look and winked at her, smirking knowingly.
"You have spared China from a lot more misery than what it would have endured had you not assassinated him. To further better the deal, their new leader seems to be willing to make amends and will be coming over to sign the peace treaty as well." The empress said.
"Well done, Po. China and most importantly, I, thank you for your service." The emperor added.
Po straightened up a little more as he heard their words of praise. He was never one to get egotistical, but being complemented by the emperor and empress of China meant a lot to him.
"Thanks." That's all Po said and flashed them his signature smile, which had mysteriously returned to him within a day, when he was unable to even have the smallest of smiles in the last four years. He had Tigress to thank for that.
The emperor rolled his eyes while the empress rose an unimpressed eyebrow at the monochrome bear, all in good fun of course. Tigress was also having to measure some self-control as she fought to control her snickering. She couldn't stop her smile from getting wider though as she fondly shook her head at his antics. Leave it to Po to just "thanks" the emperor. Somethings about that black and white bear just didn't change.
Po immediately caught on to his mistake and bowed apologetically.
"Uh… I mean… Thank you, your majesty."
The two cranes let out good hearted laughs. They too had missed his easy-going attitude after all this while. It felt refreshing to them to have someone talk to them like a friend, rather than have them placed on a pedestal, and they enjoyed it.
"Oh- it's quite alright, Po." The female avian assured the panda, who rubbed his neck, embarrassed. "That's all we had to say, we couldn't just sit here without acknowledging the hero of the war, could we? Now, you must be exhausted and I'm sure you also have…" She quickly shot a mischievous glance to the feline standing near the entranceway, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. "…other important matters to tend to, so we'll leave you to yourself. Dismissed." She concluded.
"Damn it. Am I that easy to read when it comes to Po?" Tigress questioned herself, catching onto what the empress was-correctly, might as well she add-hinting at.
"Before I leave, I believe this now belongs to you, your majesty." Po said looking at the silver spear that he held in his hand.
"Keep it with you, Dragon Warrior. It serves as a testament to your skill, as well as a memento after rightfully having won it over in combat from the enemy." The emperor insisted.
Po wasn't too keen on the whole slaughter-your-enemy-and-take-what's-theirs-to-be-now-yours scheme, but since the emperor insisted, and he since he truly had won it over rightfully so in combat, he decided to heed his majesty's suggestion.
"As you wish, my lord."
Tigress walked up to Po's side and both bowed to the pair before turning to leave.
As the two most powerful warriors of China-and arguably also the most powerful couple in China, even besting the royal couple themselves-headed out of the tent, the empress looked over to her husband as he did the same.
Both then chuckled softly knowing exactly what the other was thinking.
"Those two are truly one of a kind." The empress sighed smiling.
"That they are." The emperor agreed, letting his own smile spread wider across his beak.
-O-O-O-
As soon as they exited the tent, Tigress grabbed his paw and started leading him back the way they came. "Alright, now that that's done, you're coming with me to the hot springs." She said, or more like ordered, continuing to pull him through.
"Yup, I did agree to that earlier." Po replied, until he replayed what she had just said once again in his mind. "W-wait, hang on a second, did you just say WITH you?!" He stuttered out, thinking he'd heard her wrong.
She shot him a smirk as she glanced over her shoulder at his flustered face and simply replied,
"I did."
Po knew he could not argue with her once she set her mind to do anything. Sooner than he could realize, he found himself in front of the doorway to the giant stone building that housed the hot springs, the steam that was coming from inside hitting them in the face.
She dragged him inside the building. It was covered with a stone ceiling; torches being placed at regular intervals casting their orange and golden glow all over the place. There were three pools of water, each had a waterfall of naturally hot water spewing into them from slits indented in the walls. The middle one was large, while the other two side ones were smaller. Vines crept up the stone walls surrounding them giving the place a magical feel.
Po removed his leg armor and shaolin wraps, and his gauntlet. He then carefully slid out the cracked iron arm band, not wanting to damage it further. He placed his spear horizontally between two conveniently placed hooks on a nearby wall. He then tossed aside his worn and torn leather battle shorts, leaving him only in his undergarments and made his way to the middle pool.
Dipping a toe in the water he found the temperature just right for the relaxing bath, hot, but not boiling hot either. Lowering himself into the emerald waters of the pool using the stone steps, he waded his way over to the deep end against the wall, where his feet still touched the floor and the water came up to his chest.
"Ahhhh…" Po sighed contently throwing his head back and laying his arms along the edge of the pool, closing his eyes as he felt his stiff muscles relax within the warmth of the water.
Clang!
The heavy sound of an iron breastplate hitting the ground made him open up his eyes and look in the direction of the sound, which was, right in front of him. He saw Tigress toss her armbands to the floor, discarding her leg armor while at it. She too, had put her swords on another set of two hooks opposite to where Po's spear rested.
Po felt heat rise up to his cheeks as he saw the beautiful feline undress.
"Tigress are you sure you want to…"
"Yup." Tigress cut him off short. Chuckling at his flustered expression, she found it very heartwarming how respectful he was trying to be.
She was now only in her sleeveless leather tunic that she wore under the chest plate and her jet-black trousers. She discarded her tunic and tossed it aside and in one swift motion, removed her trousers leaving her only in her bindings, kicking off her sandals as she made her way towards the… no, her Dragon Warrior.
"I… Uh… You… I mean, ugh" Po smacked his face groaning, his cheeks were on fire and he couldn't even form a proper sentence as he looked at the drop-dead gorgeous goddess making her towards him. Leave it to Tigress to reduce China's greatest warrior to a bumbling fool and a blushing idiot.
Tigress giggled at his adorably flustered state. She entered the waters and made her way over to him. Once she was near him, she snuggled into his side, relishing in both the feeling of his fur against hers and the warm water that surrounded them both. She laid her head on his extended arm and grinned at Po as he watched her, still unable to form a proper sentence.
Once Po finally came back to his senses, he grinned back at her said,
"Gods, you're beautiful." He said with all his heart.
Gods, did it feel good to say that again to her, and gods did it feel good to hear him say that again.
She placed a paw on his muscular chest and caressed it. Though his fur hid them well, she could now feel multiple bumps of scars decorating his strong torso as she ran her paw along its length. She felt a particularly nasty and big one, going all the way from his left shoulder diagonally up to his abdomen.
"Is this the one which got you nearly killed?" She asked as her fingers ran along the scar. She smiled as she felt him shudder in delight at her loving touch.
"Uh-huh." He shortly breathed out.
"You were always too reckless." She shook her head smiling at him. Then, something interesting caught her eye, something that she'd missed ever since he removed his armor. A locket, a golden locket with a circular center case that he was wearing around his neck. It's golden color was faded and had a brownish tint, as it had been worn for so long under harsh conditions.
Once again, she felt unlimited happiness and warmth surge through her body as she ran her paw along the ornament, caressing his neck fur as she did so.
"You kept it?" She asked.
"Hm?" He opened his eyes and saw what she was referring to.
"The locket I gave you before you left, you kept it." She elaborated, her smile getting wider.
"Of course I did Tigress." He obviously stated and smiled at her.
Another interesting thing about the locket caught her eye. When she'd given it to him back then, she didn't remember encasing any painting inside the circular golden casing. Yet, she could see the edges of paper sticking out of it. They were very easy to miss, but her keen eye caught that.
"What did you decide to keep in there?" She asked curiously.
But, before he could answer, she decided to ask him another question which had been on her mind since he had narrated her his story.
"Wait, before you can answer that, there's one more thing I wanted to ask." She continued.
He closed his mouth which he had initially opened to reply and listened to her patiently.
"What did you mean by 'walked the entire length of China to return home'? You know that our home isn't here, right? This is the outskirts of the country near the border, whereas we used to live all the way in the Valley of Peace." She asked. She wasn't calling him insane, there could very well be a good reason why he decided to word it that way.
Po smiled appreciatively at his feline. He thought that she might overlook that little sentence but she hadn't and he couldn't just help but admire her observant nature.
"You know what, I'm actually glad you asked both of these questions at the same time." He confessed to her, continuing, "Because, the locket that you gave me now houses a painting of my home." He finished, his smile never leaving his face.
She was still a little confused as it didn't quite make sense to her. But Po knew that and decided to show her what he meant, then it would make perfect sense.
"I know it doesn't make total sense right now, but go ahead and open it, I promise it'll be crystal clear then."
She took the locket in her paws and pressed at a spot which made a click sound, unlocking the case and allowing her to lift the lid. Opening it, what she saw made her heart melt. It was a beautiful hand painted picture of… her. She felt her vision get blurred as she turned to look at him,
"I love you." That's all she could respond as she pulled him into another heated kiss.
After she pulled away, she saw he had his signature grin plastered on his face. After getting their breaths under control, Tigress asked,
"Who made it?" She didn't even need to ask, as she already knew the answer. But she decided to ask him anyway to hear him say it.
"I did." He chuckled and pecking her on the cheek, added,
"And I love you too."
He carefully closed the case back so that the paper inside didn't get drenched in water, and they spent another hour basking in the warmth of each other and the water in comfortable silence.
-O-O-O-
Po returned to his tent to find his chest plate, helmet and sword all polished and mounted neatly on an armor stand. He also found a pair of new and clean leather battle trousers kept in his closet (of his size too! Though he had slimmed quite a lot around the waist, it was still hard to find shorts of his exact size.). He felt almost uncomfortable wearing the fresh and clean clothes, having worn the same trousers for four years now.
His tent was pretty cozy, at least to him it was. After living in battlefields, jail cells, dungeons, caves and all sorts of weird places for so long, even a small canvas tent with a bed and a mattress on it felt like a pretty nice place to stay at. He completed the set on the armor stand by sliding in the other components as well. He rested his spear near his bed as he sat on its mattress.
The flap to his tent raised as Tigress' head poked in through.
"Po?" She looked around the tent and found him sitting on the bed.
"Yeah?"
"It's time for lunch. I'll wait outside." And with that, she disappeared out of sight.
"Already?" The panda pondered over how time had lapsed so quickly. All they did was literally talk to the emperor, and have a bath. That's it.
"Oh well, might as well head over. It's been a while since I had something edible." He said, more to himself.
Po wasn't planning on putting back his armor anytime soon, he'd had enough of that. So, he decided to put on just the leather belt that went around his body to strap his sword to the back. The only pieces of armor that he wore were the arm bands, the gauntlet and the shin guards. And with that outfit completed, he stood up from the bed and went towards the entrance of his tent.
Now that he was outside, he could get a clear look at Tigress. She was back in her armor, but was wearing a fresh leather tunic and new black shorts. She'd also decided to get her breastplate polished, making the bronze-colored metal shine. Both of their fur glistened in the sun after having been cleaned after ages, and to cut it short, basically, she looked like the perfect blend between strength and beauty.
"You look great." Po smiled at her as they started walking through the winding dirt path zigzagging through the array of tents in the camp towards the kitchen, outside of which was an open dining area.
"You already told me that Po," Tigress smiled back, "twice, I might as well add."
"Hey, doesn't stop it from being any less true." He quipped back.
"You look good too." She said, turning her head to him to meet his eyes.
"Thanks."
They entered the relatively more open space where long benches and tables were arranged. Basically, multiple tables were joined together to make three tong tables and benches flanked those rows on either side of each long table, making it look like a mess hall.
They went to the large open window embedded in the wooden house with two chimneys that was the kitchen. They got a bowl of dumplings each and Po decided to take some of the soup as well. They retreated to the tables and sat side by side. Po grabbed a dumpling a tossed it in his mouth. Instantly, his face lit up.
"Holy, this is good!"
"Considering you had nothing but rocks and dirt for the past four years, I think most edible foods would taste good to you now." Tigress wryly joked.
"Seriously, you can't be more correct about that. I literally felt I was eating dirt when I was captured." He said, shoving another two into his mouth a little too desperately.
Tigress chuckled at him. "Slow down, Po."
That made him eat at a much more controlled pace and it didn't look like he was stuffing his face out.
"The rest of the Five, are they back yet?" He asked.
"They returned yesterday. They made it back in one piece, but haven't recovered from their heavy injuries yet, so they're resting up." She informed. "Monkey's in the infirmary. Femur fracture. They'll regain enough strength by tomorrow to meet you."
"Glad to know they are all safe and back." Po said and nodded in response, taking a sip of his soup, which again, tasted like some divine elixir to him. "Soup?" He offered his bowl to her, since she hadn't taken one.
She couldn't refuse the kind offer, so she took a spoonful and then returned the rest to him.
"Thanks. By the way," She started. "What was it with the glowing eyes? What exactly were you doing?"
"Oh that, I use that when it's hard to see with regular eyesight. Snowstorms, blizzards, heavy rain, and of course, sandstorms." He explained. His eyes briefly glowed golden as he shortly demonstrated it to her. "I use my chi to manipulate my eyesight, I can teach you if you want." He immediately offered.
"Interesting." She replied, "And I would love to learn it from you." She amended.
They spent the rest of lunch of in idle conversation as they talked about almost anything and everything. Once finished, they decided to find something to do to spend the remainder of their afternoon.
"Should we head on a patrol of the border? I can tell you the details of my journey as we walk." Po offered.
"Sounds good to me."
-O-O-O-
So, the two decided to head on a patrol of the border which Tigress had spent looking over all night. Though the area was already secure, they could use a little walk away from the presence of everyone else with just the two of them.
The two of them spent the rest of the time talking away as the sun traversed all the way from high up in the sky to the west. It was sundown by the time they finished their patrol and decided and head back to the camp to have dinner.
Fried rice was on the menu for dinner, which Po happily indulged himself in with a two bowls full. As Po was telling Tigress about one of his adventures, two feathery wings draped over his eyes, blocking out his vision.
"Guess who?" Asked an all too familiar male voice followed by the giggling and snickering of more familiar voices.
Po's face stretched into a smile as he called out,
"Is it the master of confidence?"
"Maybe." The avian laughed.
Po pried off his wings and turned around to look at four of the most special persons he had come to cherish in his life. This, was his family.
The four lieutenants, though in bad shape, did not want to wait until tomorrow to meet their brother-in-arms after so long. As soon as Po got up from his seat and turned back around, he was covered in mass of fur, scales and feathers and the remainder of the Furious Five embraced him. Monkey was there with them too, though he had to use the support of a crutch, he had refused to not see his best friend and partner-in-crime for many of the shenanigans the two used to pull off back home.
"It's good to see you guys too." Po wheezed out, being nearly choked as Viper coiled tighter around his neck. "Viper… air!"
They pulled away for Po to finally see his friends with the biggest of grins smacked on their muzzles. Tigress, who was sitting beside Po, watched the scene unfolding in front of her with amusement. A warm feeling resonated deep within her soul as she finally got to see the whole family reunited.
Monkey was waving at him with one arm, the other supporting his crutch. On the primate's shoulder was Mantis and flanking the troublemaker duo were Viper and Crane. All of them had at least one bandage wrapping on some or the other appendage, bruises and scars galore on their bodies. But, none of that mattered, they were all safe and alive, and they were finally back together.
They went ahead and got their own shares of Dinner, Po sliding his second untouched bowl of rice towards Monkey who sat to his left, since Tigress was to his right. The rest of the gang sat across the three as Po started retelling them his story.
Po was at the part where he was telling them how he got captured and suddenly felt Tigress' tail brush up against his foot. He waved it off as they were sitting a little crowded together since the rest of the camp was dining with them too, and it technically was just three tables. So, it was possible that she might have unknowingly done that, though it was unusual for her to do anything without her being aware. Every action she took was with a purpose and the General didn't just 'slip up' like that.
Despite those facts, after a mild stutter and reddening of his face, which thankfully went unnoticed by the rest of the Five since they were so invested into his tale, he recovered himself and continued, missing the brief smirk that appeared on the General's muzzle for only a split second.
Now, almost everyone along with the rest oof the soldiers had finished their dinner, so the sounds of other conversations filled the air as everyone idly chatted over empty bowls and sated appetites. The Five and Po too, had finished their meals and were now totally focused on Po's story as he recollected and recited, giving him their undivided attention.
It was at the part where he was animatedly explaining how he managed to escape that he felt Tigress' tail again brush up 'accidentally' against his foot. Viper brought up an interesting tale of her own when recounting about she herself was captured along with her unit almost two years ago while defending a province in the south, and it served as a distraction as the rest diverted their attention to what she was telling, thus making the now admittedly quite flustered Dragon Warrior's facial expressions go unnoticed yet again.
Tigress, seizing this opportunity seeing that the rest had their attention elsewhere, leaned a little into Po's side and whispered into his ear, her voice low and uncharacteristically attractive and husky,
"Shall we retire early for tonight, Dragon Warrior?" She asked, running her paw down the length of his toned arm slowly, feeling him shiver at her touch.
Po thought that his face could not get any redder when her tail brushed against him the second, and he was proved wrong almost instantly after he heard what she whispered to him.
"T-Tigress, are you saying what I think you are saying?" He asked, flabbergasted beyond belief. Nervousness and excitement turning his insides to a mush.
"Mm-hmm." She replied. Her breath flowing over his ear, making his fur stand in its end.
Desperately trying to get his state under control, he partially succeeded in composing himself and asked her with a raised brow,
"Really? In the midst of a camp that houses thousands of soldiers? Not to mention the royal family living here too?"
Tigress breathed out a low chuckle and looking him in eyes, retaliated back,
"Po, do you really think one kiss and an hour of cuddling could possibly even make up for all the time we lost in these four years?" The corners of her lips quirked up in a sly smile as she again broke whatever composure he'd managed to get back.
"N-No, I don't think so." He agreed with her, blushing furiously as he did so.
"Good." She grinned at him.
Clearing her throat to grab everyone else's attention, she promptly excused herself and the Dragon Warrior from the table. The rest didn't pay too much attention since they knew the two deserved some alone time, especially after such a painfully long time of separation due to the war. Viper just shot the Tiger a knowing smirk with the rest of the men grinning at the now obviously blushing Dragon Warrior, and returned to their conversation as the two heroes of China left to head back.
It was relatively quiet around the usually bustling cluster of tents since it was still early in the night, and no one had returned to go to sleep yet. There were still many things in the camp's night schedule that were still remaining to be taken care of: The switching of guards on the guard towers from those who take the night shift; a routine patrol around the periphery of the camp; taking inventory of resources used today, those being food items, weaponry and other goods, and some other small chores. Besides, hardly anyone went to sleep before midnight as that's how their daily schedule had become since the very start of the war, what with the enemy ambushing them under the cover of night and all.
The pair walked paw in paw back along the winding dirt track which was sparsely illuminated by lanterns hung on posts every ten paces. Tigress walked a little bit ahead of him as she was the leading.
"Besides," The feline spoke up, looking over her shoulder with her amber eyes glowing in the night. This time though, there was also a glint of mischief sparkling in her eyes added with their natural glow. "You didn't realize your tent is situated quite far away from any of the other ones, did you?" she asked him, all the while shooting him a slightly devious smirk.
"Uh-no, I didn't." he admitted rubbing the back of his neck. Then, chuckling he added, "Damn, you really did plan all of this way ahead didn't you?" Again, he couldn't help but admire her wit.
"I did." Her smirk morphed into an affectionate smile as she started walking beside him. They could see the faint glow of the two lanterns outside his tent pierce through the black veil of the night as they neared their destination.
"You're awesome." That's all he could reply to her with, and she chuckled in response.
Before she could tell what just happened, she suddenly felt her feet get swept off the ground as Po swiftly picked her up and held bridal style.
"Whoa!" Tigress hollered in confusion and excitement as her black and white bear picked her up almost seamlessly even with the heavy armor she was wearing. She howled in laughter as her mind finally registered what had happened, and reached up with a paw to caress his face.
They stared deeply into each other's eyes as fires of undying love and passion blazed in their eyes.
Tigress dropped her voice just like she had back at the table, and still chuckling at the unexpected but very welcome gesture he'd pulled off, and said,
"It seems, Dragon Warrior, that you still have a few unfinished duties left to perform." She traced a clawed finger over his cheek down to his chin, smiling devilishly at him.
To her surprise, and utter delight, he replied to her in a voice she didn't even know he possessed, and it maybe made her go a little weak in the knees. Weak knees didn't matter though, as she wasn't on the ground anyway.
"Then, allow me to fulfill those duties, my lady." He answered, shocking himself with his own voice.
"Oh my god, since when was he able to make his voice go THAT deep?! I swear panda, you're just full of surprises." Tigress inwardly gasped and commented to herself. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck as she remained tucked securely in his arms. Po pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and started picking up his pace again from where they stood.
He didn't keep her waiting any further than that, and Tigress howled in laughter again, her heavenly laughs fading into the night as her Dragon Warrior carried her inside their tent and closed the flap. Like the General had said, there was a lot of 'making up' to do for all the lost time, and the Dragon Warrior would gladly indulge in doing so. At long last, they were finally reunited.
And, that's a wrap! Let me know what you thought of this idea. Love it? Hate it? Drop a review to voice your thoughts. I had a blast writing this and will return soon. Although college is going to be barreling down on me, but I'll see what I can do. Until then Lightning out!