Here it is, the final chapter. I hope you find this a satisfying conclusion to this story; I've had these moments in my head since the beginning :P

Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own KFP

Chapter 7: The Truth

The doors to the Hall of Warriors swung open behind Master Shifu, breaking him from his meditation. He stood up and turned to face an out-of-breath Po who was crawling across the floor, gasping for air. The panda made eye contact and reached out to Shifu.

"Master…*pant*…Shifu..."

"Po!" Shifu's eyes grew wide with concern as he hurriedly approached his student. "Why are you back here so early? Has something gone wrong? Are you being chased?"

Po continued to pant, oblivious to Shifu's questioning as he slowly rose to his feet. The panda bowed before his master once he caught his breath, and spoke.

"Master Shifu…I need your help."

Shifu stood back in his fighting stance. "What is it? Where are they? What happened to the others?"

Po held out his hand to stop him. "No, it's not like that…" When the red panda raised an eyebrow and looked on questioningly, he continued. "…everyone's fine, we just decided to come back a bit early…but…I have a…uh, a problem…it's…personal…"

"Hmm. I see." Shifu motioned for the panda to sit as he did likewise. "What is it that is troubling you?"

Po hesitated a moment, then sighed.

"Okay, I know you're going to be angry, but…" Po took a deep breath before spilling it all out at once. "Every time I've been around Tigress in the past, I've felt different. More focused, and more alive, like I can do anything. And recently it's gotten to the point where I can't imagine life without her…" He took another breath, standing up to pace back and forth, not daring to look into Shifu's eyes. "So I asked Viper what all this means and she said that it means that I love her and-"

"Po."

The panda sighed again, turning apprehensively to Shifu while twiddling his thumbs nervously. He was expecting his master to be full of anger. He expected him to be disgusted by the fact that his students had gone behind his back and kept something from him. He expected chastisement beyond his wildest dreams. He expected anything other than what he was about to hear.

"I know."

A small smile began at the corners of the red panda's mouth in response to the dumbfounded look on Po's face.

"Uhh…what?" Po asked, shocked and unsure if he had heard his master correctly.

"I already know." Shifu paced to his student's side, hands behind his back as he walked. He stood silently for a moment before turning back to Po and continuing. "I've been around for quite some time, panda. I know the signs, and I've seen how you two act around each other."

Po scratched his head before holding it up hopefully. "You mean…you knew all along…before I even did…and…you're okay with it?"

Shifu nodded. "Po…life isn't only about Kung Fu. You've shown us that." His smile grew as he continued. "Life is about doing what you feel is right. What makes you happy." He paced back in front of the panda and faced him head on. "If this is what makes you happy, and this is what makes her happy, I shall not dare interfere."

Po would have been ecstatic, but he remembered the other problem still at hand. His smile dropped back into a grimace, prompting Shifu to inquire further.

"There is…something else bothering you?"

Po hung his head low as he nodded. He fell back onto his rear and slumped over with his hands in his lap. The panda sat there for a few seconds before raising his eyes to meet Shifu's.

"Well…you see…" His eyes dropped back to the ground in front of him. He found it difficult to sort through his memories; the accompanying pain began to overwhelm him before he managed to force out the words. "Last night, I was with…Tigress…and she…she told me how she felt…she said that she…loved me…" Po's hand was back over his heart as he attempted to wrestle with the ache each throb produced.

Shifu raised an eyebrow, surprised at what he was hearing; surprised that she had admitted her feelings to the panda first and not the other way around.

"…and…well, I screwed it up." Another despondent sigh left his mouth. "And now…now she won't talk to me, she wouldn't even let me apologize…"

Shifu stroked his beard for a moment and spoke up. "Po, has it occurred to you that she might be hurting just as much as you are?"

Po looked somewhat confused at the question. "Well, yeah…she seemed pretty angry-"

"Perhaps anger is her way of coping. Perhaps it is her way of concealing how she truly feels…"

The panda's ears perked up. "You mean…I might still have a chance?"

Shifu nodded with a grin. But that grin soon fell into a frown as he thought. He opened his mouth to speak, leaving it hang open for a few seconds before words actually came out.

"Believe it or not, when I was around your age I was in a similar predicament…"

"What? You mean-"

"Yes." Shifu rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I had found the woman of my dreams, but when the time came to share our feelings…suffice it to say, I made a mistake much the same as yours."

"…really?" Po tried to imagine his master with a woman. The thought would have been amusing had the situation not been so serious.

Shifu turned his back to Po before he spoke again. "I, like you, tried to apologize…but that wasn't enough. My biggest mistake came when I let myself think it was truly over from that point on." He paced up to the Moon Pool, looking down into it for a moment and then turning back to the panda. "I gave up on her."

He held his head in remorse and sighed, but then looked up again through fierce eyes directly into Po's.

"You must not make my mistake. You mustn't give up."

Po let his gaze drop from Shifu's eyes. "I don't know, Shifu…I just…I don't think I can…what if I screw up again?"

Shifu strode towards the panda. "What if? That's the question. You will never know unless you try!" Shifu paused a moment to let the words sink in. "You also didn't think you could learn Kung Fu, and neither did I. But I was told that all I had to do was believe. Believe that I could train you, so that you could believe that you could be trained." Shifu held out his hand, motioning to the panda. "And look how it turned out. You are my most skilled student, and one of the greatest Kung Fu masters I have seen to date."

Po looked up and met Shifu's eyes again. Seeing this, the red panda went on. "And now…now it is your turn to believe. You have defeated two of the greatest threats China has ever seen; you can certainly tell someone the truth about how you feel. And you will." Shifu smiled brightly. "That's an order."

"I will, master. Thank you." Po smiled and rose to his feet confidently, bowing as the red panda did likewise. The spark of determination in his stomach was back, and this time the flame had caught. He marched out of the still-open doors to the hall, closing them behind him as he began his search for the tiger.

Viper sat in the courtyard outside the training hall, listening to the sounds of destruction that came from within. The other masters had retired to the kitchen for a much needed meal, while Tigress had, of course, gone straight to training.

The snake sighed. She worried for the tiger's well-being, as well as Po's. She thought of how she had snapped at him down in the village, the regret amplifying each time she went over it in her head. I really need to say sorry-

As if on cue, the panda came barreling down the stairs out of the Hall of Warriors. She called out to him as he approached.

"Po, I wanted to say I'm sorry for-"

Po held up his hand. "Don't worry about it, I understand you were frustrated and all. Where's Tigress?"

The snake hesitated, then motioned with her head, pointing to the training hall.

"Ah, right. Thanks!" Po gave her a thumbs-up and took off.

Huh. That was easy…she thought, smiling a bit before her face returned to a look of worry. I sure hope he knows what he's doing…

The doors slammed shut behind the panda as he stepped further into the hall. A large crash was heard and his eyes darted to its origin. Tigress stood in the center of the hall, whacking away at the wooden warriors. Several of them were completely destroyed and lay in a heap of broken wood and metal strewn across the floor.

Po's stomach clenched up as anxiety began to fill it, replacing the confidence he had come in with. He just realized he hadn't a clue what to say or where to begin. Nevertheless, he approached the tiger quietly and cautiously.

"T-Tigress?"

She didn't respond, not even bothering to turn around to acknowledge his presence. The panda gulped, moving closer into her peripheral.

"Tigress."

She still ignored him, focusing entirely on striking the wooden warrior before her. Gods, what does he want now?

He sighed. "We need to talk."

Conflicting emotions rose within the tiger, flowing through her and causing her to hesitate for a moment. She didn't dare drop her outward composure, but she soon found she had little control inwardly.

"No, we don't." she replied. Yes, we do…

"Please, Tigress…I just needed to say that…I'm sorry, I really am…I didn't realize…"

"Po, leave me alone." Her tone was growing intense, though the anger that clung to each word was feigned. Go on…

Po felt a sense of hopelessness wash over him. Was it really over? If she wasn't even willing to hear him out… No, he thought. I won't quit. I won't give up. Shifu's words rang through his head, pushing him forward.

He thought of how crazy he was for even thinking of doing it. Either that or he was dead. Or both. But he needed to get her attention, no matter what it took.

As the tiger wound up for another blow directed at the wooden dummy, Po shot his hand out and intercepted it.

Tigress' eyes widened before squinting, connecting with his as if to say 'challenge accepted.'

Both masters backed up into their ready stances and charged. It had begun.

Blows were delivered and deflected, hands and feet going every which-way as the two moved around the hall in a blur. Neither showed any signs of faltering; that is, until Tigress connected with a strong kick to Po's abdomen, sending him hurtling backwards and into the wall.

Sensing a lull in the action, Po stood up to dust himself off and spoke up.

"Tigress, please, give me a chance to speak…"

She stood in the ready stance, waiting for him to come back at her. But his words caused her to wince and look to the ground for a moment. "You…you had your chance…" she muttered under her breath. Please, go on…please…

"But…I need another one…" he advanced towards her slowly, trying to make as much of the time he had as he could. "I need to tell you how much I really care about you, Tigress…"

He sighed inwardly in relief when she dropped her stance and crossed her arms as she turned away from him.

"You don't care about me…why would you? I'm a monster, and that's all I'll ever be to anyone…" her voice was now slightly shaky, tears beginning to well up deep in her eyes. Tell me how much you care…

"Tigress…" Po almost scoffed at the notion that the woman before him, the woman he loved was anything close to a monster. "Why would I think that you're a monster-"

"Because I break things! Whenever I lose control I just…destroy…" she sighed dejectedly and made her way over to a wall, crunching up in a ball next to it, head in her arms. Tell me I'm wrong…convince me that I'm not…

Po approached a heap in which a broken wooden dummy sat in, picking up a piece of wood and looking it over. "Tigress…"

The tiger lifted her head. He could see that tears were now running down her face.

"…when you break things, do you feel…guilty…about it?"

She frowned. "Of course I do! I-" she stopped herself, slowly realizing what he was getting at.

"And that's why you aren't a monster." Po walked over to her side, tossing the piece of wood aside and sitting down beside her. He softly laid a hand on her shoulder and continued. "A monster destroys without any feeling or regret. The fact that you do feel regret is the very reason you aren't a monster…"

Tears no longer filled the tiger's eyes. She just sat there, stunned; he had just, in one sentence, brought closure to one of her life's biggest obstacles. He…he really does care…

Po was now gently rubbing circles over her back. He saw that he was making progress. "…besides, you're way too beautiful to be a monster…"

Her eyes widened, a smile creeping across her face as she turned to him and looked him in the eye.

Po realized that this was it. This was the moment in which he would tell her. The universe had granted him with a second chance, and there was no way in hell that he was about to pass it up.

"Tigress…" he began.

She turned her head back to the ground, her smile disappearing as she sighed.

"I…I don't know, Po…I don't know if I could take it again…I don't know if I could take being hurt like that another time…" Prove it to me…prove that you won't...

"Tigress, I would never, ever dream of hurting you ever again..." He sighed and shook his head slightly. "...what happened last night...I didn't think I was ready, I didn't think it was the right time...but looking back, I see that there was no more perfect a time to tell you...that..." Po shifted further towards her and took her hands in his.

She turned her body towards him and looked at him through pleading eyes. Say it…please, say it…

It was now or never. The words finally came to him.

"…I love you too. I always have, and I always will."

A small gasp escaped her lips. She felt his hands tighten around hers.

"Oh, Po…" Tears of joy rather than sorrow now filled the tiger's eyes as she withdrew her hands and lunged forward, embracing him in a hug which he returned unreservedly.

The two sat there in each other's embrace for what felt like hours, noses buried in each other's fur taking in their lover's scent as their hearts finally beat as one.

Po scooped Tigress up in his arms, feeling a grumble in his stomach as he looked down into her eyes. He realized that they both still had yet to eat anything at all that day.

"So, how 'bout we grab somethin' to eat? Y'know, just the two of us?"

This time she spoke what was on her mind. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Po nodded. "Yep."

That one word was enough to make all the pain and suffering she had just been though worth it. Elation swept through her, her smile growing even wider as she replied.

"I'd like that."

The end. There you have it, hope you guys liked this little story I cobbled together! Be sure to let me know if you found anything that I can improve on, I'm always about improvement :D

See you guys next time!