Author's Note: Hey there people! The time for the actual KFP 4 is almost upon us, and in turn, making this trilogy no longer canon compliant. (Whoopee?) All joking aside, I'm still going to continue it because I've dedicated a lot of myself to this, plus I want this story to have a proper conclusion. Now, as for this chapter, things really get crazy. As in, so crazy that I have no doubt some of you will never forgive me for what will happen. Can any of you guess what it will be? (I hope I haven't made it obvious.) With that ominous message out of the way, let's get on with it!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP! (Seriously, I don't)
Enjoy.
Zhongcheng's Invasion
Ruby irises look out over the forbidden city, the peaks of the cityscape's illustrious towers caked in snow as it blankets the streets below, bringing a sense of unfitting purity to a day that will bring nothing but turmoil. The slight, welcome calm to a storm. Somehow more unnerving than the threat of the storm itself. More flecks of white rain down upon the city, the Gods providing their blessings to their home as it faces a truly vile threat. Yet, in providing this blessing, they cloud the majestic rays of the sun, bringing an irregular darkness and gloom to the palace soon to be battlefield.
Zhonglei hardens his expression as he leaves the balcony of the emperor's tower, ready to fight off his former brother no matter the cost. Ready to save his niece. He closes the door leading outside and exits the emperor's quarters into the throne room, his expression remaining steadfast as the emperor marches to him, armoured and a sword sheathed by his side. "I will join you at the front, my friend."
Without even blinking, the golden tiger gives a cutting response, "You will do no such thing." He walks on, but Renci follows him, a disbelieving look filling his features.
"Why? I can fight. I have to. I gave an oath to protect my home. I won't cower away when duty calls!" This stops Zhonglei in his tracks, making him turn to face the regal lion. Though he respects his honourable willingness to fight, he is missing the point.
"You are Zhongcheng's prime target. If you fight on the frontlines, it will make it that much easier for him to get to you."
"And keeping me isolated up here, won't?"
Though this isn't a bad argument, Zhonglei's hardened expression refuses to back down. "You will be under the dragon warrior's protection. Believe me, you are in safe hands."
As he turns around however, the emperor grabs his paw and turns him back to face him. "You trained me yourself. You know I can hold my own. Isn't it better to have another soldier by your side rather than have a burden you must protect? I must right my father's wrongs." Though he can see the desperation laden in Renci's golden eyes, the Zhanshi chief's face doesn't falter.
"That is out of the question. You will stay up here, and only fight if they manage to breach through our defences. Is that understood?" Despite the outrage filling the emperor's heart, he gives a reluctant nod, unable to deny his trainer turned friend. "I won't break my promise to your father so you can fix his mistake. Be thankful that I even listened to your order rather than evacuating you with your wife and council."
With that, he pries his arm out of his friend's grip and opens the massive wooden doors that lead out to the main hall. They shut behind him with a grand groan, doing their own part in protecting the son of heaven as Po practices his forms in the regal décor of the hallway. Practice that he halts as Zhonglei enters his vision, "Are you ready?"
"Yeah." A sure answer filled with determination, uttered in an unwavering, unexpected seriousness by the dragon warrior. But is it truly unexpected, having experienced Zhongcheng's ruthless cruelty first-hand? He goes back to warming up, preparing himself for what will be a truly gruelling battle.
Concern fills the tiger's ruby irises, "Are you sure? You seemed exhausted after your encounter with Zhongcheng."
At this, a confident, ready grin fills Po's face. "Nothing a goodnight's sleep can't fix." Despite his resolve however, his grin feels forced, hiding a doubtful question. A reservation that he recognises immediately.
"You still want to fight up front."
Po's body stops as he throws a punch into the air, his jade eyes darting around to think of some way to mask this need. Now isn't the time for hesitation or reconsideration. But the Zhanshi chief's gaze doesn't lose an ounce of intensity, "Maybe." This essentially amounts to a yes, the panda unable to hold himself back from questioning Zhonglei's battle tactics.
Luckily for him, the tiger understands. Despite agreeing with their plan of action the night before, he still wants to focus all his efforts on freeing his friends. A tactic that the wretched wolf can easily take advantage of, "They won't give you the chance to help your friends. Not on the frontlines."
"But I have to try." The dragon warrior interjects with immediacy, desperate to protect his friends. To save his love. "If we can save them, then Zhongcheng's plan crumbles."
"Or in the time it takes for you to free them, he or one of his soldiers will have snuck behind us and killed the emperor. Perhaps he may even take advantage of your vulnerability and kill you." Though he refuses to back down from his stance, Zhonglei maintains a sympathetic, careful tone. He notes the panda's form deflating, unable to argue with those possibilities. Understanding exactly why he is suggesting this, Zhonglei puts a paw on Po's shoulder, a vow engraved in his gaze. "We will get her back, Po. I promise you." Taking a deep, calming breath, the dragon warrior hypes himself up mentally, a hopeful smile filling his features as he nods to Tigress' uncle.
Having reached this mutual agreement, the Zhanshi chief exits an identical set of doors at the end of the hall and goes down the spiralling stairs. He speeds past the magnificent tapestries that line the walls, their grandeur a mere blur in what will soon be a sight of undoubted destruction and bloodshed. All the tiger can do is pray that the only blood that stains the palace will have belonged to their enemies. Pray that they won't be forced to do the unthinkable. He steels these thoughts as he reaches the base of the emperor's tower, making his way to the rear wall to check on his forces.
100 tigers, both white and orange, stand at the ready with spears, swords and shields in their paws. They all face the rear walls of the palace just past the emperor's tower, their ears twitching at the crashing waves of the yellow river, listening out for the inevitable sound of alligators breaching those waters to climb the wall. Just behind this fierce regiment are 50 rhinos, ox, and jaguars all adorned in the imperial crest, supporting their powerful Zhanshi brothers. Assisting their ground forces, archers man the guard towers and line the top of the rear wall, alert and ready. Zhonglei allows a small smile to take up his face at the sight. He could call it nothing but sheer luck that Po had faced Zhongcheng within the leopard cub's mind, that he was able to inform him before their plans were set in stone. Knowing that the wolf was aware of his rescue told him that he would change tactics. That he would try to attack from both sides. Though most would call this a hunch, Zhonglei knows his former brother-in-arms.
Ruby irises shift to the very front of their ground forces, seeing his gorgeous wife adorned in the red armour of their clan, the Zhanshi symbol etched on her breastplate in a glowing orange. She wields a guan dao in her right paw, a small shield mounted on her left wrist and a belt of daggers wrapped around her waist as she drills their attack plans into the mind of her soldiers. They listen without question, respecting their fiery chiefess' strength above all else. Tianshi's emerald eyes lock with his, nodding to him with a battle-hardened expression. Nothing else is needed to confirm her company's readiness, her features sharper than her guan dao or the daggers lining her belt.
With this confirmation, the Zhanshi chief sprints off on all fours, ready to lead his own regiment at the front gates of the palace. Within minutes he arrives to see his troops in identical formation, the Zhanshi forces leading from the front whilst the emperor's remaining soldiers support from the back. Archers line the Palace's wall, the guard towers, and the roof of the two-story pavilion just in front of the gates. Satisfied with their placements, Zhonglei approaches the front doors of the pavilion, grouping up with Shifu, Mantis and Viper as they anticipate their foes. Whilst Mantis and Viper have a light spar to prepare themselves, Shifu sits aside and meditates, trying his hardest to calm his mind. "Zhongcheng could attack at any moment now. Are you all ready?"
Hazel and sky-blue eyes shift to the tiger general as the two masters finish their spar, "As ready as we'll ever be." Though Mantis' gruff voice gives off an unshakeable resolve, a glint of reluctance is evident in both his and Viper's eyes. How could he expect any less? Even as hardened warriors, these are their friends they are forced to fight. He also notes the sorrow weighing down on their bodies, the guilt mounting their soul. A burden they refuse to make vocal.
"Ready your men, Zhonglei." Shifu's gruff timbre interrupts what little calm they've been provided before the storm, the grandmaster standing up from his seated position and taking his staff in paw. Steely-blue eyes gaze at his tiger friend with an immense seriousness. "He will be on us soon." As his students look upon him with a mix of concern and worry, the golden tiger leaves to the front of his forces knowing better than to question his clairvoyance.
"How do you know this master?" Though Mantis can already think of how his master will answer, he inquires regardless, neither him nor Viper liking the dark look that fills his face.
Shifu's eyes gaze up at the sky, chills filling his skin not at the winter's breeze, but at the lack of the sun's blessing. "There's something in the air. Something ominous and dark." Something that unsettles the stalwart master to the core, yet he refuses to let it show on his face. He gazes back at his students, his expression softening at their worry, "Whatever happens, I want you both to know how proud I am to be your master. To see you grow into the warriors you are now."
Both Mantis and Viper's eyes only wilt further in concern, "W-why are you talking like that, master?" The serpent master's face implores an explanation, something to perhaps comfort any suspicions she has. He knows something, he must. She can only pray that she's wrong about her assumptions.
As this foreboding chill ripples up Shifu's spine, both his students swear that they can see a glint of begrudging acceptance fill his gaze. "You must remain strong, both of you. No matter how this battle ends."
Though this satisfies neither master nor their burning anxiety, they are given no time to voice it further as Zhonglei heads to the front of his army, all of his soldiers standing at attention. The palace listens close as the Zhanshi chief is handed his own sword and shield, the mark of his clan painted a powerful gold on its surface.
"Today, we face an enemy like no other. Today, we face an evil that bears no conscience, no heart. Only cruelty." He marches back and forth as he looks the men and women on the frontline in the eye, each of them sharing his seriousness. "They have brought death and destruction to our doorstep. They have plagued our citizens with horrible nightmares. They have even taken our own brothers and sisters, forcing them to fight against us! Now, they seek to kill our emperor, and claim our home as theirs!" Growls and vicious snarls exit a few of the tigers standing in formation, more than happy to destroy the fowl wolf that has caused such untold misery. "Zhongcheng will pay dearly for his crimes! He will face his end here and now, by the might of the Zhanshi clan!" Ferocious roars bellow out of his tiger brethren, their imperial brothers joining along as he continues, "By the might of the imperial army! They will try their hardest to break us, but we will stand tall. We will fight with all we have. Give our last breaths to defend our home!" Shifu, Viper and Mantis gaze at the golden tiger with hardened expressions, brimming with an unshakeable resolve. "They will use our brothers and sisters against us, but we will get them back! Today, not a soul wearing the emperor's crest will fall. But our true enemy will face annihilation!" A crescendo of roars and cheers erupts throughout the palace as Zhonglei thrusts his sword up in the air, with even the forces at the very back joining in anticipation for their wretched enemy. As his regiment of soldiers rile themselves up, the golden tiger turns to face the main gate, a determined scowl written on his face. He closes his eyes, calming the chaos that wells within his mind. Steeling himself for what will be a tough battle. Guan Yu*, bless us with strength. Shangdi*, bless us with victory.
"General!" Just as he finishes his prayer, one of the archers standing upon the wall calls out to him, his comrades pulling arrows out of their quivers and readying their bows. Ruby irises snap open, looking straight at said tiger archer with an unbreakable resolve. "There is movement up ahead!"
Whilst his company behind him gets into battle positions and the jade palace masters take up their stances, Zhonglei climbs onto the wall with urgency, gazing out into the city streets as he reaches the top. Shifu was right. Over a hundred wolves and gorillas march through the main streets of the forbidden city, yet the golden tiger can't identify them as such. Instead, he sees a wave of shields marching through the city streets, completely covering Zhongcheng's forces aside from the small gaps permitted for their eyes and spears. A rancid scowl appears on Zhonglei's features as he stares at the rows of crimson eyes painted on their shields, recognising their strategy immediately. His ears twitch at the sound of a strange thudding, yet neither him nor any of his archers can identify the source. He keeps his eyes fixed on the company of shields as they draw closer to the front gates, unable to see the brainwashed members of the imperial army holding their shields to the air alongside their 'comrades'.
Unaware of Gongjiang hidden inside this veil of shields, master Tigress, Monkey and the Wu-sisters by his side. Unaware of the cannon that lies near the front of their forces. The bison general turns his head back, giving a questioning glance to both the gorillas that heave the weapon forward and the wolf manning it, torch in paw. They nod to him, ready for his signal. Though a touch of wariness funnels through the Wu-sisters, not a single word is uttered. Not between each-other, not to Gongjiang.
A tense, unyielding silence pollutes the air, pregnant with anticipation. Reeking of death. This silence is only broken by the marching of feet as Zhongcheng's eradicate the pure snow paving the street. Tianshi's company soon takes their formations, their eyes glued to the wall as their leader readies her shield in front of her, guan dao itching to taste her enemy's flesh. The archers lining the rear wall keep their arrows trained on the water, having heard their comrade's shout from the front of the palace. Their senses remain vigilant, ready to act in a moment's notice. With each silent second that passes, they feel themselves growing restless, their arms tiring from keeping their arrows reeled back. This growing tension finally bursts once a tiny group of bubbles ripple from the river.
Fwoosh!
A single arrow flies into the river, one of the tigers reacting within an instant. His brothers and comrades hold back, waiting for a response. Waiting for a counterattack or a body to show.
The waters lie still. Not a single drop of blood infects the water. A fact that only heightens archers' readiness. Seconds pass, the biting winter chill making the mixed regiment cling onto their weapons tighter. Soon enough, ripples form within the water. Shapes move underneath the surface. An unblinking crimson eye peers at them from below until the river itself becomes flooded in Shen's blood-curdling symbol.
"Fire!" The lead archer yells, a veritable army of arrows flying into the river at his command. Upon this barrage, the underwater movement grows in speed and frequency until shields begin to breach the river's surface. Volley after volley sticks into these shields, rising up to cover the alligators completely as they reach the rocks just under the rear wall. Within moments, three of these soldiers begin to climb up, their shields still held up high as the archers try to find an opening in their phalanx only to find none.
Three more soldiers follow on behind them, holding their shields up sideways to block some of the arrow fire coming from the sides. Yet even in their seemingly impenetrable defence, some arrows manage to enter into the few small gaps left between their shields, the blood of some of their alligator brothers staining the river as they climb higher. Amidst the endless volley of Zhanshi and imperial arrows, the clump of alligators halts in their tracks as they manage to just get past the base of the wall, confusing their enemy greatly. That is, until a quiet yet dangerous hiss reaches their ears.
The hiss of a fuse being lit.
"Fall back!" Emerald eyes widen at the lead archers' scream, Tianshi relaying his order to her own troops as they back away from the wall. Right as most of the archers leap away from the rear wall, the shield clump parts in front for the alligator in the middle to hurl a bundle of dynamite upwards. It reaches the centre of the rear wall, the flame atop its fuse rushing to its base within a split second.
Kaboom!
Zhonglei's company can't help but spare a glance back as the explosion tears through the air, the golden tiger himself worrying for his wife despite knowing her strength. He can't hang on this worry for long, however, as he turns to face the regiment of shields marching towards the palace gates. His eyes narrow in suspicion as they halt their approach, an ominous chill riding up the golden tiger's spine.
A hearty grin engraves itself on Gongjiang's face at the explosion emanating from the palace's rear wall, the general holding hoof up to stop their armed procession. Needing no further instruction, the gorillas just behind him place the cannon down, its metallic clang drawing a perplexed expression from Zhonglei and the archers accompanying him. They've got their signal, and now the battle can finally begin. Orange irises glance at the wolf with the torch, who nods as he holds the flame closer to the cannon's fuse. It's time. "Open up!" The wolves and brainwashed rhinos at the front of the company part ways, their shields still held up as they give the cannon a clear line of fire. Though this catches the archers off-guard at first, ruby eyes widen to the size of the blotted-out sun as Zhonglei realises exactly what is hidden under their shields.
"Away from the gates!" He bellows out, leaping off his perch as his archers and ground forces do their best to back away from what will soon be a blast zone.
"Fire!" Gongjiang's earth-shaking roar is soon followed by their cannon firing, the sound of its shot capable of punching a hole into the heavens. Within seconds the cannonball reaches its target, the Zhanshi and imperial soldiers on the farther ends of the wall awe-struck at the sight of the fireball piercing through the air.
Boom!
Right as Zhonglei lands in front of his company, the front gates are completely obliterated in a massive explosion. A miasma of fire, scorched metal and decimated brickwork clashes against their raised shields, each soldier bracing themselves at its brutal force. Viper, Mantis, even Shifu is caught off-guard by the cannon's destructive capabilities, certain that Shen's weapon wasn't this potent in Gongmen. Thankfully, this miasma dissipates alongside the cannonball's explosive force, allowing the Zhanshi chief to gaze at the destruction before them. Molten metal and shattered bricks make up the rubble of the palace's gates, accentuated by a suffocating layer of smoke, completely blinding his sight.
"Charge!"
A deadly scowl forms on his face as he hears Gongjiang's command, clearly looking to take advantage of the smokescreen replacing the palace's entrance. "Hold the line, my brothers! Don't let them break through!" Within an instant, all of his soldiers brace themselves, making sure not a single gap is left in their defence as they await their enemy. Though tensions run high, Zhonglei can feel his clan's anticipation, the excitement filling their warrior blood. This will be the first time their clan has fought a battle like this in nearly a century. An occasion, which calls on a chant they all know by heart.
"We will fight! Until we die!" He feels a prideful smile come on as his Zhanshi brethren chant behind him, hearing some of the battle-hungry smiles littering their faces whilst the jade palace masters at the back take up their stances, ready for anyone who will breach their defences. "Through broken bones! And blinded eyes!" Even the archers firing away on the front wall join in on their chant, managing to land a few shots through the wave of shields that rapidly approach the palace. Ruby irises narrow as he can hear the roaring footsteps of Zhongcheng's army. "Our will remains! Strong and stout!" Soon enough, the tiger troops on the rear side of the palace recite this chant as Tianshi commands them into formation, ready to fight the alligators climbing up. The footsteps of Zhongcheng's army only grow louder, making the earth tremor at the sheer volume of soldiers. A fact that even has Zhonglei's heart racing. He joins in with his brothers, ready to teach the wretched wolf the true might of his clan. "Our fire burns! To snuff you out!" As this final line of the Zhanshi chant leaves their lips, a row of wolves, gorillas and brainwashed rhinos burst through the smoke, charging with a cacophony of battle cries leaving their mouths until both forces clash.
Chaos ensues at the front and back of the emperor's palace, Zhonglei's troops holding the line as their enemies push in whilst Tianshi's company rams the alligators that attempt to enter through the broken wall off into the river. Spears plunge into flesh, blood already begins to stain the battlefield from both sides. A sight that dark blue eyes relish in as they examine the situation from a nearby tower. Zhongcheng awaits in darkness alongside the petrified master Crane, shifting his gaze towards Gongjiang who makes his way over to another tall building whilst the Wu-sisters, Monkey and Tigress charge their way towards the palace's obliterated gates. A wicked smile fills the wolf's face, his working just as intended. With Zhonglei's forces distracted, the wolf's eyes flash, making Crane grab his arm as he ascends into the sky. They fly forwards, their sights set for the emperor's tower.
Though the forces in play at the front gates have their hands full, not all soldiers lose focus. A lone tiger archer shoots his arrows towards the charging army, managing to clip a few targets in the shoulder until Crane's wings flutter into his line of sight. "Zhongcheng! Up in the sky!" With this shout, he and several of his comrades fire a volley of arrows upon them. To their dismay, the bird master manages to duck, weave and deflect each of their shots with ease whilst Zhongcheng covers himself with his own shield. Regardless, these archers keep up their relentless barrage, praying that they can stop the damned wolf in his tracks to no avail. Crane is simply too fast, too agile. It isn't long before he manages to fly out of their range, "General! Zhongcheng's breached our defences!"
Zhonglei thrusts a gorilla soldier back with his shield before snapping his gaze to the air, eyes widening at the sight of the bird master's retreating form. This surprise hardens into a scowl as he focuses his attention back on the gorilla, blocking his strike and countering with a lethal stab of his sword. "Focus our frontside! We can't let more of them get through!" As if to mock his very command, a ferocious roar pierces through the crowd of soldiers attempting to push in, said soldiers making way for its source as ruby irises look over his shield. Zhonglei's heart drops at the sight of Tigress' monstrous form, sprinting in on all-fours and claws unsheathed, her bloodied teeth bare and ravenous. Another roar bellow from her maw before she leaps forward and reals her paws back, leaving the general no other option but to brace himself with his shield raised as she throws a double palm strike at him.
Boom!
The sheer force of her strike sends him careening back, shattering his shield and breaking his army's formation as she sprints forward. Spears and swords attempt to strike at her, but they are all dodged and deflected with ease before her claws counter them with merciless, deadly slashes. Some Zhanshi soldiers hesitate to attack their own, giving the brainwashed master her opening to cleave them and use their dying bodies as a boost to leap over both them and the imperial troops behind them. Master Monkey follows on behind her, managing to dodge and weave past Zhonglei's panicked forces to reach her. As Shifu, Viper and Mantis ready themselves for their brainwashed comrades, all hell breaks loose at the front gates. Any sense of formation or strategy being thrown to the wayside as Zhongcheng's troops rush in, with Zhonglei recovering just in time to block what would be a lethal spear thrust from a brainwashed rhino.
Ignoring the bedlam that consumes Zhonglei's troops, Viper manages to counter an attempted leaping kick from Monkey by grabbing his feet with her tail and throwing him through the front doors of the pavilion. Mantis follows her inside as Tigress leaps up to the pavilion's roof, Shifu tailing and catching up with her immediately. She attempts a claw strike to get him out of her way, but her master easily dodges with a jump, channelling chi into his legs before countering with a ferocious stomp on her chest.
Crash!
They fall through the ceiling and into the second-floor hallway, with Shifu leaping back and taking his stance as his brainwashed daughter gets back onto her feet. "Tigress, you have to fight." He pleads to her, yet his voice remains hardened, prepared to hold her back for as long as he needs to. Though she snarls in response, the grandmaster can see something within her monstrous face. A twitch, a grimace. A hint of a struggle. She is in there. He knows that this monster cannot be her. He has to get through to her, somehow. With little choice left, he readies himself as his brainwashed daughter leaps towards him.
As this happens, Crane and Zhongcheng manage to reach the top floor of the emperor's tower, the wolf commander crashing through the main hall window only to be greeted by a powerful kick from Po. This kick forces his shield out of his paw and out the window, making his back hit the wall as his bird soldier shoots over to the palace's pavilion. With a confident smirk on his face, Zhongcheng stands back up and stares at the dragon warrior ready in his stance, "Standing guard for the emperor, are we? Here I thought you cared about your friends."
Ignoring the wolf's taunts, a scowl forms on Po's face, "It ends here, Zhongcheng. No more ambushes, no more dirty tricks. Just you and me." Dark blue eyes lose their victorious arrogance, devolving into an insidious darkness as they glare into the dragon warrior's jade irises. Determination brims in his eyes, unbreakable and unwavering. Yet, something else lies within, but it is hidden too well for him to pick it out yet.
Po feels his glare begins to burn through him as he channels his fear-filled chi into his body with ease, prompting the wolf to do the same before taking up his stance. They both stand at the ready, not an ounce of mercy contained in their shared glare.
1* Guan Yu = Chinese god of war
2* Shangdi = "Lord-on-high" (The greatest ancestor/deity who controls victory in battle, harvest, fate of the capital, and weather.)
Oh boy, the final battle begins! And already crazy stuff is happening. I hope you all are ready for what will come next, because I'm not even sure if I am. I don't have too much left to say except, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and are excited (or dreading) the next one. Until next time :)