"For China (I)"
The layout of Gongmen was a predominantly sea-preferred one. The center parts of the city were inevitably packed urban areas with paved roads and large, red roofs set atop tall buildings - and the usual hustle and bustle of hundreds of citizens as they made their way across the densely crowded area. The outside of Gongmen - particularly the portion near the docks - was more sea-faring, with an abundance of water canals that ran right through the outskirts of the city, splitting bridges and cleaving streets into aesthetically beautiful architecture. Indeed, the outskirts of Gongmen - was a truly beautiful blend of nature and architecture coming together, as peaceful streams of water canals ran underneath exquisitely designed bridges - the entire city water system gracefully running through the outskirts and into the outside sea - connecting to the rest of China.
And the last part was pretty much all that Shen cared about.
"Fire." he commanded, urging a young wolf to trigger a cannon atop his head ship.
TSK.
BOOM.
"ARGH!"
"YOU MONSTER!"
The people protested obviously, as their bridges and homes - anything that really obstructed the water canal which lead out of the city - were being blown apart. Cannonfire also managed to injure everyone on the bridges or in the way - again, nothing that made Shen lose sleep. And under the starry, moonlit sky with an entire army of ships behind his own - the peacock felt at ease, drifting gracefully through the canal whilst destroying anything that got in his way.
As he always had.
Since the beginning.
He stood atop the front head of his large commander ship, watching at least twenty ships follow behind him - all packed with the cannons, spare blueprints that he had stolen from the cave, and a barrage of black powder hidden deep within the ship's stores. The fleet drifted gently forward - in sharp contrast to the rest of Gongmen - bridges destroyed, citizens injured, and its people screaming.
"You're a freak."
Shen smiled, turning back to see a silver grey fox strapped to the last mast - heavily tied by thick ropes.
"I am a revolutionary," Shen noted. "But even this - wanton destruction - couldn't compare to the joy of seeing little Yu-yu back in my eyes."
Yu growled savagely. "You - you ambushed me outside the city and - ergh - just unbind me and watch what I'll do to you…"
The fox snarled, extending her paws forward - but stopping two inches away from Shen's face, ropes holding her back.
"You seemed quite upset, Yu-yu," Shen continued, gleefully. "What is more upsetting - seeing this waste of a city die as I sail off to conquer China? Or - "
Yu gritted her teeth, hating the words.
"Is it seeing dear old uncle back in the flesh?" Shen smoothly delivered.
Yu screamed.
. . .
"Tigress?"
"Yes, Dragon Warrior?"
Po sighed. "Can we talk?"
Po lightly nudged the master aside from the rest of the Five and Shifu. They were on a rooftop so there was certainly enough space - and the moonlight was making it easy to find a path to separate himself from everyone.
Tigress traveled alongside Po, waiting until they were a safe distance away. "Was the plan not clear? We wait for Shen and his army to come into view, then we do a surprise att - "
"Not that, jeez," Po warned, frustrated. "Can we please talk about last night?"
Tigress nodded her head slowly, but pursed her lips and turned away from him. "Nothing to talk about."
"Yes there is," Po forced, staring right into her reluctant gaze. "I said I love you."
Tigress merely shrugged this off, yawning before cracking her knuckles. She flashed a glance at Shifu and the rest of the Five a little ways away, happy that they were preoccupied with looking out for Shen.
"So?" Tigress answered.
Po raised an eyebrow. "So - the hell you mean - so?"
"So what?" Tigress replied.
Po bit his tongue, melancholy giving way to anger. "That's how you're answering - just so? Not a yes or no?"
"Yes or no to what?" Tigress queried in irritation.
"Jeez you're making this way harder than it needs to be," Po forced, frustrated himself. "I say I love you. And then you just - brush me off."
"I didn't brush off anything," Tigress fired back harshly. "You said you love me. What am I supposed to say back?"
"I don't know!" Po acquired in fury. "Yes! No! Gimme something other than just - just - "
"JUST WHAT?!" Tigress roared, threatening to attract attention from the Five and Shifu. "YOU WANT ME TO SAY IT BACK OR SOMETHING?!"
Po smiled awkwardly as Shifu glared at him. Soon, him and the Five were back to watching out for Shen.
"You know what?" Po spat, tears collecting in his eyes. "Screw this. Go look out for Shen like the good daughter you are."
This was completely unnecessary - and Po felt how unnecessary it was as Tigress breathed out hot gusts of air from her nostrils. And if he was an astute individual - he was not - he might have noticed a trickle of moisture just run down Tigress' cheek as well.
"Keep on guard, Dragon Warrior," Tigress declared savagely, stressing every last syllable of the title.
She moved away in a huff, wrapping her arms around herself to keep away from the bitter chill of night time.
Po swallowed, brushing a few tears away from his face. A great part of him wanted to blame this all on Shifu - just savagely hurt him for everything he had been putting Tigress through, the stupidity with which he dealt with his only daughter - but another part of him found Shen equally culpable, as he had been responsible for the initial downward spiral that allowed Shifu to compound years of emotional abuse into her during one moment. And another side of Po - an even more vindictive side - wanted to blame Tigress for merely putting up with all this: for being too cowardly to fight back against Shifu, for letting things get to her, for never truly getting past him being the Dragon Warrior…
...and the last part of the panda criticized himself, for not seeing it all coming.
She was Master Tigress.
He was just Po.
Maybe it wasn't meant to be.
"PO! HE'S HERE!"
That trumped everything else.
The panda rushed to the rest of the Five, watching Shifu point out in the distance. They were on a rooftop, and had been treated to a sky view of scenic bridges and Gongmen's water canal which ran underneath and connected to the ocean… but this sight was horrifying.
In the distance, and making their way towards them - the peacock stood atop his large boat, outfitted with multiple cannons as they surged through the water. He was followed by at least twenty warships - all outfitted with the same number of cannons.
Just then Po realized how serious this was.
They were the only hope that China wouldn't fall.
"Listen to me," Shifu whispered, keeping an eye on Shen and the ships. "This is it. We must stop him now - or else - China as know it, could come to an end. Everyone know their parts?"
Resilient and furious nods from the Five and Po.
"Po, have you mastered inner peace yet?" Shifu queried.
The panda felt completely shocked. All the events of the previous week had all but blocked out any hopes of even thinking about it. He was wondering if it was ever possible to get back to practicing it - considering how dark the panda revelation had been.
"Yep!" the panda cheerfully lied, trying to divert attention.
"Good," Shifu mentioned. "Wait a moment - who - who is that on the mast?"
"Prisoner?" Mantis called out, just seeing the individual strapped to the mast of Shen's head boat.
"By the Scrolls…" Monkey let out. "It's Yu."
Po stared slack jawed.
. . .
"Whaddya mean I'm an idiot?"
"You are - by far - the dumbest Seeker I have ever met - and you're the only one I've met."
It had been a while since the Five, Po and Shifu had left. Alf found himself in the unusual position of not fighting alongside them for possibly the biggest fight in all of China - and also being present in a random, dark, massive cave with an old goat and Shen's former commander - and none of it made any sense to him. Still, this didn't stop him from instantly starting up a conversation with the morose yet patient Zhong - who was as forthcoming as Alf was patient.
So not very.
Irritable as well - this had been the second time he had called Alf an idiot - as soon as he had brought up Yu. Zhong was decently approachable however - but whether that was because of perhaps the pity he felt over Alf's still half-healed injuries, or just because he seemed done with life - the Seeker could not know.
A fair bit of their previous conversation had been dedicated to figuring out exactly why the ship - which they both agreed must have existed at one point - was completely gone. According to Zhong, the only other person who know about the ship's existence was Shen (and the Soothsayer, but she didn't care about the matter) - so it was a bit ludicrous to try and figure out where it had "gone". The past few minutes had Alf questioning everything he had experienced over the past few hours, or even days - it had all felt so real, the voice had the same voice that the masked man had in his nightmares, and had even affirmed himself as a Seeker! And yet - the more and more he had noted - he didn't even feel all the "dimensions" clicking - neither moving… so it became increasingly likely that he had been subject to an extend, horrible nightmare onset by heavy trauma.
Alf still had his doubts. But for now - as Shifu had so painfully pointed out - this was definitely real.
He would examine the "dimensions" nonsense another time.
"What the hell is she doing that for?" Alf whispered with a cough.
Alf growled at Zhong, leaning against the cave wall as his eyes idly scanned away and looked at the large rock formations bordering the edges of the cave. He also found the Soothsayer walking around the large expanse of rocky terrain, moving her hands in mystical motions.
Zhong grinned beside him, also leaning against the cave wall. "I dunno man - she does that occasionally."
Alf smiled, looking back at Zhong's features. The wolf's features were still middle-aged and powerful, with sharp ridges and defined edges - but there was also an element of tired boredom there, a deep-seated frustration that Alf couldn't quite pinpoint.
"You really can't get that off, can you?" Zhong asked suddenly.
Alf gasped, feeling his collar once again. A part of him felt sad - because as Zhong was still new to it, he might have not known that it had been on Alf for so long - he had very much forgotten about it. In true form, Alf would only get reminded of the collar's painful tenacity and harshness anytime Shifu was close - but other times, he had merely accepted its place on his neck - a seemingly unnatural yet normal extension of his body that Alf had acclimatized his spirit to.
He wondered if that was a bad sign. He changed the conversation.
"So - what made you jump ship?" the Seeker asked.
Zhong sighed, staring at the rocky ceiling. "I dunno man. It's all been building up."
Alf stared back at him, unsatisfied with the response. To his surprise, Zhong stared right back - a mild, slack-jawed expression running through him. The Wolf Boss even straightened his vision to inspect Alf closer.
"What's been building up?" Alf queried. "And could you stop staring at me like that? Kinda creepy."
Zhong gave a hearty laugh then apologized. "Sorry man - just weird to seeing an actual Seeker around… still kinda trippy…"
"Answer the question."
"Why did I quit serving under Shen?" Zhong returned suddenly, irritated. "It got old. The killing, the hiding of bodies, the stealing…"
Alf pursed his lips. "Heh - you didn't seem too affected by it back at the Tower."
Zhong growled. "You don't know how it is, alright?"
Alf frowned. "How what is?"
"How my life was," Zhong forced, shaking his head. "You don't know about who Shen was. You don't know how I knew the guy. You haven't seen all the - all the shit he's had me do…"
Alf snorted. "Like I said - didn't seem to bother you back at the Tower…"
"Well it bothers me now," Zhong replied, looking back at the meditating Soothsayer in the distance. "Maybe it's the goat. Maybe it's fate."
"Ugh," Alf noted, mimicking disgust. "I hate that damn word."
"Join the club," Zhong responded.
The Soothsayer continued her meditative stances a distance away. Alf chuckled as she lost her footing a bit, clearly tumbling before fixing her stance as she realized the wolf and the Seeker were still watching her.
"Worst part about it? I got no idea what I should do now," Zhong motioned. "You spend your whole life around one thing - one guy - and then you abandon him then - then - ugh."
Alf could sense the Wolf Boss was going through a fair bit of turmoil. He would have like to have helped - especially considering he was extraordinarily somehow peaceful with Alf now - but his mind wandered to the original conversation they had, before he had been distracted by the Soothsayer's amazing acrobatics.
Yet he persisted.
"You could always run away," Alf suggested.
"Yeah, that's probably what I'll end up doing," Zhong emphasized. "Leave this old goat behind. I got a spot way off in Mongolia - in mountains and shit - that'll be good to live out the rest of my days."
"Alone?" Alf asked casually.
"Hell yeah alone," Zhong noted. "I'm a disgraced former soldier and I've got next to nothing to my name. You think Shen'll take me back? After how long I've abandoned him?"
"He probably thinks you're dead," Alf concluded. "Besides - Shen's not gonna be able to take you back since he's gonna spend the rest of his life in prison. Courtesy of the Jade Palace."
"Heh," Zhong guffawed in amusement. "You keep believing that fairy tale. And even if your dumbass friends manage to take him out - there's not gonna be a single guard patrol in China that'll hire me."
"You have skills," Alf suggested awkwardly, confused as to why he was being empathetic towards him.
"Like what?" Zhong asked, confused. "Killing? Stealing? I don't have any formal training, kid… self-taught. And even if I did learn something… everyone in China knows Shen. Knows my ugly mug. No one'll hire me."
"So that's the plan, eh?" Alf finished, disappointed. "Go hide out in a mountain somewhere. Starve to death."
"I got a little farm up there," Zhong corrected with a glower. "It'll keep me alive until I eventually grow old and rot, and then thank the Scrolls - leave this damn life behind. Maybe the next'll be better."
Alf found this statement so needlessly cynical that an involuntary chuckle came out. He brushed past it, smiling. "Oh man - you're a real downer yanno?"
"If you had the life I've had," Zhong forced, lost in memories again. "You'd know why."
Alf sensed a moment of hesitation, perhaps even sadness - coming from the older Boss Wolf. He decided to change the subject.
"So - whaddya mean I'm an idiot?" Alf questioned.
Zhong snorted, shaking his head but seemed happy to change the subject. "That girl's got it so in for you."
"What girl?" Alf asked, confused.
"Like I said - you're an idiot," Zhong noted. "Thanks for proving my point."
"What. Girl?" Alf spat.
"That fox," Zhong noted, unbuttoning a cap on a bottle nearby - taking a powerful swig of the stuff. "Want some?"
"I don't drink," Alf immediately refused. "Doesn't work so well with my fleshling components…"
Alf immediately understood what Zhong was saying. "Yu?"
Zhong took another swig. "Yup. Whatever you call her."
Alf began an uproarious laugh. "DUDE! COME ON!"
Zhong resumed his drinking, shaking his head. "Don't understand what's so funny…"
Alf kept up the obnoxious laugh. "REALLY? HER? DUDE…"
Zhong growled. "Stop calling me dude, and yeah - thanks again for proving my point about you being a moron."
Alf was getting increasingly angry at Zhong's disrespectful tone. "Stop calling me a moron."
"Moron," Zhong muttered, clearly well-drunk now. "Moron, moron, moron…"
"Shut. Up."
"Can't even see all the signs," Zhong continued.
Alf sighed, a bit of laughter still creeping up. "Signs - heh - what signs?"
"The way she hugged you when she found you," Zhong forced. "The way she looked at you when she was hugging you. Hell - I've known her for about five minutes - and you can't tell…"
"She's not interested in me," Alf cut across immediately. "No one would be."
"The hell?" Zhong uttered, taking another large sip. "What makes you say that?"
"Look at me!" Alf let out, cackling with disbelief. "I think it's probably a - a crime under Chinese law to be attracted to me!"
Zhong sniffled, brushing it off. "The heart wants what it wants."
Alf kept a glare at Zhong.
It wasn't that he wasn't a fan of being around Yu - it was that he deeply hated over-involving himself in someone. Even back when they had first met, and he was trying to prod at her history before coming to the Valley of Peace - she had been remarkably closed off and hostile, just as she had been a few minutes ago after Alf had asked a simple question. Furthermore, Alf found it highly suspicious that Yu - perhaps the most beautiful, smartest person he had ever known - would go for someone who literally was thought to be a walking hate crime against all of China. Having friends was odd enough - especially for a Seeker - but to have someone who… who loved him? Who was - interested - in him?
It was a lie.
It had to be.
There was no way.
"I think you're full of shit," Alf pronounced confidently.
"Think whatever the hell you want, to be honest," Zhong forced, standing up suddenly before taking another swig of his drink. "I don't give a crap about it. Doesn't affect me…"
The Boss Wolf began walking away.
"Where you going?" Alf called out, watching him walk to the Soothsayer.
Zhong paused in his step, admiring the black rock surface underneath him. "Away from here. My place in Mongolia. I don't know."
He paused, sighing deeply. "It doesn't matter. I'm done. I'm out."
Zhong turned back, nodding at Alf briefly. "Nice talking to ya kid. Have a great life."
Alf watched him meet with the still meditating Soothsayer. They exchanged a few words in the distance, and to the Seeker's great surprise - Zhong actually shook paws with the old goat before proceeding away from her. Intrigued, Alf began in pursuit - first he thought to go after Zhong, but after realizing an easier solution - he walked over to the old goat instead. The Boss Wolf was already nearing at the edge of the cave, beginning to stuff some of his spare wine bottles into a makeshift knapsack.
"What's he gonna do?" Alf asked.
The old goat smiled, watching Zhong pack in the distance. "What he thinks is right. Running away."
"You're not gonna stop him?" Alf questioned. "You two seem pretty - chummy?"
The Soothsayer gently smirked at Alf. "It's not my destiny to stop him. That fate lies with you."
Alf snorted. "You know - I hate that word."
"I'd expect nothing less," the old goat proclaimed, studying Alf carefully. "You feel like it's restrictive. Demeaning. Disempowering."
"Yes," Alf started. "Wait - yes! How'd ya know that?"
The old goat shook her head. "Even in a city very far from the Valley of Peace - like Gongmen - we heard the rumors too."
"What rumors?"
"A creature, with no fur, nor tails, nor claws," the old goat recollected. "Upright and moderately tall. Peculiar face."
Alf didn't know whether to feel impressed or insulted.
"But I must say," the Soothsayer emphasized. "It's truly nothing compared to seeing the real thing."
She smiled at him. "For once in my life - I really have no idea what to make of your destiny."
Alf raised an eyebrow. "Whaddya mean?"
"The panda is destined to stop Shen," the goat commented. "The wolf is destined to choose a different path. Shifu was destined to become the Grandmaster of the Valley…"
"You foretold Oogway's death?" Alf asked curiously. "You knew he would - "
"Yes," the Soothsayer finished. "But - in all my years reading, and studying, and understanding the universe - I have never found a person whose destiny I have no idea about! Your mere existence seems to break all the laws of fortune telling…"
Alf chuckled. "Yeah - yeah I tend to have that effect…"
He looked back at the old goat, who kept up her furious smile. "So what? You saying I'm not destined for anything?"
She sadly shook her head. "I'm saying that what you're destined for - will be determined by the paths you choose."
Alf kept silent.
"So choose wisely," the Soothsayer started, leaning in. "Follow your heart - what does it say?"
"I dunno what the hell it says," Alf mimicked, annoyed. "I dunno. Confusion. Anger. Bored. Sad that I can't fight alongside the Five."
"What about the fox?"
Alf swiveled his head like a pivot, fixating on the old goat as she scratched her beard. "What? How'd you…"
He paused, realizing the answer quickly. "Right - Soothsayer - you know that gets annoying, right?"
She giggled. "So I've been told."
"So whaddya think?" Alf asked, heart racing now. "You - you - you uh - think maybe, she's - she could be - in to me?"
His heart was practically pounding out of his chest. Never in a million years - perhaps even a year ago, or a few minutes ago - would he ever be entertaining such a ridiculous thought. After he had gotten his dosage of the Valley's citizens when he was younger, Alf had merely assumed that was to be his life from now on - in isolation, kept away from others, with extremely few social connections, and zero possibility of anything more. So - it didn't really strike Alf at first because he had always assumed that all the "signs" that Zhong was talking about was nothing more than just friendship signaling - he couldn't imagine that at any point on time, an actual creature would show even an inkling of interest into what he was. Alf had learned to zero his expectations - it was the only way to prevent from getting hurt. So by doing this - believing in the signs - thinking that Yu could, in some crazy "dimension" perhaps - ever be interested in him… that hope itself could have been enough.
"I'm a Seeker," Alf let out, frustrated at the goat's unresponsiveness. "I - I'm - ugh."
She grinned at him. "That's not the way the fox thinks of you. She sees you for what you really are."
"Whaddya mean what I really am?" Alf queried, finding it laughable. "It's pretty difficult not to notice that I'm a fleshie…"
The Soothsayer merely blinked, walking closer to tap Alf on the shoulder with a horn. "Why don't you go - and ask her? Ask her exactly what she thinks of you. Of - of what you mean to her?"
For some reason, this did the trick for Alf.
It was no longer about finding about how ludicrous his idea was.
It was no longer about himself.
It was about Yu.
About what she thought about him.
And for some reason - that made the job easier. It turned it from a question from apprehension and fear into - curiosity. Affection.
Maybe even love.
"You - you - " Alf started, knowing immediately what he had to do. "You're really smart, yanno?"
The Soothsayer smiled again. "Here's the thing my young friend - we don't choose how we start in this life. True greatness? It's what you do with what you're given."
Alf let these words sink in, feeling his heart and mind unite.
"... and even though it may not seem like it - you've been given something. Use it."
Alf felt his heart soar.
It was enough.
It was more than enough.
It was something he had never expected.
"Wait - " Alf asked, confused but anxious. "How will I know it's the right moment? How will I know when to - when to ask her?"
The Soothsayer shook her head again. "There is no perfect moment. You have to make it perfect."
He began running to Zhong, another simultaneous idea already forming in his head. He could practically feel the Soothsayer grinning behind him, resuming her usual meditative stances.
Alf felt his heart literally do flips.
It was a kind of optimism he had never felt before.
He felt endless.
Limitless.
"Boy."
Alf turned back, staring at the Soothsayer. "What?"
The old goat snickered. "Use everything to your advantage. Even your dreams."
Alf narrowed his eyes at her. "What does that mean?"
The old goat smiled back. "You'll know - when the time is right."
Alf nodded slowly, not understanding but trusting that later on - he would comprehend. For now - he had to focus on Zhong.
"HEY DUDE! HEY MAN! WAIT UP!"
Zhong growled, still packing more wine bottles as Alf caught up to him on the other side of the cave. "Don't call me that shit man…"
"Hey, I just wanna say something, okay?" Alf moved closer to the wolf.
Zhong sighed, letting him speak.
"Listen - I know I don't know the full story about you, okay?" Alf started. "I know I don't know how hard it must have been. How you probably knew Shen for a long time. How - how sometimes it feels all really damn confusing - trust me, I know."
Alf paused, hoping Zhong wouldn't interrupt him - and he didn't. "But listen - we can always, always choose to do something different. Choose to - try something."
Zhong frowned. "You don't know how it's been, alright? You don't know how it is - how it was to be ostracized, hated - I mean wolves at one point were some of the most hated creatures on this rock - and to have all that hatred manipulated, and your loyalty screwed with…"
Then Zhong realized who he was talking to.
"If there's anyone who knows that feeling," Alf started. "It's me. Trust me."
Zhong nodded, clearly but subtly agreeing.
"Uh - you ever think of joining the Jade Palace?" Alf queried.
"HAHAHAH!" Zhong laughed off harshly. "THIS KID'S GOT JOKES! HEY GOAT - THE KID'S GOT JOKES!"
The Soothsayer merely continued her poses in peace a distance away.
"Listen I mean - if Shifu let me in," Alf forced. "I'm sure he'll - he'll at least think about letting you too."
"Yeah that is pretty stupid of him," Zhong immediately insulted harshly. "Not only to let a Seeker in - but the same fleshie who broke Tai Lung - the Tai Lung - out of Chor-Gom? That's real stupidity… how'd he take ya in after that?"
Alf sighed, wishing he had more time to explain that fiasco later. "It - it doesn't matter, alright? Just - just promise me you'll think it over."
Zhong huffed. "I mean - if it'll shut you up and get you to leave me alone… then hell yeah."
Alf smiled, accepting this reply. He already began the jaunt heading out of the cave - optimism shoving him forward.
Alf turned back for just a brief second. "I believe in you man - I - I know it can be hard - but you gotta find that courage to believe in yourself too."
Zhong snickered. "Yeah - yeah story of my life. Everyone except me - believing in me. Shen, this old goat - you… everyone seems to - seems to think I can do things. Be someone I don't even think I can."
Alf smiled, thinking of Yu - thinking and fantasizing of how she felt about him. "I know how that feels too."
Alf sprinted away again.
"HEY!" Zhong called out behind him. "WHADDYA GONNA DO?!"
"I'M GONNA SAVE MY FRIENDS! THEN I'M GONNA KISS MY GIRLFRIEND!"
. . .
"ARGH!"
"ERGH!"
"AHHH!"
"NO!"
BAM.
WOOSH.
CRACK.
THUD.
Po was breathing heavily. By perhaps the worst luck in the world - Shen had seen their attack coming from a mile away. The bigger issue was that as soon as he had discovered them on the roof, he had instructed his wolf soldiers to begin fire immediately - which meant the formerly ornate roof had been obliterated by hordes of tunneling, flaming metal cannon shots. The Five, Po and Shifu had reacted fairly well however - quickly leaping down to the ground level of Gongmen City - right at the outskirts. Landing on Shen's commander warship however - had been a terrible mistake.
The peacock had been ready for them.
CRACK.
BOOM.
SLASH.
THUD.
"NO!"
Cannon shots. The onslaught of hundreds of wolf soldiers as they made rope bridges connecting the rest of the ships together - traversing them with a variety of artillery and weapons. As soon as Po, the Five and Shifu had managed to land onto Shen's ship - the peacock had gracefully retreated, and taken Yu along with him - the fox struggled as hard as she could, but they both effortlessly flew a few ships back - leaving the wolf army to gradually overwhelm the new arrivals.
Which was inevitably happening.
"ARGH!"
Po ducked, watching Tigress get launched back from a powerful kick from a wolf soldier. She tumbled next to him, as the rest of the Five and Shifu - all bearing significant injuries themselves - rallied around the panda.
The wolf soldiers started approaching, smiles already betraying their confidence.
"There's too many, ergh," Viper observed, keeping her tail coiled. "We lost the element of surprise…"
"And Yu…" Monkey concluded, watching the fox struggle against the peacock's grip nearly four ships away.
Po looked around, grimacing at the tired states of his comrades. The citizens who were watching - even though they stood at a safe distance on the docks, or bridges surrounding the water channel where all the action was - kept their heads down and submissive, perhaps fearing that nothing could be done at this point.
"We need to get Yu first," Po forced. "Regroup later. Maybe we can attack them before - "
"The fox is not a priority now," Shifu cut across arrogantly, coughing out blood. "We will never be able to stop them if they reach the open waters. We do this now!"
"How?" Po breathed, tired. "There's hundreds of them. On each ship."
"And there's so many ships…" Mantis breathed, wheezing as he relaxed against Crane's clawed feet.
Po groaned, watching the wolves close the distance between them. They were taking their time now, satisfied that the supposed legendary Jade Palace was completely and utterly unable to handle them - but this didn't stop Shen from encouraging their marches forward on his lead ship, forcing the Five, Po and Shifu to retreat to the very edge of the large boat.
The wolves were just a few seconds away from reaching the rest of them.
"We can't fight them all," Crane croaked, bleeding. "There's too many!"
The wolves began assembling, apparently at Shen's command. Po watched the peacock subdue Yu and tie her against the mast of the ship he was on - before making his way back to his own warship - striding across the rope bridges with endless grace.
The wolves parted, revealing a large metal cannon.
Pointed directly at them.
"Inner peace, Dragon Warrior," Shifu forced, groaning. "If there was ever a time to use it - ergh - please Po."
Po gasped, feeling the urgency of the situation. The Five watched him nervously as Shifu kept up his hopeful stare at Po - breathing heavily. The cannon was almost ignited, but Shen landed atop it and stared at the rest of the group with a bit of sadness - but also triumphant self affirmation.
"I'm not fond of cruelty," Shen noted, smiling. "I give you people this one chance - join me. Help me liberate China from the oppressors who hold it down…"
"That's - ergh - that's what you think of yourself?" Shifu coughed out, leaning on his ceremonial staff as he eyed the wolves and Shen dangerously. "A revolutionary? Heh - we, we - we will never bow to you."
"What about you, panda?" Shen asked, sly smile showing. "Still upset over the whole genocide of your race thing? I told you - it was nothing personal."
Po growled, feeling the same memories: the red tattoo, his parents, the crying - everything began popping into view. "You - you kill my parents - you kill my people - and you say it isn't personal? Screw you."
"Hmmm," Shen vocalized, a bit disappointed. "Oh well… blow them to bits."
The wolves eagerly began igniting the cannon, lighting a few sparks of light. The fuse began to slowly burn away, creeping into the metal hull of the cannon.
"Po," Shifu begged, tugging at the panda's waistband. "Please. You're the Dragon Warrior - do it now."
The panda watched around him, anxiety shooting up like never before. It wasn't like Tai Lung - there was no safety net, no way to defeat the threat unless he performed. Unless he did what Shifu, what the Five, what all the dumb prophecies in the world said he could do.
Yu was four boats away, crying.
The Five were next to him, bleeding.
Shifu was at his legs, begging.
He had to.
There was no other way.
The fuse ran even deeper into the hull.
Po ignored the Five. He ignored Shifu. He ignored Yu. He ignored the cannon, the citizens watching, the peacock, the army of wolves, the sounds around him, the sky, the smells, the feelings he had in his heart - everything.
He breathed deeply.
He trusted in himself.
Trusted in what his father - the father he had always known - had said to him.
"There is no secret ingredient," Po started, waving his arms around in perfect motion. "There is no secret…"
Po felt something go through him.
It felt bright.
Happy.
At ease.
Dare he say it - peaceful?
He opened his eyes.
The fuse had run out.
An explosion of fire.
A flaming metal ball came hurdling towards him - towards the Five - towards Shifu.
Po felt the energy flow into his paws.
It was something.
He had to be.
Memories flashed by him.
"Whaddya mean - you want me to say it back to you?"
Her face.
HER face.
Tigress.
The coldness with which she had said that.
Po felt the energy drip away - practically leak out of his paws.
He breathed in.
He felt uneasy.
Unsure.
Her.
Her.
Her.
Tigress.
Tigress.
Her face.
The coldness.
The disappointment.
Po began shaking. The feeling was gone. The fireball was seconds away.
And it hit.
A/N
IT'S ALL LEADING SOMEWHERE - TRUST ME. :D
Ahhhh… another chapter that brings us closer to the end! Just three more chapters left in KFP 2! (to be clear, it won't end after that - this fic is going to go on for much, MUCH longer - like KFP 3 + my own little - eh, twist? heheehhe…) And another big hint - my climaxes are usually just two chapters long, followed by two chapters to "de-escalate" and resolve long-standing plotlines... And this is already the first part of the climax... so - it all goes down next chapter! Speculate as you wish - I really wanna see how people think this'll turn out.
And yes - I've foreshadowed it. :)
And for anyone wondering how all these plotlines, complex storylines, and overall pointless bullsh - will get resolved in just three chapters - it won't. It'll be greatly simplified however, as per usual when I get to the "ending" stages of my "arcs" like KFP 1, KFP 2 - so bear with it for a while! It's all leading somewhere - and I hope the payoffs will be BIG.
A few notes:
1. Yu is related to Shen. Somehow. Not revealing the backstory behind this at all (yet anyway) - but I hope it was a pleasant and weird surprise to people. This kinda thing very mildly foreshadowed, so yes - hope it's surprising to everyone! (yes I know a peacock is scientifically different from a fox - but wait for the backstory in time, hehe...) I think after you eventually learn the backstory though - you might get an "aha!" moment.
2. Zhong and the Soothsayer is an extraordinary relationship and set of characters that I love writing about. There's a lot of depth to them and potential for growth - and just from this chapter, I hope you can sorta foreshadow some things to come into the future? Alf and Zhong connect on many levels - and I really wanted this chapter to show a lot of similar struggles they've gone through!
3. More than anything, I wanted the Jade Palace to again feel on the defensive for a while. I find the whole "Po gets shot by the cannon" then comes back from the "dead" thing in the Factory to be sorta laughable - I mean, it's cool and all, but with my story and Shifu coming in so early - I doubt that would have made sense… plus Shen's smart! I feel he would be the one a few steps ahead - not the Jade Palace.
4. Alf finally figured out Yu's feelings around him! But Yu is related to Shen? WUT. What will Alf do now? I mean - what Alf does best. ;) Again, look for clues in this chapter if ya feeling anxious hehe.
Your speculations make me giddy. Your comments are intriguing. Support is incredible. :D
WE'RE NEAR THE END OF KFP 2! IM EXCITED! :)))))
~TW
P.S: Thanks again to everyone who loves follows these kinds of branching, complex storylines. I know it's a hassle and I know some parts may drag - but I really appreciate all the support. KFP 3 will be simpler! (But just as intriguing and complex, and with even bigger stakes/scales - if that makes sense?)
