The Last Chance

1. Alive and Convicted

Po looked at the broken ship where he had seen Lord Shen for the last time. Fireworks filled the sky. Gunpowder and wet wood laid in the air. He wiped over his still wet fur. He felt how his knees trembled a little. What a day. He had defeated a whole army, and he found his inner peace. But despite everything, something heavy pressed on his soul.
"Take it easy, Po," Monkey said.
Po turned around and looked at the faces of his friends.
"You did the right thing," Tigress added and gave him a nod.
"Yes," Po said, still a little sad. "Yes, it is, but I had hoped that he would understand and..." He trailed off, looking back to the sinking shipwreck; a few fireworks were still crackling in the water. The colors looked beautiful, but he couldn't enjoy it, for he knew those colors told countless stories of murder. And about a creature who had filled his soul with hate and exaggerated proud. After he had given him the decision, he had hoped he would choose the right choice, but sadly, he didn't think this way.
"Po?" Shifu's voice brought him back from his reverie. The red panda looked at him with a serious but warm look. "It was his own decision, which you couldn't change. You did all that you could. He chose his way, and he got what he deserved."
Po nodded after a while; his teacher was right.
"And see, Po." Shifu pointed behind. "You saved Gongmen City. You saved China! You have exceeded way beyond my expectations."
A little smile went over the face of the Dragon Warrior. "Thanks."
His glance moved back to his friends who were being praised for their achievements. He sighed deeply and walked to the others into the city center. What would have happened if he had grabbed Shen before the cannon hit him? He had no answer, but maybe it was the best for all that the white peacock had done his last breath on earth. He had found his inner peace. Forever.
Po took a deep breath and swung his paws in the air.
"Yeeha! Let's celebrate!"

Time flew, and Po and his friends went back to Jade Palace. After that, Po had to think about so many things, primarily about his experience with Shen and about his family.
If only Po knew what was happening in Gongmen City...

Gongmen City

Master Croc and Master Storming Ox had taken back control over the city. They were busy cleaning the town from Shen's henchmen and to rebuild the destroyed places what Shen had damaged, including what he had built for his cannon army. The same applied to the cleansing of the river with the broken ships which was hard work. Rhino soldiers had come to take an eye about the town, because Shen's henchmen were still around, until they quitted the field.
Master Croc and Master Ox had their headquarters in another house next to the destroyed palace tower. Both hoped to say a normal for once, but there was still much to do. And before it could happen, something interrupted their hope for peace, when a guard ran up the steps into their house.
"Master Croc! Master Storming Ox!" The rhino cried. "We found something in the harbor."
Master Ox rolled his eyes. He couldn't imagine that the guardians had found something which could surprise him. The rhino bent down and whispered something into his ear.
Master Ox, now surprised, jumped back after he heard what the guard had to say and Master Croc stood there with big eyes.
"Are you sure?" Master Ox asked incredulously.
"Really sure," the rhino said again. Both masters exchanged glances, proceeding to quickly leave for the harbor.

People stood in a circle in the harbor. Rhinos stood to the left and right, their spears downwards. When the masters arrived, the group dispersed.
On the dock, there laid a white mass. Both masters recognized the shape of the ex-lord. The body was wet, covered with softly burned feathers. The robe was cut on a few edges.
"Looks like he's dead," Master Croc said.
"He's still breathing." A thin sheep in a purple coat, the town doctor, approached him from behind.
"Will he survive?" Master Ox asked darkly.
"Well, kind of yes, kind of no."
"Yes or no?!" he asked impatiently.
"He's in a bad condition, but he seems to be more or less ok. Maybe with some care-"
"He doesn't deserve care!" Master Ox cut him short.
The ox gave the rhino guardians a signal and one of them drew his sword. Suddenly, there was a movement in the bird's body. The two kung fu masters adopted a fighting stance. The rhino guards braced pre-emptively and moved their spears more down and held the head of the peacock. Some people walked back. Everybody was afraid of a possible attack from Shen, but he never stood up. Instead, the peacock flapped his wings a little. His eyelids flickered heavily. Then he moved his head. Master Ox tensed his arms to fended Shen's attacking fight, but the bird was unfit to stand up, because of the rhinos' spears around his neck. Master Ox relaxed a little when he saw the lord was too weak for a fight. Shen opened his beak, but he was failing to give a sound, just a coughing escaped his bird lips. But he had still energy to look around.
First, he saw Master Storming Ox and Master Croc next to him. Then his glance wandered with trembling movement to the two rhinos who hold a sword over him. The lord moaned with a quivering voice, now knowing in what kind of risky situation he was. His eyes wandered back to Master Ox. The ox crossed his arms and looked down at him with a scrunched up face. Shen looked back with hate in his eyes; he refused to beg for mercy. After several hard breaths, the lord relaxed his body and sank to the ground, showing no fear, and looked at Master Ox with a sardonic glance, presenting an ugly smile on his beak. Master Ox narrowed his eyes with rage. That cursed creature still showed no repentance. The rhino swung his sword about the lord's long neck.
Suddenly, Master Ox raised his hoof. "Wait!"
"Wait?" Master Croc didn't understand. "Wait for what?"
"Was that a yes or no?" The rhino asked in confusion.
"Take him into the dungeon!" Master Ox ordered without explanation.
The two rhinos grabbed the peacock's wings and dragged him away. Shen moaned a little while his feet and the rest of his previously proud body hanged down and was dragged over the floor.

"I don't understand you. Why did you spare him?" Master Croc asked back at headquarters.
Master Ox laughed. "Who said that I spared him?"
Master Croc stopped with an open mouth. "What?"
"Did you forget?"
His partner didn't understand and looked at him with a questioning look.
"Let me remind you again." Master Ox walked to bookshelves and fetched a scroll of parchment. With that, he went to the table and put it down. "Here, this was written 20 years* ago, shortly after Shen's banishment."
Master Croc sighed. "I remember how Shen's father wrote it in tears, while his mother cried next to him and held his shoulder..."
Master Ox snorted and continued. "It implies that if Shen ever comes back, he will be punished for his felony of killing a panda village. His parents had two options. The first being banishment and the second being permanent imprisonment. They chose the former."
He silenced before he continued. "Now he is back. Normally, he has to stay in prison until the end of his life. A very indulgent punishment to say the least. At that time, he did not receive the death penalty immediately because he had a special protection status as a royal member."
Master Croc scratched his head and looked blank. Knowing his friend, he wanted to say something more. "And?"
Master Ox didn't reply and took out another piece of paper - the law collection of Gongmen City.
"According to the law of the city, Shen's wrongs became higher. With the murder of Master Thundering Rhino, the head of the kung fu council, he violated the kung fu codex. Because of this, he should be executed with the following method. First, ligature strangulation, then, dismemberment into four bits etcetera - but...". His hoof wandered more down some lines on the paper. "With his try to conquest China, we have to give the maximum penalty."
Master Croc knew what he meant.
"But..."
Master Ox gave him a dirty look. "What is it?"
"It would break his parents' souls."
Master Ox slapped his fist on the table firmly und tapped on the parchment intensively. "It's a rule of Gongmen City! We have to follow these introductions."
Master Croc kept silent for a moment, then he nodded and looked at an old picture of Shen's parents on the wall. "May they forgive us for this decision."

*According to "Kung Fu Panda 2", Shen had waited 30 years for the moment of his conquest. But in "Kung Fu Panda 3", Po is around 21 years old. It's possible that Shen was in the exil for barely 20 years.

This chapter was translated from German into English by me. Correction by fanfiction.net user TheUnknown9876.

You can also read the Spanish version by Dr_Psiquiatra here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/286678174-%F0%9D%90%8B%F0%9D%90%9A-%F0%9D%90%AE%CC%81%F0%9D%90%A5%F0%9D%90%AD%F0%9D%90%A2%F0%9D%90%A6%F0%9D%90%9A-%F0%9D%90%8E%F0%9D%90%A9%F0%9D%90%A8%F0%9D%90%AB%F0%9D%90%AD%F0%9D%90%AE%F0%9D%90%A7%F0%9D%90%A2%F0%9D%90%9D%F0%9D%90%9A%F0%9D%90%9D