Lighter
"I never want to see you again!" She shouted, slamming the door in front of his face.
To be perfectly honest, Po never thought he would be in this situation. He watched as a raging tiger shouted and blasted all of her frustration and anger onto her targeted foe. Po sighed. It made sense. After what happened, her anger made all the sense in the world. She had been used, in a way, and Po could empathize with that. He had been used a lot of times. So now, she was angry, raging inside her room while her fiery words still echoed in the hall. That was her anger.
He just didn't think he would be in this situation.
And he definitely didn't think he wouldn't be the one causing her anger in this situation.
The male tiger stood with a bunch of flowers grasped in one hand, grumbling to himself. Po watched from the other end of the barracks. The tiger's name was Hu, and the two tigers had been dating for a while. "No luck?" Po asked dismally. Hu glared hard at him only to stomp down the other end of the hall. "What? Don't take your anger out on me."
"I don't want to talk about it," the male tiger growled. Po rolled his eyes and followed Hu outside. "She's being ridiculous."
"You cheated on her, Hu."
"I messed up."
"Yeah, I know, but it doesn't look like you really understand what you did."
Hu whirled around and growled, "And what's that, all high and mighty Dragon Warrior?"
"You cheated on Master Tigress, Master of Strength, Fire, and Rage. What did you expect?" Po argued.
"A sensible woman."
"And you're a sensitive guy. So what?"
"Leave me alone, panda," Hu stormed away. Po grumbled up to the Hall of Heroes where Master Shifu would've been if he weren't on vacation. Po rubbed his temples. The Hall of Heroes had become his little sanctuary to think things out.
"I'm getting really tired of this," Po sighed. Hu and Tigress's problems weren't new, they just never were the same. It didn't help that they were two stubborn people. "If this goes anything like the food poisoning incident... ugh, this is gonna suck." Po pursed his lips and kicked at the invisible rock on the glossy jade floor. "Jerk," Po grumbled. The panda shook his head and carried on with the rest of his day.
Later on, Po ran into Tigress furiously training. The panda sighed. "Tigress?"
"What?" She growled out.
"Ooookay, not gonna ask. Bye!"
"Po!" Tigress sighed. "What. is it?"
"Nothing I just... I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"I'm fine."
"Okay um... then why are you angry?"
"I'm not I... ugh, Po you know exactly why I'm angry," Tigress grumbled, striking the wooden dummy. "I don't know why I even decided to date that, that-"
"Jerk."
"Yes," Tigress sighed. "And it's not the first time."
"What?!" Po exclaimed and narrowed his eyes. "He's cheated on you before?"
"Yes, but I've never addressed it with him because... it's complicated."
"Tigress, you shouldn't be feeling like this. You shouldn't be going through this."
"Please, Po. Just... stay out of this," Tigress sighed. "This is between me and Hu."
Po bit his lip before huffing. "No. It's not."
"Excuse me?" Tigress rose an eyebrow.
"Tigress, you're not just my friend, you're one of my best friends. I can't let you keep going through this," Po said, resting his hand on her shoulder. "And I know what it's like."
"You do?" Said a voice from the door. The two looked and saw a familiar-looking tiger.
"Hu," Tigress simply stated. She marched over to him. "What do you want?"
"I was just wondering what the mighty Dragon Warrior was trying to say about me," Hu grimly crossed his arms. "If you have something to say, say it to my face, panda."
"That's enough," Tigress remarked. "Stop blaming him for what you did."
The male tiger looked at her and scoffed away.
Heavy wind exited Tigress's lungs, and she couldn't bear looking at the panda. "Po," She said slowly. "Why do I keep going after someone I know isn't good for me?"
Po made a short little laugh. "I actually know this one. It's because you're hoping you're wrong about them and that causes you to ignore the bad things they do and amp up the good things they do. So you end up losing the fight with yourself because you're hoping you're wrong."
Tigress widened her eyes at him, dropping her jaw a tad. "Y-Yes. How did you..." Po shrugged. "How do you stop?"
"Well, I kinda just stopped hoping. Actually, maybe that's a bad way of saying it," Po grimaced, rubbing the back of his head. "It's more like, you're giving them a merciful justice."
"A merciful justice?"
"Yeah, you realize that you can't help them or change them so you cut off yourself from them. You basically stop hoping in their better self and start realizing what's in front of you. And if they change because of it, good, but you don't have to be a part of that change. You've got your own life to live."
Tigress blinked as she frowned. "How do know you so much?"
Po sighed with a sad smile and shrugged. He didn't answer the question. He didn't need to. Tigress took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you, Po. I think I know what I need to do."
"What's that?" Po asked.
"Face my fear." Tigress strode out of the Training Hall without another word.
The next day, Po woke up to angry yelling right outside the barracks. "FINE! BE THAT WAY! GOOD LUCK FINDING SOMEONE ELSE!"
"Don't think you're that valuable, Hu," Tigress lowly growled. "You and I know that by your actions as of late, you're not really worth much." Po ran out and catch a glimpse of Hu's shocked and speechless face. "I hope you find a better relationship."
"And I hope you never find another tiger," Hu grumbled bitterly. "Good luck dying an old maid." Po silently watched the large tiger storm off with his bag of belongings. As he disappeared over the horizon, Po quietly walked up to Tigress.
"Hey."
"Hey," Tigress quietly replied.
"You two uh..."
"Yes, we broke up," Tigress sighed.
"What did he mean by that old maid thing?" Po asked. He was surprised that Hu would even say such a thing because it didn't make sense to say that to Master Tigress.
The female tiger took a deep long breath. "I... dated Hu because he was a tiger."
Po tilted his head. "I don't get it."
"I... tigers are rare around China and... I just wanted to know that my species was... safe... so-"
"You dated him so you wouldn't be the last tiger on earth?" Po immediately regretted his words. Tigress's ears drooped and her frown widened. "I mean, I didn't mean to say-"
"It's okay, Po. I know. I get it. It's just... I can't be with a man for such a crass reason. Especially if my happiness and self-dignity are at stake."
"Hmm," Po agreed. The beautiful pink petals from the peach tree above danced around in the wind, grazing against Tigress's orange fur. A petal caught itself on her hand. She stared at it, smiling a bit to herself. Her smile grew wider and wider as she turned to Po. "How do you feel?" He asked.
"Lighter. Not regretful," The tiger replied. Po smiled back. "And I'm done with the idea that I have to repopulate the earth."
"I'm sure there are other tigers, Ti," Po replied.
"I know. We're not a really social species, but I know there are other tigers," Tigress said, her smile getting wider. "But who knows... maybe I can still have my wish with other species. Besides, I... never really liked Hu anyway. I... had my eyes on someone else, but... I didn't want to make a mistake and... lose him."
Po narrowed his eyes and bit back the growl crawling up his throat. "Who was he?"
"Does it matter?"
Po stared straight into Tigress's amber eyes. His jaw was set, a little fiercer than he thought it was. And deep into his soul, the boiling rage that he held for Hu started churning for this other person. "To me," he said, "It is."
Tigress smiled. The next moment, Po's eyes widened, but his mind couldn't register the feeling. Shock, stillness, yet indescribable. All he could tell was that Tigress's lips were on his. His eyes closed and he kissed her back, for a moment or two. She pulled back, smiling wider. Wider than she had ever smiled before. Wider than he ever thought she could smile.
"I... I think the guy you had your eyes on... likes you back," Po timidly smiled. "But he was too afraid and too late."
"And now?"
Po beamed braver. "Now he's not afraid."
"But he is late."
"Hahah, sorry," Po chuckled. Tigress only smiled.
Autumn, winter, spring, and summer crossed the earth several times over. Fear and hope bundled up between the two and yet they couldn't tell time was ever moving. Another cycle came, another summer, and a tall muscular male tiger walked into the Valley of Peace. The bustling village didn't seem to really notice him and his plated armor or his tall stature. The male feline walked on, towards the foot of the Jade Palace mountain when two plucky kids jumped out of bushes, blocking the path.
"Excuse me sir, but we can't let you go," said a young panda boy. The tiger smiled warmly.
"Oh? And why's that?"
"We're the protectors of the Jade Palace while our mom and dad are visiting grandpa," the panda said. The tiger rose his eyebrow and spotted the equally young tiger girl.
"You have the same mother and father?" The traveling tiger asked.
"Of course," answered the girl. "They're the masters of the Jade Palace. My mom is-"
"SHhhhh! Mom said not to tell everyone."
"Oops."
"Hmm," the tall tiger hummed humorously. "Your brother's right. You shouldn't announce everything about yourselves to strangers. They might hurt you."
"By the way, who are you?" The panda boy asked. Before the tall tiger could speak, another voice called them.
"Ling! Chen! What have I told you about bothering... visitors." The person calling them stopped and looked at the traveling tiger. "Hu."
"Po," The tiger softly said. "It's... good to see you... and your kids."
Po crossed his arms and glared. "I wish I could say the same to you."
"You can't," Hu sighed. "And you have a right to not say it. I'm... sorry for the trouble I caused. I was hoping that Tigress was around... but if she doesn't want to-"
"What do you want, Hu?" Po interrupted. The large tiger breathed in all the air he could muster before releasing it out with a labored sigh.
"Forgiveness. I... I just came here to say... I'm sorry. To you and to her."
Po still glared at the tiger. A tug at his pants pulled him out of his glare. Ling, the tiger girl, looked at her father with her own deep green eyes.
"I think," Po continued, "That's her decision. I...I've forgiven you a long time ago."
"I'm still deciding." Everyone turned around, even Hu. Tigress, somehow, stood behind the large tiger with her arms crossed and her glare set. Ling and Chen knew that glare. They hid behind Po. Po really wished he could find somewhere to hide himself.
Hu bravely walked up to her and bowed low. "Master Tigress. I'm... I'm sorry for... every trouble I've caused you. I know I don't have the right to ask but I-" He stopped when a gentle hand pulled him up.
Tigress looked at him for a while but smiled. "It's me who should be asking you forgiveness."
"Why?" Hu asked.
"Yeah, why?" Po repeated.
Tigress's smile widened. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have learned my mistakes or seen the error in my thinking." She walked across to her kids, bending down and holding them. "I don't regret dating you, because I don't regret this."
Hu stared, silent and still. Then he slowly smiled. "I'm glad."
"I hope you found a better relationship. One that... reflects your views," Tigress sighed. Hu wasn't the biggest on changing how species dated. It was one of the reasons why Po began disliking him.
"Hu!" Shouted a voice behind. Speeding up came a female lamb, standing by Hu's side. "Honey, I told you not to leave my side, you big oaf." Po and Tigress dropped their jaws. Hu chuckled at their faces.
"Yeah, I did," Hu said, wrapping his arm around the lamb. "And... some of my views have changed."
Po blinked and then laughed. Hu laughed with him. Tigress could only look at the two former rivals and just smile.
The End
***************F*********
"Okay, what the heck?" Demi exclaimed. "How?"
"Uh... I don't know, I was bored. This is me just shooting in the dark."
"Huh. Nice."
