Disclaimer: I do not own own some characters of this story, including some events and parts. They are owned by DreamWorks solely.
Warnings: This chapter contains information about religion and contains a minimal use bad language.
Author's Notes: This is my first fan fiction story ever and I hope you enjoy it. I'm just not so good with doing details, but, I'm improving. The theme is as the story title says, Shen's second chance, but the first few chapters will focus more on his past in flashback form. Please rate it in anyway you want, just no insults, please. It would help to tell me what the good pointers and bad pointers are of what I wrote, so I appreciate those who'll go to the trouble of rating this.
Responses:
To "International-Wonderland": Hey, first story and chapter up. :D
CHAPTER 1:
My Guardians
The impact of the cannon as it made contact with the boat came too fast which caused a mildly large explosion. Po nearly got caught in it, but was lucky enough to miss it by just a mere foot. He looked back and was stunned too see that the boat he was just on had gotten consumed in flames; but with a surprising continuation as fireworks in different colors shot through the air and started forming numerous beautiful patterns - as they were designed for; Po noted one in particular that looked like a peacock.
And speaking of peacocks, he couldn't believe it. He just saw his opponent, Shen, get crushed by his own cannon and didn't even try to run. He never expected that Shen would just give up and accept death as it stared him in the eyes. Maybe Shen got tired of fighting and decided to let it all go, he thought. One thing for certain though - was that he was glad everything was over, the battle and all, whether Shen did or didn't make it... it was his own fault anyway - he decided it.
He swam away from the scene and approached the harbor, to be picked up by Tigress and the others. That was a really, really overwhelming finish, everybody, including Po, thought.
As he got up the harbor, everyone else cheered for him; how awesome he was deflecting cannonballs here and there, and used Shen's own weapons against him; but Po was just happy to be alive. Then, all of a sudden, he gave Tigress an unexpected hug, causing the other members of the Furious Five to stare at them with blank looks on their faces... and oh, an open beak as well.
They were just glad that their mission was finally over and that they could return home already. Finally! The threat of Lord Shen, with his wolf and ape minions, had actually come to an end, or... so they thought...
He woke up... He saw only endless skies... He felt warm where he lay down... on a fluffy cloud... wait... WTF? He was on the sky and sitting on a cloud - literally. He looked down and he saw that he was indeed far above ground. He moved away from the edge, not that he was afraid of heights, but some heights are just impossible to not fear. He decided to scan his surroundings, and all he saw were endless masses of big white clouds. Damn right he was as hell confused as anyone would have been.
Shen wasn't dreaming was he? He needed to find answers, and fast - before he loses it.
All of a sudden, there were two figures that appeared in front of him. They were both a copy of him but only translucent, like ghosts. He stared at his two reflections as they were looking at each other while talking, but not noticing him. He slowly came up to his two lookalikes and cautiously asked them where he was and what he was doing here.
The two figures looked at him, probably amused. They were both smiling at him, and they just greeted him with "Hello!" and "How do you do?" while shaking his wings as a regular greeting would go.
Shen was feeling odd about this, he was staring at himself as ghosts. He finally spoke up.
Shen: "Uh, pardon me, but might I ask what in Heaven's name am I doing here?"
The first Shen Illusion gave a snicker, the other crossed his arms as if he didn't like what he said and beamed at him, then he beamed at the first illusion.
Shen Illusion #1: "Ha. He said 'Heaven'... in your face!"
Shen Illusion #2: "Whatever! That still doesn't prove anything."
Okay... Shen was confused.
Shen: "Prove what?"
Then, the first Shen Illusion put his wingtips together, as if he was praying, and his snickering face turned serious. The second one just looked at him with his stare, which then after was accompanied by an evil grin.
Shen backed away a few steps. Then to his shock, two illusions exploded, or rather gave out, smoke in colors of black and white. The gas reached him but it was scentless. After a few seconds, the smoke colors just died down and revealed the two figures in their real forms.
Oh fudge... Shen thought. He knew these beings. They were his guardians and conscience, the Angel and the Devil. They still had the face of Shen, but they had two very different personalities and were five times bigger than he was wearing their prescribed angel and devil suits.
Angel: "Shen, it has been a while since you've last followed my advice."
Devil: "Ha! Advise my $$! He's actually trying to abandon us. He doesn't care about our help anymore."
Shen: "Oh yes I do! I'm being evil like you told me to."
Devil: "Yes you are obviously evil, but now, you're just lost. If you're ever gonna plan to take over China again, next time, don't be ignorant to the extent that you lose everything. Including YOURSELF!"
Shen: "Yes, but..."
Angel: "Though I know you do not swear, and your goal in life is just to redeem yourself, you have obviously clouded your mind with confusion. That's what caused your downfall. With that, you cannot enter Heaven."
Shen: "Wait, so I'm dead? That's it? I'm actually dead?... So now I get to eternally rest he-"
Devil: "Nope. Sorry buddy. Hell has declined you too."
Shen was now at loss for words. He was both rejected in the side of good... and... even evil, his main personality, his heart, his soul. It's just that his mind got the better of him. He was too confused now. This didn't help him at all.
Shen: "So, I won't just live in the skies, right?"
Angel: "Nope."
Devil: "Nada."
Shen: "Then, what am I here for?"
His Angel and Devil both smiled...
Angel & Devil: "Advice."
Shen: "Huh?"
Angel: "We will be sending you back to Earth so you could have a second chance to find your real identity, and who you really want to be."
Devil: "Also, before you go to Earth, we'll first send you inside your own mind to visualize well what you've done and encountered in the past."
Shen: "Okay... so what happens now?"
His Devil made that evil grin again... He grabbed Shen on his neck, not choking him, and raised him up to eye level. Shen struggled to get out, but couldn't. When they met each other's eyes...
Devil: "I've always wanted to do this to you."
Shen just gulped in fear, then before he knew it, he was thrown at high speed towards the surface of the Earth. He tried to glide with his wings, but everything was just too fast. He neared the surface but he was still speeding. Wait until I get my wings on those two... He hit the surface which he wasn't sure if he felt anything. Everything just turned black.
Devil: "You know Angel Shen? I still think Hell is better because to go to Heaven you still need to walk those long flight of stairs to get to that so-called paradise - seriously..."
Angel: "Well Devil Shen, it's worth it when you reach the top... and, you didn't have to throw Shen..."
Devil: "No, he'll appreciate the thrill."
