The thick red doors were as large as the palace gates. On the right hand door, a golden dragon with emerald green eyes flexed its claws, its furry tail circling a topaz sun in a scaly embrace. On the left hand door, a red dragon with golden eyes aimed its burning breath at a pearl moon, the engraved fire not quite touching.
Po stared up at the doors, the imagery bringing back memories of the Jade Palace. Even after two months, he still couldn't believe that it was gone. So much history. So much awesomeness. Sure, the building itself can be rebuilt, but he couldn't say the same for the artefacts it had contained. Hei Nuwang was sooooo going to get beaten to a pulp.
But first he had a crazy dragon lady to deal with, supposedly right behind these big doors.
Po stretched his arms. He cracked his neck. He made sure the dagger was tucked into his pant where Ember wouldn't see it. Then he let out a yell and kicked the doors open. He caught a glimpse of Ember on the giant throne before the doors swung back into his face.
"WATHAIII-YOWCH!"
After two seconds he picked himself off the floor, certain he had just given himself double-black eyes. Clutching his tender nose, Po slowly pushed the right door open and entered the massive throne room. It looked like a bigger, square shaped version of the Gongmen City throne room but with much smaller windows and without the giant cannon. Weapons and broken pieces of armour were all over the place. Whether the mess was left over from the initial invasion or a recent battle was anybody's guess.
On the wooden throne painted gold, Ember was staring at him. "I assume that was intended to be a dramatic entrance."
Po blushed. "Yeah, nothing's more dramatic than nearly breaking your face."
Ember was holding a long red scarf she seemed to have been examining before Po's botched entrance. She tied it round her waist like a sash and stood up on the throne. "Are you ready to let me in yet?"
"I wouldn't let you go inside me even if you had all the action figures in the world." Po said firmly. "Which sounds weird but I didn't mean it that way!
"Your memories, Po. That's all I want."
"And I want my friend back!" Po leapt into his stance and starting spinning his rock and chain. "Where is she, Ember?"
"You will have to be more specific."
"Tigress! Where is she?"
"Right here in the palace. You honestly didn't know that?"
Po glared at her. "I'm not a complete idiot! Last chance to tell me where she is before I whup your butt!"
"I don't have time for this." Ember stepped off the throne.
That's it! Po sent the rock flying at her head. With one tilt of her head she dodged the rock completely. Po felt something strike his belly, and then the same sensation he felt when Tai Lung tried and failed to nerve attack him. "Nice try! I'm the big fat panda, remember?"
Ember vanished in a red flash. For an instant Po thought she'd fled. Then there was a blinding red flash in front of his face and a foot striking his chest. He fell back but quickly rolled back to his feet. He'd forgotten that Ember could teleport. Great.
"Even after everything you have witnessed, you still believe you can defeat me?"
The gears in Po's head turned. He knew the type of kick Ember just used on him. Tigress kicked him like that all the time. Does every bad guy in China know kung fu?
Po had lost his rock and chain when Ember kicked him, but there were plenty other weapons to choose from. He grab the nearest, a Dao sword, and went into the stance Monkey taught him. When Ember made no move, he attacked first. The helmet would protect Ember from his blows, so he aimed the flat of the blade towards her torso. Ember grabbed his wrist and threw him head over heels into a column. Though winded, he quickly got back up.
The reason Ember hadn't attacked while he was recovering was because she'd noticed a pair of double broadswords lying discarded near the throne. As Po was standing up she'd reached out to the weapons. They glowed red and flew into her hands. Red silk cloth dangled from the hilts.
"You have been warned, Po. I'm taking those memories one way or another."
Po eyed the blades. "Giving me a fair fight, huh? Wasn't expecting you to have any honour."
"So now what do you expect?"
"An easy win."
"Continue to resist if you wish, but you may regret it."
"Nah, you may regret making my fist go into your face!"
Ember advanced quickly, slashing with both blades. Po somersaulted backwards over and over until she stopped her assault and then attacked with his own sword. The three blades clashed again and again and again, the constant sound like metal wind chimes in Po's ears. Po blocked and twirled his sword over his head, but Ember repelled the attempted overhead swing and put a stinging welt on his hip. After that he did nothing but block, waiting for the right moment to pull out the dagger. After what felt like an eternity he felt his weapon get caught in between Ember's crossed swords. She pushed at the locked blades, and Po pushed back. He could almost feel the fury that gave Ember strength as she tried to force him back. With one arm forcing his sword forward with all its might, Po reached with his other arm for the dagger in his pants. One wound was all it would take. Hei Nuwang had told him that. He grabbed the dagger and thrust it beneath the swords towards Ember's body.
The Empress hissed and leapt back. A searing heat filled the room. The columns sizzled and caught fire. Po cringed, inching away from the column closest to him until he was right the middle of the room.
"Where did you get that?" She snarled, silhouetted against the flames.
Po twirled the dagger between his fingers. "A little present from your arch nemesis."
"You stupid little boy." Ember's voice dripped with venom. "You are a fool to ally with her."
"Hey, we're no allies! I just want Tigress back!"
"Oh, that's hilarious!" Ember snapped. For once she didn't sound like a demon. "After what she's done, you're still willing to trust her... well so did I once."
Po heard footsteps approaching the throne room. Hei Nuwang, he thought.
"No! I will not be interrupted again!"
A wall of fire filled the doorway. As the stunned Po watched, the fire spread along the walls until it circled the entire room. Now Po was seriously sweating buckets. Ember attacked again, the force of her swords sending vibrations through the panda's arms as he blocked the blows. When she paused it was Po's turn to go on the offensive. He was blocked several times before landing a scratch over Ember's left eyehole. She kicked him back.
"I had hoped you would give in. I thought luring you to this palace would jog your memory, or the weapons of ice would do it for me! I even brought Tigress here to soften your heart! And yet you still resist me!"
Their blades locked again. Po swung the dagger, but Ember deflected it with her forearm. He had to drop the Dao sword to catch her leg as she kicked at him, and used that same leg to push her back. She bent her knees to regain balance, and glared at him as she crouched low to the floor.
"Is remembering your past really worth all this craziness?" He asked. The Dao sword had skidded too close to a burning column to retrieve, but there was a Monk's Spade nearby that Po quickly picked up.
"You seemed to think so when you were chasing the bird who killed your mother."
Po winced. "Touché."
"You know remembering the truth is worth the suffering. Piece by piece I have regained my memories. The memory of you is the last one!"
"What?!" Po gaped. "If you already got your memories, then..." He stretched out the paw holding the dagger, gesturing not just to the burning columns and ring of fire, but all the destruction Ember had caused within the last two days. "Why are you still doing all this?"
Ember stood up straight, her swords flashing a bloody red. "Because like Lord Shen, Hei Nuwang has murdered the people I loved. And unlike you, I have decided to avenge them!"
Po stared at Ember as she advanced. He'd known about the burning, but not the lost loved ones. He was so thrown that he almost failed to block Ember's swords with the crescent blade end of his 'spade'.
"You think my memories will help you get your revenge?" He asked as he used his weapon to pin the swords to the floor and strained to keep them there.
"No idea." Ember vanished in a red flash, but this time Po was ready. He saw another light out the corner of his eye and blocked her kick with an arm just in time.
Ember landed on the floor and raised her arm. One of the burning columns broke off from the base and crashed to the ground behind Po. The panda staggered away from the horrendous heat and turned to find Ember gone. Now what was she up to?
"Ember, please! I don't want to fight!" He yelled, even as a headache made his brain throb.
"Said the one who attacked first!" Ember spoke. Po saw her on top of the broken base and went back into his stance.
"Okay, you got me. I was just mad, that's all. You've been picking on me since I woke up in that cell." He stepped forward, steering clear of the fire. "But I didn't know you lost your family. I know how rough that is. But all those people you brainwashed never did anything to you! This has to stop!"
Ember snarled. "It will only stop when Hei Nuwang is dead!"
Po twirled the Monk's Spade with both arms, trying to hide that he was gathering up energy for a chi attack. Throw the weapon at her. Throw a chi ball while she's countering. Use the dagger when she's stunned. Hope this works 'cause you can't try the same trick twice.
He heard the sound of crunching wood. Another column had broken behind him. "Woah!" He rolled aside as it came crashing down, scattering splinters and cinders everywhere.
When Po got up, he realised he'd fallen into a trap. He was now standing in the middle of a giant triangle of burning wood and fire. The fallen columns made up two sides. On the third, a wall of fire followed Ember as she stalked towards the panda.
There was no way to escape the heat now. It was like being in the middle of the Field of Fiery death when all the nozzles where firing at once. Po held his ground, even though the headache was getting worse and he was developing the urge to vomit.
"Yes, it's terrible isn't it? I felt the same way when that dagger took my invulnerability."
She's using the heat, Po thought with a pang of dread. That had been her plan all along. All this time she'd been using the heat of the fire as a poison, steadily draining his strength as they fought. He had to get out of this room.
But there was nowhere to go. He was trapped. Worse, he was having trouble staying steady. His head was swimming and his heart was beating too fast.
"It was an easy win you were expecting. Wasn't it, Po?" Ember stopped two feet from the dizzy panda. "It's over. Let me in."
Po's sweaty paws clenched around his Spade and dagger. "You're not gonna break me."
Ember stiffened. Even with the heat tormenting him from all sides he could literally feel the rage coming out of her. "Fool. I am the Dragon Empress. I am-"
"PRINCESS YUJIN!"
Ember spun round, her anger vaporising in seconds at the sound of Haoxin's voice. Through Po's slightly blurred vision he saw two very familiar geese flying over the fire towards them. "Princess Haoxin? Dad?!"
Haoxin and Mr. Ping landed on the floor several feet from them. They must have gotten in through one of the windows. Mr. Ping looked terrified, but Haoxin looked torn between crying out with joy and bursting into tears.
"Haoxin." Ember whispered. The flames shrank, darkening the throne room.
Mr. Ping steeled himself and pointed a massive cleaver at the Empress. "We thought it was you. Get away from Po this instant!" Haoxin gently pushed Mr. Ping's arm down.
"Dad, what are you doing?!" Po yelled through the dizziness. "Get out of here! Run! Wait, who the heck is Yujin?"
Haoxin's face was stern, even as her eyes wept. "Xian's wife."
Po dropped his Spade.
When Haoxin took a step towards Ember, the Empress backed away. Haoxin's beak quivered. "Yujin... oh gods... what has that woman done to you?"
Ember looked away. Like the fire, she seemed to shrink a little. "You really shouldn't be here."
"Yujin, come back to us. I beg of you." Haoxin took another step, her trembling wings reaching out to Ember. "Xian's outside. He knows who you are. He wants you back."
Po inched towards his father, too stunned to speak.
"... Why is he still here in this hell?"
"He misses you. We all do. Please come home! This has to end now!"
"I..." Ember's voice seemed to fail her.
"I want Hei Nuwang to pay for what she's done just as much as you do." Haoxin said, her tears dripping onto the blackened floor. "So does Xian. We can stop her together. He still loves you. He loves you so much. I love you. Come back to us, Yujin! Please..."
The fire had almost completely burnt out. Haoxin stared pleadingly at Ember. Ember stared back.
"She'd just use you against me."
Ember's eyeholes flashed. Haoxin collapsed along with Mr. Ping before the heartbreak could fully hit her.
"Dad!" Po rushed to his father, but he appeared to be in a deep sleep.
When he turned his head to glare at Ember, she had lowered herself to the floor, hugging her knees as she stared at Haoxin.
"No more delays." She spoke softly. "No more pain."
When he was sure that Ember hadn't actually hurt his father, Po stepped away from the goose and picked up a nearby Jian sword. "Haoxin's right. You have to stop this madness."
"I can't!"
"Why not?!"
"I already told you!" Ember yelled. Somehow her little chat with Haoxin had made her angrier. "This will not stop while Hei Nuwang lives! She will do whatever it takes to make me suffer!"
Po glanced at the motionless Haoxin. "Okay, you have a point there. But setting the palace on fire and brainwashing hundreds of people is not the way to handle this!"
Ember stood up. "Enough talk! Give me your memories!"
"Sorry, no can do!" With his sword in one paw and the crystal dagger in the other, Po charged. There was a red flash and then Po was thrusting the dagger at nothing. Ember teleported behind him and kicked him in the back. Po staggered and ran for one of the fallen, smoking columns, well aware that Ember was chasing him. Hoping with all his might that the Tahlia Leap worked on horizontal columns, Po reached the column and lifted his foot to the curved surface. He managed to run three steps up the column before he ran out of smouldering wood and kicked away, flipping over Ember and landing behind her. One paw grabbed her shoulder, and the other thrust the dagger towards her back.
The back of Ember's helmet butted Po in the nose. While he was stunned, Ember spun round and shoved him back, the blade of her sword grazing his chest. Po wiped the blood from his nose and grimaced.
"I don't want to hurt you anymore, Ember." He said. "But someone needs to stop you."
Po rushed at Ember. Ember rushed at Po. Po raised his Jian sword to block Ember's dual blades. Po's ears rang as the three weapons clashed over their heads.
Ember froze.
Her swords fell from her hands. The fire in her eyeholes flickered and went out.
Finally, Po thought, but felt anything but triumphant.
Ember gasped as he pulled the dagger from her stomach and collapsed against his body, one arm draped over one shoulder and her head resting on the other. She wasn't dying, but the fight had literally been taken out of her.
"I'm sorry, your highness." Po said. He lowered himself to his knees, easing the Empress to the floor.
Ember propped herself up on one arm and looked up at the panda, the other arm wrapped around her wounded body. Oddly, she didn't seem so angry anymore.
"Your defence... was too strong... it seems." She said weakly. "I'm tired, Po. Finish it.."
Po blinked. "Uh, didn't I finish the fight when I stabbed you with the..."
"Finish me off, you twit."
Po thought of the bloodied bed in Shambhala and his guilt tripled. Even with his knowledge of the fire he couldn't even begin to imagine the pure hell Ember had gone through the last time the crystal dagger had blocked her powers. And losing her baby on top of that... no wonder she went crazy.
She said that remembering the truth is worth the suffering. Could getting all her memories back help her like it helped me? If the memory of me is all she wants...
Po dropped the dagger and knelt down before her. "If I tell you what little I do remember, will you tell me where Tigress is?"
Ember raised her head very slightly. "So you do remember. Liar."
"Hey, I just said I don't remember all of it!" Po pouted. "Do we have a deal?" Ember slowly nodded. Po paused to remember. "Okay... I remember wandering through a forest as a little kid. I think it was winter, because of all the snow. I remember finding you standing over some guy. You were... you were torturing him. You broke his arm pretty bad. Then you spotted me, and I ran. That's it."
Ember pressed a hand to her helmeted head and stared at the blackened floorboards. For a long time, Po watched her as she processed the information. Then she slowly lowered her hand to the scarf she was wearing around her waist. Po rubbed his chin and squinted. There was something very familiar about that scarf...
"Good work, Dragon Warrior! I knew you could do it!"
Hei Nuwang looked absolutely gleeful as she strode into the room, flanked by two terra cotta gorillas carrying clubs. By the massive doorway, two clay crocodiles held Xian firm between them. When he saw Ember, his eyes went wide and he struggled furiously, but was helpless as they dragged him out of sight. A third crocodile strode silently to the unconscious Mr. Ping and Haoxi and lifted them up by the scruffs of their necks.
Po stood up and scowled at the cruelly joyous panther. "You sure have a thing for timing, don't ya?"
"Please step aside, panda. I'll be with you in a moment."
Po didn't move. "I was here first. She has something I want, remember?"
"Yes, yes, I know." Hei Nuwang waved her paw nonchalantly. "Where is the dagger?" She saw it on the floor before Po could reply. She held out her paw and the dagger flew right into it. "I won't ask nicely again. Please stand aside."
Po stayed where he was. Hei Nuwang's smile flickered and she pushed him aside. Po staggered, stunned at how strong she was. Hei Nuwang crouched over the weakened Ember, her smile growing even more wicked when she saw the stomach wound. The clay gorillas stood silently nearby.
"Murderer..." Ember snarled. Her fingers gouged the floorboards.
"You've been a horrid little pest, haven't you, Yujin?" Hei Nuwang disapprovingly shook the dagger like she was shaking her finger. "An annoyingly dangerous pest. All of this could have been avoided if you had let yourself die in that abomination's bedroom."
Ember punched her so hard her head snapped back. "That 'abomination' was my baby! You call yourself righteous, but Mother would scream if she knew of your sins!"
Hei Nuwang rubbed her jaw, all happiness gone. "Are you finished? Since burning you didn't work, let's try bloodletting." Ember made no noise, but flinched when Hei Nuwang stabbed her shoulder. Po's gut plummeted. "How many times will I have to stab you before you die? Let's find out." She plunged the dagger into Ember's arm. Twice. Haoxin shrieked, having been woken by the clay croc's manhandling along with Po's father. "Not screaming, huh? Spoilsport." Po gritted his teeth as Ember suffered another stab wound in her stomach. As Haoxin and Mr. Ping begged for the torture to stop, he advanced. "I'm doing you a favour, Yujin. You'll be with your precious hybrid, soon. And a heart can't ache when it's stopped beating."
Po grabbed Hei Nuwang's raised arm and belly bounced her into the far wall.
"Po!" Mr. Ping cried.
"Get her out of here, please!" Haoxin pleaded.
Ember said nothing at all as Po lifted her over his shoulder. As the clay gorillas advanced, he spied a small door near the throne. Luckily the clay brutes were even slower than he was as he ran straight for it. He shoved the door open, revealing a corridor, and dropped Ember into it.
"Po... Hei Nuwang will..."
"We'll pick this up later!" Po yelled. "And Tigress had better be alive!"
He slammed the door. For good measure, he pulled the throne in front of it. Now to save his dad and Haoxin.
He was about to throw a chi ball at one of the gorillas when the amethyst mace hit him full in the face.
Hei Nuwang's face was a mask of demonic rage as she beat Po again. And again. And again. Fury at her lost quarry gave her speed as she pummelled the panda, not giving him a single chance to fight back. She bruised his jaw. Opened a cut on his brow. Struck his torso so hard his body fat could not protect his ribs from being broken. Through the pain and shock, Po heard his father sobbing and crying for Hei Nuwang to stop. He was ignored. The purple mace hit his knee, twisting his leg and dropping him to his knees. A brutal blow to the face knocked him on his side, his head hitting the floor with a crack.
Hei Nuwang did not stop. With another swing she cut his cheek. The next swing drew blood from his hip. The final blow broke his forearm.
Hei Nuwang stepped back, panting. Haoxin hung limp in the clay croc's grasp, having fainted at some point during the beating. Mr. Ping wept as he watched his little panda lie on the floor, bloody and broken and gasping.
The two clay gorillas loomed over the panda. Their blank eyes looked to Hei Nuwang. The panther smoothed the fur on her head. She took a deep breath as she regained self-control. She shot the panda a dark look. Then she looked to the clay gorillas and gave a small nod.
The clay gorillas raised their clubs and started swinging.
