Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Kung Fu Panda. I own my OCs and plots.

I've finally got my work done but updates will still be late for this story. Thank you all reviewers for making this tough decision and I am grateful that you choose to your decision. Thank you: Luna, Awerewolf, corset, Lucius, and Kippis for making your decision. Once again, thank you Luna Goldsun for betaing this story. Thank you.

Chapter 19

The rain had stopped falling but the sky was darker than the usual nights. Dark clouds the moon's light and lightning skipped between thick clouds, racing across the sky. The air was electric, smelling fresh and clean, yet even the downpour could not disguise the smells of decay and stagnant death.

The land is crumbling as we know it. Pollution, chaos, lust, corruption…everything, Kohryu mused. Ever since Man devoured the fruit of knowledge, they have sealed their future to the cards by clinging to a dim hope of eternity.

"The Hierophant Arcana has to put things back in place," Kohryu muttered and soared to the Hall of Warriors. Its body shimmered in golden light as it wafted through the air and poked its big head to the entrance of the hallway.

"The Hierophant," the dragon stated, neither question nor order. Shifu and Leo looked up to the dragon as it placed itself on the ground.

"I am here," Shifu stood and walked to the mighty dragon. "We need you."

"Say it. Recite the Seal of the Hierophant," it boomed.

Shifu took a deep breath and locked gazes with the mythical beast. "It is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guides oneself. One who knows the elements around them can gain understanding to an individual's self."

"Correct," it rumbled again and the dragon's body glowed in a wondrous golden light. "Control me. You have earned it, Master Shifu. I don't have much time; I'm not a full dragon. Parts of the illusion, as you only have one scale. You only have three wishes."

Shifu looked at the dragon with a serious expression and turned to Leo who was still sitting down on the floor. He turned to the right at the end of the hallway and saw his unconscious students and a dead avian. This is hard…

"Master Shifu…" The mighty dragon slowly spoke "Tai Lung is in danger as we speak."

Shifu gritted his teeth and clenched his miniscule but strong fist. He looked up, "First, my students: Monkey, Viper and Mantis to come back from their sleep. Next, please bring Crane back to life. Please…"

"Very well." The dragon's eyes began to glow in contrast to its body where it started to shimmer in many brilliant colours.

"Re ma patra."

Sounds of choking filled the beaten-up hall as Monkey, Viper and Mantis were back up again. The three of them groaned in pain and tried to register what was happening.

"Shifu," Kohryu spoke again. "The avian might be a problem. Poison has seeped into his vital nerves and it might not work. I'm unsure, but I will try."

"Please, do whatever you can," Master Shifu said with a desperate tone.

"Recarm!" Kohryu's eyes gleamed with power and the warrior of the crane fighting kung fu floated in mid air and golden light surrounded the warrior. His wings was slowly lifted up and burst into an array of light. The others were blinded a little but regain their sight as the body slowly returned back to earth.

"Crane!" Shifu raced towards his student. He lifted the bird's head as Crane coughed up some blood.

"Viper!" he screamed at the skillful healer who now quickly slithered her way towards them. "Take care of Crane."

"No, Master Shifu," Crane choked again.

"No 'no's' when I order you," Shifu glared at the bird warrior.

"Please Master Shifu. We have to join Tai Lung in the courtyard. Now…" he coughed blood again.

Shifu's eyes widened with disbelief as he heard what Crane had said. How'd he know this?

Crane smiled wanly at his master and shakily got to his feet. "Oogway came."

Shifu's ears perked up and his face beamed with happiness. Oogway…

"Master Shifu!" The dragon's voice echoed the hall. "Quick!"

He nodded back. "Alright students, this may be our last battle; I don't know. Be prepared for anything; even death if you have to. Anyone who doesn't want to handle this, you can back out now. I'm not going to scold or punish you. I understand the situation fairly well and-"

"Master!" Mantis called as he jumped on the golden langur's shoulder. "We are not losing this fight!"

"Yes Master Shifu," Monkey added. "We will win."

"It is our duty to our home, and our master," Viper chimed in with a smile.

Students… Shifu thought to himself. How could I have been blinded by pride? Tai Lung was my mistake. I tried to correct it and these students have shown it. Tai Lung… I'm sorry…Hang on son, I'm coming.

SMACK!!

A snow leopard flew upwards in the air and landed on the muddy ground with a splash.

"You delay even more, both of them will die!" Vikki said facetiously.

Tai Lung picked himself up, his body caked with mud and his spotted fur disheveled by the attacks.

I can't lose both of them. He spoke in his mind with tension.

Trickery, craftiness… Byakko spoke.

He looked up at the sky. Distraction.

Clever…

Can you? Tai Lung asked.

Anything you like, Byakko answered.

"Quick! I can taste the sweet smell of victory," she snarled.

"Choose me, dammit!" Tigress yelled.

"Shut up, Tigress!" Po argued.

"Both of you shut up!" Vikki screamed. "Tsk, Both of you are such a pain in the neck."

Tai Lung stood up as he bared his broad chest, exhaled and spoke. "I choose…"

"Yes. Yes?" Vikki eagerly awaits his answer.

"I choose…." He slowly spoke and repeated himself.

"Say it!" She screamed again.

Thunder Reign!!

The sky reverberated with a loud crack as a lightning burst through the night sky. Vikki looked up a second and that was it.

Now!! Tai Lung and Byakko chorused together.

The snow leopard spun in the air and delivered a hard and strong kick towards Vikki's chest, the mage flying backwards, her body hitting and destroying a wall with a sickening thud. Tai Lung leaped upwards to catch Tigress and let Byakko release itself from his owner's heart to catch Po. He caught Tigress in his arms and they both fell to the ground. Things didn't turn out as planned for Byakko.

The persona's paws had already touched Po's fur when it was blown away by an invisible force. Byakko roared out and dropped to the ground.

To Tai Lung, that was the worst thing that had happened in his life ever as a living soul. A loud snapping sound echoed through the skies and he felt time had moved at a snail's pace. Po closed his eyes and held his breath. The sharpened weapon slowly moved and pressed towards the dragon warrior's monochromatic fur. It slowly embedded itself through the big panda's heart and that was it…

"PO!!" Tai Lung screamed.

It had happened. The sword had pierced through the dragon warrior's kind heart and the panda plummet on the ground with a sickening thud.

"PO!!" Tai Lung ran towards his friend and tried to pull the weapon away but feared it might do more harm than good.

"Po…" The snow leopard repeated his words and tears ran down his white fur. "Speak to me. Talk to me…talk to me. Please talk to me!"

The panda laid there with his eyes closed and blood seeping into his black and white fur. Po didn't say anything, nor did he move. Tai Lung hugged the big panda and sobbed uncontrollably on his chest. "Talk to me…please…I can't lose you. Not here, not now. Stop mocking me! Stop it. Please…wake up…."

"Tai…." Tigress trailed off while she walked towards the sobered warrior as he cried over his best friend.

"Wake up….wake up!" Tai Lung slapped at Po's lifeless body. "Tell me something. Anything! Just don't…die…."

"I can heal you," Shifu offered to the big lion as we pressed on his severed shoulder. The five, Shifu and Leo quickly paced their steps as they head towards the courtyard.

"No need," Leo politely declined the offer. "I'm good. Besides, I'm a sideliner, my death means nothing, yet that is…" he trailed off.

The remaining five, Shifu and Leo turned around the corner, leading to the courtyard and stopped short when they saw Tai Lung sobbing on Po's body. Tigress sensed their presence and gave them a sobered look that spelled 'It's all over'.

Leo was the first to realize everything, his eyes widening with horror. "The Dragon Warrior!"

All of them ran towards Tai Lung and Po and wanted to know what had happened. Tai Lung was still in tears and choked on his friends black and white fur. "Get up…Please…Don't do this…"

"No…" Master Shifu gasped. "Po! Please…the-the Dragon Warrior cannot die like this. It's not written like this. This must be an accident."

"There are no accidents," Crane shot in. All of them turned to Crane. "No…accidents…." The avian continued to mutter to himself as the trailed off with those words.

Tai Lung raged and clawed at Crane but was stopped completely by Shifu. "Do not take it out on Crane. We have an enemy and she's still alive. Look!" The red panda pointed at the pile of rocks as Vikki slowly emerged out of the debris. The female tiger coughed and slowly stood back up.

"Unexpected turn," she amusingly said. "At least one died."

Tai Lung roared and wanted to charge at her but Shifu whacked his knees hard with his bamboo stick. "Control."

"She—" the snow leopard seethed at Shifu but the old master shrugged it off.

"Well, since he isn't complete anymore or fulfilled, let's have a battle; you and me," Vikki said.

"I have a better idea," Leo snapped in. "The Arcana is the means that all is revealed."

She raised an eyebrow inquisitively and lets out a derisive laugh. "You?! You are an amateur. You barely have enough knowledge of the Arcana."

"We fight fire with fire. Your specialty, with us," Leo continued. "Nothing to lose, right?"

"Very well." The twenty-two cards of the Arcana circled around her and each of the cards showed face up, their unique purposes as myriad as the designs on the cards.

"Whenever you're ready," she smiled mockingly.

"Shifu," Leo spoke. "Clear the valley. Now. Get them somewhere, anywhere, as long as it isn't here. Quickly."

"Wait…" Kohryu suddenly interrupted. "Alarm later. I see where this is gong and everyone here has a role, even the panda."

"Please," Shifu looked at the dragon and begged. "My last wish, please bring Po back."

The dragon sighed heavily and a wisp of cold smoke was released from its nostrils. "The panda, I cannot bring to life. This panda is something else. The Dragon Warrior, is he? How intriguing…" the mighty beast laid his long talons over the panda's still body. "You were the first to realize the true potential of the scroll. You are the true Dragon Warrior."

"Ready?" Vikki called out loudly.

"How?" Leo asked at the dragon.

"Do whatever you need. Gain as many Arcanas as you can. The fates of every soul are in those cards," Kohryu interjected.

Leo smiled wanly at it and turned to face Vikki. "Rules?"

"Easy. We play the first 13 main Arcanas up front. The others are sideliners and do not affect the 13 Arcana. The first to gain all seven Arcanas win. Acceptable?" She offered her hands up front and the 13 Arcanas were revealed; the Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Strength, Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, Hanged Man and Death.

"Yes—" Leo answered when Tai Lung grabbed his arm.

"I want to do this too. I want revenge," the snow leopard hissed.

"Unless you know the Arcanas inside out, I'm going to have to say no," the lion retaliated.

"I don't care…" he said stubbornly.

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the air; the game had started. "Random card selection, The Empress!" Vikki happily cried out and threw the card in the air.

"Celebrate life's grandeur…its brilliance! It's magnificence!"

"Crap!" Leo pushed Tai Lung away. "Alilat!"

"Too late! Nifheilm!" Vikki laughed and a huge block of ice surrounded the lion. Leo panicked and slammed at the trap, he frantically punched at the ice cold cage.

"Leo!" Tai Lung clawed at the block of ice.

Suddenly, the chunk of ice broke into million of pieces and Leo dropped on the ground, shivering. "C-cold...that was cold…"

Tai Lung hugged the lion and frantically rubbed his body against his. "Heat...come on, warm up—Oww!" he exclaimed.

Shifu had just knocked his head with his stick and glared menacingly at him. "Leave things be. He knows what he's doing."

Without warning, Vikki continued to play with her little game once again. She pulled out a card and the familiar sound of glass breaking echoed once again to reveal the next Arcana. "Strength Arcana! Only—"

"—with strength can one endure suffering and torment!" Tigress screamed with a sudden realization that her voice overcame Vikki's. "Siegfried!"

Tigress leaped in the air to grab the card. Two broadswords similar to Vikki's appeared and she charged at her.

"The hell!" Vikki aimed for her sword but was too late. Tigress caught her off guard and slashed at her.

The cold breeze of the night blew at Tigress's striped fur as she stood at her position without moving a muscle. Her breathing was hard and heavy after her heavy blow towards Vikki. The sword on her paws faded and she turned to her friends behind.

Vikki's body dropped on the ground behind Tigress.

"Tigress…" Shifu slowly spoke and eyed at her. She's willing to do anything to protect us. Tigress…you never cease to amazement, do you?

"Not over yet…" Leo got up after he felt the coldness had gone. "The Hanged Man saved her."

"Why can't she just die already?!" Tai Lung fumed.

"You want her dead quickly?" Kohryu asked.

"More than anything," he looked at the dragon and to the panda's lifeless body. I will get my revenge Po, I will.

"Take the necessary Arcanas. Give it to me and you will see a miracle."

Ah! The thought struck Tai Lung heavily in his mind. The Arcanas! He looked at his companions.

The snow leopard knew something. Each of us holds one Arcana; each with individual strength and weaknesses.

Look into your heart, Byakko spoke to him. The time you've spent with them. Each and every one of them; Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Crane, Tigress, and Master Shifu. What are they to you?

They are my friends, and friends stick together, like a family. We are family. Family helps each other in need. Tigress: strength, Viper: Lovers, Crane: Hermit, Monkey: Chariot, Mantis: Magician, and Shifu: The Hierophant. The snow leopard had found the answer to his conundrum.

You've been reading, Byakko complimented.

A little, here and there. Now I understand.

Tai Lung spoke to the dragon impatiently. "If I can get seven Arcanas, will that do?"

"Yes, that will be sufficient," the dragon answered him.

He glared at Vikki as she suddenly woke up from the dead, once more.

"In the face of disaster lies opportunity for renewal." Leo chimed together with Vikki. Tai Lung sprang into action and charged at her.

"And in the face of renewal, lies death as well!"

He lets out a battle cry and unleashed a fury of attacks. Vikki guarded herself and blocked every single attack that the skillful snow leopard had delivered at her. She caught him off guard and twisted his paw but Tai Lung was smart enough to grab her arm and threw her on the ground.

Tai Lung delivered a chopping kick to her face but she quickly rolled to the side to dodge the attack. She somersaulted back to her feet, claws unsheathed, and lunged at Tai Lung. The warrior casually side stepped as she charged at him and did a roundhouse kick, hitting her spine. She screamed and all the cards fell on the ground.

The snow leopard frantically searched through the deck of cards and found what he needed. Strength, Lovers, Hermit, Chariot, Magician, and the Hierophant;he found them.

"Catch!" Tai Lung threw the cards at his companions and magically enough, the cards froze in mid air at their respective owners of the Arcana.

"What?" Monkey gave a confused look.

"What is this?" Mantis cocked his head a little and examined the card.

"It's pretty," Viper examined the pictures on her card.

"Thank you," Crane gestured to the snow leopard.

"Hmph," Tigress smirked and grabbed the floating card.

Shifu didn't say a word but looked at Po's lifeless body once again, he took the card.

From his place, Tai Lung called out. "Kohryu! You have your Arcanas. Do it! Bring Po back to life, bring the Dragon Warrior back!"

"You will not!" Vikki slammed into the snow leopard's gut and he fell on the ground. She gave him another elbow to his jaw and a hook kick to his chest. Tai Lung momentarily staggered as he accepted the assault and wiped off some blood on his mouth.

Tai Lung bellowed loudly at her, "I'm not afraid of you!"

She unsheathed her claws once again. "You can't control the Arcanas, only I can."

"Wrong," Tai Lung argued and casually smiled at the arrogant fortune teller. "Kohryu can do the same."

Vikki's eyes widened in fear and turned to the mighty dragon. It has started!

"No!" She screamed and started to run to the source of power but Tai Lung grabbed her tail forcefully and yanked sharply.

She turned and snarled at him. "How dare you! Don't you know it's rude to touch a women's tail?"

"So educate me, missy," Tai Lung twisted her tail and stomped on it and she winced in pain. Tai Lung stepped on it harder and harder till she cried out in agony.

"This is for the misery you've brought me," he hissed at her.

Meanwhile, Kohryu was doing its best to combine the Arcanas. The dragon circled around the six cards as they glow in brilliant colours with the scales on its body.

"Shifu, the wish…" Kohryu spoke.

"I wish for Po to be alive, please," Shifu quickly interjected before anything else could happen. The cards illuminated the sky with golden light but nothing else happened. "This…I can't…Why? Why can't I do it?"

Then, it struck the dragon. It looked at Po with sincere gaze and found out his answer. The panda, the Dragon Warrior. Now I know why. He's suppressing his soul in him so that he won't die immediately. He's actually alive right now but his soul is lost. I need to find back his soul but…

"Can it be done?" Shifu asked impatiently. The five looked at the dragon with fearful eyes.

"One more…" it muttered.

Tai Lung busied himself with the fortune teller but was later cut off when Kohryu boomed at him. "Tai Lung, one more."

"What?!" he cried out and deflected a blow from Vikki. An opening! The warrior punched her gut and blood spewed out of her mouth.

"Die, bitch," he hissed at her. She dropped on the ground and hugged her stomach as she winced in pain.

Tai Lung, your Arcana! Byakko spoke to him. The last and final fulfillment, this is your time. This is the last Arcana!

"Temperance!" Tai Lung roared loudly and the familiar sound of glass breaking reverberated through the sky. A card appeared on his paw and he threw it at Kohryu which the dragon caught it with grace and rounded up with the other six Arcana.

Golden light illuminated the sky and it grew brighter and brighter with each passing second. Po's body was afloat and the Arcanas circled around him.

Po, please come back to me. I need you as well, with Tigress. You are the only one that understands me well enough - ungh! Tai Lung stopped his thoughts.

He felt heavy and dizzy as something was embedded on him. The snow leopard looked at his body and…

I-I…can't…. He turned to Vikki slowly and trembled. She was breathing profusely and gaped her mouth blood was still tricking down her jaw.

"If I die…you die…with me…" she slowly spoke and pulled out the sharpened weapon from the snow leopard's body.

--

Once again, thank you all reviewers for reading this story. I know the result is kinda cheesy and predictable but I'm doing my best with my busy schedule. Till next week. I've got my finals coming up in two weeks time and I can barely write much.

Awerewolf: I don't know if I'm being cruel or not by doing what I'm doing but I will try not to be too cruel. Get well soon...

Lucius Ferus: Thank you for your great idea and advice. I've done my best with your request and a little plot twist here and there had been done. I hope that I didn't disappoint you much.

Corset: Sorry girl. I can't blow Vikki into smitterins with a bomb. I will try to be as cruel as I can to Vikki. No guarantees though.

Kippis05: This, I give you the chapter. I have made Tai Lung and Po real close here to be friends. You, as well have made this decision. Tigress as his lover and a friend to him now. Thank you for reading.