Chapter Forty-Eight

The fire burned over the Valley, visible for miles. It would probably take days to go out completely, although the citizens were doing everything they could to put it out.

All that was now left of the seemingly omnipotent airship was a charred metal frame, crumpled and twisted. Everything possibly flammable had been completely annihilated, vaporized ash drifting for acres. The tattered remains of gliders lay sporadically cluttered, like dead birds after a snowstorm.

The wreckage of the Iron Princess had been searches for bodies or survivors, but none were found, having been completely burnt. Po, shifting gingerly through the ashes, had found a blackened and charred piece of metal, which on second inspection, had turned out to be the blade of Shen's lance. That brought emotions and memories back to the panda, emotions and memories that he never thought would be associated with the peacock, the one responsible for nothing less than a genocide on his race.

But he had come so very far since then... To the point of being able to use inner peace to re-angle a falling wooden, fiery gondola. Yes, Po had watched that, and seen Shen's black-and-white train...

All those years ago, he went out to stop a warrior of black and white. And that warrior... Was none other than himself!

How very fitting. The person most in control of one's destiny is yourself. Although, Po had to agree, he had never seen it demonstrated on such a magnitude. Shen had killed, KILLED his doppelgänger, although it was mostly survival... Emperor Shen was undoubtedly dead.

The gondola had crashed down on him, and then the gondola had burned, then the balloon landed on top of that... But Po had once thought the very same thing about the very same peacock, only to have been wrong. You could never be sure.

But, something told Po that this time, he was not wrong. The emperor Shen, ambitious, cruel, cunning, and incredibly intelligent, was dead, both metaphorically and in reality. He had taken China, but in his greed, decided to reach for the one jewel that was out of reach... And that spelled his doom.

The attack had left the Valley reeling, but it's ramifications would affect all of China, if action was not taken quickly. China was now without ruler. Shen had been emperor, and Xu had not yet retaken the throne. Hopefully, he could be put back into power before any revolutionaries figured out that there was a power void...

Po walked back to the hospital, where several people lay in crisp white sheets. Po nodded to Viper, who's head was wrapped like a mummy. She made a muffled sound, but Po didn't understand what she had said. Almost all of the Five were in here, and even he had several bandages wrapped around his burnt hands.

Po made his way to the back, seeking out one particular person, holding the charred remains of the lance. He stood around the door, a seemingly forlorn aura issuing from it. He pushed the door open, and walked in.

Shen lifted his head, a somewhat dazed expression fading from his face at the sight or the panda.

Po looked around the room. It was clean and comfortable, but bare. Shen looked well taken care of... But very, very alone. Public opinion of the peacock was varied, as many of the people in the Valley knew that he had helped, and masterminded, the rescue mission, but they all knew that he was also the one who attacked. This created a lot of confusion, and until it was sorted out, the citizens were staying away from him.

He also looked like he had gone through a meat grinder, his feathers somewhat patchy, his clothes torn, and several deep scratches all over his body. But at least he was alive...

"So," Shen began, squinting at Po, "The doctor tells me that you saved my life..."

Po pursed his lips. "Yeah.. I did. You were unconscious or something, and the balloon was about to fall on you..." Po faded off, remembering the smoke and fire filling his lungs, as he dragged Shen out of the way of the falling airship just in time. He didn't really know what had come over him, as he rushed towards the peacock. He guessed it was just his natural instinct to protect-

Or maybe he felt that Shen had come too far to die now. If he died then, he would have died a villain, no-one ever knowing what he had done.

"...so I just, y'know, ran in and pulled you out of the way," Po finished.

"Aaahh..." Shen breathed, taking a deep breath, "Thanks, I suppose. I really should have thanked you before... Before everything."

"Oh, it was nothing!" Po exclaimed, "I'm the Dragon Warrior, helping people is my job! Besides, you were awesome out there..."

"Me...awesome," Shen muttered, "There are two words not associated with each other very often."

"Well you were!" Po cried, waving his arms, "I saw you. You did the inner peace thing! I can't believe that you did that!"

"That makes two of us, panda," Shen stated blankly, "I honestly could not believe it either..."

"You were like FWOOSH! Then SHWAAHH!" - Shen rolled his eyes, doing a mental facepalm at the panda's antics - "And then your tail opened, SWOOSH! And... It was black and white, and then you swirled around, doing the 'warrior of black and white' thing-"

"Wait, Po, what was that last bit again?" Shen interrupted.

"Your train was black and white," Po repeated, "What, you didn't notice?"

"No, I didn't..." Shen whispered, then lapsed into silence, proccessing the information. Po tried to gauge his expression, but his thoughts were a mystery. Finally, the peacock spoke.

"I saw my father..." he muttered, almost whispering, "Call me crazy, but I saw my father. He came to me, while the gondola was coming towards me..."

Po had suddenly grown serious. "You are lucky, Shen," he said, wiping his brow, "I'm worried about MY dad... I don't know where he is, or if he's safe..."

Shen didn't really know what to say, so he remained silent.

Po suddenly remembered something, and handed Shen a charred piece of ashy metal.

Shen took it with an air of disgust. "What is this THING, panda?" he asked, a little harshly.

"That, peacock," Po replied, "Is all that's left of your lance."

Shen blanched, and looked up at Po quickly. "My lance? The one that I-"

Po nodded.

"Oh..." Shen mumbled, and ran his wingtip along the metal. It was no longer sharp, crushed almost beyond recognition. Shen felt a lump almost forming in his throat. He had been through so much with this lance... It hurt to be finally holding it's broken remains.

Then he suddenly smiled, tossing it into the air and catching it.

"Oh well," he said half-cheerfully, "It will make a good crutch, until I can melt it back down..." suddenly he darkened, looking into Po's eyes, "Besides, I won't be needing a lance where I'm going, will I?"

Po was confused. "Where are you going, Shen?"

Shen looked down, snowy white wingtips fiddling with his bedsheets. He was supposed to be an aristocrat, dignified and controlled at all times. Right now, he felt more like a whipped dog.

"I-I'm being deported, Po, back to the royal city," he began, keeping his eyes on the floor, "To face charges for... For attempting to take China by force, and threatening people, destroying homes... Among others."

Po blinked. "But you didn't do any of those, Shen!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist, "That wasn't you! Why will you have to face charges?"

"Do you honestly believe they will listen to that?" Shen spat scornfully, then softened again, "All they know is, that a white peacock who called himself Shen took China, and a white peacock who calls himself Shen has been found in the Valley of Peace. They aren't going to listen to the truth. I wouldn't either."

"That's awful!" Po cried, making a fist and punching his palm, then leaping up and down with pain. He had forgotten about his burnt hands...

"It's fine, panda," Shen reassured, "I have learned something during this whole experience. And that is, that there is no crime that goes fully unpunished. If... If execution is the way I must pay for my crimes... Than so be it."

With this last statement, Shen lapsed into silence.

Even Po had nothing to say.

The cool morning breeze wafted through crisp, fresh air. The breeze curled like fingers through grey feathers, moving with an almost musical rhythm in the air. It was a refreshing and beautiful morning, but cloudy. The weather mirrored the mood of former (and soon to be present) emperor of China, Xu Nai Xan. He had several things on his mind, but the most pressing was the matter pertaining to the white peacock, Shen Lee Han. Xu had been told the fantastical truth about the attack, and knew full-well that no-one would believe that. He was not sure that he believed it himself...

But Xu was a fair person, and despite the fact that there was no person in China he hated more than the white peacock, if this peacock was not the same one... Then he was willing to let his anger go.

His ancestors would hate him for what he felt compelled to do. His citizens would probably lose faith in him. But it was the right thing...

He decided to call the red panda, Master Shifu, to ask about the peacock's punishment...

O-O-O

Xu was appalled, but not surprised. This peacock had a LONG and painful history... But he could see the hurt in it. But that did not justify his actions, not pay for the lives of all those innocents...

But who was he to say what paid for the lives of the innocent? He, himself, had ruthlessly sacrificed his own armies without thought, because he had no other choice. Perhaps that had happened to Shen...

Anyway, as it stood, Shen faced exocution, and he, Xu, was the only one who could currently stop the death of an innocent life...

But did he deserve saving? Perhaps it would be better for everybody if this peacock was just put down...

Xu nodded slowly.

This desision was easy, Shen should die. Xu decided to go and see this peacock, and, perhaps for the first time, actually converse.

Xu turned, and walked down the path towards the hospital.

Opening the door, he walked up to the nurse behind the counter.

"Excuse me..." he said, waiting for the nurse to turn to him before continuing, "I understand that you have Shen here?"

The nurse nodded. "He's here, sir."

"Good," Xu affirmed, "Now, where can I find him?"

"Down the hall, last room on the left. Can't miss it," the nurse replied.

"Thank you..." Xu nodded, before following the nurse's instructions, walking down the hall, and stopping in front of the door. He paused a few seconds, then walked in.

There was already a panda in the room, who stood up and bowed quickly.

"Don't bother," Xu instructed, "I just want to speak to the... Peacock."

Shen looked at him quizzically, his ruby eyes locking the emperor's.

That was all it took for Xu to make his descision, in that one second, making up his mind. He had locked eyes with this peacock before, and it had given him shivers...

"Shen?" he asked, by way of greeting.

"In person..." Shen replied, tilting his head, "What is it you wanted?"

"I hear that, according to the red panda, and the laws of the land," Xu began, sitting down on a seat provided, "You are to go to the royal city, face charges, and be put to death." Po was about to interject, but Xu silenced him by raising his wing, "Is that... True?"

Shen frowned slightly. What was this goose doing here? "You probably already know," Shen growled, "But yes, it is true..."

Xu shifted uncomfortably in his seat, which was obviously not made for waterfowl, then placed his attention back towards the peacock.

"Do you know who I am, Shen?" Xu asked.

"I have an idea," came the reply, "But why don't you save us both the suspense and tell me?

"Very well," Xu answered, "I am Xu Nai Xan, former emperor of China. If all goes well, I will be placed back on the throne as soon as possible..."

"So I was right," Shen whispered beneath his breath.

"... and once I am there... I will be the one to judge you," the goose finished.

"But Xu... Your ex-highness... Um..." Po interrupted, trying to think of what the goose's title should be, eventually deciding on 'sir', "Um, sir, Shen didn't do any of those thing-"

The former emperor raised his wing again, interrupting the panda.

"I know that, panda," he informed, "Your snake comrade told me the whole story. And that" - he turned back to Shen - "brings me to my last question. Did you commit any of those crimes of which you are accused, during the last two months?"

Shen sat upright, regarding the goose with an air of... Well, no-one could tell what that air was. It was just too strange.

At last, Shen answered. "I did not. As far as I know from the charges, I personally have not committed any crimes since Gongmen."

"Ah, yes, Gongmen..." Xu muttered, then looked up, examining the cracks on the wall, "The red panda, Shifu, told me all about that. You should consider yourself lucky that no-one (aside from the rhino, and a few wolves) was actually killed during your, shall I say, illegal takeover of the city. However..."

Xu continued to stare at the cracks on the wall. It was quite unnerving.

"However... When the tower fell, that was another matter entirely. Several people must have been killed when that happened..." he looked sidelong at Shen, to see what his response would be.

Shen sighed slightly, his brain clicking, but not really coming up with anything. The 'it was self defense' seemed extremely pathetic now...

"I am aware of that..." Shen replied finally, "And I am aware of the ramifications. Nothing will ever condone the loss of a life... Nothing. I am a murderer.. My purity has been stained red."

That did it for Xu. He stood up, and eyed the peacock again. "Shifu told me what I already knew, the punishments for the actions you have taken," he looked Shen up and down, and continued, "But I think... I think you have been punished enough." he turned, and left the room, the ramifications for what he had just done echoing in his mind. But he couldn't have honestly done anything else. All it had really taken, was to look into Shen's eyes. They were clear and intelligent... and most certainly not the eyes of the peacock he had locked eyes with a month or so ago. But now, he had practically given his word...

Back in the hospital room, both the peacock and panda were staring at the door that Xu had just walked through.

"What was that all about?" Po asked quietly, "What did he mean by it?"

"I know what I THINK he meant," Shen replied, "Of course, he is royalty, his words are hard to gauge... But I hope that I was right."

Evening drew over the Valley like an inescapable blanket, giving the sky a final surge of heavenly pinks, before fading away into night. But the night is beautiful in it's own way, the perfect dome of the heavens stretched across an expanse of sky, or the way every tiny light became clearly visible, lending an air of mysticism to the nighttime hours.

At least Mei ling thought so, as she sat by the peach tree of heavenly wisdom, overlooking the valley, and the lands around it. She was leaving tomorrow, going back to the Royal city with Xu. Perhaps she could rebuild the academy, call it the 'Mei ling Kung Fu academy'. Yes, that certainly had a nice ring to it. But she was still leaving, and that was why she sat here now, taking in as much of the Valley's atmosphere as she could, before it became too late. One often never realizes how very beautiful something is until you look back on it, and Mei ling never wanted to miss out on something because she had not paid attention.

The valley was beautiful, but no longer untouched, there were still the remains of the airship lying around. They added a sinister look to the place, and Mei ling was sure that those remains would become a bandit's hideout for years.

Slow wingbeats reached her sensitive ears, and she looked up with consternation- then looked down quickly again.

Crane spread his wings, slowing his fall, and gracefully landed next to the mountain cat. He said nothing, only stood next to her, admiring the view.

But to Mei ling, the silence was worse than a scream. Why couldn't he just be angry with her and get it over with? She had been avoiding him ever since the whole airship fiasco had drawn to a close... Because she couldn't stand to be around him, not because she disliked him... but because she was afraid of him, of what he would say. On her last conversation with the waterfowl, she had admitted some rather... sensitive feelings for him... And he had never had the chance to reply to them. Perhaps he had forgotten, but how could one forget something like that?

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" Crane spoke at last.

Mei ling started, and pursed her lips. "Yeah, yeah... Nice country you got here," she stuttered, "Very... Uh, peaceful."

"Hence the name," Crane replied slowly, "Mei ling, are you feeling alright? You are just acting weird."

Mei ling stiffened. "No, no, I'm feeling fine, just fine! I'm not acting weird at all, not at-"

Crane fixed her with a gaze, and she deflated. "All... But seriously, I'm fine..."

"Good," Crane continued, grinding his beak thoughtfully, "About the airship..."

"Yeah, that was pretty crazy, right?!" Mei ling answered a bit too quickly, putting on a cheesy grin.

"More specifically, about what you said about me on the airship, or about us," Crane replied slowly. Mei ling could not tell, but he was forcing every word out through his beak with a sledgehammer.

"Oh, that..." Mei ling mumbled miserably, "Well, you know, spur-of-the-moment, emotions-flowing, stuff like that. Don't..." she was going to say 'don't be offended' but she decided on, "Don't buy too much into it."

Crane stood in silence for a while, continuing to grind his beak. But silence, like all things, must come to a close.

"So," he said calmly, "Did you mean it?"

Mei ling could suddenly not speak, all that came out were garbled stutterings. But that would not save her, as Crane turned his head, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Did you really mean what you said?" he asked again.

Mei ling fumbled for a moment, then nodded quickly.

"Really?" Crane asked, raising his eyebrows, "You DID mean it?"

"YES, Crane!" Mei ling half-shouted, finding her voice at last, "Do I have to say it a thousand times? I meant it! I meant it! And any time I say 'I love you' in the future, I'll mean it then, too!"

Suddenly, she stopped, surprised with her outburst, and clapped a paw over her mouth.

Crane's head had bent back while she was shouting, and now he straightened up, looking into her eyes once more. He was smiling, his deep blush hidden by the dark light.

"Well then," he said, placing his wings on her shoulders, "You are going back tomorrow, aren't you?"

Mei ling nodded, still with her paw over her mouth.

Crane moved her paw away with his wing, and continued to stare into her eyes. Mei ling was getting very, very nervous, and very, very impatient, but for what she had no idea.

"Well, in that case," Crane continued, "We should enjoy each others company while we have it. Come, I'll show you the town."

Mei ling's eyes widened. "Crane?" she asked incredulously, "Are you asking me out on a... Date?"

Crane shrugged. "You could call it that, I guess..."

"Wow..." the feline breathed quietly, then looked back into Crane's eyes, "I accept your invitation. Show me what the Valley has to offer."

Crane smiled, and took her by the hand, leading her away from the Jade palace and down into the village...

A mantis hopped out of the grass, and rushed back to the palace.

Monkey needed to hear this!

Time passed as it always did. Mei ling journeyed back to the Royal city, where she did indeed begin work on the 'Mei ling Kung Fu academy'. Crane had been sad to see her leave, but he concealed it; he would not stand between her and her dreams.

Besides, she already knew how he felt. He had a very eventful night with her, returning quite late- but not late enough to avoid the banter from Mantis and Monkey (how they knew, he had no idea). But he had taken it all in stride, until they started asking about, 'when to expect the first child'. That had blown the lid. It certainly said a lot for their character, if they thought that any outing alone with a female would end in THAT.

Let's just say that Mantis and Monkey didn't try that again.

Xu Nai Xan had also returned to the Royal city, placing himself on the throne without too much trouble. China was once more stabilized and safe...

But Shen stayed behind, confined to his hospital room. The Masters of the Jade palace were uncomfortable having him in their valley, but could do nothing until Xu summoned him to face charges. Shen did not await that day with the same anticipation as they.

Rumors had began to surface, that Shen was a demon, who could be in two places at once... whose white feathers would bring death upon those who behold them. Several stories were spread, but there really was nothing you could blame the makers for, the whole thing was a very strange affair.

It was a cloudy Tuesday, when the supposed summoning letter arrived in the mail, addressed to the Jade palace.

"Here, that must be from the emperor," Shifu stated, taking the scroll, and opening it, "To the esteemed and venerable Master Shifu of the Jade palace, here is an imperial decree regarding your prisoner, the former Lord Shen Lee Han..." Shifu's eyes widened, as he read the letter, then read it again, to make sure he understood it correctly.

"Master?" Tigress asked softly, "Master, is something wrong?"

Shifu turned to the feline, holding the scroll out to her, "I don't understand this... There must be some mistake, here, read it for yourself."

Tigress took the scroll from Shifu, and read it. When she had finished, she looked just as surprised as Shifu. The scroll was quickly passed around, but only two people seemed happy about what it said, and only one seemed somewhat unsurprised.

"I don't believe it!" Viper exclaimed.

"This is awful, man," Mantis groaned, "Now what are we going to do with him?"

"Master Shifu?" Tigress questioned.

Shifu stood in silence, contemplating something. He suddenly turned to face the tiger.

"I don't know, Tigress, I just don't know," he answered, "But that is a choice for a later date. For now, someone really ought to tell him the news."

No-one needed to ask who the 'him' was.

Shen was sitting on his windowsill, his magnificent train, it's red hues restored, draping behind him. He felt clean, since he had recently bathed, something he had not been able to do for a while. His feathers were once more a snowy white, instead of the patchy, ashy shade of grey they had been for the past weeks.

But he felt clean in a different way, an inside kind of clean, as if his heart had been washed, along with his feathers. His heart felt, if not completely renewed, at least as if the black rust had been removed.

But that raised new questions. His heart was no longer black, but it was certainly not white either. Shen didn't know what shade it was now. In short, he felt lost, not quite sure where to go, which way to turn. At least, while the smoke of madness had surrounded him, he had known exactly where he was, and what was expected of him. He had known exactly what he needed to do. Not so now, as he knew not where he stood, or which way was the path he wished.

But he didn't even know what he wanted. He had no ambitions to work towards, and now, his only feeling was one of... Emptiness. Of course, this was a useless exercise, as he would soon be called to face his charges... And then die.

The peacock shivered, remembering the feeling of cold, clammy fingers wrapping around his soul, pulling him out of his body, and out of his world.

The embrace of death. Shen was one of the few people to have experienced that, and he didn't like the experience. He had been sent off to Hades last time, he couldn't help but wonder where he would go if he died now.

But Shen seriously doubted that the heavenly overlords would allow for him to be sent back to life, only to have him die again. So, he would just sit, and let this problem work itself out-

Suddenly, the door opened, and Master Shifu walked in stiffly, accompanied by Viper, Tigress, Crane, and Po.

"Shen," Shifu began, in a way that meant that there was a lot more coming, "We received the letter from the Royal city that we have been expecting..."

Shen leaped off the sill, and cocked his head. "Oh... Shall I get going, then?"

Shifu frowned, lapsing into silence.

"You aren't going anywhere, Shen!" Viper exclaimed excitedly, sending a small smile in the peacock's direction.

"I-I... I'm not?" Shen asked, confused, "But... What did the letter say?"

Shifu answered. "For reasons unbeknownst to me, Shen," he said, "The emperor has acquitted you on all accounts. We are to regard you as if you have committed no crimes."

Shen said nothing, only raising his eyebrows.

"You have a clean slate now, Shen!" Po added, coming forward a little, "You are free!"

"At least officially," Master Shifu reminded, "I think that the populace may have a harder time dealing with you than did the royals."

"Really?" Shen said quietly, "So... What now?"

"The letter says that," Shifu replied, "While you have been forgiven officially, you are still under our charge. We Masters of the Jade palace will decide what is going to be done with you."

"Oh, and here I though I was going to live," Shen muttered under his breath.

"I assure you, we will be completely fair," Shifu continued, flicking his ears, "And... This new development will be brought into consideration. Thank you for your time."

Shifu, Crane, and Tigress turned and left the room. Po and Viper followed, but slower, leaving Shen with a friendly goodbye wave.

Shen gave a half wave in response, not quite sure what else he was supposed to do. The room was left in silence...

Silence, except for the screaming of his own thoughts.

Shifu was alone, listening to the silence around him. What was to be done with Shen? Who knew. What would Oogway have done?

Shen had changed, and now he was free... And also quite the hero as well. News travels quickly in the Valley, and as soon as news got out of the emperor's pardon, the citizenry had suddenly remembered that he was the one who came up with that plan to help save them. For the very first time, Shen had fans, and even though they were somewhat half-hearted, general opinion of him had risen greatly. Shen himself, however, was still as reclusive as ever. Perhaps he just needed bringing out... Whatever the case, Shifu must reach a decision soon. He could not expect the peacock to stay confined in his hospital bed for long...

He wished that he could speak with the emperor, so that the goose could explain his reasoning for wiping Shen's slate. Perhaps, if he could hear that, some guidance could reveal itself... But he could not.

Shen... Why did this peacock cause so much trouble? He had already caused twice as much trouble as Po... And that was saying something.

How would Oogway have responded? Shifu knew the answer to that one... As thoughts of Taotie, Fenghuang the owl... And himself, came to mind. Oogway would have taken the peacock in, offered him a place with him...

But that was ridiculous, Shen would never fit in with the other Masters... Tigress hated even the mention of his name. The other Masters may eventually get used to him... But Po and Viper would probably not mind at all.

But what would Shen want? That was not up to him, but it still should be taken into consideration... Perhaps he could be sent out on his exile, to continue where he left off... But then he would be free to go wherever he pleased, bringing his aura of chaos with him.

Things seemed to happen around that peacock, things beyond comprehension... If he was going to be anywhere, he was going to be somewhere where Shifu could keep an eye on him. But that brought him back to his original quandary. What to do with Shen!?

Really, this wasn't his choice to make, at least alone. He would have to consort with the Five and Po, they would have a large say in the matter, but him having something to back would certainly make things easier... Tigress certainly would not back anything that he did not.

Turning, he went inside, to gather the Masters.

It only took a few minutes for everyone to gather, and Shifu explained the situation. Of course, they already knew exactly what was going to be discussed, and were ready.

"I say we should let him into the palace," Po suggested.

All eyes turned to him, and he winced. "What? It would only be temporary, until we're really sure he can be allowed out into the world."

Shifu blinked at the panda. Why hadn't he thought of a temporary setting?

"That is a good idea, panda... I'm surprised I didn't think of that."

Tigress's eye twitched slightly, showing her annoyance for that idea. She would not speak against anything that Shifu said was good, but she certainly was not going to endorse it.

"Um... Shen is a villain..." Mantis piped up, "We can't go around letting villains into the Jade palace..."

"We all could be villains, through different eyes," Crane responded, his head cocked, "The truth is, our hands are as bloody as his."

Tigress HAD to reply to that! "The blood that we spill is not the blood of innocents, Crane," she reminded coldly, "We kill so that others may live. He only kills for his own benefit."

"Killed..." Po mumbled, then explained, "Shen KILLED for his own good. But really, who are we to go around saying about how important the 'now' is, when we don't live it ourselves?"

"I say we should let him in!" Mantis exclaimed, "If for no other reason than too keep an eye on him. Monkey? What do you think?"

Monkey thought. He knew what the others, particularly Tigress, would think of him for this, but he knew what Oogway would have wanted for him to do. Monkey himself had been taught a hard lesson in compassion. In a way, he and Shen were alike, outcasts from society. But while Monkey turned to causing trouble, Shen turned to darkness and destruction.

"I think... I think that we should let him in."

Shifu looked around, surprised by how fast this was going. "Tigress, Crane?" he asked, "That only leaves you. I think I already know what Viper would choose, so the decision lies with you."

Tigress said nothing, only staring at Crane coldly, to see which way he would bend.

Crane felt the gazes of everyone on him at once. Bother...

"I think... I think..." he stuttered, forcing himself to think clearly over the options, "I don't really know, I mean, as long as it's temporary, and Shen really has changed-"

"Oh, he has!" Viper interjected, then clapped her tail to her mouth, "At least, I'm pretty sure he has..."

"Then I don't really see why not," Crane continued.

Tigress twitched slightly, her eyes burning holes in the avian, who turned away quickly.

"Tigress? You are the only one to have not spoken yet," Shifu said, turning to the feline, "What is your opinion on the matter?"

Tigress sat in silence for a while, then answered. "You all have made up your minds, I can't say much against that, can I?" she said icily, each word enunciated angrily, "I-I will forgo my opinion. It doesn't matter what I think anyway. Do what you think best, I will go with whatever you choose."

Shifu glared at her a little for her tone, but continued anyway, "Very well. A decision has been made, Shen will be allowed into the Jade palace, at least temporarily. What he does then is up to him."

"Let's go tell him!" Viper hissed, a little too cheerily for her own good. She had secretly hoped that this would happen, perhaps, if Shen could learn to get along with the other Masters, he could forget about what she had done to him.

He was still quite cold to her, as he was with everyone. Only with Po did he ever show the slightest ounce of warmth...

She literally felt a cool breeze waft past her, as Tigress walked by, her face hard and stony.

...just like some of the other people here. That panda had an odd ability to squeeze the goodness out of a person who seemingly had none, almost like squeezing a stone and getting water. She wished she had that ability, she had been trying ever since she arrived at the Valley of Peace to get some emotion out of Master Shifu, only to have Po come, and in the space of a week, accomplishing what she had never been able to do in fifteen or so years.

Anyway, she now looked up, and found that the palace was empty. They had left her behind while she had been thinking! What was with that?

She hurried out the palace, trying to catch up with her fellow Masters. Why did they ALL have to go? When she caught up to them, she realized that they hadn't all gone. Only Po, Shifu... And Tigress, had gone. Tigress made her a tiny bit nervous, she knew that the feline's attitude towards Shen was less than shining...

A sigh escaped the snake's lips. It seemed that, everywhere she turned, relationships were being renewed or created. Crane, of all people, had somehow managed to get a girl to have feelings for him (she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that, a little... jealous, perhaps?) and Tigress... she had finally managed to renew her relationship with her foster father. She must have realized how much he meant to her while on the airship...

But Viper... the sweet, charming, and friendliest member of the Five... her friendships had all been ground to powder. Tigress, her best friend, now considered her, if not an enemy, then a rival. Her betrayal of Shen had exposed her betrayal of the Five. If only Shen could prove to them all that she had NOT made a mistake by helping him, then perhaps she could make a step towards regaining the trust she had lost.

But honestly, she thought that Tigress was being a little too grumpy. Sure, Shen shot Po out of a factory, tried to shoot him with a cannon, destroyed his birthplace, taken Tigress and her friends prisoner, and been really creepy, but he had also SAVED them, and the Valley, and all of CHINA, for crying out loud! Didn't that show that he had changed?

Of course, that was his only act of redemption in their eyes. They couldn't be expected to know about the other ones.

Shen was in the middle of nothing when Shifu, Po, and Tigress stormed in, Viper trailing closely behind.

He stood up quickly, brushing his tattered and dirty robes. Not that it would do any good, but Shen did that by force of habit. He really could use some new clothes, he had worn this one for almost a year.

"Greetings, gentlemen, Viper," Shen nodded, "May I ask the reason for this... Intrusion?"

"You may," Shifu replied, standing directly in front of the white peacock, "Me and the Masters of the Jade palace have come to a decision regarding your future."

Shen sighed. This red panda seemed to enjoy dragging things out.

"Your going to stay with us, Shen!" Viper exclaimed from the back.

Shen looked from her, back to Shifu in confusion.

Shifu sighed. "If that is what you want, we have agreed to allow you to stay at the Jade palace, at least temporarily."

Shen's eyes widened, and searched the red panda's for some sign of a joke. But none was found.

"Really?" he questioned incredulously, "You are willing... To allow me... to stay with you? You all agreed to this?"

"You may stay with us, if that is what you choose," Shifu answered gravely.

Shen's eyes darted to the group, his eyes resting on Po. The panda was nodding emphatically. He looked back to Shifu. "Why, I'd be honored to stay at the palace with you... I accept your offer, Master..."

Tigress growled slightly at the peacock referring to Shifu as 'Master', but she kept her feeling to herself.

"Well then, Shen," Shifu continued, "Gather any belongings you may have. While you are with us, you will be treated as a student. Is that acceptable?"

It wasn't really a question, there was only one correct answer. But Shen couldn't care less.

"It is perfectly acceptable, Master," Shen replied, his eyes almost glowing, "Perfectly..."

"Very well. Bedding will be arranged on your arrival," Shifu informed, "Be at the palace in two hours. We will leave you to gather... Any belongings you may have."

Shifu took a step back, going to the door. "Do not be late," he said. And then he was gone, not as if he walked away, he just dissapeared.

Shen was left alone with Tigress, Po, and Viper.

"So, do you even have any belongings?" Viper asked.

Shen smiled wryly. "No, not really, unless you count my 'crutch'," he gestured to the remains of his lance.

"Well anyway," Po said slowly, "I'm looking forward to seeing you around the palace..."

Shen nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the striped feline.

The two were locked in some kind of staring competition, peering intently into each other's eyes.

Eventually, Tigress was distracted by Po walking between them.

"Whoa, Tigress, what was that?!" Po asked, a little angrily, "There's no need for that kind of glare."

Tigress only fixed her glare on Po, and after a few short seconds, the panda flinched, and took a few steps back.

"Ahh... I should catch up with the others," he said nervously, "Bye!" he zipped down the hall, disappearing from sight.

"Hey, Po!" Viper shouted after him, then sighed, exasperated, "Come back here!" she turned to Shen, "Excuse me, while I run off after Po..."

She slithered off after the fleeing panda, her shouts and calls echoing back to the peacock and feline.

Shen was left alone with Tigress. The peacock shifted uncomfortably, his train rustling behind him.

"So..." he began, turning to the feline, "You must be pretty surprised, the way this all turned out..."

"There's the understatement of the year," Tigress muttered, her face remaining monotone.

"It seems like it must have been an accident," Shen continued, eyeing her warily.

"There are no accidents," Tigress replied, a little angrily.

"Only mistakes," Shen finished.

"Mistakes..." Tigress mumbled, then straightened, "You want to know about mistakes? Master Shifu doesn't often make mistakes, SHEN," she took a step forward, enunciating each word like a hammer, designed to crush the poor peacock, "But I think that letting you into the Jade palace is a rare exception. I will not go against his decision, but" - Shen found himself backing up before the female tiger, as she advanced on him, step after step - "I will not let you off. You make one mistake, you will hear from me about it. And if you give the slightest intention of returning to your old ways, I will TEAR you limb from limb. Are we clear?"

Shen, at a sudden loss for words, only nodded.

"Good," Tigress continued, straightening up again, "If you want respect, Shen, you must EARN it."

"I have every intention of doing so, MASTER Tigress," Shen snapped, finding his voice at last. His train flared up behind him, "But what about you? What respect do you ever get?"

"I have all the respect I need," Tigress replied coolly.

Shen half-laughed. "Are you so sure of that, Master Tigress? Or is your 'respect' actually fear?"

Shen had struck a nerve. As a carnivore among rabbits, pigs, and goats, Tigress was indeed extremely intimidating to the villagers, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to shake their fear.

Now, she leaped forward a step, her claws mere inches away from Shen's face.

"The genocidal warlord certainly would know a lot about being feared, wouldn't he?" she snarled, her eyes like burning coals, "Now, you try an outburst like that again, and I might just forget about what Shifu, or the emperor, said. No-one would miss you, Shen."

"Wouldn't they?" he retorted, pushing his beak further upwards, "I think someone would..."

Tigress retreated as if she had been stung. "I don't know how you poisoned her mind," the feline said, going to the door, "But you won't do it to anyone else. I will make sure you pay, if you do anything more to her!"

And she was gone, running off down the hall.

Shen flopped down on his bed, breathing heavily with a strange mixture of relief, fear, and excitement boiling in his veins.

That tiger certainly was... intense, wasn't she? And who had she meant by 'her'? Who knows. But Shen was disappointed with himself, and his temper. It was going to get the better of him one day... he was supposed to show that he wasn't the peacock he used to be, and now it looked like he had gone and disproved it. It just seemed like everything inside him rose up at the challenge, spoiling for a fight. He was a fighter by nature, he would stay a fighter until the day he died.

"If you want respect, Shen," the peacock said to himself, "You must earn it."

He sat up, and looked around. He had nothing to pack, but he could use some new clothes...

He had two hours, he might as well use them.

Standing up, he went to the door, and tentatively pushed it open, and walked down the hallway to the hospital front door. He looked, around nervously. No-one had stopped him yet...

He pulled the door open, and walked out, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The fires had long since disappeared, and the Valley was once more filled the the bustle of life.

The peacock strode forward, each step trembling with a mixture of nervousness and determination, from under the shades of the hospital, and into the light. Several eyes turned to him, but he pretended not to notice their stares, instead pacing down the street, looking for somewhere that sold decent clothes.

"It's him!" a young-sounding voice rang out behind him. Shen froze.

"I'm telling you, that's the peacock!" the voice squealed again. Shen decided to continue walking, as if he hadn't heard.

"It is not," another voice said, louder than the first, "There's no way you could have seen him."

"It is too!" the first voice replied, "I'll go ask him!"

Shen continued walking, hearing scuffling behind him. Eventually, he had enough. He whirled, flaring his train, to face his two pursuers, ready for a fight-

And saw two young bunnies, one brown, and one white. Shen relaxed, his train deflating. He was seriously paranoid...

"I'm sorry sir! He's just real little, and-" the brown rabbit tried to bail, but the smaller, white rabbit interrupted.

"Are you Lord Shen?" she asked quickly, "I think you are, but ma' older brother doesn't think so."

Shen smiled, a little awkwardly. "No, I'm not-"

"See! I told you!" the brown rabbit interrupted, "I told you it wasn't him."

Shen bristled. "Didn't you ever learn that it's rude to interrupt?" he asked the older rabbit, a little harshly, then softened quickly, "No, I'm not LORD Shen, just Shen. I'm not a Lord anymore."

"See! I told you! I told you!" the white rabbit said triumphantly to her mortified brother, "I was right..." she turned back to Shen, "Your not a Lord anymore? Why not?"

Shen sighed. Children and their nosy questions... How do you politely excuse yourself from a group of children?

"No, no, I'm not a Lord anymore," he began haltingly, "Just a disinherited prince."

"I think that a Prince is better than a Lord," the bunny said cheerfully.

"Why?" Shen asked, confused, "A Lord has far more power than a Prince."

The rabbit thought for a while. "I guess..." she said finally, "I think that Prince just sounds more romantic than Lord."

"Oh," Shen muttered, half-smiling at the notion of him being romantic, "I suppose that's true..." he looked around the marketplace, then back to the two children, "Listen, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find a place that sells good clothes, would you?"

The older, brown bunny steppe forward. "I know one! If you go down that street, over there, then turn left, then walk forward three steps, then turn right, walk forward fifteen steps, and go left. Then you will find it."

"Er... Thanks," Shen muttered, turning to leave, "I think."

By following the child's less-than-clear instructions, he had somehow miraculously found the store that he was searching for.

He walked in, ignoring the manager's surprised stare, searching the shelves for something he liked. He eventually found something, it was a robe, pure white, with designs in silver. It was not silk... But it wasn't like it had to be. If he could go around in a tattery, dirty, Yin/Yang robe, he could wear something that was not made of silk.

"That would look good on you," a quiet voice spoke from behind him.

Shen turned, and saw a female goat, who obviously worked here, standing next to him.

Her name was Bei Su, and she had worked here for several years, and served several strange people, but this white peacock that stood in front of her was certainly one of the very strangest.

"I think so," Shen muttered, grinding his beak, "I believe I will purchase it, if it doesn't cost too much..."

"I believe you will find the price quite reasonable," Bei informed,

"That robe is one of the easiest to produce, the material is very cheap, and since it has almost no dye..."

"Tell me, do you have anything in silk? Belts, or sashes, anything like that?" Shen asked. He had an emotional attachment to silk, he had worn it for so long... He wanted something silk on him, to serve as a reminder of sorts, even it it was only a belt or sash.

Bei smiled. She had guessed, from her customer's appearance, that he was someone of high birth. That he would want silk did not surprise her. Besides, the silk was more expensive, she would receive more pay. "We do indeed," she replied, "There are some fine belts in silver, perhaps you would be interested in?"

"I shall see," Shen answered.

She led the peacock to a pile of sashes, and gestured to a shiny silver one. Shen picked it up, feeling the material with his feathers. It certainly felt nice, sliding between his wing-feathers...

"I'll take this, and that other robe," Shen informed Bei, "How much will they both cost?"

"That will be...fifteen yuan," the goat replied.

Shen was surprised by the low price. In Gongmen, the same goods would have cost twice as much. He checked his pockets-

And found that somewhere between Gongmen and here, his money had escaped from his pockets. The only thing in there was...

"Tell me," Shen asked, "Do you trade for steel throwing knives?"

It had taken him roughly two hours to find the clothes he wanted. Shen wondered if Shifu had given him that time constraint for that very reason.

Whatever the case, Shen felt an odd mixture of embarrassment, (over his new, rather un-fancy clothes) pride, (over his renouncing of his need for silk clothes) and excitement and fear, over his current destination.

He looked up, seeing the stairs to the Jade palace. So this would be his home, at least temporarily. He was entering a new life, with new feathers, and new clothes, and even a new city to go with it. He would have to train with Masters, one of which hated his guts, and the others would at least be unfriendly. Perhaps, one day, he could somehow attain a Master status himself. But that was unlikely. Shen would probably not fit in here for a very long time. It was, after all, only going to be a temporary stay... How long would temporary be?

Shen would be an outcast, having to hard gain anything he wanted. Only with much work would he ever actually be accepted.

Few stories have a happy ending. More often then not, stories endings are sad, or else they never end at all. On first glance, one would think that this was one of them.

But that one would have to remember, that this was not the end. This was only the beginning of a new tale. This, was the return of Lord Shen.

Shen took a deep breath, and walked up the steps to the palace.

Author's note: And there you have it. This is the whole story. I don't think that I wrapped it up very well. Oh well...

There is going to be a pause before I write anything else. I feel a little drained. Seriously, try to find another story this long, written in so short a time? (I know one, it's Shen's General's 'Between brothers' story. Go check it out, it's a Legend of the Gaurdians: Owls of Ga'hoole fanfic, and very well written.)

Anyway, there WILL be a sequel, check my profile to get a sneak-peak, but first, I will be writing a continuation of defiant-candle's Drabble collection. I think I may need to learn how to multi-write.

Until next time, goodbye! Thanks for reading, and special thanks to my reviewers! There is really an amazing amount of reviewers for this story!

Thanks to: Anatariss, Collie from CollieandShire, and Alpha Tiger, for their continuous support.

Shen's General, for his continuous support, and helpful suggestions.

Robinrobert, Woodpecker, Lorsi, Kirbygirl-something, and everyone else who reviewed, for reviewing.

And to everyone who followed/Favorited this story, special thanks to you!

Wind whistled through their fur, effortlessly cutting through the robes they huddled towards their bodies to keep their warmth. Snow was everywhere...

A large ear turns back, and a sorrowful head looks back on the Valley. They had all accomplished so much...

A single snowflake drops down, catching into brown fur.

Snow.

White, pure, pristine snow.

Beautiful, pure, delicate... And deceivingly deadly.

A brown finger carefully lifted the snowflake up, in order to get a better look at it. It was so intricate, so symmetrical...

Just like someone else. A certain white peacock.

The creature darkened, at the thought of the bird, who had taken them all in.

"Bianfu! Hurry up!" a voice floated back over the air.

Bianfu turned, and crushed the snowflake mercilessly, throwing it in disgust. Wiping his fingers, he flew off into the wind.