A/N: Before anything else I must thank everyone who took their time to review on my first story or wrote me a PM. I am very grateful for every word of encouragement and even more for every mistake you pointed out. I only hope I don't disappoint in my attempts to follow your words of advice. I decided I would try my luck at a longer story. Having the plot in my mind for a while I find myself believing it could have a chance. That doesn't mean I will leave the mentioned one-shot to get lost under layers of dust. All I need is time and your watchful eyes to help me evolve. Without further delay, I present you chapter one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

Half empty glass, heart half full

Crane once again readjusted his hat. He didn't even bother counting how many times he had done it that evening. He wasn't even sure whether he was doing it out of concern the rising wind would knock it off, or just out of nervousity. Possibly both. Everyone tried to do their best to remain calm. To act the same, as they always did. Few were actually successful.

„Crane, go talk to him," his snake friend urged him in her sweet voice. Voice he grew to love over the years. Voice he grew to hate over the last few minutes.

„I think he's already suspicious about us doubting him. Repeated interrogations won't exactly help the matter, Viper, and you know it," he replied, his voice carrying more annoyance than he intended. „You know I care about him just as you do, but I'm already betraying his trust by telling you what he's doing every other evening in that forest."

„Dude, it was bound to get known sooner or later. You can't exactly keep secrets around here. That's why I don't bother anymore."

„Then why don't you tell us the reason she left, Mantis?"

The bug had no reply to that. Viper had him there, he had to admit. After cursing under his breath he decided he had to put up at least some defense.

„I already gave you all the basic idea. But you know that the best person to answer all those questions is somewhere there in that forest. It was him who she talked to before she packed her things and went all 'I'm gonna see the world, see you somewhere in the future', not me!"

Viper hissed in annoyance. This was ridiculous, one of their friends missing, the other one spending time alone in a forest with scrolls for which he was undoubtedly too young and unexperienced.

„We might as well discuss it with Shifu. I'm pretty sure he's getting suspicious too," Monkey joined in, hanging by his tail from a branch above his friends.

„Yeah, not sure that would turn out cool. How many scrolls did you say he skipped?" Mantis asked, rubbing his forehead.

„As far as I know, he reached scrolls somewhere around four hundred and thirty, following the correct order. The copy I saw him with was from scroll six hundred and five," Crane spoke, staring off to the distance, remembering the first time he spotted Po among the trees with the scrolls. Some original, some copies he most likely wrote himself.

„So, almost two hundred scrolls, huh? Not cool, man. You remember what happened when he was skipping during the first fifty?" Mantis asked, somewhat uncertain whether he should be grateful he could remember that or not.

„And that's not talking about the scrolls you did not recognize. Wonder where those came from," Monkey muttered, raising his eyebrow toward the avian.

„I'm not sure, although I remember noticing them mentioning the Inner Peace technique. They were probably given to him by Shifu," Crane's brow furrowed, before he added more silently. „Or so I hope."

„I'm don't know what creeps me out more. The fact that he may be secretly studying scrolls he's not supposed to, or the fact that he always carries that Tigress action figure with him there."

„Mantis! He misses her just as we do! Po just has... different methods of coping with it," Viper hissed, glaring at the bug.

„I'm not sure that's it," Crane muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

„And it certainly didn't seem like he was about to cry about her being gone few months ago, with that fight they had and all..." came Monkey's voice from above their heads as he lifted himself onto the branch.

„We're certainly not gonna fix much by staring into the forest. And it's gonna rain! Crane, are you gonna fly there or what!"

Crane let out an exasperated sigh, but Mantis was right. This was getting nowhere. He cared about the panda, but he thought they should give him more time. Apparently, time itself would solve nothing. He nodded, adjusted his hat for the last time, spread his wings, and took off into the air, heading in the direction of the ironwood forest where he knew Po would be training...

You don't belong here – a big, fat panda, who treats it like a joke – Haven't you done enough? – maybe Master Oogway did make the wrong choice – you are a disgrace to Kung Fu and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do – We don't want your help!

Po's face distorted in annoyance as a groan escaped his lips.

„C'mon, Po, you can do better than that," the panda said before letting out an exasperated sigh. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at the sky, taking notice of the rapidly forming clouds, wondering just why it was that it kept raining everytime he came to train here.

„Seems like I'm getting free shower again," he commented somewhat amusedly, than again closed his eyes and resumed his meditations. „One would think that after achieving inner peace, this would be easier," he mused, then let out a long drown-out sigh.

„Focus, Po. Inner peace. Let it flow... slowly... slowly..."

Images started once again whirling around in his mind. This time, however, they seemed much more in order, he wasn't getting lost in them. They formed a river that carried him through itself on a pace comfortable enough to allow him to remain in control.

Where did I go wrong? When? Why? he asked himself, searching through the 'river' of his memories. Finally, he found the one that he knew most likely held answers to his questions. He focused on it. His face becoming relaxed, he allowed the one memory to consume him as the questions slowly reformed in his mind. Was it the wrong choice to make? Was it my fault?

„You've really done it this time, haven't you!" the anger in her voice almost made him lose his footing, so furious she sounded he could almost feel the rocks around him tremble. „Are you even capable of actually thinking before you do something stupid? You've never been the brightest one but one would say that after all this time you would get at least some sense from experience if nothing else! But somehow you keep on being the same fat, stupid, clumsy waste of space and valuable time that seems to have no care in the world!"

Po winced, hard. He was certain that if his feet weren't frozen in fear he would have stumbled and fallen to the muddy ground below. Just looking at her now was horrifying. Her fangs bared, her ears bent down, her eyes ablaze. For some reason he could not find the strenght to move his gaze sideways, and looking down wasn't pleasant either, for there he was rewarded with the sight of her mangled leg. The only option was to close his eyes.

„It's times like these I seriously have to wonder what the great Oogway was thinking when he, or the vast universe itself, chose you to be the Dragon Warrior! I'm painfully reminded of the harsh truth everytime we face an enemy. Every time we face someone new they all go on about how you are just a big, fat panda. And everytime you mess up, I can't help but think how true their words are!" At this point, the panda had to actually force his tears back. From no one else would it hurt so much as it did from her.

„How can an animal even be so naive, so stupid, so clumsy, so... so..." words weren't enough to express her frustration anymore and so she settled for a roar instead. A roar that made Po open his eyes, snap his his head back up and stare frozen with fear written all over his face at the livid tiger. He heard her roar in battle many times, but never like this. The pain in her leg, the anger, all of it made the roar into a weapon that rendered Po completely helpless. If his feet were to be set on fire, he would not move. He would burn. He was frozen.

Letting out a few heavy breaths, she refocused her piercing glare on him, and making her voice go from heatedly furious to emotionlessly cold, she spoke again. „I simply can't but think that we would all be better off without you."

And that did him in. It took several second for the words to take effect, either beceause of the schock from the roar or beceause of the actual weight of the message, but when it did reach him, all was done. And he shattered.

After staring dumbstruck for about half a minute, he slowly hung his head down and stared at the ground, his face obscured from view. If possible, this proved to infuriate Tigress even more.

„You don't even have the backbone to look me in the eyes? Just standing there, staring at what you can see of your feet over that fat mass of-"

„Tigress..." the feline got no further as a voice, despite being significantly more silent and calm than the one of the seething, growling master of the tiger style, cut throught and interrupted her cold insults.

Her head sharply snapped to her left where Crane and Viper stood. The former looking at her as if he was ready to struck her down for commiting the vilest of crimes. The latter one stared in disbelief, unable to utter another word after the interruption.

„What are you two staring at! If you have something to say then please do so!" the tiger snarled. Viper retreated a bit, the shock never leaving her face. Crane glanced at the reptile, then turned back to Tigress, the glare he held rivaling her own.

„You have no idea what you've just done, do you?" spoke the avian, and Tigress seemed actually taken aback by the fury in his voice.

„What do you-..." she started, her tone venomous, but got no further. She realized what he meant. Turning back to the still silent panda, all traces of fury left her face. Instead, guilt spread all over her as she stared at what was once a cheery, smiling and ever so confident Dragon Warrior. Now, in front of her stood a slouched figure with eyes devoid of any life, his expression worthy of someone who was just told that his parents never loved him.

„Oh, by the gods..." she muttered silently, taking a step forward in hopes of reaching him, only to be sharply reminded of the injuries on her right leg. Infuriated by her forgetfulness and by the pain itself, she hissed.

In reaction to that, the panda let out a sound much like a whimper. It sounded like a startled yelp, cut short by the speaker's inability to talk caused by an immense urge to cry. At that, Tigress began to feel even more guilty than before. She made him cry. Him. A lone panda, who, despite being shunned and repeatedly beaten by his heroes, stepped up to save everyone including those very people that were so harsh on him.

Shutting his eyes hard and clenching his fists, Po waited until he regained control over his emotions. Refusing to let a single tear roll down his face, he struggled to breathe evenly.

Mantis and Monkey arrived to join the others. Unaware of what had transpired, they just stared confusedly at the scene. Po and Tigress stood unmovingly facing each other. To Po's right, Viper stood there gazing worriedly at the panda, while Crane, standing by her side, glared daggers at the tiger. All around them laid scattered weapons, few unconscious bandits, rubble and two fallen pillars.

After much waiting, Po opened his eyes and lifted his head a little. Not enough to meet the feline's gaze, but enough for his face to be clearly seen. To everyone's surprise, not a single tear streak stained his fur. His eyes, however, spoke volumes of the pain he was in. When he spoke, his tone was heavy with emotion and on the borders of cracking, and yet it somehow sounded cold.

„You know... for you being so educated, it's kinda dissapointing that you didn't say anything I wouldn't be aware of myself."

And with that, he walked away, leaving five shocked figures staring as he disappeared behind a corner. Monkey rushed after him, only to find no one there. He turned back to the others, shaking his head. Mantis, who grew extremely impatient glanced repeatedly at everyone and shouted.

„What the hell has happened here?"

Po's eyes remained closed, his breathing calm and even, the expression on his face the perfect image of peace... except for the wide streaks of tears that cascaded down his face. He still didn't have his answers, his concentration wavered slightly, however, as he took notice of the single droplet of rain that hit the ground in front of him.

His ear twitched in reaction to the sound and he slowly stood up, his body getting into the Inner Peace stance. As his arms swayed harmoniously, he refocused on the river of his thoughts again. Another droplet fell his way and as he raised his arm to let it slide down the limp, the memories took form in his mind again.

„Po? Are you here?"

He had no idea how she found him and he wasn't really happy that she did. Perhaps the peaks of Wu Dan Mountains weren't the best hiding spot after all. He wasn't going to give himself away by replying, but he knew she would find him now following his scent, since she was so close.

And sure enough, after about ten more second, he could hear her footsteps close behind him. She stopped at a respectable distance, but Po knew that there stood nothing between them now.

Still, he did not speak.

„Po, I-I'm... I wanted to..."

„Don't," he suddenly interrupted her, his gaze still focused on the setting sun in front of him.

„Wha-what?" asked the startled tiger. She knew she went too far this time but it was still somewhat surprising to hear Po cut her apology off so harshly.

Taking a deep breath, he continued. „This is seriously harming us both, so, please, don't."

Po started the sequence as usual, but instead of letting the droplet of water fall, he switched to moves so far unseen, spreading his arms wide, letting another droplet of rain join the first one. And then another, and another...

She wasn't sure she understood what he meant, but she knew she had to apologize. Despite what happened, her actions were unacceptable. And this was Po, her friend, she could not let it all end just like that.

„But I have to apologize, P-Po," she noticed him wince a little at the mention of his name, but she continued nevertheless. „I'm really sorry for what happened. For what I said. I got mad and lost control and-" it sounded lame to her, but she could think of little else at that moment. Once again, however, Po didn't let her finish.

„Did you? And was is not that moment when you spoke honestly? Without self restraint and hard-won discipline of a hardcore Kung Fu master?"

This time it was her who winced. The mention of 'hardcore' stung, but she knew she shouldn't have expected him to welcome her with open arms. She made him cry, even if he was doing all he could not to show it. She was worse than on his first day at the Jade Palace. And why? She didn't know...

„What do you mean?" she recieved a sigh as a reply, but after few moments, he spoke again.

„Tigress, I'm not really mad at you for saying those things. People have said them thousand times over. Even more so before I became the Dragon Warrior. You truly were not all that original."

She did not find that comforting, standing there wordlessly, waiting for him to continue.

„I know I am fat. I know I am clumsy. I know I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I am smart enough to realize these things."

„Po, don't say that. I was harsh, those things weren't true. And you aren't fat, you're a giant panda, after all-"

„And exactly what does THAT mean?"

The rain grew stronger and more water kept on gathering on his arms, sliding down his arms, up and down, but never falling. He resumed his moves. Moves that were not from the Thousand Scrolls, moves that were not from the scrolls about Inner Peace he got from Master Shifu. No, these moves were written down on a scroll that ambitiously carried the title: 'Scroll One Thousand One: The Dance of the Water Dragon'.

The outburst caught her off guard. She tried to speak but he was quicker.

„I'm a panda after all. Is that supposed to be an excuse to anything? I don't even know what being a panda means! Do you? Have you met any other pandas for reference?"

Her eyes grew wide at that question. She saw drawings of pandas during her studies, but she could not remember meeting any pandas besides Po.

„N-no, I don't think I have."

„Well, it seems that what I am makes for what a panda is, for I have not met any other panda either. Some picture I make for my species..."

„Po, don't. I wasn't myself when I said those things, I didn't mean them-"

„I'm afraid you were and you did, Tigress."

Her eyes grew even wider now.

„You said those things when I first arrived. People say them when they see me... and you say them every time you get mad and lose control of yourself. Everytime you stop restraining yourself... Tigress, it is not the anger talking. It is the anger letting you, as in the real YOU, talk."

He kept moving, his arms and legs performing a peaceful dance as the water gathered on his arms and back formed an undivided layer, almost as if he was dressed in a robe made of water.

He took another deep breath, he was shaking now.

„I'm not saying I am those things. Well, maybe that too, but I'm saying I am, and always have been those things, to you."

Tigress went stiff. He couldn't mean that. It wasn't true. She wasn't going to let him win this argument.

„Po, that's nonsense! I would-"

„Tigress," the word was spoken calmly and silently, but the heaviness which it carried with was enough to silence her immediately.

Finally, he turned to face her. His eyes were moist with unshed tears but his look was hard and serious.

„Can you look me in the eyes and deny that? Everytime you don't hold yourself in check it slips out. Because it's there, always was. Where would it come from if it were not true?"

He slowly went to a stop. His eyes still remained closed, but he knew well that he was facing an ironwood tree. The rain kept going on and as new droplets joined the layer of water on Po's body, another ones fell down to the ground below. The layer itself remained unchanged, still moving, but slowly, as a loose robe swaying in the wind.

She didn't believe him. She refused to, but at the same time, she could not find the answer. She was letting him win.

„It happened four times during this month and the last time was too much," she grew worried at those words. He could't possibly suggest that...

„We should avoid meeting each other unless necessary, Master Tigress."

His focus wavered for a moment. The water didn't fall, but the images stopped moving for a second as he allowed himself a small smile at the success of his technique that contrasted with the tears still falling freely down his cheeks. He inhaled slowly and resumed his meditation, the memories once again flowing through as he remained still in his stance, as if prepared to land a direct palm strike.

He used her title, in a formal way. He was serious. He was going to end their friendship.

„Po, yo-you can't-"

„I must. I'm sorry... but it's too much for me," his gaze turned sideways and he closed his eyes again, obviously fighting tears. „It hurts, Tigress. It hurts us both. Whether you want to believe it or not, you were right in one thing. You would be better off without me."

He started walking away. Tigress was rendered speechless but she could still reach out with her arm. He stepped aside, leaving her arm stretched out in the empty space.

„I will see you tomorrow morning in the training hall, Master Tigress. I already asked Master Shifu to change our sparring partners. I'll go with Monkey, you'll be sparring with Mantis. Good night." And then, he was gone, leaving her to stand there with tears threatening to fall down her face.

The images faded and Po moved again, his right arm thrusting forward, hitting the tree. The droplets around were scattered in midfall in all directions at the moment of the impact. A loud groan-like sound echoed through the forest, followed by a loud thud. Po slowly opened his eyes and gazed at the broken trunk lying at the ground.

He smiled for a moment at the resulst, then frowned at the tree. Tree that crumbled down just like his doubts about his question. He was certain now. It was the wrong choice to make. It was his fault. She was gone and he didn't know when, if ever, she would return.

He hoped she would.

He prayed she would.

A/N: Well, if you got this far I suppose I should thank you for reading! Seriously though, I appreciate it and I urge you to leave a review. If you saw anything that seemed wrong to you, please let me know. You don't only help me to become a better writer and thus making me feel good about myself. You also help yourself to better stories to read. *wink*