Shen coughed as he woke up. He looked around him. His boat was destroyed. The rest of the boats were smashed to pieces. His cannon was broken beyond repair. He panted a little. His dream had been crushed. A certain panda walked up to him.
"How did you…how did you do it?" he asked Po.
Po shrugged. "You know, just keep your elbows up and your shoulders loose—"
"Not that!" Shen hissed. "How did you find peace? I took away your parents. Everything. I-I've scarred you for life."
"See, that's the thing, Shen." Po sighed. "Scars heal."
"No they don't." Shen glared. "Wounds heal."
"Oh yeah." Po said. "What do scars do? They fade?"
"I don't care what scars do!" Shen seethed.
"You should, Shen." Po said gently. "You've got to let go of that stuff from the past because it just doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now."
"You're right." Shen whispered, his head away from Po. His eyes narrowed. "Then I choose this!" He suddenly whipped out his knives and lunged for Po. The panda jumped back in surprise, but Shen kept coming, his hate fueling his attacks. Po was pushed back to the edge of the boat. He ducked under to get away, but Shen swiped his knives at Po's face. Some of Po's fur flew off as he stumbled back, holding his cheek to make sure it wasn't bleeding. Shen threw about a dozen knives in Po's direction. Po kicked up a board to protect himself from the knives he couldn't dodge. Shen ran forward, grabbing his sword along the way. He swung and stabbed, trying with all his skill and strength to kill the one who had stopped him. Po, without a proper way to defend himself, could only run and avoid being sliced into panda sushi. As he ran, Po noticed Shen was inadvertently slicing through ropes on the boat. There was a creaking sound. Po tripped and fell. He turned to see the remains of Shen's cannon fall from the ropes that held it. Shen saw it, too, but didn't move.
In the fleeting moment before the cannon hit him, he realized the Soothsayer had been right. So he closed his eyes and prepared to accept his fate.
In Po's mind, time seemed to slow down. He could see the cannon smoldering, buckets of black powder around him, and Shen not willing to move. If they didn't leave, they'd die.
What Po did next, he did without a second thought. He ran forward as the cannon was falling and grabbed Shen's tail. Shen's eyes popped open with surprise as he was pulled away from the cannon.
"Run!" Po yelled. Shen pulled his tail from Po's grasp and ran beside him. The two jumped off the boat and into the water just as the cannon fell. The boat exploded. Po and Shen went under, but came up just as fast. Po clung to some wood as he surfaced. He swam to the dock and Tigress helped him up.
"That was pretty hardcore." Tigress said. Po smiled. Then, he suddenly hugged Tigress. The tiger warrior stiffened up. Po saw the rest of the group and awkwardly set Tigress aside. Then the rest of the Five came and tackled Po in a hug.
Shifu walked up to his student. "It seems you have found inner peace." Then he added with disdain, "at such a young age." He frowned.
"Well, I had a pretty good teacher." Po said. He tried pulling Shifu into the hug, but the old master disappeared and reappeared on a post nearby. Fireworks from Shen's boat went off, lighting the sky along with the rising sun.
Amidst the noise, Po heard someone splashing and swimming near the dock. He looked over the edge and saw Shen struggling a little to swam. Shifu saw him, too, and raised Oogway's staff to strike the peacock. But Po raised his hand for his master to stop. Shifu froze, giving Po a look of confusion. Po just gave a reassuring nod and reached his paw down toward Shen. The peacock gave him a suspicious glare.
"Just take it." Po ordered gently. Shen was still glaring, but he took Po's paw and the panda hoisted him up to the dock. The Five, Master Ox, and Master Croc stood back in surprise. Ox started forward to attack, but Po motioned for him not to. Then he turned to Shen, who was on his knees and glaring daggers.
"What will you do now?" Shen demanded.
Po face was kind, but his eyes were stern. "I want you to leave, Shen. Find someplace where you're actually welcome and try to live peacefully. You ever come back to Gongmen or threaten anyone again, I will personally hunt you down and make you pay." Shen stood and bowed, walking backwards towards the city. Po turned to his friends.
Then, Shen whipped out a final knife and threw it, aiming for Po's back where his heart was. Po turned just in time to raise his arm to protect himself, and that's where the knife went. Po cried out in pain, yanking the knife out. It clattered to the ground. Shen took up his sword and jumped towards Po, aimed to kill. Po barely had time to register it before a streak suddenly slammed into Shen.
The streak was Shifu. He had immediately leaped towards Shen the second the knife hit his student. Shen hit the ground hard. Shifu stood protectively in front of Po. Shen lunged with his sword. Shifu knocked Shen's sword away, and it flew out of Shen's grip, impaling a post. Shen picked up his fallen knife and threw it again. Shifu knocked the knife aside and up into the air. Shen jumped forward, talons poised. This time, Shifu stood his ground until the last minute. He caught Shen's neck into the curved end of Oogway's staff and slammed him into the wall nearby. The knife fell into Shifu's hand. But before he could strike Shen down, Po suddenly grabbed his arm. Shifu turned his head, but saw the look in Po's eyes and nodded in understanding.
Shen was confused. "Why spare me? I almost killed you and your friends. You wouldn't let me die when the cannon was falling and you won't let him kill me now. I don't understand."
"That's the difference between you and me." Po answered. "I'm not a killer, like you."
"So you're weak." Shen taunted.
Shifu put more pressure on Shen's throat. "Leave now, Shen. And don't come back." He removed the staff and clutched Shen's knife tightly in his hand.
Shen glared at Po. "This doesn't make us friends or allies. If anything, it makes you an even greater enemy to me. We will meet again. And I will hit you someplace where it will really hurt. Then you'll know of my pain." Shen glanced at Shifu with a wicked smile. Shifu glared hard.
"Get. Out." He growled.
Shen stood up and slunk away.
"What did he mean by 'hit where it hurts'?" Viper asked.
"Doesn't matter." Po assured. "I'll be ready."
"We'll all be ready." Mantis said. "There is no way we're letting you fight that guy again."
"Why not?" Po whined.
"Because that last time we let you do that you were shot through a wall!" Monkey said.
"Oh yeah." Po remembered. They all laughed. Except for Shifu. He turned away from the group and saw Shen near the harbor gate. Even from far away, the two were able to lock eyes. Shen smiled wickedly, plots forming in his head. Shifu glared hard and tucked away Shen's knife.
They would meet again.
And he would be ready.
Let's see…should I use this as an intro for a new story? Perhaps Shen returns to exact revenge? Oh, what to do, what to do. (smiles evilly) If you review, I might think about that. After I finish my other stories. I'm way behind.