DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KUNG FU PANDA OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN IT. ALL RIGHTS GO TO DREAMWORKS STUDIOS. THE ONLY THING I OWN IN THIS STORY IS ILLISA, MY OC.

This story takes place a few months after the end of KFP 2.

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To Walk Without: Life

Prologue: Reborn from Ashes

It was late at night when the Soothsayer was washing various dishes and bits of cloth in the river by her run-down house in the ruins of the old panda village. The night air was cold, but pleasantly so. It made her feel at peace with the world around her. With Shen defeated, she had returned to the simple life she chose when he banished her, and she returned gladly. Life in the palace didn't sit well with her. Being surrounded by such wealth and power made her feel... unsettled. She felt that, even though it belonged to the royal family, hence belonged to Shen, the wealth that surrounded her was stolen. Living among it made her feel like a criminal. But that was the past, and she was happy to be back in her simple home, even if it was a little decrepit. With her cleaning done, she returned to her hut and prepared herself a late dinner. The warm, flavorful stew balanced out with the night's chill rather nicely. The sound of waves splashing against the nearby shore grew louder gradually. She looked over to the river, and saw something... no... someONE floating towards the shore. Just as the body settled on the muddy edge of the water, the Soothsayer had grabbed a lantern and went to inspect the body. She got closer and closer, the sound of faint, labored breathing growing. One thing she knew she was seeing for certain; blood, and lots of it. She had now gotten close enough to make out the being's face...

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly. Time seemed to stop, and suddenly, the night's chill felt more haunting than relaxing. It just wasn't possible...

It was Shen... and he was alive, but just barely. His robes were torn almost entirely to scraps, his once stark white feathers were matted with blood and dirt, and he was covered with deep wounds.

The Soothsayer didn't know what to do. Should she just leave him to die, or bring him into her hut so he could recover? Could he even be healed? She didn't want to just let him die... but what if he did recover? She was terrified, thinking of what he might do if his health returned... the people he might hurt... She let out a heavy sigh. As horrible as Shen's actions were, she couldn't bring herself to just let someone so injured and helpless die, wallowing in filth.

She began dragging him to her hut. She now questioned whether she was very kind, or very stupid.

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She cleaned Shen and his wounds. As she cleaned the wounds, Shen faintly groaned in pain. She felt sorry for him. What he had done was unforgivable, but she still didn't like seeing him in so much pain. He was very sickly as a child. Frequently mocked by the other noble children, he made very few friends... but his parents loved him. However his mind was too clouded by the unkind words of others to see it. He wanted to become powerful, to prove them all wrong, and if he got the chance.. he wanted to make them pay. The rest of the story has played out of course. She wanted him to feel safe and cared for, even if it was only for his final hours.

She wrapped his wounds in the pieces of cloth she had so recently cleaned, and waited, since there was nothing else she could do. She just waited and hoped that Shen would wake up. But her worry was overcome by her tiredness, and she dozed off to sleep.

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The Soothsayer awoke a few hours later to the sound of grumbling. It was Shen. She watched Shen slowly open his eyes, and she sighed in relief.

"I see you're awake now..." she said.

Shen sat himself up straight to meet the Soothsayer's eyes. His expression was blank and he lightly cocked his head to the side, like a curious child. This puzzled the Soothsayer.

"Do you remember me?" she asked. Shen looked down at his bandages and lightly traced over them with his wingtip.

"Shen?" she prompted. No response. He just kept scanning over his wrapped-up body, as if he had never seen injuries before.

"Do you remember anything at all?" Shen looked back up to meet her eyes. His gaze seemed so... empty. It felt like Shen wasn't even looking at her, but more like Shen was looking through her. Nothing was registering to him.

"N... Nuh... uhhh..." Shen groaned. It seemed that he had trouble simply speaking.

"Nuh... Nuooohh... Nooo... No." The Soothsayer walked closer to him, totally bewildered. She had her answer. Shen couldn't remember anything.

"Shen"... was long gone.

The Soothsayer thought for a moment. She couldn't very well build his old memories back together brick by brick. His mind could shatter under the pressure of the rush of memories returning to him. Or worse, he might try to start where he left off. She needed to find someone who understood the value of looking toward the future as well as she did. The answer was clear... but it caused her to once again question her sanity. She needed the same someone who tried to save Shen before he was defeated.

She had to take Shen to the Jade Palace.

DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNN! What will happen next?! Well, you can find out by clicking that nifty little Follow button for the story to stay in touch! And if you like, you could follow me for my other pieces!

-ritez4fun