~~yes, I headcanon that Po/Lotus has PTSD. and yes, I did reference the soothsayer from kfp2. it just fits this chapter. leave me be. -_-~~

A female panda was running through the winter forest, everything but the snow was covered in red, and nothing but the angry howls of wolves on her tail filled her ears. She was told to run away. To fled. For the safety of the rest of her pandas, and... the little bundle curled up in her grasp. She dodged all the wolves attacks, breathing heavily as bits of blood decorated her dress.

She should've listened to her master's warning.
She shouldn't have dismissed it out of paranoia.
If she had just gave her master's vision a chance, she wouldn't be running for her life now.

Just when the wolves were about to close in on her, she whipped her body around, covering her baby's eyes, and raised her palm towards them. A golden light radiated from her paw pads, and in a split second, she used her chi to blast the wolves.

The impact and the golden hue was too strong, it was able to knock the wolves out into the snow. She sighed in relief, but she still wasn't safe, not until she knew her baby was too.

She dashed through the woods, only to come across a ditch, where a bunch of boxes filled with vegetables were ready to take off. It was a perfect hiding spot. She slid into the ditch and quickly put her baby boy in the box of radishes. His big green eyes that he inherit from his mother filled with tears as he cried, confused to the situation present and wondering why his mama was going to leave him in a basket. They were so happy, weren't they?

The mother tried to calm her baby boy down, "Shh, it's okay Lotus, it's okay..." She comforted. She latched on her boy's hands with a smile, before she started to sing to her baby to calm him down...

"Moonbeams and starlight...

Magical Twilight...

The warmest Ray...

Hear it whispering your name..."

The boy started to slowly cease his sobbing at the sound of the familiar lullaby. It always worked. Whenever the cub had trouble sleeping, his mother would sing him that lullaby, rocking him to sleep. He giggled in delight, showing the biggest smile on his face.

The mother now started feeling tears brim her eyes instead, knowing full well that this might be the last time she would be able to sing him this lullaby. She sniffed to try and stay strong for her boy, and continued singing with her angelic voice.

"Rainbows at midnight...

Sparkling night skies...

Don't go away...

Stay another day..."

The boy cooed happily and clapped his hands, asking his mother to sing to him again. The grown panda chuckled at her son's adorable antics, and leaned forward to kiss his little head for the last time.

"Ma..." Her eyes went wide at her son's mumble. She looked down at him in surprise. He just said his first word, and it was hers! She caressed Lotus' face in her paw, watching him lean into her touch. He giggled again and latched onto her arm. She felt her heart broke. She wanted to stay with him, she didn't want to leave her 3 month old baby behind! There was still so much she wanted to see him do! She just witnessed his first word, but what about his first sentence, his first step, his first day of school, his first crush, his first girlfriend, his first heartbreak, his first kid!? And her husband, Li Shan, what about him? How can they go on without each other!? She needed him here, as much as he needed her. He can't raise their son by himself!...

...No. No, she was not going to be selfish. She didn't care what happened to her, if she stayed, the demon in white will for sure find her. She can't rescue both of them. One has to go. And she promised herself the moment she held Lotus in her arms that she would do everything in her power to protect her son. No matter the price. Otherwise she wouldn't be Oogway's successor.

She finally let tears stream down her face as she placed her forehead against her son's, "I'm so sorry, my yin-yang flower..." Her voice broke at the sound of Lotus' confused blubber, "I love you with all I am... and I hope you know that no matter what happens, I'm always going to be with you. No matter how far I may be."

She slowly removed herself from her son's grasp, "I'm sorry Lotus..." She backed into the curb of the ditched and began to climb up, planning to steer that horrid peacock away from her baby. She felt her whole world crumble as she heard the sobs of her son start up again. This time she couldn't calm him down.

"Don't go away...

Stay another day..."

She replayed that line from her lullaby in her mind over and over. She finally got up the ditch and found people with lanterns coming her way. The wolves were back, and they brought their twisted leader.

She felt a twinge of anger and determination stir within her, "HEY! OVER HERE!" She made another run for it as her call made the wolf bandits move faster. This time she couldn't escape as she was sent down by an arrow. "AGH!" She groaned in pain and looked at her side. She took out the arrow that sunk within her, but didn't move fast enough as 2 wolves already pinned her arms down in the snow. She looked up at their leader and glared, feeling a growl rumble the back of her throat. "Shen."

The peacock cocked up an amused eyebrow, "My my my, such a brave soul," He mocked, "Running away to keep her kin safe. How sweet." He glanced around, "So tell me..." He struck out a sword and placed it against the pandas throat, making her gasp. "Where is it?"

Her dark expression never left, "Like I'd tell you..."

The sword sank deeper into her fur, slightly cutting it, and making blood pour onto the blade. "Tsk tsk tsk, brave but quite foolish... Surely you don't want that to be your downfall hmm?" He whispers in a unnervingly calm tone that sent shivers down the panda's spine. She felt her blood run cold, and not because it was winter.

Still, she clamped down on her fears and did not submit to the peacock, "Do whatever you want with me. But you'll never get your hands on him! He's gone now, and you'll never see him again!"

Shen shrugged, "As long as he's not in my way..." He pulled the sword from her neck and raised it over his head, ready to strike, "And now with one last thing to worry about..."

He flashed her a wicked grin that she was sure would forever haunt her, "Sleep well, panda!" And struck down.

The snow drank up the red ink that was generously given to them as a bloody-mary scream filled the air...

"AAAAAAAAHH!" Lotus shot up from the couch with a scream. He clutched the sides of his head as he shook rapidly, panting in fear. The flashes of blood and that terrifying smile from the peacock filled his mind.

He looked at his surroundings, only to find him back at his hut. His home. He adjusted to the darkness, still desperately trying to calm himself down and cursing himself for screaming. He usually had nightmares like that and would scream in his room, away from his father's ears, but since he was out in the open, with another guest no less, he had to be extra careful. He focused his eyes in the dark atmosphere, his robe sitting out on another chair, leaving his torso bare to the cold wind that blown outside.

Outside. He needed to get out. He quickly went to his front door and walked out to the night air, unaware that a specific tiger master was already awake since she heard his scream as she walked out of his room, seeing the panda exit.

Lotus forgot to close the door as he walked out on the bridge, heading towards the fields at the other end. He went to the lotus tree he was so familiar with, and sat down crossed legged, trying to meditate. He took deep shaky breaths, feeling his panic attack wash over him as he tried to clear his head. He looked up at the tree he was under, watching the delicate petals fall to the ground near him, needing the reassurance of his home. He frowned. This isn't his home. A home was where you felt safe, comforted, like you belong, like you matter, like you're loved. The panda village didn't make him feel that. He felt anger rise up within him. He barely got angry, but the day before had just been too much for him. "Why did you leave us, mom!?" He screamed to the portrait sitting as a memorial. But to him it was a sign of torture.

"My whole life, I had no idea who I was, who I was supposed to be, I grew up with a part of me damaged, gone, ripped to shreds, because YOU weren't there to fill it! You and dad lied to me! You were supposed to be a hero and save everyone, but you hurt EVERYONE! How could you just leave the villagers, a-and dad... they don't know what to do without you! But you didn't care! You just left them! YOU LEFT ME!" He shouted, feeling tears fall from his jade eyes. He could feel the petals on the tree over him began to fall rapidly from the sound of his rant, but he paid no mind to them. All those years he kept those emotions bottled up, and now... he just couldn't take it. He had to let them out. Then his eyes went wide.

"You left me... to protect me... to protect our village..." He shut his eyes tight as his hands shook against his lap. "I don't know what to do now, mom... I... I need you.. dad needs you, we all need you. I wish you never gave me up... if it weren't for me you'd still be here..." He felt a lump in his throat grow as tears poured from his eyes, "Th-this... this is my fault, isn't...?"

He didn't wait for an answer, as he finally broke down in a puddle of emotions. He covered his face in his paws, his body rapidly shaking. "I need you here mom... please.." He whispers. He doesn't just need his mom. He needs someone to listen to him. To comfort him, to tell him everything was going to be okay, and that he isn't alone. But who was he kidding, it's not like he can talk to his father, he wouldn't understand. No one could possibly understand what he's—

"Lotus?" He jumped at the voice who called him. He didn't need to guess who it was. Okay so maybe the gods have could have said otherwise...
He quickly wiped his tears and put on his best fake smile and turned to the tigress just a little ways from the tree, "Hey, what are you doing up?"

Tigress was able to read through Lotus' act though, and came towards him with only her chest bindings and track pants. "I could ask you the same thing.." To be honest, she couldn't, she already knew why he was out here.

Lotus found himself captivated by the feline's figure. Her bare front shining against the light of the moon must have struck him in a trance. She had muscles poking out from her fur making her the very definition of beauty and power as she unconsciously strut in his direction. All that matched with the scars and wounds decorating her fur told him a story of all the battles she went through in her youth. Her ember eyes glowing amongst the darkness, it's sunset hue contrast to the coolness of the moon's light as it stared back into his jade. He didn't know how she did it, but he felt instant peace looking into those enchanting eyes of hers.

He snapped away from his trance when she came beside the panda and sat right beside him in the same meditation position. She tilted her head at Po, trying to get a good look at him while he turned his head away. "I... I'm sorry, if I woke you up... I didn't mean to, I just..." He sighed and looked down, ashamed.

Tigress shook her head, "It's alright... I was actually already awake since I've heard you scream. I went to the door and saw you leave the house, then you came out here so..." She shrugged, "I thought I would finally see what was wrong.."

Lotus noticed the sudden closeness between the 2 and the lack of clothing on them, and cleared his throat uncomfortably, "It's uh... it's nothing, just me being childish..." He wiped the last of his tears away. Master Tigress wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"I heard you, Lotus... it didn't seem childish to me..." She placed a comforting paw on his uncovered shoulder, a sign to show he could trust her, "Lotus please... I know you're hiding something from me.. so tell me what it is."

He looked into those ember eyes of hers. He felt it again. That instant peace, as if her eyes were able to blur the world away and look into his soul. There was a story behind them, a story of justice and glory, put also pain and suffering. Her whole life was shown on her body, from her hard paws, to her intense stares, and the battle wounds taking over her figure. He knew he could trust her, he knew he could understand her as she understood him. Besides, he was probably the first person Tigress has ever told her life story to, and that must've took a lot of strength in her. So the very least Lotus could do is tell her about... that night. He finally sighed and looked back to the portrait.

"I remember... we were all in a different village. It was around winter and everything was sunny and beautiful... it was perfect..." He somewhat smiled to himself, but then flashes of that night flashed through his mind, clear and vivid, "But then... next thing I knew, there was nothing but fire... fire and blood..." Tigress' eyes widen in fear. "We were being attacked by these... wolves... and their leader was a peacock... my dad told my mom to take me and run away.. we were deep into the woods until my mom found these boxes filled with vegetables and... she put me inside one to hide me. I was so confused, I didn't understand why she would want to leave me... but now.." He took the portrait in his grasp, "Now I get it... it was her job, as the only defender of our village... she just wanted to protect all of us.. to protect me." He trailed off looking deep into the picture of the woman who created him. "The last thing I remember was her singing to me before going off to let the peacock slaughter her.. I saw her die in front of me, Master Tigress... and I didn't do anything to stop it."

Tigress' ears flattened against her head. The poor panda had lost so much, at so little, and he believed it was his fault. She shifted closer to him, "What happened back then was something out of your control, Lotus, you were just a child. What happened to your mother was a decision made out of her own sheer will, as a promise to save you all."

"But why did it have to be her?!" Lotus exclaimed, tears brimming her eyes again, he blinked them away, "It should have been me! It would've been better for me to perish than for my dad to suffer because of me! It would've been better than living this life."

"Don't ever say something like that, you hear me!" Lotus was taken back from Tigress' hardcore tone. "What was in the past, was in the past! It already happened, and there's nothing you can do about it, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything now. Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that shouldn't mean anything. It should strengthen you to choose who you want to be now. No matter what happens, your life is valued, Lotus. Just because you've lost a part of yourself, doesn't mean you're actually lost. You just need to find yourself again."

The panda was shocked, he did not expect that from a hardcore master. But now that he's heard it, it all made sense to him now, and he felt a little... better.

"Lotus, I hope you know that you aren't alone, you have your dad, the pandas, and now me, all here for you. Stop looking at all the damage that's been left behind," She wipes a tear that managed to escape his eyes, "And start looking at the blessings you have in front of you." She smiles as she looks deep into his jade eyes, knowing full well he was listening. She then immediately punches the panda in the arm, making him crouch forward in pain, "YOW!" He glared at her, "What did you do that for?!"

"That's how I show affection," She smirked at his childish pout. Lotus rolled his eyes and looked down at the picture in his grasp. Then an idea hit him, he looked up as if a candle lit up in his head. Tigress looked at him weirdly, "Okay, what's with that look?" She asks cautiously.

Lotus slowly turns his head towards her, "You said that my past strengthens who I want to be, right? That I need to find myself?" Tigress hesitatingly nods, "What are you planning, panda?" She cocks up a suspicious brow.

Lotus eagerly puts down the painting and looks at Tigress with a determined sparkle in his eyes, "Do you think you can teach me kung fu?"

All that managed to come out of the feline's mouth was confused blubber, "W-what!? Lotus, kung fu isn't something I can just teach you in a few amount of days! It takes years of strict training and discipline a-and—I don't think your father would approve—"

"You said yourself that I get to choose what I wanted to be, didn't you?" Lotus interrupted with a good point, but Tigress didn't wanna budge. When Tigress is stubborn, well, good luck trying to change her mind on any matter. "I-I didn't mean it like—"

"And you also said I had to learn chi, right?"

Tigress growled, looks like she wasn't the only one who was stubborn, "Yes, but not even I know how to—"

"Look, mom was the last of our kind to learn chi, she was the successor to Oogway! I want to defend and help people, just like he did, just like my mom did, just like you've done. I've always wanted to learn kung fu, I know about every move, every battle, every weapon, and every master that's out there! I don't care how long, or how hard I need to train, as long as I know how to defend my people just like my mom did, it'll be worth it!" Though she did admire Lotus' determination, a small part of her didn't want to risk Lotus getting hurt. "Please." She looked into his trusting eyes again. She felt a sense of purity, loyalty, and strength, the heart of a true warrior. Then she remembered what Master Oogway told her...

"Chi is all surrounded by the balance of one's body, mind, and spirit... you are teaching them something that's always been inside of them but was long forgotten, soon they will do the same to you..."

Dammit, how could she say no to Lotus and Oogway now? She finally sighed in defeat, "Fine... we start at the earliest tomorrow."

Lotus pumped his fists in the air in victory, "YES! WHOO HOO! FINALLY!" He celebrates to himself in excitement. Tigress groaned and placed her head in her palm, before hearing laughter and feeling warm, strong arms wrap around her torso. It was a strange experience that was unheard of for her, but it felt... nice. Wait, why did it feel nice!?

"Uh... what are you doing?"

"This is how I show affection!" Lotus cheekily replies before burying his face in her bare shoulder. Tigress feels heat crawl onto her cheeks. A sudden intimate embrace she's just now experiencing, with a panda that's making her feel and act all wacky, in a vulnerable place for him, at night... alone... with barely any clothes? Yep, as... weirdly tempting as that sounds, something's telling a pit in her stomach that there was much more to this than what meets the eye. She clears her throat and looks off to the side, trying to hide her blush, "No, really, what are you doing? Why are you holding me like this?"

Lotus looks over at her in confusion, "Haven't you ever heard of a hug?"

Okay, now Tigress was confused, "Wait... 'hug'?"

Lotus releases from the tiger, making her silently whimper at the loss of the warm feeling, and shakes her shoulders in shock, "DO YOU SERIOUSLY NOT KNOW WHAT A HUG IS!?" Tigress grumbled, "Stop... shaking... me... panda." She says with each rock.

Lotus cups Tigress' face and pulls her close, making her feel something strange in her chest, like a rapid loud thump repeatedly pounding against her, "HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN HUGGED BEFORE!?"

Tigress decided to ignore the immediate closeness between them and shrugged her shoulders as her cheeks were squished against his big soft paws. Lotus gasps in exasperation before holding her tightly again, "That's it! From now on, while you teach me how to fight, imma teach you how to love!" An innocent joking phrase, that just managed put Tigress in a tight loop.

"I'm feeling so many emotions right now..." She mumbled, but couldn't stop a small smile creep on her face, as she unconsciously nuzzles into his fur. 'But I think... I'm okay with that.'

~~and that's another chapter folks! I may have went a little side-tracked there, with changing the mood of the scenery, but dammit my wholesome-craving heart could not take the sadness no longer. besides, the beginning of the chapter was angsty enough, don't ya think? needed to get y'all back in the mood. also, again, we love flustered Tigress. flustered Tigress is best Tigress, can I get an amen? *slurps tea*

and again... DAMN y'all are coming fast! we got 20 favs, 24 FOLLOWERS, and 30 REVIEWS! y'all wanna make me cry?! cus it's working! ;-; lemme just reply to some of y'all real quick!

Guest1, 4, Gabi(guest2) and Guest3: I'm glad you all like book! and to Guest3; ¡Gracias! Estoy muy contento de que te guste el libro, intentaré actualizar más jaja (lol surprised I can speak Spanish eh? :3)

Footrot Flats: oh don't worry, imma tease y'all with ALL the TiPo! Nyehehehe, I'm so evil! UwU

JupiterLantern and VeGiTiPo: like I said before, there's going to be a lot of teasing (nyehehe) also, about the pandas, I want them to have an interesting character arc too. another thing, I don't want to spoiler too much, but I'm making grandma panda the only panda who's like, chill, ya know? (I mean she was woke enough to assume Mr. Ping and Li Shan were MARRIED in PoD, we stan grandma panda!)

JustAnotherWriter140: I'm glad you like Mei Mei and Lotus/Po's relationship dynamic. a lot of people also seem to like Lotus/Po and Tigress' mannerisms around the orphans, I put that in there because I know how much they would adore kids, like their canon selves, since they still share a lot in common with the canon. I really like Mei Mei so I didn't want to dump on her like most authors used to and just make her that annoying classmate (as you said) or that annoying sister (to both Lotus/Po and Tigress honestly-) but I did still want Tigress to be a little bit jealous to add that spice! and also in canon, Mei Mei did seem like a potential love interest before the creators saved her arc (thank god too!)

anyways, as always, thank you guys so much for your kind reviews and taking the time to read my book, as a beginner writer, it means a lot to me! so thank you again! remember to live, laugh, love, have a great day/night, and until next time... Yarart out! XP~~