Enough


He gently held a bouquet of flowers with roses, dandelions, and daisies he got from the Jade Palace's meadow. He was careful to remove the grass and dirt from them. Po smiled. It had been three years since his feelings came up but now was the time. Tigress would be meditating in the courtyard, so there would be plenty of time.

He hoped.

He braced against the table, hunching his back like a burden on his shoulders. The sweat dripped down his face, and he grumbled, "This isn't gonna work. She's never gonna... no. I can't. I gotta try!" He steeled the nerves in his hands, gently gripping the bouquet. Each step he took was the moving of a mountain, but he was moving. As the creaking wood turned into solid dirt, his heart throbbed harder. Po continuously gulped as the courtyard entered his sight. Turning the corner, he would see the large training courtyard with weight sets, spears, and training sticks that would guarantee to trip him up. Literally. Po stopped and breathed. He would just have to be careful and watch his step.

But he turned the corner.

Several days ago, a tiger master by the name Sun-Jun, came to visit the Jade Palace. He was taller than Po by a few inches, slim but athletic, a plain white vest to match his white fur with a large sword by his waist. The white tiger was shy but polite and really hit it off with the others, even Tigress.

Of course, Po didn't realize that Sun-Jun had feelings for Tigress. Until now. As Po stood at the corner of the Training Hall watching the two kiss, it was obvious. Tigress pulled away and turned her head. "What's wrong?" Sun-Jun asked in a heavy voice.

"Hm... I thought I heard something," Tigress said. She didn't see Po ducked behind the corner. Sun-Jun grabbed his sword.

"A villain?"

"Hehe, no, no," Tigress smiled. "I'm sure it was nothing."

"Oh, sorry," Sun-Jun nervously grinned, sheathing his sword. "Why don't we go to Mr. Ping's to celebrate?"

"I'm sure Mr. Ping will be glad to see me in a relationship," Tigress huffed. "He's always complaining about it."

"Why?"

"I've... become somewhat of a daughter to him. Especially after Po defeated Shen."

Sun-Jun smiled, "Well, let's go and meet my father-in-law."

"Haha, please don't joke like that," Tigress chuckled. The two walked down the stairs, disappearing over the horizon. Po laid next to the corner with a bundle of flowers scattered on the ground. Of all the people for her to be in love with, it had to be him, the newcomer. Po gritted his teeth. Could he blame him? He probably has a better chance with Tigress than Po did. And the fact that he probably just asked and got accepted...

No, Po didn't know that for sure. No one knew anything about this. The white tiger just came here, and Tigress already entertained his hand.

Instead of Po's.

Po slowly got back up and walked to the Heavenly Peach Tree where he could be alone. The bouquet drifted away in the wind.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Furious Five and Shifu were dining in Mr. Ping's shop. "You know," The goose mumbled, "I'll have to start charging extra for you guys if you keep eating like this."

"Whatcha expect?" Mantis muttered, "With your son eating us out of house and home."

"Mantis, don't be rude," Viper said.

"Besides, I thought Po was supposed to be down here with us," Crane mentioned. Everyone looked at each other for an answer, but none could be given. Shifu smiled knowingly.

"I'm sure the panda has a great surprise for us." That's when Tigress and Sun-Jun walked in.

"Oh, hey you two. What's up? Did you hurt Sun-Jun again, Tigress?" Monkey teased.

"Not exactly," Tigress smiled. The smile was off-putting. Everyone looked at their hands. They were interlaced. "We... we wanted to tell you guys that we were-"

"We're dating!" Sun-Jun exclaimed. "Sorry, sorry. I was too excited." Tigress shook her head. Everyone's eyes went wide as Crane's beak creaked open. Mr. Ping dropped his tray, and glass and cups crashed to the floor. "Mr. Ping, are you alright?"

"Uh... yes, yes, sorry... butterfingers," the goose quaked, quickly getting the broom. Tigress eyed all of her comrades glancing at each other. Worry, confusion, and dread all mixed into one on their brows as Crane finally spoke.

"Where... uh... when did this happen?"

"Well," Sun-Jun smiled grandly, "Just now, actually. Tigress and I were sparring and... we kinda fell on each other-"

"You fell," Tigress corrected. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright." The white tiger chuckled at his own blunder. "He said he thought about staying there since the view of me was so beautiful."

"Ah," Shifu said. Another long pause spread across the room. "And where... I mean, where did you do this?"

"In the courtyard, why?" Sun-Jun asked. Shifu pensively stared at the ground, stroking his beard with dreaded thoughts roaming his head.

"Master, is something wrong?" Tigress asked. Shifu lifted his head. Tigress, Sun-Jun, and the rest all looked at him, but they all looked different. Tigress was worried, Sun-Jun was confused, but Furious Five were either saddened or depressed.

"I... I'm just... glad that you two are together," Shifu finally smiled. "It's just... we're all a little... surprised."

"I can't blame you," Sun-Jun grinned, "I was certain she'd say no. That or kick me down the mountain." The white tiger scanned the room. "By the way, where's Po?"

"Ah! Yes! I knew I forgot something. He went on an errand for me. I'll go get him." Shifu quickly rushed out of the shop and darted into the growing night. Tigress glanced back at her teammates who all wore uneasy grins.

"Is something wrong with us...dating?" Tigress asked.

"No, no, no," Crane quickly said. "We're just... honestly surprised. Let's have that celebration, huh? Mr. Ping is it okay if we-"

"Sure, sure. I guess if we're licking wounds," Mr. Ping muttered but smiled as he shook Sun-Jun's hand. "You're a very lucky man, Sun-Jun. I can tell you a lot of people would've loved to date Tigress."

"Mr. Ping," Tigress grumbled, a little embarrassed.

As the celebration went on, Shifu jumped up the stairs and straight up to the kitchen. No panda. Then he rushed to the secret pantry they had. No panda and no indication that any food was eaten. "The tree," He said. Shifu ran up the Heavenly Peach Tree's hill and found the giant panda sadly munching away on a peach. "Po?"

"Oh! M-M-Master Shifu." Po stumbled to his feet and bowed. "I'm sorry, I was-"

"Po... your eyes... they're red."

Po sniffled and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't lie to him. "Y-yeah."

"Sun-Jun and Tigress just came into the shop. We... heard about the news," Shifu slowly said. Po sighed and sat back down. Shifu quietly sat next to him, eating the peaches along with him. "Po... I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to-"

"You knew?" Po asked.

"I know what it's like to love someone. I also know what it looks like. The stutters, the looks of amazement, the unusual clumsiness."

"Wow, thanks for giving me a confidence boost," Po muttered.

"I know the look, Po. And I figured that you told us about your father's 'Warrior time offer' because of that. You wanted to surprise us when you told her, right?" Po nodded. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Po."

Silence fell. Po's pain was contagious. Shifu's heart gnawed him, watching the panda's tears stream down his face. Sometimes he would sob openly and loudly, other times it would be a small hiccup followed by silence. Shifu was thankful he had grabbed several towels before coming up here. The large panda blew into each one. Then Po sat completely silent, devoid of any emotion, pain, or motion.

What do you say to pain like that? How do you penetrate the sadness to reach the person within?

After two painful cycles of witnessing this, Shifu had run out of towels. Thankfully, Po broke the cycle with a long heartbroken sigh, looking at the night sky's inky blackness dotted with twinkling lights. "Shifu?" He said in a voice so tired its very presence wore itself out. "How did you get over Tai-Lung being in prison?"

Shifu's head jerked back a bit in surprise, but the panda looked serious. Shifu cleared his throat. "I... I don't think I ever got over it, but I also don't think it's comparable with your suffering."

"Hehe, yeah," Po sadly chuckled, "I wouldn't say it's as traumatic as losing someone you love."

"I didn't mean it like that Po," Shifu said. Po rose his head. "I mean that the two events aren't the same in any way. You're dealing with a broken heart and silent rejection. I was dealing with... blindness and pride along with mixed emotions of love and pain. No two tragedies are alike."

"I just," Po sighed heavily. "I'm just... tired of this."

"Of what?"

"OF this! I'm tired of always being the one that has to move on and just... ARGUH!"

"Tigress isn't your first crush then."

"No. I crush easily," Po sighed, plopping his head in his hands. "What am I gonna do? It's obvious now that she had no feelings for me, and I'm not stupid enough to try and fight for her like this."

"You make it sound like you're disappointed that you're not stupid enough," Shifu noticed.

"It would be easier," Po murmured. "I wouldn't think too much about it." He straightened up and looked at the village below. "What am I gonna do, Shifu? How can I move on from this? I'm gonna have to act like nothing ever happened. Like my heart wasn't just removed out of my chest and stomped over."

"Po... you're already blaming her for something she has no knowledge of," Shifu said.

"Because I'm want to! Let me be angry for once! I just want to be angry just this once!" Po shouted. Though he screamed and glared hard at his master, the tears already poured down Po's face. Shifu took a long breath and nodded. Po sagged his shoulders and sighed. "How am I gonna do this?"

"What you're doing right now," Shifu said. Po's eyes widened. "Once you've cried all you can and it feels like nothing else can come out, get up, eat, and go to sleep. If you can't go to sleep, then accept the fact that you can't and do something else or write. Then the next day, if you feel like you're upset, go to a private place where no one can hear you scream or cry, cry your heart out. Then get up, eat, and go on with your day. If you feel like ranting to someone, pick me. I don't know if your father will like Tigress that much if you rant to him. Don't try and act as if everything's alright at the beginning with Tigress or Sun-Jun. If they ask, just tell them that-"

"I can't tell them the truth, Shifu," Po rasped.

"Then tell them that you haven't been sleeping."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Po asked.

"Because I know how hard it is to move on. Part of moving on is realizing that you just have today. The past is the past, the future is the future. You can't live in either. You just have today."

"Is... Is that a modified Oogway saying?" Po asked.

Shifu smiled a hint. "It might. But what I don't want you to do is isolate yourself. Now more than ever, you need people." He sighed. "Something that I didn't do when I was going through this."

"You... you had crushes?" Po asked. Shifu rose his bushy eyebrow. "I was just... well... I didn't think you would... I mean..."

"Yes, Po. I've had relationships before. Most of them didn't end well," Shifu sighed.

"Hey, at least you were in relationships," Po mumbled. "It's hard for me. People like Tigress get hit on almost constantly, either by bandits, nobles, or regular people. Heck, even kids hit on her. Me? I haven't even gotten a girl to say I look nice. Maybe it's the smell of noodles on my breath." Shifu winced. He remembered saying those very words when the big bear first came. "I just... I just want to be wanted. I want to feel like...people want me for... me. And not just what I can do for them. And it's gotten so frustrating and complicated with the Dragon Warrior title! What? Am I not worthy of love because of my title! I just... I just wish I could be good enough for people to... like me. I just want to be enough."

"It'll never happen," Shifu said. Po's shoulder sagged. "You'll never be enough for people until you're enough for yourself." Shifu smiled and took the towels from Po. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to clean these."

"I didn't blow that hard," Po complained. Shifu lifted one of the towels oozing with snot and boogers like a slime bath. "Okay... maybe I did," Po chuckled, sheepishly. "Thank you, Shifu."

"Of course, Po."

"What about Tigress and Sun-Jun? How am I going to act around them?"

"Oh I'm sure that's not going to be a problem," Shifu sighed. "This is Tigress's first relationship. Well, her first open relationship. I'm sure she and Sun-Jun will have their little honeymoon phase where they don't know everyone else exists."

"Wow... that's... depressing. You really think Tigress would be like that?" Po asked. Shifu shrugged.

"Everyone does it. If you truly do need some distance, I can send you to work with Crane's old friend."

"Mei-Ling?"

"She's in need of a teacher to help with the academy. Maybe the Dragon Warrior could give his services for a week or two."

"I don't want to avoid them," Po said.

"I know, but healing takes time. I'm sure they'll be fine for a while," Shifu smiled.

"Oh... so they won't even notice I'm gone," Po sighed.

"I think they will. Probably sooner than you think." With that, Shifu walked down the hill leaving Po to think to himself.

The next day, through a strong smile and warm arms, Po embraced the new couple as best he could. Tigress immediately noticed the red eyes, to which Po claimed not to know the reason. "I don't know. Must be sleeping issues." While it calmed Sun-Jun, Tigress kept questioning, but Po stuck to his story until the day Shifu arranged for him and Crane to visit Mei-Ling for two weeks.

Which worried her more.

"What?!" Tigress shot out of her chair and slammed her hands to the kitchen table. "Why so long!"

"Take it easy, Tigress," Po said. "It's only for two weeks. That's all. You'll barely notice I'm here."

"Master Po," Sun-Jun said respectfully, "Do you really think it's best to leave in your... uh... state?"

"Whatcha' mean?" Po asked. Crane knowingly glanced at his panda friend to his side, but he kept quiet. Sun-Jun cleared his throat.

"I'm just saying that... these past couple of days you've seemed... torn. Do you really think it's best to for you leave?"

"Guys, I'm not leaving forever. I'm just going to make sure everything's okay with Mei-Ling's academy. Besides, you two lovebirds have each other," Po smiled. "You'll be fine. You'll barely know I left. Come on, Crane, let's go." Po left the kitchen and Crane followed suit, but Tigress stopped him.

"Crane. What's wrong with Po? He hasn't slept, he hasn't eaten anything, and he doesn't talk. Something is wrong with him, and I want to know," Tigress said. The two shared a glare. Why? Crane had no reason to look at her like this, she thought. It was something Tigress wasn't prepared for, but the bird simply shrugged.

"I don't know. You can't help him every time, Tigress," Crane said. "Po seems completely fine to me."

"You're lying. I know you are," Tigress growled.

"Tigress, don't you think you're-" Death scowled back at the white tiger. Sun-Jun wisely buttoned his lips and sat back down.

"Look, whatever Po's going through, I'll be there to make sure that he's doing okay. You don't have to worry, Tigress," Crane smiled. Tigress simply glared at the bird until he left the room.

"Grrrrrr."

"Tigress. This needs to stop," Sun-Jun said, standing up. "Don't you think if Po were upset or had problems he'd say it by now."

"No," Tigress whispered thoughtfully. "No, something is wrong Sun-Jun. I know it, and I'm not going to just stand by and let my friend suffer."

The white tiger held her hands in his and smiled. "It's amazing to see what you'll do for a friend. I don't know what's wrong, but I know that he'll be fine. He's got Crane and more importantly, he has you as a friend." Tigress briefly smiled, but in the corner of the kitchen, through a window, she could see Po descending down the mountain and a cloud brew over her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? You're basically escaping her," Crane pointed out.

"Trust me, Crane," Po sighed heavily, "I need this. Just... just something to work stuff out, you know?" Crane placed a wing on his shoulder and smiled wide.

"I know. I'll be here for you if you need it."

"Thanks, Crane," Po smiled, "I think things will be better after this."

Well, things didn't actually turn out that way. Po did get better working with Mei-Ling, and Crane's friend was very helpful, but the panda quickly grew homesick, missing his dad terribly. In theory, the long-stay would have, at the least, given Po some room to process his feelings. And it did. The problem was he didn't want to go back. "I don't think I'm ready," Po would say.

"You're gonna have to face her eventually," Crane would say. Finally, the dreaded day came when Po and Crane had to return. While the panda was glad to be back, the mountain of the Jade Palace made him gulp. "What are you scared of?"

"The feelings coming back. Getting hurt again," Po confessed.

"You'll always get hurt. You'll always get knocked down," Crane said. "But that's your superpower, right? You can get back up again." Po sighed and nodded. They climbed the windy tall mountain and reached the gate, after they had to break for Po's panda asthma. But when they knocked on the door, it flung open.

"Yes, yes, what is it! Oh! Po! You're here!" Shifu said in a jumbled heap of emotions. "Thank the universe."

"Wha? What happened?" Po asked.

"Things have... not been easy without you around," Shifu sighed. "No one can really cook other than you and Zeng, and he just happened to be on vacation for a week."

"Okay, so you guys starved?"

"No, but it's been worse," Shifu sighed. "Sun-Jun and Tigress have been having... issues." Crane and Po looked at each other. "After you left, Sun-Jun tried his best to keep Tigress in good spirits, but... it didn't seem to work."

"Dang it," Po grunted, "I didn't want to be the source of the problem."

"You couldn't have known," Shifu replied. "The worse part is that Sun-Jun feels inadequate to help her. We could really use your help. She hasn't been herself. She won't train, she-"

"WHAT?!" Po and Crane shouted.

"Where is she?" Po hastily asked.

"Calm down, Po. I don't think seeing her is going to fix the issue," Crane said.

"Why not?"

"Well, if YOU fix the issue then that'll just mean that Sun-Jun can't make her happy without you being around," Crane replied. Both pandas sighed; he had a point. "Talk with Sun-Jun first. Give him some tips. Plus, it'll work to help you build your way up to Tigress."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we bury you and Sun-Jun alongside each other," Crane shrugged. Po gulped.

"I don't care which one you talk to first," Shifu grumbled. "Just do it! I can't have this place be an emotional wreck." Po ran off to find Sun-Jun sadly eating his cubed tofu.

"Ugh, tofu. I don't understand how you can eat that stuff," Po said. The white tiger's head shot up.

"Po! You're here!" He ran up and hugged him before bowing respectfully. "I'm so glad you're here. I need your help with Tigress."

"Yeah, Shifu mentioned it. Look, Sun-Jun, to help Tigress, you have to find your own little quirk."

"Quirk?" Sun-Jun asked.

"Mine is being a happy fun-loving guy. Yours might be shy and quiet, but supportive."

"But I've tried all of that and it hasn't worked. She hasn't been okay since you've left," Sun-Jun threw his arms down and plopped into another chair. "I don't understand, Po. Am I not enough?" Po widened his eyes. He stood silently, locked in place. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he covered his eyes, sniffling. "Po? Are you okay?" Sun-Jun asked.

"Sun-Jun," Po spun around, smiling with tears running down his eyes. "I haven't felt enough since the day I was born." He squatted down, looking him in the eye. "You are enough. I know that, and Tigress knows that. Don't compare yourself to me because of what's happening with Tigress. You are worthy of Tigress's love. Don't ever forget that, okay?" Sun-Jun slowly nodded as Po hugged him. "You're worthy of love, Sun-Jun."

Sun-Jun didn't know what to do. He simply sat there, dazed and shocked.

But thankful. A small tear slid down his face. He and Po stood up and walked on to find Tigress who was in the Training Hall. She was glad to see Sun-Jun and very glad to see Po. The panda yakked on about his misadventures with Mei-Ling and how his stay was needed, but he looked into the face of his crush and smiled, truly smiled for the first time in a long while. As Sun-Jun and Tigress held hands, Po told them that he went there to learn a major lesson. "What was it?" Tigress asked.

"Hm?"

"What was the lesson?"

Po gave a long smile. "Learning to be enough."

The End?

"You're really ending it like this?" Demi asked. I stared at the page, slowly nodding. "Why are you so unsure then?"

"Because... I don't know if the story is finished. Like, the one-shot is done, but... I don't know. There's something else in here I need to write, but... for now... that is the end."

"The end of what?" Demi asked.

"Of how to move on," I said.