Author's Note: Hey there people! It's been a while, hasn't it. Let me tell you, this chapter has taken quite a while to write, mainly in terms of just figuring out the pacing as well as keeping all the fights interesting cuz there are so many in this one chapter! Plus there was some medical stuff too (don't worry, I'm fine... as far as I know) but I'm all good and here is a new chapter for you all! This one was quite a doozy to write, can't lie. Has plenty of emotional moments and some cool fighting stuff going on too. Anyways let's get on with it.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (Obviously...)

Trigger warning: More blood than usual (and I mean it.)

Enjoy.

Fighting Fear Itself

As their fight begins, Zhongcheng saunters his way through the throne room, an egoistic, victorious confidence evident in his gait as he reaches the centre of the room. He ignores the lavish carpet underneath his feet, the intricately carved patterns of dragons and phoenixes on the columns, the massive window providing a stunning view of the forbidden city just behind the room's namesake. None of it matters to him, not yet anyway. Instead, his eyes are set squarely on the lion standing tall by his regal throne. "I must say, Renci, you have certainly surprised me." A ghastly, mocking tone takes hold of his powerful voice as he greets the son of heaven with a sadistic grin, remembering when he was just a mere cub playing on his father's lap. Wide-eyed and proud of his lineage. How much has that changed? "Your father would've run off with the rest of them."

"You would do well to remember that I am your emperor, Zhongcheng." The emperor spits with a corrosive disdain burning his tongue, "I will not run. Not from you. Not from anyone that dares threaten my home!" This courageous roar is followed by him unsheathing his sword, readying himself with his golden eyes focused solely on the dreaded wolf. Yet, in his ferocious glare, Zhongcheng is able to pick out something his enemy fails to hide.

Fear. He's tempted to laugh at the sight of Renci's poor, quivering eyes that hide behind a stalwart expression of steel. A shield that he knows he can break easily. "Oh my, how noble of you, Renci." He takes a few steps forward, urging the royal lion to do the same. "Let's see how far that 'bravery' goes until it unmasks itself as foolishness."

Fed up with his arrogant taunts, the emperor rushes forward with his sword raised as his canine enemy gets into his stance. He thrusts his sword forward only for the wolf to immediately dodge the blade and counters with a kick to his leg and a kidney punch. As soon as this punch connects however, Renci grabs his wrist and responds with a front kick that pushes him back. Following up on this minor advantage, the emperor aims a sidewards swipe at Zhongcheng's head, clenching his free fist in preparation for his evasion. As expected, he ducks the swipe but soon catches him by surprise by deflecting his fist and punching his knee. Forced off balance, the lion is left open for the commander to connect an elbow to his chin, dazing him long enough for the commander to kick the sword out of his grasp.

"Does it feel good to play hero? Hm!?" Zhongcheng lands a palm strike on Renci's chest, making him take a few steps back as the wolf continues his offensive with a barrage of punches. "Does it feel good to spout virtuous gibberish while your city crumbles around you?" A vicious growl bellows from Zhongcheng's throat as the lion blocks his barrage with his gauntlets, unable to counter, "Does it feel good to experience every hit," Soon enough the emperor's guard fails him once the devious wolf lands a kidney punch, leaving him open for a punch in the jaw. Wham! "Every ache," Bam! "Every wound!" Wham! He punches his snout directly, the emperor falling to his knees in a daze as blood pours out of his nostrils. "Every broken bone that they endure daily." Zhongcheng takes slow, confident steps as his enemy reels in pain, smirking at how weak the 'son of heaven' truly is. "Or is it too much to bear? Have you now realised that you are out of your depth?" Nose still bleeding, Renci glares up at the dreaded wolf, his fighting spirit still burning in his eyes. A sight that doesn't deter the commander's stride, not when his fear presides within those 'courageous' flames. "That you would have been better off hiding away with your council and leaving these kung fu masters to take care of you and your father's sins?"

Enraged, Renci bolts forward and throws a wild haymaker to Zhongcheng's face only for his fist to be batted aside, the skilled wolf punching him in the gut and lifting him up by the throat with one arm. "But you believe yourself better than that, don't you?" A wicked smile crosses his face as his captive struggles in his grasp, kicking at his chest and punching his arm to no avail. "You believe yourself to be more brave, more strong, more honourable than your father." His claws begin to dig into his neck, thin streams of blood forming as they pierce the skin. The emperor tries to inhale as much air as he can only for the wolf to squeeze tightly, an unimpressed scowl forming on his face as the mighty 'emperor' chokes in his grasp. "You believe yourself to be a mighty ruler standing against evil, but all I see is a child that hasn't grown up. Clinging to ideals that will only get himself killed." He doesn't let up, suffocating the poor lion in his grasp with retribution fuelling his eyes. Though his father is long gone, Zhongcheng can't help but feel a sadistic satisfaction in watching Renci's life slowly seep out of his eyes. The sins of the father certainly do fall upon the son.

Crash!

Before he can even react, Zhonglei dives through the massive window just behind the emperor's throne and chucks a smoke bomb he had kept from the wolf's base right at him. Within moments a thick cloud of grey engulfs the vision of both the wolf and his captive, prying his paw loose as carbon monoxide injects itself into his lungs. In between bouts of coughing, he tries to wave away the suffocating cloud whilst Renci is pulled out of the smoke. His ears twitch, a gust of air pelts his armoured body. An attack. Reacting quickly, he dives to the side, narrowly dodging a lethal sword slash by Zhonglei and piercing his way out of the smoke cloud. Dark blue eyes open up to see said tiger now revealed by the dissipating smoke, his ruby irises boring into him as he stands in front of the panting emperor. "Go, Renci. I will keep him off you." He whispers to the downed lion, sliding his sword over to him with his foot whilst keeping his glare set on his former brother.

The emperor picks up his sword whilst massaging his throat, managing to finally catch his breath. He takes his paw away from his neck and stares at the blood now staining it, gaining a venomous scowl as he clenches his stained fist, his golden eyes glaring at the dreaded commander. His father's greatest mistake. "I will not run." Zhonglei darts his head back, silently reprimanding him with a single glance whilst Zhongcheng chuckles at the emperor's vicious snarl.

"The boy seeks to become a man, not realising the strength of men lies not only in their valour. But their intelligence. Run along, Renci. After all, why fight for your beliefs when your slaves can do that for you?" He taunts the lion, readying himself in his stance as Zhonglei's eyes fall upon him again. A silent threat. A silent promise of his righteous fury.

"He's trying to get in your head." The golden tiger's stare remains fixated on the pale wolf as he whispers to Renci, getting in his own stance with his sword raised. "You need to get out of here."

His command is ignored and promptly defied as the emperor walks to his side, holding up his sword in a sloppier version of Zhonglei's stance. "I won't prove that scum right, not here." No matter what his old friend has to say, he can't abandon his home. He can't slink away. After all, what good will his survival be if everything else will fall around him?

Though hesitant, Zhonglei doesn't argue anymore, knowing just how stubborn the lion can be. Both felines stare down the pale commander, his wicked grin brimming a victorious arrogance despite being unarmed. Don't be so sure, he always has a trick up his sleeve. The Zhanshi chief reminds himself as they remain still, watching each other with careful eyes as they wait for someone to make the first move.

Whilst the emperor and Zhonglei fight the heartless commander, Po clashes with the monster controlling Tigress' body, its eye still clouded with a sickly blue hue. It attempts to claw at his face multiple times only for its ravenous swipes to be evaded by him. Channelling his fearful chi into his right paw, the dragon warrior attempts to get back into Tigress' mind only for the monster to catch his wrist before he can reach its head. "You're not getting into our head again!" This vicious snarl is followed by a side kick that sends Po tumbling to the floor, allowing the monster to pounce onto him, its claws ready to tear him apart. "You will pay! For everything!" The monster reels its claws back only for the panda to catch its wrists mid-strike, letting him headbutt the tiger before throwing it off him.

"I'm not Zhongcheng! I'm trying to help her, just like you!" He beckons, hoping to get through to the beast keeping his love away by lock-and-key. But as the primal tiger stands back up, its grizzly scowl tells him everything he needs to know. Getting into his inner peace stance, he awaits the next bestial barrage as it charges at him on all-fours. Claws, fists, and kicks shoot towards him, but he parries and deflects it all without sparing a second thought. He once again tries to tap its head with his chi-covered paw, but it is simply too fast, swerving its head out of the way as it lands a double palm strike on his belly. Po rolls back with the momentum of its powerful strike, narrowly dodging another ferocious pounce from the monster as he stands back up, undeterred. They trade blows, the panda managing to avoid every swipe of his opponent's claws whilst the monster either blocks or takes whatever attack the panda connects without flinching.

After taking one more punch to the gut, the monster grabs his right arm and digs its claws into his flesh, tearing more at the fabric covering him and making his previous wounds bleed out more. An agonising scream leaves Po's mouth but it doesn't let him vocalise his torment for long as it viciously punches his liver with its free arm, showing no signs of letting up. On the fourth punch, however, the monster's fist suddenly unclenches, its eyes widening as its head swells. Inside Tigress' split mind, said tiger still punches at the door, her pleading yells turning into panicked roars as miniscule dents form in its iron surface. "Don't you dare hurt him! Let him go!" With a stifled growl, the monster loosens its grip on Po and kicks him away, holding its head as Tigress tries desperately to break free. "Po…" Tigress only just manages to speak as her panda gets back on his feet, holding his bleeding arm. "Run… Stop… Zhongcheng!"

Her command comes out in a strangled, struggling garble as the monster tries to gain back control. A command that the dragon warrior ignores as he channels the fear-ridden chi into his unwounded paw. Now is his chance to get back in there. He sprints towards the distracted, struggling tiger and thrusts his paw forward. But by the time he reaches her, the monster has already regained control, catching his wrist immediately and tossing him back as it readjusts to the battle. Po rolls back onto his feet as he hits the floor, gritting his teeth at the burning pain in his arm. Yet he can't focus on this pain for long, forced into his inner peace stance again as the monster charges at him, claws unsheathed.

Meanwhile, within the pavilion's vast museum, Viper swerves her way out of Crane's flying kick and trips him up as he lands. She tries to slam her tail down on top of him, but her mind-controlled bird rolls out of the way. Regardless, the serpent master doesn't let up, attempting tail strike after tail strike only for Crane to parry and deflect each one. She attempts one last tail swipe at his face, but he catches the tip of her tail in his foot before it can connect. Before she can counter this, the avian master flies up and heads towards one of the columns holding the building up. At the last second, he quickly swerves to the side, momentum throwing Viper's face right into the column.

Slam!

Dazed and locked in his grasp, Viper is unable to do anything as Crane repeats this with two more pillars.

Wham!

Bam!

After the third hit, Crane flies up to the ceiling and flings his captive's head onto the tapestry of the phoenix's flame before aiming a stomp at her head with his free foot. In the time he takes to do this, Viper manages to regain her bearings and ducks her head to the side, his foot shattering the illustrated orb on impact. Before he can recover, she dazes him with a headbutt, making him loosen his grip on her. She yanks her tail out of his grasp and wraps herself around his right wing, forcing him out of the air as she twists herself around and slams him down on the floor.

Crane wriggles his wing free of Kai's chained blade and cartwheels away from him before taking a defensive. His hollow blue eyes narrow in contemplation as he stares at the grinning yak. How did he come back? Didn't Po obliterate him? Why target himself rather than the panda that beat him? Was it just to toy with him? To torment him and destroy his peaceful life before his eyes. "Crane…" Viper's voice calls to him, yet she is petrified with the rest of his kung fu family. Right? "Listen to me…" What strikes him as even more odd, is that he can't recall her saying this. Ever. "What you're seeing isn't real…" Where is her voice coming from? He darts his eyes around until they fall upon his and his serpent's home, littered with terrified bodies. Zhongcheng stares at him with a sadistic smile, Viper clutched in his paw by her throat. He looks into her petrified eyes as they utter a plea, "You have to fight it. You have to come back to me. Please…" Tears roll down her eyes, strangling the avian master's heart as the damned wolf chokes the life out of her.

For a second it seems like her bird can hear her, but what Viper sees next only puts that thought into question. Venom coats Crane's hollow, blue sclera, his glare focused solely on her. Or so she thinks. She doesn't see Zhongcheng toss her spasming body aside, she doesn't see him taunt her bird, she doesn't see the future he so desperately wishes for crumble before his very eyes. "I'll fight for you, Viper." His near silent whisper almost escapes her as the avian master readies himself to charge, "No one else." Though she is tempted to smile, Viper forces it down and gets into her own stance as Crane shoots forward, allowing a single thought to bolster her spirit.

He heard her. There is a chance.

As their battle recommences, Monkey whiffs another strike with his nunchaku, his opponent managing to dodge with ease as he hops from the museum's wall to the pedestals that still hold priceless artefacts. With each pedestal Mantis bounds behind, his brainwashed best buddy follows him along and bulldozes them with powerful swings of his weapon. He swings once more as the insect master hops on top of a pedestal holding an antique vase, jumping forward once the nunchaku demolishes both the pedestal and the intricate, extravagant paintings of the artefact. Mid-jump, he grabs the nunchaku handle with his claws and swings around with all his strength to throw Monkey at the wall back-first, the langur releasing his hold on the weapon.

"Damnit, Monkey! You're better than this!" Mantis yells out, speeding towards his best friend as he picks himself up. To his distress, the langur's eyes remain beholden to Zhongcheng's influence. He tries to trip him up with the nunchaku only for Monkey to hop over it and land in a handstand. "Zhongcheng's somewhere else! Trying to take over! You're fighting me! Wake up, man!" He aims a downward strike only for his best buddy to step back and kick at him. Mantis dodges and counters with a jumping swing of his nunchaku but Monkey catches the handle in his other foot, proceeding to lift one of his hands off the ground and punch his opponent up in the air. Sent hurtling upwards disarmed, the insect master can do nothing but brace himself as Monkey gets back onto his feet and swings the nunchaku at his descending body.

Bam!

Mantis shoots backwards as the handle smashes into his body, bearing the strength of a cannon and the bluntness of a hammer.

Crash!

His body decimates one of the pillars holding up the pavilion as he collides with it head-first. Chunks of marble and gold fall on top of the insect master, but he manages to zoom out of the way albeit with blurred vision. Still dazed by the devastating impact of the pillar, Mantis holds himself steady by a chunk of rubble, slowly regaining his bearings as Monkey runs after him, ready to continue his overwhelming offence.

At the very last second, Mantis hurls himself out the way of what would be a concussion as the legendary nunchaku reduces the rubble he was leaning on to dust. Monkey bolts over to him again as the insect master's vision finally clears, letting him weave his body out of a downward smash and counter with a leaping kick to his chest. Whilst his best friend falls back, Mantis darts his eyes between the shattered pedestals and artefacts reduced to remnants. Hazel irises widen at the sight of gleaming metal. The sight of an artefact that had gained Po's overjoyed fanfare the day before. Mantis grins.

Recovering quickly, Monkey dashes forward whilst expertly spinning his weapon around his arms. Hollow blue sclera notices his enemy speeding over to the rubble off to his left, the langur shifting course and leaping up in the air, his nunchaku primed to slam down onto the rubble below. Unfortunately for him, scarred yet glistening silver emerges from the rubble, protecting Mantis in its meagre yet legendary presence. The unbreakable shield of invincible might stands tall against master Cheetah's nunchaku, the latter challenging its namesake.

Clank!

It doesn't make a dent. Not even a scratch is left on the shining surface as the might shield reflects its power back, flinging the nunchaku out of Monkey's hand and leaving him open. Before he can recover, a golden glow intensifies behind the shield until a powerful shockwave explodes behind it.

Wham!

The shield flies right into his face as Mantis kicks it with chi-imbued into his legs, the langur hurtling back alongside the shield. As Monkey rolls along the ground, the indestructible shield skids to the side, its loud clang adding to the ringing in the langur's ears. His vision remains blurred as he gets onto his knees, unable to see the green blur speed past him.

"I'm fine, Monkey!" Mantis' voice pounds into the langur's head, sobering him up in mere seconds. His vision clears, hollow blue sclera darting around the dark room Zhongcheng had trapped him in. Shifting between the limp and petrified bodies of his kung fu family. "Zhongcheng's got a grip on your mind! He's using your own fears against you!" Yet among their bodies, among the flashes of blue that linger in the dark void far away, he can't find the source of his best friend's voice. Is it from a memory? Is he hallucinating? Or is it one of Zhongcheng's tricks? "You have to break free!" Soon enough, dark blue irises glare into his soul through the darkness, ebbing away at his mind as they glimmer with sadistic glee. Those eyes reveal themselves as Zhongcheng steps forward, his pale form escaping the overwhelming darkness to now be illuminated by Monkey's vengeful glare. Just behind the dreaded wolf the outlines of bars can be seen. Prison bars, blocking them both off from the terrified screams and petrified flashes of the forbidden city's victims. Blocking them off from the potential source of his best buddy's voice.

Mantis remains alert, ready to dash for the legendary shield next to him as his brainwashed friend gives him a determined, ruthless scowl. "Hang on, buddy." Mantis can only just hear the langur mutter to himself as he gets into his stance, "Once Zhongcheng's down, I'm getting outta here." The brief smile that had formed on the insect master's face immediately falls as Monkey charges forward, making him speed over to the shield with a single thought amidst their recommencing fight.

I'm getting through. I just gotta keep trying.

By the rear doors of the pavilion, Shifu is forced to dodge a near endless barrage of spinning blades, the Wu-sisters refusing to grant him a reprieve. They can't let up; they can't take him lightly. Not even for a second. He's far too dangerous. Even with his bad leg still bleeding, the grandmaster can't be toyed with. Even with this wound, he manages to keep up with the three of them, looking for some kind of opening. Irritated at the elder master's evasion, Wing strikes downward with both her blades aimed at his head. At the same time, Wan aims a sweeping slice of her blades at his legs. His opening presenting itself, Shifu blocks Wing's overhead strike with his staff and jumps over Wan's blade sweep, leaving the middle sister open for a leaping kick to the chest. As she is sent flying, Su-Wu quickly takes her place and attempts a vertical slash at the mid-air master. Shifu swiftly spins around and deflects her strike with his staff before landing with a grimace.

Pain soars through his body at the hard landing, distracting him long enough for Wan to slash at his chest. Luckily, he recovers and steps back fast enough for the blade to only slice into his grandmaster's sash. Before long, Su-Wu rolls behind him as they try to cut into him again from the front and back, the elder master managing to block and deflect each attack with expert precision. But they refrain from making the same mistake, making sure he has no time to counter, no room to breathe as drops of blood rain down on the floor. "Face it, Shifu. That old body of yours will give out soon." Su-Wu's taunting words don't faze the unshakeable master as they step onto the fresh blood beneath their feet and paint the floor's canvas with spots of crimson. Though it is to put him off, Shifu can't deny the exhaustion creeping its way up onto his body. He needs to finish this fast.

Steely blue eyes harden as his ears pick up the sound of Wing's hurried footsteps. He can't wait for openings anymore, its time he made them. Su-Wu slashes at his head whilst Wan aims at his back, neither leopard aware of him channelling chi into his right paw and swapping his staff into his left. With the hooked end of the staff, Shifu manages to catch Wan's wrist without even looking at her and pin it to the floor, facing Su-Wu as he ducks back and glides his paw just atop the blade. He pushes it away with enough force to make her stumble, leaving her open to a powerful, golden palm thrust.

Bam!

As her eldest sister is sent hurtling backwards, Wan attempts another swipe at his back with her free paw but is swiftly dodged by Shifu lifting himself up onto his staff with one arm. Leaving her no time to react, the grandmaster twists himself and drops onto her, leaving cracks in the floor as he stomps on her head with his good leg. Soon after this, he is forced to leap back as Wing pounces onto him, beginning her own barrage whilst Su-Wu picks herself up and Wan lies in a dazed heap.

A single yellow iris darkens in rage as Shifu battles the middle sister, fairing far batter than before. Su-Wu grits her teeth as she places her paw on her abdominals, suppressing a deep growl. What is she doing!? We have to be attacking together! Panic begins to spread through her body, numbing the pain caused by the red panda's last attack and allowing her to sprint forward.

Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, Shifu blocks and then deflects a double blade strike from Wing before hitting the back of her shin with his staff. Though it pushes her onto one knee, she still tries to slash at him with her right paw only for him to use the other end of his staff to smack her arm upward, knocking the wheel up into the air. He hops onto her knee just as she attacks him with her left wheeled blade, the grandmaster managing to dodge this as he jumps up and delivers a high kick to her chin. This throws her head back, making her fall to the floor in a daze whilst her opponent smacks away the wheeled blade descending onto him mid-air. Not wanting to give her a chance to get out of her stupor, Shifu lands on her chest with a double-legged stomp, knocking the wind out of her before he sheathes his staff into his sash and delivers a brutal barrage of rolling punches right to her face. Through his attacks, she attempts to counter but her paws fall limp before they can even form fists, her eyes closing as she gets punched into unconsciousness.

Mid-way through his punches, Su-Wu manages to send him back with a kick to his side, sparing her sister a quick glance only to glower in disappointment. "This is your last chance." Shifu's indomitable voice pulls her out of her glance, his steely-blue irises containing a determined ruthlessness seldom seen on any kung fu master. The same ruthlessness that has rendered Wing's face bruised, bloodied, and beaten into the floor. "Get out of my way."

His warning falls on deaf ears however, the eldest sister letting out a menacing snarl as Wan joins her side, still recovering from his stomp from earlier. Though his bad leg howls out at him in agony and the blood coursing from his wounds forms a sheet of crimson beneath his feet, Shifu takes a deep breath and enters his inner peace stance as he unsheathes his staff, ready for the two remaining sisters that charge at him on all-fours. Their wheeled blades slice through the air at rapid speed, craving the grandmaster's blood. But he denies them the chance, deflecting each enraged attack without missing a beat. This only serves to boil Su-Wu's blood further, making her attacks wilder and more desperate. More heavy-handed and out of balance. Perfect.

She lunges her right arm right at his face, only for Shifu to push the blade away with his staff and yank her arm forwards with his free paw. Wan tries to capitalise on his shifted focus with a double blade swipe, but he ducks this immediately as her eldest sister stumbles behind him. Before she can regain her balance, Shifu does a 360 low sweep that forces both leopards to flop face down on the floor. Still a bit dazed from earlier, Wan takes a few seconds longer to pick herself up than her sister. A few seconds too late as Shifu follows through the momentum of his spin and raises his good leg up, shining with chi.

Bam!

Small pieces of rubble fly up from the ground as a golden shockwave explodes onto the youngest leopard's head, Shifu's powerful stomp knocking her out instantly. The red panda's ear twitches at the sound of Su-Wu's wrathful growl, making him turn around to block and parry each of her vicious attacks with ease. "Damn you! Why won't you die!?" She roars as the elder master continues to make a fool of her, now countering each of her attacks with precise jabs with his staff and swift yet brutal punches to her torso. Though she feels her lungs punching out air and her fur completely soaked in sweat, she refuses to back down. The Wu-sisters bow to no one! It seems the irony of this thought is completely lost on her as she throws out a spin kick, low-sweep and cross blade slice in quick succession. To her shock, Shifu dodges it all, moving at an unfathomable speed before smacking the bladed wheels out of her grasp with his staff and spinning it around to smack her in the face, sending her to the floor. Her vision teeters as she places her paws on the ground, her arms struggling to pick herself up until Shifu's shadow lingers over her.

Slam!

Su-Wu is welcomed to the land of unconsciousness with open arms as Shifu slams the base of his staff on the back of her head, stuffing her face in the cracked and broken floor in the process. Allowing himself a brief yet much needed reprieve, his lungs practically ache in his heavy breathing as he gazes at the three unconscious sisters. That's one problem taken care of. He can't help but grimace as he turns to face his battling students, the excruciating sting of his wounded leg catching up to him now the adrenaline of battle has faded. Regardless of his debilitating wounds, he shoves aside the idea of healing it, knowing it will take too much chi out of him. His face settles into his usual steel mask as he gazes towards his pupil. Hazel eyes see him ponder his approach, the insect master deciding to answer for him. "We can handle this, master!"

Mantis' yell is quickly interrupted by Monkey attempting to land a punch on him, but he is too fast for the langur whose fist smacks against master Rhino's shield with a clang. He holds his arm out only for Mantis to kick him away and continue his offensive. "Go and help Po!" Shifu turns his head to see Viper coil herself around Crane's torso and spin him around, "Hurry!" She implores as her brainwashed bird spreads his wings mid-spin and steadies himself back into his stance.

Though concern fuels his steely eyes, he knows that they are right. If the Wu-sisters have managed to sneak in here, then there is no doubt that Zhongcheng has done the same. Po won't be able to handle both Tigress and Zhongcheng on his own, almost guaranteeing the end of both him and the emperor. But can Mantis and Viper find the strength to defeat their own friends? No, he can't ask this. The potential answers that question brings will keep him from leaving. Stay strong. Don't give up on them. He prays to them, bestowing all of his faith in his students as he runs out the pavilion's rear doors.

A cacophony of clanging swords, war cries and dying screams greets him as he bursts out the other side of the pavilion, this bloody soundscape telling him everything he needs to know about the situation on by the palace's perimeter. His eyes glance down the full length of the palace, gliding past the dormitories of the emperor's council and settling on the magnificent tower at the very end of the complex. No glistening gold fabric, nor a peak of black and orange fur can be seen amidst them. That can only mean one thing. Upon realising how far she must have already gotten, Shifu makes a mad dash for the emperor's tower, trying his best to ignore the roaring torment welling up within his bleeding leg upon each step he takes. He has to hold out, no matter how much pain he must endure.

To his surprise however, two wolves, a brainwashed jaguar and ox all emerge from the sides of the pavilion, tailing him on all-fours. Hunger coats the eyes of Zhongcheng's own men whilst the petrified soldiers of the emperor keep their eyes glued on him with an immense concentration. As he passes by the first row of residence for the council members, Shifu can already feel them get closer with each step, knowing he will have to put up a fight once they inevitably close the distance. But he has no time. They make it to the second and final row of residential buildings with one of the wolves unsheathing his claws as he gets closer and closer to the grandmaster.

Shink!

Steely blue eyes widen as a guan dao zooms past him and impales the head of the wolf that was just behind him, killing him instantly. Shocked at the sudden, flying weapon, the rest of the sprinting soldiers skid to a halt as Shifu keeps running. They look around to find the source of said weapon, only to be caught off-guard once again by Tianshi leaping off the roof and punching the wolf in the face. Before any of the soldiers can retaliate, she rips her guan dao out of their dead friend's head and thrusts it into the guts of the remaining wolf. Without needing to look, the tiger chiefess parries the ox's sword with her small shield and counters with a shield bash to his face, rendering him unconscious. She looks to the side just in time as the remaining jaguar soldier thrusts his spear at her, the tiger managing to dodge it by a razor's edge. Wasting no time, she grabs the handle of the spear and snaps it in half with a single kung fu chop, disarming the jaguar. He rushes her, throwing out a punch that she easily evades and counters with knee to his gut and elbow to the back of his head, sending him to the floor face-first. Though he tries to get up, Tianshi continues her assault with three powerful punches to the back of his head, sending him to dreamland. Emerald irises shift their attention to Shifu's shrinking form, silently wishing him luck as she rushes to the front of the palace.

Thud!

As soon as she gets past the council's residence, the Zhanshi chiefess' ears pick up a powerful, dangerous rumble past the front gates. A rumble that even garners Shifu's attention, forcing him to stop near the base of the tower and turn to face the source of the sound.

Thud!

Another one sounds off, yet this rumble veers slightly to the left of the previous one, almost as if it is happening right under one of the buildings. Steely blue and emerald narrow in suspicion as they ruminate on this, not understanding what it is the wolf has planned out. Unless the rumble is coming from… the top of the building. Both Shifu and Tianshi's eyes widen as a crucial detail rings clear in their minds. Only one cannon has been used, and Zhongcheng has an entire arsenal of Shen's deadly weapons.

Thud!

Sure enough, both of them see several figures hauling those large death machines up to the top of the forbidden city's tallest towers, making their eyes widen in horror as more and more appear upon each building. "Watch your heads! Scatter!" Tianshi bellows out to her soldiers, her brothers as Shifu rushes to the base of the emperor's tower, praying that the Zhanshi clan can hold on for long enough. That his daughter won't have to face her clan's true eradication.

Kaboom!

Once he enters into the tower, Zhongcheng's cannons begin to fire upon the front gates, obliterating chunks of the palace's perimeter wall in gigantic, fiery explosions on impact. All but one cannon fires at the Zhanshi forces by the front of the palace. All but a single cannon manned by Gongjiang, situated atop a grand tower within the city square. He aims the weapon at the emperor's tower, focusing on the outer walls of the throne room's hallway as a single brainwashed rhino stands beside him, the bison awaiting his brother's next command.

Thud!

Moments before this chaotic unveiling, Po is thrown through the large wooden doors leading into the tower's spiralling stairwell, with the monster sprinting after him on all fours as he rolls along the floor. He manages to quickly pick himself back up and block a kick aimed at his side before being forced to dodge a flurry of claw strikes once again. Though the panda feels his energy begin to drain at fighting his tiger, he doesn't allow himself to falter for even a moment. Not when she is still in there, waiting for him.

Thud!

Ducking under a double claw strike, he lands a triple palm combo on her torso, making the beast take a few steps back as he follows up with an elbow to its face. It swerves its head past it with ease, but Po already knew it would do that. With his stomach puffed out in preparation, the monster does what Tigress would normally do and aims a side kick on his tummy only for its foot to bounce right off. As it stumbles off-balance, the panda master capitalises on his opportunity and slaps both its ears, mentally apologising to his tiger while doing so. Disoriented, the beast tries to swipe at his face with one arm holding one of its aching ears, but Po diverts the claw aside whilst strengthening his belly once more. Before it can attack again, he performs his signature move. The belly gong.

Wham!

Thud!

The monster is sent flying straight up into the ceiling as his belly smacks her upwards, jade eyes softening in concern at its body colliding with the chandelier directly above him. A few shards of gemstone and raindrops of waxwork rain down alongside the tiger's descending body as the chains of the chandelier rattle in the room. To Po's surprise however, it still aims a claw at him despite being clearly dazed. His face hardens, hating that he has to hurt her so much, but he truly has no choice. Now surprising the beast, he leaps up into the air and meets it with a spinning kick to its face before it can even try to lunge at him.

Bam!

Kaboom!

Too focused on their battle to notice the muffled explosions of cannons pelting the palace outside, Po runs over to his tiger as the monster slams against the rear wall and flops to the floor. It places its paws on the ground, a sickening growl leaving its maw as it tries to get up only for its enemy to take it into a chokehold from behind. "Tigress!" He calls to his love as he channels his fear-ridden chi into his right paw, struggling to hold the thrashing tiger still, "You have to fight it! You have to get control!" Snarls, growls, and roars burst out of the monster's maw, but Po pays it no mind, ready to thrust his glowing blue paw onto its hea-

Kaboom!

A shiver fills his spine as a single cannon shot overpowers every other sound in the room, reminding him of the volatile, dangerous power in Zhongcheng's possession. Yet that is not what frightens the dragon warrior. No. It is the whispers of the universe that follow it. His now glowing blue eyes widen in horror as those whispers soon turn into panicked yells, directing him to the very wall both him and his tiger are standing next to. To the place Gongjiang has just fired at. Within seconds of this realisation, he keeps his love in his grasp before throwing himself out of the way of the-

Boom!

"Wooaah!" An involuntary yell is thrust out of Po's mouth as a gigantic explosion of fire obliterates the wooden wall, they were just standing art, its very shockwave hurtling the panda and tiger in two separate directions. Whilst the monster is sent rolling along the floor, Po slams into the side wall by the doors head-first and flops on the ground, his vision blurry and teetering. He isn't even able to acknowledge the burns on his back gifted to him by the cannonball as he just barely manages to stand upright, his ears ringing loudly. He can't hear, he can't think, and he can only see mere blobs that form the shape of the room. He knows one thing though. Those cannons didn't do that before, they didn't explode on impact nor where their explosions that big. Zhongcheng must've done something to them, made them even more dangerous. GrEaT. Even his sarcastic thoughts are disoriented. Before anything else, Po breathes in and out deeply, his hearing and sight coming back bit by bit.

But the monster doesn't let him recover fully as it pounces at him, the panda master having absorbed most of the blast for it. He tries his best to block and deflect its claws, but it all proves futile as the monster overpowers him and swipes its claws at his chest.

Slash!

"Aaaaagh!" Po's senses immediately come back to him as he bellows out in agony, the monster digging its claws deep into his chest. Hollow and murky blue sclera glare into his own eyes as blood soaks the primal tiger's claws, its vicious growl mixing with his agonising screams of pain to form a cacophony of pain and barbarism. "T-Tigress! Aaaaghh!" Without a hint of mercy, the monster drags its claws across its chest, painting his entire torso crimson as it carves deep trenches into the poor panda's flesh. "P-please! Tigress!"

"Po!" The monster's eyes twitch as it feels a horrific pounding in its head, "Let go of him! You hear me! Let him go!" Within the tiger's warring mind, she punches and kicks into the iron door keeping her prisoner with all her strength, her eyes flooded in tears of pain and despair as her attacks finally cause large dents to form in its surface. "Don't you hurt my Po!" The monster soon retracts its claws from his chest as it stumbles off him, "P-Po…" Tigress' voice emerges for a split second, but the monster pushes her back in, struggling to maintain control. As it clutches at its head, it doesn't hear the sound of hurried footsteps sprinting up the stairwell nor does it see the flying kick aimed straight at it.

Bam!

Shifu kicks away the struggling monster only to look upon the dragon warrior in horror, "Po!" He rushes over to the wounded panda, the fur on his torso completely consumed by the blood oozing out of his chest. His breathing is laboured, almost as if he is forcing the breath out of his lungs to stay alive. Tears bleed down his eyes, consumed by despair and fear as he stares up at the ceiling, his right paw lying on his wounded chest. Trembling.

"Tigress." The red panda's heart breaks as he hears his student silently whisper to himself, his voice engulfed in terror. Yet he can tell this isn't directed at her. No, it's the terror that comes when it feels like death is lingering. That this could be the final moment they would ever have together.

Not if he has anything to say about it. "Po, look at me."

Snapping him out of his terrified trance, the dragon warrior gazes at him, "M-master." His shaking paw reaches out for his teacher who immediately holds his paw in his left paw, channelling all his chi into his right.

"You'll be okay." He places his paw atop Po's wound and closes his eyes as he funnels a great deal of his chi into him, "You'll be okay." His whisper adopts a fatherly tone that neither he nor the panda knew he has as a golden light shines off the panda's chest, the wounds that the monster had cut into him being sewn back together by the grandmaster's chi. Within moments, that wound that would have certainly been fatal closes up completely, a nasty, visible scar taking its place in the shape of four claw marks. Once this is done, Shifu feels himself breathe heavily, having exhausted an enormous amount of chi to save his life. "Are you…?"

Po sits upright, his breathing now stable yet his eyes clearly processing what has just happened. What the monster had forced his love to do. What Zhongcheng had forced her to do. "I'm fine." A scowl takes hold of his face as he looks to the writhing body of his tiger, still doing battle with her own monster.

Immediately noting the vengeful venom in the dragon warrior's tone, Shifu asks with a sternness only he can muster. "Where is Zhongcheng?"

"Fighting the emperor." His eyes don't leave the monster as it growls wildly in its attempts to regain control. Shifu gazes upon it too, his heart-aching at the sight at what his poor daughter has been turned into. Despite this, the emperor must be protected, and he knows full well that Po will disagree with what he'll say next.

"You need to go help him."

Jade eyes widen in disbelief as they glare at his master, "And leave Tigress like this? That's not happening."

"Po."

"We can take her on together, I can break her free." Though true, there is one small flaw to that plan.

"And by the time she's freed, Zhongcheng will kill him." Po can't find it in himself to argue back, Zhongcheng is a skilled fighter, regardless of his dirty tricks. "Now go, we don't have much time."

Though his expression reeks of hesitance, he ultimately knows his master is right. As the dragon warrior, he has to protect him. Jade eyes glance down to the drops of blood dripping down his bad leg, softening in concern as reaches his paw out and gives as much chi as he can to stop the bleeding, much to Shifu's surprise. "We're all making it out of here, okay."

Steely blue eyes gaze into jade as the golden glow from the dragon warrior's paw fades away, knowing that what he just said wasn't a question demanding for reassurance. This was a promise. A promise that the panda's gentle eyes implore to be kept. Shifu nods. Po stays for a moment before heading out the door leading to the throne room's hallway. Could he tell how hollow the red panda's nod was? Did the universe tell him it was a hopeless promise? Or did he simply take the lie as it is, hoping that Shifu would be wrong? For once, the red panda really hopes he is. But how can he keep a promise like that in a battle full of uncertainty?

His attention is drawn back to the monster inhabiting Tigress' body, its singular blue sclera glaring with a deep, deadly hatred. One that he had never seen on his daughter before. One that he knew she would never be capable of. It snarls at him, getting on all-fours as it gets ready to attack him. He doesn't see the true monster that stands in front of it. He doesn't see the amethyst eyes that have tormented it for so long. But for a mere moment, the monster before him is replaced by a little tiger cub wearing a red qipao, her smile the sweetest, most pure thing he has ever seen. It was her first day at the palace. A day that she had called a dream come true. This memory soon fades back into the depths of his mind, bringing him back to the nightmare he had never hoped to face. Though it takes far more effort than it had before, Shifu steels his face as he gets into his stance, uttering a quiet yet heartfelt vow to both himself and the daughter he had failed.

"Today, I will right my wrongs."

Oh my God, that was close. Now Shifu has to fight Tigress and Po has to fight Zhongcheng and now the cannons are in play and oh boy! Things are heating up quick! I hope you are all looking forward to what will happen next as much as I am, because things will only get crazier, trust me! (I will add one slight SPOILER to the next few chapters: Tigress does get free of the mind-control before the story ends. I promise you.) Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and the story as a whole. Let me know what you think, and until next time! :)