Chapter 18: Espio vs. Shadow
It was calm before the storm. But now, that the storm is here, calm has dissipated.
High above on the roof tops of the Jade Tower at the entrance of the Hall of Warriors, Espio was the only soul left in the city. He was awaiting his fate. The others, however, are not here in the city at the moment. In the city down below, the lights from the evacuation have made their way out of the border.
Excellent. My students have done what I told them. Now, I have nothing to hold me back.
The main doors were whipped open thanks to the gush of the wind. They are now wide open and not a soul was in the way.
Not yet of course.
A few seconds has passed since the doors swinged open and Espio was still standing all alone on the steps; waiting for the battle to begin.
A battle that could cost him his life.
A big lightning strikes in the air near the Tower. But that didn't cause Espio to blink only once. He now looks up and directs his attention onto what is in front of him. Make that who.
Shadow.
For more than twenty years since their last encountered and they have come face-to-face with each other after all this time.
Shadow – his only son. The one person who made him show a softer side than anyone else.
Shadow – his first ever student to teach him the high level of Kung Fu.
Shadow – the traitor.
At rare moments like this, the black hedgehog smiles at the sight of his foster father. Surely, Espio would be proud to see him but things have changed and so has he. "I have come home... Master," Shadow begin.
Espio remained heated. His eyes are still locked onto Shadow's. "This is no longer your home. And I am no longer your master," Espio sneers at his former son.
"Yes, I have heard," Shadow said; hinting a little resentment in his tone. "You have a new favourite." But another thought comes across his mind. If Espio's new favourite is the Dragon Warrior, shouldn't he be here instead of him? "So, where is this…Sonic?" The black hedgehog sarcastic chuckles. "Did I scare him off?"
No, I sent him away. From you.
"This battle is between you… and me," Espio said
Shadow's smile drops and lets out a disappointed sign. So much for a legendary battle. This is rather again, fighting against my old master – I guess it will fill the void. Afterwards, I can go after the Dragon Warrior and claim what is rightfully mine.
"So,…that is how it's going to be?" Shadow turns his back on the one he called "master".
"That is how it must be," Espio finished; standing a fighting stance. Shadow looks back at him for a split second.
Student verse Master. Son verse Father. Who will triumph? And who will fall? Other than that, who will make the first move?
Students who are impatient and disobedient are usually the ones who attack first. And Shadow is one of them. He does a high leap in the air and attempts to kick down on his master. But Espio was quick to act as he dodged the attack. As he missed, Shadow's foot makes contact with the stairs; smashing it upon landing. Espio lands a few feet away from the enormous crack and goes back to his fighting stance.
Using his immense strength, Shadow picks up a large piece of the entrance. He kicks it in the air and sends it flying.
Flying to Espio.
But the chameleon was too strong. As the piece comes closer, Espio lands a punch on the rock in a flash of green; breaking apart. With the master distracted, Shadow lunges towards him and punches him back. Espio goes flying through the doors, making a big gaping hole and into the Hall, landing gracefully. He manages to recover himself and gets ready to face his former student.
The black warrior enters the Hall. His face is a mask of pure fury. "I rotted in jail for more than TWENTY YEARS because of your weakness, Espio!" Shadow spitted at his former master.
"Obeying your master is not weakness!" the chameleon corrected him still holding his ground.
Shadow halted. "You knew I was the Dragon Warrior!"
(Station Square, 20 years ago…)
The warrior remembers the day where he thought he was chosen.
A younger Shadow, stood proud and strong, presents himself in front of the two masters. For many years, Espio has trained him to be the strongest of all warriors known to mankind.
"You always knew..."
Shadow smiles expectant and so did Espio. The chameleon knew he made a right choice in his life to train Shadow so he can earn the Dragon Scroll. But Eggman...
With a disappointed look, the human master looks over to Espio and… shook his head.
As Eggman walks away, a confused Espio was dismayed. If his student is not the Dragon Warrior, then… who is? The chameleon was sure of it. Espio looks back at Shadow who was shocked as he was.
"But…when Eggman said otherwise, what did you do?"
The student himself was hopping his master would speak up about this. Make Eggman changed his mind. Shadow still looks at Espio. The chameleon was about to speak up but couldn't find the right couldn't argue with Eggman
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
He averted his eyes and turns his back on his son. To Shadow's horror, Espio did…
(Present…)
"NOTHING!"
"You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior!" Espio exclaimed the truth. "That was not my fault!"
Shadow was now furious. He points at Espio while advancing towards him. "NOT YOUR FAULT?!" he raged as Espio did his best to keep his distance away from the enraged hedgehog.
"WHO FILLED MY HEAD WITH DREAMS?!" he shouted; kicking Master Pachacamac's armour at Espio. But the Kung Fu master dodges the attack. Shadow goes over a shield artefact on the other side.
"DROVE ME TO TRAIN UNTIL MY BONES CRACKED?!" he shouted again; grabbing the shield from its stand and throws it like a Frisbee with rapid speed. Luckily, Espio manage to step to the side. The shield flings past the chameleon and stab into a pillar behind Espio. Shadow goes back to the other side and grabs a rack full of what appears to be dangerous swords and spears.
"WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?!" Shadow screamed; flinging the swords and spears out of its case altogether at the chameleon. One by one, Espio skilfully deflected every last one of them. On the floor near Shadow, one sword remains. Using his foot, Shadow kicks it up. While it spins in the air, Shadow delivers a spinning kick and sends it towards the master. Instead of deflected it, Espio counters the weapon; spinning around over his head and redirects it into the floor.
"It was NEVER my decision to make!"
Shadow growls. He leaps for another artefact to throw at Espio. But when he came for the next one, he pauses. There standing in its rack was a certain stick that he too was very familiar with.
Eggman's staff.
When he saw the human master's staff on the rack, he eventually knew what this means.
So, the old master is dead. Shadow cracks a sly grin. Perfect.
Like his hatred on Espio, Shadow also feels loathing on the human master. He was also the reason that Shadow was not the Dragon Warrior. But now that the human is gone, Eggman has no control over him or his destiny. Anxious, Espio watches on. With grace, Shadow picks up the staff and faces the chameleon.
"It is now." Shadow pictures the same sly smile on his face.
Shadow is touching Eggman's staff.
A sacred artefact in the name of the Great Master!
This has gone far enough!
Angered, Espio finally goes on the offensive. He leaps at Shadow; double kicking him to the head and the body but Shadow blocks them both with his forearm. Shadow tries to kick him back but Espio quickly jumps back. The black hedgehog swings the staff around but the chameleon does his best to try and take the ancient artefact out of his grasp. While the chameleon was also best at dodging the oncoming moves, Shadow quickly pins him down on the pillar with the staff by the throat. With the chameleon in his hold, he swings him down onto the floor and keeps pressure of the staff'; hoping to choke his former teacher. Espio was doing his best to keep the pressure of the staff's fork by pushing back.
"Give. Me. The SCROLL!" Shadow demanded.
"I would rather die!" Espio sneered.
Your wish, master!
Using all his strength, Shadow puts as much pressure as he can; hoping to waste the last of Espio's breath. But Espio was also pushing the staff back with all his might. Unfortunately, Shadow was winning this battle as he continues to thrust forward. Espio was about meet his end…
…when the middle of the staff begins to breaks and finally, snaps in half; releasing a burst of green light. The broken staff flings out of their grasp and was throw against the floor just a few feet away from them. While gaining his breath, Espio sits up to look back at the staff now broken into two pieces thanks to the intense pressure. He stares in dismay at the pieces. Several peach blossoms floated over the remains of the staff — a last echo of Eggman – g one.
But distracted at the sight of his late master's staff cost him a few seconds of the fight. Turning his attention on Shadow, Espio barely noticed the oncoming kick towards him. He managed to resist a sucker-kick from his son and ends up flying into a wall mirror; making a huge crack in the middle. Espio pushes Shadow off with the help of his hands and falls to the ground.
After they have landed on the floor, Espio escape to a nearby pillar with Shadow in pursuit. The chameleon looks back to see the hedgehog has improved his speed during his time in prison.
Not just stronger but faster too.
Espio doesn't know how long he can keep this up. Hopping from one pillar to another, Espio finds himself hanging from the ceiling. Shadow leaps from his pillar and attack him which burst them through the roof. They soar high in the air as lightning flashes in the sky and the two warriors resume their fight. Through a number punches, kicks and blocks that all made in mid-air, Espio has gains the upper hand. Manage to gain the hold of Shadow's right arm, he twist it behind him and using his feet, he hold Shadow's head so the black hedgehog was forced to see the ground. And the roof.
You're finish, Shadow!
But Espio's victory was short-lived.
Just seconds before they hit the roof, Shadow manages to escape Espio's hold, grabs him by the neck and holds him in front of him. The chameleon takes the worst of the impact as they crashed through the roof. Before they hit the ground, Shadow released Espio from his grip and kicks him away into a pillar. When he came in contact, Espio lets out a painful gasp and collapse onto the floor below.
Thanks to his kick that he made, Shadow was also sent flying to the other side of the room. He also knocked himself into a lit lantern which falls to the ground; setting part of the floor alight in blue flames. The blue flame matches his dark heart. Taking a portion of fire in his grasp, Shadow lunges at the chameleon. As he comes closer, Espio barely had time to recover himself and dodges the first firer strike; followed by another and another as he did his best to block them.
"All that I ever did, I DID IT to make you proud!" Shadow screamed; delivering more blazing blows to his former master. Shadow's constant punches having an effect like a battling ram against Espio which proved that they more he blocks the attack, the more weaker he becomes. Shadow also admitted he was doing this for him. For Espio.
"Just tell me how proud you are, Espio!" Shadow demanded; delivering more hits to the staggering chameleon. Espio's defence is now weaken and was taking each blow to his heart as he struggles to block his punches. This almost brings Shadow to his limit.
"Tell me! TELL ME!"
THOOM!
Ending with a double-fisted strike, Shadow gives Espio a powerful blow. The injured chameleon flies in the air for a bit before skidding across the floor and finally, onto the steps in front of the Moon Pool. With the master down, Shadow extinguish the flame and stalks weak, Espio lifts himself; slightly. His breathing was more deeper than before.
Thanks to that blow, Espio finally cracks. Thanks to the battle which became not just physical but emotional as well.
"I..." Espio spoke up; breathless, "have always been proud of you. From the first moment, I've been... proud of you…"
That statement made Shadow halt in his track. His expression was a bit softening as he continues to listen.
"…and it was my pride... that blinded me. I cared for you too much to see what you were becoming,…" Espio looks up to see Shadow. "…what I... was turning you into. I'm s... I'm sorry."
For Espio, it was very rare for him to be this emotionally. But he also hoping his plead would help Shadow stop his quest for power when it was normally not his in the first place and hopefully, to redeem himself.
After hearing Espio's sincere and heartfelt apology, Shadow's face becomes touched.
Espio still cared for him. And he was even proud of him before this whole ordeal began.
The chameleon waits for a reply from Shadow. He just hopes his apology would reach him; reach his dark heart…
…
…
…but he failed as Shadow ultimately hardened his heart once more. He grabs Espio by the throat and squeezes it tight; choking him. The son that Espio once knew is gone. The bond between student and master – father and son – is gone. All because Shadow was blinded by the lust for power.
The black hedgehog leans forward with his master in his grasp. "I don't want your apology..." Shadow lifted him up to the ceiling; still choking him. "I want my scrol—"
At the corner of Shadow's eyes is what he expect to find the artefact that he has been dying to get… only to find it missing.
"What?" Shadow gasped. It's gone?
The fuming black hedgehog looks back at Espio and slams him hard on the steps with enough force to crack the marble stone. "WHERE IS IT?!" he demanded.
All strangled up because of Shadow's strength, Espio can only choke what he can tell Shadow. "Dragon Warrior has already taken scroll halfway across the country by now…" he croaked while letting out a cough. "You will never see that scroll, Shadow."
Furious that Espio won't tell the whereabouts of both the scroll and the Dragon Warrior, Shadow lift his hand up. His gloved hand begins to glow in a shade of gold.
His Chaos Spear! Oh no…
But Espio would die rather than tell. "Never! N-never..."Espio was beginning to witness his end as most of his air from his lunges begins to thin. Shadow raises his hand in the air; ready to strike Espio—
"HEY!"
Interrupted by the sudden yell, Shadow turns his head around to find…
Author's Notes: WHOOPS! Sorry! Had to leave you on the cliff-hanger like that. I know, you guys would hate me for this but rest assured, the next chapter is more action-based with our hero verses the villain. Not to mention we are also finishing this FanFic. It's SO close I can almost taste it!
So, we get to see one of the big fights that happened in the movie. Also, the scene where Shifu tries to apologize to Tai Lung for turning him into what he is today. I really like that one. Too bad Tai Lung didn't forgive him so easily after being in jail for so many years.
Also, I going to find out more about my job tomorrow and find out if this doesn't affected my FanFics (I didn't REALLY said that in my interview. THAT would be just weird. But I like being weird at times. That's who I am ).
But now, time to bring out the dark edge of my life. You see, my grandmother or my nana as I call her is diagnosed with cancer for many months and now, she is very sick at the moment. They were nothing they can do for her but rest. We are all sad at this moment. But all we can do is pray for the best and just hope that my grandmother can pull through. I don't know if this will put a halt on my stories but we'll never know until we find out more. Right now, my family needs all the support they can get.
I guess it's time for me to skedaddle and see ya next time. Hopefully, with my nana sick, I just hope me and my family can get through all this.
Until we meet again,
TheDragonLord2912
I do not own any Kung Fu Panda or Sonic related characters. They are property of Dreamworks and Sega. Other character who appeared in this FanFic belong to me.