Many years ago, far from the Valley of Peace…

Columns of smoke rose up from the remains of the Warlord Shen's camp. A number of wolves laid slain about the blood soaked ground while many others had run for the hills.

Ju-long, Shen's top ape general marched into the camp. He clutched a bloodily stump that had once been his forearm. He growled as he remembered how easily he had been taken down and by one warrior half his size. It was miracle he'd survive the lost of his arm not to mention being tossed clear across the horizon.

A part of him wondered why he came back to this place. There was nothing left for him here. His fellow apes had left along with the wolves and the weapon his master sought to create laid scattered across the clearing in charred pieces.

"Forgive me master," Ju-long said after making his choice to leave.

However he had not taken no more than two steps when he heard a low moaning sound.

Moving quick, Ju-long made his way through the camp, the moans growing louder with each step. Finally—and to his complete horror—Ju-long stood before Shen himself.

His stomach nearly wrenched at the sight of him. Coated in a thick layer of his own blood forever staining his feathers a deep crimson, half his face was burnt with an eye missing, one arms was devoid of feathers, his left leg was nothing more than a bloody stump, and a web of cracks ran along the length of his upper beak.

Ju-long growled knowing it could have been that masked warrior who did this to his master, and as he raised his good hand up to bring the fallen avian down, he vowed to put an end to him.

Just was he was within arm's reach of Shen's body, Ju-long jumped back, a mixer of joy and terror riddled across his face as the beaten peacock began to toss and turn screaming like a wild beasts.

"PANDA!"

He's still alive! Ju-long thought, then turned his gaze upon the last remaining wolves."You there," he shouted, "get your tails over here and help me. Master Shen still lives."

The wolves were quick to obey, whether it was out of loyalty or fear it mattered not, only that their leader was in dire need. Moving gently, they lowered Shen's disfigured body onto a make straw covered chart, where upon the mad peacock bolted up right, clutching one of the gray furred beast and spoke in a weak horse voice.

"Find me a mystic."

The effort to move his cracked beak sent rivers of pain to run through what remain of his body and soon afterward passed out.

Hani, an elderly female lizard stood before several shelves littered with powders and paste. Know very well in these parts of China a master healer, Hani spent most of her time researching ancient methods of healing. She prided herself for being able to heal any form of injury with use of transferring her chi. At one point she even studied under the great Master Oogway.

A pleasant chuckle passed between her scaly lips. "I have to remember to pay that turtle a visit some time. He's not getting any younger after all."

She began to hum a song she learned while living at the Jade Palace. Those were simpler times. Days that she often wished were longer. But everything in life changes and try as she might there were no means of returning to the past.

A loud booming sound drew her attention and before she knew what to do, her front door burst open, followed by a small pack of wolves rushing in.

"What are you doing?" she cried out, "Stop this please. You're ruining a life time of work."

Her pleas fell upon death ears as two wolves drew their weapons and press the edges against her neck.

"Please," Hani cried, "I am nothing but a simple healer. I have nothing of real value."

A large muscular wolf with a black patch over one eye came to stand before Hani. He snarled before her, reveal a set of gleaming silver fangs and shot a hand out, clutching the lizard by the throat.

"A healer you say," the wolf said in a harsh voice, then slowly smile sending a dark chill down Hani's spin, "that's just what we need."

Sometime later, Hani was dragged to an open valley called Red Plain. At first she could not understand why, after gazing about the camp, she shuddered at the sight of the blood stain ground.

What could have happened here?

She could not pounder the issue as they pushed her into a dark crimson stain cave, torches hung from the sides creating an even more ghastly effect. Near the far end the cave opened up into a huge chamber, wolves stood clustered in the shadow, growling and barking as they took sight of Hani. On a raised platform stood a bulking ape his fur as black night. Only the glow from the fire gave him away. And there was the darken figure sitting on a solid silver throne. The creature wore a jet black robe making it impossible for Hani to make him out. If not for the torches you would never know he was there. His face all but hidden within the shadows of a hood, yet as Hani drew closer she could feel a swell of dark chi flowing off of him like a river.

What are you?

Hani's attention was drawn to a low growl coming from the black ape. The brute slowly made his way toward her, casting her body deeper into darkness. As he approached she noticed that one of his forearms was missing and replaced with an iron mace.

"You are here for one reason and one reason only," the ape said in a low voice, "to hill my Master."

Hani turned back to the darken figure on the throne. Taking a closer look she noticed one of his feet were not showing and that a crutch rested against the side. "What is the problem with you master?"

"That is not for you to be bothered with," the ape said, he then pointed his good arm toward the figure adding with, "HEAL HIM!" His voice was so loud that it caused the chamber to rumble and loose rocks to fall about the room.

Hani shuddered but slowly made her way to the robed creature.

He made no move to reveal himself, or any move at all. At first she believe this person to be lifeless, though feared what the ape or hordes of wolves would do if she were to speak out. Upon a closer glimpse she could see the folds of the hood to ripple.

"What has happen to you?"

"I have been slain my dear, and left for dead by a horrid monster."

Hani cringed under the figures cracking voice. "How did you survive?"

"My hatred for this monster keeps me alive," the figure paused as he raised a hand devoid of any fur or feathers and pointed at Hani, "now can you heal me or not?"

Hani stepped closer to the shadowy figure. A part of her wanted to say no, that there was nothing that could be done to save this poor creature and that he should merely only himself to pass on to the next world. He might even welcome such news other than clinging to a short life filled with pain and suffering. She had just made up her mind when a foul stench drew her attention and turned to gasp at the sight of several dead bodies.

"Who were those?"

"Those were the other healers my wolves brought before me," the figure said. There was a slight chuckle in his cracking voice. "They dared to refuse my request. So I ask you again, can you heal me?"

A powerful shudder ran down the length of her spine, she felt she would pass out, but feared to do so too worried about what would happen. Taking one more step forward Hani took hold of the figure's hood, if only to keep her hands from shaking and slowly pushed it back to reveal the disfigured face of a crimson peacock with a cracked beak.

Hani fought the urge to wrench. She had to remain calm and centered if she were live through this, though a part her truly believe that no matter what, her life from this moment on had been forfeited.

"Yes," she said in a steady voice, "I believe that I can heal you."

A smile formed on Shen's face forcing several pieces of his beak to fall. "Excellent."