Baa-Ram-Ewe!

by Darkonshadows

30. The Tower Aflame.

-Gongmen City, hideout, Pom-

“I hope they’re okay.” Hearing the explosions at this distance didn’t settle my nerves very much, I felt a comforting large hand come to rest on my back.

“I’m sure… they will be fine.” Thundering Rhino was a really nice guy behind that big gruff exterior, but he wasn’t fit for combat and neither was I. He leaned back with his eyes closed, he needed more rest. “Trust in them… to be strong… without you.”

“It’s still my job to be worried.” Why do I feel so guilty about not being able to be there for them? “Worrying about things is what makes me a decent guard.”

I wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight, until I knew they were safe.

-Tower of the Sacred Flames, top floor, Shen-

Long ago the Soothsayer told me what would happen, I of course believed her and tried to fight fate.

Apparently, I didn’t chase the pandas down hard enough, because now I have a warrior panda coming after me. Just the one, it’s surprising that it was only happening now. It seems a child grew up enough to finally come after me.

There’s also those nuisances known as the Mystical Three that have been major thorns in my side giving my forces the run around, that one of them is a dragon is quite telling when it comes to my misfortune.

Those three messed with my supplies, they sunk my ships and they’ve threatened my very life with their actions, they couldn’t even do me a small courtesy and fall for the trap I so painstakingly set up for them.

Two knives slid into my wings from my sleeves as I waited patiently on my cushion for them to come for me, the wall has been breached and they have silently taken out my cannons. All of them but the one that would have been moved to my flagship had the Mystical Three not targeted it.

I am set in my course, my ambitions can’t die here. I would meet my fate head on, no matter what it may be.

For I am a peerless peacock with no regrets.

-Tower of the Sacred Flame, Gatehouse, Shanty-

I do not be liking that Tai Lung is here, but he be helping us. Confused is the word I am feeling, I not be fighting him either way as I know I would not be winning.

“Okay, aside from Tai Lung being in Gongmen, we’ve got incoming trouble from the mercenaries approaching the back of the gate!” Smolder shouted from behind us as she pointed at something, we moved over to her to see torches heading towards the gatehouse.

Tigress, Po and Crane had pushed through them, but anyone they didn’t take out getting into the tower were now coming our way.

“Well that’s not good, but at least we’re done tying up the mercenaries here.” Ocellus was sending me a worried glance as she turned away from looking over the railing. “Are you going to be okay Shanty?”

“I be fine.” Though I be quite cranky to be seeing Tai Lung again. I started to head down so I can find someone to hit.

“Well you’re not going to face them alone Shanty.” Smolder chased after me and started down the stairs alongside me.

“I really don’t like all this fighting, but we’re going to stick together.” Ocellus hovered after us as we made our way down to the destroyed gate.

I looked through the hole in the gate and saw the kung fu masters going through waves of mercenaries, they almost be being tireless to me and I wanted to be that strong one day. I had a keen interest in one of Monkey’s grappling techniques, where he flipped a salamander mercenary into one of the many wolves around here.

Mercenaries other than wolves be quite the rarity in Shen’s army.

“You…” Appearing in the gateway Tai Lung immediately spotted me and I froze up as he stalked up to me holding a struggling wolf by the throat, he carelessly tossed the wolf off to the side. I turned from the now unconscious wolf back to my least favorite snow leopard. “So if you are here, I take it your caretaker is as well. Given that I don’t see her fighting to protect you with her very life, I would surmise that she’s still healing from her self-inflicted wounds. I’ve got something to tell you specifically and I’m only going to say this once, so listen well. I would like to apologize for almost killing you, what I don’t apologize for is hurting you. A little pain teaches you to not make mistakes, I also don’t want someone who shows some promise to perish by my claws.”

I snorted angrily, Tai Lung just chuckled and backhanded a mercenary coming up behind him without looking. Said mercenary dropped his knife, stumbled backwards clutching his face and straight into the path of Mantis performing a high speed flying kicked that took them both out of view.

“I wouldn’t scoff at my honest apology if I were you. I will face your caretaker in a real fight when she isn’t under the strain of a move with such a deadly consequences as to almost kill her for every single motion she makes, as powerful as it is she got exponentially weaker with every blow. That she even survived it and has the spirit of a wolf underneath her frail appearance intrigues me greatly.” Tai Lung turned away and walked back beyond the gate into the mercenary brawl going on in front of the gate. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to back having a little fun. None of these mercenaries are a real challenge despite me not being at my full strength, at best they are a light exercise and I’m quite certain that even you three can handle the ones coming up from behind you.”

I be turning away from the jerk to look towards the several wolves approached with clubs, blades and there was one wielding a spear taking the lead.

I be taking a stance by spreading my hooves out slightly, Smolder pulled out her ribbon to start twirling it with a grim grin and Ocellus lit her horn with a slightly frightened look on her face. We held our ground and would not let our friends be surprised from behind.

When the mercenaries started to charge towards us, the top of the tower bursts into flames in a loud explosion. That distracted everyone, except for me as I charged the spear wielder.

The spear wielder quickly turned back to me to thrust the spear downward, I hopped up to land on the spears shaft with my rear hooves. I be forcing the spear into the ground with my weight as I ran up it on my hind legs and brought both my front hooves together and swung them around to the right into the right side of the wolves head.

The wolf staggered backwards from the blow while letting go of his weapon, a wolf with a blade came at me from the left only to trip and slam his face into the ground.

After seeing that the blade be swiftly pulled away by a ribbon, I turned to hop in place and then sprung off the spear to leap at my opponent.

I led with my left hoof in an overhead swing to the top of his skull and then clamped onto my opponent’s chest with my rear legs to start pummeling him with swift left and right hoof strikes that cut up his face whenever I got my ‘Cut-lash strikes’ right.

A wolf with a club came swinging for me from the right only to get hit by a blast of energy.

I be silently thanking Ocellus as I brought my hooves over my head and brought them down on the wolf’s skull. I quickly kicked off the collapsing wolf with my hind hooves to launch a flying buck into the weaponless wolf’s chest and rolled backwards away from a club coming down on me.

I swiftly rammed my head into the club wielding wolf’s gut and a ribbon snaked its way around her weapon. Said weapon was yanked out her claws, twirled around twice and then launched back into her face.

“Heh heh, I’m getting really good at this!” Smolder exclaimed with a bright smile from behind me. “Shanty, from the right!”

I hopped to the left as a blade came down and sent a bit of dirt kicking up. I took a few step back and cartwheeled into a front hoof stand while scrunching up tightly.

I launched an upside down leaping buck straight up into the wolf’s chin that knocked them onto their back and ended up with me landing on top of them with all four of my hooves.

I stomped down on the wolf’s stomach knocking the air out of them, I glance to my left and rolled off of them to the right for them to get struck by a club and knocked out.

More wolves were coming. So I better quickly deal with the one that just attacked me. I be ignoring the blasts of magic flying by and the sound of a ribbon being cracked like a whip

I extended my right hoof as far out as I could. I lashed it upwards and to the left as I charged under the next club swing. My hoof, like it has done several times before. Flashed a brilliant white as it created a crescent in air and tore through the armor of the wolf before me.

I look at my hoof and grimace at the fact that it was covered in the blood of the wolf that I just felled with a light blade like wound from going from their hip to shoulder. My hoof didn’t cut too deeply into them, but the force of the blow and the pain meant they were down.

“I’m still wondering how you do that, you’re hooves are completely blunt. It really doesn’t make any sense that you can create a blades edge like you do.” Ocellus said as she fired another blast from her horn into an oncoming crowd of problems. She was efficiently using her energy as far as I can be telling, seeing as she be taking down three people with one shot. “I don’t think I can keep this up for too much longer.”

I was dodging around sword slashes and lashing out with my hooves in return with fierce crescents etching themselves into the air from my very hooves.

“I personally think that she’s using her unique brand of magic to do that, if we get in over our heads we can fall back to our kung fu buddies Ocellus. Not that I’d count Tai Lung as a buddy, but he doesn’t seem to hold any ire towards us. Kind of reminds me of the personalities back home in the dragon lands, big tough guy jerk kind of defines some dragons.” Smolder lashed out and swooped around a wolf trying to grab her out of the air. She pulled sharply on her ribbon and, because of the way she had wrapped it around them, the wolf’s right fist flew up into their face. With another sharp tug followed by a flick, the wolf be knocked out with their own arm to the face and the ribbon unwound from their body. “Stop hitting yourself.”

“That kind of remind me of what general Pharynx does to King Thorax, of course we all know it’s just affectionate gestures and brotherly love. Eep!” Ocellus got scratched by the sword from a boar mercenary, I be thinking they were low on wolves by now.

“Be focusing on the fight!” Charging headfirst into the boar’s side, I kicked off the ground once I had him stunned and launched my rear hooves to into his face as they swung upwards. I flung my rear hooves back downwards and out, I using the second blow to launch myself backwards. I landed my right rear leg on the head of thin feminine looking male snow leopard and, feeling a little bit vindictive, I snapped my left rear leg downwards to take them down. “Also the tower is being on fire…”

I flipped away and landed on my hooves to watch the leopards face meet the ground and pointed out the entire tower now catching fire, quite a few people were trying to get away from the spreading flames lighting up the night.

“Oh gee… I hope Po and the others are alright.” Stated Ocellus while putting a hoof to her mouth, she squeaked as an arrow shot by her head. She focused on something and sent a short burst of magic flying, I heard someone falling to the ground.

“You hope they’re alright?!” With a flick of her combat ribbon, Smolder snapped it around a wolf’s ankle and she pulled it to make them fall onto their back. I be leaping forward to thrust my hoof into their head. “Worry about us Ocellus, you almost got seriously hurt!”

“I only have a scratch… Smolder!” Ocellus seemed a bit panicked and I looked to see Smolder take a full sword blow to her torso that sent to the ground on her back five feet away from her attacker.

After a moment Smolder got up looking completely fine and a little bit angry, the blade the wolf struck her with was both chipped and cracked. Maybe Smolder be having a point with letting her be the distraction next time.

“Look, of the three of us, I’m perfectly fine with taking hits Ocellus.” To show she was fine, Smolder whipped her ribbon out to the wolf staring at her damaged blade. The ribbon wrapped around their muzzle and was yanked downwards so that smolder could smash her skull against the bipedal wolfs. The wolf crumpled to the ground and Smolder planted her fists on her hips. “There’s a reason dragons are something to be feared and respected, even ones of my size!”

Seeing her inhaling sharply, I be knowing what Smolder was about to do and I backed up to where Ocellus was as Smolder blasted the incoming group with flames that made their clothes catch on fire. They be scattering and running all over the place.

“That barely be knocking the wind from your sails.” All dragons be very tough, I now be wanting one on my future crew.

“You know, I sometimes hear about all the painful stuff that Spike gets put through and I just have to ask.” Ocellus motioned to Smolder with her right hoof, the dragon was just standing there looking at her slightly damaged robe. “Did that even hurt at all?”

“It stung a little bit, but something that weak wouldn’t ever come close to piercing my scales.” Still, it be impressive that Smolder got up so quickly and Viper be teaching her so many cool techniques. “It would take a greater material than that poorly forged blade to hurt me Ozzy.”

“Why is the world being a bit weird?” My vision be blurring slightly and I be wobbling on my hooves.

“Uh Ozzy, Shanty’s not looking so hot and I would know a lot about the subject of heat. I regularly swim in lava when I’m in the dragon lands.” Smolder be coming over to me and carefully grabbing me to hold me steady. “She’s looking a quite pale.”

“Her blood loss might be finally getting to her Smol and since we don’t have anyone else to fight at the moment… her adrenaline must be running out.” If Ocellus was to be believed, I be needing help soon. “It doesn’t help that she’s been exerting herself with that cut on her chest.”

“Yeah, she’s even beginning to bleed through the cloth she has wrapped around her.” Smolder sat me down and then ran over to one of the knocked out mercenaries and used her claws to rip off some cloth and came back over to me. “Hold still and let me get this around you Shanty.”

I winced as she started pulling the cloth tight around my chest and began tying it off.

“You need to take it a bit easier Shanty.” Getting a hug from Smolder felt nice and warm, I can easily guess why Ocellus likes them.

I was starting to shiver from being cold… which was weird because this night was really quite warm a minute ago.

“I know it’s a bad thing, but the fire is really pretty at least.” Ocellus drew our attention to the burning tower.

I could be seeing Tigress kicking away from the tower and Craned grabbing her paws while extending his wings to slow her fall down.

“Are all changelings like moths?” Smolder rolled her eyes.

“Well you have to admit that bright lights and fire can be pretty distracting. Having eyes like mine makes it seem a bit more… attractive.” Ocellus pointed out with a hoof as Crane tried to bring Tigress down for a mostly safe landing nearby. “Don’t worry Smolder, I’m not nearly as dumb as a moth to fly into flames like that. Also Po is still in there!”

“I think it be more distracting they didn’t have as many archers to deal with us.” My comment was based on the fact that only one arrow has been fired at Smolder or Ocellus the entire time.

“We took care of most of that coming in.” Crane looked back up at the conflagration that was the Tower of the Sacred Flame, as Tigress got up from the ground and looked to the tower with worry.

-Smolder-

“I’ll go up and see…” A powerful explosion ripped through the top of the tower and something burst against the sky creating a large spiraling yin yang symbol. Before dropping back into the tower with a thunderous crash that could be heard from a distance. I stayed right where I was.

“Face the wind, face the wind… which way is it blowing?!” Ocellus said as she came to a landing next to Shanty.

“Obviously from the tower Ocellus.” I stated as I sat down with the shivering Shanty, she’s had a bit too much excitement tonight.

Ocellus carefully dropped to the ground facing the tower and wondered what was going on.

“So we just sit here?” Ocellus asked while staring at the flames, the way they reflected in her eyes was kind of nice.

“You heard what the old lady said, we are definitely doing nothing.” I heard a groaning mercenary try to get up only for Tigress to protectively march up to them, grab their head and then smash their face into the dirt. “Besides isn’t going into a burning building dangerous? Well aside for anyone else aside from me I mean.”

Tai Lung soon showed up and narrowed his eyes at the burning tower, a minute later shockwaves started erupting from the tower going downwards as the Furious Five, Tai Lung, Shifu, Storming Ox and Croc all gathered to stand around us.

Every floor of the tower started to collapse inward until it reached the bottom and then fire shot to the sky almost as tall as the tower used to be, the blast of the flames almost reached us and we had to cover our eyes from all the dust being kicked up.

The three of us were protected by the blast wave by all of our friends and Tai Lung getting knocked back slightly.

“There is no way he could have possibly…” Seemingly walking out of the shadows of the flames as soon as Tai Lung started his statement, a sad looking singed and burnt Po stumbled forward while looking over his shoulders. “You have got to be kidding me.”

He stopped to gasp and catch his breath and then he quickly made his way up to us with a bucket on his head, he swiftly removed the bucket and tossed it off to the side.

“Is everyone alright, anybody hurt?” We all just stared at him and the tall burning pyre of the towers remains behind him, he looked to be the most injured out of us and he was asking more about our injuries then his own. Was Po insane? “Are all of you all okay? Why isn’t anyone saying something? At least you all look fine to me and that’s a load off my mind.”

“How…” Viper started to slowly point out with the tip of her tail.

“Isn’t it obvious? He’s either got the favor of the gods… or he’s insanely lucky.” Tai Lung grumbled out the grumpy leopard with his arms crossed. “I’m leaning more towards the latter personally.”

“Would you believe there were a lot of buckets of water throughout the tower and I got hit by about half of them on the way down?” Po finally stated as he continued to breathe roughly and stare at the huge fire he escape. “I’m just going to let you know, I don’t believe it either and I just went through it.”

“Why… am I not as surprised by that as I should be?” Tigress muttered as she put her left paw over her face.

“Finally something I can agree on with my little sister.” Tai Lung said sarcastically as he stood tall. “I take it Shen was in that.”

“He got crushed by his weapon when he made it fire it’s last shot… at least he went quickly.” Po turned to the flames solemnly. “He even seemed ready to accept death in his last moments.”

“Well the tower did have a thousand buckets of water, mostly to prevent the fireworks the tower used to launch from causing problems.” Crane stated flatly. “The tower was a fire hazard and those buckets were supposed to be used to put out any flames before any fire could get out of control, there wasn’t anyone left in the tower besides Shen and Po as the mercenaries were mostly in the barracks area. I guess all that’s left to do is the mop up the mercenaries.”

There were quite a few burnt mercenaries laying around the barracks area outside the tower.

“At least Thundering Rhino’s death has been avenged.” Croc said lowering his head.

“What are you talking about?” Everyone turned to stare at me. “He’s still alive.”

“Uh, we haven’t exactly told anyone about that yet Smolder.” Ocellus mumbled.

“Oh… right… well that was a secret.” As I spoke, I smacked my face with my claws. The moderately muscular guy known as Storming Ox quickly stalked up to me. “Pom has been trying to nurse him back to health after Shen grievously injured him, she’s also been getting rest herself.”

“Show us.” He lowered himself to eye level with me.

“I think I be needing a nurse now, everything is being a bit cold.” I hugged Shanty to myself. “I be finding myself very hungry… too…”

We didn’t do the majority of the fighting, but we still did plenty enough for one night.

-Ten minutes later, sunrise, Ocellus-

“Hopefully we won’t have to do anything like last night ever again.” We made our way back to where Thundering Rhino was staying with Pom, I was leading the way as Tigress carried a sleeping Shanty while looking worried for our little goat companion. “How are we going to clean up all those mercenaries?”

“Eh, we’ll figure something out.” Mantis was in a decent mood. "The citizens will be happier at least.”

I opened the door to the hideout and saw Pom was still awake with bloodshot eyes. She saw me and searched my eyes with her own. Eventually, she gave us a stressed out sigh before flopping onto her back and she immediately passed out.

We could all use a little sleep after what we have been through.

Author's Note:

I haven't been feeling too good lately, but this year is already better than the last.

Pom can't relax very well, stress level +20. (250/100, condition: overly exhausted.)

Tigress has gained three levels in Friend to Children, Current level: 57.

Po's luck stat increased 254-> 255. (Mind you Po has survived a fall from at least fifty feet or so straight up in Kung Fu Panda 1 before he was named the Dragon Warrior and drops from even higher distances afterwards with his Tai Lung fight in canon.)

Tai Lung has gained the title Unfriendly Rival.

Viper has gained the title Masterful Ribbon Teacher.

Mantis has gained +5 Field Medic Skill.

Monkey has gained +2 strength.

Crane has gained the skills Carry Passengers (Light) and Parrot-Chute.

Shifu has gained title Master-ful Redeemer.

Storming Ox and Croc's fighting spirits have changed, Broken -> Strong.

Comments

[Darkonshadows]

10611050

He obviously used it, but didn't activate it. No 'ska-doosh' happened as Po partially figured out what the technique ultimately does.

Tai Lung's presence will be explained, also Pom didn't see him yet...

[Darkonshadows]

10609896

Your not the only one.

[Herald of Opera]

“Besides isn’t going into a burning building dangerous? Well aside for anyone else aside from me I mean.”

Even for you; the flames and smoke may not mean much directly, but the building falling on your head will matter a little more.

He’s either got the favor of the gods… or he’s insanely lucky.

You just said the same thing twice. And given that the speaker was apparently dead at this point in the original canon...

[Darkonshadows]

10616147

There's such a thing as natural luck and luck granted by divine favor.

Po has luck either way to have survived getting knocked high into the air while grappling a cannonball that was fired at him from an almost pointblank range, falling through every floor of the Tower of the Sacred Flame and then getting knocked out the front door by a shockwave before everything collapses behind him. This of course is not seen, but is implied to have happened in this version of Shen's defeat.