Longwei unsheathed his sword from the spot where it had been perfectly engraved in the center of Chao's chest. The dragon let out what sounded like a cross between a grunt and a whimper, falling limp to the ground—he didn't get up.
The sudden urge to kill and take instant revenge nearly overtook Po, but all he could see was Chao. His baby boy that he hadn't seen for so long; six years of worrying and wondering where he was. He had been in a volcano the entire time, forced to stay in his dragon form and had been tormented by a Dragon Slayer who had finally lived up to his name.
How could he do that to a child?!
It was either go after the one who had done this...or try to save his son in the miniscule amount of time that he had. Chao was still alive, he had to be!
Tigress, help me...he sobbed as he ran towards his fallen son. He completely ignored the dog who was holding his glinting sword that shone red—the only thing he knew was that he had to get to Chao before it was too late.
The Five had other ideas, running as fast as they could towards the Dragon Slayer to knock him over. Once again, he barely had any time to react to the sudden onslaught of attacks, losing his grip on his sword for the second time. He growled in frustration, bringing a paw to his mouth. He whistled, and a great roar reverberated the mountain that was beginning to fall apart.
A pure black dragon swooped into view—Longwei's second dragon—and the Dragon Slayer leaped onto its back without any hesitation to escape the assaults that were thrown at him left and right.
Crane screeched in anger, powering his wings so he could match the dragon's speed until he was soaring next to the great beast, determined to keep its master from escaping. As though Crane were an ant or an annoying fly, it simply swatted its tail at him from behind, pumping its own wings to gain speed until it reached the volcano's open tip.
Crane managed to balance himself before hitting the ground, cursing when Longwei and the dragon vanished from sight.
Tigress had been standing in shock through it all, hardly able to move. She was frozen in place, and Po could tell that she was having a hard time comprehending what had just transpired between her son and the dog who had kidnapped him.
Tigress, Po pleaded, curling his large body around his blood-stained son as if it would somehow help him, if he could somehow tighten himself to a point where it would stop the bleeding. There was so much blood, and the smell of copper that wafted from the warm and wet liquid made him want to throw up just by the fact that such a sheer pool of it was pouring from his little baby.
"But Longwei..." she growled, fists clenching. Her chest hurt. Her heart hurt...it hurt so much and she wanted nothing more than to go after the one who had caused her family so much pain, but she just couldn't tear her eyes away from Chao.
He's still breathing!
His statement snapped all her attention back to him like a whiplash, and she forced herself to kneel besides her fading son. They could go after Longwei later; Chao needed them now more than ever! She couldn't leave him!
Chi...we have to use our Chi...everyone's Chi, Po said in a rush. He didn't know how it was possible, but he could feel a pulse from the still form beneath him. It was faint and weak, but it was still there. Chao was still breathing...he was still alive, and every second they wasted was a chance that he wasn't going to make it.
"Po, it's too deep and he's too big...Chi won't be enough to heal him!" Tigress cried, placing a paw over her son's forehead. He was hot...a scorching fever had already begun, most likely given to him from the thousand-degree burning and metal sword that Longwei had plunged into his chest. Besides the fact that the wound was huge, there was also the fact that they would risk their own lives in the process of healing him.
We have to do something!
He was not going to sit and do nothing while his son was dying. The gaping and bloody wound was too big even with everyone's Chi combined, and nothing would be enough...but they had to try! Chao shuddered and Po gripped his body tighter around him as if it would keep his soul attached to the world—he was close to entering the Spirit Realm.
Hang on, Po encouraged, his brain firing any ideas that he possibly think of. I know you can.
Chao had two forms—his 'panger' form and his dragon form. Po assumed that he was no longer able to change back to his first form due to staying in his dragon form for so long, but what if he could? The transformation would make Chao a lot smaller—thus the injury would be smaller, too.
Tigress, I have an idea, Po told her, hope beginning to build.
"What is it?" she questioned wearily, not daring to get her hopes up. Chao was too far gone...there was no way that he could possibly be saved!
I'm going to help Chao change back, he explained. He needs a vest once he does.
"But Po..." Tigress knew what he was hinting at. If he was successful in helping Chao change back to his first and original form, the cub was going to need a fireproof vest. He would no longer be a dragon, so he would not be able to take the heat of the volcano. He would be weak and fragile, but they could help him in his smaller form with their Chi.
Tigress nodded slowly in understanding, and Po began his work. The Five gave their comrade support, staying nearby and sending positive energy towards the wounded dragon.
Po pictured Chao in his cub form as he had last remembered him before his markings had changed as he had grown into his dragon side over the years.
I don't know if you can hear me Chao, but all you have to do is imagine...a white cub with black stripes and eye patches. He has faint black freckles around his nose and orange spots...he's small, and he has a sister who looks almost exactly the same. Twins, but not quite.
Chao twitched in his dazed sleep. Po took it as a sign that somehow, his son really could hear him.
He has beautiful yellow eyes just like his mom...
Tigress smiled slightly, and Po could feel vibrations from underneath him.
There was a bright, golden flash—and the weight of Chao's dragon form lessened considerably.
"Po...I love you," Tigress's words reached his ears. "Always keep him safe."
He glanced at her in confusion, wondering why it sounded like she was about to make a big sacrifice—
Because she was.
No! he screamed, his heart skipping a beat. She had taken off her vest until there was only her red and gold robe that the dogs probably hadn't bothered to have her replace—and it wasn't fireproof!
With all the strength that she could muster, Tigress rested her vest over the tiny form that now resided in Po's curled body.
Chao's dragon form had disappeared—Po had successfully managed to help him change back into a panger cub.
Po knew that she couldn't feel, but it was clear to him and the Five that the volcano's unbearable heat was already taking its toll.
I—I could have...
His mind was racing. He had planned to change back and give Chao his own vest himself. He was a dragon; he didn't even need his vest!
"Po, we don't have time," she told him firmly. "We have to do this now."
Without any further hesitation, she placed her paws over her son's red-stained chest. He was so tiny...so weak...
The Five gathered around them, and they closed their eyes in concentration. Po remained in dragon form, putting every ounce of energy that he had towards the hole in his son's chest that had shrunken in size.
It was working. It was working!
The open hole was closing. The red around them was disappearing until finally, it vanished from sight altogether. Chao released a relieved sigh in his sleep, and it was then that Po knew he was going to make it—that Chao had survived the impossible.
The frail form of Tigress told him that his wife wasn't as lucky. She was still awake, but she could barely stand from her spot next to Chao.
"We have to go," she whispered.
They didn't need to be told twice.
Tigress silently and delicately took Chao into her arms, and Po bent downwards so she could step onto his back.
"Uh, guys, is it just me or is the lava getting higher?" Mantis asked as he gazed down below at the rising firepit.
He was right.
The mountain rumbled, and the firepit below them was higher than it had ever been before.
"Po, wait!" Viper called. "What about the other dragons? We can't just leave them here..."
They were still stuck in their cages. It only took Po a second of thinking to make his decision—they were going to need the other dragons to take care of Longwei, and he had a feeling that the tortured creatures would be happy to help them take down their enemy.
We have to get them out, too.