Chapter 12: Fortunes Predicted

At the very top floor of the Tower of the Sacred Flame, the decorative banners of the peacock royal family were torn down by Shen's gorilla soldiers and several kraang bio-droids while a large golden version of Shen's cannon was moved into the room.

His talons clicking against the marble floor, Lord Shen walked up to the large golden throne in the middle of the room, the top back of it shaped like the spread feathers of a peacock.

"My father's throne…" Shen smiled fondly, reminiscing old memories. "He used to let me play here beside him, promising someday that this throne would be mine."

General Ch'rell nodded, his chest compartment opening and revealing his kraang body which had a long purple scar over his left eye. "Very sentimental…" He said. "But now is not the time for that."

Shen nodded. "Indeed, General." He then turned to the gorilla soldiers and the kraang bio droids. "Toss it."

Without a word, the gorillas and the bio droids picked up the large golden throne and chucked out the window where it proceeded to shatter once it hit the ground.

The large golden cannon was then moved into its place.

"A little to the left." Shen instructed.

Ch'rell sighed, rubbing the temples of his robotic head. "My lord, is that really necessary?"

One of the gorillas lifting the cannon grunted. "Yeah, it's so heavy, Master!"

"Thirty years, I've waited for this moment. Everything must be exactly how I envisioned it." Shen stated. "And I envisioned it a little to the left."

Reluctantly, the gorillas and the bio droids picked up the cannon and moved it slightly to the left.

"Perfect." Shen grinned. "With the weapon by my side… ah, a little bit more." The gorillas and the bio droids moved the cannon slightly to the left again. "With the weapon by my side… all of China will bow before me. We move out in three days, when the moon is full and the tide is high."

Shen then turned to the Soothsayer, who was sitting in a corner of the room.

"Now, you old goat, why don't you tell me my-"

"Fortune?" The Soothsayer asked.

"F-future. I was going to say future." Shen responded. "Look into your bowl, and tell me what glory awaits."

The Soothsayer gazed into her seeing bowl, "If you continue your current path…" Her eyes rolled upward as Shen and Ch'rell walked down the small steps from the throne. "You will find yourself… at the bottom of the stairs."

Shen stopped at the very bottom of the stairs, resulting in him rolling his eyes in annoyance before approaching the old goat woman.

Ch'rell turned to the Soothsayer, unamused. "You should be thankful that Lord Shen has decided to show you mercy in spite of your insolence." The Kraang general snarled. "Just because you are his family's soothsayer, that doesn't mean we will not hesitate to kill you at a moment's notice."

The Soothsayer ignored him as she gazed into her seeing bowl again. "I see… I see… I see pain…" She then suddenly plucked a feather from Shen's wing.

"Ow!"

"And anger…" The Soothsayer then took a bite out of Shen's robe.

"How dare you!" Shen exclaimed in outrage. "That is the finest silk in the province!"

"Followed by denial."

"This is not fortune telling! You're just saying what's happening right-" Shen began.

"Now?" The Soothsayer guessed.

Shen sighed in exasperation while Ch'rell growled in frustration, grabbing the Soothsayer by the scruff of her neck.

"Get to the point." Ch'rell told her, releasing his grip.

The Soothsayer looked unfazed by the Kraang's threat, gazing back into her seeing bowl as she set the feather and the piece of silk in it.

"The most important time is now." The Soothsayer said. "But if you really want to see the future…"

A glowing blue and white smoke suddenly erupted from the bowl, the spectators watching in awe, wonder, and even a bit of fear as the smoke rose into the air.

"Oh, what do you see?" Shen questioned.

"A peacock…" The Soothsayer said as the smoke formed into the shape of said bird. "... is defeated by a warrior of black and white, and his four guardian warriors of blue, red, purple, and orange." As she spoke, the peacock in the smoke was consumed by a fiery black and white yin-yang symbol, surrounded by four smaller circles of blue, red, purple, and orange. "Nothing has changed."

Shocked and furious, Shen pulled out one of his knives and threw it at the seeing bowl, shattering it before fanning away the apparition with his tail feathers.

"That's impossible… and you know it!" Shen exclaimed while the Soothsayer chuckled.

"It is not impossible… and he knows it." The Soothsayer said.

Before either Shen or Ch'rell could question what she was talking about, the Boss Wolf suddenly emerged from the stairs in a small panic.

"Lord Shen! I saw a panda!" The Boss Wolf reported.

Shen's head shot up. "A panda?!" He then lunged at the Boss Wolf, pinning him to the floor by the neck with his talons.

"A kung fu warrior… he fought like a demon!" Boss Wolf reported. "Big and furry… soft and squishy… kinda plush and cuddly…"

Shen glared directly into the Boss Wolf's one good eye. "There are no more pandas…" He said slowly.

The Boss Wolf gulped a little. "But that's not all, sir… I saw… turtles, four of them! They were a bunch of kids… and they wore these masks… blue, red, purple, and orange. Came at us like a hurricane!"

Shen's eyes widened at that revelation while Ch'rell looked surprised. After Shen had led the massacre on the panda's for many years, he had been unable to figure out who the guardian warriors could be, that was until now.

"Even with my poor eye-sight, he can see the truth." The Soothsayer said, gesturing to the Boss Wolf's one eye. "Why is it you cannot?"

Flinging the Boss Wolf away, Shen growled. "Find the panda and these turtles and bring them to me!"

"Yes sir!" Boss Wolf cried, retreating down the stairs.

"So one panda still lives and a bunch of kids just happen to wear the colors of his guardian warriors… that does not make you right." Shen told the Soothsayer.

"You're right." The Soothsayer said with a smug tone. "Being right makes me right."

"Then I will kill them… and make you wrong!" Shen stated.

Ch'rell then walked up to the peacock. "Lord Shen, my kind and I have encountered these turtles many times in the past. And I greatly advise you to not underestimate them."

Shen nodded. "Your concern is noted, General." He said. "If what you say is true, we will need to be on high alert. Tell your men to spread out and double security in the city, leave nothing unchecked nor unturned."

General Ch'rell nodded before looking and seeing something behind the peacock.

Confused, Shen then heard the sound of chewing before he turned around to see the Soothsayer eating the hem of his robes again.

"Would you stop that?!" He shouted in annoyance, yanking his robe away.