The peach tree of heavenly wisdom was one of his favorite meditation spots. When he decided to meditate, he told himself. Po was in a seated position, eyes closed. He could feel the universe spin around him. He could feel the life of the valley. However, the universe itself no longer spoke to him. Each time he tried to connect with it he was pushed out, cast aside. It still granted him insight to those around him, but he could no longer hear it's whispers.

It worried him. When he had fought against Tigress he reached out to the universe for assistance, but it coiled away from him. It denied him it's power and he didn't listen. Regret twisted in his gut. To avoid the truth, he betrayed the universe's trust and forced it to do his bidding.

Po sighed, trying to force himself to meditate. He wanted to reconnect with the universe. He sought guidance. He needed harmony and focus, but it was refused to him.

Imbalance.

Po's eyes snapped open. The word so clearly whispered into his ear that he turned around to see just who had stalked up to him. No one was there. The panda turned back ahead, eyes flickering in uncertainty, disbelief. He knew what the word meant.

"I messed up. I destroyed everything I spent years building." The air grew cold and he listened, but no more words were shared. "I gave into my emotions. Let them control me. I made a mistake." His paws tightened on his knees. "I . . . I just want to know why. Why am I being abandoned? Why did destiny lead me here?"

Po grit his teeth, feeling ashamed at the anger boiling in his blood. "In the last day I've done some terrible things." His attempts to kill Shijie flashed through his mind, followed by his use of the Eye of Huīchén. Since then, all he had done was lie and deceive those closest to him. "Do I not deserve my inner peace anymore?"

"Inner peace is not something so simple, my panda friend."

Po sprung to his feet and turned around, watching as the aged turtle master climbed the last few steps to reach the peach tree. "Master Oogway?"

He nodded, "Inner peace is not so simple that it can be taken away. It is you. Your innermost self crystalized within the universe's gaze." He stopped next to the peach tree. "What our friend, the universe, was trying to convey is that you've lost your way. You've let yourself become corrupted with fear and pain."

Po looked at his feet, shame enveloping him. "I've felt those before, Master."

He nodded, "Yes, you have. Yet, now you internalize your pain, let it engulf you." he frowned deeply, "That is not inner peace, that is the opposite. To suffer and move on is to be one with the universe."

"That's easier said than done."

"True." Oogway took a couple more steps closer to Po, tapping his staff on the ground to get Po took up from his feet, "You've done so before."

"It's different now."

Oogway tilted his head. "How so?"

Fear wrapped itself around Po's heart. "I— " have already messed up once. "I can't say."

"You were not surprised to become the Dragon Warrior." Po looked up, shocked. "I could see it in your eyes."

"I— "

"You have cornered yourself. You are searching for a narrow path. One you've already convened. Such a path is never traversed without issue." He smiled weakly, "Destiny is never set in stone. It's fluid and often makes many twists and turns, much like a river. You must allow yourself to be free in your choices."

Po frowned, "You don't understand, Master."

"Perhaps not, but only because you've yet to enlighten me." He placed a claw on Po's shoulder. "I see in your eyes a man who has lived and lost. A man of experience and pain. I can only imagine what you've been through, but I assure you I am capable of understanding."

Po eyes lit up in a mixture of fear and relief, "You can see them?"

Oogway nodded, "The universe saw if fit to hide your scars for the time being, young panda. By having your scars remain, there would have been temporal inconsistencies— or issues within time itself. Time travel is a very fragile practise, though I must admit, this hardly seems to be the work of both ways of time travel."

Po nodded, relenting and giving in. He would no longer hide from Oogway. "No, neither the Paradox Crystal or the Temporal Gateway were used. This was an accident."

Oogway smiled and chuckled a bit to himself, "My friend, there are no accidents."

"It was a mistake." Po stepped away from Oogway, shrugging off his claw from his shoulder. "I . . . failed everyone. I let my own emotions control me."

"Emotions are innate. They are beyond control."

Po clenched his fists, "I should have tried. I should have listened to Shifu."

"There will always be what-if's. If you constantly fill your head with them, then they will destroy you. The past is that past, it's history for a reason. You must live in the present, do what you can from this point on." Po sat on the edge of the cliff, staring down into the valley. Slowly, Oogway made his way over, taking a seat next to him. "You lost someone?" Po nodded. "I know how that feels."

"I know. You and Kai were close, weren't you?"

Oogway snapped his head to Po, his eyes wide. "Kai? You met Kai?" Po only nodded, continuing to look down. Oogway turned his head back forward, "Kai . . . that's an old wound." He placed his claw on Po's shoulder again, waiting a moment to see if the panda was going to push him away before continuing. "You must not hang onto the past. You must embrace it. Your pain, your mistakes, they are all part of you. Do not let it engulf you. Embrace it so you may be whole once more." The words, "As I did," hung in the air.

Po tightened his fists on his knees as his thoughts fled back to his failure. How he had failed to save her.

'Tigress's smile was intoxicating, but at this very moment he only felt an overwhelming sense of fear. "Po." Deep down within his gut, something told him that she was taking her last breath. She barely managed to struggle out his name when the light in her eyes started to fade. "Thank you." And then she was gone. Her head fell back, limp.'

Po waited for a moment, desperately wishing she would pull her head back up. That she could pull through. But, then her paw that had been gripping his own went numb and fell from his grasp. It hit the ground without as much as a sound, but for Po it felt as if the world shook.

Po whipped tears from his eyes, "She was at peace when she died. She had accepted it. But . . . " He took in a quick, choppy breath. "I hadn't. And . . . the Eye took me here."

"The Eye? As in the Eye of Huīchén?" Po nodded and Oogway retracted his arm from Po's shoulder and brought it up to his own face, "Oh dear, that is serious. You wished upon the Eye of Huīchén?"

"Kinda, but not exactly?" Po shrugged, "I wasn't touching the Eye, but Shifu said because it was cracked it had become linked to my spirit or something." He sighed, "I should have listened to Shifu, if I had then time wouldn't have been rewound. "

"Cracked?" Oogway paled, "You said you didn't have the Eye at the time?"

Po turned his head to Oogway, "Yea?"

"Anyone who had touched the Eye since it became cracked would have been linked to it."

Po's eyes widened, "But that would mean . . ."

'The lizard's eyes burst with glee, "Finally!" His mouth dropped open and he hissed in satisfaction. "You're willing to look me in the eye. Well," He held up the Eye of Huīchén, displaying it to the panda. "I'll meet your bravado halfway." Po's eyes darted to look behind the lizard as a large figure cast a shadow over him. Shijie's eyes widened in shock and he sprung around. Kai reeled his arm back and struck forward with lightning speed. Shijie swung his arm forward as defense.

The two clashed, sending a deafening wave of jade and blue energy careening outwards from the impact. Po winced at the sound. It was louder than he had remembered Shen's cannons in two pulled apart and Shijie turned his hand around, staring at the Eye of Huīchén, with a large crack going down it's side. "No! The Eye!" He whipped his head at Kai, "What have you done!" He pushed it forward, throwing a burst of cyan energy at Kai, throwing back the yak.'

"And . . ."

'Tai lung slammed his elbow into Shijie's back and the lizard cried out in pain as he slammed into the ground. Po landed on his knees with a thud, almost collapsing onto the ground from pure pain and exhaustion. He instantly gripped his shoulder, just above his split arm. A soft thud sent his head snapping upwards just as the leopard landed on his feet, clutching the gem in his hand.'

Po body straightened, "If someone touched the Eye after it had been cracked, would they remember what had happened?"

Oogway sighed deeply, "Perhaps, it's hard to know. Something like this has never happened before."

Po didn't respond, instead sitting in silence for a moment. Reluctantly, he turned his head to Oogway. "It's possible that Tai lung and Kai are in the same predicament as I am. They remember. But . . . is there a way to be sure?"

Oogway shook his head, "I'm afraid not. My knowledge of time travel itself is extremely limited and the Eye is a mystery in itself. All I know is that it can warp reality to one's desire. If Tai lung and Kai do indeed remember, then that will prove to be an issue." Oogway stood to his feet, pulling up on his staff to hoist himself up. "Think on what I've said. You do not need to hide from us, but I will keep your secret." he walked towards the stairs, stopping at the peach tree. ""I will meditate on what I've learned. See if I can find answers. In the meantime, do not stress yourself out about Tai lung. You will be prepared." He lightly tapped the peach tree, causing a single peach to fall into Po's lap.

Po picked up the peach, holding it tightly under his gaze as Oogway walked away. The panda frowned. What if Shijie remembered? Po tightened his grip on the patch. Shijie could not get his hands on the Eye once more. There would be no stopping him twice. Though, there was one more thing that bothered Po,

The last thing Po had expected was a thick blue energy coat his arm. Within seconds his arm had stitched itself back together, leaving a long, jagged scar running down his arm. He snapped his head to Shifu, his heart beating, threatening to tear from his chest. Fear gripped him. Despite his own feeling, Shifu smiled, the Eye glowing within his own grasp. "There, you're healed."

"But, the Eye— "

"That was something minor." Shifu held up the gem, examining it as if looking for evidence against his own nonchalance in using its power. After a short moment, he sighed, "Bringing someone back to life is a different story."

Po frowned, Tai lung's chi had seemed stronger than it should have. The panda was worried that the leopard had remembered everything, just as he did, but if Tai lung remembered, wouldn't Shifu have as well? He set the peach down on the ground next to him, continuing to stare off into the valley, one question raging through his mind. Just what did Shifu know?