Upon reaching the entrance to the village, the group was met with the startling sight of the burned or ransacked huts. Fortunately, there were no bodies, as all the inhabitants were corralled in the village square, surrounded by armed water deer clad in black, red trimmed training attire. One guard, with dark brown fur and blazing crimson eyes approached Jun as she held a crying Jiao in her arms.
"Well, Well, Well," the guard jeered, "little Fa Jun." Jun began to cower under the harsh gaze of the intimidating doe.
"What do you want, Hěnxīn (Heartless)?" Jun inquired, retreating into the arms of her husband, Nan, who held on tightly to his wife and daughter. The antagonistic water deer, seeing she was getting to the scared doe, menacingly stalked toward the young family as she glared down at the fawn, before looking at the child's father.
"Mmmm," the vile doe moaned, "maybe after we're done hear, me and the girls can use your hubby to 'expand our ranks.'" she proclaimed, causing the concealed Jade, to grind her teeth at such a remark. But what she heard next mandated that she be held back by the group before she could use her blade to split the doe's skull.
"I also think I should be merciful and take away your little brat so it doesn't grow up to be a freak like its mother." This remark brought evil snickers from the terrorist does as said mother began to cower with wide eyes full of fear, clutching her daughter closely to her chest, tears spilling from her eyes.
"YOU TOUCH HER AND I WILL END YOU!" came a cry from the post of a demolished building. What Jade saw made her heart drop to her stomach; Huifang, her beautiful, freshly fitted, wedding gown, a red, gold trimmed hanfu and black pants, cut and tattered, stained with dark patches of blood from the multiple cuts and scrapes she had on her body, was tied to the remains of a smoldering hut, eyes brimming with tears of rage.
"Speaking of FREAKS," Seethed the evil doe between clenched teeth as she began to menacingly stalk toward the incapacitated doe. Huifang began to panic, as did Jade. Just as Henxin brought up her sword for the killing blow, a calm, yet sinister tone stopped her.
"Now, now Xin. You can't blame her for wanting to protect her so called 'niece.'" Stepping from the shadows of the still standing mayoral hut was a black furred doe, clad in a long, flowing black robe that concealed her red tunic and black pants. However, the most distinguishing feature was the scar that ran from her forehead, over her left eye, down her cheek, and into her neck.
This was Shanghen Lu, who had her one good eye, a cold, ice blue, boring into the very soul of the tied up doe before her. "Oh, Huifang," she taunted, "It must hurt so much knowing you and your friends are going to die, while your 'Precious Jade Tusk' is nowhere to be seen," she completed her statement with a mock pouty face, lip out and quivering, earning mocking laughter from the evil doe's followers. "But in the end, I think she will thank me. In the end, it was never her poor fighting ability, or her feeble attempts to keep my Master happy, it was her compassion; never going all the way to achieve victory, unlike me. Her compassion made her WEAK!"
"NO!" Before Shang knew what had happened she was kicked back into Xin as they hit ground in a tangled heap. Looking up, she was met with the image of a seething Jade. "It made me stronger."
Picking herself back up, Xin began to stare daggers at the doe before her, who was now flanked by the Dragon Master Po and three of the four constellations, while Fan Tong worked to free Huifang from her bindings. The sky had been darkened by the presence of growing storms clouds. No one had noticed until a loud rumble of thunder vibrated across the sky. The sound of a rain drop hitting a leaf echoed across the area, followed by another, then another, until it was pouring on the opposing groups. Standing to her feet, Shang glared at the group before her. Raising her sword high in the air, she then pointed it at the small group of heroes.
"Kill them," she growled menacingly. All at once, the entire legion of evil water deer charged the group. When the first deer got within striking distance, Jade quickly side stepped, driving her elbow into the back of the does head, instantly knocking her out. She blocked the downward thrust of another doe, knocking the doe unconscious with a savage head-butt. After the previous act, Jade stumbled, slightly disoriented while mumbling something about how no one wins with a head-butt. After regaining her senses, Jade took the sword of the fallen doe, and raised it high above her head as a call to arms.
"POISON CLAN, TO ME!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, inspiring her sisters to join forces and overwhelm the enemy. Soon it was an all-out battle as the Poison Clan began to battle the demented followers of Shang. Running up to Huifang, who had just be released thanks to Fan Tong, Jade enveloped her in a tight embrace. Gazing into her lover's eyes, Jade pulled out the lucky sea-shell she had tucked in her vest, and returned it to her lover.
"I told you I would come back," she jokingly said. A babbled cry came from Jade's back as her spotted ward warned her of an incoming attack. After deflecting the surprise attack, Jade removed the young leopard from her back and handed him to Huifang, who although confused, instantly became enamored by the cub's cuteness, and took him from her fiancé's arms.
"Take Bai and the others and get them away from hear," ordered Jade.
"But what about you," inquired Huifang?
"I'm going to take care of tall, dark and ugly over there," answered Jade as she indicated Shang. Huifang, about to protest but thinking better of it, just nodded and turned toward the cowering villagers, but not before turning back and giving Jade a quick kiss.
"Kick her butt extra hard for me," she joked. As Jade smiled at her fiancé, they both heard a gung ho battle call. Looking behind them, they noticed two disoriented water deer under Po's big, panda butt. Returning their attention to the task at hand, Jade returned to help Po, the Four Constellations, and her sisters battle the evil clan, while Huifang lead the others to safety, all while carrying a newborn snow leopard in her arms. Upon reaching a safe alcove, Huifang handed Bai to Nan before grabbing a spear and running toward the direction of the carnage.
"Where are you going?!" shouted Nan. Huifang turned and just shrugged.
"Someone has to save Jade's butt," she replied nonchalantly, while bolstering a huge smile. Upon reaching the sight of the battle, Huifang was met with the sight of her sisters fiercely battling Shang's forces, with the former gaining serious ground. Just as she began to enter the heap, her legs were knocked out from under her. Landing with an "oomph" in the mud, ruining her gown even further, Huifang quickly glanced up to see the menacing silhouette of Xin, illuminated by a flash of lightning.
Picking herself back up, Huifang discarded her weapon, as she wanted to fight the doe who threatened her family with her bare hands. Smirking at the determined doe, Xin discarded her weapon as well. Soon, the two does where trading body blows. As the fight continued, Huifang noticed that Xin's moves were sloppy, not following any Kung Fu style she had seen. Huifang suddenly realized that her opponent was fighting with blind savagery, as evident by the demonic growls she gave off.
Taking this into account, Huifang realized she did not have to fight, but rather trick her opponent. Faking a dodge to the left, Huifang quickly moved toward a nearby cliff. Believing she had her prey cornered, Xin crouched down, preparing to pounce, which is just what Huifang anticipated. As soon as Xin pounced, Huifang quickly ducked. Before Xin could comprehend what was happening, she was screaming as she plummeted toward the cliff's bottom.
"Told ya," teased Huifang as she recalled her earlier threat to the fallen doe. Turning back to the battle she noticed that the other dark followers, having seen one of their leaders fall, slowly drop their weapons, now realizing that continuing the fight was a fruitless effort.
"Well that was easy," voiced Po.
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" shouted Bao.
"You got that right, bubba," responded Jing as she gave her friend a fist bump. However, their celebration was short lived as a grunt was heard at the top of a nearby hill. Looking toward the sound, Huifang froze at what sight befell her; Jade, on her knees, with a dagger held to her throat by Shang. The Dark leader just "tsked" at the green-eyed doe as she shook her head with each sound.
"Huifang," she began, "why must you always make things so difficult. Ever since you arrived at the Plum Blossom Temple, I knew you were pathetic. So annoying, clumsy, and above all, STUPID." That last word was said with so much venom, it nearly brought Huifang to her knees, but she refused to give her tormentor the satisfaction. Seeing the defiant doe's resolve strengthening, Shang continued.
"And when I heard about this little wedding, I thought 'who would be just as stupid to marry such a weak, pathetic ditz like you?' And when I heard it was Jade..." Shang paused to let out a cruel, mocking laugh, "I thought of the sweet, delicious irony." While Shang continued to mock the pair, Huifang noticed Jade pull out a small blade, hidden in the wrappings around her wrist, leading to a smile forming on the former's face, which did not go unnoticed by Shang.
"What are you smiling at?" She questioned venomously. Looking at the evil doe, Huifang just shrugged as she answered.
"Just thinking about how sore your leg is gonna be tomorrow," she quipped. Shang, realizing too late what Huifang was getting at, suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shin as Jade drove the hidden blade deep into her leg, which distracted the pain ridden doe enough to allow Jade to wrestle away the blade at her throat, and placing it against that of her captor's.
"And that is why I was, am, and always will be better," taunted Jade, with a smug smirk on her muzzle. Shang groaned in disgust, as two Poison Clan members, came up and bound the does wrists with rope, ready for her, as well as her follower's, journey to Chorh-Gom Prison. After getting a head count, Jade was relieved to hear that their where no causalities, save for Xin; After Jindiao's defeat, Jade never had a fondness for death or killing, as evident by her reactions in the snow leopard village.
The skies had already started to clear as Jade and the Poison Clan delivered the marauders and their leader to the nearest authorities. After all was said and done, they returned to the village to find that cleanup had already begun. The does laughed at the combined feeling of Deja-vu as they dispersed to help the others.
Jade began walking through the partially destroyed village. As she did so, she was met with many heartwarming sights; the Four Constellations joking around with Po as his two father's watched on in amusement, Jun and Nan happily playing with their daughter, panda children running around, the battle a distant memory, sisters sitting together and laughing with other pandas, drinking fresh water as the healers tended to their injuries, and finally, Huifang, HER Huifang sitting on the steps of their shared hut, carefully feeding and tending to the young snow leopard in her arms. Sitting beside her fiancé, both focused their attention on the cub in Huifang's arms.
"Bai," Huifang said, testing out the name. Jade tensed at the thought that maybe Huifang didn't want to look after a child before she was married, but the doubt went away as she continued, "I like it." Both does looked at each other, leaning in for a quick kiss. After a few seconds, the does separated and turned their attention back to their new "son".
"I think a wedding may be just the kind of pick me up the village needs," suggested Jade offhandedly as she panned her gaze over the village. Huifang looked at her lover and gave a small smile as she nodded. The village, which had just been through hell for the first time in a year, was now strengthened by the inhabitants who experienced it together.