Po knew he couldn't keep going: he just simply couldn't.

The battle in the ruins had taken its toll, and now he had to run? That was, like, his least favorite activity (barring a certain acupuncture experience).

Stupid panda asthma.

Po's lungs burned with every breath, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead. As much as he wanted to keep running, he just couldn't. He stumbled, catching himself on a nearby mass of boulders, and glanced back at his friends. Crane's wings were drooping, and even Tigress, as strong as she was, had a determined but weary look in her eyes.

Po huffed and puffed, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he leaned heavily against the boulders. His chest felt tight, every breath like trying to suck air through a straw. The Blade of Yarlung weighed on him, not just in his grasp but in his mind. He glanced at the sword wrapped in cloth and knew it wasn't just a weapon—it was the reason the Order was after them. They wouldn't stop. And now, neither could he.

Crane and Tigress caught up, both visibly worn from the chase. Crane's wings twitched, his eyes scanning the distance behind them. "They're catching up," he said, his voice laced with worry. "We need to move, Po."

"I know… I know!" Po wheezed, clutching the blade tighter. His legs trembled from the weight of exhaustion, but he tried to force himself to stand straight. The pounding of feet from behind grew louder—the Order was closing in fast, and the ridge offered no more cover. They were exposed.

Tigress narrowed her eyes, her gaze flicking between Po and the ridge behind them. Her fur bristled as the first of the Order reached the bottom. They were going to have to fight.

Damn it.

She planted a hand on Po's shoulder, her grip firm but not harsh. "We'll make our stand here. Be ready."

Po's chest heaved as he straightened up, his gaze darting between Tigress, Crane, and the rapidly approaching members of the Order. His heart pounded not just from the exhaustion but from the tension that filled the air. They all knew what was coming.

Crane swallowed hard, his wings twitching in anticipation, while Tigress positioned herself in front of Po, her muscles coiled like a spring, ready to explode into action at the first sign of attack. She glanced over her shoulder at Po, her expression resolute. "Stay close. Whatever happens, don't let them get the blade."

Po nodded weakly, gripping the wrapped Blade of Yarlung tighter. His palms were slick with sweat, and the sword felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, but he understood. If the Order got their hands on the blade, it wouldn't just be a loss for them—it would be catastrophic.

As the rumbling footsteps grew louder, the figures of the Order came into view, racing across the plateau on all fours. They moved with precision, their eyes cold and focused, their movements synchronized, as if they had done this hundreds of times before.

The trio braced themselves as the Order closed the gap, sliding to a stop a few yards away, chests heaving as they caught their breath. For a moment, the only sounds were of heavy breathing and the wind moving across the plateau, the tension thick in the cold air.

The largest snow leopard stepped forward, unslinging his greataxe from across his back.

"Let me make this easy for you."

The hefty blade crashed into the ground, making a slight crack in the earth beneath.

"Hand over the blade… and we'll let you walk away."

For a moment, silence stretched between the two groups, thick and oppressive. Po, Tigress, and Crane stood side by side, their expressions grim and determined, facing down the Order of the Jeweled Lotus. The snow leopard's threat hung in the air like a storm cloud ready to burst, his greataxe embedded in the earth, radiating an unspoken promise of violence.

Tigress took a deep breath, her muscles tense, her claws flexing in anticipation. She didn't need to look at Po or Crane to know what they were thinking. They were exhausted, outnumbered, and had just come out of a grueling fight in the ruins—but there was no way they were handing over the Blade of Yarlung. Not after everything they had gone through to get it.

"Last chance," the leopard growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that seemed to echo across the plateau. His sharp teeth gleamed as his cold gaze locked onto Tigress. "Hand over the blade, or we'll take it by force."

Tigress didn't flinch. Her golden eyes hardened, and without breaking eye contact, she slowly, deliberately, lowered herself into a fighting stance. Her body coiled like a spring, her tail flicking in quiet defiance. Po and Crane followed suit, Po adjusting his grip on the Blade of Yarlung and Crane raising his wings in a defensive posture.

"Not happening," Tigress said coldly, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

The silence following Tigress's defiance felt like the calm before a thunderstorm. Then, as if on cue, the tension shattered. The big leopard's icy snarl was the only warning before he lunged forward, his greataxe slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Tigress was ready. She spun to the side, narrowly dodging the heavy blade as it crashed into the ground where she had been standing, sending shards of rock flying.

The battle erupted around them.

Crane launched himself into the air as a rope dart when whizzing past his head, dodging around a thrown metal fan blade that circled back around to its wielder. It was the same dance they did in the ruins, but this time he had an additional opponent. Though the odds weren't in his favor, he wasn't restricted as he had been before; he was under the open sky.

And this was his turf.

He rolled under another rope dart strike and fell into a dive, quickly picking up speed. The leopard with the rope dart barely had time to react before Crane caught him in the chest, lifting him into the air and throwing him into the leopardess with the sabers who was trying to close in on Tigress.

But she didn't have time to thank him, as the brute with the greataxe had closed in on her again, cleaving the ground where she had been standing just a second before. Tigress backflipped, evading the attack, and as her paws hit the ground, she immediately went on the offensive, darting forward with lightning speed. She knew she had to stay close to avoid the full force of that monstrous weapon. Her fists were a blur as she delivered a flurry of strikes, each one aimed at finding a weakness in her opponent's defenses. But the leopard was relentless, meeting her every blow with the brute strength of a mountain. Her movements were sharp, but the exhaustion from the earlier battle in the ruins was beginning to take its toll. Her breathing grew heavier, and she could feel the burn in her muscles, but she refused to slow down.

Back by the boulders, Po was having his own set of problems, as the remaining two snow leopards rushed at him in an attempt to get the blade back. But instead of fighting, Po began running around the boulders, prompting the leopards to chase after him. This went on for about a minute before he slipped, giving them the opportunity to finally corner him, boxing him against the towering side of one of the boulders.

One of the leopards grinned, showing his sharp fangs as his throwing knives glinted in his paws. "Nowhere left to run, panda."

"Who said I was running?" Po said, puffing out his chest with as much bravado as he could muster. He planted his feet firmly on the ground, doing his best to steady his nerves.

The leopard growled at him before lunging, forcing Po into a desperate maneuver. He jumped as high as he could, planting his feet against the boulder and launching himself over the pair of leopards. He hit the ground rolling, popping back up with his back to them. He whirled around as they rushed to meet him, preparing for another confrontation.

Po barely had time to catch his breath before the two snow leopards rushed him again. His muscles tensed, and he readied himself for the inevitable clash, tightening his grip on the Blade of Yarlung. But before the fight could begin, one of them skidded to a halt, pausing to look back at the battle behind them, adjusting his grip on his throwing knives.

The chaos was unfolding like a storm. Tigress was still locked in combat with the massive leopard and his brutal second in command, her strikes fast but beginning to falter under the weight of exhaustion. Crane was darting through the air, dodging projectiles and striking from above, but even he was struggling to keep up with the relentless assault.

The leopard's lips curled into a sinister grin as an idea formed in his mind. "If you won't give it to us to save yourself..." he growled, his voice low and dangerous, "...maybe you'll give it to us to save her."

Before Po could react, the leopard turned and bolted back toward the main fight, his long legs carrying him swiftly across the plateau. Po's eyes widened in horror as he finally understood his intentions.

"No!"

He sprinted after him, but the leopard was too fast. Crane saw what was happening and fell into a dive, hoping to reach Tigress before the leopard did, but even with the height advantage he was too slow. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he hurled the knife with deadly accuracy. Po's heart plummeted as he saw it streak through the air, heading straight for Tigress, who was too focused on her battle to see it coming. The leopard slowly exhaled, a tiny, sinister grin forming on his face.

Gotcha.

Tigress was in the middle of dodging another heavy swing from the greataxe when the knife struck. She roared in pain as it buried itself deep into her thigh, her movements faltering as the sudden agony shot through her body. Her leg buckled beneath her, and she dropped to one knee, her breathing ragged as she tried to steady herself.

The brute wasted no time in taking advantage of her momentary weakness, bludgeoning her with the flat side of his greataxe and sending her flying as the other leopards closed in.

"Enough!"

Po skidded to a halt, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched on in horror. Tigress was sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, her leg bleeding from where the knife had struck her. She barely had time to recover before the leopard with the throwing knives closed in, another blade gleaming in his paw. With a swift motion, he grabbed her by the throat and pressed the cold edge of the knife to her neck, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction.

At the same time, the leopardess with the twin sabers leveled one towards Tigress' chest, staring at Po to see what he would do. Her expression was cold and calculating, no trace of mercy in her gaze.

Tigress gritted her teeth, her claws twitching as she instinctively tried to fight back, but the leopard twisted the knife, pressing it closer to her throat, and she froze, her golden eyes burning with frustration and pain. Her body trembled, not from fear, but from the effort it took to keep herself from moving, knowing one wrong twitch could end it all.

And standing over all this, the leopard with the greataxe, his blade hovering ominously over Tigress. He didn't say a word, but the silent threat was louder than any roar. The edge of his axe gleamed in the pale light, just inches away from Tigress, ready to end the fight with one devastating strike.

"Hand over the blade," he finally growled, adjusting the grip on his greataxe. "Or she dies."

Po felt a surge of helplessness wash over him. His mind raced as he looked down at the Blade of Yarlung in his hands. He could feel its weight, both physically and metaphorically—the key to their survival, and the very thing the Order was after. But Tigress...

Tigress locked eyes with Po, her expression fierce despite her weakened state. "Don't," she rasped, barely able to speak through the pain. "Don't you dare give them the blade..."

The saber pressed closer to her chest, the knife against her throat creating a thin crimson line.

"I won't say it again," the brute rumbled. "Hand it over now, or she won't live to see another sunrise."

Po's hands trembled as he glanced between Tigress, the snow leopards, and the blade in his grasp. His mind screamed at him to fight, to resist, to do something—anything—but the sight of Tigress on the ground, bleeding and at their mercy, froze him in place.

He had a choice to make.

With a hefty sigh, he shuffled forward, his grip loosening on the cloth-wrapped blade even as Tigress denied his plan.

"Po," she growled, her voice low and fierce. "Don't... you... dare."

But he had made his decision. With a defeated sigh and a feeble toss, the wrapped blade fell to the ground at the lead leopard's feet, the cloth rustling slightly as the weapon thudded against the hardened earth. The brute deftly scooped it up, testing its weight in his paw.

"Wise decision."

The other leopards backed off of Tigress, and in the next moment they were gone, the troop of felines rushing across the vast expanse of the plateau, becoming tiny figures in the distance in just a few minutes.

Tigress groaned as she forced herself up, her leg still throbbing from the knife wound. She grunted as she yanked the blade out, blood running down her leg - but she didn't care. She wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her paw, her face hard with determination. Her body was bruised and battered, but her spirit burned brighter than ever.

"We need to go after them," she rasped, her breath still labored but her voice steady. Her eyes locked on the distant forms of the snow leopards as they disappeared into the horizon, the Blade of Yarlung now in their possession.

"Tigress, you're hurt. We need to take care of that first," Po said, worry etched across his face as he moved to her side, guilt and hesitation clear in his eyes. "We'll find another way, but you can't—"

"There's no time, Po!" Tigress snapped, cutting him off. She winced as she took a step forward, favoring her uninjured leg, but her resolve never faltered. "We can't let them get away with the blade. If they take it to the Order, this whole mission will be for nothing."

"Tigress… it's okay…" Po said slowly.

The look she gave him could only be described as incredulous.

"Okay? Okay?! You just handed them the Blade of Yarlung, Po! We might've lost our only chance to stop them, and you think it's okay?" Tigress's voice was filled with a mix of disbelief and frustration. She staggered slightly, the pain in her leg making it hard to stay balanced, but her determination was unwavering.

Po raised his paws in defense, trying to get Tigress to calm down.

"Yes. Because we still have it."

Tigress stared at Po, her eyes blazing with anger and disbelief, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts. "We still have it?" she snapped, barely able to keep the frustration from boiling over. "What are you talking about, Po? You just gave it to them!"

Po didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced down at the ground where the snow leopards had stood just moments before, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he turned and began walking back toward the boulders where they had been cornered earlier.

Tigress hobbled after him, her leg throbbing with every step, a mix of confusion and fury swirling inside her. "Po, what are you doing? We don't have time for—"

Po raised a paw, signaling her to wait. He knelt down beside a large boulder and began pulling something from behind it—a small, cloth-wrapped object. Tigress watched, her brow furrowed, still not understanding what was happening. Crane stood behind her, looking more confused than ever.

Slowly, Po rose to his feet and turned back toward her, the object cradled in his arms. He held it carefully, reverently, as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Tigress's eyes narrowed, her confusion deepening.

Po unwrapped the cloth, and there, gleaming in the pale light of the sun that had almost fully set, was a dagger with a tainted black blade and an onyx hilt, a lilac gemstone buried in its pommel.

The Blade of Yarlung.

Tigress and Crane both stared in stunned silence, their eyes locked on the gleaming weapon in Po's paws. The Blade of Yarlung—the real one—sat there, it's dark surface shimmering ominously in the fading sunlight. The lilac gemstone set in the hilt seemed to pulse with a strange, almost hypnotic energy.

Crane was the first to break the silence. "How... how did you do that?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief and a hint of awe.

Po couldn't help but grin, a hint of pride in his voice as he explained.

"I kinda... switched it last second," he admitted. "Before you guys met me in the tunnel, I wrapped a different dagger in the cloth, and then stuck the real one in the boulders during the fight. I gave them a fake."

Tigress' gaze lingered on the Blade of Yarlung, her golden eyes narrowing as if she could sense something more from the weapon than just its dark gleam. The lilac gemstone in its pommel pulsed gently, casting faint ripples of light on her face. She stared at it for a moment too long, the weight of its power palpable even from a distance.

Crane shuffled nervously behind her, clearly just as shaken by what Po had done but not fully understanding the gravity of it. "You switched it?" Crane repeated, his wings fluttering slightly as he processed Po's words. "That's... really smart, Po, but... also, seriously risky."

Po shrugged, still wearing that sheepish grin. "I figured if they got the real thing, we'd be in bigger trouble than if they got a fake." He looked at Tigress, his smile fading a little as he noticed her staring. "Tigress? You okay?"

Tigress blinked, shaking herself out of her trance-like focus on the blade. Her face hardened again, but there was a flicker of something else—something deeper—in her expression. She stepped back, letting out a sharp exhale through her nose. "Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, though her tone wasn't entirely convincing.

Crane tilted his head, his keen eyes noticing the subtle tension in her shoulders. "You sure? You were kind of zoning out there."

"I said I'm fine," Tigress snapped, her tone sharper than she intended. She immediately regretted it, taking another breath to calm herself. "We need to move. Once they realize they've been tricked, they'll come after us harder."

Po and Crane exchanged a glance, neither of them entirely convinced by Tigress's sudden change in focus. But Po nodded in agreement, setting the Blade of Yarlung carefully back into the cloth and wrapping it tightly. "You're right. Back to the Jade Palace!"

Tigress nodded, and tried to take a step on her injured leg.

Big mistake.

The moment her injured leg hit the ground, pain shot through it like a lightning bolt. Tigress clenched her teeth, stifling a groan as the pain shot up her leg, the injury reminding her just how serious it was. Her breath hitched as she stumbled, catching herself before she could fall.

Crane was by her side in an instant, his wings outstretched in alarm. "Whoa, easy there, Tigress!" he exclaimed, fluttering nervously. "You're not going anywhere like that."

Po rushed to her other side, his face etched with concern. "Tigress, you're hurt bad. We need to take care of that leg before we can go anywhere." He glanced around, his mind racing for solutions. "We can't make it back to the Jade Palace if you can't even walk."

Tigress growled softly, frustrated with her own body. "We don't have time for this. Every second we waste—"

Po cut her off, his voice more serious than usual. "You're not going to be any good to us—or to yourself—if you keep pushing it like this. Let's just take a second, okay? I've got this."

Without waiting for further protest, Po gently helped her over to the boulders, setting her down so she could lean against them. Tigress huffed but didn't resist, clearly realizing that pushing herself any further in her condition would be a bad idea.

Tigress sat against the boulder, her breathing heavy as she clenched her jaw in frustration. She hated feeling weak, hated being sidelined. Her eyes flicked toward Po, who knelt beside her with an unusual air of determination. There was something different about him, a quiet confidence that hadn't always been there.

Po placed his paw over her injured leg, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone his size. "I've got this," he repeated, but this time there was a different tone in his voice—calm, certain. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and as he exhaled, a soft golden glow began to emanate from his paws.

Tigress's breath caught in her throat. She had seen Po use chi before, but never like this—never with such focus and control. The warmth spread further through her leg, and the pain ebbed away almost completely, replaced by a soothing calm. She could feel her muscles knitting together, the wound closing from within.

After a few moments, Po pulled his paw away, his breathing a little heavier but otherwise steady. The glow faded, and Tigress looked down at her leg in astonishment. The deep gash that had been there moments ago was now just a faint scar, the bleeding stopped entirely.

Tigress stared at Po, her eyes wide. "How did you—?"

Po smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been practicing. You know, since the whole master of chi thing happened." He glanced at her leg, his smile fading slightly as concern took over. "You should be okay to walk now, but don't push it too hard, alright? It might not be fully healed yet."

Tigress flexed her leg cautiously, testing it. The pain was gone, replaced by a strange sense of lightness. She rose to her feet slowly, balancing herself on both legs. She still felt a little weak, but the sharp agony was no longer holding her back. Her eyes flicked back to Po, a mix of gratitude and amazement in her gaze.

Po swallowed hard, averting his gaze slightly. He felt like he should apologize; but how and for what, he wasn't quite sure.

"I'm sorry, Tigress," he started, his expression filled with guilt. "I didn't want to... I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let them—"

"You did the right thing, Po," Tigress interrupted, her voice softer now. She met his eyes, her frustration and anger from earlier gone. "You kept the blade safe. That's all that matters."

Po blinked, his tone soft yet insistent. "You matter too."

Tigress blinked at Po's words, her eyes narrowing slightly, but there was no anger in them—just something softer, something deeper. She didn't respond immediately, her gaze holding Po's for a moment longer before she exhaled, her usual stoicism returning.

"Let's get moving," she said, her voice steady but quieter than before. "We still have a long way to go, and they'll figure out they've been tricked soon enough." She tested her leg again, nodding in silent approval as she shifted her weight evenly between both legs.

Po smiled faintly, relieved that she wasn't pushing herself too hard. He turned to Crane, who had been watching the whole exchange with wide eyes.

Crane let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "I've seen a lot of things, but that? That was something else."

Po chuckled, brushing off the praise with a wave of his paw. "It's just chi, you know. Nothing fancy."

Crane raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't talking about chi."

Tigress cleared her throat, signaling the end of the conversation. "Focus. We need to move."

With that, they set off, the fading light of the setting sun casting long shadows across the plateau. Tigress moved with caution, favoring her leg but walking steadily. Po kept a close eye on her, ready to step in if she faltered, but she pushed forward with the same strength she always had.

Crane flew overhead, keeping watch for any sign of the leopards or other threats. "We're clear for now," he called down, his voice echoing through the quiet expanse. "But we've got a long way to go. Think you can keep up, Tigress?"

Tigress glanced up at him, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I'm not the one you should be worried about keeping up, Crane."

Before either of the males could react, the tiger master took off on all fours, her usual agility returning as she darted across the rugged terrain, moving with the grace and precision that defined her. The smirk she'd worn moments earlier had vanished, replaced by focused determination. Po and Crane exchanged a brief glance, both knowing full well what that look meant: she was pushing herself, and nothing they could say would stop her.

"Here we go," Po muttered under his breath, before taking off after her, his large frame surprisingly nimble despite his size and exhaustion. Crane swooped down, gliding just above their heads, his wings cutting through the evening air.

They moved in near silence, the only sounds being their footsteps and the occasional flap of Crane's wings as he kept an eye on the horizon. The sun had fully set now, and the once fiery sky had given way to twilight, casting everything in shades of purple and blue. The cold air of the plateau bit at their faces, but none of them slowed.

And as they raced through the night, they could only hope their ruse bought them enough time.