Lord Shen & the Sanity of a Panda / Sacred Cannons of Shen
Chapter 1
The skies had become a foggy mess. Orange and fade stripes of black filling the gaps between the violent looking clouds. Thunder roared above the warriors, rain pelted down furiously, breaking the vowel of silence. Thought to be dead, Po stood alone. He didn't leave his enemy's side. He let the cold dampness get to his fur, he watched every minute of his nemesis's so-called death. Crushed by cannons, scorched by flames. Po dreaded to think of the mess he'd be in, he just wanted Shen to be okay. He had a soft-spot in his warm fuzzy heart. His fur kept away his soft-kind side. He just wanted to show his inner-peace. He didn't believe that violence was always the answer. Kung-Fu came to mind. He wanted to share his gratitude with his friends. Master Shifu, Crane, Mantis, Viper, and even Tigress. They had left their friend's side.
The weather around Po and his so-called dead foe became more crimson. The sky was starting to go a little redder, and the fires burnt into smaller flames. Po waited for the flames to stop, he watched the rubble, the destruction of what Lord Shen had caused. He awaited Lord Shen to rise from his wounds, stand up and speak in his horrific toned voice. In his sickening, vile way of talking like a villain. Po wanted to hear his croakiness once more. He wanted to stare the demons in the face, he wanted to see the ruby-crimson red eyes stare into his soul once more. Po waited whilst the rain didn't wait. It began to fall heavier, making the clouds darker above.
Shifu returned, he had a heart after-all. He stepped down onto the step Po was waiting on. His little knees curling like a circle, around the step. His bushy tail wrapped around Po's waist. He wanted to make sure that Po wasn't going through some kind of fit. That Po wasn't going to suffer like his old Kung-Fu masters. Shifu had secrets, the furious five was hardly a secret. But he had deeper, darker secrets. These secrets were what led some of his students to insanity. Driven to a point where they became unstable and lost hope in their Master Shifu.
"Panda… you- can't wait out here all night…" Shifu pat Po on the back.
"Master Shifu, I can try…" Po stayed strong.
"I see… the others are waiting for you, Panda. I-I'm waiting for you… was."
"…I'm sorry, Master. I can't be everywhere at the same time…"
"Po, you're the dragon warrior… a title that means the world to everyone in the valley of peace…"
"Just a legend. I-I know, I know…" Po sighed.
"…fine, stay out here, Panda. If it is what your inner-peace tells you. Then you must… - follow your heart…"
Shifu had the voice of an angel in Po's opinion. He also had wise words for his age, a Master of Kung-Fu. Shifu walked away, leaving Po alone once more. His small figure faded away, slowly dissolved in the fog. Po watched for a split-second, and then focused back on what he had been staring at for the whole night. Lord Shen and his cannons.
An hour had passed, and Po watched the last flame go out.
Po was excited that the flames were out. Deep-down he was feeling sorry for what he had caused Lord Shen. His life. His own dreams shattered by a Panda. An over-grown teddy bear. Lord Shen also lost faith in his plans to take over China. He has no plans…
Po pushed aside the rubble, smashed through the wooden planks covering up the smoke. He dashed through some other large chunks of wood, managing to get several splinters. He held in the pain, and lifted up the cannon that had crushed Lord Shen. Po lifted up the cannon, his arms threatened to give-away. Wanting to put down the cannon, to leave Lord Shen to die in peace. No, no… Po couldn't find it in him, he couldn't find another inner-peace. Not an inner-peace that would mean murder. He wanted inner-peace with himself and Lord Shen. Po took a deep breath, not long before lifting up the corpse of Lord Shen, carrying him away on his shoulders. Po headed back to the Jade Palace.
Several hours later, he had arrived near morning. Holding Lord Shen in his arms, his chest panting, wanting to rest in the Jade Palace.
Po's little plan of allowing his enemy to be with him was jeopardised by Tigress. She stood at the doorway looking displeased with her Panda.
"Po… what is this? – Why is Lord Shen in your arms?" Tigress growled.
"…T-Tigress, my inner-peace… it's telling me this is the right thing…"
"The right thing? Po, have you gone bananas? Master Shifu will not allow bodies… lost warriors in the Jade Palace. Look… I never thought I'd have to tell you this-"
"He is staying with me, Tigress. He is now a lost warrior…" Po pleased.
"No, no way! – Lord Shen caused misery to China, he wanted to end our lives, end Kung-Fu, Po…"
"Please, please… listen to me! He isn't that bad, Tigress… he isn't…" Po begged, feeling tired from his journey.
"As you wish, Panda. You will regret this, Po. I'm standing in your way, b-because… because I-"
Shifu interrupted. "Panda! – What is the meaning of this?"
Tigress sighed deeply, not knowing what she wanted to tell Po. She walked away feeling embarrassed for standing in Po's way.
"Master Shifu… It's Lord Shen. I found him…"
"Yes, I heard. Last night, your inner-peace. You followed your heart, Panda. For that, I am grateful. However… you can't bring him here…"
"But… But- Master Shifu!"
"No… Po, I'm sorry…"
Shifu closed the door on Po, locking him outside of the Jade Palace. Leaving the dragon warrior with Lord Shen in arms still. Po needed sleep, his journey on carrying back his worst fear, it had become a tragic moment all at once. Po wanted to show his friends that inner-peace is there for them too. Shifu was wiser, he knew what inner-peace meant. He taught Po the power of inner-peace. He regrets telling him though.
Po waited outside with Lord Shen in arms, he looked disgust with what he had been told. He couldn't understand why Tigress would stand in his way, why Master Shifu changed his mind about Po's inner-peace. He knew one thing though. He wanted to see those ruby-crimson red eyes widen once more. He imagined the glare of Lord Shen, his toxic behaviour towards the Panda. He wanted to meet his nemesis once more. He hated the so-called murderer, he wished he hadn't saved him. However, it was too late to go back on his inner-peace. According to Po; he believed that his inner-peace would fade if he hadn't followed through with it last night.
Crane was brushing off some loose feathers. He overheard Po speaking to himself yet again. He approached the Panda with a calm delicate tone. He wanted to surprise the Panda, but felt sorry for what he had heard from the Jade Palace.
"Po… is that… Lord Shen?"
"Yes. Crane! I found him, he's…"
"Dead? – Po… look, what did Master Shifu say?" Crane sat beside his friend.
"I was told that the deceased can't return…"
"Po… I know it's difficult, hard even. Sad to see anything or anyone go… Lord Shen was and could've been the end of China!"
"Not you too! – Please… you can't seriously be saying… my inner-peace was boggle-words…"
"There is nothing else to say, Po. Master Shifu is right…" Crane sighed.
"Inner-peace, Inner-peace. It's all a big giant lie… isn't it?"
"No. It's not the inner-peace you are following, Po. You are following your heart…"
Po felt sorry for himself, he felt sorrier for bringing up a dead bird. He was displeased with his friends, but believed that they were right.
Tigress approached Po, she wanted to talk to him again. She had been practicing on the words to say to the Panda. On how to tell Po that doing what he is doing, is wrong and unusual. Not to mention, stupid. She believed that Lord Shen could never be trusted ever again. She approached him with a calm tone, as she rubbed the back of his back. She smiled, let out a slight giggle and put on her serious face.
"Po… Lord Shen needs to return back to his burial…" Tigress sighed.
"Yes. It's exactly what I've been trying to say, Tigress…" Crane rudely interrupted.
"Cram it, bird brain. – Go back to the Jade Palace, I need to tell Po, something…" Tigress grunted.
Crane walked away, feeling pleased with himself.
"Lord Shen isn't dead… he will awaken, and when he does… he'll bring more terror to China."
"You don't know that, Tigress. When you were… at the orphanage, you-"
"Shut up, Po. Don't bring that up! – This is about Lord Shen and inner-peace. Not about my life…"
"But… Tigress? You had a similar-"
"Experience? Yes. Now zip it! – I don't want you… ruining my life." Tigress's tone became bitter.
"Fine! – I'll just sit here, then. I'll hold the bird, hold Lord Shen. Waiting for him to open his eyes, and then I'll let him go…"
"Panda… you're getting on my nerves!" Tigress snapped.
"On your nerves, Tigress? – No. No. You are just making yourself like that. Always about you. It's always about little miss Tigress!"
Lightning clashed in the skies with rain pelting down on Po and Tigress. A tense relationship was growing around them.
"…Po. You don't know what you're doing. You're sick! You need to… c-come inside."
"Inner-peace, inner-peace. It will find me, and when it does… I'll be happy. Shifu said so himself."
"Fine… here, Po. You'll need it. Without this, you won't find anything but an upset panda may sleep with a dead-bird…"
Tigress handed Po a sunhat, it was a hat passed on down from the orphanage. "Thanks…" Po sighed.
Tigress walked away, entering the doorway into the Jade Palace. Leaving Po yet again, alone and upset with himself.
He just needs time, the wounds will heal… we all went through what he went through, right, Shifu?" Tigress spoke in a calm tone.
Po's sadness was outside, his friends watched from inside. Feeling sorry for him, but they believed that the wounds would heal, eventually…