It went by so quickly. Fu-Xi lunged right at them with his fang's bared. The trio rolled in three different directions before he could bite any of them. Tigress narrowed her eyes as she recovered before the boys.
"Okay, there is a very significant part to this battle. Don't get bitten by him, at any cost."
Fung nodded. "Yeah. If those fangs penetrate our skin it'll send us on a nightmare trip. Don't want that on our minds, not at all." He turned around to duck a swipe of Fu-Xi's tail. "That's not gonna happen anytime soon."
Po tilted his hat to the side as he repeatedly avoided Fu-Xi's tail swipes. They seemed to be especially vicoius towards him and not his comrades. He did not know whether to be annoyed or grateful. He'd rather choose the second thought simply because he liked it better that way. Keeping up with the three of them would not be very easy. Tigress was quick, Fung had stamina, and Po was durable. The central idea was to slow the cobra down enough so that he wouldn't have the speed to try and bite them. Though this wouldn't be very easy, because he was both big and fast at the same time.
He also didn't want to be tail lashed in the shoulder again. It was still looking as sharp. At worst, it could jab through his skin just like his fangs. Po isn't very keen on finding out.
Fu-Xi's eyes were slitted with rage. His venom storage was destroyed, he no longer had Viper as an ally, and he was constantly made a fool of by that cursed panda who seems to have a skill for making the bad guy extremely ticked at him just for being himself. He was sick of seeing the panda, he wanted to kill him. Too bad said panda won't allow opened his jaws and attempted to bite him again, though he was kicked back by Tigress, crashing into the ground. Though his recovery was quick, his tail reached out to grab Tigress by the leg and spun her around in an arf, smashing her into Po and Fung, and he let her go at the same time. All three of them were dazed for a couple moments before they eventually recovered with a bit of effort.
"You weren't kidding when you said his tail had a lot of strength." Fung narrowed his eyes."Sure that's his only way of attacking besides his venemous fangs, but with the speed he lashes out at us with, it's hardly a problem for him."
"He's legendary for a reason." Tigress stated. "But that won't slow us down, not even close."
"Will it truly not matter?" Fu-Xi grinned cynically. "I don't know what you three think you're doing. Are you three trying to play hero?" He said as he raised his head up. "Compared to other great warriors seen around China, you're just a couple of younglings who are in way over their heads. Look at you trying to challenge me, someone who has decades of experience over all three of you." He laughed quietly. "The youth certainly do get more and more foolish."
Po ran up to him and aimed a kick towards him, the cobra's tail swiftly blocking his blow. He flipped over and landed on his feet and looking up to Fu-Xi. "Cool insight, bro. Except...I'm not that interested in being a hero." Fu-Xi would not fake the confusion on his face. It was genuine.
"You're not?" Tigress and Fung asked.
"He's not?" Shifu also asked. Fenghuang smiled.
Po tilted his hat a bit as he stood up to further meet Fu-Xi's gaze. "I don't really feel like explaining this while fighting. I'll just tell you after I beat you into the ground. Not that you're ego will allow yourself to listen." He stepped back as another tail lash barely missed his face. "Your temper is even worse."
"Think you can just keep mocking me like this?!"
"I'm feeling pretty good, so...yeah, pretty much."
Fu-Xi was growing more and more irritated by Po's attitude, evident through his eyes showing slitted pupils ahain, and Po chose to be on his guard again. Though he was surprised when he suddenly disappeared and swiftly coiled around Fung, much to his surprise, and felt the squeezing...it felt much more like crushing. That was probably more likely.
"Do you feel good now?" Fu-Xi said while mockingly smiling. This time Po was the one unamused.
"That's a really quick way to get on my bad side, man. Let him go."
"And what if I don't? I could probably ignore you and keep squeezing, until his ribcage punctures his lungs. Now won't that be interesting to try? Trying to stop me now would only make me increase the pressure." The cobra actually thought he had an advantage, as he sees both Po and Tigress stop moving, and Fung continued to struggled in his coils.
Like...hell...you'll use me...as a...hostage! Fung grunted. He forced his paws to slide through the coils, he lifts one up, reveals his jaws...and chomped on a coil viciously. The reaction was immediate, as the cobra hissed and screamed loudly from the pain, releasing the croc from his death grip. Po immediately helped him up, while Tigress folded her arms.
"That was fighting dirty, Fung."
He shrugged casually, before glaring at Fu-Xi. "I said I learned Kung Fu from Master Croc, never said I was a clean fighter. He used to be a bandit, after all. Though we're also not assholes like this guy." Tigress seemed to accept this, as she regained her attention on the target. The cobra was hissing loudly, trying to nurse the new bite marks on his body. Fung smirked. "Hehe, remember how you're always biting people to inject them with venom? Doesn't feel so good on the receiving end, does it?"
Fu-Xi angrily glared at them and raised his head high, and lunged forward, intending to strike Po. Hebwas ready to defend...but the cobra swiftly changed course and dug his fangs into Tigress's shoulder. The reaction from Po and Fung was simultaneous.
"TIGRESS!"
"Ngh..." She grunted, getting on one knee and trying to look up atbthe cobra, ignoring the blood running down her arm. Though her vision was becoming blurry and distorted, unable to make clear of anything happening around her. Even the sound seemed to have been drowned out, as her comrades we're still battling Fu-Xi and she was rendered almost immobile. "The venom...is taking effect...I can't let it mess with my focus...I won't-"
"You won't what, Tigress?"
Her ears picked up on the voice and she turned around, her eyes exhibiting shock and disbelief.
Tai-Lung stood a few feet in front of her. She shook her head. "What...? Why...why are you here?"
"Fu-Xi's venom induces fear, Tigress. It doesn't matter how. It makes you see who or what scares you the most...and I'm on top of your list."
"That's...that's ridiculous! I don't fear you!" She growled, mentally shouting for this illusion to end. She knew it wasn't real, but it felt pretty realistic when he flicked her forehead gently with his finger.
"Of course not. You're not afraid of me as myself. You fear what actions I might take. Because I'm still connected to you. Right in the back of your mind...you're anxious about what I could do to you. Understandable, you've been trained under Shifu, who is still very wary of me."
Tigress shook her head violently. "What the hell are you talking about? Why would I be afraid of what you could do?"
The Tai-Lung illusion folded his arms. "Well for one, I could beat you into a pulp, but the real me wouldn't do that without guilt. I could steal from you, but you're not genuinely connected to any material possessions...except for that scarf." Tigress instinctively clutched onto her scarf. She was beginning to understand what he was talking about. "And I think the last one is self-explanatory." He said while turning his head to the right. The area became clear, and she could see Po and Fung avoiding Fu-Xi's attacks narrowly. Understanding what he was implying, she turned to the Tai-Lung mirage with a savage growl.
"You'll kill me first before I let you lay a harmful hand on them!"
The mirage nodded to her. "I've always liked this about you, little sister. Passionate and straight-forward."
She folded her arms with an accusing glare towards him. "You're saying this about me...but you're just an illusion."
"Yeah. I'm a representation of the brother you always saw me as. I know your inner thoughts, I'm just projecting them for you because your shyness won't let those thoughts leave through your mouth.""
"Shy? I'm not shy..."
"Sure you are." Tai-Lung smirked. "You don't think so? You're a fully grown woman now, Tigress. Enough said."
It took her mere seconds to register that comment, and she blushed. "Don't say it. Please."
"Thought so."
"But this doesn't make any sense. If the venom is fear-inducing...why am I so calm?' Tigress saw the effects of the venom. People were cold, they were shaking, and they were murmuring incoherent words. She was simply staying in the same spot.
"It's your mental discipline training unconsciously doing it's job. Mind games have little to no chance of making you falter in battle. That...and there's only one thing you're truly terrified of, and it ain't me." Tigress again processed the hidden message, and her ears pressed against her head. "No time to worry about stuff now. Time to get back in the game, sister. Knock this reptile's fangs out."
She blinked a couple times, then smiled. "Thanks."
"No, seriously. Knock his fangs out. No fangs, no bite. No bite, no way for him to inject the venom." He shrugged. "Don't blame me for being blunt. Just voicing your thoughts."
Tigress regained her bearings, and saw that Po and Fung we're breathing heavily, and Fu-Xi was circling around them with an intent to kill, as his fangs we're bared and ready to strike. This was her chance. She raised one fist and placed her other paw on her arm, eyes narrowed with focus. She'll take the opportune moment. Knocking out his fangs, he'll be rendered helpless. She sees him raise his head high, and her eyes focused there. With a burst of speed, she jumped up, cocked her fist back ready to strike him. He turned to see her in the air, but it was too late.
Tigress has been punching ironwood trees ever since she was five, and increased her practice when she was finished. Her fists had enough force behind them that it felt like iron impacted his face at the moment, that was how hard she smashed her fist into his cheek. And she got the desired effect: His fangs shattered upon impact, multiple white shards of them glistening off from the sunlight above. They then fell into the dirt, as he himself managed to balance himself. Though his face was filled with disbelief...and slight fear.
"H-How...?"
"You thought that venom would make me afraid...? Don't flatter yourself." The feline stated, her fist covered with the serpent's blood. "It takes more than that to make me fear something. Especially not you."
Fu-Xi was now helpless. Without his fangs, most of the danger he presented was now minimal at best. The majority of his power has been beaten out of him. Victory at this point was now...impossible. He was going to slither off and escape, but Po stomped on his tail, Fung helping him pin the cobra down. He was now truly afraid.
"Awww...where ya goin', buddy? I still gotta mess you up for messing with Viper's life. And I keep my word." Po said with a smile that put the cobra into a more erratic panic.
"S-S-Stay away! Don't do it! Have mercy on me!" At this, Po's smile disappeared. He royally screwed up at that moment.
"Were you going to show mercy to Viper?" Fu-Xi flinched. He expected the panda's comrades to reprimand him on his hostile tone, but Tigress and Fung just stood by and watched. "You were going to kill her because she figured out the truth, and now you expect mercy from me? Dude...that's so stupid it's not even funny. But you can relax. I'm not gonna kill you. That kind of stuff isn't me." Fu-Xi was slightly relieved, until he he realized the panda hasn't gotten off him yet. "I can't let you off easy, either. So I'll be making sure that you don't try attacking us while our backs are turned, or something like that."
"H-H-How will you manage that...?"
"Wind Hammer." He pressed his paw against the cobra's head and shot the green ball of Chi point-blank. The impact was powerful enough to push a large swirl of dust upwards, as well as create a medium size crater in the ground. Fu-Xi's head felt like it's been pounded by a mallet that weighed the size of a boulder. His eyes turned completely white to signify his loss of consciousness, as he coughed a spatter of blood and his head met the ground. Po sighed getting up and dusting himself off.
Fung leaned in to survey the damage, and his eyes widened. "Geez, if you put any more of your chi into that, you would have given him severe brain damage."
"It's official. There is no way he's recovering from that in a couple days. It'll be a while before he's completely healed.! Tigress stated, adjusting her scarf. "It's best we lock him up in the meantime, before he gets the chance to slither off. He may not he as much or a threat without his fangs, but we shouldn't push our luck."
"Waaaaaiiiit!" Po said aloud, gathering the attention of his two friends. "Can't we eat first?"
"Dude. Didn't you eat before this battle?" Fung said with lowered slightly annoyed eyes. Po glared at him.
"That was a pre-battle snack, not a meal."
"A pre-bat...what the heck is a pre-battle snack?!"
Po looked at him as if it was obvious. "Um...it's having a snack right before a battle. Duh."
"Don't duh me! No one ever mentions anything called a pre-battle snack!"
"I mention it!"
"Well I think it's stupid!"
"HEY! Never underestimate the helpful powers of a pre-battle snack!" Po and Fung we're now glaring at one another, looking ready to argue.
Tigress removed Fung's helmet and Po's straw hat, then softly bonked them both upside the head with her non-bleeding fist. It still hurt quite a bit, though. "Owwww...Tigress, that was mean." Po pouted, holding his head.
"How can you hit so gently and still make it hurt...?" Fung groaned, holding his own head.
The feline smiled, placing her paws on her hips. "Look at you two. Bickering even when we just defeated our first major threat. I don't think this is a time for fighting. We should take the time to rest. And more importantly, settle our recruiting issues with Mantis and Viper."
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that!" Po exclaimed. They still had to convince the both of them that it was a good idea to join the team. But he had no idea how to go about it. He'll have to figure it out later. Right now he was too hungry to think properly. "Can we eat first?"
Tigress smiled. "Yes Po. We can eat."
"YES!"
She chuckled a small bit. Then she realized that the Tai-Lung mirage was still there, standing next to Fung, although she was the only one who could see him. Seriously?
"I know. You overcame the 'fear' part, but the venom is still in your blood. Don't worry, once the venom has been removed from your blood, I should disappear. You're stuck with me until then."
She groaned again. She's stuck with her imaginary brother, which is caused by the venom still in her blood until it's been removed.
Great. Brilliant. She's asking Great Master Viper for the cure, as soon as possible.
(Later)
"Told ya they could do it." Fenghuang said, smirking down at Shifu. "You were all like 'We shouldn't be making them face Fu-Xi themselves' and 'This is crazy and irreponsible!' Or 'Fenghuang you're a total lunatic!'" She paused, placinf a feather on her beak. "Actually that one might be a tiny bit true."
"Only a tiny bit...?" Shifu said with a silent poker face.
The owl shrugged him off as she turned to Po and gently petted his head. "You did an excellent job, Panda. I'm very proud of you."
Po smiled widely from both the petting and the praise, as he stepped back and did a small dance, waving his arms with a carefree aura. "Waaaat? Psssh! Naw! What? No way! It was nothing really, nothing at all, Master!"
"You just need to improve on your coordination just a bit. You could have kept Stripes from getting bitten in the shoulder if you we're able to predict that he was about to trick you. I know your coordination isn't the best, but it can't hurt to get better."
Po deflated just a bit, but understood where his Master wss coming from, and smiled. "Okay, I'll give it a better shot next time, Master."
"Good lad. Now go eat."
"FOOD!" Po cheered with his arms raised, as he rushes off to join his friends for dinner. It had been a rather rough day, but they were able to succeed in the end. Mr. Ping had already passed out noodle bowls to everyone, and everyone seem very happy to see that he was here. He doesn't waste time grabbing a bowl and chowing down on the noodles, like Mantis and Lidong were doing. They seemed quite thankful that they we're served even more food.
"Foooood...~" They both said as if it were a mantra. The others seemed surprised at Mantis, though. He's proven that he can eat almost as much as Po can. Size definitely doesn't matter when it comes to food. Monkey for one, was very impressed, though he won't admit it at the time. He was still a bit agitated at the insect for paralyzing his arm. Other than that, they were cool.
Crane and Mei Ling were eating the most casuslly of the group, as they turned to Po. The latter spoke first. "You were amazing out there, guys! You really put Fu-Xi in his place. His ego was really beginning to unnerve me."
"The guy was just annoying to me, honestly. Still glad you shut him up, though." Lidong grumbled.
"Yeah guys, you kicked his ass!" Monkey snickered, lightly punching Po's shoulder. "You totally destroyed that guy!"
"I'm pleased with the results, but I still believe that he got off too easy." Tigress said, her arms folded. "For lying to Viperdor all of these years. But...he lost his precious fangs, thanks to me. So I suppose that will suffice." She smiled. "Again with the irony. He mocked Master Viper for the lost of his prized venomous fangs. Now he's weighing in pain, inside a cage for the exact same reason. Doesn't seem funny to him now. Hmph."
Po nodded, slurping more noodles. Mr. Ping also agreed, stomping his feet as he waddled over to his noodle cart. "Pretending to be her brother for his own nefarious purposes...then he tries to kill her for knowing too much...THEN try to sway her back to his side. What a despicable person, he is! Maybe now he'll learn his lesson."
"I sure hope so. And if he doesn't, I'll just kick his tail again." Po shrugged. "Nothing too big. Mind a refill, Dad?"
"On it's way, son." Mr. Ping nodded, taking the panda's bowl and went on to make him another bowl. He unknowingly passed by a curious Viper. That, or he noticed and just didn't say anything. He wore a smile either way.
Viper slithered up to the group, looking a bit shy. They each turned to her with a look of curiosity on her face. She guessed that they were waiting for her to speak first. So she decided to do so. "Um...hi?"
"HI!" Po waved, smiling widely at the serpent before him. She weakly waved back, still slightly guilty for hurting him so much before.
"Um...I just wanted to say sorry again...for attacking you before." she said quietly, while bowing.
Po just smiled at her and petted her head. The gesture made her gasp and look up towards Po with a look of surprise. "Hey. It's cool. I'm okay, you're okay, no hard feelings."
"N-No hard feelings, even if I could have killed you?"
"Eh, you might have. But I'm more interested in how we can become friends and get you to travel with us. The beginning of friendships...is not always according to plan. But we took care of your phony bro for you. So now you can make room for your real bro." He smiled widely, and it looked extremely goofy. "Me!"
He was serious about that...? She thought in disbelief, seeing that his face was silly, but genuine. "But...why? Why do you wsnt me by your side so strongly? Not to mention..." She paused, gazing at the group that Po, Fung, and Tigress have gathered so far. "How did you get them to be by your side? And my biggest question...what you said before, Po...about not being interested in being a hero. Why would you say something like that?"
Po could see that everyone's gaze was on him, which meant they we're also interested in hearing his answer to this particular question. He signed, as he laid back, his eyes gazing at the sky. At this point it was nighttime, and a small fire was lit in the middle of the group. He set his hat to the side, and turned to Viper. "Viper...can ya have a seat?" He patted his belly, as it sloshed and jiggled just a bit. "Riiiiiight here."
"...On your belly...? Isn't that...?"
"C'mon, coil up on here." He smiled cheerfully. Viper gazed at him for a moment before she nodded. She then slithered onto his belly and coiled comfortably, as her eyes met his. "There. Aren't you more comfortable this way?"
She nodded in agreement, smiling. "It's like I'm lying on a fuzzy cloud..."
"Yeah, kids love that." He smiled, and sighed. "So about my reasons for saying what I said..." Mantis and Lidong were listning in closely more than the others, since they had good reason to believe that Po wanted them to hear this. "It's not about me not liking heroes. Heck, I LOVE heroes! Heroes are strong, they're powerful, they're inspirational...and so unbelievably awesome!" Po said with stifled giggles and kicking feet. Mei Ling, Viper, and Tigress took note of how adorable he looked at this moment. He then coughed and regained his focus. "It's just that it's not my main interest to be a hero. I'm a bit more interested in just doing my own thing."
"Doing your own thing...but what about the whole recruiting thing...?"
"When that list we have says 'recruits' I say 'friends' instead. I'm on an adventure now, and I want plenty of friends to accompany me on it. Though I can't force them to. I want them to come with me on their own accord, not because they feel like they owe me." Po's voice became a slight monotone, which caused everyone to listen a bit more closely. "Being an adventurer is pretty pointless, without friends to adventure with you."
Crane folded his wings as he took a more sympathetic look at the panda. "Wow Po...you really put some thought into this. You're not on an adventure for glory, riches, fame, not even heroism. "
Po nodded. "I just want some more friends, and to help lots of people. I'm pretty sure that those goals alone won't make me hero. As I said, I'm not going for that." He placed his hat on his face, and yawned. "But if people start to see us that way...well, we can't really do anything about that, can we?" He finished off. After a couple minutes of silence, snoring can be heard under the hat. He fell asleep.
Viper thought over Po's reasoning, and it seemed strange at first. But the more she thought about it, the more she understood it. For him to desire friendship more than anything else...
He had to know what loneliness feels like.
Viper turned to the others, looking shy, but determined. "I would like-"
"I suggest you sleep this off before you make a decision, Viper." Tigress interrupter, surprising the serpent. "You've had a very rough day today. It's best if you take the night to rest and think it over more, with a clearer head. Finalize your decision if you really want to stick with us, then inform us in the morning." She turned to Mantis and Lidong. "The same goes for you two." They were caught off guard by this.
"That's right, we didn't forget about you two." Fung nodded. "What she said. Sleep it off and tell us in the morning." He also falls into slumber, falling on his back. Everyone seemed to show agreement, and one-by-onec they each fell asleep. Viper was the last one, as she coiled a bit more comfortably on Po's belly, her eyes slid down until they closed, and she fell asleep with the others.
Mr. Ping was delighted at the sight of Po having so many comrades already, but he stayed quiet to avoid waking them up. He just grabbed their plates and left to clean them in silence.
Great Master Viper and Mistress Viper watched as their daughter slept on Po's belly. Mistress Viper was relieved, while her husband was in deep thought. This panda is a strange one. He not only acts the part but he also FEELS strange to me. Just...who is he, really? He thought to himself, as he held his wife's tail and told her it was time for bed. SHe reluctantly complied, as they slithered into their palace. He took one last look at the panda behind him, as he realized something else.
He bears(no pun intended) a very close resemblance to Great Master Panda...is this boy really...?
(Valley Of Peace-Night)
Mrs. Yoon was just walking home after buying an apple basket from the markets. It's been a quiet day at th Valley Of Peace, more than usual. Not that she has anything against a quiet day. If anything, she wished this Valley would have some more often. She witnessed so muche in this Valley that gave it it's somewhat bad reputation for attracting evil, that it would be enough to write a book in...a book the size of a flower pot. That was a lot of words. Far too many for a place that has 'Peace' in the name.
Oogway must have been very sad to see the Valley derail this way. Because she sure was. Sometime's she wishes that things would be handled much more delicately. Like Mr. Ping, she knew the truth. It was a rather unfortunate truth, but it was definitely there.
This Valley...is unforgiving.
It's difficult to believe, but it's somewhat true. Many who lived here could tell that anything that threatened the peace of the Valley wsd to be incarcerated...or annihilated. It has gotten that bad that they'rwe forced to choose between putting someone behind bars without giving them a chance, or just eliminating them outright. It wasn't the actions themselves that sparked this negative reputation, but the attitude behind them. There was an almost unanimous vote at locking Fenghuang away forever for her betrayal. And a lot of people we're so scared of Tai Lung and what potential he had, that when he exiled hinself to avoid being captured by Oogway, many people thought it was safe if he were captured and executed. Needless to say, Shifu was placed under severe emotional torment for that one.
Mrs. Yoon reached the limit of her patience when the villagers turned their paranoia against cubs Po and Tigress, since she as established a very deep bond with both of them equally, despite the fact that she spent more time with the latter because the former went away with Fenghuang and Mr. Ping. She missed the boys terribly, but she was alright. She has always supported the both of them through tough times. She helped Mr. Ping care for Baby Po, and she served as a helpful emotional crutch for Tigress while she was training with Shifu(bonus points for being a fellow female. Some things...just can't be discussed with her father)
Mrs. Yoon...may be the closet either of them can get to having a true mother-figure.
While she was minding her own business, she stopped to think. It was FAR too quiet. She's gone to this part of the Valley countless times. It's not lively, but it was never completely silent, not even at night. She cautiously kept moving on, and she turned a corner of a house...
The confusion on her face shifted to horror in seconds.
"By the gods..." She said quietly while placing a hoof to her mouth with wide, terrified eyes.
What lied before her...was disturbing. The bodies of geese, rabbits, and pigs were lying on the ground. Some were face down, some were face-up, others were lying against houses, others were hung over a windowsill. A couple were even put in baskets or pots. None of them were moving...that's when she noticed the blood. These people, men, woman, children...they were all dead.
She walked right in front of the aftermath of a slaughter...as well as the culprits responsible for it. Three wolves, each of their weapons covered with blood. And each of them turned towards her. They had eyes fitted to kill.
This...was a very unfortunate situation.
"Well well...what do we have here?" The wolf in the center smirked, gazing towards her. "It looks like a little old sheep has wandered away from her herd. And she no longer has the Shepherd known as Oogway to protect her or her fellow villagers from the Big Bad Wolves..." Mrs. Yoon shivered in fear as the three wolves surrounded her, preventing escape. One of the other wolves facepalmed.
"She's clearly a goat, dumbass. There's a difference."
"Shut up! The scenario fits!" He shouted at his ally. The third wolf rolled his eyes. "As I was saying...looks to me that you're having quite a horrible night. Because you've ran into us."
The goat didn't move a muscle, she was too afraid to try. Her eyes gazed back to the poor citizens who were killed by these wolves hands. "Don't look around like that. This is just business, lady." He said, leaning his head towards her with a grin. "And karma."
"K-K-K-Karma...?"
"This so-called 'Valley Of Peace' hasn't been loving up to it's name. Not anymore. I'm sure that old turtle meant well, but even he must have realized that this Valley's days were numbered. It was only a matter of when and how. And this is definitely how. Know what we were paid to do?" His grin grew more sinister. "Kill all the inhabitants, and then burn the Valley To The Ground. The Lin Kuei will be known as the ones who obliterated the Valley of Peace."
Mrs. Yoon tried her best not to faint as he held his blade closer to her neck. "We're not complete monsters though. We're mature. Those dead villagers you see, don't worry. We made the kills quick and precise, no pain at all." This did not reassure the panicking goat in the slightest. "Relax. It'll be over soon. We completed our section of the Valley with minimal trouble. Killing you should not prove to be an issue. Hold her in place."
"No..." She shook her head, but the two wolves already grabbed her arms and held her chinup, exposing her neck. "No, please don't do this! Don't burn down our home alongside slaughtering us! What kind of sick person would pay you for that kind of assignment?!"
"Jong Sung, that's who. He's given us quite a lot of loot. This Valley must have really pissed him off to order us to do something like that. Not that we mind, just being curious. Now be a good goat...and keep still. Don't wanna make a mess." He grinned.
The goat was now crying, as she had no one to help her. By their description, Oogway has left the world. There we're no warriors around to help her or anyone else. Nothing she could do to defend herself, as she was already pinned to the ground. The only thing she could do was close her eyes and wait for the end...
Her eyes shot open as she sees the wolf holding the blade was now unconscious, and the other two we're trying to figure out what had just happened. The answer appeared in the form of a fourth wolf, this one having a hood unlike the others, and the only facial feature that could be seen was his eyes and his muzzle.
"Ànyǐng...?" One of the still conscious wolves said in disbelief. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're on OUR side!"
Mrs. Yoon guessed that this wolf was younger than the others, he had this spark of rebellion in his dark purple eyes that can only be fully sparked in times of youth. He spoke in a tone that signaled great impatience.
"Not anymore."
If she blinked, she would have missed it. The younger wolf swiftly moves forward and punches the second wolf right in the face, causing him to roll along the ground until he hit a wall. The other one was also too slow to react, as he was immediately knocked across the ground when his own chain hammer was taken from him and slammed right across his skull. Ànyǐng checked to see if they we're unconscious. Killing them would spark far too much attention. He turned to Mrs. Yoon and offered her his paw.
"Ma'am...did they hurt you?" He asked gently. Seeing her shakeher head no gave him a sense of relief, but not by a lot. "Listen...I'm going to get you out of here undetected, but you must trust in me. I'm not like them, not anymore, not ever again. They've crossed the line with this." He stared at the ground. "I want to save at least one...just one...I just can't support this massacre. Come on, we're getting out of here." He grabbed her hoof and quickly began leading her away.
She wasn't against getting to safety, but her heart was still heavy due to leaving her home behind. "W-Wait...what ahout the Valley?" This caused Ànyǐng to stop for a couple moments, but he did not turn to meet her eyes. "Can't you do something, young man...?"
Ànyǐng hated this outcome as much as he did, but there was little to no choice. "I can't fight them all off, ma'am. I honestly thought Oogway would be able to prevent this...but since he's passed on...there's nothing that can be done now." Her heart became even heavier at this information.
The Valley Of Peace would be lifeless by this night's end...
Mrs. Yoon rarely gets any major attention. Anyone else notice that? Being a minor character in LOA, it's understandable, if only by a bit. As you just read, that won't be the case, not in this story.
Serpent's Tooth: Part Four, complete! Next one is the aftermath, where it will be decided if Mantis, Lidong, and Viper all join Po and the others or not. As well as what's occuring at the Valley Of Peace...yeah...that's not gonna spark positive emotions...
...Anyway, until next time!
Farewell...