Enough stalling. Think it's time to pick things up a bit.
"I...still can't believe that we're actually doing this..." Crane muttered quietly as he and the others were moving through the more hidden parts of the city. It wasn't too wise of an idea to just randomly start a brawl in the middle of the streets...again. It's not going to be easy trying to fight an entire army head-on witbout any plan. They weren't that confident in themselves. Well...Po probably was, but he wasn't willing to risk his friends lives because of that confidence. Po was a rather goofy leader. But when push comes to shove, he can be a pretty responsible one as well. Though all of his friends were very much aware that he wasn't the best. Honestly, thry were all pretty sure that being the best wasn't something he was going for.
"Awww...I wanted to spend more time with the cute rabbit children..." Viper pouted, slithering a bit dully while keeping her head down, comical tears running down her cheeks.
"Heh. I liked them too, Viper. But we had to get moving soon, or we might have been caught for sure." Mei Ling said as she also kept her head down as best could. "We just have to try our best to keep our heads down until we're sure we're ready to strike somewhere significant. After all, at this point we can safely say that they know that we're in the city."
"That's something we can be certain of. We're not skilled enough to cause such a ruckus and get away completely unnoticed. Well...Song might be...but she's trained for that kind of stuff. " Monkey said while scratching his chin. "We only have a slight problem. If we're gonna start liberating the city without getting Shen's attention anymore than we probably have already...how do we do so?"
"No idea..." Po said while scratching his belly and simply looking around for something to start with. "Geez...this sounded a lot easier in my head...and out of my mouth."
"See Po? This is what I'm talking about!" Crane squawked, flapping his wings. "We have no idea what to do without endangering ourselves further! How are we supposed to get these people on our side!? They may have seen us stand up to those wolves, but I don't really think that'll be enough!"
"Not trying to be too pessimistic like Crane, but he has a point. We're going to have to try something a big bigger than a couple of wolves." Mantis said as he stood atop the avian's hat. "How do we cause a big enough ruckus that'll totally get these citizens riled up enough to try and fight back?"
Tigress placed a paw on her chin as she thought about their situation carefully. "This is most definitely a bit complicated than we expected. Though I'm sure we can figure something out if we just think of something. If we're going to have the people on our side, we'll have to do something public, and make a quick enough escape so we won't be captured. The numbers are still highly against us. The question still stands...how do we do so?"
Monkey tilted his head a bit, picking at his scarf a little bit. He then hopped up to one of the edges of the roof's and climbed onto one. He then did a quick scan of the streets, seeing that a couple people were still looking tired and hungry. The wolves are constantly pillaging their homes for their materials and supplies, as well as their food, leaving the citizens without enough food to go around. With a firm nod, he hopped back down, landing on Po's back, making him stumble a bit and almost falling over.
"Geez, Monkey! What is it?"
Monkey grinned, his tail swishing mischievously. "I think I've found a pretty good idea on how to help. And guess what, big guy? It's about one of your favorite things...food." Po's eyes sparkled at the prospect, and Monkey knew that he's definitely caught his attention. "It's something simple, yet it's something that's gonna do a lot of good for these people. Besides, before I met you guys, I was good at both pranking, and stealing food from the jerks."
"Well then. That's gonna be quite a spectacle...let's do it." Mei Ling smiles as she smoothly pulls her staff out of it's holder.
Crane sighed as he flapped his wings. "Guess we're actually going through with this...fine. Let's do it."
"Aw yeah! Showtime!" Mantis hopped excitedly as he swiftly moved atop one of the rooftops. The others also began moving along the rooftops. Though Tigress had to help Po up on the roof when he stumbled a little bit.
Monkey looked at a couple of the crates, about ten in total. There were only three wolves handling them. As soon as they struck, more guards would be on their way, so they'd have to be fast. And that, was what Mantis would be for. Monkey turned towards the insect and nodded towards him. He nodded back quickly, and they began to move. The primate moved first and swiftly. Without their notice, he hopped on one of the crates, alerting the three wolves and making them turn towards him
"Sup fellas?" Monkey grinned as he balanced on his tail and waving at them cheerfully. "Hope you don't mind...but we're gonna hand this food over to the hungry people. Ya know, those that actually want and need it?" They haven't been given an opportunity to respond, as Mantis zipped by them and hit them by their pressure points. They swayed a bit as they felt their bodies shut down, then they fell completely to the ground not likely to get back up.
"Thanks for understanding us, fellas. Oh, and you won't be moving for a while. Good luck with that." Mantis also grinned. He turned towards one of the other paths and saw that more wolves were approaching the area. He kept grinning as the others got ready.
Mei Ling smiled as he jumped down from the rooftop and landed in front of the group of wolves. She slowly looked up and tilted her head. "Hi guys." She twirled her staff and lands a hit on one of their heads, them turns and lands a hard hit on one another's skull. She swiftly dodged the strike of one of them, flips upwards and kicks them upward in the chin. More from other directions began approaching her. Though they were swept away by a gust of wind, courtesy of Crane. Mei Ling tilted her head again and grinned. "Thanks Crane."
"Not a problem." A plethora of the others wolves began gathering up, almost surrounding them. Crane narrowed his eyes and forcefully flapped his wings again, blowing the wolves away and sending them flying. "You guys just don't know when to quit! Then again...neither do Po and Tigress. And since they sorta lead our ragtag group...yeah."
Tigress, Viper, and Po were currently forcing the boxes open as the others were fighting off the other wolves. Po smiled as he grabbed one of the dumplings, though Viper snapped her tail at his paw to make him drop it. He winced at the pain and the snappiness of Viper's whip tail. She shook her head at him, silently telling him that now wasn't the time. Quietly and a bit disappointed, he agreed, setting it back down. They all began distributing the food upon the completely eager citizens who received it with great open arms. The wolves tried to stop them, but they're all apprehended by Monkey and Mantis before they get a chance.
After a couple more precise swings from Mei Ling and more wind gusts from Crane, the wolves got the point that they were outmatched, and retreated with their tails between their legs. Monkey and Mantis both laughed as they watched them retreat. Food have been safely distributed to all of the citizens around them, all food crates emptied.
Po folded his arms. "There we go! All food in this area safely distributed to these hungry folk! And we all managed to get by without getting captured!"
"Yeah, we're trying to avoid that tibit, remember?" Crane said as he tucked in his wings and adjusted his hat slightly. "So, that part of our thing is done. We'd better get out of here and try something else that might help a heck of a lot."
"Yeah. Maybe we'll go and do this in a different locations? Let's head out and see!" Po grinned as he was already moving forward and looking for a place that a doctor might possibly be. Tigress immediately follows suit, as well as everyone else.
"...Okay. I guess this is what we're doin'. Cool." Monkey simply shrugged as he followed the panda along with the others.
Some were a bit baffled to see that a group of animals were following a panda across the rooftops. The panda seemed pretty energetic about his leading as well, but the others didn't seem to have any problem with this. They were just shocked that there a panda at all...and that he was deliberately defying the oppression the people are being placed under. Some of them were outright terrified of thr backlash that this defiance will bring...and yet they silently found themselves rooting for the panda and his friends.
But Tigress suddenly pounced in front of Po, holding her arm out before him, her eyes narrowed and focused. "It appears that they didn't give up after all." Po blinked as he and the others watched as more wolves gathered in front of them. They all looked slightly stronger and more skilled than the other wolves they've been beaten down. They all looked pretty menacing as well, though they were prepared to strike back when they see one of the wolves stepped up to them, a one-eyed wolf. Tigress watches as the wolves formed a neater formation behind this specific wolf. "And this time the leader is here as well."
"Eh? The one-eyed wolf guy leads the pack?" Monkey squinted his eyes a bit, getting a better look at the wolf before them. His eyes then slowly widened in slowly approaching realization. "Um...guys? Does this guy look familiar to you?"
Mei Ling focused on the wolf as well, her paw lightly swiping across her forehead in shock. "He...he looks too much like...like-"
"Ànyǐng..." Viper whispered softly, her tail covering her mouth. "I think we've just found...his...his father." She shook her head slowly. "I think I know now why Ànyǐng was very hesitant to come to the city...he must have known his father would be here..."
Po blinked twice, pushing his straw hat behind him and gazing at the wolf carefully. "He definitely looks like Ànyǐng...but that's not why he looks so familiar to me..." He scratched the back of his neck, his head thoughts constantly pounding against the inside of his skull. "Hey guy, did we ever meet before?"
The wolf pack leader, also known as Zhong, cocked his head. "Yep. This is a panda alright. Fat, stupid-looking, overly jolly..." The wolf readjusted his head as something began coming to him. "Wait a minute...this panda...he looks familiar...?" He narrowed his remaining eye and tried getting a closer look at his enemy. His eye widened significantly as he stepped back. "No...no way...you gotta be kidding me...!"
"What is it, sir?" One of his subordinates said as he placed a paw on his shoulder.
Zhong shook his head as he continues to stare at the panda in supressed shock. He recognized Po's face clearly now. Of all the damned pandas that could have survived that raid...it had to be THAT one! Maybe I should listen to the old goat about fate, more. Then again, it doesn't look like he's here for revenge...don't tell me he doesn't know? Zhong blinked his one eye once...then he smirked. Perhaps I could use his cluelessness to my advantage. Shen did order me to bring him to him...
Zhong began to mischievously cackle slowly. Po blinked. "Heeeeyyy...are you laughin' at me? But I didn't do anything funny! At least...I think I didn't."
Zhong grinned as he cocked his head to the side and placed his paws on his hips. "Wow. You really are a clueless Panda, aren't you? Welp, to answer your first question...yeah, we did meet before once."
Po tilted his head once again, blinking owlishly. "We have? And only once? Are ya sure?"
"I don't blame you for not remembering, kid." Zhong says as he slowly unsheathes his claws, looking at them as if they were more interesting than the panda before him. "Ya know why? It's because it was such a long time ago. A very long time ago. The main reason why ya don't fully remember me..." He then turned his claws towards Po as a very twisted smile graced his muzzle.
"Is because you were just a scared, helpless, snivelling little panda cub, weeping in the arms of his mommy."
The bright burning fires turning the village to cinders...
The wolves shining fangs sinking into the villagers flesh...
He could see himself in tears, fearfully looking around for his mother, only to see a wolf leaping at him, teeth bared. The wolf was furiously knocked away with a rake from another person. Then yet another scooped him up in her arms and took him away from the chaos.
He saw nothing but black smoke...and white feathers. This night, both of those opposote colors were colors of death.
Wolves howled, people screamed, cubs cried, and yet the carnage continued...the pandas screamed for someone to save them.
...But nobody came.
Po completely freezes up when the sentence leaves the wolf's muzzle. His scarf stops flowing as the wind also stops. His eyes have become vacant and dulled for a moment as he processes what Zhong was implying.
The rest were taking it just as badly, all of them were caught greatly off-guard. Especially Tigress, who's concern for Po skyrocketed, and confirmed that their orignal plan would never come to fruition, because she was well aware that the wolf was baiting Po far away from it. And they have a history. And a history with this wolf means a history with Shen. And both were personal. But still. A cub...what happened...?
"...I get it now." Po said quietly as he turned his head up. "I've been seeing things both day and nighr, for the last couple days. I thought they were simply nightmares, daymares, or crazy visions. But the visions aren't crazy...they were real. And they weren't just real...those were memories. My memories..." He slowly lifted his paw and pointed at the wolf in front of him. "And you...I still have no idea what was going on then. But I DO know this...I was just a cub...there was lots of fire...and you tried to kill me."
"It was nothing personal, not to me at least. I was just followin' orders, chubby." Zhong smirked. He had his full attention now, and wouldn't be losing it anytime soon. He's playing right into his paws.
"Orders...? Who are you?" Po asked slowly, then shook his head. "No. What I should be asking is who is Shen, really?"
"That's a question he's been trying to answer for years, bub. Ya got me."
"You know what I meant!" Po clenched his fists. "Who is Shen to me?! Somehow, I know he had some sort of affect on my life. I need to know what it is."
"You'd like that, wouldn't ya?" Zhong smirked, stepping back into his pack, which began gathering around him. He confidently spread his arms out. "You'd reeeeaaally like to know, huh?"
"Ah boy. This just got crazy worse, didn't it?" Crane groaned. He knew it would get significantly worse. But to this magnitude and intensity...they could have never have predicted something like this on the list of things that can go wrong.
"As a cub...? What happened to Po...?" Viper said, very deep concern gracing her eyes.
Monkey tugged on his scarf, looking a bit nervous. "Ooooh...the big guy is looking pissed off. And I think he knows why, but at the same time he doesn't...and that's worse than either of them alone."
Mei Ling sighed a little. "It looks like our little plan is gonna have some serious holes in it. I don't think Po is gonna back down from this."
"...Ha. No. No he's not." Crane sighed as he removed his had and lightly scratches it. "I knew our luck would turn sour at a moment's notice. But at this magnitude...? What are we supposed to do about this?"
"Ya wanna know what to do about it?" Zhong's smirked. "C'mon, Chubs. Follow me...if ya dare! Hahaha!" With another mischievous cackle, the wolf fully turns around and sprints in the other directions, as all of the other wolves covered his tracks.
"Hey! We're not done!" Po shouted as he begins to run after the target wolf.
"This got out of hand too quickly..." Tigress snarled. "Viper! Monkey! We're going with Po!"
"If you say so, Ma'am!" Monkey called out as he leapt after Po, with Viper swiftly wrapping herself around Tigress's waist as she did the same. All four of them leapt straight right over the platoon of wolves, landed safely, and began chasing down Zhong.
Mei Ling, Mantis, and Crane were left behind. All three of them jumped right in front of the wolves before the platoon of wolves before they could chase their friends down. Mei Ling narrowed her eyes. "Sorry, but that wolf boss of yours really offended my panda friend. So I really can't let ylu get in his way."
"Wolves shall not pass!" Mantis shouted as he shoots off from Crane's hat and kicks one of the wolves in the chest. Crane jumped up to nimbly dodge a swift sword strike from one of the other wolves and stops his talon down and slammed him into the ground. He looked behind him and dodged a mace strike from the side, brought his wings together and pushed the offending wolf, blasting a gust of wind to his chest and forcing him crash hard into a nearby wall. "So are we sure that Po and the others will be okay?"
"I don't know..."
Mei Ling thinks about what the one-eyed wolf said about Po, and thinking about whether it was true or not. It was difficult to tell due to the way he was callously demeaning Po. Yet at the same time, his words caused Po to have another vision, which erased most of the suspicion that the wolf was lying. So if his words were true...then they may have stumbled upon a city that is storing seriously dark memories for Po. She wasn't so sure ,but there was a strong feeling in her heart that fate brought Po here. There was a high chance that at some point in time, this entire experience would prove to be one of the most horrible and traumatizing for Po.
And yet at the same time...Mei Ling feels like it's not a choice for him to make.
(With Po)
"Get back here you pirate-looking wolf!" Po shouted as Monkey rode on his back, and Tigress was by his side with Viper tightly wrapped around her waist. "You can't just mess with my head like that! What else do you know about me?! What else do you know about me? What does Shen know about me?!"
"Do ya really think I'm gonna make it easy on you?! Why spoil the mystery further than I already have, tubby?!" Zhong cackled as he keeps egging on the panda. Po only growled in frustration and picked up his feet to try and move faster. Monkey was having a slightly difficult time holding onto him as he tried his best to hang onto Po's back.
"This wolf is purposely trying to piss Po off! This type of subject is far too serious for him to be talked down from!" Monkey shouted to Tigress over the intense running from the large bear.
"This is really bad, Tigress! Po's not willing to walk away from this!" Viper also shouted, staring up to Tigress in concern. The feline merely nods in agreement but makes no sudden move to stop Po from chasing the wolf down. If anything should happen, she'd be there to support him. "So I guess the original plan just got seriously derailed, huh?"
"Big time." Tigress once again agrees. "This certainly how we didn't expect things to go..."
Zhong didn't stop goading Po. He continues to taunt him with his currently shattered memories before he was found by Mr. Ping. He found himself wanting to know whatever this wolf knowsx and whatever Shen knew, even if he's never seen the latter yet. But now he was becoming more and more interested in doing so. More than that, now he was feeling like it was something he needed to do. He didn't know why, other than the fact that his memories might rely on the encounter..he just felt like he had to.
It felt like one of the most urgent things to do in his entire life.
"You're not getting away from me, pirate wolf!"
Zhong suddenly stopped within a courtyard. Po and Tigress stopped in their tracks, as Monkey and Mantis slipped off of them and landed safely on the ground. They looked up to see the Tower of The Sacred Flame standing right before them. Zhong turned around and spread his arms out again with a taunting smirk. "Well, Tubs? Ya want me? I'm right here. Come and get me!" Zhong said as he ran right into the Tower Of The Sacred Flame. Po narrowed his eyes and ran straight after him.
"Po! Don't go to fa-" Tigress started out. Then her ear twtiched and she turned and held her paws out. She immediately felt herself catch two horns in her paws, she shifted her weight and tossed the figure behind her. She blinked in confusion. "Wait...Master Ox?"
The Ox stared her down with steeled eyes, then he watched Po running into the Tower. He then turned his eyes back towards her. "The Panda has grown rather large...large and strong." He stood up fully. "And so have you. You're not the same kitten I saw fifteen years ago. You've got quite an impressive amount of strength."
"Our encounter came more quickly than I imagined." Tigress declared, her scarf flowing with another sudden current of wind.
"Yeah man, can we not do this?! Believe it or not, we're on YOUR side!" Monkey shouted in exasperation, waving his arms in a hysteric and comical fashion.
"Really?" Ox raised an eyebrow. "Because it seems to me, you're causing quite a fit of chaos in this city...and that's something we cannot allow." He took an offensive stance. "I'm going to have to apprehend you."
"Oh dear..." Viper's tail covered her mouth.
"Indeed." Master Croc exited from the shadows, and stood right by Ox. "It is regrettable. I truly do like that you and the others have made friends. Please understand...this isn't something I would like to do. None of us do."
A gang of Komodo Dragons suddenly moved out of each others way to make way for the biggest threat towards them...Master Rhino. Monkey's jaw dropped to the ground, then he shook his hesd and groaned. Crane was right, this day was getting more and more cruddy by the minute. The rhino stamped his hammer into the ground and let out a loud sigh. "The three of you have truly grown strong. I'm very proud of all three of you. Really, I am."
"I know you're not doing this because you dislike us. You just want to keep order in the city. And we're greatly disrupting that order, even if it's for the right reasons." Tigress nodded. "It's simply your duty to apprehend the ones who disrupt the order of the city...but you care about the citizens within the city even more."
"Yeah, yeah! What she said!" Monkey nodded quickly. "So we don't have to fight, right?! Because I'm preeeeetty sure that each of you have the skill and raw power to kick our asses all at once, on your own."
Rhino sighed softly. "Shen and his men will be suspicious of our actions if we freely interact with you and try to help you...he'll turn his forces and weapon towards the city. We...cannot allow that to happen."
Tigress took a deep breath, and took an offensive stance. "Understood. You're merely doing your duty to defend this city, even if it's under the heel of a tyrant."
"It didn't HAVE to be that way, though." Tigress turned to see that Fung and Peng leap off of the roof and landed alongside her. Master Croc shamefully looks away from Fung. Not shame towards his student, but towards himself. They were slightly covered in blood, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. Fung shook his head. "Song got curious about the color of a Komodo Dragon's blood...some are red...some were green...I got a bit sick..." He shook his head a bit faster. "At least they're still alive...anyway, we're not going to just let ourselves get captured."
Peng sighed. He bowed to the three Masters first before taking a stance. "It's an honor to meet the three of you...though I wish that it could have been under better circumstances."
Master Croc tilted his head, a small smile gracing his snout. "Well well...this one is polite. Though isn't he a bit too young to be traveling with you all?"
Peng was about to answer. Then his eyes widened as Rhino swung his hammer around and slammed it down on the young snow leopard. He placed his fists together and catches the hammer in his paws. His legs bent downward a bit as the ground cracked under him. Growling fiercely, gritting his teeth together, and forces the hammer off of him while also pushing Rhino back a couple feet. He relaxed a bit and sighed.
"It would seem that there's more gifted people in the panda's group of friends than we thought." Rhino chuckled slightly. He swung his hammer more, then stops, pointing it towards the new opponents. "We may be forced into this, and we might not be personal enemies...but I would actually like to see what you can do. We can, how you say...out on a show? Though I would suggesr that one of you at least get the citizens to a safer location. We want to make this look good for Shen's men...but the innocents should stay out of it."
Tigress nodded in understanding. "Viper."
"I'm on it!" The serpent nods as she slithers off into the city.
Monkey looked after the serpent and groaned. There was only one person necessary to get citizens into a safer distance from where they were fighting. They were stuck with fighting the Kung Fu Council, and Shen's thugs at the same time. He now understood why Crane was so seriously hesitant about this entire thing. He's still going to fight...but he's not gonna like it. Monkey sighed as he got into position next to Tigress, Fung, and Peng.
Monkey's not regretting his choice...he's just hating it ar the moment because it's going to make things much more difficult.
They have a Soothsayer here, right? Well then, I'm sensing some serious pain in my future...
Po was currently still chasing down Zhong the wolf boss. He was almost dead-ser on not allowing him to get away. Not after all of that mental and emotional turmoil he ignited within him. Now he wanted answers. "You're not getting away from me!"
"Is that what I'm doin'?" Zhong grinned, through another door. Po promptly pushing through. Though he stopped once he realized that he was looking upwards.
"Woah...that's also a lotta stairs..." Po said numbly, and being completely cool about it at first. After thinking about it for some time, he folded his arms, stomped his feet childishly, and pouted:
"DAMMIT!"
(Tower Of The Sacred Flame: Top Floor)
Tai Lung smiled casually as he sits against one of the ancient pillars, placing one leg over the other. During this time, Shen was currently fuming with both blood-curdling fury and deep-rooted fear. Tai Lung allows a relaxed sigh as he slowly swishes his tail from left to right, his eyes closed. He didn't fall asleep, though. Sleeping here would be a pretty confident move from him, but it wouldn't be so smart. Then again...neither is confronting the enemy on enemy turf without too much of a plan.
Tai Lung cracked one eye open to see Shen still glaring at him. He reclosed his eye and chuckled deeply. "Shen, relax. All I'm doing is lying against this pillar. Like I said, all I want to do is have a civil chat with you. Just a civil, calm and casual conversation. Is that really something to be so suspicious of?"
"What are you doing here, cretin?" Shen asked impatiently.
Tai Lung raised an eyebrow. "Are you at least going to out your knives away?" Shen didn't move, neither did he put away any of the knives in his wings. Tai Lung groaned lazily. "Uuugggh...fine. Your hospitality could use some serious polishing." He stood up against the pillar and folded his arms casually. "Alrighty then, Shen. I just need to ask you somethin'...ya got something to drink?"
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"
"You're no fun." Tai Lung pouted. "Fine, I'll take a shot at being serious. Exactly...what are you trying to accomplish here? So what if a panda is in the city? Your very first thought is to have him killed? Why? Because it just so happens that a panda is destined to defeat you? Let me repeat what I said earlier...destiny is a picky bastard, and an even harsher teacher. It's either your friend, or your foe. And believe me buddy, you do NOT want it to be your foe. I tried to force it to cooperate with me...aaaaannnnd I ended up falling on my ass. Hard." He shook his head. "Ever since then, humility has been a co-teacher...and I learned a lot from it."
Soothsayer tapped her cane on the floor, and stroked her beard. "You have made peace with the fact that you are not the Dragon Warrior."
Tai Lung closed his eyes. "Yeah. And once I tried forcing that specific destiny to cooperate with me...like I said, I ended up falling on my ass. And not in the way you would think. No. The way I did...I traumatized my little sister. I was telling her that having sharp claws and sharp teeth was nothing to be ashamed of or to hate. Months later, I ended up doing something stupid that betrayed those beliefs I taught her and it caused a serious mental and emotional block within her. Even seventeen years later, I can still see it in her eyes. She's not scared of me and she's accepted my help... but she's doesn't truly trust me as fully as she used to...and I don't blame her. The blood on my paws was pretty bad to accept as my fault...but I consider the damage I've done to her to be infinitely worse. She means more to me than some destiny that's turned out to not be mine."
Shen steeled his eyes at the snow leopard, not taking his eyes off of him even for a split second. "Is this going somewhere, feline?"
Tai Lung slowly begins walking around the room, then he gently picks up the bowl that the Soothsayer uses to make predictions. He simply eyed it with interest, his tail continuing to lazily swish behind him. "So...imagine my concern when this kind old lady gives me some interesting information. Apparently you kept going on this dark path of yours. And if you didn't, you would be defeated by a 'Warrior of Black and White'." Tai Lung sighed. "And instead of just accepting that as it is and simply changing your ways...you made a mistake similar to my own. You decided to get angry and take it out on innocent people. Pandas. Innocent pandas. They don't bother anyone. They were simply minding their own business, enjoying their simple farm lives. It wasn't extravagant, it wasn't the best life...but it was theirs. They were content. But then..." He turned and swiftly threw the bowl towards the peacock. His eyes widened in surprise and he ducked under the projectile, hearing it shatter upon impact towards the wall. "You sweeped in, killed a majority of them, and burned down their home! And for WHAT?!"
Shen snarled. Tai Lung was getting hostile. "Don't try and pretend that you're better than me! Destiny dealt you a bad hand, that has nothing to do with me! I was securing my own destiny! They were in my way!"
"Bullshit. They did nothing to you, and they never would have, had you simply just left them alone!" Tai Lung growled. He folded his arms. "You've only secured your own destruction by taking the darker path that could have easily been avoided...had you simply just considered cutting your damn losses!" He tilted his head. "Just like my actions traumatized my sister...it's highly likely that your actions did the same to her panda best friend." Except he doesn't remember...or his subconscious is blocking those traumatic memories out. Being in this city is a trigger all by itself. "Shen. If I know anything about this panda, is that his potential is close to limitless. Just like my own...and just like my sister. I haven't known him for too long, but he's nice guy. He doesn't have to be your enemy, Shen. You just need to give yourself up and accept that you've already lost."
Shen's eyes reflected immense fury at Tai Lung's warning. "What did you say?"
"I'm telling you to quit while you're ahead. Like I said, the panda doesn't have to be your enemy. You simply have to give yourself up. Seriously. That big bad prophecy that threatens to be your downfall...doesn't have to come true. But...keep going on this path...and you'll be put in a world of hurt." He shrugged. "Simply put, you'll fall on your ass for sure. That's what happens when bad guys mess with good people who can resist. Do you really wanna be that guy? I sure as hell didn't."
Shen glared hard and furious at Tai Lung, gripping his knives tightly. "Hmph...are you telling me to surrender? I'd rather not. I have made too much progress, put in too much effort, suffered far too much and far too long! If you think I'll be completely underminded by some snivelling panda, then you're a fool! If that's the only reason you're here, you can just get out of my sight right now!" Shen threw three knives towards Tai Lung. "Or shall I make you?"
He unsheathed his claws and slashed at the knives, deflecting them effortlessly. The snow leopard didn't break a sweat. He relaxed as he shook his head and clicking his tongue. "It appears that you refuse to be talked down..." He sighed and shrugged. "Welp. It was worth a shot." He cocked his head to the side and smirked. "Guess ya like doing things the hard way, huh?"
Soothsayer nodded. "Indeed. He's been doing everything the hard way, lately. It is exactly as exhausting as it sounds." She closed her eyes slowly as she brought both hooves to her cane. "He is here..." Shen raised an eyebrow at this, before he heard loud thumping in the on the stairway. He recognizes it immediately, and turns towards it.
Zhong gasped as he leapt over the very top step, landing on his side and panting rapidly. "Boss...I...I did what ya said...a little bit too well, I think..."
"What do you mean? What's going on, Zhong?"
"HEY! ONE-EYED WOLF GUY!"
BOOM!
A large explosion rocked the tower for a couple moments, and the other three had to cover their eyes from all of the smoke. Seconds later, Po jumped out of said smoke, coughing and fanning most of it away. He flapped his scarf a couple times to get a majority of the dust off. Then he placed the hat back on his head and pointed at the wolf angrily.
"We're not done talking! We have to talk aboooouuu..." Po's finger drooped as he took a better look around the room. He could see Tai Lung, he could see the Soothsayer...and he could see Shen. He blinked a bit and pulled back his paw. "Um...am I interrupting some between you guys?"
"Po. That's a woman." Tai Lung pointed at Soothsayer.
Po blinked. "She is? Uh-I mean of course she is! Hehe, yeah!" He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I totally knew that! I was just...joking around is all!" The beard threw me waaaaaaaaaay off! I didn't know woman could have beards! Wait...maybe it's because she's a goat? Po blinked as the Soothsayer came up before him and gently pulled him down to her level.
"You grew up...bigger than I imagined." She checked him over a couple times, gently pulling on his tongue. "Strong...and very healthy! And your chi is absurdly powerful, it continues to gradually grow...and you have a certain special aura around you. Your aura speaks to me as mostly innocent and naive...but simultaneously, you are not completely blind to the world's darkness when you see it. And even so, you remain completely uncorrupted by it." She smiled softly. "You've grown up nicely."
"Thank you, ma'am." Po bowed to her. Then he turned his head to Tai Lung and whispered: "Do I know her and just don't remember? Is she a friend? I'll feel really bad if I forgot a friend."
"Personally? No. This is the first time you two met, Po."
"Oh...well...can she be my friend anyway?"
"I don't see why not."
"Yay!~" Po beamed as he picks up Soothsayer and pulls her in for a bear hug. She blinked in surprise.
Innocent, naive...and very affectionate! He must have been raised by someone who is filled with immeasurable amounts of love, compassion, understanding...and loves giving hugs. Such people in the world are very rare...there are plenty of people that love giving hugs, though.
Shen smiles sadistically as he sees the panda before him. The main threat brought himself to him. Now, he'll be able to eliminate him, he just had to get reinforcements to make sure he doesn't escape from him. Tai Lung saw the look in his eye and shoosk his head. Only Shen could see a panda hugging an elderly goat and still want to kill him. He was tempted to just put Shen away right then and there...but he learned that forcing destiny to work with you never ends well. Either destiny is on your side, or isn't, and in the latter case you just have to step out of the way if you don't have the heart and will to defy it. Besides...defeating Shen is Po's destiny, not Tai Lung's. He folded his arms once again and leaned against a wall, watching the two of them.
This isn't going to be easy for you, Po. I can't outright tell you what's going on. I want to see how you feel you should do this, first...
Shen cackled lowly, as he made eye contact with the panda. "Well well...it seems that we finally meet, Panda. We have a lot of unfinished business to attend to, you and I."
Po blinked. "I don't really understand it...but you and I...we're more connected than I think we are, aren't we?"
"More than you know, Panda. Much more than you know." Shen's eyes steeled again, as he had more knives in his feathers and swiftly threw them towards Po.
"Woah!" Po ducked under the knives, watching them embed themselves into the pillar behind him. He pouted. "Hey, watch it! I really like my hat and scarf! They're awesome!"
"Oh. Don't you worry about those things, Panda." Shen slowly laughs again, as he brought more knives within his feathers, and his metal talons clanked against the floor. I'll be sure they'll look really nice on your grave site."
Po tilted his head and pouted. "But...I'm not dead. Or buried."
Shen blinked owlishly at him. "N-No, I was insinuating that...of course you're not... I mean..." He shook his head furiously. "I'M TRYING TO KILL YOU, YOU OVERWEIGHT BUFFOON!"
"Oooohhh...that's not cool, man."
"I'M NOT TRYING TO BE COOL!"
"Then does that mean you're lame, or something?"
Shen's expression turned completely deadpan. "...You're an idiot, aren't you?'
Po scratched his belly, looking around the room, then back towards Shen. "Is that a trick question?"
Shen slowly facewinged, nearly dropping his knives. "My biggest threat is of absurdly low intelligence..."
Soothsayer blinks twice and turned towards Tai Lung, who was snickering in amusement. Zhong was just watching the scene, jaws agape. She then turned back towards the two opposing warriosx stroking her beard. She's foretold of their clash many times now.
But she was genuinely surprised that this is how it starts out.
The plan was set...and it totally falls apart because of Zhong the Boss Wolf separating Po from the others. And the Kung Fu Council is keeping the others back in fear of the cannon turning on the citizens. None of them enjoy that position at all, but it's the way it is. In the next chapter, hell has officially broken loose. I'm looking forward to it though. So long as I don't screw it up...
Guess we'll find out soon enough, yeah?
See you until then!