Kung Fu Panda Fanfic - The Rise of a Hero

(III) Kai's Returned

The earthly plane was not the only one where trouble lurked, for in the quiet wastes of the spiritual plane, Oogway found himself deep in meditation. Beneath the softly falling leaves of brilliant golden peach, Oogway searched for Inner Peace. But Peace was not what he was going to find, since something disturbed his tranquility.

From another plane of the spiritual world, one more gloomy and greenish in color, the blades of a chained sword approached the patient tortoises at great speed, causing him to come out of his lethargy. Barely flinching, he grabbed with both hands the blade that could have cut his chest in two. Then, he looked up slightly, and with his jade staff, he struck the sword he was holding and hurled it towards another one that was falling from the heights in a simple and graceful movement.

The two swords collided in midair as Oogway moved from his meditative position to a fighting stance.

Oogway: -Kai. Old friend. -

From the other plane of the spirit world, a specimen of Black Pied bull with huge antlers peeked out. A bright green miasma emanated from his eyes and he regarded Oogway with a certain resentment. Its fur was torn, and the symmetrical strips floated parallel to its body. The swords were attached to his arm, the chains that held them piercing his skin and melting into his bones. The bovine's body was barely recognizable, but Oogway was able to recognize his old comrade even behind such a misshapen figure.

Oogway: - I see that time has not treated you well. -

Kai:- Oogway. - He said his name with a demonic voice wrapped in hate.

Oogway: - It's been a long time old friend -

Oogway couldn't finish his sentence, and the grotesque figure of Kai lunged headlong at him. His body was propelled forcefully in the void of the spirit plane. He used his swords as slingshots that he fitted over the floating rocks to propel himself forward. In the blink of an eye, Kai sliced ​​through a massive multi-ton solid rock and landed hard where Oogway stood, creating chilling green scars on the rock and consuming the peach to ash.

Oogway jumped to avoid Kai's charge, staring in terror at the silhouette of his former friend. Looking carefully, Oogway also noticed that attached to Kai's leather belt were small carved jade figures, quite strange.

Oogway: - Kai, old friend. What have you become? -

Oogway picked up his cane and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. His staff began to glow and transformed into an imposing Glaive(*) that he used to use when fighting side by side with his friend. Never against him.

The deformed figure looked up and jumped making jerky and somewhat disorderly movements, sometimes it seemed that its joints simply broke out of control.

Kai: - Oogway! - He screamed with hate.

Despite his pain, Oogway had to face what he once considered his brother in a violent battle that rocked the spirit world. The mighty Glaive parried Kai's fierce chained blades with precision, even managing to land a slash that ran across him from shoulder to hip in a diagonal trajectory.

Kai fell onto a shard of floating stone, never taking his dark gaze from his former friend and teacher. The new cut opened up Kai's body once more, however, the strips of skin just floated around his bones.

More than just cutting him, Oogway's real intention was to snatch the belt with the strange jade patterns from him. But when he saw them, the old turtle was shocked.

Oogway: - Oh no. Kai. what have you done - Referring to the jade stones, which were nothing more and nothing less than the souls of ancient Kung Fu masters. All former students of Oogway.

Kai: - Oogway! - He yelled again with hate.

Kai jumped up, grabbing Oogway off guard. His speed had increased exponentially, and the old tortoise couldn't do anything to stop it.

Kai pierced Oogway's hard shell with one of his jade blades while wrapping the other around his body. Slowly, he began to pull it towards him while the turtle couldn't help but look at him sadly unable to say a word with its chest pierced by the blade of the sword.

Finally, when Kai dragged Oogway close enough, he used his hands in strange movements and Oogway's body began to turn into jade, and then into a small stone similar to the ones before.

Kai had absorbed Oogway's Chi, and his body began making small bursts of energy that further shredded and disfigured his misshapen form. An uncontrolled miasma of green energy began to surround his body while generating a shock wave that devastated everything in its path in the spiritual world, and after a few seconds, the terrifying figure simply disappeared.

----O----

In one of the corners of China, to the far west, there was a peaceful farm where its residents went about their daily tasks. But then, a huge ball of green miasma began to sow chaos in one of their fields while consuming the life of the land and the vegetables around it began to rot.

The two farmers present watched in terror as the enormous ball of miasma dissipated, revealing the terrifying figure of Kai. Slowly, Kai rose to his feet, and the strips of skin that were floating freely around his body began to come closer and join together. And after a few seconds, Kai had recovered the form he had before in the terrestrial world.

Kai: - Finally. I'm back. - He said a little calmer than the anger he had before in the spiritual world.

Kai looks up and sees the two farmers, and before they could send themselves running, Kai used one of his chained swords to dig a deep furrow and cut them off. The farmers had no choice but to stay where they were, watching in terror as the huge bull slowly approached them.

Kai: - Why so afraid? Did they see a ghost? - I asked them cynically. - Do any of you know where the Jade Palace is? -

Farmer: - No sir... we don't know. - He said stuttering and consumed by fear.

Kai sighed heavily, and picked up several of the jade stones that hung from his belt and tossed them into the air. In mid-flight, the stones began to emit a bright green light and increase in size, falling to the ground like the warriors they were before.

Kai: - Go, and find the last students of Oogway. -

The living jade statues turned and scattered across the fields until they were lost in the distance.

Farmer: - What will happen to us? - He asked fearfully.

Kai: - I'll let you rest in peace. -

Before the farmers could show a faint smile of relief, Kai lopped off both of their heads with a single swing of his sword.

Kai: - In peace... for all eternity. -He said as the heads of his victims rolled down the hill on the arid soil of what was once a prosperous vegetable field.

(*) Glaive: Medieval weapon similar to a halberd (A spear with an edge on one or both sides, plus the tip) that was lighter and more versatile.