A/N: So this is it. Last chapter, and I'm sorry, but it's gonna be kind of sad. But there's some good moments too so idk. Read on at your own risk.

OoOoOoO

5 months later

The air was icy cold, but despite the snow on the ground, Po still sat by the peach tree. The moon was blocked from view by grey, heavy clouds, making it clear that the snow would not be stopping anytime soon. He had been outside most of the night, and the flakes had been falling off and on for most of it.

"Po," Viper had come outside as well, and she watched him with concern, "You need to get out of the cold. It's not good for you."

The other members of the Furious Five had arrived a few days before New Year's, as they had agreed on before leaving the Imperial City. Together, they had celebrated the ending of the year with rice wine and noodle soup. The Valley below had seen great improvements, and with Po's focus on getting the pandas resettled on the city's outskirts, there were more hands to help with the rebuilding. Five months of grueling work had begun to pay off, and at New Years they got to celebrate that.

And of course, everyone was excited to get Mr. Ping's restaurant up and running once more, which they had accomplished with days to spare.

Viper and the others had boasted similar improvements. Small towns were popping up, centered around the four major Kung Fu schools that now dominated China. Although they had all enjoyed watching their own towns begin to flourish, they were all too eager to return to the Valley for the holidays.

The only one of the Five that had not shown up was also the one who had completely gone AWOL. Tigress.

Despite the festivities, their lack of communication from their unofficial leader was concerning. Especially since she had agreed like the rest of them to come home. Aside from the letter they'd received two days ago, she hadn't written them in over a month.

"You miss her as much as I do?" Viper came to sit on his shoulder, tucking herself into his neck for warmth.

She wasn't trying to be funny, and for that he was thankful. The others had teased him when they came to visit, so he assumed that they knew he and Tigress were unofficially a 'thing'. He had endured the jokes, but it was starting to get old.

He stood, not wanting her to get too cold, and began making his way back to the palace. "Understatement."

"After her letter-" Viper broke off, not sure how to finish her thought, but he understood. It had arrived two days after the New Year, sealed with the Emperor's official seal. They had all read it in a circle, and none of them slept at all that night.

Po entered the palace, and she slid off his shoulder and down to the floor. "I am going to bed. You coming brother?"

"Soon." He promised, but he knew full well that he would not be sleeping. He hadn't slept in a few days.

He entered the new and improved Hall of Warriors. 'New' was an overstatement, as he had made sure that any alterations to the room did not change its style. Oogway would have liked it to remain as similar as possible. Or not. He could never really tell with the old tortoise.

"I love what you've done with the place."

He froze, not quite sure he was hearing right. But when he turned, he found he was not mistaken.

"Tigress?"

She dropped her bag and it landed on the floor with a thump. Shivering, she pulled her cloak tightly around herself. "Hey Po."

"Oh my god you're here." He jogged to her and enveloped her in a tight, bone-crushing hug.

"Need….to breathe."

He released her just enough to bury his head in her shoulder. They stood that way a moment, until she tilted his head up.

"Po, as happy as I am to see you, your nose is really cold."

He kissed her, muffling her chuckles. For a brief moment as he held her, his earlier worries faded. Despite them agreeing to spend the last five months apart, it had been way harder than anticipated. It made him ache for her like he had when they were separated the first time. She must have felt the same, because she was as close to him as possible, clinging to him like a lifeline.

He only separated from her to breathe, and even then, he rested his forehead against hers. He could feel her trembling through her cloak.

"What is it?"

"I'm freezing."

Feeling more lighthearted than he thought was possible, he chuckled and leaned down to pick up her bag for her. "Come on. Let's get you warmed up."

He led her to the kitchen, not surprising, where he lit a fire and began boiling water for tea. He opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed that the two were no longer alone.

"Tigress!" Viper had entered the kitchen, intent on checking on Po. She dashed up the table leg and came to rest on Tigress' arm. "I didn't know you were coming!"

Crane must have heard her shout, because he poked his head in a second later. "You're home?"

"Of course she is." Monkey slid in around the avian and took the seat next to Tigress. Crane followed him in and also took a seat.

"Tigress is home?" Mantis peeked around the door, and Crane scoffed.

"A little late to the party there, bud."

"When we got your letter-"

At Viper's statement, the room went absolutely silent. Po dropped his cup in surprise, and it clanged to the floor like a gunshot. Thankfully, it hadn't broken. Tigress sent a concerned look to his back as he bent to pick it up.

"I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's okay." Surprisingly, it was Po who spoke. He had been mopping the spilled tea off of the counter, and he turned with the rag in hand. "We should probably talk about it."

But none of them were really able to start the conversation. So, the room drifted to quiet.

"I can't believe Shifu's gone." Mantis sighed after a moment of silence.

The sentiment seemed universal. The news had shocked them all to the core, and Tigress cursed herself for not being able to tell them in person.

She sighed and folded her paws on the table, knowing It was probably best they talk about it now. It had been difficult, not having them there. It was what he wanted, though. She had to keep telling herself that.

Po watched Tigress take a deep breath, obviously choosing her words carefully. "He died peacefully, in his sleep."

"Had he been sick?" Monkey questioned her.

"Not sick, no." She shook her head. "The doctor told him in Shang Zhi that even without Kung Fu, he didn't have long. Up until two weeks ago, he seemed perfectly fine. Then a few days before the New Year he stopped eating. The doctor told us he didn't have much time."

"Why didn't you write us sooner? We could have-"

"He asked me not to, Viper." For the first time in a very long time, the strain in Tigress' voice betrayed her stoic expression. "He said that he didn't want any of us to experience any more death the way we have. He even asked me to leave as soon as the coronation was over with. I had a bag packed and everything, but the morning I made to leave, he was gone."

"We wondered why you didn't come home." Po looked at her, but her gaze was on her paws.

"Are you burying him?" Monkey spoke, but Viper's tail flew out and whacked him on the back of the head. "I was only asking."

"No." Tigress sent a look to Viper and shook her head. "He disappeared much the same way Oogway did. Besides, I think the only place fitting for him would be the Valley."

"Under the peach tree." Po finished.

"Exactly." She smiled slightly. "I was thinking of planting another tree out there, once the weather gets warmer."

"So, you're staying?" Viper asked her, allowing herself to get a bit excited.

"Yeah." Tigress nodded. "I made a promise. Kai is doing plenty well on his own, and he has Yu. I think it's best if I come home."

"Are they holding a funeral?" Crane asked her delicately, minding Viper's tail. But she didn't take any offense to the questions. They were his family as much as hers. They deserved to know everything.

"No. He wouldn't want one, and I don't like the idea of mourning him forever." She noticed Viper shooting a look to Po, and wondered just how much he had been grieving on his own. He didn't need that, none of them did. They needed something to finalize it, to end the mourning and try to move on.

Making up her mind, Tigress stood from the table and grabbed a bottle of rice wine from the counter. Po understood immediately what she wanted to do, and he reached into a cabinet to grab a few cups.

"A toast," Tigress suggested once each of them had cups, "to Shifu."

"As much of a hard-ass as he was…" Mantis muttered.

"As much of a teacher as he was." Viper corrected him.

"And a friend." Crane interjected softly.

"And a really bad Mahjong player." Po commented, more to himself than the others. Seeing him participating though, after having been so downtrodden since they heard the news, caused them all to chuckle.

Tigress allowed herself to smile a little and she repeated, "To Shifu."

"To Shifu."

The snow melted late into spring. When the wind turned warm and the trees began to bloom, they gathered again under the peach tree to plant a seed. But there wasn't a eulogy, nor a funeral. They stood there joking and laughing, a far easier feat than a year before. Someone brought wine, Po brought food, and they picnicked under the setting sun.

And when the peach tree sprouted later that summer, Po watched it with a smile and a little bit of hope.

Everything was gonna be okay.