Author's Note: Hey guys! Been awhile hasn't it? Apologies for that, final project for uni has me quite busy and other stresses and what not, but don't you worry I can always manage to rummage around and find some spare time. Now as for this particular one-shot, it was fairly tough to write but more in a sense of making it flow well. Managed to make it work in the end so yay! Also, NEW COVER! and I made it myself XD Not a brilliant work of art or anything but it feels cool to have a unique cover for it rather than using a random image from the movies, y'know? Lemme know what you think of it. Without further adieu, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (Very sceptical about dragon knight, but they got Jack Black back so surely it has to be better than LOA, right?)

Enjoy.

Mementos

Tigress certainly has a history with scars, all of which serve as a reminder of what she could've done better. But is this really all they are or is her shame blinding her to what these scars could truly mean?

A blurry haze meets Tigress' eyes, her mind just starting to climb its way back into consciousness. Clouding her nostrils is the unmistakable scent of herbal remedies, their clinical cleanliness bringing an odd calmness to her once slumbering body, almost tempting her back to sleep. If that isn't enough, then perhaps the loud snores emanating from her left side will be enough to coax her back in. However, as her vision begins to clear, her tastebuds scream out in desperation at their utter dehydration. How long has she been out for?

Within nearly a whole minute she is finally able to make out the blobs that had once occupied her sight, immediately recognising the jars of medicinal herbs and boxes filled with bandages. Quite a few of them are practically empty with just a few Gingko leaves left in a jar at the bottom shelf. As Tigress familiarises herself with her surroundings, she notices the source of the loud snores sitting by the left side of her cot.

Po acts as some sort of slumbering guardian, his right paw unconsciously placed near the left side of her cot. Though she is tempted to smile at his admittedly endearing state, something else catches her attention. Amber eyes look down to see the bandages tightly embracing her abdomen, a twinge of crimson breaching their protective shield. Tigress weakly places her right paw on top of it as her mind drifts back to the cause of this injury.

A single bandit. One swipe of his sword. That's all it took. Granted she was caught off-guard, but she was taught better than that. In her moment of weakness, she was made a fool of and now has a lovely reminder of her amateurish mistake.

Amber flames glare at the injury hidden underneath the layers of medical dressing. Wordless taunts sift through the bandages and ring into the tiger master's ears. How pathetic could she be to let this happen. She's better than this, surely. It doesn't take long for more silent whispers to enter her mind as she peers at scars from battles past, cruelly mocking her once again. So much training to get cut down by a single bandit? C'mon. To think that the people of China put their faith in her…

Bitterness deforms her face into a dreadful scowl, the tiger master gritting her teeth at her failure. Before she lets this bitterness turn into something worse, a loud snore pierces through the silence, forcing her to shift her gaze towards her panda friend. She remembers the fear in his voice when he realised what had happened. She remembers how he picked her up with such haste. Her eyes wilt in guilt as she stares at her unconscious confidant, disgusted at herself for putting him through so much worry.

It isn't just him either, Viper was there too. She can still feel how tightly Viper coiled around her abdomen to stop the bleeding, how she tried so desperately to calm Po down despite her own voice being laced with terror. A disappointed sigh exits Tigress' maw as she lowers her head in shame. How could she make herself vulnerable like that? She let down both herself and her teammates. Thanks to her foolishness, they had to suffer too.

Tigress glowers at the injury again, knowing for certain it will result in a scar and a big one at that. Yet another one to add to the collection. Another one to pester her about her failures. It's interesting how many people look at a warrior's scars as some kind of badge of honour, like its something to be proud of. How on earth could she be proud of that pathetic display? As her mind sinks deeper into this sea of self-loathing, her eyes dart up to the sleeping dragon warrior.

Whether it is for comfort or some way to distract her mind from these thoughts, she doesn't know. Her eyes comb through his fur, picking out the small but fairly noticeable scars that made up his person. A massive departure from the mosaic of scars coating her body. As she continues staring at them however, a faint smile tugs at her lips, remembering how excited he was to attain his first scar. It baffled her at first, what was so incredible about being severely injured? But his answer is what intrigued her more: That every scar is a story. A tale of hard-fought battles, heroism, and sacrifice. But not just that, they're reminders of how far someone has come. Of how much they have improved.

Though she had begun to understand his thinking over the years, the overwhelming shame she had felt whenever gaining another scar had never faded. However, as she thinks further upon what he had told her so long ago, the further back her memory goes. Why had she been so distracted to not see that bandit brandishing his sword? A little bunny was trapped under rubble, and there was no telling when it would collapse on top of him. If she had paid more attention to the boar bandit that ran up on her, the poor child could've died. If she had died due to the bandit's strike, it would've been a noble way for her story to end. But now, that story could continue with her new scar serving as that chapter.

With her mind rising above the tide of shame, Tigress shifts her focus over to her older scars, now seeing the battles that she had miraculously won and the countless number of innocent people she has saved. Now they are no longer reminders of her past mistakes, but mementos of how much good she has done for her home. How can she not be proud of having them?

Her smile widens at these thoughts, thankful that some good can come out of the admittedly painful injury that she had endured. Before she can think too long on this, she notices Po's snoring begin to cease as he emerges from his hopefully wonderous dreamland. A drowsy smile covers his face as he looks at the tiger with half-lidded eyes. It takes but a moment for him to actually realise that he is awake, his jade irises practically bulging out of their sockets at the sight of his now conscious friend. Tigress' smiles wide at the dragon warrior and slowly nods her head, assuring him that she is fine.

Without a single word, the dragon warrior wraps her in his signature bear hug but takes care to not squeeze too tightly. Grateful for his caring embrace, Tigress closes her eyes and hugs him back with as much strength as she can muster, savouring his warmth for as long as she can. She thinks back to how worried he had been, but no longer blames herself for this. For she wasn't being a burden, nor could she ever be to her family. She squeezes tighter, hoping that this will tell him how much she has to thank him for. For without him, she may never have opened up so much, she may never have realised how valuable her scars really are. For her scars are not something to be ashamed of, especially not the one she has now gained. Instead, it is a story of her heroism. A tale of putting her life on the line for her home.

A memento for how far she has come.

I can't lie, I've always found it interesting how scars automatically come of as cool when in reality they can come from pretty mundane reasons. Just a thought. Also, about the reception that Shattered Destinies has received (shameless plug heh heh) I am going to be completely honest, I do sort of want to do a follow up but I am not entirely sure what is the best way to go about it. This isn't confirming anything but just know that I do have something in mind. Anyways, hope you've enjoyed another one for the collection and until next time :)