Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(VII) Between the wars

Po and the Furious Five were made to climb thousands of steps in chains. The martyrdom took just over a few hours, enough time for the sun to sink over the horizon. Their wrists were red, product of constant rubbing against the metal chains. They finally reached the main hall, where Shen waited, seated on his imposing throne of solid gold.

Shen: - Well, well, well. And this is supposed to be the panda that has given my men so much trouble.? - He said with a cynical voice looking at them from his throne.

The gorillas and the rest of the wolves forced Po and the Furious Five to bow down at the bottom of the stairs leading to the imperial throne, and though they were all worried, Po had a defiant smile on his face.

Po: - And I'll give you more problems, Shen. -

Po looked at him defiantly, but his attention was diverted when an old goat slowly approached him. The goat, in its advanced years, leaned on its cane and looked Po up and down with drooping, tired eyes. Slowly, she turned the panda around, and returned to where he was before, leaving Po and the rest of those present confused.

Monkey: - That was strange. - At that precise moment Shen began to laugh cynically while looking at the masters with contempt.

Shen: - Do you really think that this is the famous warrior who defeated me? - Ironically asked the fortune teller.

Guess: - I don't think so. I'm sure. - She said in a soft and calm voice.

Shen got up from the throne and began to walk down the steps slowly.

Shen: - Look at him. Twenty years to get his revenge, and now he's lying here at my feet. -

Po: - Twenty years? What are you talking about? We're just here to stop you. -

Guess: - Are you sure that's the real reason you're here? - Po looked at her confused. - You do not know. -

Po: - What I don't know? -

Shen: - It's more than obvious that he has no idea. - He said while laughing mockingly at Po. - Well. At least you will leave with an empty conscience. Shoot them. -

Saying this, the gorillas moved the golden throne and dropped it down the stairs, revealing behind them a huge cylindrical piece of metal with a dragon engraved on the tip. The bouncers turned and opened the doors leading to the balconies behind Po and the five masters as the wolf leader lowered the muzzle to aim at them. And, after a few tense seconds:

Shen: - Fire. - He said in a grim voice.

The wolf brought a torch to the cannon wick and it began to spark, but when everything seemed to be over for them, the wick simply turned off.

Shen: - What are you doing, idiot? Turn that thing on! - He said very angry.

Wolf Leader: - I did it. - He said desperate.

The wolf leader tried to light the fuse multiple times, but it just went out over and over again. Finally, on his last try, master Mantis stepped out of the shadows and struck the wolf's hand, causing it to drop the torch.

Po: - Viper. Now! -

At Po's command, Master Viper slipped the tip of her tail into the lock of Tigress's chains and broke into the simple mechanism of that time. With her hands free and her incredible strength, Tigress broke the chains of each of the masters with one blow. Po's plan worked out perfectly. By trading Mantis for his action figure; a perfect replica, he was able to sneak in undetected and sabotage Shen's plans, winning enough time for Viper to sabotage the lock on the chains.

With the masters free, Shen's guards couldn't do much to stop them. Po charged Shen directly as Tigress struck the tip of the cannon with her incredible force, making it a lever that would rise into the air, only to be kicked by Mantis from above, breaking the ground at his feet, and falling from the bottom of the tower.

Po tried to hit Shen with his fist, but instead, it ended up hitting the ground and punching a hole in it. As a defense mechanism, Shen stepped back and opened the immense tail that characterizes peacocks, revealing dozens of drawings similar to the one the wolf leader had painted on his shoulder pad.

Seeing these symbols, another wave of memories bombarded Po's mind. Memories of his past, of blood and pain, and of a peacock as the messenger of death. Po froze, once again, unable to process so much information, long enough for Shen to escape from the palace tower by gliding on his feathers to a huge building looming in the distance. Po was paralyzed, frozen, until Tigress shook him from behind.

Tigress: - Po! React! What is happening to you!? -

Po came out of the trance he was in, somewhat confused and dizzy, while the glare of three projectiles were seen heading towards the palace. From that other building, Shen had at his disposal more cannons like the previous one, which he used to bombard the imperial palace.

The first impact was near where they were, which sent them flying into the burning palace. Luckily all were unharmed, with the exception of Crane, as a splinter had pierced its right wing and fractured it, while many of its feathers were quickly burned by the constant fire.

The masters tried to escape, but Po; still dizzy, he stumbled and almost fell through the huge hole left by the cannon in the ground. If it weren't for Viper, who stretched out his body and grabbed his foot, Po would have fallen into the void.

Viper: - Help. I won't be able to take him too much. -

Tigress: - No. Drop it. We will use the ropes to descend. -

They all looked down and noticed multiple ornate ropes decorating the interior of the palace that descended to the lower floors. The masters dropped down using the ropes while Tigress jumped from one balcony to another descending inside the palace while carrying the wounded Crane.

However, Shen's cannons did not cease their constant bombardment, causing the palace to fall apart as the fire consumed the wooden structure. They finally reached the first floor, and the exit was visible, but a shell hit nearby, causing the wooden structure to collapse and sealing the exit. Trapped, and surrounded by fire, their only option was to climb back up the tower and find another way out.

The masters climbed several floors as Shen remorselessly destroyed what he once called home. Finally, the fire blocked their way, and they had no choice but to leave the building through one of the balconies of the floor where they were. But outside was no safer than flames and cave-ins.

Outside, the wolves had formed a perimeter on the palace walls, armed with bows and fire arrows. At the command of the wolf leader, hundreds of arrows flew towards them. Po broke the door and put it in front to avoid the arrows hitting them, but had to release it quickly before the wood succumbed to the flames.

They didn't have time, they had to get out of there before the wolves fired the next round. Master Tigress looked towards the city, looked up, and then she had an idea while she grabbed with the palm of her hand an arrow that would hit her face.

Tigress: - The only way out is up. -

The rest were stunned. Po looked up and understood what she meant. Then, Po took the rest of the masters and threw them as high as he could, he and Tigress joined hands, and started climbing at the same time. Giving a succession of jumps, while propelling the other with the same inertia, they managed to reach the upper levels as the immense tower collapsed.

Finally, the massive wooden structure pounced on the castle walls, instantly crushing and killing dozens of wolves who couldn't run to avoid their tragic end, as Po and the Furious Five were thrown forcefully into the river waters, disappearing under the rain of rubble and fire that fell behind them.