"For China (II)"
Alf was running hard.
Something about the Soothsayer's words had ignited him into action - not so much what she had said, but the way in which she said it - especially when combined with the words of Zhong and Alf's own thoughts. It had all been enough at least, to make the already half-healed Seeker climb out of the rocky cave, traverse a nearly endless flight of rocky footholds until finally coming out. Alf had spent exactly five minutes just waiting outside, overjoyed to be out of the cave - and breathe in cold, fresh air with moonlight streaking down, as well as let his injured fingers run over the thick grass and wild lilies around him. He was even more satisfied to see Gongmen not too far off, and had flashed a last look at the cave - thinking of the ship, the voices, the "dimensions", and the prophecies - the visions.
He couldn't focus on it now.
He had bigger things to do.
He was already in the city now.
Alf sprinted past rushing citizens, frustrated by the enormous crowd seemingly moving in one direction - most curiously, past a series of explosions happening at the other edge of Gongmen. The Seeker noted that this seemed close to the large water canal running at the edge of the city - and perhaps the only sea-worthy way to reach the ocean directly from Gongmen. The people themselves were mostly Gongmen's inhabitants - sheeps and pigs - but there was the lone wolf or rhino running away also.
The city was falling into chaos.
"MOVE!" Alf shouted, jumbling past citizens. "MOVE! MOVE!"
The really interesting thing was that he had elected to go out without his mask, without the black jumpsuit, or really any disguise whatsoever - so nearly everyone who was running away from the explosions - took the time to stop in their tracks, gaze shell-shocked at a Seeker, with a metal collar, running through the city - then proceed with running away.
At this point, Alf didn't care who saw him. The secret had been out since the Tower collapse.
"MOVE MOVE!"
Alf was growing fearful as well. The vast amount of explosions meant that many of the cannons were still operational - which meant that Po, the Five and Shifu had largely failed to defeat Shen yet.
It would be utter suicide for Alf to go in like this as well.
If the Po, the Five, and Shifu couldn't do it - what chance did he have?
Yet he kept running.
He has an ARMY of soldiers AND cannons, Alf thought. I'm just one me.
He was desperate that the Soothsayer's words would make sense to him.
Use everything to your advantage. Even your dreams.
It felt like utter nonsense to Alf. He had tried already to recount if there was something in the last few days, a shot of insight or wisdom that could possibly help him.
What had happened?
Shen had tortured him.
The ship.
The visions.
Alf snorted, noting that he was already seeing the beginnings of the outskirts of city appear as he continued his sprint forward - the crowd lessening as the distant explosions grew wilder and louder.
Nothing about Shen's torturing seemed insightful or helpful. There were no moments of "Aha!" where Alf could easily utilize some event to manufacture a technique that could go towards beating him - mostly the memories were just painful, horrid, and already half-suppressed.
BOOM. The explosions were close now.
The ship was utterly nonsense to him. The voice had spouted all kinds of mumbo-jumbo about "dimensions", "timelines", and "payment". Or at least Alf thought so, before rudely awakening to Zhong, the Soothsayer, the Five, and practically everyone around him try to convince Alf that he was delusional.
Perhaps the visions?
Yu killing her parents.
Yu dying.
Yu.
Yu.
A lot of his visions had been centered around Yu - had been centered around the fox. It had been a tremendous irony to learn about her true feelings toward him right after Alf had confronted her - well not confronted, but asked her about a vision which had lead her to start running away.
Alf sighed. It was exciting to learn it, but he still had the present matter at hand.
BOOM.
CRASH.
"NOOOO! PO!"
Alf's heart rate shot up. He was about a hundred paces from the water canal. He could see clearly fifty or so massive warships, backed by a heavily armored wolf force running forward towards some direction - along with a plethora of cannons.
There had to be something. He couldn't fight them like this.
Something.
The Soothsayer had to be right.
Alf went over the visions again.
Yu killing her parents.
The grassfield.
A cannon shrinking into his palm.
Yu laying dead on the ground.
Alf spat, annoyed with the lack of insight. The voices grew.
"NOO! MASTER SHIFU!"
Yu killing her parents.
The grassfield.
A cannon shrinking into his palm.
Yu laying dead on the ground.
Alf grit his teeth, trying harder to remember than ever before.
Yu killing her parents.
The grassfield.
A cannon shrinking into his palm.
Yu laying -
Alf stopped, feeling an odd recollection come up.
A cannon shrinking into his palm.
A vague, hopeful glitter rose in his chest. He alternated his course, heading straight for the remains of the destroyed Tower - hoping that Po and the rest could survive for just a bit longer.
. . .
"PO!"
"PO!"
"Buddy!"
A few more calls from the rest of the Five - and even Shifu. No response.
The panda lay floating on a piece of driftwood, already having been blasted clean past the gates separating the city from the ocean. The rest of the Five fared no better - Monkey and Crane were floating aimlessly in the water, blood sinking into the deep, murky abyss below while Viper clawed onto a piece of wood that floated gratefully above the heavy ocean. Mantis and Shifu lay together on the Docks that ran parallel to the oceans - laying facedown, with no reaction as wolf soldiers carelessly brushed past them - assuming them dead.
The only exception was Tigress.
She began swimming desperately in the giant ocean as the warships - still fully stocked with Shen, battalions of wolf soldiers, and cannons - gently floated away out of the outskirts of the now open city. Anxious - but mostly defeated - citizens stood at the Docks, watching the fallen masters and Shen and his army - perhaps acknowledging that it was over.
Yet Tigress kept swimming.
Her injured eyes scoured past dark, rippling waves - finding Po's large, white frame sit on a piece of driftwood as it bounced carelessly up and down in the waves. She dove forward, reaching there in no time.
She grasped his paw, moonlight reflecting off his bruised and torn fur.
"I - I'm sorry," Po started, coughing out blood. "I - I - I didn't - "
Tigress' lips quivered, resting her forehead atop his. "It doesn't matter now. We - we did our best. There was no way - even with inner peace…"
"Tigress?"
"Po?"
"I - I wasn't talking about inner peace…"
Amber eyes met Po's green ones, yet they betrayed a slight sense confusion. Po shook his head.
"I - I meant - I mean - " Po continued, wheezing. "I'm sorry for not understanding."
"Not understanding what?" Tigress whispered, ears painfully made aware of the approaching warships.
"Not - not understanding who you are, what you've been through…" Po finished, looking at her with a bleeding smirk. "I - I was just - thinking of myself…"
Tigress couldn't bring herself to say anything. She squeezed his paw tighter.
"I'll always love you," Po noted, watching her expression sniffle a bit. "Don't worry - you don't have to say anything back - I - I - I just wanted to make sure you knew…"
Po's head gradually fell downward, hitting the driftwood.
Tigress gasped. She pressed an ear to his back, happy to still feel the lungs and heart make noise - but it was faint.
So many parts of her wanted to do something.
Say something.
Wasn't this the perfect time?
There was no Shifu.
No memories.
Nothing except her and Po.
And after that - inevitability.
Shen had won.
The least she could do - was make her last moments worthwhile. Make it good - makeup for years of denying herself everything everyone else had.
If that made sense to her.
"Awwww…" Shen vocalized a distance away, watching the two masters lie nudged together on the piece of driftwood. "She's holding his paw… if Zhong were here, I'd call that romantic!"
Yet Po and Tigress made no effort to move, both laying together in defeat on the driftwood.
Shen turned back, walking across the mast of his warship to see Yu bound up in chains.
"Do you see what happens?" the peacock noted, watching Yu cry as wolves aimed a cannon at the pair of masters floating. "SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO PREVENT MY DESTINY?!"
Yu wailed out for a time, before Shen made his way back to the head of the boat. He watched with satisfaction at the destroyed outskirts of Gongmen behind him, at the scared citizens watching from the Docks, and the thoroughly defeated masters of the Jade Palace in front of him.
In a way - it was poetic. His enemies were gone, his subjects were following him, and his past - the past his parents had tried to keep from him - was destroyed. Now, only the ocean was there - nothing to stand in his way.
He had proven his own prophecy wrong.
"Wolves!" Shen announced, addressing the army following him close behind with their own warships. "Today is your day of reckoning! Today is the day we strip power from bureaucrats like the Jade Palace, like the Master's Council, like Oogway - and give it back to the people!"
The wolves howled in unison, raising their weapons.
"TODAY IS THE DAY WE FIGHT FOR THE COMMON WOLF!"
The wolves' howls grew louder.
"TODAY IS THE DAY WE FIGHT FOR SOMETHING GREATER!"
The howling intensified.
"TODAY - ALL WOLVES, THE DISENFRANCHISED, THE NEGLECTED, THE WORKERS - "
The howls were threatening to drown out Shen's own yelling.
" - WE SHALL OVERCOME! DESTROY ANYONE IN OUR PATH!"
Practical screams.
"WE WILL RESTORE PEACE TO CHINA!"
Shen waved down the wolves with a wave of a feather, turning to address the scared citizens standing on the Docks - hundreds of them forming a gigantic crowd, remembering Shen of the days when his parents would address all of Gongmen.
Now he had all their attention too.
"THOSE WHO FOLLOW ME SHALL RECEIVE RICHES BEYOND THEIR WILDEST DREAMS! THOSE WHO DO NOT - "
The wolves' howls began again, frightening the sheep and pigs standing on the Docks. Shen smiled, turning to his wolf army once more.
Shen grinned. It was all happening.
Years of effort.
Years of struggle.
He had finally won.
"That's the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard."
The howling stopped. The citizens' jaws collectively fell.
Away, and still floating in the ocean - Tigress saw an unusual visitor walk casually onto the Docks. She almost couldn't believe her eyes, given that she was used to seeing him in a dark black jumpsuit with a mask on. The rest of the Five and Shifu - drifting along wood chunks in waves - collectively and audibly gasped. Compared to this, the citizens and wolves however - had no idea how to react, because the mere presence of the individual seemed to be breaking a law in their heads.
There were only two people who seemed unfazed: the peacock, and Yu.
But the reactions were different.
Shen was seething with rage.
Yu was star-struck.
"I thought I killed you," Shen whispered, watching Alf walk down the docks as the crowd of citizens wordlessly made way for him - stuck in awe. "I assumed you would have bled out."
The rest of the interspersed, distributed, massive crowd - wolves, citizens, the Five, Shifu, Po - all watched in amazement.
"I thought you didn't want to kill me?" Alf spat, grinning in amusement. "Changed your mind eh?"
"I assumed that I would have gotten everything I needed out of you," Shen bit back. "Forgive me - but I'm not fond of protecting endangered species - I merely take what I want, and that's that."
Alf smiled. "Give it up Shen."
The peacock laughed savagely, watching his wolf soldiers in confidence - legions of ships began awkwardly laughing with in tune. After a significant part of the laughter had died down - and the crowd, the Five, Po, and Shifu now looked at Alf - Shen resumed his speech.
"WHY?!" Shen bellowed. "I HAVE AN ARMY! CANNONS! THE JADE PALACE IS DEFEATED! WHAT DO YOU HAVE?!"
"This."
CLICK.
SWISH.
Shen's eyes gazed upon the small device Alf had just procured from his pockets - extending a cylindrical barrel his way. His fingers were positioned - awkwardly around the device - with his index finger looped around bottom, around some curved thin metal strip - while the rest of his fingers traced a long barrel. The device was in an L-shape, with the supposed "handle" where Alf's finger was - with the rest tracing the barrel. A chunk of the middle of the handle jutted out, clearly infused with something.
The crowd merely stared at the unique device. Tigress - still gripping on Po in the water - felt baffled. The Five exchanged nervous glances with Shifu, then at Alf. Yu looked overjoyed. The wolves backed away in mild fear.
Shen growled.
"What - what is that?" the peacock uttered.
"Oh this?" Alf questioned mockingly, looking at the small barrel. "This is what happens when a Seeker figures out - how to use - Seeker technology."
Alf curled his index finger inward, pushing the metal level back.
BOOM.
A burst of fire.
Too fast to see.
SQUELCH.
Shen had blinked and missed it. The wolf guard in front of him was dead on the floor, with a large red hole into his forehead. A tiny, bloody metal cylinder rolled around on the floor behind him.
The wolves and the citizens burst into cries.
"THE SEEKER'S GOT A CANNON IN HIS HAND!"
"THE FLESHLING HAS A DOOMSDAY MACHINE!"
"THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING!"
The crowd of onlookers soon realized that this wasn't worth the trouble, and Alf was treated to the sight of hundreds of citizens nervously avoiding him and scrambling out of the Docks and back into the city - shutting the gates behind him.
The Five, Po, and Shifu - still floating in the ocean - had begun to get wind of what was happening.
The wolves looked nervous, exchanging pleas with Shen.
"Lord Shen - we didn't even see the cannon ball coming…"
"The Seeker has built some horrible weapon…"
"Lord Shen, we have to retreat!"
"ENOUGH YOU FOOLS!" the peacock roared, demanding the wolves to take courage. "THE FLESHLING HAS A TINY CANNON! WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF HUGE ONES! BLAST HIM TO PIECES!"
The wolves - on perhaps all fleet of fifty ships - began moving towards the cannons decked on their respective ships. It was useless however, as Alf merely extended his device forward again, pointing the barrel at all the moving wolves.
And fired. Again. Again. And some more.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Five bursts of fire. Five projectiles that moved so fast - no one could even see them. Five wolves fell into the decks of their ships, bloody holes etched into their foreheads.
It had only taken Alf one shot each.
"WE CAN'T FIGHT HIM LORD SHEN!" the wolf nearest to the peacock begged. "HE'LL KILL US ALL!"
Alf walked casually up a bridge supporting the Docks to Shen's warship, walking across the plank to stare at the peacock right in the face.
The wolves on the peacock's own ship backed away in fear. The wolves on every other ship - following close behind Shen's - merely laid down their weapons and raised their paws.
"You - you have made something I - I did not anticipate," Shen muttered, watching the Seeker with a mixture of disgust and hatred. "So I offer this one chance - release your weapon to me, and I shall spa - ARGH!"
BOOM.
Shen fell to the deck, collapsed upon his left wing - a bloody hole ran through it. Alf had avoided firing at his head.
"I'm sparing you," Alf whispered back, grasping at the peacock's head - then turned to address the wolves. "ANYONE ELSE WANNA TRY ME?!"
The wolves stayed quiet, getting onto their knees as they moved away from the cannons on their own ships. Shen roared out insults in fury.
"COWARDS! ALL OF YOU! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT - "
Alf ignored Shen's wailing in the background, tossing aside the device as he realized the job was done. He exchanged a quick glance at the Furious Five and Po - who were still drifting, albeit closer - in the ocean. They didn't seem to understand how quickly everything had changed - and so there was immense confusion on their face, but there was also incredible gratitude - fierce, resilient smiles on each of their own.
Even Shifu's.
Alf walked to the mast, unwrapping the ropes binding Yu.
He was done wasting time.
He was done waiting for the perfect moment.
He had to make it.
He had never known.
Now he did.
"Yu - " Alf started, watching the fox stare at him with her jaw open. "I lo - "
"ALICE!" came Tigress' voice. "BEHIND YOU!"
Alf spun around, fearing the worst.
"DIE FLESHLING!" came Shen's voice behind him.
Alf swiveled, seeing the peacock point the fallen device right at him. He instinctively curled his feather around the small lever, grinning savagely.
Alf shielded Yu, holding his breath.
SKRIT.
But the "boom" never came.
Alf opened his eyes. And let his mouth drop. The Five, Shifu, and Po stared in amazement at the events on Shen's warship. Yu gasped loudly.
The device had fallen out of Shen's clutches. A wolf - very distinctive wolf, with a red tattoo on his arm, and ferocity in his eyes - was standing close to him, with a silver blade wedged into Shen's ribs. An old goat was standing beside him - a bit disappointed but understanding all the same.
Shen coughed out blood, shocked more than he had ever been. "Zhong? After - all - this - time?"
The wolf said nothing, merely shoving the blade in further to penetrate the peacock's heart.
"Always," Zhong forced, sighing. "I'm sorry, brother."
Shen let a few tears drip down his face.
He blinked twice, taking in Zhong's face a few more times.
Then fell to the floor. Blood began pooling out of his wounds.
Alf's mouth was still open. Yu was staring at the fallen peacock - wondering just exactly how Shen had managed to oversee that. The Five, Shifu and Po - thankfully close enough now to the warship so that they heaved themselves onboard, and onto the deck - stood in awe. The crowd of other wolves stared in horror, not even remotely moving from their submissive positions Alf had put them in - at least fifty ships' worth of horrified wolves.
The city looked it was growing brighter in the moonlight. Zhong turned to address Alf.
"Kid, if there's ever a time," he advised. "I'd do it now."
Alf turned back immediately to Yu, not caring that the whole world was effectively watching.
He breathed deeply, taking in the fox's overjoyed expression. "Yu - I lo - "
Yet his words could never make it out, because her lips had already met his.
Pressure.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
And perhaps it was because of all the time they had felt wasted, or perhaps all the events they had been through - but they took several minutes to merely hold each other, passionately moving lips against each other - body and souls connecting and exploring each other's in a way they had both previously thought - impossible.
And Alf knew many people - the Five, Shifu, Po, Zhong, the Soothsayer, the captured wolves - were all watching - yet somehow that made it all the more sweeter.
It meant something - it meant that no matter what had previously happened, how much time had been stolen from them - this, was completely theirs - and theirs alone.
Their world.
Their hearts.
Their lives.
Their choices.
So Alf stayed in her embrace, holding her closer as they continued the kiss that seemed to never end.
A/N
;)
~TW
P.S: Just two more chapters to go in KFP 2, then we start KFP 3…
P.P.S: Been meant to do it for a while, but I'm gonna start checking out your guys' stuff. Too much talent out there… :)
