Author's Note: Hello everyone! And thank you for checking out my story.

Yes, this is a Kung Fu Panda2/Swan Princess crossover. Yes, it will be based around a Shen/Odette pairing. And Yes, this will follow the Swan Princess movie - but with AU elements. This story will be weird and whacky, but its an idea that just refuses to leave my head. It won't be a long story - I'm thinking it will be around 10 chapters long. But I just need to share this with you guys!

If anyone has read my other Lord Shen centred story, The Vow, then you know that this was the original idea I had for that story before I changed and adapted it. So I very much hope that you all will enjoy this story - I know it sure is fun to get back to writing about Shen again!

Set during the SP movie and 10+ years before Kung Fu Panda 2. Just thought you all might like to know.

Please don't forget to review!

~ The Swan and the Peacock ~

Chapter 1

"Arrange the marriage!" Derek proclaimed loudly to the entire room.

Cheers erupted and peopled jumped for joy. Lords and Ladies toasted, a king and queen in a corner shook hands for a job well done. Even servants were merry. Musicians played triumphant wedding waltzes, and food was brought out to celebrate.

But there was one who did not partake. Odette looked about the room. This was all a bit fast, too sudden. She looked back at Derek as he held her hand in his, but he looked completely unaffected by this rush that had hit her.

She pulled her hand out of his and spoke out. "Wait."

It was as if water had been poured onto a fire. The room went still, people gasped. A violin bow flew out of its master's grip, a chicken got thrown onto a servant, a man set light to his moustache on a candelabra. Everyone gawked at the princess.

"What?" Derek asked. "You're all I ever wanted… you're beautiful."

"Thank you," she smiled. To hear him say the words made her heart flutter. But it wasn't enough. "But what else?"

"What else?" Derek blanched, genuinely confused.

"Is beauty all that matters to you?"

Her father coughed loudly and shook his head at her. Odette ignored him. She loved her father, truly she did. He was all she had left for a family. But on this matter, she would not bend. This was her decision.

She loved Derek. She'd known that for years. They'd grown up together, spent months of every year with each other. He'd always treated her less than favourably, but he'd never been intentionally cruel, and had even warmed to her when they were alone and there was no one for him to show off to. She'd loved him a long time, and it now made her so happy to think he might love her in return. But was it just for the way she looked?

They'd spent so much time together throughout their whole lives, surely Derek knew more of her then what was on the outside. She'd watched every archery contest he'd ever participated in. She'd witnessed his impressive speed and tenacity on a hunt. She also knew exactly how much he loved to ride his horse – it was one of his secret pleasures, how he would go out after dark to tend to the horses in the stables when the servants were gone. She knew all that about him, so what did he know of her? If he couldn't answer the question, then what was this mirage to be based on?

"Derek," said Queen Uberta. Derek looked to his mother for help, and she nodded encouragingly. "What else?"

"I-I-I," Derek floundered back to Odette helplessly. "I don't know. What else is there?"

And just like that, Odette felt her heart begin to break. Derek didn't know her. He didn't see her the way she had always seen him. She dropped her head in disappointment. Others around the room gave their own gasps of horror and sorrow for a failed mission. Odette knew she might be reprimanded for this later. But she refused to live a life where she wasn't appreciated.

"I think it's best if I leave," she murmured quietly.

She gathered her skirts and turned to walk away, but Derek's hand shot out to stop her. "No, Odette – please!"

"Write to me… if you should happen to think of what you want."

Derek tried to call her back, but just like that… she was gone.

Deep in the bowls of the forest, there lay a castle, built high into the rocks, the mountain air shrouded it in fog, and hid it from the world. A lake surrounded the castle, overflowing into streams that filtered down the mountainside into the rest of the forest below. And deep beneath the castle, in the dungeons of shadows and rat nests and ghosts long forgotten, dark things began to gather.

Rothbart stood before the vast cauldron, and poured all his energy into its depths along with the many potions and rare concoctions he had finally managed to find. This specific brew had only been done once before, it was that hard to come by. It had plunged his mind deep into another realm where dark energy amassed. Slowly he began to pull it into the real world and felt it flood into his veins and fuse with his very bones.

The sorcerer sighed in ecstasy. The Forbidden Arts. His at last. Oh, how he had waited so long for this moment to come again! Yet he knew the dangers, dark magic was its own addiction, and he'd seen great men lose their minds and bodies to far less potent material. Rothbart knew his limitations, and knew what precautions he would need to take. With but a few murmured words, he bound the magic to his body, chained it to his very spirit. It took most of his energy in his attempt to contain it and control it, but in the end it paid off.

Now he was ready. Now he would be able to take from King William everything owned and everything he loved. It was time for vengeance.

He raised his hands into the air and pulled forth the magic now exploding at his command. As it had on that fateful night twenty years ago, a flash of light appeared out of the cauldron and formed into the shape of a snarling winged beast.

Rothbart grinned. "Yes. Bring me a creature. A creature of darkness and torment. Bring it to me, bind it to me, let it come to wreak destruction upon this world and destroy my enemies…"

The red light exploded, and Rothbart felt a small force of air push out against him. He stumbled backwards but didn't fall. He looked up and around the dungeon, expecting all sorts of ghouls and demons to appear before him. But none came. He looked over at the cauldron in disappointment. He'd known that spell was a long shot.

But he still had a very deliciously tempting Plan B.

Unbeknownst to the sorcerer, a wind moved through the trees of the forest. It stripped leaves from trees and howled up towards the sky, where dark storm clouds gathered…

Storm clouds gathered overhead. Thunder accompanied the wind that thrashed against the sails of the great flagship. Sailors whispered prayers and begged that the dragon-gods be good to them on their voyage. Such storms that suddenly appeared as they were about to leave dock were bad omens. Especially when a creature of death was on board the ship.

Lord Shen heard such superstitious drivel and was tempted to throw a knife and kill one of the many pig or duck sailors. However, he restrained himself, if only because he didn't want to start this voyage with his silken robes having to be scrubbed of blood. No, he'd let that wait until later.

Almost twenty years… Had it really only been just under twenty years since his banishment? He'd only been a reckless teenager, but that was still old enough for his traitorous parents to turn on him and banish him from their home and lands and all manner of comfort he'd ever known. Now in his thirties, and what did he have to show for it? Branded a traitor and murderer when he'd only been protecting his destiny, deemed a madman by some, but taken advantage of by all. Many had paid for his services as an inventor, strategist or genius, even when they openly despised his very existence to all others. Or I it was not him they wanted, it was to hire his wolf army.

Shen had made quite the small fortune from his time in banishment, but it was not enough. He'd still been left homeless and with nothing. His humiliation was undermined by the misery and fear that each day had brought. The only consolation had been his promise of vengeance. He wanted to destroy everything and everyone that had ever wronged him. And now he knew how to get it. During his banishment, he had scoured far and wide in his search for both political and militaristic support of his cause… and his radical inventions.

The ultimate weapons, one that would render Kung Fu extinct, and would revolutionise the entire world. He'd finally cracked the designs, the experiments and the plans for his weapons. Now, all he needed to do was make them!

Which apparently, couldn't be done in China. The Emperor must have caught wind of his plans and the rumours of his inventions. Shen had received reports from his wolves of a large force of the Imperial Army attempting to hunt them down. They'd been forced to abandon their hideout, and any preparations they'd made along with it. They'd taken only the plans and blueprints. Shen was determined to keep his secrets to himself – no one else could have them! But this experience had told Shen that China was not the place to start his plan, though it would be the end of it. So he resolved to take his plans and army and leave China by boat to any destination where they could start their production plans in peace – India sounded quite good.

So now, here he was. He stood by the bow of the ship, and looked out onto the choppy sea below. The waves had turned dark and crashed against the hull of the ship and made it groan and pull on its docking ropes. As the ship rocked, Shen put a wing to his breast, where an air-tight cylindrical case held his precious documents. Shen didn't dare to trust their safety to anyone else, they were his life's work, after all.

"My Lord Shen!" came a gruff voice and Shen turned to meet the one-eyed gaze of his second in command, the Boss Wolf.

"Are all the wolves on board?" he asked.

The wolf nodded. "Yes sir. We're ready to set sail."

"Do it."

Within a few minutes, the ship had been untied, the anchor pulled up and the ship was moving out into the bay and open ocean beyond. Shen watched the ever darkening sky and tried to suppress his nerves. The ship had better pull through the storm for what he'd had to pay to acquire it.

The wolves helped the sailors in whatever capacity they could, though some were terribly seasick as the vessel rocked back and forth and back and forth. The Boss Wolf stood by the central mast, shouting orders to his subordinates, his scarred eye gleamed in the flash of lightning. Shen held onto the railing with one wing as he made his way back towards the cabins.

"Wave!" screamed a sailor.

Shen spun and his beak fell open in horror as he beheld the giant wave that rose above them. The wind screamed around them, and spun the boat in the water as it tried to sweep it aside. Lightning crashed too close for comfort, and thunder deafened Shen to the point where he shouted out in pain. He held onto the railing with both wings, and clung to it for dear life.

"Do something!" he shouted to the Boss Wolf.

The wolf's eye widened with panic as he suddenly raced for Shen. "Sir!"

The giant wave crashed onto the boat. That was the last solid thing Shen remembered. All the rest was a whirling motion of falling beak over tail, noise drowned out, and saltwater forced down his throat. After that, everything went black.

"I just don't understand," King William shook his head in confusion. He looked to his daughter, imploring with her to make sense. "What else did you want him to say?"

Odette sighed. Her father wasn't reprimanding her, he just wanted to understand her, as he'd always done. She'd heard of other princesses whose fathers had practically sold them to husbands and forced them to live miserable lives in loveless marriages. But not hers. Even though he wanted her to marry Derek, he'd told Odette from the beginning that this was her choice, and he would support her no matter what. And she adored him for it.

So she told him: "I need to know that he loves me. Not because I'm beautiful. But for just being me."

Her father looked thoughtful at that.

The carriage came to a sudden halt. Odette frowned. They hadn't been on the road long enough to be anywhere near the docks. Her father had seemingly the same idea, for he undid the door of the carriage and half climbed out to speak a few words with the driver. Odette went to follow him, when he turned and looked at her.

She was taken aback by how pale he looked, how much his hand shook when he reached out to her. "Stay inside, Odette."

She was about to ask why, when she heard a screech unlike anything she'd ever heard before. It sounded like an animal, but not like any she had ever encountered. She heard screams and horses neighing and stamping. It all happened so fast. Her father shouted something, and suddenly was tossed aside and thrown out of the carriage.

"Father!" Odette cried and went to go after him.

But she was stopped when the ugly face of a monster poked its head into the carriage and roared at her. Dozens of serrated teeth flashed from the lightning. Red eyes gleamed at her hungrily.

Odette screamed.

Shen thought he'd be sick as he coughed and hacked his lungs up of all the water he possibly could. His body hurt and ached, all in so many different places at once. His feathers and robes were drenched, he felt as heavy as if his body were made of iron. Damp soil muddied him, and his beak curled at his dirtied appearance.

Finally, he was able to breathe between the insistent choking. He heaved and dragged himself out of the water. As he flopped to the grassy ground in an exhausted heap, he tiredly searched himself. All his knives and weapons were all in their hidden places on his body – which probably accounted for why he'd felt so heavy in the water. And, to his relief, the cylindrical container was still in his breast-pocket. He sighed in relief, and just for a moment, closed his eyes.

"Sir!"

Shen groaned. Of course he would never have a moment's peace. That would be too easy.

He opened his eyes and attempted to focus his vision. The Boss Wolf and a few other wolves all hovered over him, their stares filled with concern and panic. The peacock grumbled to himself as he slowly pulled himself up to sit. With another cough, he began to look around.

They were all on a bank of a river, the open ocean not far off. Shen immediately noticed how much colder the air felt to what it had before the storm. It felt like they were in northern China instead of the south. Wolves were clambering out of the water, coughing and spluttering as they doggy-paddled out to shore. Only a few broken planks and a torn sail spoke as a testament of the obviously destroyed ship. Shen glared glumly at the wreckage.

He turned and tried to look at where they were, and immediately drew a blank.

All he saw around him was dense forest. The trees appeared different… They didn't look like what he expected. And he could see no landmarks or any other piece of civilisation that might give him a clue as to where they were. On shaky legs, he stood. He tried to wrack his brain. What on earth had happened?

"Sir?" the Boss Wolf asked, interrupting his thoughts. "What do we do now?"

"Gather all your wolves out of the ocean," Shen said immediately. "I want them ready to move within the hour."

"Where're we going?"

"Anywhere but here." He gestured towards the wreckage. "If others saw that, they will come and investigate. We need to determine exactly where we are. I don't recognise anything here."

"Yeah," said a younger wolf. "The air smells different here."

"If we've been marooned, we will have to find some form of civilisation."

The Boss Wolf frowned. "Then what do we do?"

"We dominate."