The Lion and the Ox

The Savior(s)

(Artwork by me :))

Thank you guys so much for being patient with me! This chapter is a little shorter, but I hope you enjoy it as Kai goes god mode against Po!

.

.

Tigress' faith in Po has never wavered since Po first defeated Tai Lung many years ago. Even if his plans seemed silly or far-fetched, Tigress always knew that he would come through and save the day.

But when Po lunged at Kai, wrapped his arms around Kai's horn, and flexed his pinky, Tigress' faith wavered for just a second. {It won't work!} The words screamed in her mind before she could stop them.

"Po!" She reached out with her paw as if she could stop the panda. But Po was always the type to dive headfirst into danger and ask questions after. But this...

Po scanned the faces of the villagers one last time. He looked Tigress in the eyes. His soft, yet determined emerald green eyes met her fiery amber ones.

{Please don't do this,} Tigress's mind pleaded. What if it didn't work? What if Po was about to kill himself in front of everyone, and leave the villagers at the mercy of Kai?

But Po's eyes weren't filled with defeat. They were filled with confidence. Confidence, valor, determination, and...

love.

"Skadoosh," Po murmured, flexing his pinky downward. His eyes never left hers.

"No!" Someone shouted.

It might have been Tigress, hoping beyond hope that Po could somehow defeat Kai without risking his life.

It might have been Mr. Ping, terrified at the thought of Po leaving him for real this time.

Or perhaps it was Li, who couldn't bear to watch his son die so soon after he got him back.

Maybe it was Shui, begging Po not to leave her family, just now reunited, at Kai's mercy.

Tigress, for the life of her, could not tell.

The golden bubble of chi surrounded Po and Kai glowed so brightly Tigress was forced to shield her eyes. She turned her face away, her paw raised to block her eyes. And yet, even with her eyes squinted shut, the light was so bright she could almost see it with her eyes closed. The chi from the explosion was so hot Tigress took a step back, worried she would get burned.

The moment that the explosion subsided, Tigress' eyes flashed open and she dared to look. She didn't know what she was about to see.

Would Kai be standing there, alone, ready to begin his desolation of the panda village? Were they left unprotected? Was this the end?

But, instead of Kai, Tigress saw an empty space, filled only with a circle of peach petals in the shape of a yin-yang. The wind quietly blew, almost as if trying to fill in the sudden silence. Blood roared in Tigress' ears at the quietness.

Her chest heaved with adrenaline. The space was empty! Empty! Her eyes widened. Po did it! He actually did it!

But instead of feeling joy or exaltation, Tigress felt afraid. Po did it. He was gone.

Li and Mr. Ping charged forth, "Where is Po? What happened?!" Li demanded, grabbing a hold of some of the floating peach petals.

"He took Kai away," She breathed, taking a cautious step forward. She stepped lightly around the peach petals, unsure of what would happen if she touched one. "He saved us," Tigress murmured.