Chapter Nine- Sacrifice
Shifu shook his head, coughing a bit from the dust. Of all the places he could've landed, why did it have to be this bedroom? Shifu shivered a little at the sight of his blood on the floor and the bed post. But for some reason, the blood looked fresh. Shifu looked around. The place looked just the way it looked after Dai had attacked. Shifu went to the door and opened it.
A giant, king cobra head was in the doorway, and it hissed menacingly.
"AAAHHHHH!" Shifu screamed, slamming the door shut quickly. He stood with his back flat against the door, panting so hard you would've think he was hyperventilating. If there was one thing that scared him more, it was giant snakes. Viper was a friend, but Shifu had always had a fear of giant snakes. As a child, he used to have nightmares about being eaten by a boa constrictor or some other giant snake.
Shifu tried the door again and did a double take.
Outside the door was a long hallway. The walls, floor, and ceiling were bare and gray, and the only other door was at the end of the hallway. It was like a box that only went one way. Shifu looked all around, but saw nothing. What really sort of freaked him out was that when he, Lin, Viper, and Mantis had first gone thru the door, there was a small hallway leading to a staircase. Shifu stepped thru the door….
…..and the door and room behind him disappeared.
Shifu saw the hallway behind him starting to vanish. Shifu ran for the door at the end of the hallway flinging it open and jumping in just as the hallway disappeared. He slammed the door shut and panted.
"Stupid house." He muttered. He looked ahead of him and saw that he was in a mid-size room made of stone. The walls were decorated with banners that had pictures on them. At the end of the room was a throne of solid gold, cushioned with many pillows. Shifu's eyes widened at the banners' pictures.
One had a picture of him, Po, the Five, and Lin coming to the house. Another was him being stabbed by Dai. One had a picture of Tai Lung's home. But what scared him the most was that the pictures looked so real you could've just jumped right into it.
"Impressive, no?"
Shifu jumped and turned to the throne. Kivu was there, fiddling around with the tassels on one pillow. The zebra got off the throne and walked to Shifu. He stood next to him and stared at the banner Shifu was in front of. It was Shifu and the others first coming into the house.
"These were made a long time ago, when Lin's prophecy was first spoken." Kivu said. "I never believed I see it come true."
"Kivu, you've helped me and my students so much the entire time we've been here." Shifu said. "But now, I need to know: who are you?"
Kivu stared at Shifu. "You want my story?" Shifu nodded. Kivu smiled.
"Alright."
*****
Tai Lung and Lin watched sadly as Po continued to cry softly. Lin left to find Shinjitsu, hoping the nymph would help them find the others. Tai Lung stared at Po. The snow leopard didn't really know what to do at the moment. He hadn't dealt with someone crying since Tigress came to the palace as a cub. But that was when Tigress had a thorn in her paw. Po was heartbroken, and Tai Lung had never dealt with a broken heart except his own. Tai Lung tried comforting Po, and he placed a paw on the panda's shoulder. Po stopped crying and turned to him.
"Uh…" Tai Lung tried to find the right words. "You know……my parents died saving my life as well. They left me with Master Shifu because an evil man was taking over the village. Then, when I was older, I went to save them, and they died in front of my eyes." Tai Lung chuckled a little. "So, I guess that's how we're similar; we both lost our parents out of love." Tai Lung frowned and sighed. "But love was what got me into prison. Well, at least I thought it did. But, in truth, it was my rash pride. The only thing I'm glad about is that it wasn't I who killed your parents." Tai Lung sighed again. "In truth, I thought we could be friends somehow."
Po didn't answer. Tai Lung turned away and sat down to meditate. But no peace of mind would come to him, despite the wonderful place he was in.
"You really want to be friends?"
Tai Lung turned to Po, who was standing and looked a bit better.
"I'd like to be friends with the Dragon Warrior if I cannot be him." Tai Lung said. Po smiled and pulled Tai Lung to his feet.
"Sounds good to me." Po said. The two of them laughed.
"Hey lovebirds." Lin said. The boys stuck out their tongues at her. "Shinjitsu knows how to get us to the Five." The boys followed the dragon deeper into the garden. Shinjitsu gave them each a rose.
"Just think about your friends with all your heart." Shinjitsu ordered. "And the roses will take you to them." Lin, Po, and Tai Lung nodded to each other and thought of the Five. Immediately, the roses disappeared, and the three of them were enveloped in a red twister. When everything cleared, the three of them found themselves at the top of some stairs.
"Where are the Five?" Lin asked.
As answer, the Five crashed into them, and they all rolled down the stairs. They crashed at the bottom, landing in some sort of family room.
"Hey guys." Po groaned. The group untangled themselves and looked around. The room had only a bunch of couches and chairs, with a small table covered with books and candles.
"What happened?" Tai Lung asked. "Where's Mei?"
None of the Five spoke. Tigress sighed.
"We landed in a trophy room." She said. "A dragon attacked, and it tried to take me. Mei saved my life, but we were all knocked unconscious. When we woke up….."
"What?!" Tai Lung asked, getting increasingly worried. "Where is my wife?!"
"The dragon took her away." Viper said.
*****
"This house has been in Dai's family for years." Kivu said. He and Shifu were sitting on the throne. It was basically just a large disc filled with pillows, so it fit both of them.
"When I was very young, my parents drowned." Kivu continued. "Dai took me in when no one else would. He taught me magic so that I could protect myself. I became so good at it that he made me his apprentice. For years, I lived under his roof and was treated like his son. Then, he took in another child, and I fell in love. She was Shinjitsu, daughter of Nemesis, the Greek goddess for revenge. Apparently, Shinjitsu was being sent here as a punishment, and she was to stay for three years. We talked and both fell in love with each other. I had gotten very far into my magic, so I decided I'd change myself into a nymph so we could marry. But, when I went to find a spell book, I realized Dai was trying to come up with a spell that could help him take over the Valley of Peace. I went for Master Oogway, hoping he'd help. But Dai found out what I had done. So he cursed the house. Anybody who entered would die at his hands. Well, Oogway came, and Dai came close to killing him. But then, Nemesis put another curse on the house so that all who was living there would stay there forever. Everyone in the house died and their ghosts remained. Anybody who tried to enter the house and were killed remains as well. Nemesis remembered me and her daughter, so she made us immortal until the curse was broken."
"So how is the curse supposed to be broken?" Shifu asked.
"Well, Dai believes that it requires your soul." Kivu said. "But the only thing that can stop him is Yin-Yang Long."
"What?" Shifu asked, obviously confused. He used to read all sorts of stories about gods and goddesses, but he had never heard of such a thing. As far as he knew, Yin and Yang was the symbol for balance.
"Yin-Yang Long is a powerful force of the gods." Kivu explained. "It is made up of two dragons, one white and one black; Yin for white, black for Yang. The combined power of these dragons can do anything. They can rebuild a palace turned to a pile of ashes; heal even the strongest disease…."
"Send Dai to where he belongs and break the curse." Shifu said.
"Precisely." Kivu said. "But….there is one problem."
"What's that?" Shifu asked.
"Nobody knows where Lin's brother is." Kivu said.
*****
"WHAT?!" Tai Lung roared. "She's gone?! What do you mean she's gone?!"
"I'm sorry." Viper said. "She risked her life to save ours, and it cost her."
Tai Lung, in a fit of rage, grabbed a book off the table and threw it at Viper. The snake ducked, and everyone froze at the sound they heard.
The sound of a book smashing into glass.
Everyone turned around and noticed the drapes for the first time. Tigress moved over and opened them wide.
"It's the outside!" Po cried. So true. There was a simple window, and everyone could plainly see the village a ways away. Po tried grabbing a candle holder and smashing the window open. But every time the window cracked, it would repair itself.
"It's no use." He said. "The house is enchanted so we can't get out."
"What do we do now?" Lin asked. She tried scratching the window with her sharp talons, but the window just kept repairing itself.
"We have to find Mei and Shifu." Tai Lung said. "And, if we're lucky, Kivu, too. Maybe he can help us."
"Then let's get moving." Lin said. "But we have to stick together at all costs." Everyone nodded and they walked off.
*****
"What?" Shifu asked.
"Lin is Yin, one of the dragons that can break the spell." Kivu said.
Shifu thought back to when he first met Lin after she had hatched. Then he realized just how similar Lin and Yin sounded. Lin, being a small hatchling, must've mixed up her name.
"So, she has a brother." Shifu said.
"Yang." Kivu said. Suddenly, a voice called out.
"Kivu!" it yelled. "Where are you, my son?" Kivu pulled Shifu down behind the throne, hissing, "Hide!"
"I'm in here, Father!" Kivu called. Dai suddenly appeared in the room with Shinjitsu at his side.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that I've figured out how to get the little rat." Dai said. Shinjitsu went to Kivu's side.
"In other words, he has bait for him." She said in a bored tone. Dai scowled and raised his hand, palm out in front of him. Shifu managed to peek out enough to see that he was summoning someone using the same tornado that Kivu and Shinjitsu used. Shifu was horrified to see Mei after the tornado had vanished. The lioness had her paws tied behind her and was gagged. But the look in her eyes could've killed.
"This will lure him here." Dai said. "And then, we'll have him!"
"That won't work." Shinjitsu snapped. Dai turned to her with a fierce glare.
"And why not?" he challenged.
"The lioness is Tai Lung's wife." Shinjitsu said. "You'll be luring in him, not Shifu." Dai glared at Shinjitsu, and that's when Shifu realized she was trying to save both Mei and him.
"You're right." Dai said. He tossed Shinjitsu a knife and dragged Mei over to the nymph's feet. "Then we have no use for her; kill her."
Shinjitsu stared at the knife in her hands and then at Mei, who was staring at her angrily. Shinjitsu remembered all the people Dai had told her to kill and she had obeyed. But those people were robbers and bandits trying to steal precious trinkets from the house. This was a woman who had a husband and most likely a child. She didn't know for sure, but the nymph was very sure that the lioness did have a kid.
Shinjitsu used her powers to make the knife melt into a puddle of iron. Dai stared at her with anger.
"You dare defy me?" he seethed.
"Yes." Shinjitsu said. "You are not my father, mother, nor master." Dai slapped her hard, but Shinjitsu was unfazed. Shifu moved in as Dai raised his hand again.
"Don't touch her." Shifu said. Dai sneered.
"How noble." He said. "Guarding someone that you hardly know."
"I'll make you a deal." Shifu said. "You must release Mei and give my students a safe passage out of the house. Shinjitsu and Kivu must take them to the front door so that they can escape."
"And how does that help me?" Dai asked.
"Because if you do that," Shifu said. "I'll willingly become your prisoner."
A/N: Another long chapter. But I'm almost done!