Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda or anything.

Okay, readers. This is my Penultimate chapter and the last will be the last. It will be up by next week, a week before Christmas. I've enjoyed this so far and nothing in the world can replace my joy I have with this story. I'm so happy with everything that you, reviewers had given to me. Be it a flame, suggestion, or anything. For the last and final noting. Luna, I thank you for everything you've done. I really, really appreaciate you boundless help with betaing this story. I really am. I was so happy to get you as my beta. This might be the last but we will see, the future isn't determined.

And now, on with the story. The final last. Oh, and Lucius, I may be pushing my luck too far, huh? Purpleground: Not yet but you will see if they ever break up.

Chapter 24

Master Shifu's jaw nearly hit the ground when Tigress had finished speaking. It was too much to bear! "What?" Shifu twitched his eyebrow.

"The Lou fu academy of Tiger warriors accepted my application," Tigress repeated slowly. "Not only that, I think the rest of us were accepted as well in our own academy of choice."

"You what?!" Shifu roared. Not good enough. Is that it?! Master Shifu had been training the Furious Five for years and this is how they thanked him? By giving news that they want to go to another academy for training in kung fu?! Have he not given them the best? Have he not given up everything to train the Five? Was it…not good enough?

"W-Why?" Shifu asked. "Why are you going to another place to learn kung fu? Why? Don't we have good enough facilities here? Don't we have the thousand scrolls for you to master? The Jade Palace is the only place that has the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu. All of you were handpicked by Oogway himself! But…why this?"

"Because…" Tigress rubbed behind her neck as she spoke. "Master, we're not being ungrateful. All the trainings that you have given to us, nothing can top that; absolutely nothing."

"Then why leave?"

"This," Tigress showed the old master the letter. "This is a specified academy that only trains in the tiger style. You have taught us many styles and we perfected one. However, in this academy, they introduced long forgotten techniques that are useful. Not to mention modern techniques as well; the Jade Palace does not give us that."

"The thousand scrolls? All of you didn't even master all of them, not even half of it," Shifu exclaimed.

"The scrolls are just the same in the academy."

"Hey!" Tai Lung spat. "I resent that. There's nothing greater than the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu. You don't know how great it is because you didn't master all of them."

"Please," Tigress shook her head in denial. "The Lou fu academy teaches nearly the same techniques; only much more complex than this. Some are not used because it does not benefit me at all."

"Take that back!"

"No!"

"Why you-"

"ENOUGH!" Master Shifu bellowed as he stood up on the kitchen table. "Tigress, you are not the only one I presume?"

"No," Crane took a step forward. He preserved his courage for the verdict to come after he had explained himself. With all the courage he had in him, he let it all out. "I have too."

"Where?"

"Back to the Crane Valley, down south," The avian twitched his wings here and there as he showed signs of fear and anxiety. "A-as Tigress has stated, it specializes in my own style. That is all."

"Me as well," Monkey bravely spoke.

"Me too," Mantis jumped on the table as he bowed to his master.

"I am so sorry," Viper's melodic voice spoke up as well.

Shifu looked at the Five menacingly as he scrutinized at them with dismay. The old master had many surprises in his life but this – changing to another master– was just too much for him to accept. He had spent years training and perfecting them one at a time without fail and this was his trepidation.

How can an old soul accept this blow? No, scratch that. How can they give to him this blow? The old master had nothing to live for now; nothing… Training the Five was his life, and he had taught them everything. Well, not literally everything. He had his reasons why he didn't teach them the nerve attack.

It was then that Shifu had finally realized that he shouldn't fetter them anymore in the Jade Palace. They were old enough to do things by themselves. They don't need an old red panda to put invisible chains around them. They had a choice and had made their decision.

"Are-Are you sure about this?" Shifu asked them.

Tigress was the first to answer, "Yes."

"There is no turning back once you've applied to this academy," the red panda admonished.

"We know," Crane softly answered.

Shifu sighed. They had made their decision. I will not stop them…

"Go and prepare," Shifu looked away from them. "You need to get ready for your journey."

The Five's faces beamed with joy and they quickly thanked Master Shifu for his generosity.

"Alright, alright," Shifu stopped them. "If that's what makes you happy, I will be too."

They thanked the old master one last time and left to prepare.

"You aren't happy," Tai Lung said as he washed the dirty dishes.

"No…" Shifu sat on his chair, his body feeling heavy with sorrow. "No…I'm not…"

Early morning of the end of that week approached, and the Five were busy with their last-minute packing. Tigress, Crane, Viper, Monkey and Mantis frantically rushed about, here and there to get their personal belongings from the kitchen, to the bathroom, from the Training Hall, to the living room. They didn't want to miss a single thing.

They had finally gotten themselves ready for the journey and each of them stood outside their room, expecting Master Shifu to say something. Surprisingly, the old master wasn't there at all.

Tigress's ears perked up when she heard a faint but beautiful song up in the hills where the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom was planted, and also where Po lay in eternal rest.

The flute's song echoed through the open air as the red panda played a soulful melody. Tai Lung was with his old master as he lay down on the ground to enjoy the beautiful song, hands behind his head, staring up through the tree's branches. Shifu did not play a single wrong note as he calmly worked his miniscule fingers at the old flute. Old the instrument may have been, but it served its master well.

Shifu stopped playing, letting one long, plaintive note fade away in the air.

"Melody of the harmony, a symphony of great pleasure and happiness from the heart and soul," Tai Lung softly spoke.

"You remembered, m'boy."

"Who doesn't?" he smiled. "You always play that song when you are either very happy, or very sad. I still remembered that day when I broke my arm. I cried all night in the Hall of Heroes and you came to comfort me. You played this very same song to put me to sleep."

Shifu stifled a chuckle as he heard that old story once more, "Sure enough." The old red panda patted the snow leopard's head as he was reminded of the time when Tai Lung was still a cub. How he'd wished that he could go back in time to relive that past.

"What will you do now?" Shifu asked.

Tai Lung got up from his lying position and stared lazily beyond the horizon. He had nothing left to do actually. Start a family? Learn more kung fu? He had already accomplished that years ago before he was even sent to that god-forsaken prison. What now? Tigress was gone. She'd be away for heaven knew how long. He couldn't leave her. No…he just couldn't…

"I…" He stammered as he tried to arrange the right words to come out of his mouth. Nothing formed in his mind; absolutely nothing. "I don't know…"

"How about the Sheng Huang temple?" Shifu said as he tried to reconnect back their conversation before it died away.

"Absolutely not," Tai Lung shook his head violently. "That temple has nothing but sorry excuses for warriors. All show, no skill. Can you imagine that their strongest warrior is a pervert? He steals women's undergarments for crying out loud!"

"Ah, yes," Shifu chuckled. "Every warrior has a bad side; even you. You lust for power, whereas that individual lusts for-"

"Please don't say it," Tai Lung rolled his eyes. "I think I'll stay here with Leo, maybe take a few days away from the village so that both of us can bond. I don't know much about Leo, but I intend to change that. Camping, probably, it sounds like a good idea."

"It's always a good idea."

A faint sound was heard from the distance. Tai Lung was the first to identify who it was. "Tigress…" he said.

"They're leaving…" Shifu replied in a melancholic tone. "This is their final goodbye."

"I want to talk to Tigress for a while," the snow leopard walked past the old master, who only sighed sorrowfully for his son.

The Five were in sight when he came down the hill. They were eager to go but Tai Lung grabbed Tigress' arm before anything else; not even a warning. The female warrior wanted to pull away but gave in after the snow leopard winked playfully at her.

"You guys see Shifu first. I'll be right back," she glanced at her mate. "As soon as possible."

The rest nodded in acknowledgement and moved along. Tai Lung had dragged Tigress behind the pathway leading to the Jade Palace and he immediately landed a kiss on her mouth. Tigress' eyes opened in shock but suppressed the feeling when the snow leopard playfully explored her mouth with his tongue. She kissed back and caressed his fur without a care in the world.

Tai Lung broke the kiss and looked at her, whispering, "My farewell present."

"I thought that was last night," she playfully winked at him.

"Was it any good?"

"Of course it was! You gave me four rounds!"

"Really?" he blinked in surprise. "I did?"

"You bet, tiger," she purred loudly, winking conspiringly.

"If it's that good, why leave?" Tai Lung asked her.

"Because…" she sighed softly, searching for the right way to say it. "I know I can't get the title of the Dragon Warrior anymore. So, what's the point of mastering the Thousand Scrolls? This is for me; for me alone. I want a future. I want to teach my fighting style to students. That was my dream since Po took that title. I have nothing left here."

"I am here," Tai Lung caressed her cheeks fondly as he admired her beauty under the sun.

"You," Tigress put her paws on his well-defined chest, "are my second concern ever since you came back here. I know you've changed but, you still need to learn. If possible, I want…I want to…."

She left her sentence to hang in mid-air. However, Tai Lung added in the right words into her floating sentence.

"Marry me?"

"Would you?"

"More than anything," he kissed her.

"I do, too," she pushed him away. "But after my training is complete."

"I'd rot by that time," Tai Lung said resentfully. "These hormones don't come and go as you please, you know."

"Try me."

"Look, Tigress," the snow leopard pulled her arm but not hurting her with his rough attitude. "Please reconsider. You do not need to follow the Five. Okay, I know that you want to teach your style but if you don't like it there, please don't hesitate to come back. You will always have a place here at the Jade Palace...and with me." He gently took her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of her hands.

The female warrior smiled softly at him and walked toward the Sacred Peach Tree. She wasn't going to change her mind and back this out now. This was it, her choice, her future. Tai Lung fixed his eyes onto Tigress as he slowly walked uphill once again.

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Yes, the last is coming. The final. Thank you all in advance. Thank you all the same for getting this story for over 80 reviews! My first ever! R&R please.