Chapter 18: Shifu's Fate

It was dark out once the news had been spread that Tai Lung was coming, with the villagers already beginning to evacuate as Po, the Turtles, and the Furious Five reached the bottom of the stairs.

"We've got to get them out safely." Tigress stated firmly.

Monkey picked up a small piglet. "Come on, little one." He said soothingly. "Let's find your mama."

"Viper, gather the southern farmers. Mantis, the north. Crane, light the way." Tigress ordered, handing a lantern to the bird.

"What about you?" Viper asked.

"I'll stay with Monkey and help evacuate the villagers." The feline stated. She then turned to the turtles and Po, "If any of you want to help, be my guest."

The Turtles all nodded. "Alright, we'll split up to cover more ground." Leo said. "Donnie, with Crane. Raph, with Mantis. Mikey, with Viper. I'll stay here with Tigress and Monkey."

"What about Po?" Mikey asked before they all turned to the panda.

Po still looked down-casted as he held the Dragon Scroll in his paws. "I'm just… gonna check on my dad."

Frowning sympathetically, Leo placed a light hand on the panda's shoulder. "You do that, Po." He said lightly. "Alright, guys, let's move out!"

With that said, the turtles and the Five went off in their assigned directions as Po solemnly trudged through the crowds on his way home.


"Alright, everyone, keep calm and keep moving." Leo said as he, Tigress, and Monkey guided the villagers through the town towards the hills. Monkey had decided to go on ahead, helping lost ones find their families while Leo and Tigress helped people carry their belongings and escort the people through town.

As they guided the villagers, Leo noticed how Tigress was still looking solemn ever since Shifu had told them to go.

"Still worried about Shifu?" Leo asked the feline softly.

Tigress sighed, not even trying to deny her concern. "All my life, I did everything he ever asked of me. I punched until my knuckles bled, I kicked until my legs broke, I did all of that just to earn his approval, his love. And after hearing him actually call me his daughter… I feel like I should be happy but at the same time I feel hollow since Tai Lung's going to…" She couldn't bear to finish her sentence, but Leo seemed to understand enough.

Gently, the blue clad turtle rested his hand on the feline's shoulder in a comforting manner.

Surprised, she gazed at Leo and saw his face had warped into one of sympathy… and even somewhat cool and distant.

No words needed to be said as Leo already knew how she was feeling, and was doing his best to comfort her as a single tear slid down Tigress' cheek.


"Alright, dudes, slow and steady." Mikey said as he and Viper guided the southern farmers towards the main street towards the bridge out of the Valley.

As they were guiding the farmers, Mikey quickly noticed Viper's saddened face. "Feeling down?" The party turtle asked.

Viper gazed at the orange clad turtle sadly. "We trained so long and so hard to beat Tai Lung, only for us to get our butts kicked and now we find out the Dragon Scroll, the one thing that could help us stop him, is blank!" She looked close to tears as she looked down. "And now we're being forced to leave our home and abandon our master because of that monster."

Mikey nodded, looking uncharacteristically downcasted. "I know, it sucks." He agreed. "But… doesn't look like there's anything we can do about it right now."

Viper sighed. "I know, but… I still hate that we can't do anything. That we're just so… so… helpless."

Stopping for a moment, Mikey knelt down and placed a gentle hand on the back of Viper's head before pulling her into a tight hug.

Surprised, Viper blinked as she didn't know how to respond to this act of sudden kindness.

"It's okay, Viper." Mikey said soothingly, gently stroking the back of Viper's head with his hand. "Shifu's a kung fu master, he's gonna be just fine. I know it."

Letting the tears fall, Viper nuzzled her head into the crook of the party turtle's neck. "Thanks, Mikey." She whispered.

She felt Mikey nod before they separated. "Anytime." He said with a sad smile. "Now, let's get back to moving these farmer dudes."


Donnie shuffled through the crowd, carrying a lantern in his hand as he and Crane were at the front, leading the villagers out of town and towards the hills.

"That's it everyone, nobody panic. Women and children first." Donnie instructed, carrying a small rabbit child in his free arm while the child's family pushed a cart with their belongings.

As they reached the bridge, Donnie came to a stop while Crane came down.

"How's it looking?" The smart turtle asked the bird as he handed the child back to it's parents.

"So far so good." Crane replied quietly, hanging his head.

"Alright, what's eating you up, Crane?" Donnie asked, concerned.

Crane sighed. "A lot! Okay?! There's a lot bothering me." He yelled in frustration. "We think we can take Tai Lung after so much training, only for him to catch us by surprise and now we're being forced to run like cowards because we couldn't stop him!"

"Ah, I get it now." Donnie realized.

"Huh?" Crane questioned, giving the purple clad turtle a confused look.

"You're upset because you feel like you failed." Donnie stated.

Crane gave the smart turtle a flat look. "Donnie, we got our butts handed to us by Tai Lung, paralyised, we found out the Dragon Scroll, something we trained nearly our lives to achieve, was blank, and now we're being forced to leave the Valley now that Tai Lung's on his way. I don't feel like we failed, we DID fail!"

At that admission, the anger immediately drained away from Crane's face. "I failed… because I wasn't strong enough." He said sadly.

Donnie frowned in sympathy, laying his hand on the bird's shoulder.

"Believe me, I know how you feel." Donnie said quietly. "That you gave it your all but still feel like it wasn't enough. I get that. But we can't give up just yet, we might not win the battle tonight by fighting, but we can win in other ways." They both then looked back towards the evacuating people.

Some slight bit of hope filling his heart, Crane sent the purple clad turtle a grateful glance and nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Donnie."

Donnie grinned slightly, showing his gap-tooth. "Come on." He said. "We gotta get these people to the hills."


"You can't do this to me!" An elderly farmer cried as Raph tried to pull him from his home. "I have rights!"

Gritting his teeth, Raph finally managed to wrestle the farmer free from his house. "Sorry, pal, but it's for your own good."

"Boy, tough crowd, huh?" Mantis remarked.

"You said it." Raph agreed.

"Still, can't really blame some of them for not wanting to leave."

Raph sighed. "Yeah, I get that." He then scowled slightly. "But, I hate having to run away from something like this."

"Me too, but you saw what happened to me and the others when we tried to fight him." Mantis pointed out. "Still can't believe that the Scroll was blank. What a ripoff!" He grumbled.

"Yeah, man, I can't believe it either." Raph agreed.

"You'd think for all his wisdom, Master Oogway would've put something in the scroll like some ancient incantation or some map to a secret weapon or something." Mantis said.

"One would think." Raph replied. "But still, we've gotta focus on the safety of the people first. That's what matters right now."

"Right." Mantis agreed as he and the red clad turtle continued ushering the northern farmers towards the outskirts.


Meanwhile, Leo, Tigress, and Monkey had just met up with Donnie and Crane at the bridge to the outskirts and the hills beyond.

And after a few minutes of waiting, Raph, Mantis, Mikey, and Viper showed up with the northern and southern farmers.

"Is that everybody?" Leo asked as they watched the villagers cross the bridge.

"Almost." Crane said, looking back out to the people still making their way through the village. "We've still got a lot of people to escort."

"We'll move ahead and guide the villagers out beyond the Valley." Tigress stated, and as the Five turned to cross the bridge, she noticed the turtles had not moved. "Are you all coming?"

"We'll stay here and make sure none of the villagers get left behind." Donnie replied. "You guys go on ahead."

Tigress nodded before she and the Five continued to escort the villagers into the hills away from the Valley.

"We should go check on Po too." Mikey added. "I hope he's doing okay."

Shuffling through several people in the crowd, the turtles eventually found Po back at Mr. Ping's restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, they saw Po and Mr. Ping as they were packing up to leave

Seeing his friends, Po smiled a little as he gave a small wave. "Hey, guys." He said quietly.

"Oh, boys!" Mr. Ping exclaimed, pulling up a heavy looking cart to stuff all of his and Po's belongings. "Good to see you all again!"

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Ping." Leo replied politely.

"Yeah, glad to see you're okay." Donnie added.

"I was wondering, do you think you could help me and Po pack our things?" Mr. Ping asked.

"Yeah, no problem." Raph said, already taking the cart while Leo, Donnie, and Mikey helped Po pack the rest of his things.

Once everything had been been packed, the Turtles waited outside the gates as Po and Mr. Ping emerged from the restaurant.

"Ready to go, Mr. Ping?" Mikey asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Mr. Ping replied, pulling the cart out before handing it to Po.

The Turtles led them through the crowd, with Leo taking the front, Raph on the right, Donnie the left, and Mikey in the back while Po and Mr. Ping were in the middle.

"So for our next shop, it's time to face it… the future of noodles is dice-cut vegetables, no longer in slices." Mr. Ping told Po, unaware that the panda was slowing down behind him. Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey slowed down as soon as they saw Po coming to a stop.

"Also, I was thinking, maybe this time we'll have a kitchen you can actually stand up in, hmm? You like that?" Mr. Ping asked, oblivious to his son's sadness.

When he got no answer, Mr. Ping turned around as he finally noticed Po had stopped following him.

Sighing, Mr. Ping walked back towards Po and the Turtles. "Er, Po… I'm sorry things didn't work out." He said sadly. "It just… wasn't meant to be."

Po didn't reply, instead slumping against his cart while the Turtles gazed at him sympathetically.

"Po, forget everything else." Mr. Ping told him. "Your destiny still awaits. We are noodle folk… broth runs deep through our veins!"

Mikey suddenly lifted Po's arm, inspecting it closely. "Woah… really?" He asked curiously.

"Of course not, shell-brain." Donnie chastised the orange clad turtle, lightly smacking him upside the head. "It's a metaphor."

Po sighed. "I don't know, Dad. Honestly, sometimes I can't believe I'm actually your son."

Mr. Ping looked utterly taken aback by that statement. "Po, I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago…" The old goose began.

"Okay…" Po sighed.

Mr. Ping paused dramatically before saying, "The secret ingredient to my secret ingredient soup!"

"Oh…" Po said, feigning excitement.

Raph raised an eye-ridge. "What does that have to do with anything?" He asked a little incredulously while Leo, Donnie, and Mikey simply shrugged in response.

Mr. Ping's response to the Turtles' confusion was a simple wink, which only seemed to further confuse them, before he turned back to Po.

"C'mere!" Mr. Ping gestured for his son to come closer. "The secret ingredient is… nothing!"

That took Po and the Turtles completely by surprise.

"Huh?" Po was the first to ask in confusion.

"You heard me. Nothing. There is no secret ingredient!" Mr. Ping nodded.

"Wait, wait, wait… it's just plain old noodle soup?" Po questioned incredulously. "You don't add some kind of secret sauce or something?"

"Don't have to." Mr. Ping replied with a true smile. "To make something special, you just have to believe it's special."

Po, Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey's eyes widened a little in dawning realization as the panda pulled out the Dragon Scroll and opened it wide, revealing its golden reflective surface.

And as they stared into their reflections on the parchment, the realization came to them.

"There is no secret ingredient." Po murmured.

"There's no secret message…" Donnie whispered.

"No awesome super powers…" Mikey added.

"It's just…" Raph started.

"... you." Leo finished.

Po, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo looked back up towards the Jade Palace, a new found determination, courage and resolve being found in their sudden epiphany.


Shifu stood at the steps outside of the Hall of Heroes, watching the people in the Valley below evacuate while he waited for him to come.

Storm clouds were forming in the sky, thunder and lightning threatening to tear the heavens apart, yet did not phase the red panda.

Just as another lighting bolt lit up the night sky, Shifu blinked his eyes…

… and when he opened them, there he stood.

There stood Tai Lung.

"I have come home, Master." Tai Lung said, lowering his head in a curt bow.

"This is no longer your home." Shifu replied, standing steady and strong. "And I am no longer your master."

"Yes, you have some new favorites." Tai Lung acknowledged, standing up straight. "So where is this… 'Po'? And where are these guardians of his?" He chuckled darkly. "Did I scare them off?"

"This battle is between you and me." Shifu said simply.

Tai Lung snorted, turning away from his former father, his grin slipping from his face. "So… that is how it's going to be?"

"That is how it must be." Shifu stated firmly, taking a stance.

The snow leopard was silent as he glanced over his shoulder, a growl building up before he suddenly leapt into the air with a snarl.

With a yell, he came down, forcing Shifu to jump out of the way as Tai Lung's foot came down, cracking the ground beneath him.

Growling, Tai Lung lifted a large chuck of rock into the air before kicking it towards Shifu.

Acting fast, the red panda spun around before performing a precise jab at the rock, shattering it to pieces.

As the pieces of rock and dust fell, Tai Lung jumped through the rubble and threw a punch before Shifu could even react, sending him through the doors to the Hall of Heroes where he quickly landed on his feet.

"I rotted in jail for twenty years because of your weakness!" Tai Lung growled.

"Obeying your master is not weakness!" Shifu retorted.

"You knew I was the Dragon Warrior!" The snow leopard shouted. "You always knew.."


Tai Lung's mind flashbacked years ago, to the day he had been tested, before his name had gone down in infamy.

He stood tall and proud in the Hall of Heroes before Oogway and Shifu, awaiting their judgment.

"But, when Oogway said otherwise, what did you do?"

Oogway turned to Shifu, shaking his head and before turning away, much to Shifu's dismay and Tai Lung's confusion.

Tai Lung gazed at Shifu, his expression showing he was begging for an answer.

"What did you do?!"

But all Shifu could do was avert his eyes, having no answers to give… and leaving Tai Lung devastated.


"NOTHING!" Tai Lung snapped, his mind coming back to the present.

"You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu yelled. "That was not my fault!"

"NOT. YOUR. FAULT?!" Tai Lung questioned, practically seething with rage. "WHO FILLED MY HEART WITH DREAMS?!" He shouted, kicking Master Flying Rhino's armor down, forcing Shifu to jump over it.

"WHO DROVE ME TO TRAIN UNTIL MY BONES CRACKED?!" The snow leopard then grabbed the Golden Shield of Fire Monkey Pass and threw it at Shifu, who quickly ducked as it pierced one of the pillars in the Hall.

"WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?!" Tai Lung roared, grabbing a rack full of swords and throwing it all at the red panda.

Shifu quickly deflected every blade that came near him before the snow leopard kicked a particularly large sword into the air before punting it towards the red panda, with Shifu quickly grabbing the blade of the sword and driving it into the ground.

"It was never my decision to make!" Shifu yelled.

Tai Lung growled, going to the next artifact to use against his former master. However, he paused slightly as he recognized this new artifact…

.. Oogway's staff.

"It is now." Tai Lung replied, picking up the staff from the shrine.

Angered, Shifu finally went on the offense, aiming a kick which the snow leopard quickly blocked before being knocked back by a retaliating kick from Tai Lung.

The two combatants twirled, punched, and kicked around each other in fierce combat before Tai Lung used the crescent moon end of Oogway's staff to pin Shifu to the ground by the throat.

"Give… me… the Scroll!" Tai Lung snarled.

"I would rather die!" Shifu spat back, struggling to breath.

Tai Lung growled as he increased the pressure on Shifu's throat, the red panda struggling to push the staff off of his windpipe.

Eventually, the struggle was too much as the staff snapped in half like a twig under the pressure.

Shifu stopped fighting to gaze at the broken staff in horror and sadness as a couple of peachtree petals fluttered over it.

But Shifu didn't have long to mourn as Tai Lung aimed a flying kick at his face that knocked him into the wall as the snow leopard attempted to use his foot to crush him.

Pushing him off, Shifu knew he had to get away as he leapt from pillar to pillar while Tai Lung chased after him, swiping his claws at him.

Eventually, Shifu retreated up to the rafters on the ceiling as the snow leopard lunged towards him, sending them both crashing through the roof while lightning flashed in the sky.

The two continued their battle mid-air as gravity began to reassert itself, the two throwing fierce punches and kicks at each other before Shifu managed to pin Tai Lung's arm behind his back and forced his foot into his neck.

Tai Lung snarled, using his free arm to elbow his former master off of him before grabbing the red panda and wrapping his paws around Shifu's throat as they came down, crashing through the wooden boards of the roof.

Now back in the Hall, Tai Lung kicked Shifu away, knocking the red panda into one of the pillars as he came down, beaten and battered.

Tai Lung used his claws to grip the wall as he skidded down, knocking over a lantern. The contents in the lantern spilled on the floor in a liquid blue fire.

With a snarl, Tai Lung dipped his paws into the fire before lunging at Shifu, his paws aflame as he relentlessly kept punching at the red panda.

"All I ever did, I did to make you proud!" The snow leopard said as Shifu found himself being overwhelmed by Tai Lung's ruthless assault. "Tell me how proud you are, Shifu! Tell me! TELL ME!" He bellowed, finally throwing a punch so powerful that it sent Shifu flying back towards the moon pool.

Shifu crashed to the ground at the steps of the moon pool, beaten and broken and out of breath as Tai Lung put out the fire on his paws.

"I… have always been proud of you." Shifu said, weakly lifting himself up. "From the first moment, I've been… proud of you."

It was those words that caused Tai Lung to suddenly stop in his tracks as he listened.

"And it was that pride… that blinded me." Shifu admitted. "I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I… was turning you into…" He then looked up at his son, regret and sadness in his eyes. "... I'm… I'm sorry."

Tai Lung stood there, looking almost stunned by Shifu's admission as he averted his eyes slightly, almost looking… remorseful.

But that quickly vanished as Tai Lung snarled, grabbing Shifu by the throat.

"I don't want your apology…" Tai Lung snarled before lifting Shifu towards the ceiling. "... I want my scroll!"

But when he looked up to the dragon statue, he was shocked to see that the Scroll was gone.

"What?" He murmured before his shock turned to fury. "WHERE IS IT?!" The snow leopard roared, slamming Shifu into the ground.

"Dragon Warrior has taken the scroll half-way across China by… now." Shifu replied in a strangled voice. "You will… never see that scroll, Tai Lung." The snow leopard snarled, unsheathing his claws as he tightened his grip. "Never! N-never…"

Tai Lung growled, raising his paw to deliver the finishing blow.

"HEY!"

The snow leopard whirled around to see Po and the Turtles at the doors to the Hall, panting and out of breath.

"... Stairs…" Po huffed, leaning on his knees while Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey could only pant tiredly as they didn't have the energy to say anything else.

Done. Thought the part where they were evacuating the Valley would also be a good time for some character interactions.