A / N: Oh my gee. I haven't been here in YEARS! And what do I post? Kung Fu Panda. For you just reading this, my list of other written stories are far from this! Haha.

D i s c l a i m e r: Any recognizeable characters do not belong to me, nor does Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2 or any related works save for this fic of course. I'm just playin' with the characters and I'll put them back when I'm done :)

Anyway! I have seen the second movie just twice, so if I'm missing anything or anyone is OOC, forgive me -_- . I do intend to see the movie again for some more character things as well as locations and other details of the like. This fic does contain some SPOILERS. Un-beta-ed.

Enjoi~

[Ch. I]
1896

A small gasp filled the otherwise silent room. Everything was still. There was nothing around him. Nothing moving. Nothing but empty space and hollow silence. No. Outside. Birds were singing. Warmth brushed over his face as the wind blew through a tree outside the window, causing the leaves to make way for the afternoon sunlight.

It was peaceful.

Being dead was.

He deeply inhaled the smell of of the crisp air around him. He had thought being dead for him would be terrible and a painful escape for what he did to the-

"Hey! Are you awake?"

PANDA?

Shen's ruby eyes flew open and he came face to face with that tubby panda.

"Oh hey...you're awake-"

"I am now," the Lord muttered and the Dragon warrior noticed the comment and sat back and pressed his paws together nervously.

"Sorry, I heard you breathing and thought you were...y'know-"

"Awake."

Suddenly the panda's face tightened and his head drew back and he said, "are you gonna keep cutting me off? I mean I know you might just be cranky after-"

"after what?"

"Cut it out will ya?" The bear heaved a calming sigh and mumbled 'inner peace' a few times before smiling. "Mantis and Viper patched you up after...well after you got...smashed."

The peacock said nothing but turned his gaze from the ridiculous creature to the ceiling. He remembered being crumbled under the weight of his cannon. The Dragon Warrior had used a skill, a skill that he had never seen before, to deflect the cannon balls. Then...oh yes...he remembered, the warrior spoke to him...taking the hero's path...trying to get him to change his ways. There was no chance for him and he knew that, after everything he had done. His destiny had come to fruit like the Old Goat had said, and that in itself was annoying enough. Yes, he remembered still trying to change the tide and attacking but nothing he could do would phase the fat panda and before he knew it...there was the sound of wood straining and soon enough the largest cannon began to lean. He could have moved out of the way, perhaps even pushed the Dragon Warrior into the way, but there was no point anymore. His army of wolves was gone, diminished in numbers and he lacked firepower. Yes...this was how it would end. His eyes closed and-

"Hey-uh...are you going back to sleep?"

Lord Shen managed not to show his surprise, being startled out of his memory and into the now. A sigh fell from his beak as he moved to sit up.

"Oh! I wouldn't do that If I were you!"

"And why not," Shen asked flatly with no intent of hearing the reason. The panda had one paw over his muzzle and the other was out stretched in the air in a half hearted attempt to keep the peacock down but before he could do anything, the bird froze. He then twitched and spasmed before falling back to the ground unconscious.

"Oh man..." Po leaned over the smaller creature and started taping on the ends of the many acupuncture needles in the birds body and his head snapped to the left as the door flew open.

Tigress, Shifu and Crane stood there looking utterly surprised.

"Hey guys," Po said weakly with a small smile.

"What did you do?" Shifu shook his head as he walked over to Shen.

"Po..." Tigress sighed as she tilted her head, but remained in the doorway.

"Did you kill him?" Crane's tone was indifferent as he walked in the room as well.

"I tried to tell-"

"He's not dead...just stunned," the red panda announced as he flicked one of the needles that was protruding from the peacock's belly. Instantly the albino's eyes flew open wide and he gasped for air. "There."

"What did you do to me you stupid fat panda!" Shen was nearly hysterical.

The shout bounced off the walls and Po flinched as he fumbled over himself to formulate and answer.

"I-I...I was just..."

"What he did was save your life," Tigress said sternly, coming to Po's defense.

Shen didn't seem phased by the statement as he was too wrapped in rage to even listen to her.

"I think you've made a fast recovery," Shifu mumbled as he jumped over the laying form and began plucking the needles from his body. After the initial pull Shen remained motionless and just focused on regulating his breathing. "There..."

The red panda walked past Tigress who followed him down the hall and back outside to the training grounds.

"Are you feeling better?" The panda's tone was kind and gentle. It was clear he was bent on trying to finish what he started before Shen was trying to meet his own end.

"Po..." Crane's soft voice caused the Dragon Warrior to turn. Shen was none too interested in what they were doing and he made that clear when he turned his head to the wall.

It was after a few seconds that someone moved and walked to the door and slid it shut behind them. Great, he was alone with the panda...again.

"He's not a bad guy once you get to know him..."

The panda had not stayed? Then who? Shen fought with himself before deciding to turn his eyes to the speaker. Ruby locked with brown before he glared.

"He was just trying to help," he noted with a small shrug. It was clear that this bird had his share of stories that involved the panda and it showed when he looked to the ground and his eyes grew distant.

Shen took this time to attempt to sit up again. Unfortunately his wings felt like jelly and he fell back onto his back with a small growl.

"Careful," Crane warned with a small laugh as he extended a wing to help the other.

"I don't need you help!" His hiss was threatening and a clear warning.

The Master rolled his eyes and pulled his wing back to the side of his body and took a small step back, "okay..."

Again Shen attempted to sit up. Again, he fell to his back.

Crane continued to watch him and he almost felt sorry for the other, even if he tried to take over China.

Another grunt filled the room and the white peacock fell back to the mat he was laying on. His head was starting to hurt and he knew he was agitating his wounds, but there was no way he was going to look weak in front of the stupid bird that insisted on standing there.

"Will you just leave," he shouted as he shifted to try to heave himself up again. His wings trembled as his back came up off the ground and his breath began to come out in shallow pants. He couldn't do it! His wings were sore and felt shattered. His eyes closed as he allowed himself to fall back. A loud thunk echoed throughout the room and he remained laying there.

"Are you done?"

He opened his eyes again and glared at the bird standing over him.

"Quite."

"Good...that was getting kinda...sad," he pointed out and he walked closer and shifted his foot under Shen's back.

"Don't touch me!"

"Relax," Crane sighed as he sat the peacock up and held his wing out for the other to take to get him on his feet.

Red eyes just continued to glare. There was no way he was accepting his help.

"You can lay in here all day if you want," he said with a tilt of his head, "It doesn't matter to me. Shifu just thought that after almost three weeks that you'd want to get out of this room."

"What?" Shen's eyes were wide with surprise as he stared up at the other. Almost three weeks? No. No. He was there just yesterday, fighting with that over grown teddy bear and attempting to take over the land that belong to him.

"Yeah, rise and shine sleeping beauty," Crane said as he took it upon himself to hoist the other bird to his feet.

Shen still stood in surprise, but when the crane looked at him with amusement, he schooled his features and looked down to his unresponsive wings and-

"Where is my robe?"

The peacock's eyes remained on his unclothed form, not daring to meet eyes with the only other body in the room.

"Here."

He lifted his eyes to see a cotton robe that was definitely not his crisp white silk robe.

"My robe," he said levelly, "where is it?"

"It was pretty ruined and Po didn't think you would want it, so he found you this," the bird said in a calm matter of fact.

"Whatever," Shen said hastily as he snatched the robe and quickly put it on. Once it was was on the peacock shifted his weight and caught sight of the metal coverings over his feet beside the pooling blanket on the ground. His eyes narrowed. They were intact still but they were scorched and blackened. No matter, he would get them replaced.

"Okaaay," the crane said slowly, hoping to draw the white bird out of his thoughts, "we should go."

Even fully clothed, he wasn't going to leap at the chance of leaving with the other bird, in fact, he just settled with his glare. It was clear that they were not worried about him attacking them, but why should they be?

"Hey..." the bird's tone was soft as he took a step closer.

"Stay away from me!"

"Um...okay..."

The albino bird felt a bit helpless. He knew if he tried to leave that he wouldn't get very far, especially with his wing. No. He would have to gain his strength back and then attempt and escape. Yes. That was perfect.

"Bird!"

Crane turned from the door that he was about to open back to their resident guest. He folded his wings back to his sides and waited.

"What is your name?"

"Crane," he said simply.

"Ah...Crane. I will go with you, but I want a new robe," he announced as he walked over to the slightly taller bird and slid the door open.

His eyes flew open wide before he gained his composure again and glared at the large panda that was standing before him.

"Hey guys...I was just...checking on you," Po announced with an attempted grin. It was painfully obvious that he had been in the hall the entire time.

"I seriously doubt that panda," Shen said before he made his way down the hall, following the sounds of the other warrior's training outside.

Clank...Clank...Clank...Clank...Clank...Clank...

Crane looked at Po with slight annoyance before his features softened. He knew the bear meant no harm, and that he was worried about Shen.

"Hey."

Crane looked to the taller warrior, "what?"

"Why is he walking so slow?"

Brown eyes blinked then looked back to the peacock making his way down the hall.
It was true.
He was walking rather slow.

"I don't know, maybe-"

"I'm injured...not deaf," Shen called as he continued walking.

Po gave a weak laugh and Crane just shook his head and followed the albino bird out with The Dragon Warrior following close behind.