I do not own Kung Fu panda. Please rate and review.

Any OC's in the future I do own, however.

The boat rocked side to side, propelled by the soft breeze carrying scents of gunpowder and spices. Gongmen City was alight with fireworks and music, with a brilliant sunset outlining its city scape.

Po stood atop the boat, arms dangling at his sides, head bowed.

He was tired. Oh so very tired.

The emotions were catching up to him now. At first, having achieved his inner peace had given him strength, meaning, a clear purpose. He was avenging the death of his family, and of his people. He was saving his friends from certain doom and destruction. He was fighting alongside the most bodaciously awesome group of kung fu warriors alive.

But now the reality of it all was setting in. His family, his people, his kind; they were all gone.

Shifu had advised that they all leave as soon as possible. They needed rest, and Master Ox and Croc had to show they were still the ones protecting the city, and the ones the people must listen to. Due to the Po's incredible skill, rumors had begun circling he was to rule almost immediately.

And none of the master, including Po wanted that.

Po was glad they hadn't stayed. His normal, awesome fun was majorly lacking at his point in time, and people would have noticed. He didn't want his ideal of being the almighty Dragon Warrior being ruined by his droopy mood.

He sighed and fell into a sitting position, rubbing his head with his hands. He wasn't used to all this emotion. At least not without a kitchen to raid.

Suddenly a peach fell into his lap. He looked down at it, startled. Looking up, he saw Tigress standing next to him, her arms crossed, looking back at the city.

"You looked hungry." She said simply when he looked up at her.

"Thanks, I think." He took a bite of the peach, then began digging out the pit. "Some party huh."

"Yeah. Seems those "weapons" also serve as great firework displays." Tigress silently dropped into a seated position. "And tomorrow, they'll probably act like nothing happened."

"Well, minus the raw rice and lack of any kind of metal." Po said sarcastically, finishing the peach off with a large bite. Tigress chuckled softly.

They sat together in silence until the city was gone from view, and even longer after. The longer it went on, the more at peace Po felt. He glanced at Tigress, and in the torch light emitting from the deck of their boat, saw that her eyes were watery.

"Tigress, are you ok?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head, as if to chase away a thought. "I'm fine Po, just some smoke in my eye." She looked away for several moments before looking back. "See? Better."

Po nodded, and faced forward again. After a few moments he sighed, looking up at the stars. "I'm sorry."

Tigress looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Sorry?"

"Yeah, you know, for not listening and going after Shen and getting blasted out a wall by a giant weapon."

Tigress glared at him, claws digging into the wood. "And all you have to say to me is sorry?"

Po nodded slowly, knowing it was the wrong answer but not knowing what else to do.

"Do you have any idea what you put us through? What you put ME through?" She hissed at him, keeping her voice low. "I watched you die, Po! I watched you taken from me when I was merely a paws reach from you!" Po could only stare in shock as she went on. "You left us alone Po. You left ME alone." She looked away, staring at her hands in her lap, clenching and unclenching. "Then you came back from the dead. You saved us, gave us hope." A tear fell from her eye. "I threw my body in front of that blast to save you. I almost died because I couldn't lose you, not a second time."

Po reached out and tried to take her hand in his, but she pulled away and stood.

"I was so weak Po, when you found me in the water. I could barely move. And all I could do was watch you leave me again. I thought I was going to have to watch you get blasted away from me again, just out of my reach."

She held herself and turned to face him. "And then you did something incredible. You saved us all. You killed Shen. It was so… so…" She waved her hands over her head in exasperation, searching for the right words. "Hardcore. But at the same to, you're so, well, you!" She began pacing, her voice rising. "How do you do it? How do you be so hardcore, but at the same time, so, not?"

Po stood up and looked at Tigress, who had stopped pacing at the edge of the boat and was staring into the water. "I'm not hardcore Tigress. I could never be hardcore. The only reason I had the strength to save you, was because I'm as emotional as I am." She grunted and refused to turn to him.

He sighed and walked to stand next to her. "I attained inner peace by accepting my past. That my family was dead, my people were dead, and that I am who I am." He looked at her. "I never, ever meant to leave you alone Tigress. My emotions blinded me, and I lost sight of what was truly important to me."

Tigress looked at him. "Don't you ever do that again. Or I'll be the one kicking you through a wall into a river." She suddenly found herself being hugged by the giant panda.

He arms instinctively pulled him tight, and she buried her head into his neck. "I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear. She sobbed once before pushing him away and jumping off the roof, disappearing into the sleeping cabin.

Po stood staring in the direction she had just disappeared. Sighing, fell backwards again, this time onto his back. Staring into the star filled sky, he smiled.

Sleep soon found itself onto everyone aboard except a certain red panda, who balanced atop the mast staff in hand, watching over his students.

Again, I would very much like reviews and ratings on my work.