The Meaningful Losses

What is a peaceful person? There are many different versions on who holds these characteristics, depending on who you ask. A "peaceful" person is someone who's not willing to force other people to behave in a certain way that he/she likes them to . A "peaceful" person is someone who's in peace with/him/herself and the environment around and accepts everything the way they are...

Whether they are good or bad.

A lot of citizens in the Valley were unsure about this one statement, as they were ill-experienced of so called 'Peace' a very long time ago, and Po could certainly understand without having to endure it with them...

The people who weren't educated in 'Peace' were those who once inhabited in the Secret Panda village up in the mountains. After the defeat of Kai, they all thought it was best to go live in the Valley of Peace with Po and the Furious Five; mainly because they wanted to learn about the world beyond their safety boundaries, as well as becoming one with their ancestors years ago by becoming the Master of their own Chi. All was happy...

Until the anniversary.

Po was going to have his first real grieving of the loss of his people; the original panda village that Shen destroyed in attempt to change his destiny when Po was just a cub. He had the shoulder for his father to cry on when he showed Po the picture from his 100th day with his departed mother. It broke him that he didn't remember anything about that event; not even the feeling of his mother's warmth as her large... motherly paws. He had so many questions for his father, he made a list to give him when the time felt right and more... lively.

Po sat in his room, reading it over at sun rise, while writing down one more burning question. After putting down the brush, he re-read it for at least the tenth time, however, he frowned at the last question. That's a stupid thing to put down, he thought negatively, ready to pick up the brush. It's never gonna be answered...

He felt a tentative paw on his back, in which he turned to see little Lei Lei, smiling up at him. He couldn't help but briefly smile at her, before look up, to see Tigress, keeping quiet as she stared down at him. She knelt behind him, and Lei Lei walked into her arms, snuggling into her chest as her arms closed shut. "I came to check if you were ready..." She spoke softly, slightly swaying from side to side to occupy the little panda cub. She was drowning in all black; it was like any part of her fur that didn't consist of black was bursting out of a black suit. Other than that, there were the golden trims and red sash to hold up her black satin pants. As for Lei Lei, she had a little black dress.

"Yeah... just..." He sighed, looking down at his own black overalls. "I never thought I'd dedicate a day in my life to sadness..."

Tigress smiled sympathetically. "It is strange isn't it?" Her eyes focused on the side track of Po's face, as she released one paw to reach out, and plant itself on his shoulder. "But the Valley welcomes new customs that are valuable to others. Your father and the other pandas obviously find this important, that they asked Shifu if they could use the Hall of Warriors for the ceremony... we are willing to take part."

"I get that Tigress..." he steadily placed his right paw atop of the one she had on his shoulder. Immediately, their paws latched onto eachother, sealing their own special little lock. "There just seems to be questions inside me piling up, stuff I want to ask my dad... they feel important to ask him as soon as possible, but I don't want..."

"It's about your..." she couldn't muster the word out from her lips, "... isn't it?" He just had to nod, before Tigress looked down at Lei Lei, who in turn stared up at her innocently. "Lei Lei," the feline cleared her throat as Po turned to look out the window. "Can you go and see if Mantis had your action figure? You don't seem to have it with you."

"Oh..." the little girl looked at her empty paws. She was starting to talk a lot more now. "I might have left it in the kitchen.."

"While you find it, can you go see if anyone needs help setting up okay?" She nodded happily, before jumping up and bounding out of the room, calling out for her 'Stripey Baby'.

This gave her the chance to pull the panda close, and go in for a hug, but he raced her to it. His large, empty arms now had her as their fill. Her head rested against his chest. "Po..."

"Please Tigress... I just need this..." She said nothing more, and took in his warmth, as her head tucked itself under his chin.

The ear she didn't have against his chest flicked as the sound of his heartbeat traveled to it from the other, a soft and soothing lullaby she too had, one that would put Lei Lei to sleep each night. When that was done, she would join Po under the Peach tree, to watch the Moon glow upon them, and he would reverse the roles.

There was something different about this interaction. A sigh, then silence. She sighed, the silence comes back. A bird chirps outside... and something wet lightly kisses her neck. Instead of reaching up to check what it was, she broke the hug, slowly gaining the view of the panda's face, gradually breaking apart with her heartstrings at the evidence of little lines tracing down his cheeks, spouting from his reddening orbs that gave him the gift of sight. "I'm sorry..." he whispered, possibly only realizing.

"For what?" She felt a lump in her throat. Placing both paws of his dampened cheeks, she wiped a tear away with her thumbs light dragging along the tears in its path, while she attempted to smile. "Just cry..." She whispers, both leaned towards each other, foreheads touching. He wraps his arms around her tighter, hoisting her up a little, until her chin was resting on top of his head, arms around him. "It's okay to express how you feel... it's alright."

Po and Tigress reached the Hall of Warriors in somewhat better spirits. Upon their entry, they weren't expecting a congregation that composed of the majority of the Valley of Peace's original inhabitants, mingling with those who once situated in the secret panda village. Shifu stood by Li Shan, bowing along with Viper, Crane, Mantis and Monkey, probably handing over every condolence that summed up every member that worked in the Palace before everything changed.

Their teammates noticed them, and immediately walked over, giving Tigress time is move away, to give them room to hug heir friend, and whisper their own little words of sympathy. Whilst in an embrace with Monkey, Po watched his biological father nod in silence, smiling and beckoning over other pandas, letting them know that the nitorious Masters have gifted them with such kind words. Mei Mei was there, wiping her eyes with a tissue, while his cousins had an arm over each other.

"It gets that little bit easier every year." Li Shan said. "It still hurts, but every death that occurs even after is an impact on us all. We pandas are like one big family. We all know who lost who.. and miss dearly." Hearing the pain in each word that released itself from his dad's mouth, Po abruptly grabbed hold of Tigress' paw without asking for consent. She nearly jumped at the sudden contact between them, and looked down at the connection, before looking back up at him and asked what was wrong.

"I... I'm scared to go over to him." Po whispered in reply.

The feline frowned at first, before showing her sympathy through the tightening grip on Po's paw, and gently rubbing his forearm with the other, while everyone shot saddened looks at one another. "Come outside for a moment?"

"Okay," and so they did; away from others unintentionally eavesdropping, they continued to talk, eyeing the sky suspiciously at the telltale signs of rain.

"How do you feel about all this, Po?"

Po gave an audible exhale. "He's been in pain for years... over the loss of both me and my mom. Now that I'm back in his life... very much alive, will it make things any easier for him?" Tigress sensed someone coming up from behind them, and turned to see Crane, Monkey, Mantis and Viper coming their way. She signalled them to be quiet with a finger rplaced upon her lips. They immediately noticed, and nodded back at her. "Or will he slowly break bit by bit everytime he looks at me?"

Tigress pulled at his arm to catch his attention again. "Is that how you feel about him? That when he talks to you, he has broken hope that your mother is still alive somehow?"

"When he told me about how everything was taken away from him, I promised him he was never gonna lose me... but looking into his eyes before we hugged, I saw that hope Tigress... I want him to stop suffering. I want them all to stop going through this... thing that I'm not experienced in. He knows my mom is gone..." Po sounded like he was going to burst into tears. Tigress wasn't sure what to do or say, and Po placed his paws on her shoulders, looking down at her confused expression. "But to think that I was gone too, and then suddenly be alive after twenty years of separation... it makes that false desire within him, for her to still be here..." He unhooked himself from Tigress and held his head in his paws. "I only learnt how to become a real panda... or is this just another challenge to completely Master it... that he didn't tell me about?"

"Not... exactly." Po felt a wing set on his shoulder. Both Tigress and himself turned to find the rest of the Furious Five close behind them. Viper wore snowdrop head flowers, Crane wore a black hat and sash; Monkey wore black pants and a red sash, and Mantis had his chest painted in black. "Po, it's plain to see that you feel dislatched from a source of basic emotion that this town rarely sees..." Crane smiled weakly. "If one is mourning, we all are. The five and I see each other in pain, and we soon are in unison; we understand one another on certain levels of loss, pain, and suffering. It's the same for you Po."

"Yeah," Monkey and Mantis said in unison.

"I can connect to you Po," all turned to Tigress, "as I am too adopted, but unfortunately I cannot give any words on how you feel with your father, as I still await to find out who my biological family are." Po felt his heart twist almost painfully, but she kept going. "This may not be the norm for you Po... but remember this." His eyes were starting to wander elsewhere, so she held his cheeks again, to keep his gaze in her viewing range, while Crane and the others glanced at one another. "This will help you learn that little bit more to become one with your own kind. You are still learning each and everyday, as are we. You pandas are quite... extroadinary creatures." Po, Mantis, Crane, Viper and Monkey chuckled. Po's smile wasn't fully appearing thanks to his slightly cramped cheeks. "But even those who are always so happy and easy going... have to go through pain and sadness... but can still come out strong."

"It's okay to feel this way sweetie..." Viper slithered around Po's shoulder, and kissed him on the cheek, before the boys closed in for a group hug. Tigress watched in silence at first, ready to turn and walk away, but Po's paw pulled her into the hug too, placing her somehow against him, and beneath the rest, before the first few drops of rain began to descend from the sky. "Not everyone goes through life always happy. We all know that."

Li noticed the second time 'round, his son was present. Watching Po close in on him, with the rest of the five not far behind him, he smiled, and opened his arms to greet him. "Hey there Little Lotus," he tried to sound cheerful, but with the mass of sadness weighing on them in the hall, he didn't have much to push against it. Shifu and Mr. Ping watched on with concern, but the panda saw them immediately. "Sadness is part of life, as we all know, and we must move on. However," he patted Po on the back as enthusiastic as he could manage, "we must not forget those we lost..." He looked over Po's head, to find Tigress, Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis standing close by. "Masters... I humbly thank you for letting us use the Hall of Warriors to host this important custom of ours..."

"No problem Shan sir," Tigress picked up Lei Lei once she toddled over to her. "We understand that everyone's customs and values must be accepted, and we were more than happy to give you a place of importance to us, for the use of something you find so important."

While she spoke, Mei Mei made her way over. "Hello everyone..." she said with a weak smile. "It's so nice of you to let us use the Hall... we'll have everything the way it was by sundown-"

"Take all the time you need," Crane insisted politely, even though he knew when saying that, it may not be done as quick as they thought.

"The chairs will be no issue." Shifu spoke up. "However, when it comes to the shrine-" he motioned towards the made-shift alter, which held vases of flowers, food, essence and candles, as well as photos, toys, and parchmets. "I'll be more than happy to leave that where it is... once we have a proper alter for it."

"Do you really mean it Master Shifu?" Mei Mei gasped, ready to start crying again.

"Of course-" without warning, Mei Mei had Shifu in her arms, almost suffocating him in her tight hold. "It is something that should not be seen as nothing." Tigress and the other nodded at each other with pride when they saw every panda in the room look up at the start of Shifu's words. Po's smile stood out to him the most. Waiting for Shifu to look his way once the female panda set it down, he mouthed a soft 'thank you'.

"May our loved ones ask the Gods to bless you for your kind action." Li wrapped hi arm around Po's shoulders. "This'll mean a lot to our deceased."

Hey all! This is gonna be a short story (two chapters long) hope you like it! Please note, this piece may be a songfic, as I do intend to put a song in the piece, but that may change. Who knows!

Please review!

And if I don't update anymore by midnight- HAPPY NEW YEAR! (It's 2:36am over here atm).

CIAO!