Ringkeeper - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

OOOOO7OOOOO

Valley of Spirits

1996, 2003

To say that she was surprised, even shocked, when Wenwu tracked her down all those centuries later, is an understatement.

Let alone her shock and surprise when he stated the reason for his visit. His sudden presence was shock enough, but the reason for it was truly remarkable.

He held out an ornately carved box to her, which was heavy when she took and held it herself. "What's this?" The first words spoken between them in centuries. Far too long, in her opinion. 

"A gift, a token of friendship. In fact, I believe they rightfully belong to you."

Intrigued now, she unlocked the box and lifted the lid, her jaw falling open in shock - again an understatement, to say the least - when she saw what the mystery box contained.

The Rings.

The Ten Rings.

She counted-

One, two, three, four, five, for one wrist.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten.

The Rings, ten of them.  All of them.  

She shook her head - he had fought so hard to gain all the Rings and their power, to take their, his and hers, once shared power all for himself, so why was he so easily surrendering them now? "I don't understand - what's changed your mind? What's changed you?"

"I have found something more important, something worth living and growing old for."

"I see... Who is she?"

"How did you-"

"I can tell."

"Ying Li." The way he lit up upon mentioning her, it was enough to make Dryaa smile.  "She gave up everything so that we can be together, and now so am I." He nodded to the Rings in their box.  "You and the Rings - that is my old life. Now, this is the start of my new life."

"So it would seem. Well, I'm happy for you."

"See you, Old Friend."

And that was that. That was it. 

And so, those two parts of his life were separated, and remained so - that was, until seven years later. 

He had actually made her believe in him again, and not only that, but to trust her own judgment again, that he really had been worthy of the Rings and their immense, god-like power.

But times and things change, and people change with them, and seven years later, he would return, but under completely different circumstances. 

When he found her again, not as much time had passed between visits, but enough. And this time, things were drastically different. All that light, that glow, from him was gone, totally gone, leaving only a shadow behind. 

Fate had been cruel to Wenwu's family, and their beloved Ying Li would be abruptly taken from them, murdered in her own home before her children's eyes.

When he found her again, Dryaa could tell something was wrong even before she saw him - she felt the heaviness of his grief washing over everything that surrounded them.  It was this that  announced his sudden presence to her. 

When she did see him, she found that his eyes were sunken, his jaw unshaven, and his gaze distant. Something was horribly wrong. 

"Wenwu, what has happened?" she asked gently into the night. But he said nothing, just continued to approach her. "Wenwu?"

"They killed her."

"Who?" Who had been killed? And by who? Who was he speaking of?

"They would have never dared to even think of doing so had I had the Rings. I never should have taken them off. But now they will face my wrath-"

He held his arms out towards her and the Rings hummed in response and began flashing with the blue energy they associated with him. She tried to hold them back but he was determined.  

Following a short tug-of-war of sorts - the Rings' energy flashing abruptly between blue and purple, purple and blue, over and over again - he won, ripping the ten gold bands from her wrists. The action would leave bruises there for days along her arms, a constant reminder of her continued failure and his pain. 

And now because of him she was stuck trying to reclaim them, but he had retuned to being just as protective and possessive of them as before, even more so now, which she hadn't thought possible before. 

After that - long after - eventually she would track down his son, Shang-Chi, to San Francisco, with hope of regaining the Rings though him, but it quickly became very clear to her that Shang-Chi, going by Shaun now, was also forging a new life, and had run away from his old one with no thought of even looking, even glancing back. But it wouldn't remain that way forever.

She knew Wenwu, and she knew that between his  pain and grief and the Rings' power, nothing, nothing could stop him -  not even his own children. 

(I'm enjoying writing these flashbacks! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :))