The Mirror – Chapter IV
At the center of the filthy, blackened city lay its massive iron heart – an armored fortress, covered with legions of cannons and archers. Tigress, Monkey, and Crane sauntered up to the main passage, dragging Shifu's unconscious form with them. "Sorry to keep you waiting my lords! We were not informed of your return to the Citadel so soon..." the guard said nervously. Tigress said nothing, her face unreadable behind her helmet. But the gorilla could feel her icy stare boring into his skull. "Please forgive my insolence my lady..." The guard had barely spoken the words when Monkey slammed him to the ground. Standing on the guards chest, he leaned down and said "FOOL! Your stupidity will cost you dearly my hairy friend! I think I'll kill you slowly...and eat your brain for lunch. Ooh won't that be fun?!" "I want his liver Monkey. GIVE ME HIS LIVER!" Crane shrieked wildly. Monkey unsheathed a pair of swords from his belt, ready for the killing blow...
"NO!" Tigress bellowed, blocking Monkey's blades with her armored fist. "We...do not...kill for amusement, Lord Monkey! Do you know what the Master would do to us if we killed one of his elite guard?" ""But we are superior to them Lady Tigress, everyone in this stinking cesspool! We could destroy the whole of China without a second thought! "And the Master can do the same to the whole world if he put his mind to it. But he chooses not to. That is true strength. You should have learned that by now...". Monkey growled in frustration. He knew she was right; the Master would have his head if he crossed him. "Fine..." Monkey spat. "Fortune favors you today my friend, you get to keep your brain...for now" Monkey said to the cowering gorilla. He turned away, then sucker punched the guard through the hard iron wall. "Hey, at least I didn't kill him...Now let's get this worm inside" Monkey said gesturing toward Shifu. As he and Crane went further in, Tigress stopped to survey the damage. She sighed; this was the second time in a week that she had to keep a guard from being killed by Monkey. He was never this insane before, she thought as she made her way over to the damaged wall. Taking a piece of the wall in either hand, she used her armor to force the hole closed. "Make sure this seam is repaired...and tend to the wounded" she instructed calmly. The other guards scrambled to repair the damaged wall while a few others rushed the half-dead guard to the the Citadel doctor. Now to the task at hand...
Tigress finally caught up to Crane and Monkey. They had come to the training hall, where Mantis and Viper were sparring in their armor. "Viper, Mantis we've all been summoned to the Master's chamber. There's a prisoner to inspect" Tigress called out above the noise. "Don't you usually handle prisoners yourself Tigress" asked Viper. Why do all of us need to be there? Mantis asked nervously. She took Shifu's body from Monkey's hands and showed them. "Because of him..." Both Mantis and Viper stared in utter shock at seeing Shifu – of all people – here in the Citadel. "But how can it be Tigress...?" "I don't know Viper, but the Master will need to see us right away". "Then let's go" Mantis said before already hopping out the door.
"Wake up dog" Tigress growled, dousing Shifu with cold water. He awoke instantly, coughing up the ice from his throat. "Ah, Tigress what have you brought me today?" a voice asked from the shadows. As his vision cleared, Shifu could tell that he was in a large room, like a chamber. "I take it you are the Master, but why have you brought me here?" "Come now Shifu, you don't recognize this place? You're home..." The dimly lit room was filled with all sorts of treasures, weapons, artifacts, and scrolls – one of which was the famous Dragon Scroll sitting atop a pedestal. "Now look above you" the voice instructed. Does he mean the Dragon statue? When he looked up, he saw something other than a dragon. "It cant be..." The creature was something only Oogway had seen before passing on...a phoenix, the celestial guardian of knowledge and power. "How can this be?" "It was prophesied in legend that when Oogway spoke to the Great Dragon to receive the Dragon's Scroll, another creature came to him a short time later. The Divine Phoenix. It gave him a touch of its power in the form of ten golden feathers. These feathers could grant whoever held them immense power and knowledge. The Phoenix also gave him a chest to keep the feathers safe, one that could only be opened by a warrior of pure in spirit, and in heart. But even Oogway didn't know who this warrior would be. Even the Dragon Warrior would not match him. And so, here we are..."
Shifu could scarcely believe his ears. A Divine Phoenix...golden feathers...and a being more powerful than the Dragon Warrior? But then, where was he...could he be..."What have you done with the Dragon Warrior? Where is Po?!" Suddenly a massive monster of iron appeared from nowhere. "DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE!" the monster bellowed. "Why? I demand to see him, where are you keeping him? "Nowhere, and yet he is here...Oh but I must show you something..." The Master directed Shifu toward a smaller statue, It looked like it was sculpted with excruciating detail, in the form of a snow leopard. Yet it looked so familiar. The face was...Tai Lung's face. No...How can this be? "What have you done" "This is not my doing...its yours...Master Shifu..." Master Shifu, why would he call he that? Unless...Unless..."Po?"