A/N: Hey everybody, it's me! Ok I know I haven't updated in like 2 weeks but I have good reasons. First I had to get everybody to vote on the whole Po v.s. Liu Kang thing before I could start writing, and guess what... IT WAS A TIE! No joke, out of the 12 people who voted 6 voted for Po and 6 voted for Liu Kang, seriously I was amazed. So as the author I had to break the tie and once I did I started writing this but then encountered my old nemesis; writers block. But as you can see I kicked his ass and finally finished this chapter, hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda or Mortal Kombat.

Shaolins and Shokans

Po's eyes opened slowly, as the rays of sunlight flowed into the room through the window. Once Po was awake he heard a strange sound and scanned the room for the source. After a moment of thought Po realized that the sound was coming from none other than Tigress, purring happily as she was fast asleep and cuddled up next to Po. He smiled softly, remembering that he slept in Tigress's room last night at her request. Po then leaned down and planted a kiss on Tigress's forehead, which unintentionally woke her up.

"Morning Po." Tigress said softly.

"Morning beautiful, you hungry?" Po replied earning a nod from Tigress. "Come on, I'll make us quick batch of noodles and then we could go and do some training." Po said as he got off the bed.

"Ok, but remember Po, just because we're together now doesn't mean I'll go easy on you." Tigress stated as Po helped he down. He let out a light laugh, expecting no less from the tiger master.

"Ow!" Po said as he hit the ground once again. After having a quick breakfast, Po and Tigress went to the garden to spar, in preparation for Po's battle with Liu Kang.

"Ha Ha, how is it that you can beat me in a real fight but not in a sparring match." Tigress asked with an amused tone as she extended her arm to help Po up.

"Maybe it's because I'm not trying as hard." Po replied as he grabbed Tigress's arm and pulled her down on top of him. Tigress was surprised by this but once the initial shock subsided she just went with the flow and kissed Po tenderly on the lips. Suddenly Raiden appeared in a flash of lightning, interrupting Po and Tigress's moment.

"Po may I… oh, my apologies, I did not mean to disturb you." Raiden apologized as he saw the display. The two masters scrambled to back on their feet, both blushing in embarrassment.

"Um, uh… no problem Raiden, we were just… sparring." Po stuttered, trying to hide the blush that went across his face.

"I see." Raiden said. "Tigress, may I speak to Po in private for a moment, there is something we must discuss." He continued.

"Ok sure, if you two need me I'll be in the courtyard." Tigress replied. She was curious about what could be so important that they needed to talk privately, but Raiden respected her privacy so the least she could do was so the same. Po and Raiden waited for Tigress to leave the garden to commence their conversation.

"What's up Raiden is there something wrong?" Po asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and worry.

"Not at all Dragon Warrior, in fact it's quite the opposite." Raiden replied. "I merely came to wish you good luck in your fight with Liu Kang; I am certain that no matter who is victorious, Earthrealm's fate will be in good hands." Raiden's words caused a smile to appear on Po's face but also a caused a surge of anxiety as the pressure of having the fate of billions on his shoulders began to set in.

"Well, thanks for vote of confidence, but why did we have to talk in private for just that?" Po asked with a confused look on his face. Raiden's expression then became more serious.

"Well, there is something else I came to tell you." Raiden began, his tone giving Po a bad feeling. "The freedom of Earthrealm is only part of the prize for winning Mortal Kombat. In addition, the grand champion will receive immortality and stilled ageing until the next tournament." He explained. Po's mouth went agape at this, as he was a bit shocked at what the god just said.

"Wait, so you're saying if I win the tournament, I'll become immortal… that is so AWESOME!" Po exclaimed excitedly as he began to jump up and down. "Seriously, holy… Oh my… WOW! Immortal, aw man, wait till I Tigress abou…" Po's rambling stopped once he realized why Raiden told him this in private. "Oh my god… Tigress."

"Yes Po, I'm sure you understand how that would put a strain on your relationship." Raiden said.

"But wait, you said it was only until the next tournament right." Raiden nodded. "Well that's not so bad, it's only a like a year or so right." Po said hopefully but Raiden's sympathetic expression didn't change.

"Po, Mortal Kombat is held every fifty years." Raiden clarified, causing Po to go wide eyed.

"Fifty… I won't age for fifty years." Po said completely dumbfounded as he lowered his head in sadness.

"I'm afraid so, I'm sorry Dragon Warrior, I should've told you sooner." Raiden sincerely apologized. Po couldn't believe what he was hearing; just when he thought things were going his way. He was starting to think that the sole purpose of Mortal Kombat was to tear him and Tigress apart, one way or another. There was a moment of silence and then Raiden spoke. "Like I said Po, no matter who moves on to the final round, I'm sure Earthrealm's fate is secure, so if you wish, you may forfeit." He said, regaining Po's attention.

"What, you're telling me to give up?" Po questioned unbelievingly.

"I am merely giving you a choice." Raiden explained. "Whether you take it or not is up to you." Po then looked down at the ground once again in deep contemplation and Raiden knew he was not going to get an answer right away. "I will now leave you to think about it, but just know that no one will blame you if you decide to quit." He reassured before he disappeared in a flash of Lightning. Po felt like he was drowning, he had no idea what to do or what the right choice was; he just stood there, hopelessly staring at the ground.

Night had fallen on Shang Tsung's island and all of the Kombatants have gathered in the throne room for the next round. Liu Kang was doing a kata to warm up as Po walked in through large doors gaining the attention of his comrades.

"Hey, there's the big guy, where've you been Po?" Johnny Cage asked enthusiastically as Po walked up to the group.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you all day; I was starting to get worried when you didn't show up for lunch." Tigress added with a bit of worry in her voice.

"Sorry, I just… had some stuff to think about." Po replied, without making eye contact with her.

"Are you ok Po, is something wrong?"Tigress asked as she recognized the tone he was using.

"He's probably just nervous about his fight with Liu Kang, and after his display yesterday I don't blame him." Sonya interrupted.

"Yeah, let's go with that." Po said, as he couldn't think of a good excuse to his behavior.

"Dragon Warrior, so kind of you to join us." Shang Tsung said once he realized Po had entered the room. "Kombatants, we shall now begin the elimination round, Po, Liu Kang, take your positions." He announced prompting said fighters to step forward into the center of the room.

"Good luck Po." Tigress said encouragingly.

"Yeah, you're going to need." Johnny Cage teased a bit causing Tigress to punch his arm in annoyance. "Ow, I was only joking." he said as he rubbed his arm. Po and Liu Kang then stood across from each other on the 'battle field' and took their fighting stances.

"May the best fighter win." Liu Kang said with a kind smile on his face.

"Right." Po replied halfheartedly as he forced a smile.

"Begin!" Shang Tsung announced commencing the fight. The two Kombatants then rushed up to each other and began trading blows. This didn't last very long as Liu Kang was easily able to get passed Po's defenses and landed a three hit combo, ending it with a round house kick that sent Po to the ground. As soon as Po got up Liu Kang attempted to land a flying kick but luckily Po was able to Telestep away in time. Po then began to hit Liu Kang with a combo but only two of the intended four hits landed as Liu Kang was able to block the last two which gave him an opening he used to land a bicycle kick on him, the last hit sending him back to the floor. Liu Kang raised an eyebrow at this; Po's last hits didn't have much behind them, and his movements were sloppier than usual. Despite his suspicion Liu Kang shrugged it off and refocused on the fight. Po then got up and shot a fire ball at him, but Liu Kang avoided it by jumping in the air. He then landed a drop kick on Po but he was able to recover fast enough to block an uppercut from Liu Kang and retaliate with a kick to the gut, which caused him to stagger back a bit. Po then tried to sweep his feet but Liu Kang was able to land a high jump kick followed by three powerful punches. He then climbed up to Po's shoulders and jumped off, kicking Po the ground. Liu Kang's suspicion grew, as he knew Po could fight better then he was. Liu Kang decided he would give Po a little test to see if it was just a fluke or if he was holding back. Once Po got to his feet Liu Kang shot a fireball at him and watched closely to see how he reacts. Po clearly saw the fireball coming towards him and tried to deflect it like he normally would, but to everyone's surprise the projectile slipped right threw his hands and hit him square in the face, that was enough evidence Liu Kang needed.

"I knew it, you're holding back on me." Liu Kang accused gaining Po's attention.

"What? Me, hold back on you, pfff, no way, why would you ever think that?" Po asked awkwardly, but honestly.

"Your form is sloppy, your defense is weak, you can't get a combo in because your hits aren't strong enough to keep me dazed, and you couldn't deflect the fireball, a maneuver that is unique to you. Why are you holding back?" Liu Kang stated sternly. Po was shocked, he really was holding back. He didn't mean to, his heart just wasn't in it because of the whole immortality thing.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hold back." Po apologized. "It's just that, Raiden told me about the… 'grand prize', and I don't think I want it." He explained, making sure not to mention the immortality as he knew that Tigress was listening.

"'Grand prize'… ah, I see." Liu Kang said as he realized what Po was talking about. "Well if you don't want it then why didn't you just forfeit, we would've understood." He continued. There was a moment of silence and then Po spoke.

"Because… then I would be quitting, and I was taught that a warrior never quits, no matter what. Plus, I felt like if I forfeited then I would've let you guys down… don't get me wrong I'm sure you could win the tournament, but I thought that I would be turning my back on you guys, and that go against everything Kung Fu stands for, helping those in need." Po stated he looked at the floor sadly.

"I understand Po, but you know what, if you don't fight to your fullest then you might as well be quitting." Liu Kang said, gaining back Po's attention. "You see, this battle isn't to prove who is the better warrior, but to find out who would give Earthrealm the best chance at winning, and if you don't give it all you've got then we won't know for sure will we?" He continued, but Po's expression didn't change.

"I'm sorry, but my heart's just not in it." Po apologized once again without making eye contact.

"That's because your mind is too clouded." Liu Kang stated. "Don't think about the 'grand prize' or how it will affect your future, just focus on the true purpose of Mortal Kombat; to protect Earthrealm. And since we are both able to fulfill that purpose this match will become nothing more than a friendly spar, you think you can do that." Po thought about it and he knew that Liu Kang was right. Ever since Raiden told him about the 'grand prize' he began thinking only about himself, about what would make him happy. But this was bigger than just himself so he decided to set aside his own problems and deal with then when the tournament was over.

"Yeah, I think I can do that." Po said with his first genuine smile since the news. "Alright, now the fight really begins, you better watch out man, cause I'm about to bring the THUNDER!" He said enthusiastically as he took his battle stance once again. Liu Kang smiled at this and took his stance as well. The two stared each other down confidently and then lunged at each other. The two began exchanging blows, Po's defense being much better than it was earlier, and Po eventually found an opening for him to land a chi strike to his gut, causing him to stagger. Po then tried to follow up with a combo but Liu Kang countered with a flying kick which sent Po across the room and to the floor. Liu Kang then rushed up to him, but Po was prepared for this and panda rolled towards him knocking him to the ground. He then came rolling back and rolled over him a second time before standing back up. Liu Kang then got back up to his feet and the two began trading blows with each other. Whether one of them was delivering the punches or receiving them, Po and Liu Kang were smiling all the while, for like the Shaolin said this match was just a friendly spar to them, so they were able to cut loose and just have fun with it. Eventually Po was able to break through Liu Kang's defenses and land a kick that sent him stumbling back a bit. Once Liu Kang recovered he shot a fireball at Po but he just caught it, added his own chi into it turning it green, and threw it back to him. However Liu Kang was hoping for this and jumped high enough for the fireball to hit his feet, igniting them. He then proceeded to land a flaming bicycle kick on Po sending him to the ground. Liu Kang then tried to land a drop kick while Po was down, but he quickly telestepped to the other side of the field to avoid it. Once Liu Kang realized this he turned around and came at Po with a flying kick but Po was prepared for this. Po then ducked at the last second and landed a chi strike to Liu Kang's leg, causing to flip uncontrollably in the air. Po saw the perfect opportunity to end the fight, and so he took it. He then telestepped just above Liu Kang and shot a fireball strait down at him, slamming him into the ground. Just as Liu Kang was about to get back up Po landed on top of him, smashing him into the ground even more. Po leaped off of Liu Kang and watched to make sure he was down for the count. Liu Kang was in a bit of a daze from that last impact and could no longer fight, Po had won.

"It seems we have a winner, Po, the Dragon Warrior." Shang Tsung announced, making the victory official. Po then walked over to Liu Kang, who was now beginning to stand, and extended his hand out to him. Liu Kang took it with a smile and lifted himself up to his feet. The Shaolin monk then faced the large panda and bowed respectfully, as Po did the same. The two Kombatants then made their way back to their group, both fully content with the outcome of the battle.

"Congratulations, you have both done well, but the tournament is not yet over." Raiden stated with a serious look on his face.

"Goro." Liu Kang said as he knew exactly what Raiden meant.

"What's a Goro?" Johnny Cage questioned to Sonya who just shrugged her shoulders cluelessly.

"Well whatever it is, I'm sure it will be no match for my Dragon Warrior here, right Po." Tigress said, saving Po the trouble of gloating like she thought he would. It was then that Po remembered the ordeal that was troubling him and his smile faded away. "What's wrong Po?" Tigress asked as she noticed the sudden change in his expression.

"Tigress… there's something I have to tell you." Po said sadly as he looked Tigress strait in the eye. He figured he'd have to tell her sooner or later, so why not sooner.

"What is it?" Tigress asked.

"First, you have to know that I love with all of my heart, ok." Po started as he took Tigress's hands into his own.

"Po what is this about?" Tigress said, as she felt that Po was stalling, which meant it was probably something important. Po sighed.

"I…" Po began but was interrupted.

"Dragon Warrior," Shang Tsung called out, and gained Po's attention "You have done well in this tournament, but the reigning champion is far beyond your abilities. Do you think you can handle it?" Po looked back at Tigress with a look that said 'I'll tell you later' and looked back at Shang Tsung.

"Yes, I can." Po replied confidently.

"Very well, to the lair with you!" Shang Tsung said as he raised his fist that was glowing with green energy. All of a sudden a portal appeared right below Po and he fell right through it, leaving Tigress and the rest of the Earthrealm warriors speechless.

Po fell for about minute or two until he finally fell out of the portal and onto the cold, hard floor.

"OWW! Ahhh… He could've at least given me a warning before he did that." Po complained as he got back to his feet, ignoring the pain from the impact. He scanned his new surrounding and saw that he was in some sort of dungeon with dead, rotting corpses chained to the walls and torches dimly lighting the interior. Po could also see a strange throne near the middle of the wall and when he was quiet he could hear heavy breathing, like that of a blood thirsty beast waiting for a new victim. "Ok, spooky." Po said out loud as he was starting to feel a bit scarred, little did he know he was not alone.

"I must admit, I did not expect to fight in this tournament," Said a deep, monstrous voice from behind Po, making his heart skip a beat. Po turned around to see who it was that spoke, and instantly regretted it. Standing a few feet away from him was a giant, muscular creature with four arms. He had a red loincloth on and spiky armbands on each of his wrists, with matching leg bands as well. He also had a shoulder pad on and the only hair he had was a long ponytail on the top of his head. "But eventually, a warrior comes along that is worthy of a Shokan." He said before he approached Po.

"You must be Goro." Po said in a scarred and worried tone. The Shokan looked much bigger up close, he towered over Po.

"Yes, I am Goro, prince of the Shokans and reigning champion of Mortal Kombat." Goro stated. Po then took a very deep breath to try and calm himself down.

"Well, whoever you are, you're going down." Po said confidently as he got into his fighting stance, but Goro seemed unaffected by his statement.

"I will give you a warrior's death." Goro said plainly as he took his stance as well. Po knew that he would need to beat him as quickly as possible or things might get messy. After a moment of waiting Po rushed up to Goro and threw a barrage of punches at him, unfortunately Goro was easily able to block every one of his strikes with his multiple limbs. Goro then launched a counter attack by effortlessly smacking him across the field and to the ground. Po quickly got back up and shot a fire ball at his opponent, but to his surprise Goro shot a similar fireball back at it, the two canceling each other out. Goro then used this as a cover and jumped up into the air, landing right on top of Po stomping him into the ground. He then stepped off of Po, grabbed him from the ground and threw him across the field. Goro then rushed up to Po while he was getting up but fortunately Goro wasn't very fast at all. This gave Po more than enough time to Telestep behind him and land a powerful combo, which consisted of three punches and a belly bump which knocked him over. As Goro got up Po took a few steps back to gain some distance from him. Once Goro noticed this he shot a fireball at him but Po just threw it back. Goro thought quickly and jumped over it and his landing caused a massive earthquake which knocked Po into the air. Goro then caught him as Po came down and slammed him onto the ground. Po regained his composure as he bounced to the other side of the field and got back into his fighting stance. As Goro once again approached him Po tried to sweep his feet, but his stubby legs proved ineffective to trip him and so Goro was able to just kick Po away from him. It just then that Po remembered what he did to trip Liu Kang in his match with him and thought that it might work here. Po then crouched down and Panda rolled over to him, hitting his legs and causing Goro to fall to the ground.

"Well you know what they say; the bigger they are the harder they fall." Po said with a smirk on his face. This comment angered Goro and so once he got back up he slammed the ground with all four of his fists once again knocking Po into the air. This time however Po used the momentum to flip towards Goro and land a drop kick on him. Goro staggered which allowed Po to use his 'feet of fury' to kick him into the air and slam him back down, the force of the impact shacking the earth. Po landed safely on the ground and watched Goro get back up, and needless to say he was not happy.

"I admit Panda, you are quite skilled, but someone like you cannot defeat me." Goro stated as he returned to his feet.

"Well then come and get me, Shokan." Po stated defiantly, which just made Goro even angrier. Goro roared loudly and charged towards Po with his right arms raised for a strike. Despite this Po made no effort to evade, he just stood his ground and prepared to execute his x-ray move. Once Goro was in proximity, Po landed a nerve attack to his torso, causing nerve damage and knocking him down. Po then sat on top of him and broke his neck and spine with his legs. "So, what were you saying about me not being able to defeat you?" Po said sarcastically as he leaped off of the defeated Shokan. It was just then that another portal appeared in the lair, the green light eliminating Po's determined features. "One down, one to go." Po stated as he walked towards the portal.

The Kombatants were silent as the waited to see who the victor would be. Suddenly another portal began to form on the floor, which meant the fight was over. Tigress, Raiden and the rest of the Earthrealm warriors anxiously waited for the winner to appear. Shang Tsung stood with a confident smirk on his face as he was curtain that the winner was Goro. After another moment of agonizing waiting, Po popped out of the portal with a determined look on his face. Tigress let out the breath that she was holding in as a wave of relief washed over her. Shang Tsung on the other hand just put a scowl on his face and stepped down from his throne. Po faced him with a look that was a mixture of anger and determination as he and the aged sorcerer took their places on opposite sides of the field.

"Well Shang Tsung, looks it's just you and me." Po said as he eased into his fighting stance. "Face me in Mortal Kombat." He challenged, smiling inwardly at the pun he just made.

"So be it." Shang Tsung stated in a serious tone as he took his fighting stance as well. The two final Kombatants stared each other down, both knowing that the outcome of this one match will decide the fate of an entire realm. Neither of them could afford to lose.

"Begin!" Shang Tsung announced, commencing the final fight.

A/N: So yeah... sorry to all you Liu Kang supporters but I have to admit, I was originally going to have Po win, I just thought that since it was a battle between main characters that I should take a pole so that I don't get the majority of you guys pissed off, but oh well. I hope you guys won't be too mad about this, but if you are I wouldn't blame you, I would probably be mad to if I was in your situation. Just one more chapter and then this story is over, so even if you guys hate me, tolerate it for just a bit longer ok. R&R please.