Change in Destiny's Definition

What happens when our knowledge of destiny is wrong? What happens when fate is more fluid than what the seers of the future say? When the words are more flexible, loose, almost disjointed?

What happens when you make a right turn instead of a left?

Shen heard the Soothsayer's prophecy. He repeated it again and again in his head. If he continues down this path, he will be defeated by a warrior of black and white.

In his head, this warrior could be the pandas or maybe the tigers.** It didn't matter. Any species that posed a threat would be eradicated. "I must secure my future." Shen stormed down the darkening streets, leaving the royal procession behind. He needed to rally his wolf army together. His parents had reluctantly allowed him to amass the canine assembly. "This will prove their usefulness," He said to himself. "Now is the time to prove myself. Once I've dealt with the threat, my parents will honor me."

A small spider of doubt crept into his mind, but he shook it away. The Soothsayer's words were still on mental replay. He walked down further and further, down from the small river-side mound that the Gongmen Palace rested on. He chose not to fly because...peacocks mostly fly only when they're in trouble or need to escape. That and he wanted to surprise his parents. The sun started to slip behind the horizon into the night. He must get to his wolf army before then.

He came to a crossroads in Gongmen City. He knew either way would get him to the outskirts where his army waited. Either way was exactly the same amount of time.

So he chose to go right.

And that made all the difference.

He was unfamiliar with this area of the city. He didn't get out much. He grumbled passed the nearly empty streets. He marched on, darting his head backward to make sure he wasn't followed.

BLAM!

The bird slammed right into a wooden door and tumbled backward onto his rump. His hidden daggers spilled onto the ground while he shook his sore head. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Said a female voice. "I didn't mean to open the door so fast! Please let me help you."

"Wha?" Shen couldn't form words fast enough. He was quickly pulled from the floor, knocking more daggers from his grasp. The animal swept him into her arms. She was a strong animal. He found himself plopped onto a soft feathery bed where a dark hand formed around his head, feeling it. A great weight shifted onto his legs. "What's going-"

"Well, you don't look like you have a concussion. I'm really, really sorry," the animal said sweetly. "You must be my appointment for tonight. I can't believe how cute you are. I've never been with an albino peacock."

"Wha?"

Shen's eyes finally focused after the hit. In the dark lantern-lit room, the smell of flowers, roses, and lavender reached his nose. He saw the woman straddling his legs, resting on her knees. She had a big smile, probably as big as her entire round face. She had a red garment, which would probably explain the silky texture against his wings. In the dim light, he thought the candlelight was playing games with him. Her appearance seemed to fade into the darkness at one point and then shine bright in another.

Then he realized something oddly familiar about the female's black and white fur. "A... ah A panda!" Shen spluttered.

"Oh, you're surprised?" The female panda smiled. "Yes, I'm a panda. The name's Ms. Nuhai. Oooh, you're my first bird customer." She gently repositioned herself and slid up his body more. Shen immediately realized he was in no position to get her off of him. Her weight was carefully pinning his legs down.

And it didn't help that she straddled his lower midsection.

"Wh-Wha what are you-"

"It's okay, honey. I'm going to make sure that you're taken care of. I wonder what it's like kissing a bird."

"What do you-" Shen couldn't form words fast enough. The panda's lips were already on his beak. Shen tried to react, but everything was happening too fast. His rational mind tried to kick in.

But she was surprisingly good with her mouth. Her tongue quickly found entrance into his beak, pressing pleasure centers the peacock wasn't aware of before. For a moment, Shen's eyes fluttered shut before she left his mouth, breathless. "Wh-Wha?"

"Aww, you look so cute and dazed like that. Is this your first time?" Nuhai winked.

"I...uh... wait, this isn't-"

"Is it true that birds have very sensitive necks?" Nuhai asked.

"What are you-" She kissed his neck, gently licking and pecking her way down his body. "Ooohhh," Shen shivered. "Ooohhh heavens." His mind grew foggy. His mental calculations of trying to escape started to simplify.

Why escape?

She was giving him an immense amount of pleasure. And honestly, the annihilation of her species seemed like a later thing.

The Soothsayer's prophecy came back into his head. He tried to get up, gasping for breath.

"Wait... wait, I-"

Her head returned to face his. "Are you feeling okay? I promise I won't squish you," The panda smiled warmly. With a gawking jaw, Shen just stared, lost in her jade eyes. "Oh look at you. You're so cute," She hugged his head, nearly suffocating the bird.

It didn't help that her body underneath the silky soft shimmering fabric was plenty ample. Everything on her was just so...

Big.

"Ooh!" She exclaimed, pulling Shen's head away from her body. She smiled widely. "Seems like you're ready for me."

"I-I-I-I'm sorry," Shen stammered.

"Awww, it's okay sweetie," Nuhai shifted a bit as she licked her lips which turned fearfully hungry. "You're so cute I could just eat you up."

Shen gulped. His end came sooner than he thought.

Moments later, surprisingly a lot later than both Shen and Nuhai expected, the peacock panted and gasped, resting his head on the panda's pillows. His smile would not leave his face, and his brain couldn't even begin to calculate what he had gone through. "I... I... oh my goodness," Shen gasped, giving a short laugh while Nuhai rested on his feathery chest. "I... I didn't think... pandas were... that... hungry."

"Hehe, sorry," Nuhai chuckled. "You're not too bad yourself, hon. I've never seen determination and brains like that."

"Huh?"

"Most guys don't try to 'figure me out' like you do. You treated the whole thing like an experiment."

"Did it work?" Shen asked with his eyes somewhat lazily on the panda's form underneath the sheets.

Nuhai kissed his neck, making another small rush of pleasure shoot down Shen's back. "It definitely worked for me." Shen's grin would not come off for the world. "By the way, what was your name again?"

"Shen."

Nuhai turned her head, puzzled. "What? I thought you were Qiang?"

"No, no, I was trying to... tell you that I'm not your... appointment."

Nuhai's eyes widened. "Oh, I am so so sorry! I didn't mean to... Wait, did you say... your name was Shen? As in... Lord Shen?"

"Yes."

Nuhai blinked several times. Then she smiled, lightly patting his chest. "Excuse me while I go prepare my hangman's noose."

"Wait wait don't!" Shen grabbed and pulled her back to the bed.

"Lord Shen, Sir, boss, king, sir! I am... so so sorry! I should've asked if you were my client but then the client was late and I was getting lonely because this is the first client I've had in a while and I started to remember my parents before they died and I had to leave my village and had to become a harlot to survive because my husband abandoned me and I had no one in the city and I couldn't pay off my debt and... and..." She clasped her hands to her face, crying through them.

Shen felt pain and awkwardness grip him. What could he do in this situation? He grumbled to himself as he slowly pulled the panda's hands away from her face. Part of her makeup was messed up, but her small pout with her big jade eyes broke the stone of Shen's hard heart. The bird smiled.

"It is alright. I... could've told you from the very beginning but... I'd be lying if I said I didn't want it," Shen grumbled out of embarrassment. "I... like your style of... giving."

Snort!

"What?! That was a fine compliment," Shen barked at the panda's laughing.

"I'm sorry, sorry. It's just... you're so cute when you're flustered. You're also very handsome," Nuhai smiled, lightly kissing his cheek. Shen grumbled though he felt his cheeks burn. "So... what were you doing around here? It's not often that we get royals."

Shen's calculating mind suddenly awoke with a screaming notification:

Do not tell her the entire truth.

"Nothing," Shen quickly answered. "I was just... thinking of this... prophecy against me." He wasn't sure if this was a good idea to tell her, but at the moment his senses were a little on the elevated side. Shen told Nuhai about the Soothsayer's words. The panda tilted her head a bit.

"That... doesn't sound all that bad."

"That I'll be killed by a panda or some other creature that's black and white?" Shen groused.

"She said IF you continue down that path. I mean, what were you going to do with the fireworks anyway?"

Shen's eyes darted around. "Um... Um..."

"You have a hard time thinking when you just had sex, huh?" Nuhai smirked.

"I'm working on it!" Shen shouted. The bird sighed. "I was... planning on using it to... expand our borders."

"To rule over China?" Nuhai smirked. "Why not use it to protect China instead? Or just become the Emperor's weapons maker? Or just... not cause mass destruction?"

"It wouldn't have caused mass destruction. It will be different. Marvelous. We wouldn't need Kung Fu masters to protect us. We would simply need-"

"You?" Nuhai finished. Shen looked at her. He was a little on edge about whether her face would turn into an angry glare or a sad tear. She simply sighed. "I know what it's like when people do things they think are right in their own eyes. They're not really reasoned with." She began to get up and bow, offering her hands. "So if you want to go down this path... I'll... let you start with taking my life if you want."

"Wait, no," Shen sighed. "Maybe I was... too narrow-minded. I..." Shen hung his head. "I do not want to be wrong about this, but the prophecy-"

"A friend of mine said that a person often finds his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it," Nuhai smiled, resting her hand on his exposed chest. "Maybe you shouldn't be so afraid of your destiny. Defeated doesn't mean dead, you know," She smirked. "And honestly, with how you were panting last night, I think I'm the panda that defeated you."

Shen actually laughed, "If that's so, fate is a funny mistress."

"Heh," Nuhai giggled, but it quickly left. "So... what now? Are you... going to just pay me and leave?"

Shen's eyes widened. "Why do you-"

"I just feel very bad about what I did."

"Before or after-"

"Before we got naked," Nuhai gave a brief smirk. "I don't suppose you'll become a regular?"

"Well, I'm certain that my parents wouldn't take kindly to my behavior. If we were married, it-"

"Then let me be your wife!"

"Wait, what?! OOF!" Shen gasped as Nuhai tumbled onto him. "Ms. Nuhai I-"

"Pleeeeeeasssee! I'll make you good food and make sure all your clothes are done like a good housewife! And every time you're stressed out, I'll even do that thing with my mouth that you like."

"I don't... wait, every time? Ahhh I mean uhhh I uh-" Nuhai quieted the peacock with her lips again. Shen mentally sighed as he started kissing back.

There was only one way to get through this.

*******FF******

"Father. Mother. This is my new wife. We marry tomorrow," Shen spoke with so much pride in his smile.

"Hello," Nuhai smiled and waved while the panda and peacock held hands and wings.

Shen saw several emotions in his parents' faces that he couldn't understand. His parents weren't disappointed. They weren't horrified. Relieved surprise and confused disbelief is the best description of what was on their faces.

They stood next to the old goat Soothsayer who drank her tea with a mildly surprised yet neutral look. "Well, that's one way of being defeated by a warrior of black and white," She muttered sipping her tea.

******F*******

"And that is how your aunt got married to Lord Shen," Li Shan told his son. Po's jaw dropped while Tigress's eyes went wide and large.

Po and the others came to Gongmen City to speak with China's top defense strategist, Lord Shen. Before that, they met Po's father, Li Shan, who, with the rest of the pandas and some tigers, was living around Gongmen City after a massive bandit raid destroyed their home, killing Po's mom in the process.

Po was safely placed in a radish container that ended up at Mr. Ping's noodle shop. After defeating Tai Ling and Kai, Po later learned that part of their family lived in Gongmen City where they met Po's lost aunt, Nuhai.

Tigress tried to rub the overwhelming emotions away from her muzzle while Po rubbed the back of his neck. "Dad, did you have to tell us... everything that happened?"

"Hey, your aunt is the descriptive type. Can't help it," Li Shan laughed. Po groaned out of embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that story, Tigress."

"It's okay, Po," She briefly smiled. "I just... didn't think your family was... this weird."

"Hey!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Li Shan laughed.

Just then, a messenger came in. "Bandits are attacking the East Tower."

"Hey, looks like we've got work to do," Li Shan smiled, slinging his warhammer across his shoulders. He used it when the village was attacked and after moving closer to Gongmen City, he found himself using it more often.

"Dad, are you sure about this? I don't want you to get hurt," Po said.

"While you get hurt? Hah, that's not how pandas work. We look out for each other," Li Shan grinned. "Come on."

Tigress, Po, and Li Shan met up with the Furious Five and fought the bandits back. But the reinforcements were coming up the river. Tigress climbed up the East Tower, knocking the last bandit off of it. A huge gorilla roared up the stairs after her. There was no way down the stairs. She looked down the wall of the tower and jumped, digging her claws into the walls. But the walls were too thick.

"TIGRESS!" Po shouted, seeing her fall. Po ran after her, poised to catch her.

Something white snatched her out of the air and tumbled into a roll before helping her up. "Are you okay?" It asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," She shook her head and found her rescuer. The white-feathered warrior stretched his large warhammer across his shoulders. The same gorilla from earlier charged down the stairs and toward them, roaring loudly. The bird's hammer struck the gorilla squarely in the face, knocking him over the wall and into the river. Po rushed over to Tigress and gasped.

"It's... It's Lord Shen!"

The white peacock gave a large huff, throwing the large warhammer over his shoulders. He had a surprisingly sizable gut and frame. Surprising for a bird his size, anyway. His strength was apparent from legs to chest. The muscles in his wings and body quickly and easily twirled the hammer around and slammed it across the next bandit, knocking another one off the wall and into the waters. "Hmm. My commander won't be pleased with this. I promised less rubbish in the river," He smirked to himself.

"Lord Shen. It's an honor to meet you," Tigress bowed.

"You are Master Tigress," Shen stated, "And you must be my nephew-in-law."

"HEEHEH! Yes!" Po grinned widely. Shen's head jerked back a bit but he smiled, offering his wing. But he knew it was futile as Po quickly gave him a bear hug. "Oooh wow! Sorry, sorry! I just can't believe I'm related to royalty and to a student of Master Thundering Rhino! Is that warhammer part of his training-"

"We have spicy dumplings back at the palace," Shen interrupted. Po's eyes widened and he ran towards the palace. Tigress tilted her head.

"How... did you-"

"I've been married to his family for going on 20 years," Shen smirked. "If I haven't figured out how pandas work by now, I'm not married." Shen threw the warhammer across his shoulders. "After letting the Master's council use part of my palace as a training arena, I have even more experience with different animals."

"Does it help?"

"It does. Especially when you're fighting against gorilla bandits," Shen smiled. "So how are you liking your stay in Gongmen City? Has Li Shan shown you around?

"Yes, it is lovely. Po's father told us the story of how you met your wife," Tigress said.

Shen grimaced, "I really wished he'd stop doing that. It's a very embarrassing story. But it was the start of a flurry of changes in my life."

"Being married to a panda is that life-changing?"

Shen patted his stomach. "Yes, it is. But the results are worth the work," He smirked over to Tigress. "I'm sure that you and him have already figured that out."

Tigress's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"I can tell when people are in love, Master Tigress. At least, I can tell a lot better ever since marrying Nuhai." Tigress bashfully looked away as she followed Lord Shen back to the palace. "How long have you been together?"

"Five or six months."

"And the adjustment?" Shen asked.

"It's... a lot to adjust to. I haven't been in a relationship before and... Po is certainly one of a kind," Tigress gave a long groan and her knees shivered a bit like she would tumble over. "But he's a lot to adjust to."

"How so?" Shen smirked.

Tigress bolted up straight. She had said too much. "In... certain ways."

As they reached the palace, the bird held his smirk as a servant nearby offered him tea. "They do 'eat' a lot, don't they?"

"How do you survive?!" Tigress almost belted out her question.

"Lots of food, lots of rest, lots of practice," He said, sipping the tea. "Do not worry. Do you care about him?"

"Yes?"

"Then you'll be able to survive."

"And if I don't?" Tigress asked.

Shen smiled, patting her shoulder. "Then it's the nicest death to have."

Tigress groaned but said nothing more.

It's amazing what a difference in direction will make to a person's story.

The End

A/N: OHH YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I WANTED TO MAKE THIS A LEMON! But the better half of my gut said NO!

**A/N: It's actually unclear if he's responsible for Tigress being an orphan but it would make sense. Shen didn't want to leave any loose ends.