THE PAST BECOMES THE PRESENT

All right, everybody, this is it! The final chapter of this awesome, powerful, compelling story! I know that, after all that action, you've been itching for the last chapter and specifically for some major league Taigress. So now you get it! The Tai Lung/Tigress love sequence you'll be fully enjoying the same way you've been anticipating it. So I hereby present it to you, the fifth of the five chapters of this story, and thus the final one. This story concludes on the best note it could after the other four. Enjoy, all, especially you Taigress fans.

I own none of the characters. They all belong to Kung Fu Panda. There would be the exception of Cu-Hun, of course, but as you read at the end of the last chapter, he's dead now.

Chapter 5-True Love In True Form

As one might expect, the heroes were now back in the Jade Palace and recovering from all they had gone through. But, for obvious reasons, Tigress in particular. She was utterly drained of all of everything, with the exception of the desire to just be held close and feel safe in Tai Lung's strong, powerful, brawny arms. Which was currently what she was doing. While the others lay in their rooms to cool off, Tai Lung and Tigress were in the same room and embracing atop the same damn bed. It would be some time before they broke the embrace, but when they finally could bring themselves to, they still eyed one another intently.

"Tai Lung…thank you so much for the comfort you've given me. I don't know how long it will take until I'm back to normal…" Tigress told him. "It doesn't matter." Tai Lung replied. "I'm here for you, and vice versa. And no one is charging any crimes against you, for they know all the facts. Even the villagers most frightened by the incident." "Thank God." Tigress sighed. "I also am just as relived as you are that yes, of course, we are here for each other. And, for that matter, always will be…" She looked longingly and soulfully into his eyes, and Tai Lung did not take long to see some kind of vulnerability there. She obviously needed some more love, so he would give it to her, by God. Tai Lung stroked her head and told her, deciding this was exactly the time to reveal to her what he'd been feeling all this time and now felt more than ever, told her every single word of it. Without any hesitation whatsoever.

"Tigress…" "Yes, Tai Lung?" Tigress asked him in response. "There is something I've been wanting to tell you for so long, but have never been able to until now…and I realized it for certain when I was holding you after you fell from the sky, cured of that horrible gem curse…" Tigress suddenly felt a hot sensation in her heart, though she did not show it facially. "Could this be what I've been feeling?" thought Tigress. "Could he possibly be about to say what I think he's about to say, and at a time where he'd mean it most, no less?" And sure enough, the next words out of Tai Lung's mouth were: "Tigress…I've now discovered more than ever that what I've been feeling towards you is true. I felt this once I joined the Jade Palace once more and permanently, and I feel it now, and I will never stop feeling it. I…" He took a quick pause but then finished his sentence. "I love you, Tigress…"

Tigress immediately threw herself around Tai Lung and looked up to the surprised snow leopard of a redeemed villain. She looked directly into his yellow eyes and told him: "And I love you, Tai Lung…I've been feeling this way since you entered, as well, and I feel this way by at least five orders of magnitude now. While I was in your arms, crying into your chest, it was not just from how I felt due to all I'd been through. It was my realizing more than ever before and in the most powerful way my feelings for you, which such circumstances truly brought out. I love you, Tai Lung, and I wish I'd been able to reveal it much sooner…" "It is all right, Tigress…" Tai Lung responded in a gentle whisper. "I love you for you and not for how long you take for anything. Not for your body, though I do think it is a very, very alluring one. Not for what you can do or can't do. For you." "And I love you for you, Tai Lung…" Tigress nodded as she nested her face into the fur of his chest. "We may have been foes once, but those days are done. Now we are the complete opposite, and I'd have it no other way, dear." "Neither would I, honey." Tai Lung answered.

In their rooms, Shifu, Po, Viper, Crane, Monkey and Mantis felt like they should go see how Tai Lung and, especially, Tigress were doing. So they quietly walked to the room to see them, but as soon as they realized the two were both embracing and kissing, they left silently with a small smile, realizing both of them, again, Tigress especially, well deserved this after the feelings they had been having and the horrible stuff everyone, but especially those two, had been through. As for Tai Lung and Tigress, well, they not only cuddled up to one another, but they also kissed far further and also rubbed one another's beautiful, brawny bodies.

Soon enough, they got under the covers and began to hug and press lips to one another even more than before. Neither was denying the fact this love was very real, and that they would be, whatever happened, together forever. The hell Tigress had been through being replaced by this heaven was certainly something she all too eagerly accepted. "Till death do us part, Tai Lung." Tigress told him in a whisper as he held her close to him. "Indeed, Tigress. I will never stop loving you, nor ever let go of you, no matter what." Tai Lung replied, and they held hands.

It was all too clear that Tai Lung and Tigress were to be together forever, and even out from the ashes of the horrible curse Cu-Hun had put upon her, Tigress now was stronger than ever when it came to her spirit, and her love for Tai Lung was even stronger, plus Tai Lung's love for her was just as strong. This was the first night of the rest of their lives, and forever had now begun as of this moment. Officially so, at that. It was not long until they drifted off to sleep with one another, their hearts burning with love and their bodies warmed by being with each other. The dark past was replaced by the bright future, and neither would be anything short of happy for all time.

As for the others in the Jade Palace, all were glad about it, of course, but none so much as Shifu, who thanked the Gods that his first student was finally back where he belonged and had a mate, and that his best female student was now cured of that horrible curse, safe and also with a mate. All was at last right with the world, and he vowed he would never make the sorts of mistakes he did with Tai Lung and Tigress again. Not with Po, not with the rest of the Furious Five, not with any new students of his and certainly not with the fixed Tai Lung and Tigress, especially since they were now in love and with each other eternally. He could finally let go of any and all guilt he felt, and he did.

When Tai Lung and Tigress woke up the next morning, they did not leave the bed for several minutes. Solely because they wanted to savor the amount of time they would be spending in one another's arms and against each other's lovely, loving bodies. This was, at least at this moment, all that mattered to the two newfound feline lovers. Period. End of story.

THE END.

So, how did you all like it? Was that a great ending to a great story or what? Please review, people!

Oh, and just as a bonus, here is the soundtrack for this story.

Chapter 1: My Immortal by Evanescence. Played while Tigress is looking at the picture of her dead parents and weeping about her tragic past.

Chapter 2: Thoughtless by Korn. Played during the battle sequence between Po, Shifu, Tai Lung and the Furious Five and Cu-Hun and all of his assassin minions.

Chapter 3: Going Under by Evanescence. Played during the time Tigress's unwanted, forced powers start to spawn and she begins uncontrollably unleashing hell on the Jade Palace, and then on Peace Valley itself, against her will.

Chapter 4: Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson. Played at the time that Tigress's curse given superpowers are getting more out of control than they first did, which is saying a lot, and she is up in the air unleashing terror and death against her will.

Chapter 5: Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John. Played, predictably, as Tigress and Tai Lung admit their love to one another and begin embracing, kissing, holding hands, etc.

So, what do you think of such a soundtrack? Pretty cool song and scene selections, huh?