Her sight flickered in and out of reality. Her paw twitched in anticipation. Her claws . . . were mere centimeters away from his flesh. She saw him in her cell and in the village, the world swirling around her. She felt the chains around her arm and the next second she could feel a paw gripping her muscles. She reeled back her other paw and slashed it forward, only to have a arm wrap itself around her shoulder. Chains held her back. Shen smriked as she thrashed to get free. She was so close. She could taste his blood in the air. She was yanked backwards and thrust back into reality.

"Well . . . isn't this interesting." His voice sickened her and she bared her teeth, growling. She wanted to treat him apart. He didn't deserve to live. A monster like him deserved to be put back in the ground.

Mr. Ping's mouth hung agape. "The peacock." His voice trembled. "That's— "

"Shen." She could hear Li shift his body, moving in front of something. The arms around her pulled her back and she could see Shen's smile widen. "No, no. He can't be here. I couldn't have been involved in this."

"I don't understand." Tigress froze. Crane. "Where's Viper?"

The arms around her tightened and Shen titled his head up to look her captor in the eye. "Well, Panda, should you tell him or shall I?" When Po didn't respond Shen cackled, throwing his head back. "What? The silent treatment? Very well, I will inform your friend of their . . . miscalculation." Tigress narrowed her eyes at the peacock prince. Miscalculation. "You loved her didn't you. This . . . Viper." All Tigress could see was Shen's eye widen and his smile curve. "Well, here's your answer. You messed up. You grabbed the wrong gem. This Viper . . . is still in the hands of Kai."

"Enough!"

Shen snapped his head back to Po, "I was just getting to the good part. Going to inquire on how he felt. Inadequate. Useless. Instead of bringing back his love, he brought back the man who killed his friends parents."

"I said enough!"

"Fine." Shen straightened his back, his smile gone. "Why save the likes of me. You know what I've done. What I'm capable of."

She could feel Po tightened his grip on her. Tigress snorted. Did he actually think Po did this on purpose. She knew for a fact that he would never bring Shen back. That monster had took things away from him, hurt their family. "I'm not about to let Tigress kill anyone." He brought his lips to her ear. "Calm down. You're in no shape to fight him."

Tigress grit her teeth. That was why he was holding her back? She ceased her struggling. She was one-hundred percent sure she could take the devious avian.

"Not that!" Shen scanned his surroundings, "Don't take me as a fool, Panda. That's your fulfillment." He sneered at the pandas around them. "I know you could sense me in that amulet."

Her eyes widened at Shen's statement and Po dropped his arms to his side, relwasing her of his grip. She turned her head to look Po in the eye. He looked at her briefly before stepping in front of her. "Shen don't play mind games with me. You know why I set you free."

Her shoulders dropped and she took a step back. "You . . . did this on purpose?"

He turned his head to slightly. "Tigress— "

"No! You listen to me! After everything he's done." He turned to face her completely. "Everything he's done to you. He tried to kill you, Po. He tried to kill us all! He traveled China wiping out village after village. He's a monster. You can't bring someone like that back to life. You can't even let them live!"

Po was silent for a moment. He lowered his head, almost shamefully. "I know what he's done."

What was with him? Why wouldn't he listen to her. "Po, listen to me. Really listen." Shen stretched his neck and Tigress tensed up. She growled, "C'mon. How could you be so . . . blind. You think he'll just stop? He's a maniac."

"You're not seeing the bigger picture, Tigress."

She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down. They were now eye to eye. "If he lives, there will be no picture. He'll burn everything to the ground."

Po ripped his arm from her grasp. "Don't forget about Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Shifu. Shen may not be the best person, but he is our best shot."

She shook her head as he took a step back. "How do you know that for sure?"

Po didn't say anything, instead opting to take another step backwards. "Help you?" Shen laughed dryly and Po turned back to him. "Why would I help you of all people? Only someone idiotic enough to turn their back to me could even dream of the likes of myself aiding you in battle."

"You don't help us and he'll come after you next."

Shen's eyes light up, "Ah, yes. Kai." He sighed and started to walk in a circle around them. "Maybe it would be in my benefit to help you, but what about after that? I'm dead no matter what I choose. Be it a trail or a jade sword gutting me. I know my fate, Panda. I know my destiny." He stopped walking and turned his back to Po. "You might as well strike me down now, if you have the guts."

Tigress unsheathed her claws. Oh, she had the guts. Po put his arm in front of her, cutting off her path. She clenched her teeth as he took a step forward. "No trail."

Shen turned his head back, "Pardon? You're hardly making sense."

Po's arm was shaking. Tigress felt a part of her aggression slip away, he was having trouble dealing with Shen. She put a paw on his shoulder. He must've been as afraid as she was and here she was giving him such a hard time. Maybe she needed to tone it down a notch or two. "No trail, Shen. I'll . . . give you a pardon."

Her eyes widened and Po shrugged off her paw. He walked forward and Shen turned to him completely. "Come again? Not sure I heard you correctly."

Po clenched his fists, "If you help us fight Kai and we survive. I'll give you a full pardon of every crime you've ever committed. Genocide, murder, theft. You'll be a free bird."

The way Shen's smile curved made her feel like someone shot a crossbow into her stomach. "You would be willing to disregard everything I've ever done? How . . . idiotic of you. I killed your parents. I should've scarred you for life."

"I see you still don't care about scars. Maybe you did kill my mom, but I care more about the friends Kai took away from me then what you've done in the past." He folded his arms across his chest. "Now, do you take my offer or not?"

Tigress clenched her fist. "No! I can't believe you're even thinking of— " A paw grabbed her shoulder and she snapped her head back. Her eyes widened slightly, "Li Shan, please tell your son what a fool he's being."

Shen's eyes narrowed, "Oh? The father survives? I'd rather have gotten you both. Maybe I could reunite you with your wife."

Li eyes darkened, "Sure. Why not? While we're at it, why don't we reunite you with your parents. I'm sure they'd be so proud of you." He turned his head over to Po, "Look, I know what's going through that head of yours, I really do. I know we do drastic things for our families, but are you sure about this? About controlling Shen?"

Shen narrowed his eyes, "I will not be controlled, definitely not by some . . . panda!"

"Dad! Let me handle this." He kept his eyes on Shen, "You're right, Shen. You won't be controlled. All I ask is your help in the fight, you don't even have to be in the village until Kai arrives."

The peacock hummed in thought, "I must say, Panda. Your offer is intriguing." Tigress tensed, was he going to accept it? "But, I would need a weapon. As you can see, I am without my sword, daggers, or cannons. I'm sure you're well aware of my skill in martian arts and how I just wouldn't be up to the task."

Tigress clenched her fists, did Shen honestly think he could manipulate Po into providing him with a deadly weapon. She remembered her fear of the sword, of the damage it could do. Shen had dreamed of gutting her friend with the blade of his sword. That was a dream she wouldn't let pass, even if it killed her.

"You don't need to worry about that, Shen. I have a sword in production for you."

Cuòwù. Is that why Po had the sword made. Tigress had started to hyperventilate as Po conversed with Shen. "Two nights ago I had a vision. I didn't understand most of it at the time, but I knew I needed to make a sword. It's yours to use against Kai."

Shen raised an eyebrow, "And you're willing to let me kill Kai?"

Po narrowed his eyes, "Only Kai. Kill anyone else and I'll deal with you myself."

"Very well." Tigress's breath was caught in her throat as Shen straightened his back and flexed his tail feathers out. Li backed away from the sight, covering his eyes with a arm. "I accept your offer for this temportly alliance against the yak. But, just so you know, when this is over I will have my revenge."

Po nodded slowly, "You are under my protection from the villagers for now, but you will not harass them or demand items from them. That includes food and bedding." He folded his arms across his chest, "You come to me if you need anything. I mean it, Shen. No One else will help you."

"And you will?"

"I offered you a second chance before Shen, on your boat. I'm extending my paw once more, but this is the last time. There will be no more second chances."

Shen didn't seem unhappy about this, he smirked. "Of course, Panda. Of course." He slowly walked past the group, purposely waving his feathers in front of them. His smirk deflated, disappointed that it no longer affected Po. "I have been given a second chance at life. Trust me, I won't waste it." And with that final word he trotted into the village, disappearing after a stressful minute for the small group.

Po turned to the others as they stared at him. "Okay . . . you can start." Tigress narrowed her eyes. Start? Start what?

Mei Mei sighed, "Po, my dad is going to kill you when he learns you brought back Shen."

Po grunted, "He can do it after Kai is gone. For now, we need him."

Tigress wanted to do nothing more than disagree with the panda, but Mr. Ping cut her off. "But, Po, he killed your race . . . your people. You told me of all the terrible things he did and you just . . . forgive him?"

"I never said that. I don't forgive him. I can never forgive him, but revenge isn't how I want to live. Despite everything he's done, I don't want him dead."

Tigress couldn't understand. Shen had done much more to him then to her and yet, she hated him far more than the panda ever could. It didn't make sense. She opened her mouth to speak when she was cut off, yet again. This time, by Crane.

"You knew all along, but you never said anything." Crane seemed to close in on himself, "You let me believe— you deceived me, all of us, into believing we could see Viper again."

Po's eyes softened, "You still can."

"But why? If you had just explained the situation I would have understood. I fought him. I know how strong Kai is and we need all the help we can get." His shoulders sunk, "Why couldn't you just trust me?"

Po sighed, "Crane . . . I do trust you. It's not you that I was hiding from. It never was."

Crane's eyes widened at the panda's words, "Oh . . ."

Li Shan took a step closer to his son, suspension growing in his eyes. "Then who? Who can you not trust? Who were you afraid of the information spreading to?"

Tigress looked over to Mr. Ping and then back to Po, "Po, the only two left are Mr. Ping and . . . me? It was me?" He looked towards the ground, "You don't trust me?" Her heart shattered. He didn't trust her.

"Tigress . . ." He didn't bother reaching out for her, he knew she would just flinch and back away. "It's not that I don't trust you. I trust you with my life. I just don't trust you with Shen's." Her frown deeped and her ears flattened against her skull. No doubt with the conformation that she was the problem. "You have too much hatred for him. For what he did to you."

"For what he did to you,"

"You don't have to say it, Tigress. I know that he did things to you when you were locked up. I know why you hate him and that's why I couldn't tell you about my plans. You would stop at nothing to stop it. Stop him. I— "

Tigress roared into the sky, startling the group around her. Po took a step back as she marched up to him. "You know nothing!" She grabbed him by the shoulders, yanking his head down to look him in the eye. "I thought you knew me. That I could take the beatings and the torment. I can handle chains. Shen wasn't the first time I was tortured, Po." In her anger, her claws dug into his shoulders. "I don't care about that. I never did."

Li Shan shook his head lightly, Oh, should've treaded more carefully.

"I cared about you." Her words didn't cause him to flinch like she thought he would. She continued, "Shen took you away from me. I thought you were dead for a week. I thought that you finally understood how much I cared for you. Especially after that moment we shared. I thought— " She removed herself from Po, staring down at her bloodied claws. She shook involuntary. "I thought wrong." With that final word she took off and ran into the village.

Crane's head followed her form disappear behind a building, "Po . . . shouldn't you go after her?" He turned his head to the panda, "Po?"

Po was looking at the ground, his eyes lost in thought. He tilted his head up just a tiny bit, "I don't have time."

Before Crane could muster another response Mr. Ping bursted at his seems, "WHAT?! Po, you've been crushing on her forever and you just let her walk away?"

Po turned to his dad, grimsing a bit. "Things don't have to be peachy between us right now, we have other concerns." He turned to Crane, "Will you be ready to fight in two days?"

Crane's eyes widened, "Two days?"

Po nodded, "He's coming. Kai is finally heading here."