Author's Note: HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE! Hope you've all had some great holidays, mine have been a mixture of great and bizarre. I would've liked to have done a christmas/new year special, but I couldn't think of anything. Anyways, I am happy to say that this chapter did not take too long to make and is yet again a doozy with emotions/tensions running high. You'll see what I mean in a moment. Anyways, let's get on with it!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP!
Enjoy.
In the Nick of Time
Naïve flakes of snow pelt the remaining warriors of the Jade Palace as they sprint from the east side of the city, their destination set for the emperor's palace. Though their speed is enough to punch against the unyielding fury of the winter wind, all four masters feel as though they are trudging down an endless labyrinth of excessive glamour, poisoned by an incalculable terror that chases after them. Fatigue and exhaustion anchor their bodies, yet it does not weigh as much as the pain held in their hearts. Each footprint they make in the snow leaves a chasm of panicked despair, threatening to blacken winter's splendour in its potency.
Whilst Shifu, Po and Viper speed off, Mantis remains perched on the dragon warrior's shoulder, his eyes scanning each and every single road their enemies could come from. With each passing moment, his mind sees the shadows shift within an alley they rush past, yet no wolf or alligator rushes out. Not even… No… Don't think about that… Trying to strengthen himself against the thought of his best friends turned minion, the insect master still glares at the continuously shrinking roads. It's already been several minutes since he had last seen any trace of Zhongcheng's forces, there's no way they are still keeping up with them. Right? As this question litters his mind, heavy wheezes rip themselves out of his panda friend's lungs followed by the excessive panting of Shifu and Viper. They can't keep going like this. They need a break, even if it is for a literal minute. "I don't see them anymore."
At his mark, the three sprinting masters slow down before inevitably coming to a stop in the city centre. Not a word is spoken between them as Shifu grips his staff tightly, taking in deep breaths to soothe his aching muscles. A dour expression covers Viper's as she splays herself over the road, recovering as she clarifies with her insect brother, "Are you sure they're gone?"
It doesn't take a master of deduction to notice the slight tremble in her voice. She's trying hard to hold it in. Trying to keep strong in her sister's stead. "I'm sure." Mantis replies with confidence, hopping off Po's shoulders as the panda hunches over, trying to catch breaths that seem just out of reach.
"Regardless, we can't linger for long. We need to get back to the palace immediately." Shifu's commands are placed at the back of Po's mind as he stares back towards the east side of the city. Yet he doesn't look for enemies, he doesn't even look at the impressive buildings up ahead. Jade eyes pierce through the multitude of houses, towers, and alleys, hoping to reach the warehouse. Hoping to see a streak of orange and black, a shine of golden fabric, the glimmer of warm amber. But no matter how long he stares into the path, no matter how much he hopes and prays to see his tiger, nothing shows up in her place.
He had failed her… He had failed them all. And now they are beholden to Zhongcheng's will, forced to act on his every whim. A shadow of grief looms over the panda's face as needles of anguish dig into his head and puncture his skull, wrapping his mind in threads of pain and clutching at it with an uncompromising grip. Another excruciating headache yet still no explanation. Despite his torment, not a sound escapes his mouth, not even a grunt or groan. Instead, the shadow taking hold of his features implant a scowl onto his face, deep and unmoving. Loathing consumes the darkness clouding his eyes, injecting itself into his mind, yet where this loathing is directed is simply indecipherable.
"We just left them there."
Misery rings out of the dragon warrior's voice, yet it is held in a frozen, hollow timbre. All three of the remaining masters focus their eyes on him, clearly unnerved by the venom frozen into his tone, disturbed by the hopeless defeat etched into his soul. Yet they know exactly why this is.
Heaving out a pained sigh, Shifu approaches the clearly distressed panda master, his limp far more noticeable than before. "We didn't have a choice, Po."
Within an instant of the elder master saying this, the dragon warrior's body snaps towards him, a jade poison stinging his eyes. "Yes, we did. We should've helped them. We should've done something." His voice emits an ominous growl, hungry for retribution.
Steely blue eyes look on in disbelief only to corrode into their own ireful toxin, "You think I hadn't tried? Did you think that Viper and Mantis were just sitting out of the fight?" Amidst his gruff sternness lies a caustic snarl, one that forces Viper and Mantis to remain silent as Po refuses to back down. "We were outnumbered, outgunned, and our bodies were brought to the brink of collapse. We didn't have a chance. So, I had to take action."
"What, by running away?" Hazel and sky-blue eyes widen at Po's rebuttal, more so the vicious sting that remains on his tongue. "By bringing down the whole building on top of them?"
"Hey, guys-
"What would you have us do?" Mantis' attempt to calm the situation are thrown to the wayside as Shifu barks back, his corrosive growl matching the dragon warrior's as the steel in his eyes melts into a pool of anger. "Fight an entire army by ourselves? Fight until they beat us down into nothing? Until we end up as Zhongcheng's slaves as well!? You're not thinking straight, dragon warrior."
Worry fills Mantis' eyes as they dart between the arguing pandas and the alleyways leading to the warehouse, cautious of just how loud they are getting. Meanwhile, anxiousness wells up within Viper's body, forcing her face to tense up as she hears the argument between the two make the very air around them melt. Tears begin to brim in her eyes, the poor serpent knowing that there wasn't anything they could do but wishing that things didn't have to come to this. Her brothers and sisters, their minds held hostage. You threaten to take her from me! I won't let you. I won't let you! Crane's words echo in her head, poisoned by delusion, trapped in a waking nightmare. She purses her lips, trying her best not to break into sobs in front of them.
"And you are!?" Po's response turns incredulous, almost completely dumbfounded by his master's reasoning. They had completely destroyed the warehouse, with their friends in it. "Those cannons could've brought the entire cavern down on our heads! That could've killed them. We don't even know if they are alive, master!" The mere thought of that makes the serpent master quake, but neither of the arguing masters notice.
"Then perhaps I'd prefer them dead than to be slaves of that deranged wolf!"
"Stop it!" Their argument is silenced by Viper's bereaved scream, forcing all three masters to turn to her. Within an instant, Po and Shifu deflate at the sight of her tears, flowing down her face without a sign of stopping. "Both of you! Just… stop." A small sniffle leaves her voice before she fully breaks down into sobs, coiling into herself in some attempt to alleviate her pain.
Hazel irises look on at the weeping serpent in pity as Mantis hops over to her, putting a single claw on her side in a vain attempt to comfort her. Who is he kidding, he can't comfort her after something like this. Not after what has happened to their family. Shifu glares at the dragon warrior again, noting his sorrowful eyes still focused on Viper. "You aren't the only one hurting." He gains Po's attention once more, his sorrow remaining in his stare. "You'd take care to remember that." A sliver of shame slithers around Po's mind yet it is overpowered by the headache still plaguing him, some damned affliction plaguing him for no apparent reason.
Why?
This isn't even directed solely at this pain. It's at everything. Why does his friends have to suffer for his weakness? Why weren't they able to protect them? Why was he deemed Oogway's successor? Why didn't Shifu kill Zhongcheng when he had the chance? Confusion flares in Po's eyes as he looks to the floor. What did I just-
"Aaaagggghhhhh!"
The dragon warrior's troubled thoughts are broken by an earth-shattering, agonising roar that tears through the air. All four masters set their sights toward the source of this desperate cry of anguish, the west side of the city. They look on with wide eyes, a pit of disgust forming in Po as more grief-stricken screams claw at the sky. It wasn't enough that the wolf had taken their friends but now he's torturing some poor soul just for the fun of it. "Who is that?" Mantis whispers out, wanting to know the answer yet dreading it all at once.
These aren't mere screams or shrieks, but roars that are primal and… petrified. It can't be Tigress, in fact as Shifu listens closer, he can tell its distinctly masculine. Don't wait for me. Steely blue eyes freeze in realisation as the Zhanshi chief's words echo in his mind, "Zhonglei."
Po and Mantis shift their attention to the grandmaster as Viper's expression only wilts further, terrified of what is happening to the golden tiger. "What do you mean?" Seriousness emboldens the panda master's timbre, his jade eyes fixed on his master with a hardened glare. A glare that admittedly sends a chill up his spine.
"He headed into Zhongcheng's base to gather intel."
"On his own!?" Startling both Mantis and Viper with his yell, Po approaches his master wearing an incredulous expression. "And you let him!?"
"Not by choice. He wouldn't listen to reason." Trying his best to calm the situation down, Shifu speaks in a measured tone, leaving the disrespectful tone of his student as a topic for later.
Unfortunately for him, this does little to satiate the panda's rage. Letting out a scoff, Po folds his arms. "So let me guess, we're gonna leave him behind too."
"Po!" Viper chastises her brother as shock takes up both her and Mantis' expression. Shifu merely turns his back to him, trying his hardest to think of a plan of action.
But Po is having none of it. "Or maybe we'll blow him up with a bunch of cannons as well, huh?" A scowl crawls onto the grandmaster's face as the venom in the dragon warrior's voice melts the snow lathering the ground. "Or perhaps you'll treat an 'old friend' better than your own daughter!?" Steel blue shrinks into itself, anger igniting his icy stare as a silent growl exits his throat.
Slam!
Within seconds, the insubordinate dragon warrior is thrust into the wall of a nearby building by Shifu, his staff pinning him by the neck. Mantis and Viper watch on with mouths agape, unable to say anything about the sight before them. How could Po say that? "Don't you dare presume to know my love for her, panda." A bestial snarl overpowers his usual cold sternness, making Po flinch as he practically spits at him in a tempered rage. "I have done everything I can to protect her, to save her from this awful fate and yet she is still forced to suffer. I know you are losing your love, your heart. But I am forced to watch as the little girl I had raised is being forced to turn into a monster." Though a deep, unending rage still punctuates his eyes, cracks can be heard in his fortified voice, making Po's steadfast expression falter. "Now I am trying to make sure that we will still be able to save her. That she will be able to see a family she had long thought to be lost." Tears cascade down his cheeks, banishing the anger and disbelief in his student's face, replacing it with guilt. These tears choke his voice, contorting his anger into grief he had long thought to be expelled from his soul. "I have already lost my son… I won't lose her too." With that, he removes his staff from the dragon warrior's neck and walks over to Mantis, "We're heading to Zhonglei. Keep quiet and only move on my mark."
To everyone's surprise, Shifu summons back his commanding voice, though it sounds heavier than before. "Yes, master." Mantis bows without hesitation, not wanting to invoke his master's wrath again.
Blue steel gazes out at Viper and Po, the latter unable to look him in the eye as shame shackles his head downwards. "Get back to the palace as soon as you can and inform the emperor of what has happened. If neither of us return… Don't look for us." With that, the fastest masters of the group rush towards the west side of the city, leaving the panda and serpent together in the city centre.
They stay still, both masters still trying to digest what has just happened. Both of them still trying to understand how the dragon warrior had acted out like that. Jade irises refuse to look up from the ground as the serpent master uncoils herself, looking at her brother with sympathetic yet disappointed eyes. "That was uncalled for."
"I know." His voice is barely even a whisper as his eyes refuse to free themselves from their shackles. Why did I say that? Why did I even think that? Regret pierces into his heart, melding with the guilt that already fills it. They are all suffering, and he is only making it worse.
You need to remain calm. Remain focused. I know you can, dragon warrior.
He can imagine her calm, soothing voice. He can remember it lifting him up in times of panic. Healing him after a wicked nightmare. She had comforted him and supported him so many times. Why couldn't she be here now? Why did she have to suffer? Why not him? To think it's been mere minutes since her mind's corruption, yet he misses her so much. What he wouldn't give to hear her voice's serenade, to feel her in his arms. "I'm sorry."
Sky-blue eyes soften at the sight of her panda brother's wilting body, understanding his despondence all too well. If only her sweet little bird was here. To calm her, to calm everyone. If only Monkey was here, maybe they could even manage a laugh in this manic absurdity. "Oh, Po." Her gentle whisper brings a much-needed warmth to the merciless chill of the winter air, a melody of sympathy played within a chorus of coldness. She brings this warmth to her panda brother in a tight, delicate embrace that he reciprocates immediately. They stay like this for a few moments before separating and making their way back to the emperor's palace, their souls now a tiny bit lighter than before.
"What has he done to you!? Liliang!? Where are you!? Speak to me! Please!" Zhonglei screams out, writhing in agony as his delusions haunt him further. He isn't aware of Gongjiang dragging his body past many buildings by the leg or of Zhongcheng glaring at him, drinking in his grief-stricken despair.
The rush of a chaotic river snaps the wolf out of his sadistic trance, his eyes darting to the waves crashing against the pier. It seems even the gods are against him, whether they try to dissuade him or threaten to spit out his victim from his soon to be watery grave. He barely spares a thought to that. None decide his fate other than himself, and as for Zhonglei's fate… he only wishes that his torment doesn't end with this. That it goes beyond death, beyond time itself. That day, he had not only been betrayed by a trusted general. He had lost a brother. A sin that deserves a lifetime of cruelty.
It doesn't take them long to reach the end of the boat dock, nor does it take them long to find something suitable to plunge the damned tiger down into the depths. Dark blue eyes find themselves staring at the convulsing traitor, still indulging in his suffering as Gongjiang ties a rusted anchor to Zhonglei's ankles. "Zhongcheng!" This snaps the bison's attention over to his face whilst the wolf continues watching on, his eyes widened in curiosity. "What have you done to her!? What have you done to her!? Why!? Why would you do this!?" His wrathful roars are accentuated by mournful sniffles and the hiccups of choked tears. Safe to say the tiger is a dismantled wreck, but for Zhongcheng, it isn't enough. "Why them!? Why not me!? Hurt me! Kill me! If you want revenge, then take me! Please! Just leave Liliang alone!"
A demented chuckle leaves the bison general's lips as he finishes tying the rope around his feet, "You'll get what you want soon enough, traitor." He spits on the mentally imprisoned tiger, disgust and satisfaction morphing his voice into an instrument of sadism.
"Get back to base." A command that is delivered with softness yet holds no empathy, no care. No regrets. The wolf's eyes remain fixated on the broken tiger with no discernible emotion on his face. "I will be back soon." He doesn't see the salute his brother gives him, nor does he check if he has actually left. Why would he? Gongjiang has always been loyal, not only to him but to their mission… unlike some.
Dark blue eyes bore into the depths of Zhonglei's empty blue sclera, the wolf's face maintaining an expression that can't even be read in the rowdy waves of the yellow river. Hurt, betrayal, disgust, victory, vengeance; so many emotions scramble around in his eyes yet none of them show on his deathly pale face. They glow a putrid, sinister light as the sadistic commander puts his foot on the anchor, making sure that the deluded tiger hears this.
"Goodbye… brother."
Shove! Splash!
"Zhongcheng! Wai-
Zhonglei's screams are snuffed out by the waves that so eagerly consume his body, swallowing him whole as the anchor drags him down. As his body disappears beneath the heartless waters of the yellow river, Zhongcheng watches on for a moment, a crushing emptiness filling his soul at the sight. Emptiness that he wilfully discards at the thought of what will come next.
Invasion.
With one last remnant of his past now dealt with, the wolf commander walks away from the dock before getting on all fours and sprinting to his base. Unaware of the blue and hazel eyes that had watched him dump the petrified tiger down into the depths from the safety of a shadowy alley opposite him.
As the wolf leaves their line of sight, Mantis moves to hop off his perch on Shifu's soldier until his master halts him. Their enemy may not be able to see them anymore, but they cannot underestimate his other senses. Not when Zhonglei's life depends on it. Listening carefully for Zhongcheng's steps, the grandmaster keeps his student still until the faint sounds of the wolf fade completely. After a few moments, his ears stop twitching. "Go." His swift, sharp whisper signals them both to escape from their shadowy veil and sprint to the docks.
They look down into the waters below, struggling to comb through the ravenous, unruly waves to pick out the Zhanshi chief. "There!" Mantis' call snaps the grandmaster's sight to the spot his claw is pointing at, the two just able to make out his faded silhouette sinking fast. "I've got this!" Before Shifu can protest, the insect master dives in, shooting downwards as Zhonglei's silhouette ceases its maddened thrashing.
Hazel irises expand into boulders as the tiger's form continues to plummet, giving him little time to act. Picking up the pace, he manages to see Zhonglei's unconscious face peak out, his descent slowing to a crawl. The anchor must've reached the bottom by now. With this hope in mind, Mantis wades his way down, quickly placing a claw on the tiger's neck to check for a pulse.
Bump… Bump…
It's too weak, he's running out of time.
Thrusting himself downward, Mantis sees the rope connecting the tiger to the river's helper, tied in a complicated knot. A sight his lungs shiver at as they beg for air.
Which begs the question; how is he going to get back up?
Looking back at the rope and to Zhonglei's unmoving body, an idea pops into the insect master's head. Sorry, Zhonglei, but this may be the best way to get you out… assuming that anchor won't stop me… Nah, it won't. As he charges up chi into his legs, he swims downward until he reaches a far enough distance from the tiger, trying his best to ignore how loudly his lungs plead for air. He speeds upwards, twisting around as he reels his legs back and lands a double kick in the tiger's back.
Wham!
A golden explosion sends shockwaves through the water as Zhonglei shoots upwards at a high speed, the anchor following suit. As he ascends, Mantis quickly grabs the rope to hitch a ride, silently praying he'll reach the surface.
Steely blue irises keep their gaze focused on the water, his heart pounding in panic for both his old friend and his student. Moment after moment passes, his worry only growing as no sign of either of the two presents itself. That is, until he feels a shockwave shake the very dock he is standing on, sending ripples flowing through the river. Confused, Shifu looks closer into the river only to zip his head away again as Zhonglei's body bursts out of the water and soars in the air, his shadow hovering over the dock. Soon after, Mantis' figure pops out of the water, still clutching the rope as he takes a massive breath in. "Cut the rope, quick!"
Without needing further instruction, the grandmaster leaps up into the air, channelling chi into his paw before aiming a kung fu chop at the rope. Slicing it in two, Shifu drops down to catch the unconscious tiger whilst Mantis hops away from the rope and onto the docks, panting. "Are you alright?" Shifu blurts out in panic as he places down Zhonglei, his eyes focused on Mantis.
"I'll be fine." He waves his arms dismissively, trying his best to recover from the lack of air. "It's him you should worry about."
Hurriedly, the elder master places his paws on the Zhanshi chief's chest, pressing down hard to strengthen his pulse. Nothing.
He presses down again. Nothing
"Come on, Zhonglei."
He presses down again. Nothing.
"No. No, no! Wake up!"
He pushes down once more, only to receive a face full of water as the golden tiger coughs the fluid out of his lungs, putting a smile on both masters' faces. That is, until they notice his eyes are still reduced to sickly blue sclera. "Liliang!?" He yells out, panicking the two further.
Before he can muster a roar or scream loud enough to compromise their location, Shifu reels his index and middle fingers back and thrusts them into the tiger's chest. As a blue shockwave engulfs Zhonglei's body in response, his nerves freeze in place, leaving Shifu to give a pitiful apology. "Sorry, old friend. But this is to get you to safety." He darts his head over to the recovering Mantis, "Do you still have strength left?"
A proud smile spreads across the insect master's face as he hops under the frozen Zhanshi chief and picks him up with ease. "Got plenty to spare, master. Let's go!" He hops ahead as Shifu glances at him in relief before following after him.
As they make their way back to the emperor's palace, Shifu takes quick peaks behind them, heaving a great sigh at the sight of nothing. Thankful that they could at least save Zhonglei from a truly horrible fate.
Yay! Zhonglei didn't die! Maybe there is a chance after all. Also, I guess you lot could see what I meant by tensions running high between Po and Shifu, poor guys. Anyways, this is a pretty big moment. 10 chapters are left in the story. And all of them are HEAVY HITTERS let me tell ya. So get yourself strapped in, cuz the next 10 chapters only get crazier and more dramatic from here on out. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and the story as a whole. Until next time :)
(Also, I am so happy that view counts are back... well, slowly coming back. About time that got fixed.)
