Quick Disclaimer:
I just wanted to take a moment to thank TheDragonChronicle for inspiring my work with their own, "Winds of Change." I fell head over heels for their story and it motivated me to create my own. There are some similarities between our two stories, but the author has assured me that it is okay! In all seriousness, any instances where I do happen to reference their fic is usually very few and far between, so this is less of "taken inspiration from" and more so of "inspired by". I promise you, I'm not trying to steal their work, but if something seems similar, don't be surprised.
Otherwise, the story itself is entirely unique, with completely original characters and a whole new set of stakes and events. They were actually very flattered that I would implement some of their own ideas into my work, so a big shoutout to TheDragonChronicle for making this all possible. I definitely wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for them.
With all that said, I will try to be updating as much as possible to get you guys caught up, and give this fic the audience it (hopefully) deserves. I thank you all for your patience.
The Shadows We Hold
A warrior, who refuses to fight…
A leader, who holds herself back…
And a nation… with everything to lose.
It's a race against time…
…but what no one seems to know is…
… how much is left.
This better be worth it.
That was the only thought running through the pig's mind as he trudged his way up the mountain, the sparse foliage giving way to rugged terrain. His breath became visible as the air grew colder, blending in with the mist that surrounded the giant peaks, adding a sense of unease that clung to him like a second skin. He wandered through the mountain pass for a bit, glancing down at his instructions before locating the entrance to the mountain tunnel.
There it is. Finally, I'm freezing my ass off out here!
Shivering, he made his way into the mountain, torches lining the tunnel every couple of feet. With each step, he felt the weight of secrecy pressing down on him, his senses heightened in fear by the unknown knowledge of what laid ahead. The tunnel's path ahead twisted and turned, leading him deeper into the heart of the mountain, where the sounds of the wind seemed to carry faint whispers of warning.
Finally, he reached the entrance to the hideout, a dark opening at the end of the tunnel similar to a gaping maw. As he stepped inside, the dim light revealed a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, their walls lined with ancient carvings and symbols of forgotten times. It was there he discovered several people dressed in black standing around a table, the shadows created by the torches obscuring their faces as they discussed something in hushed whispers.
"And he's sure this will work?"
"Yes. Once we have the artifact, our operation will go smoothly. At least that's what the boss says."
"And if they can't find it? If we're unable to locate the artifact–"
"Don't even think about that. That's the last thing the boss needs to be hearing."
"Yeah, but… our scouts have been searching for months."
"Well, sucks to be them now, doesn't it? If the artifact isn't found, it's their necks on the line, not ours."
The pig glanced nervously around at the huddled figures, clearing his throat to get their attention, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead despite the cold climate.
"Excuse me? Hi, I have a message for a Mr… Daolaogui?"
The dark silhouettes immediately turned to face him, and his sweat poured down faster. A figure approached him, significantly larger than the pig originally thought, the figure's muscles flexing against the tight fabric of his outfit as he snatched the scroll from the pig. The large character slowly unfurled it, the pig standing there nervously as the scroll was read in front of him. The unknown recipient suddenly grinned wickedly, his fangs glinting in the torchlight as the orange flames reflected in his eyes.
"The scouts have a lead."
The other members looked around in a mixture of excitement and apprehension, unsure of where this lead would bring them.
"Did they say where the artifact might be?"
"Rumor says that it's still in Tibet. Lucky us."
"Wait… what about the civil war?"
"That won't be an issue."
The stranger furled the scroll back up, staring down at the pig with an icy glare.
"Thank you, friend. As payment for your efforts, you shall be compensated accordingly."
The pig barely had time to blink before a blade was shoved into his gut, ripping up through him and slicing his heart. His murderer looked down at the body in disgust, addressing his companions without remorse. "Put him with the others."
He watched as two of the other figures scooped up the body and began dragging it away. He hastily wrote something down on a small scroll and handed it to a strange looking bird.
"Get this message to the scouts. We'll be with them shortly."
He turned to the rest of his companions, picking them out from the crowd.
"Aoyin, Chimei, Jiangshi, Hanba, and Kuei-shen, you're with me. The rest of you, work on the preparations here. Tell the boss we've found his prize."
The six of them took off, exiting the tunnel and leaping down the mountain with primal grace, their black uniforms a stark contrast to the powdered snow around them as the rest of their group was left to stare after them. Meanwhile, in another part of the mountain range, the two others had finally dragged the pig outside, the snowy wind howling in their ears. They unceremoniously dumped the body into a pit, and watched as it rolled down the mountainside where it joined over a dozen others, damned to spend eternity in an icy grave.
The Valley of Peace. A rather fitting name, as it were, since The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five bested General Kai, and had banished him back to the Spirit Realm. With the final threat to the Valley of Peace dealt with, the villagers were free to live in harmony. And as the sun rose from the east on a new day and a freshly restored Jade Palace, the bell sounded, and the Furious Five jumped out of their beds and waited in the hallway for their master. The doors burst open, and as Master Shifu traveled down the hallway, his students bowed their heads in greeting. Master Shifu conducts a quick glance over as they do so.
Master Crane, Master Viper, Master Monkey, Master Mantis. All versatile members of the Furious Five, each with their own special attributes. They all have proven their worth time and time again, each of them proving to Shifu that they belong in the Jade Palace. And as Shifu approached the end of the hallway, he stopped in front of his star pupil, and turned towards her.
Master Tigress. Tall. Strong. Solid. Easily the most lethal member of the Five, and easily the fastest, most agile, and dedicated of them as well. Shifu had raised her since she was a cub, but was often distant and reserved in his teachings, as he didn't want to repeat his past mistakes. Despite all that, he still saw her as his surrogate daughter, and he wouldn't have raised her any differently. As they exited their bows, they gazed at each other for a moment as unspoken words seemed to pass between them. Master Shifu was the first to break the trance as he turned to face the rest of the Five.
"Has anyone seen Po? He's supposed to be up by now, and I have a mission that I need to give to you all." The Five shook their heads collectively as they murmured among themselves. Of course they hadn't seen him. Po's lack of punctuality and respect for the rules was something that Shifu had been trying to correct ever since the panda had made a nuisance of himself on the steps of the Jade Palace Arena, and made himself a spectacle in front of the entire village. But no matter how hard he tried, or how much progress he thought he made, Po always went back to being childish and undisciplined. This was usually because of some random attraction in the village, or because they were out of bean buns.
Shifu sighed and walked over to Po's room, throwing the door open. The sunlight from the window illuminated the panda's large frame, his ears twitching slightly at the sound of his door being opened. As Shifu continued to stare at him in annoyance, the massive panda rolled over from his stomach and onto his back, idly scratching his side. The Furious Five joined him, and as Tigress crossed her arms and scowled at the display of blatant disrespect Po was showing, the rest of the Five started having a discussion. Mantis was the first to speak.
"Dibs on waking him up."
"What? No way! You woke him up last time!" Monkey exclaimed. "It's my turn!"
"Actually, I haven't done it in weeks." Crane said. "So that makes it my turn."
They continued to bicker as Viper tried to play referee, with Shifu sighing in annoyance and pinching the bridge of his nose. This wasn't going to get them anywhere.
"Tigress, you wake him up. And be quick about it."
The tiger wasted no time taking her stance, and as the rest of the Five continued to argue, she jumped as high as the ceiling would allow her, and front flipped into a devastating axe kick against the wooden floor. The force she created launched everything in the room off the floor and into the air, including the still-sleeping Po and the bed he was laying on. As Po reached his peak, Tigress leapt back and lunged forward, delivering one of the hardest double palm strikes of her career.
That was finally enough to wake Po up, and the panda opened his eyes just in time to realize that he was going out the window. He opened his mouth in terror, but it was too late. Shifu and the Five strode to the window and watched the carnage unfold. They only saw him for a few moments before he disappeared over the ledge, his yelps of pain and the thuds he created repeatedly echoing off the rocks. Everyone but Shifu and Tigress grimaced as Po continued to tumble down the hill in the general direction of the training hall. As the thudding slowly faded away, the faces of the Furious Five returned to normal. Shifu and Tigress continued to look on impassively.
"Thank you, Tigress. Well done."
The big cat didn't move, but Shifu could sense, rather than see, a tiny smirk form in the corner of her mouth. Shifu knew how much she enjoyed tormenting the big panda, however slight the reason for it.
"Well, now that everyone's awake, let us join the Dragon Warrior in the training hall. You all may have your breakfast after I've given you the mission. I want to make sure everyone hears this." And with that, Shifu and the Furious Five turned around and left the building. Most of the Furious Five were still chuckling at the sight of Po crashing through into the rocks, with Viper trying to get them to behave. Tigress had returned to her normal stoic expression, any trace of amusement having left her face as she drowned herself within the inner workings of her mind.
If he wants us all to hear this, then it must be important. He wouldn't be speaking to all of us otherwise. Whatever it is, it must be serious. We have to stay focused.
Tigress glanced up from her thoughts to see that they were just outside the training hall, which had the brand new edition of a panda-shaped indentation in the front steps. As the Furious Five approached the hall, Po tenderly climbed off the shattered stone steps, afraid of facing Tigress' wrath again.
"Come along everyone," said Shifu. "We'll talk inside. Just to make sure that we aren't overheard." And with that, he swept everyone into the training hall: pretty forcibly, if Po was any judge. They all ambled over to the artifact room, a fairly small enclosure where they kept some of the less powerful and less dangerous artifacts that Shifu didn't want stored in the Jade Palace. As the Five and the still-sore Po entered the room, Shifu did one last sweep of the training hall, then slowly shut the doors behind him, turning to face his students.
"Well, now that we're all here, it's time that I've told you your mission." Shifu glanced across each one of their faces, making sure to meet their eyes. "I won't lie, it's a dangerous one, but you're the only ones that can pull it off. The emperor himself has requested your assistance in this matter."
Tigress was the only one who didn't react, her face as stoic as ever. Everyone else was murmuring to one another, their eyes fluttering from face to face. Shifu figured that they would react like this. Receiving a mission from the emperor was a huge deal, even for masters as widely known as they were. A mission such as this one could not be denied… or failed.
"Word has it that there is a rogue revolutionary group, located deep in the mountains. Unfortunately, we know little else. This group is after a very ancient and possibly powerful artifact, most likely to be used against the emperor. I want you to retrieve it and bring it back to the palace before the revolutionists do."
Everyone but Tigress looked around in bewilderment as the gravity of the situation finally hit. A mission this simple shouldn't feel so heavy, and yet there could be dire consequences if they failed.
"Unfortunately, we don't know what this artifact is, and worse, where it is. So your first task is to locate their hideout, and uncover exactly what artifact they're after. You are to then report your findings to me. We will decide the next course of action from there."
No one spoke.
"Very well, then. If there are no questions—"
"Master, does this group have a name?"
Shifu looked up. Tigress was the one who spoke. As usual, she avoided asking unnecessary questions and got straight to the point. It was one of her better qualities that he appreciated deeply.
"Yes. They call themselves… The Order of the Jeweled Lotus."
The following silence was broken up by Po.
"Oooooooohhhh, that is such a cool name! Hey, do you guys think we should have a name like that? I
mean, I know that we're known as the Masters of the Jade Palace, but we could sound so much cooler! Wait, wait, wait, what about… The Order of the Jade Lotus! Awww, but that's too similar! What about, The Jade
Lighting Syndicate of Awesomeness! Ooohhh, but what about…"
Master Shifu and the Five looked on in disbelief as the panda continued his rambling. He was a great warrior to be sure, but his mental acuity wasn't exactly on par with his kung fu skills. His fellow masters sighed in annoyance as Shifu cut off the panda's jabbering with a look that would have frozen Tai Lung in his tracks.
"Po! This is serious! We have no idea what kind of power this artifact may hold… this could very well end China as we know it." He enunciated this last part slowly and deliberately to convince Po of the severity of their mission. Those words finally seemed to subdue the large panda, his expression growing increasingly worried and nervous as Shifu addressed the Five.
"Although this mission is critical, I won't be sending all of you on this assignment. The Jade Palace cannot be left unguarded, and I have other matters of importance that must be investigated. Therefore, I will send only three of you; Po, Tigress and Crane will be embarking on this journey. The rest of you will remain with me." Viper, Monkey and Mantis immediately tried to argue, but Shifu cut them off with a wave of his hand.
"I have thought long and hard about this, and I believe this is the best course of action that we can take. Crane, Tigress, and Po, I want you to leave within the hour. Eat your breakfast and pack your things: you have a long journey ahead of you." The three masters and Shifu bowed to one another, and began to leave the training hall. But before they could make their exit, Po, who was hardly able to contain his excitement, burst through the doors and shattered the still morning air with his proclamation.
"Come on, guys! This is gonna be AWESOME!"