Chapter 12: The Breaking Point


"Hang on, buddy." Mantis whispered, cupping Mantis with his hands. He ran ahead, pushing through trees and shrubs. Further behind, Crane and Viper stumbled along. Crane wore a pair of nasty burns on both his wings to go along with a twisted leg that made running nearly impossible. He constantly leaned to Viper, relying on her for support. Their progress was naturally slower, but despite the lack of speed, Viper refused to leave Crane behind. Somewhere, even further behind, was Po and Tigress. Or so they hoped.

"Monkey!" Crane hollered. "Hold on a second!"

Monkey quickly came to a stop as he reached a clearing with a shallow creek running through. This allowed Viper and Crane to catch up, but Monkey turned to face them with a scowl across his lips. He watched as Viper helped Crane to a nearby rock. The bird collapsed and took what time he could to rest his bruised and battered body. Viper never left his side.

"We can't wait." Monkey was adamant. "Mantis needs help and Lu Fang and her birds could be on us any moment!"

"I know, but just give me a second." Crane huffed, gasping for air. "I met somebody here earlier. He said there were a few villages nearby." His heavy breathing continued. "I just have to get my bearings."

Monkey looked down at Mantis. He was unmoving, and if it weren't for a few breaths here and there, Monkey would've suspected the worst. "I'm going on ahead. I have to find help." Monkey spoke firmly and with little room for argument.

"You're not thinking straight." Viper spoke, but did so in a much softer voice than either Monkey or Crane had been. Monkey's eyes lit up like fire. Neither Crane nor Viper had ever seen him in such a state.

"Why?" He spat. "If I don't, Mantis will die."

It was Crane who spoke up to answer. "If we run blind into the forest, you could die. You could run into trouble or get lost. Our best bet is to wait for Po and Tigress. They'd know what to do." Crane said with a hint of envy. He looked around, hoping to catch some sense of direction, but the constant burning in his wings and the throbbing in his leg made it nearly impossible to think. Still, he tried his best to shrug off the pain. Some rescue, he thought. He looked down at his wing. He winced as they pain began to grow.

"How are you feeling?" Viper asked, looking over the wounds.

"I'd rather be sitting here with two bum wings and a twisted leg with you than trapped with that chi crazed lunatic." Crane managed a smile.

"Always the optimist." Viper smiled back.

"Crane!" Monkey blurted, feeling the soft breath of Mantis fade. "We don't have time. Just tell me what direction. I'll figure the rest out myself."

"Just give me a damn minute!" Crane let his emotions get the better of him. Everything was boiling to the surface. Even Viper was taken aback by the sudden outburst, but the words seemed to pour from Crane's lungs with little effort. "We all care about Mantis, but we're in no shape to do much. We're in a bad spot, Monkey. I get it!"

"If you knew then you would just give me a direction!"

"Guys…" Viper tried to intervene, but her voice was too soft to break through.

"If you run out there, you could be killed, or captured, or worse." Crane argued.

"It's better than sitting here, waiting for my friend to die in my hands!"

Suddenly, from out of the dense brush came Po and Tigress. Po, as usual, lagged behind the tiger. Her eyes were narrow. Her brow low. She sped ahead, barely taking in the scenery. She crossed the creek with a single leap and stopped in the shade of a tall tree. She stood silent for a long while. Po, knowing they had walked into an awkward and tense situation, politely shuffled silently beside Monkey. The forest grew eerily still, but Po felt the urge to break it. The need to speak with Tigress became unbearable. Po knew he had to say something. He bit his lip, took a deep breath, then opened his mouth.

In a flash, a tail full of scales wrapped around his mouth and pulled him back. Viper's motherly eyes seemed to stare into Po's soul. She shook her head quickly.

"What did I do?" Po mumbled with her tail still wrapped around his mouth. His mind began to wonder what was happening. The panda was utterly confused.

"Whatever you're about to say, don't."

"Can… can you read minds?"

"No, but I know you. Whatever you want to say, it isn't the time." She whispered.

"But I have to!" Po shook free of the tail.

"You're a kind soul, Po…"

"Thank you! See? That's why I-"

"…and she will rip you to shreds."

"…Come again?"

"Things are a bit tense for everybody. She isn't in a good place, and there are no words that will help with situation. Trust me, I've seen this before." Viper's eyes began to make Po feel uncomfortable. He shook his head, hoping to break free of the stare. "Po?" Viper continued. "Do you trust me?" Still, Po kept shaking his head. No eye contact was made. "Look at me."

Finally, Po stopped and looked Viper in the eyes. "Yeah?"

"Do you trust me?"

Po nodded and smiled. "I do."

Viper smiled back. "Good. Then you'll shut your trap."

Po's smile vanished quickly. Damn, the panda thought. Rough.

"Birds!" Tigress called out to the rest. "Hide."

Sure enough, there they came. Hovering like a blanket across the morning sky. Hundreds of them. The rising sun vanished behind the mass of hunters. What was once a quiet morning quickly turned to dark chaos. The silence of the land was shattered by the howls and hollers and screeches from the birds.

Monkey was quick to take Mantis and leap into one of the many surrounding trees. He found cover beneath the thick, green leaves. Viper slithered up to Crane. Together, they wormed their way beneath a large and exposed root. It was barely large enough for two, even with Viper being thin as she was.

Po remained frozen. Flashes of the fight that had occurred only a few hours ago ran through his mind. The pain he felt with each punch. The fire. The look in Lu Fang's eyes. A burning stare that reminded him of glass with nothing behind it. The defeat. It was all flooding back. The vultures were here to finish the job.

"Po! Hurry!" Tigress called out. After a long second, Po had not yet moved. In a flash, Tigress used what strength she had left and punched a tree. The bark split and the interior caved, but the tree remained standing. Shards of wood littered the grass. The tiger raced towards the panda, clawing him at the wrist and yanking him into the tree. She followed, squeezing her way in. Po finally came to his senses, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't understand how, out of all the ways to hide, this was the way she had chosen.

Tigress had overworked herself, but Po still thought it was awesome.

Po's awe quickly turned to fear as the echoes of the vultures grew close. Monkey wanted to cover his ears, but they were busy cupping Mantis. Viper tried to bury her head in the dirt to avoid the awful screams. When that proved impossible, it was Crane who softly wrapped his burnt wings around the snake. He held her close and gently.

Tigress and Po had no such luck. The space between the two was nonexistent. Neither could wiggle their arms from their sides to cover their ears. Eventually, just as fast as they had come, the horrid noise slowly vanished. Po, finally free of the awful sounds, smiled as he looked into the tiger's eyes. He opened his mouth, but with a quick kick from Tigress, Po was launched from the crack in the tree. He stumbled and fell along the bank of the creek as Tigress stepped out of the tree with grace. She didn't hesitate to turn her attention back west.

"Crane? How much of this island did you scout out?"

Crane shrugged. "Not a whole lot, but I met a local villager."

"So, there's a village around here somewhere?" Tigress said. Her eyes dilated as she looked down at the creek, then up at the sky. "We'll follow the creek. It'll hide our trail and hopefully lead us to the village."

"What if they're not friendly?" Viper asked the logical question.

"It's our only hope." Monkey said.

"Not our only one." Po said, fearing the vultures that had just passed them. "The vultures went that way. We should try to avoid them." Po looked around, hoping for support. He was met with silence.

"You have a better idea?" Viper asked.

"North." Po said with a confident smile. His words, however, were shaken and lacked the confidence his smile brought. "Yeah. North."

"What's north?" Tigress asked. Her eyes narrowed.

"A direction." Po quipped. Only Monkey laughed.

"Actually, I think that villager I met did say something about a village to the north. It wasn't his, but he brought it up."

"We follow the creek west. It's our best bet."

"Right into the hands… or wings… of those vultures." Po argued. "We go north and find the village up there. That's our best bet."

"He has a point." Viper said, joining the argument on Po's side."

"It might not be a bad idea." Crane backed Viper.

"Cool!" Po laughed. "Follow me, guys!"

Tigress pulled the panda aside and stared him down. He quickly turned red, but he stood firm. "What are you doing?" Tigress hissed. "This is ridiculous."

"I'm leading." Po said, forcing out a confident voice. One that he didn't know he had. He thought back to Commander Huan and the look that Tigress had given him. Leadership, Po thought. The quest for the next level had eluded him for so long, but he thought, in this brief time, could that be it? Could this elusive next level be leadership?

"You're leading?" Tigress snarled. "Really?"

"Or… not leading. Not yet." Po's confidence faltered for a moment, but it was quickly regained. "I'm offering solutions."

Tigress scoffed. "Seriously? Now? After what you just did?"

What I just did? Po thought. Po mimicked Tigress' scoff with much more exaggeration. "What did I just do?"

"You really have to ask that?"

Po nodded, confused. "Yeah. I do."

Tigress growled.

"If you think I'm going west, right into the talons of those vultures, then you're dead wrong. Think about it, Tigress. South is an endless ocean. East is Lu Fang. West is a sky full of vultures! North is the only logical solution."

"Po…?" Viper whispered. Her words flew nowhere with the wind.

"I've put up with a lot of things, Po, but I'm about at a breaking point."

"You're acting like I did something wrong. If I did something, please tell me!" Po threw up his hands, baffled at the sudden hostility. Po nearly begged for an answer, but the tiger just turned around. A soft, low growl seeped from her lips. Po remained persistent. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to lead us into a situation that won't get us killed." There was a long silence. "It's what Commander Huan would've done."

Tigress glanced back for a moment. Her paws curled into fists of iron. "Don't."

"We have to go north." Po approached Tigress and placed a gentle paw on her shoulder. The tiger sprang to life with a low kick, but Po leapt back to safety.

"West." Tigress commanded.

Po noticed a tear begin to leak from her eye. Again, Po approached. "Tigress?" He spoke softly. Tigress crouched low and readied another kick. Po leapt over it, but the tiger continued a quick assault with a couple forceful punches. Po stepped back and blocked whatever she could throw. "Talk to me."

"You really think going north is safer?" Tigress continued her assault, stopping for a brief moment. Po, yet again, reached his paw out. The tiger jumped on the opportunity, pulling him down and hurling the panda to the dirt. Po was ready and pulled himself free. As soon as he separated, Tigress threw a few more punches. "You nearly got us all killed because you turned red at the sight of another panda!"

"What?!" Po bobbed beneath Tigress' sweeping punch.

"Maybe we should lower our voice?" Viper suggested. She was ignored.

"I know you're upset." Po said softly. "I've been there, too."

"I can accept a lot of things, Po!" She snarled. "I accepted you as the Dragon Warrior because I wasn't worthy. You're faster. Stronger. A teacher. Inner peace. Mastery of chi. Now you think you can lead?!" Tigress turned, swept her foot to the ground, and launched a single punch that Po could not see. He caught it square to the gut. Instead of rebounding as it would usually, Po winced with pain. His feet dug into the dirt as a violet beam flashed through the trees. Tigress' eyes were dilated and wet with tears. "You want to take that away from me, too?"

"I don't want anything. I just want to help."

Tigress approached the panda to begin her vent. "A leader takes action." She hissed.

Takes action, Po thought as he ducked beneath her kick.

"A leader decides the next move."

Decides next move. Po dodged her punch.

"A leader is the first to meet their opponent head on when everybody else is too scared!"

First to meet opponent, Po thought as he sidestepped her roundhouse. Suddenly, the thought of taking a punch from Tigress seemed like a death sentence. He had never seen nor felt anything like that before.

The tiger stopped and stood still for a moment. "Did you do any of that while I was rotting in a cell?" Her voice was soft and meek.

"I was…" Po froze at the thought of what he was actually doing. Good god, she's right. "I… I was thinking of a plan." Bingo! Po immediately felt his heart sink with such a lie.

"They tortured me, Po." Tigress was fighting had against the tears. "Physically and mentally. They wanted information I didn't know, so they tried to pull it from me. If I had known, I would've told that damn bird everything. I would've told him just to get him to stop."

"I…" Po tried to speak, but he was too stunned.

Tigress took a deep breath and wiped her tears. "This whole time I keep wondering to myself…" She took a deep breath. "At the end of this whole ordeal, what lesson will the Dragon Warrior learn? What new technique or insight will he find to rescue us? How will he save the people who've dedicated our entire lives to the art?"

Silently, she spun around and ran off, deeper into the forest. Neither west nor north. She just ran, not knowing where she would wind up. Po didn't know what to do. He was left in shock and alone, with a creeping feeling he had never felt before. Po was on the verge of tears. Never had he felt so small. Never had he seen her so upset. The kicker was... she was right.

Damn it all, Po thought. The next level? Now it sounded so stupid. A selfish quest for glory. He was a teacher, but it became clear right then that he was still very much a student as well, and he had lots to learn. He was a teacher, yet he had failed to teach them as he was taught.

"Told you." Viper said, breaking the firm silence.

Po turned to the others. "West?" He spoke softly.

Everybody nodded in agreement.

Po was silent as they went the way Tigress had suggested. They followed the creek, leaving no trail behind. Po helped Viper with Crane, knowing the poor bird wouldn't get better until they found a safe place to rest. It was a given they weren't going to rest while they traveled in the open like sitting ducks. Po spun to Monkey.

"How's Mantis?"

Monkey shrugged and looked into his cupped hands. "Hey, buddy? Tap my palm sixty-three times if you're fine. Sixty-four if you feel like you're dying."

Monkey winced and leapt into the air.

"What happened?" Viper asked.

Mantis had bit him, but Monkey wasn't proud enough to admit it, so he didn't. He simply smiled and nodded. "He's alive."

Po and the rest continued to follow the creek until they came to a ledge with a waterfall that led to a large pond. Beside the pond was a village. At least a couple dozen houses. They were small, made on weak foundations with most of the wood being rotten. Po figured Lu Fang had given little aid to the villagers, as it looked as if they lived in poverty.

Of course Tigress was right, Po thought. Maybe I should have Viper help with the apology.

They traversed down the waterfall and entered the village. Everything seemed normal at first glance. The only thing obvious was that each and every villager was a bird. Some big and some small, walking and flying all over the area. Crane was left in awe. Despite being a bird himself, he had never seen an entire village purely of birds. As they walked around, they came to realize some of the buildings were built into the trees. Some were small and were able to hang on a single branch. Others were large and were built around the entire tree.

"This is so cool!" Crane said.

He came to a swift and sudden halt. There, standing at the edge of the clear pond, was the mysterious bird he had met not too long ago. The nameless bird's eyes were wide, but Crane couldn't pinpoint why. Fear? Anger?

The bird swiftly flew over to him and landed on Crane's beak. "Hi!" The bird smiled. "Mind telling me why you're here?" Po, Viper, and Monkey stopped to watch the conversation.

Crane froze. "I did as you suggested." Crane swallowed the knot in his throat. "I rescued my friends, and I ran."

"Great!" The sarcasm was obvious. "When I said run, I meant literally anywhere else but here. So, once again, why are you here?"

"We need help." Monkey joined, prying his hands open to reveal the dying bug.

"What's wrong?" The bird said with a hefty sigh. He had hoped to quickly turn them away. Now, he found it much harder.

"He's been poisoned by Digitalis. Do you have a doctor around?"

"Follow me." The bird groaned.

The bird led them to a large building that sat high in a tree. Though the house itself was impressive, the doorway was rather small. The bird struggled to push the giant panda through the front door.

"Crane?" The bird called out, breathing heavily from the struggle. "Sit there." He pointed his wing to a small cot. Crane did as he was told with the help of Viper. "Once I'm done helping the bug, I'll see what I can do for your wings."

"Don't you have a doctor around here?"

"We used to." The bird said. "He went to a dark place and never really returned. I hear he's over at Lu Fang's palace now. Hopefully you didn't have to run into him." The room went silent. He immediately picked up on their predicament and nodded to himself. "I'll be back with a few things. It's not a cure, but it's the next best thing. If this doesn't help the bug, then I'm sorry."

He flew into a neighboring room. Almost immediately, there came sounds of doors opening and closing, and dozens of glass jars rattling. A few curse words were mixed in, but nobody had the heart to ask why. They could only hear him grumble.

"I'm so dead." The bird's voice echoed further than he had hoped, but he didn't seem to notice. "Chek, you're so screwed. If she finds out you helped them, you're dead." He returned shortly with a cup of broth. Monkey could immediately tell what herbs were mixed in. Gallium and Yarrow, though the soup used to mix the two was something he was unfamiliar with.

"Thank you for doing this." Viper said as the little bird pulled the cup to Mantis' mouth. "Your name's Chek, right?"

Chek nodded. "You guys must've met her." He said, referring to Lu Fang. The room grew cold. A silence filled the air, breaking only when Mantis slurped the broth out of the bowl.

"She scares me." Po admitted.

"She should." Chek said. "She's something else."

Po watched as Monkey leaned close to Crane. Through the silence and the slurping of Mantis, Po heard what Monkey had to whisper. "I'm sorry."

Crane shook his head. "No." He spoke a little louder, but it was still hard to hear. "I'm sorry."

Po smiled as the room began to lighten. Monkey smiled like his usual self. Crane and Viper began various conversations with Chek, each of them was just as lighthearted as the last. They spoke of the future and hope. Po, however, found himself lost in thought. He turned to stare out the window.

Tigress was out there. Alone. Only Chek seemed to notice the panda's endless stare.

"You okay, panda?"

"No." Po said softly. "I'll be right back. I have to make something right." Po squeezed back through the door without another peep and ran off into the forest to search for the tiger.

"What was that about?" Chek asked, hoping someone would satisfy his curiosity.

"His crush." Mantis said, having down the last of the broth. He still felt ill, but with the herbs and broth down his gullet, he was warm, and throat was no longer dry. He felt alive. He looked alive. He was alive.

Monkey leapt with joy. "Buddy!" Monkey raced over to the bug.

"Crush, huh?" Chek rubbed his beak and looked at Crane and Viper. They sat side by side, but their eyes wandered, never making eye contact.

"Yup." Mantis said, taking another sip from the broth. "Lots of drama going around." He finished the soup with a mighty gulp.

Po ran through the forest with one thing on his mind. Tigress. Tigress. Tigress. The single name bounced around his head like an echo chamber. At points during his dash, Po was so lost in his own head he would slip, stumble, crash, and on one occasion, hit a tree head on. The tree won, so with a bruised nose, he continued.

He pushed through the trees and the shrubs and the cobwebs. Night was beginning to fall, and it was falling fast. He heard the cries of the vultures off in the distance. He stopped for a moment and tried to trace their direction and distance. His fur began to stick on end as a bolt of fear ran up his spine. No, he thought, shaking off the feeling. He continued; fear be damned.

He found Tigress on the bank of the same creek they had followed. His jade eyes pierced through the darkness, but Tigress remained unaware of his presence, or so it seemed. Her eyes of amber flashed like two candle lights as she spun and threw her fist into the tall oak. She repeated the move time and time again, then let out a roar and dropped to the grass.

Po took this time to emerge from the trees. Tigress was quick to spot him. She stood up, faced the panda, and began to close the distance.

Po was ready for whatever was to come. He had spent the majority of his run preparing himself. A punch? He would take it square in the jaw. A kick? Bring it on. He knew it wouldn't be pretty, and as soon as her anger was released, Po would take what time he was given and speak his mind. A dictionary of words sat ready on the tip of his tongue.

She quickened her pace.

Po braced himself.

He raised his chin, allowing the tiger a clear shot at his jaw if she'd like. He deserved all she could give. Po winced as she neared.

Po wasn't ready for her arms to open. Her paws wrapped around the panda, and she pulled him close, nuzzling her head over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

All those words Po had prepared. A speech for the ages. Lost. Everything. His mind drew nothing but blanks. One after the other. An empty white space of nothingness.

"Er…" Po was grasping for something. He hoped his mind would recover, but then he realized it didn't have to. At this moment, nothing needed to be said. All Po could do was wrap his arms around Tigress and pull her into his soft, fluffy embrace.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered again.

Po finally found the words he was looking for. They flooded back to his mind, perhaps a bit too fast for his liking. "I just want you to know that you were wrong."

"Wrong?" Her voice was sour. She looked up at Po. A soft twitch in her eye made Po realize he was starting the race with a broken foot.

"I meant about some of the stuff you said earlier." Po was quick to course correct. "Yeah, I want to be a leader, but only because of you. I want to help and grow, but I would never, ever dream of taking anything from you, and I'm sorry if anything I did or said made you think otherwise."

"I just want to save China. I've been beaten, bruised, and tortured. I want to know it was all for something."

"You know, Shifu explained something to me back at the Jade Palace." He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Life is like a set of dominoes." He fumbled through his tattered pockets but came up empty handed. He had lost the set of dominoes gifted to him by Shifu. Guess I'll have to improvise, Po thought. He got down on his hands and knees and began collecting a paw full of small rocks, then stacked them end over end as he would a regular domino. Tigress watched with confusion and amusement. "Okay… imagine these rocks are dominoes." Once they were all set, he tipped them over and watched them tumble. One after the other. "Everything happens when it's meant to. Oogway trained Shifu, then Shifu trained us. Maybe the next step is for us to teach each other. Maybe I can help you with something Shifu and Oogway couldn't. Maybe, then…" It all clicked for Po. Shifu's teachings surfaced and everything came together. He wasn't meant to find his next level. He was supposed to help Tigress find hers.

Tigress stood there and thought about Po's words. Something about the nonsense that spilled from his mouth did seem right. Plus, she had no reason to doubt Shifu, Oogway, or Po. "You've proven yourself a great teacher, and I have no doubt that you would make a wonderful leader. If there is anything I can learn from you, I will."

"I know you don't have a lot of faith in me right now, but I trust Oogway and I trust Shifu. They both saw something in you. Maybe all it takes to help you dig through and find it is… a big, fluffy panda?"

Tigress almost laughed. "That's a better analogy, Po." Once again, Tigress threw her arms around the panda. This time, Po wasn't caught off guard and reciprocated the hug. Po ran his paw along the tiger's back. He felt the tears, lashes, and slashes that covered her fur. She was quick to pull back. "I'm sorry for my behavior." She spoke firm, as a student would to a master. "It was unacceptable of me to lash out."

Po nearly ignored her last apology and instead focused on her wounds. "You're not feeling well, are you?" Po asked.

"I'm fine." Tigress said.

Po wasn't buying it. "Stop being hardcore for a second, please? I want to help you. I know I can."

"How?"

Po guided Tigress down towards the creek's edge. "Remember at the Jade Palace when I used chi to heal you? I want to try that again." He sat Tigress down and she crossed her legs. Po sat across from her. "Hold out your hand."

Tigress did as Po suggested. Just like before, Po closed his eyes and wrapped his paws around hers. He took numerous deep breaths. Each one slower and calmer than the last. Tigress mimicked him but found it hard to close her eyes as Po had done. Instead, she studied the panda, watching his movements. Every breath. Every twitch of the ear. Every movement of his fingers. Everything.

"Inner peace." He whispered.

Tigress couldn't help but watch in awe as the light show began. Swirls of yellow beams danced across the sky. His paw was glowing as bright as gold and warm to the touch. His eyes lit up like treasure beneath his lids. Tigress smiled, but noticed immediately when the panda's breathing became heavy.

Po winced.

There was a flash of red. Po curled his lips as his head thrashed about. His mind was swept back to the fires of Lu Fang's palace. The horrific sounds returned. The roaring fire. The vulture's haunting screams. Voices echoed in his ears. Lu Fang and Tai Tzu whispered to one another. Though Po couldn't understand what was said, a surging headache quickly kicked in. He took a deep breath, then another. His pace quickened. His slow, deep breaths became frantic.

The beautiful yellow orbs that swirled around them turned blood red. The creek turned black as pitch.

"Po?" Tigress asked as she tried to pull her paw away. His grip had become more like an iron cage. His paw, once warm, switched between fire hot and ice cold. "What's wrong?"

Po's eyes opened. He flung himself to the ground. His breathing slowly began to steady, but his eyes couldn't find focus. His pupils were dilated as he looked up at Tigress, though he seemed to look beyond. For Po, it was the first friendly face he had seen in what seemed like hours.

"What was that?" Tigress raced to his side.

Po found words impossible as the harsh truth kicked in. Lu Fang had won. She beat him like nobody had ever done before. Not Tai Lung. Not Shen. Not even Kai the Collector.

"I'm scared." Po managed to whisper. "Lu Fang is after us, Tigress. She isn't going to stop. She's relentless, and I'm not sure if I can beat her." Po found his feet. "I know I have to fight her, but I don't know how."

"Don't overthink this." Tigress commanded, placing a gentle paw on Po's shoulder. "You're the Dragon Warrior."

Po nodded. "And she just threw my ass around her palace like I was nothing." Po stopped and took a deep breath, hoping his heart would settle. "When I tried to use chi just now, something was off."

"I saw." Tigress said, hoping not to point out the obvious. "You might be in a bad place right now, and that's fine. We just have to take this one step at a time. You need to stop. Think. Collect your thoughts."

Tigress watched as Po once again began to pace around the grass. He spun circles, walked backwards, and began to grumble to himself. She had never seen him in such a state. The fear never left his eyes as he spoke. "If I can't stop her, who can? This is bad. Bad. Oh, so bad. We're boned."

Tigress pulled Po by the arm and stood firm before him. Her eyes shot into his soul. She spoke with a fire that forced Po's veins to run cold and his muscles to freeze. "We can sit here and worry all night, but what good does that do us?"

"Is that a trick question?"

Tigress groaned. "We'll get through this."

"How?" Po asked.

"Together."

Po almost melted. His breathing began to steady. He took a deep breath and smiled. Awesome.


A/N: Howdy! The crew went through a little bit of a rough patch, but things are looking up! I used a bit of my own pet peeves with Kung Fu Panda during Tigress' rant, but that was about as angsty as I'm willing to go for this story. I kind of found a groove and just went with it. Hopefully it wasn't too overdramatic or melodramatic. It was meant to be their 'rock bottom' or 'dark night of the soul' moment. Emotionally, at least. They are still in a bad spot, and I love it.

A bit longer of a wait between two chapters, but a little break is just what I needed. I've gotten myself mixed up in a few fanfiction stories and a few of my original works. Lots of writing to be done, but I love it. Storytelling is just too much fun, and with fanfiction, it allows me to experiment with different plotting structures, or just say screw structure all together.

So, thank you for reading! Hope you're enjoying this story! We're about at the final stretch. Still a few loose ends to tie up.