A/N: Alright, so we have our battle scene! 'Finally!' I can hear you guys saying. Well, yes. Took me a while. Hope you enjoy it (like I say with almost every chapter author's note). Enjoy yet again!

Tai's eyelids were drooped down to cover half of his eyes. He really didn't feel like getting up that morning. All today spoke was death and destruction and he didn't want that, not for anything in the world. Getting up, he noticed that Shang was already up, yet he hadn't noticed Tai. The Golden cat was staring intently at Mei. His lips moved in silent words. Tai let him do whatever he was doing. Chances are, it was very important to his friend. Tai started to dress, yet he accidently bumped into the short table. Shang turned his head to face the tiger that was now hopping up and down, rubbing his shin.

"You okay?" he asked, a wry grin taking the place of the frown.

"No," breathed Tai. "I'll be fine though, thank you for asking."

"No problem," said Shang as he got up from his position. "Why are you dressing in that? You do remember that we are going to battle today, whether you like it or not. Tigress made that very clear. The wolves are attacking."

Tai sighed. "Then what should I wear?"

"This." As Shang spoke, he walked over to a chest. Normally, nothing had been placed in it, yet Shang pulled out armor almost identical to his own. "For you."

"How'd you get this?" asked Tai, his jaw agape.

"Commander Zhou. I had some help from Mei refitting it for you. The dimensions were a bit tricky to get from you, but we got them." Shang winked and shook Mei to get her awake. The clouded leopard stretched luxuriously, her lustrous eyes snapping open. Getting up from the only bed in the room, she made her way to the bamboo screen they had moved into the room, allowing them to change in the room with privacy – something that Tai prized. Mei's night clothes were flung from behind the screen and landed arbitrarily on the floor. As Tai was helped into his new gear, complete with his old longbow, Mei dressed in her own gear – all in a brilliant white color scheme. Her armor fitted snuggly, allowing her to still move with her amazing agility. It had fingerless gloves, to let her paws still feel what was around her and the breastplate was sturdy yet would flow with her. The leggings were tight and provided padding. The armor wasn't something she wore regularly – having been lent it by the Li-Chow Patrol – but it would work for the upcoming conflict.

Shang still wore his normal Guard armor. It had almost never left his body during their travels. All the way from Mengyou City to the Valley of Peace had the armor been in place; the armor had become sort of a symbol for Shang and the Golden cat liked it.

Breakfast was eaten in silence among everybody. The soldiers hidden in the houses had it worse, being forced to eat a cold meal in cramped conditions. When their meal was finished, they stepped out of the Jade Palace and stood at the stairs. All eyes were transfixed on the awakening Army in Black.

Tai fidgeted. He would admit to anyone who asked, he was nervous. All of his training with Kamon, everything about peace and the calming of the consciousness, ran through Tai's mind. It was important that he keep the rage, the Gu-Yi, under control. As advantageous as it would be on the battlefield, he would never do that voluntarily. He abhorred Gu-Yi and loathed that it was part of him by nature. He looked at the red inked tattoo on his paw. Another detested reminder, though at least this gave him comfort. It spoke that the Heavens really did care and that he wasn't alone with this burden. That thought made him feel a bit better. He looked to his right. There was Shang, Mei, Po, and Monkey. All of them stood at the ready, though they were – visibly at least – relaxed. He tuned to his left. Right next to him stood Master Tigress and then, after that, Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Commander Zhou.

"How do you do it?" he asked Tigress quietly, not wanting to bring attention to himself. "How are you so calm and relaxed? You know in your mind that you are about to cause pain and, most likely, end the lives of others! How are you prepared for it?"

Tigress said nothing then, turning so that she and Tai were face-to-face, she whispered back. "I'm not. Never will be. I doubt there are many animals out there, besides the sadistic few, that relish and are calm in the fact that they have to end lives. But, for me, it really is motivation and what I have promised that drives me. I cannot let those around me down. I have vowed to keep the Valley of Peace safe and so I will. I am motivated to do so. Does that answer your question?"

"Sort of..." said Tai weakly. He didn't have motivation for something like this and he couldn't think of any promises he had to fulfill...yes he did! He would get his parents back! The thought gave him courage. Imagine their elation when they say him alive and well! It would be a moment to remember. "Thank you," he said with genuine gratitude.

"You're welcome."

Po tapped on Tai's shoulder. The tiger shifted his attention to the portly panda. "Yes, Po?"

"What do you think of this?" replied Po, showing off the knife he had placed in a sheath.

"Why do you need a knife? And what kind of knife is that?" inquired Tai. "I thought you were a kung fu Master, the Dragon Warrior?"

"I am," said Po. "This is just for show. Doesn't hurt, does it? And what if I run into a situation where I really need it?"

"I doubt that," commented Monkey, overhearing the conversation. "The only time you will need that is if you are going to pick your teeth."

Po made a face at Monkey and turned back to Tai. "Seriously, what do you think? Is it cool or not?"

"Its a matter of opinion Po. If you want to keep it, by all means do. If you don't, then that's fine."

"Awesome."

"You could say that."

Then, the dreaded moment happened. The loud, thunderous war drums from the enemy camp sounded forth and the army of the wolves' got into formation and marched forward. The disciplined army moved inexorably forward, every step they took, it was one step closer to the village. The army split into three and the center third moved toward the main entrance. As it narrowed and crossed over the bridge, Tai held his breath, waiting for the regiment spring the first traps. Instead, the enemy stopped just short of the tripwires and spread out and brought forth shields. Holding them up, they waited for the column behind them to send out spears that glistened in the sunlight. They stood there silently waiting for another order. Tai and Shang watched with grudging admiration as the other two regiments moved down the far sides of the village and then turn in. Because the village wasn't the biggest around, the regiments didn't send in all of the troops – they simply couldn't. Then, the more agile, elite soldiers leapt up to the top of the short roofs. Tai cringed, all of their surprise planning had been undone. It seemed they were going into battle with nothing up there sleeves. Beside him, Shang cursed and swore for at least a minute as the first screams arose from the village when the elite met the rooftop archers and their barbed arrows. The same happened to the other side regiment. Commander Zhou took the next move without consulting, though no one cared, they were happy he did! Raising his bugle to his lips, a long, drawn out blast echoed around the Valley. The first regiment stood up with their shields and started moving forward from a shout of the commander. A grave mistake. Immediately the first tripwire was snapped and bolts from crossbows flew out of the bushes, burying themselves in the enemy soldiers unprotected foot paws. The howls of pain cut through the air, only to mingle with the screams that still rose from the rooftops. As the call from Zhou ended, the archers from the rooftops that hadn't been mounted stood up and fired arrow after arrow into the midst of the enemy. Tai cringed visibly and often looked away at the bloody mess that began to unfold. Suddenly, Po broke from the stairs.

"Po!" Tigress called out.

"They're going to get to my dad's shop! I can't let them!" Po yelled back as he rushed into the ensuing battle. All ready the wolves' army had a nasty surprise when they tried to enter the shops. The hidden Patrol soldiers slaughtered most who tried to take their position. The normal roar of battle started to rise up and it was getting hard to hear of it.

Tigress growled in frustration and bounded after the panda. They weren't supposed to get involved just yet! Tai shifted in his position, unsure of what to do. Shang answered for him.

"Let's go!" cried the Golden cat.

With that, they rushed forward to face the twelve thousand troops – now less due to the garrisons left at conquered towns and the ones already lying still on the ground, blood still dripping out of the fresh corpses.

Tai ran into battle, truly unsure about what to do. He had vowed not to kill and he wouldn't. Taking all that into consideration, he would do what Shang had suggested earlier that day – knock them out and they would deal with them later. It was the only way he could help and it was something he would do. His first true opponent met him, swinging a massive broadsword. Tai slapped the flat of the blade down with a mighty stroke of his paw. The steel clanged on the stone. A second enemy raised up behind Tai and he was forced to twist to the side. An arrow flew near his face and he also noticed a spear flung toward him. This was what is was like to be in a completely one-sided battle yet he knew they had to win! Tai dropped to the floor – a rather dumb move – and was nearly trampled by the great spiked boots of a towering rhino. Pushing up using his arms, he completed a splits that bashed two soldiers directly in the snouts, sending them backwards as well as creating a small domino effect. The unfortunate souls at the back were felled. As one landed, Tigress swiped downward with her mighty legs, snapping the fallen soldiers neck. This wasn't going to be an honorable fight – it was one to the death like most were. Tigress came to Tai's aid and hoisted him up while disemboweling a nearby ox. The intestines of the ox fell out and caused a nearby pig to slip. The ox, blood still flowing like water out of the mortal wound, crushed the pig with his sword in a death grip from his fading strength. Still fighting – with Tai doing his best to defend his 'secret' crush – Tigress yelled encouragement at Tai.

"We're doing well!" she said above the battle that raged around them.

"I guess," replied Tai, though she didn't hear him.

"Just keep doing what you're doing. It makes it easy for us to finish them off."

Tai cringed at that. Finish them off. The idea of that made his stomach queasy. Shaking off his nausea, he continued using whatever methods he could to defend Tigress. A spear was thrust at Tai's back. Tigress snapped the shaft in half and kicked the spearhead. The blade cut through two of the enemy, impaling them through the heart. They fell, transfixed. Tai nodded his thanks at Tigress when he noticed what she had done. He saw a line of arrows headed toward Tigress.

"Sorry!" he apologized as he grabbed hold of her legs.

"Wha-" began Tigress yet it was cut short as Tai pushed her into a splits. He flipped up, stabilizing himself by placing his paws on her shoulders, dodged between two arrows and landed on top of an opposing wolf.

"Grab my tail and get up!" he cried out.

Tigress didn't ask twice. And didn't she just tell him not to get anyone on the ground? Or had she? She flung herself up, though grabbing the crooked tail was a bit of challenge because of the odd angle. She saw Tai lay down a quick barrage of punches at the wolf he had landed on top of as he land gracefully as it fell, unconscious. Surprisingly, the throng of fighting soldiers killed the prone figures most of the time. It was brutal, seeing the blacked-out soldiers getting smashed to a pulp by their own comrades and the Patrol.

Shang and Mei fought together. They didn't want to be separated in this fray. At least if one of them went down, the other could avenge their death and fight like a demon straight from the Abyss. Mei danced around with her spear, impaling and easily finishing off enemies with finesse. Her armor had been bloodstained and she had cuts around her body, staining her usually pristine fur a crimson red. The blood on her fur was nothing compared to the gore that accompanied Shang. The Golden cat, using his advanced training from Kamon and his normal, conventional training from the Mengyou City Guard, was going almost berserk on the wolves' Army in Black. He probably felt it was his duty to try to take as many as he could due to the fact that he had failed Kun Zhu and Sun Nushi at their time of greatest need. His twin daggers flashed in the hot sun as he dug into the flesh of his enemies with them. He didn't need as much finesse, though he wasn't as tall as some of those he faced, he did have a bit wider frame and was bulkier. And he used that. He tried to imagine himself as a juggernaut, cutting a way for his beloved to make her way through. Yet his beloved really didn't need that much protection. Mei actually spent more time above the battle, bouncing from one pair of soldiers to another. Shang grinned at her. It was almost enchanting the way her tail swished in the air, making slight movements to correct her flight pattern. Her paws and foot paws both worked just has hard.

Shang felt the white-hot point of knife cut through his flesh, right at his arm. Roaring with pain he whirled on the attacker. The crocodile's throat was cut in three pieces before the reptile was able to do anything. Shang kicked out, catching a soldier in the crotch. The soldiers just smirked and went at him anyways.

"Damn girls," he was able to grit out as he turned on the female. It troubled him slightly that he had to kill those of the opposite sex. It shouldn't but it did. They were the enemy and they would kill him just as quickly as he would. Shang had to block his own crotch as the female soldier tried to do the same trick. A sword blade suddenly sprouted from her chest. Out from behind the fallen female was a Patrol member.

"I know what you mean!" said the soldier hoarsely and joined back into the fray. Shang was heartened by the appearance of the Li-Chow soldier. It meant the Patrol hadn't been entirely wiped out.

Damn! He swore again. That was why he wasn't seeing many Li-Chow, they were probably trying their hardest to get out of the houses! When they had been planning the surprise, the idea had been good; now in the actually fight, it might be the final resting places of lots of good animals. Shang wouldn't let that happen.

"Mei!" he shouted.

No reply. His heart thudded. She usually came to his side. Shang parried at thrust and kicked out at the shins of the assailant. It was a goose. A swipe from his dirk cut the head clean off. The eyes stared at the ground, slick with blood. The body toppled over a second later, yet Shang didn't care. He needed to find Mei. A roar brought his attention over to a different section of the village. He cursed again and – using a technique Mei would have been proud of – used a large rhino to gain access to the rooftops. The rooftops were a slightly less dangerous place with the majority of the space under their control, yet their were still enemy archers with deadly aim. Just as he passed behind a fox archer, it fell, an arrow embedded in her shoulder. Shang forced himself to keep going. The fox would be okay as long as she kept her head down. Ignoring his own logic, he sped toward the sound of where the roar had come from. Jumping down from the rooftops, he landed precisely on the skull of a tiger. Shutting the image of Tai from his mind, he slit the tiger's throat with a deft swipe of his extended claws. It fell down and he bounded on top of the enemies shoulders. Using this as a viewpoint as well, he was able to notice more Li-Chow pouring from the buildings. Apparently, the Furious Five and Commander Zhou had figured that out and had helped many get into the fight to balance things out. What didn't balance things out was the image of Mei lying, bloody, in a shop. Anger built inside of him. They had killed his love! He let loose a savage roar. It sounded like that of an injured beast – because injured beast he was!

"She's alive Shang!" rang out Tai's voice, from somewhere down below. There! Fighting by the doorway. "Thank the Heavens! For both our sake!"

Both our sake, thought Shang as he joined his friend in defending Mei's bleeding body.

"Keep them off. I'll see what I can do!" asked, no, commanded, Tai. "Not that I'm a medic," he muttered as well at the end.

The risk of checking on Mei was rather high. He had noticed that whenever one of his friends got hurt or someone close to him was killed, the Gu-Yi had a stronger foothold to climb its way to the top of his mind and overtake him from there. Practicing the peace methods Kamon taught him and casting a slightly longer glance at the Peace Mark on his paw, he set to work. Mei had been wounded in the side. He check the wound and thanked the Heavens once more. It would heal, but Mei wouldn't be in this fight any longer. Using everything he had been able to learn from the University, he was able to patch up the bloody cut. He cringed when he saw the blood begin to continue to soak through the bandages. Applying more pressure and some of the herbs he found randomly in Mei's armor – Funny that she does that, he thought, and it just might save her life too – he gently picked her up and let her sit against the doorframe.

"I've got this!" said Shang, taking his mind off the fight to pay attention to Mei.

"I'll clear a path," Tai volunteered.

"Good, 'cause you're the only one who'll be able to do it! Rest are busy!" shouted Shang, trying to sound grateful, but it is hard to be grateful when you are shouting. "Go!"

And so Tai did clear a path. He channeled his peace and whatever slight fury he had into his task single-mindedly. Normally, he was used to multitasking; focusing on one thing and be thinking about another at the same time, but right now he wasn't. All of his mind's thought processes were in one direction: help Shang and Mei. The path he cut wasn't wide or even, but it worked. That was all that Shang wanted. They made their way to the steps of the Jade Palace, a place were the fight hadn't migrated to, and they climbed it. At the top of the stairs, they pushed open the doors to the Palace and lay Mei in a spot they thought would be difficult to find if they were able to breach the doors. Instead of using the entrance, they climbed over the walls and bounded down the stairs with ease.

"Tai! I have an idea," said Shang as they made their way down. "I think you'll like it."

Tai just blinked so Shang went on.

"Let's go save your parents and maybe we can cut off the head of this army. What do you say?"

"But then I'll have to kill..."

"I'll do that, you just defend me. Okay?"

"Yes. Should we tell the others?"

"They're busy. We can't. We just need to go."

Tai nodded and they left the battlefield in a hurry to the back of the army where the prisoners were being kept.

Shang and Tai were able to avoid a good portion of conflict besides a few stragglers at the back. Using Kamon's methods to silence their footsteps, they were able to get closer to the back. They could see birds taking off from Officers looking at maps and charts. Their messenger system. Tai pulled out a small knife he hadn't used at all. He had kept his bow back at the Jade Palace. Suddenly, he wished he had it now. Shang would have liked it as well, instead of a close attack, a two marksmen or one incredible marksman could get both wolves. Sad as it was, they didn't let if faze them. Creeping closer, Tai put on paw on Shang's shoulder.

"Group of ten. Elite."

Shang nodded in thanks, but whispered back.

"You're going to have to kill right now."

"But-"

"No buts. Can you take down maybe five?"

"One."

"Four."

"One."

"Three?"

"Fine," Tai sighed. He took a deep breath. And then another one. One more for good measure. "I'll do this."

"Thanks. Don't worry, I know what to do. Besides, we'll be done before you can say, 'Oh Dragons preserve me.'"

"Oh Dragons-"

Shang smashed Tai's paw into the tiger's face.

"Shuttup."

The Golden cat started forward but again, Tai's paw went on his shoulder. Shang looked at the tiger exasperatingly.

"What?" he mouthed.

"They're headed to the prison tent. If you don't mind, can we get my parents first? You know, eliminate them and then get my parents to safety?"

Shang swallowed and pursed his lips. He didn't know. Taking out the wolves would be incredible and would end the war, but it might mean the death of Kun and Sun. Who knew what the wolves' orders were if they were killed? What would become of the prisoners? Were the Elite there to kill the captives if they were killed? Shang snorted, not likely. Canku and Xisong were very sure of themselves in this battle – weren't they? He almost cursed himself as he agreed with Tai's plan.

"Fine, but we get them to a safe spot and then get the wolves!"

"Thank you."

"Lousy choice," breathed Shang as he changed course. He had no idea why he was doing this.

The Elite weren't really expecting anything. So when one of their comrades dropped, they were speechless. Perfect for Shang and Tai. The Golden cat struck like a thunderbolt. Two were killed as he appeared between them and he struck out with is palm, crushing the windpipe of another one. As the soldiers throat caved in, felling him, Tai, much to his own disgust, knocked a deer down with one fell swipe of his paw. He stared at the blood on his paw. It felt good – No! He shook his head and forced himself to stab the next soldier. As the blood ran down in rivets of ruby red, he forced himself to look away. Yet he could feel the warm liquid run down his paw and soak his fur. Pulling the knife out, clearly shaken, he fulfilled his promise to Shang by killing the third one. The way he did it though proved he didn't have as much control over Gu-Yi as he thought. Tai actually bit down on the creatures skull. It was crushed beneath the powerful jaws. The brains fluids, grey matter, and blood filled his mouth. A small portion of his wanted to wriggle in delight, yet most of him was horrified – the most terrifying part of it was, Shang didn't see and Tai was already struggling as it was to control his body as he felt Gu-Yi resurface. Shaking visibly, he and Shang walked into the prisoner's tent. They hadn't made a sound, so the Officers and the warlords hadn't noticed.

The first thing that happened were Kun's and Tai's eyes to lock onto each other. Kun's now gaunt face turned into a joyful grin. Kun's smile was infectious, so Tai smiled as well. Tai's father couldn't take it anymore.

"Sun! Wake up, my sunshine!"

As Sun, who had been taking a nap – they had been tortured before the battle, particularly by Canku due to his rage at his failing Officers – rubbed her sleepy eyes with her free paw. When she saw her son, thought to be dead, she bolted upright. Still, her bound paw was kept hidden. She and Kun got up and they embraced Tai. He held them tight. It was a joyful reunion. But it was about to be cut short when Tai noticed the way they were hugging him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. Shang tapped his foot on the ground. They needed to get back to the wolves! "Besides what you've been through, is everything fine?"

"Yes, my Tai, everything is fine," replied Sun. Tears flowed from her eyes as she stroked his fur. It had been a long time since she had felt it. Still soft despite the sweat that soaked it. The metallic scent of blood also lingered on it, yet she pushed her worries aside, he was her son and he was here to save her! Kun also stood, comfortably, near Sun and Tai. He just smiled and stared proudly at his son. Thought dead but alive.

"No, you aren't all right. Why are you hiding your paws like that?"

Shang couldn't take it anymore, he needed to get back!

"Excuse me, sire," he said hurriedly, he brought forth the bound, chained paws together.

The sight caused Tai's blood to boil. Gu-Yi started to whisper things to time. He started to get rigid. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Kun and Sun looked at their son with concern. Shang, on the other paw, began to lunge forward, grabbing at Tai's paw. He grabbed the wrong one.

They have harmed your parents, it seemed to whisper, why will you let them get away with this?

"I...am...not...your slave," he whispered to it in his mind.

They have made a slave of your parents! Think of the blood that was spilled from them? Think of the harm the wolves have caused. They need to die. By your claws and your fangs will they be felled. Blood choke them and it will nourish you. What are you waiting for?

"Peace..." Tai fought back. He felt Shang's paw grab his and begin to lift it up to his eyes.

Why? Thundered the voice within him – his own voice now, hauntingly close and near. You are a Hunter. They are prey and you will not let them escape. Smell their blood and smell their fear; for their fear is great.

Then Tai's left paw was brought into his sight. There was no Peace Mark, instead, the fresh blood of those he had killed – Those you have slain! – painted it.

Crimson flow, makes one let the madness go.

CRIMSON FLOW! BLOOD!

Tai's eyes snapped open. They were the eyes of a hunter. His claws unsheathed and he bared his fangs. Shang, Kun, and Sun all stared at him with horror. Kun the most. He hadn't been able to tell Tai about this! Yet Shang had gone for his paw, the only place were the peace mark was placed. He had known. Li must have come to him. Alone as well, to face Gu-Yi. Kun felt ashamed. His thoughts, though, were drowned out by the primeval roar that was let loose by Tai, conquered for now by Gu-Yi. He ran out of the tent, ready to hunt his prey.

"Make your way to the farthest side of the Jade Palace, take the way paths that travel the farthest around the village. You can then double back and meet us in the village if we win. If not, go the Imperial City."

Kun shook his head and took Shang's paw. "You haven't failed me, Shang. It is an honor to have you still in my Guard."

Shang beamed and he ran off, invigorated by Kun's heartening words.

It might have been pure skill or just dumb luck, but Po had been able to keep his father's shop from getting ravaged by the hordes – not that you could call it that – of the wolves. Glancing back over his shoulder to make sure that none of the enemy had been able to get pass him and into the shop, Po fought with help of a squad from the Patrol. The Patrol soldiers knew some kung fu, but it wasn't as extensive as any of the students at the Jade Palace had been able to undertake. Together though, they had been able to fend off from their position. Po had learned the way the Patrol fought was based more on strength of arms rather than mind. Coupled with Po's kung fu, they formed an imposing opponent for any that dared to try to attack them. The village wasn't becoming a good place to battle though. The bodies of the slain, a mere hindrance at first, had become a major hazard. Anyone could slip on the soft corpses or the blood puddles. The weapons of the fallen also were a danger. A dagger thrust up might jab an animal on the foot causing them to pause; that pause was enough to be killed. Now the two armies and kung fu masters had to literally dance as they fought to avoid from being tripped. It would have been comical if not for the dire situation. The sheer number of the wolves' troops had begun overwhelm the smaller Patrol, the Furious Five, and Dragon Warrior. Po hadn't seen Tai, Shang, or Mei and he worried for them. He had become friends with all of them. He forced himself to fight the thoughts of death from his mind. He had seen Tai defend himself from crossbow bolts that flew faster than the eye could fallow, so he would be fine within the whirlwind of bodies, whether they be dead or still breathing. Po snapped the wrist of a fox. The fox's face turned white with the pain. A Patrol soldier stabbed the fox, twisted his blade, and pulled it out in time to parry a gazelle's axe blow. Po heard the sound of metal hitting metal. A Li-Chow had been able to stop a three-pronged attack on Po while he had been dealing with a rather bothersome rhino.

"Thanks!" he shouted without looking.

The soldier just grunted in reply. She didn't have any breath to waste on speaking. No answer coming in reply, Po continued fighting. There was nothing he couldn't do with his Inner Peace. Every move he made was guided by that knowledge and his entire body moved with a fluidness that even Mei would have begun to envy. He grinned as a few of the enemy were cut down by their own comrades. Within the throng, he was surprised the Army in Black hadn't killed as many as their own as they should have. Bloodlust seemed to run deep and thorough in the wolves' army; both dangerous and a terrible advantage.

An earsplitting roar overtook the normal din of battle. For a moment all came to a stand still. No animal had ever heard a roar like that. It wasn't natural. Some truly feral, a beast by nature, was the only thing that could have made even a noise like that! Po stared up near the back of the army, were they knew Canku and Xisong were. It was almost a miraculous moment. No animal moved a muscle. The moment was surreal. All strife and anger was forgotten as each one contemplated the meaning of the roar. The sound was nothing like the howl of Canku or Xisong. Those who had heard Kar – or Niyein for that matter – roar, they discounted them almost immediately. The soldiers who had heard Kun roar, with shivers, correlated it to that, but this roar was a bit higher pitched. Not piercing, it was still a rumbling roar, but it wasn't as deep as Kun's. The tiger's wife? No, they had never seen her get anything relating to anger. A few muttered among themselves. One of the Li-Chow soldiers near Po got antsy and leaned over to the panda.

"What do we do?"

"Just stay put. Use this as a breather. Phew, I'm happy we're getting one. I'm tired."

The soldier nodded and returned to his position. Another voice rang out, the voice of Canku.

"Get out of my damn way!" he cried out furiously, batting away his own soldiers. Xisong was close on his heels. A bit farther away, running on all fours, was Tai. His fangs and claws had adopted a reddish tint from the Officers he had killed trying to get to Canku and Xisong. Any soldiers unfortunate enough to get caught between Tai and the wolves was torn to shreds by the enraged tiger. Po gaped at Tai.

"So that's Gu-Yi," he gasped. "Ugh." Po stuck his tongue out as Tai, still in his wild state, took a massive chuck of flesh from a bear and, much to Po's own disgust, swallowed it. "Nasty too!"

"Who is that?" asked one of the Li-Chow furiously.

"Tai," answered Po.

Then, the magical moments of stillness broke and the Army in Black began to fall upon Tai. Po leapt to Tai's help, though careful to avoid his flashing claws. The call to arms was brought back up again and the battle ensued once more. Besides the sounds of battle – steel on steel, the screams of the wounded, the battle cries, the sound of steel sinking into flesh – the battle was punctuated with enraged outbursts from Tai. It was almost unnerving to see the usually calm and peaceful tiger in such a bloodthirsty state. A few started to flee, they had had enough. Archers, seeing the deserters, either Army in Black or Li-Chow, shot them down. The rest of the Furious Five came to Tai's aid as well, as most the bulk had begun to migrate there. All of them followed Po's example. Shang joined moments later. The Golden cat felt ashamed that he had failed his friend. All he had to do was to get into – nope! That wouldn't happen. He had to figure out how though. The fight was still going strong. The Army in Black fending off Tai for two reasons. One, they didn't want to get killed by the crazed tiger, and two, no one wanted to deal with Canku and Xisong if somehow they did escape here alive.

A soldier lunged for Po yet he was batted away with ease and got impaled on the spears of a soldier further back pressing forward. Po cringed and continued fighting. Little did he noticed, a sneaky soldier had noticed the knife that hung loosely in his belt. If she could complete her maneuver with a few deft movements, the panda would be dead. That would help them immensely. What she forgot though, was the Po had been trained to detect things that normal animals wouldn't. Feeling the action as the knife was pulled out and shoved in his direction he grabbed the nearest animal and used it as a shield. The knife plunged into the goose. No blood came out though. Po, the skewered goose, and the Army in Black soldier just stared at each other – with the exception of the goose. He was dead.

An intense rumble started near the hills and carried out down to the village. The ground started to shake. Hairline cracks appeared in the ground and a strange dark mist began to seep out of it. It was highlighted by glowing lights that seemed to lace themselves in the mist. The ground still shook and those standing up fell, even Tai was sent sprawling onto his stomach. The mist began to grow and form something. A torso was formed, its base reaching down into the cracks that grew wider and wider with each shaking of the earth. Arm with long fingers, claws at the end grew. A head with pointed ears and eyes that seemed to be glow and still have a coldness to them. Facial features, besides the eyes and ears, didn't form; that didn't stop a deep, cold voice calling out from the depths of the fissures in the ground.

"You have sacrificed blood with our knife! We only ask of your possessions, yet you have given us something else. We will accept penance for that act. But, you have shown us that the greatest sacrifice is the most prized possession – your life! Our gratitude to you, O slayer of the flesh."

With a horrific howl and the sound of a great wind, the goose was split apart by unseen forces. Po's paws were covered in the innards of the goose. He wiped the hastily on the nearest animal he could find. The wind started sucking things in, mostly the weapons of the armies. Penance was truly being taken. Weapons were ripped from the paws of most. The obsidian blade glimmered, turning a white hot. The Army in Black soldier dropped the knife. She fled. There was no way she would deal with this again! The dark, misty figure began to sink back into the cracks. Harsh whispers seemed to reach the ears of those who listened. The Army in Black began to flee. They had reached their limit. En masse, they fled the village. Canku and Xisong knew it was pointless to call them back. Skirting around a still slightly dazed Tai, they sprinted off in the direction of the old camp.

Tai got up. His mind was pure rage and fury. His prey had escaped him! He took a whiff of the air. Too much blood to isolate the wolves who had hurt his parents! Where were they? He would hunt them down. He began to run forward. A golden streak blasted out of no where. Tai lashed out at his assailant. His hunter's mind paid no attention to who it was, yet the inkling of himself that was still left screamed in horror as he realized it was Shang.

The intense feeling from his old self started to crack the shell that the primeval feelings had wrapped his mind around. Tai staggered up onto two feet. He clutched his head. Already he was beginning to fight back. He began to stumble forward. Tai needed to regain his balance. His crooked tail lashed back and forth so quickly it almost hurt. The tiger forced himself to look down at Shang. He had gouged Shang's face and his side slightly. The injuries afflicted by him made Gu-Yi shout out. But for the first time, it was struggling to find the rage.

Look at this! Who has done this? They will suffer, let your claws sink into their flesh-

"You have done this," Tai whispered. "Let your mind be like a pond. Calm and collected. Peace guide you."

On it went, Tai battling himself. Li's saying rang forth in his mind.

Crimson flow,

Makes one let the madness go.

That had already happened. Tai forced himself to continue before the smell of blood that permeated the air aroused his primitive self back.

The beast inside,

Must be pushed back with the tide,

Of peace!

The last line brought him closer to his goal. Slowly, agonizingly, he brought himself to push back Gu-Yi further into the farthest recesses of his mind. He wouldn't let it escape! He tried to bring up his paw with the Peace Mark, yet he found he couldn't. A familiar paw rested on his shoulder.

"Peace Tai," said the voice behind him.

The rage and anger melted away. He turned, expecting to see Li. Instead, it was his father. Kun looked at Tai. He smiled at him. His son was back – all the way now. Tai couldn't help it, but his eyes started to fill with tears.

"Father," he whispered. "You're here." That was all he was able to choke out before tears of joy began to fall freely from his eyes.

The sight of her son's tears also brought the diamonds of water and salt to Sun's eyes. She reached forward and hugged Tai with a crushing embrace – Kun helped as well. The fighting was done and they were together again. The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior stood beside, watching the sight with smiles on each of their faces. Even Tigress was grinning. Viper slithered over to where Shang lay and helped him up. Surprisingly, the Golden cat was able to get up. The mauling he had received wasn't as severe as it seemed, though it still hurt like hell. He limped over to Tai.

"I forgive you," he said, pushing Tai slightly.

Tai laughed. "Good. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"But I am sorry too. I shouldn't have forced you to do that..."

"And I forgive you. The past is the past, right? Besides, I should have had a better control on that damn Gu-Yi."

Shang blinked when he heard the mild profanity from Tai's lips. Crane landed next to Shang. He had helped Mei down the stairs and leaned her against Shang.

"We won," she said, her voice just barely audible, yet a smile was upon her lips. "I knew we would."

"Of course you did," replied Shang, kissing her lightly on the head. Mei purred slightly, though it was painful. Shang allowed himself to purr as well. Kun looked at Shang with eyebrows raised. Shang shrugged.

"I like it...kinda."

Kun smiled. "I do it too. Don't worry." Kun Zhu winked at Shang.

"Group hug!" called out Sun. "You as well," she added, gesturing toward the Furious Five to join them.

Slightly reluctantly, the Furious Five joined in a massive hug. Gathering up her strength, and in a rather good fashion of Wi's voice, Mei jibed at the group hug.

"Rather cliché, don't you think?"

"Not at all."

Amid general laughter, they all shared the togetherness together. A joyous moment indeed.

Canku and Xisong ran until they reached their old tents. The Army in Black continued on going. They had instructed Niyein and Kar to see if they could marshal the Army back at Mengyou City. That, for now, would be their headquarters until they could gather up their moral and support again. Who knew how long that would take? Gathering up their supplies from the tent, they started to make their way out. Their pups were with their personal nanny heading back to Mengyou City were they would meet them there. Xisong checked around the tent once more as she took a torch. They needed to burn this place so that no evidence was left. Canku caught her by the paw as she was ready to fling the torch back in.

"Set it down," he said calmly, betraying the mix of emotions that was boiling beneath. "Take this."

Canku handed his mate a bow and a quiver of arrows. He himself took a set. He started to head off back in the direction of the Valley of Peace. Ignoring the dead body of an Officer beside him, he stepped over it and set a determined pace. Xisong ran to catch up to her mate.

"We could get killed!"

"No, that crazed tiger is back to normal now. While you were checking up your things, I took a peek for the last time. There they were, embracing, reviling their victory. The soldiers that surprised us milling around, starting clean up already. I have a surprise for them. Do you remember the old stealth techniques we were taught?"

Xisong nodded but forged on with her questions. "Are you sure about this?"

"The most out of all the things I have been positive with. Time for some immediate payback. A little reminder. Think about it."

Xisong nodded again. She vaguely was able to figure out Canku's exact reasoning, but revenge was sweet. Sweeter than honey. Doggedly, she followed after Canku. They made their way unnoticed until they hit the far left of the village. Crossing over into the actual village, they shifted, hid, moved, and shimmied their way forward toward where they knew the group they were targeting was. A lingering Li-Chow almost caught them. Luckily for them, Xisong was on her toes. A arrow plunged into the Li-Chow's throat and he slumped against the wall with a gurgle and a spray of blood. Canku silently conveyed his thanks to Xisong. Reaching the main road, with the highest concentration of Li-Chow, Canku and Xisong made their way into a two-story shop. Killing the guard at the door with an arrow in the eye socket, they climbed the stairs silently. The second floor was silent, empty of soldiers. For this, Canku and Xisong were glad. Finding a way to the roof, they climbed onto it and got ready. Canku had his sights trained on Tai. The tiger moved just as he was about to fire. He cursed and was able to stop from releasing the arrow. The tiger prince was hugging his parents again. Damn hi- Canku had a brilliant idea.

"Change your target. The female tiger, not the masters, just the mother."

"Why?" asked Xisong sharply, though she did aim at Sun.

"It seems we have a new player in this game. That tiger prince that we thought was dead played a greater role in this than we thought. Let's show him how we play."

Xisong nodded. She was fine with that.

Taking their breaths together, they let loose two arrows. They flew straight and true. Before the arrows even struck, they bailed out, not wanting to even be visible when the arrows struck.

Tai first felt his mother go limp. His heart started to pound. He felt around her body. His paw met blood. He started to panic. There was no way this was happening! It was impossible. They had won, and heroes go home victorious, not with their hearts broken, right? There was nothing in the world that would separate them again. They would be together and he would finally make his father truly proud. Hadn't he already done that though? He had rescued them from the wolves! But, then, what if they were dying? He would have failed his parents. Then Canku and Xisong would have victory over him...why? Why must this happen?

His thoughts rushed through his mind at a million miles per hour. Time truly seemed to slow. His mother's eyes were closing though. Her eyes started to gaze off, getting lost in her son's eyes. She used her remaining strength and was able to brush it against Tai's cheek. Lifting her head up, she was able to give Tai a ghost of a kiss, whispering, "I love you." Tears welled up. "I love you too, mom," Tai said, though he was urgent, desperate. He noticed Tigress crying out and the blurs of the Furious Five leaving the village, hunting down the backstabbing wolves. Even Shang, in his condition started after them, anger fueling his steps. Tai felt no anger though, just pure grief and sorrow. With her last breath, Sun Nushi fell into her eternal sleep. Her mouth was set in a smile. She had seen her son one last time.

Tai hurriedly look at his father. His father had gone limp.

"Not you too!" Tai practically shouted. Would his father be taken away from him as well?

"I'm sorry," Kun said. He smiled painfully at Tai. And, though he was still tied to Sun, he gave his son a long embrace; something he hadn't given Tai in a long time. "I regret that I wasn't able to spend more time with you." Kun coughed up blood onto Tai. He smiled weakly again, apologetically. Tai didn't notice, he was too intent on hearing everyone of his father's words.

"No. I felt that I still knew you."

"Not as much as," Kun coughed, "you should have."

Kun felt his legs being to weaken and he began to drop to the ground. His strength was fading and he wanted to use every last drop of it to spend time with his son – for however long he had. Kun pulled Tai to the ground. Kun lay there, his breathing became labored.

"Such a pity, yet a blessing too," said Kun, referencing to his injuring that was sapping away at his life. "At least I am here to talk with you. A game of chess?" Kun inquired.

Tai forced himself to laugh at Kun's joke. He didn't like the joke at all, though.

"Later," Tai said. "I promise you, I'll do it later. I don't think we have time."

"I'll remember that," said Kun, laying down all the way now. "Chances are I'm going to beat you though. I've been practicing and I'll have all the time to practice."

"So will I."

"Who am I kidding," Kun replied, "you'll beat me anyways. Unless you let me win."

"I will."

"Good," smiled Kun. "I await our game of chess. Let it be our best one yet. Just you and I, no distractions. It will be perfect. Tai...I look forward to seeing you again. I'll have that chess board ready, waiting for you."

With that, Kun closed his eyes. The Lord and Lady of Mengyou City, father and mother to Tai, died in their son's paws.

Senlin-Mu, from his lofty heights in the Heavens, watched down from above.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry," he said to Li who stood beside him.

Li replied calmly, "It would be cruel not to." Li's face was already damp.

"You are right," said Senlin-Mu. He felt his nose get stuffy. He sneezed and a jet of lighting came out of his nose. A big water droplet fell from his eye. "Oh dear, here comes the storm. Rain, it always comes on a gloomy day."

"Yes," acknowledged Li. "Rain always comes..."

Tigress had started to go forward, to chase after whoever had shot Kun and Sun – though the suspect list only composed of two characters. As she took her first step forward, she paused. The sight of the two limp bodies of Kun and Sun caught her attention. They were dead, never to rise again. Next she feared that Tai might go back to Gu-Yi, yet there was the now parentless tiger, kneeling at the bodies of his parents, no rage causing his body to shake, just openly weeping. His body was not shaking of rage, but wracked with grief. Tears, no longer shameful, seemed to form in puddles on the ground, all coming from Tai. Rain started to pour down. Thunder boomed – but it sounded like the anguished cry of a Dragon. Lightning flashed – she could have sworn she caught the form of the Peace Mark within. Then she focused on Tai himself, truly just himself. Her breath caught in her throat...

She was kneeling at the crater. Shifu's broken body, tattered and sheared apart, staring her in the face. Pieces of flesh and bone were strewn about. Blood splatters covered the jade pillars. The candles now had a pink and red hue to them. The candles on the far side still sputtered on. Torn pieces of Shifu's green robe, now burnt, were lying about. The pulped torso of the red panda lay at the far right side. His legs were all but gone. What replaced it was the jagged, stark white bone of his hips. The eyes were motionless and the pupils were gone, shrinking at the sudden burst of light. The dead red panda still clutched at the now shattered rod in his hand. Tigress broke down in sobs. This was the first time she had cried in a long time. The one who had adopted her from the Bao Gu Orphanage was dead. The one who she had called master and sometime father no longer lived among them. The tattered remains of the once noble and now serene Grand Master was all she had left. The other four lowered their heads in respect – Tigress the only who showing open mourning. They had never seen the rock solid tiger show this much emotion. This truly was a great loss for her.

She took a step forward, almost robotically, remembering how Po had comforted her when this had happened to her. She could do something now. Forgetting her bet with Po and Shang, she truly felt for Tai now. She could see what this all meant to him and how he truly was affected by it all. Maybe they were more alike than they were different. She knelt by Tai. Unable to speak, she just stayed there. It was awkward for her and she cursed herself for it. Po hadn't made it feel awkward, it had helped her. Why couldn't she do it for Tai? It was something that could help him in so many ways. She scooted closer to him. His quiet sniffles and the silent tears were all that was there. Occasionally he would begin to break down again. It was just too much for him – and her – to really take in. Why had it all come down to this? Tigress found herself touching Tai. It sent electric shocks through her body. Tai seemed to respond to it to, yet he refrained from doing anything. His mind was focused on his parents and was in trauma.

Tigress thought back to whenever she had seen Shang and Mei together. All she wanted to do was comfort him, not show love – romantic love that is. What was the easiest possible way? Guiding her tail, she let it lay across Tai's own crooked one. It crossed over hers. She repeated and he repeated silently. Their tails entwined together, Tai really couldn't help it anymore. This time, he truly broke down. Tigress was slightly flustered. She hadn't expected this. Laying a cautious paw across his shoulders, she brought him close. He leaned his head on her shoulder. Yes, it was an odd twist in events. Once Tigress had needed a shoulder to lean upon. Now, she was the shoulder to be leaned upon. They knelt there, feeling the pain and the loss.

Yet sorrow crushes all,

When those nears you fall.

Empty and hollow you will feel,

As beside their bodies you kneel,

Shedding salty tears.