Boar was a valued member of the Master's Council, but every now and then there was a time where Masters Storming Ox and Croc missed the old days where they fought side by side with Thundering Rhino. This was one of those times.

The soldiers filling the prison never saw it coming. It had been Ox's idea to use their own cannon against them when the front doors to the right hand tower proved to be impenetrable. From the top of the southern tower, Boar kept an eye on Ox and Croc as they silently pressed their ears to the doors, listening. Then they shifted apart so they were on either side of the door and out of harms way. Croc shook his mace tail three times. The signal. Boar lit the fuse on the cannon and winced as the explosion hit his ears. Like a comet the sparkling cannonball soared through the air, passing between the undaunted Ox and Croc and hitting the doors dead centre.

The sound of the door being obliterated was just like the sound of the cannon that took Rhino's life. For one second they were back in the Gongmen City Courtyard, watching their unstoppable leader disappear in a dark cloud of dust and fire. Then the smoke cleared to reveal a pair of shattered doors and dozens of stunned and soot-covered soldiers. Feeling the intense rush that came with the unexpected flashback, Ox and Croc stormed in and the butt-kicking began. The poor soldiers were so badly outmatched that Boar's arrival soon after only sped up the predictable. Boar sent five flying at once with his tusks. Croc maced six with one swing of his clubbed tail. Ox found a weakness in the elephant's right ear and brought him down with one flick. When it was over, they tossed every soldier into an adjacent empty room and shoved an empty cannon in front of the door.

Right on cue, Shifu and Monkey strode inside, Eagle Jr. and Viper coming right behind them. The rest of the Furious Five and Xian will have gone to the other tower to meet Po. "Good work." Shifu said. "Now let's find the prisoners before reinforcements arrive."

That was when a terrified Po burst in and told them that reinforcements were the least of their problems.


"I want your blood..."

Tigress flew back and hit a stone chest, sending cracks spreading out in a spider web pattern. Gasping from the agony, she struggled to her feet as Long Feng advanced.

He was still a rhino, sort of. Only a very un-rhino like arm had grown from his stump, black but riddled with glowing blue markings. An aura of blue and red fire engulfed him, and his glowing blue eyes never left Tigress. What the hell had he done to himself?

"What the hell is this, Long Feng?" She yelled.

"You made me scream..." Long Feng spoke, a guttural growl accompanying his voice. "Now you scream too."

Tigress went into her stance. "I don't think so." As she attacked, she started to get an idea of what may have happened to the general. He must have killed Sutoraiki to get access to the chi samples stored in the lab. She'd worked out by now that the late hornet had been using alchemy to play around with the chi, warping the natural energy and using it to create unnatural things. It brought to mind something Oogway had told her when she was a child and curious about the world's mysteries. Nothing is impossible, he had told her. When she'd questioned him on the impracticality of the statement, he'd agreed that there were still some things in the world that could not be accomplished. Bringing back the dead and merging the Mortal and Spirit Realms were two such examples. There was a reason for this, he'd said that afternoon under the Peach Tree. Nothing is impossible, but it wasn't a matter of whether or not it could be done, but whether or not it should be done. Playing around with the energy of living things was one of them, and the consequence of that action was now stepping forward to kill her.

Even though punching Long Feng hadn't worked out the last time, Tigress rushed at him again, this time aiming a kick at his glowing horned head. The back of her foot struck the side of his head. It was like kicking a flaming cannonball. Long Feng lashed out, grabbing her by the vest. The flaming aura felt like it was about to ignite her fur and clothes. Eyes narrowed, he raised his demon arm to eviscerate her. Tigress swung her entire body upwards and slammed her knee into his chin. His head snapped back and he released her. Tigress hit the floor and rolled back. She felt a searing heat on her chest and neck. Her vest was on fire. Tigress quickly patted the flames until they were dead and continued to back away.

She knew the moment she felt how hard his head was that her tiger style kung fu wasn't going to work. As much as she hated it, she had to retreat for now and find something that would. She threw a stone chest at Long Feng and sprinted towards the other door. The chest exploded into chunks and dust as Long Feng swatted it aside and followed her.

"Come back, Ember... don't feel like myself... anymore..."


Shifu looked like he had just walked in on Po naked. Eagle Jr., Viper and the three Gongmen masters looked just as appalled at what Po told them.

"Why can't legends ever just be legends?" Ox muttered when Po was done.

Viper looked absolutely sick. "They're going to kill her?"

"It's just like Ke-Pa and the first Peach Tree." Po said, giving the short version of what he'd just said. "When Su dies, the part of Nuwa's soul that was reborn in her will die, too. When that happens, the seal keeping the Wall of Heaven together will be destroyed."

"God damnit, we've got to stop them!" Boar growled. "They'll be keeping her in the central building for sure!"

"You three find Tigress and the others and get them out of here!" Shifu snapped at the Gongmen Masters. His ears were flat and there was a panicked look in his eyes. "We'll go after Hei Nuwang!"

"What about the others?" Po asked.

"No time to warn them!" Shifu shoved Po out through what was left of the entrance. Eagle Jr. and Viper quickly followed as they made their way across the courtyard to the central building. "Does anyone have any ideas where they may be keeping her?"

"No idea!" Po yelled as they ran. The others responded with silence. "What do we do, Shifu?"

"We'll go in pairs." Shifu said. "Viper and I will search the top. You and Eagle Jr. search the bottom."

They reached the massive doors, only to find them locked like the tower doors. Po winced as Shifu and Boar started cursing like sailors. Even Viper let out something she never would have dared say under normal circumstances.

Time was running out for them all.


When Mengxiang sensed the nauseating energy of the creature that made the young Tigress his prey, she knew she had to get out. Her powers were weak after Hei Nuwang used the dagger, oh gods so weak, but she had just enough to persuade the passing soldier to retrieve the keys to her cell and set her free. She left the soldier in an induced sleep within the cell and stepped out into the corridor. She couldn't warn the Dragon Warrior and his allies in her usual way. This time she would have to seek them out. If Yujin was with them and she knew of the part her sister played in her torment, Mengxiang would accept whatever pain she decided to inflict in return.

Mengxiang patted the dust off her robe and hurried towards the exit, her heart aching as she thought of the confrontation that was to come.


They punched the door simultaneously, but it was no use. Rushing back to one of the four towers to use a cannon again would take up too much time.

Po nearly jumped out his pants when Yujin spoke again. "Allow me, Po."

Po nodded. "Guys, clear the way!"

They gave him odd looks, but obediently backed away from the doors. "What're you planning, Yujin?" He asked mentally.

"I'm going to force the doors open, but you have to promise not to flip out."

"I promise, just hurry up!"

Po almost broke that promise when his arms grew hot and started moving on their own. His eyes bulged and his teeth clenched as he fought back panic. His arms stretched out towards the doors and clapped together. His friends gaped as a red aura engulfed his paws. His arms spread out, and a terrible cracking sound filled the air. The doors buckled and cracked as the great bar holding them shut broke off, and they swung open.

The aura faded into nothing and Po found he could control his arms again. He rubbed them, very self-conscious of his friends' stares.

"That definitely wasn't Hero's Chi." Shifu said slowly. "Where did you get that power?"

"I didn't do it!" Po yelped, then immediately regretted when Viper gaped and backed away.

"She's inside you, isn't she?" She whispered.

"No, she's... I just..." Po stamped the ground. "No time to explain, we've got a universe to save!"

They rushed into the entrance hall to find it empty. There was no time to waste. They split up without another word. While Po and Eagle Jr. decided to start their search in the library, Shifu and Viper rushed straight for the lengthy stairway to the throne room.


Hei Nuwang's heart sank like a stone when Izumi burst in with the little bottle. This was it. No turning back. Izumi bowed, having the decency to look sympathetic as she held the poison out to her.

"No." Hei Nuwang pushed the bottle back towards the bobtail. "You do it."

Izumi blinked. "My lady?"

Hei Nuwang gave the little girl one last lingering look before striding past Izumi towards the exit. She stopped at the doors, but didn't look back. "She is not to suffer. Do you understand me? Give her the poison and let her fall asleep. She won't feel anything. Do. Not. Make. Her. Suffer."

"... Yes, my lady."

Hei Nuwang walked out and quickly made her way down the stairs, seeking to get as far away from the throne room as possible.

Forgive me.


Deep down in an ancient tomb that rested beneath the palace and above the mine shaft, a beast of shadows and water stopped dead inches from its helpless prey. The masked panther stared up at him, surprised by its hesitation.

The beast put its claws to its gut. Something was wrong. Its body was growing cold. Water dripped from its black flesh. The chi holding its body together was dying.

Su.

The creature dived into the darkness, bending the fragile barrier between the Mortal and Spirit Realms to its will as it travelled faster than it ever had before. Whatever was happening to 'herself', it had to stop it before it was too late.