Brothers Forever

Shen sat on the ground dejectedly, his head hung. He glared at the training dummy in front of him. It just stared at him with those soulless and teasing eyes. Shen's rage built up inside him. He yelled and ran towards the Adversary. He punched and kicked it repeatedly without any sense of kung fu. He gave it an extra hard punch, but it reeled back and knocked the chick onto his tail. He sniffed and trembled, fighting to hold back his tears.

When he came to the Jade Palace with his parents, he thought Master Oogway would teach him kung fu. Shen's parents visited Master Oogway at least once a year and sometimes joined the old tortoise during the Winter Feast. Shen tagged along and talked to Oogway immediately about learning kung fu. Oogway was all for it, which made Shen happy beyond reason.

But the first day didn't go so well. Master Oogway told him that he would first have to beat the Adversary before they could move on. No matter how hard Shen tried, he couldn't defeat the Adversary in any way. Shen had originally wanted to learn kung fu so his parents would be more impressed with their child that was so…..different.

Shen lunged for the Adversary, but he was once again hit backwards. He tumbled backwards and hit a column. His head throbbed a bit. He sniffed and tears started coming. He hung his head and let the tears fall. He stayed where he was until a small paw touched his shoulder. Then, his head snapped up to stare into Shifu's strong blue eyes. The teenage cub gave Shen a warm smile.

"What's wrong, Shen?" Shifu asked.

"I can't beat the stupid Adversary." Shen pouted. "It's rigged."

"You just gotta punch it in the right place." Shifu said. "Here, I'll show you." Shifu ran up to the Adversary and did a flying kick, striking the Adversary in such a spot that it went flying through the wall. "See?"

"That's so stupid!" Shen snapped. "I punched and kicked that thing left and right, but it never moved an inch!"

"Maybe you weren't—"

"I want to be a warrior!" Shen yelled. He jumped to his feet. "I want to be strong and make my parents proud!" He shook. "I want to be like you!" He spun on his heel and ran off, but Shifu ran after him, he grabbed Shen's wing. He twisted the peacock chick around so they were eye-to-eye.

"You can be like me." Shifu assured. "You just have to practice and be patient. I see so much potential in you. We just have to figure out what style of kung fu fits you."

"I can't do it." Shen said. "I'm not a warrior."

"I hear you're pretty good with a sword." Shifu said encouragingly.

"So?" Shen demanded. "What good is that if I can't hit the right mark?" He sighed.

Shifu pursed his lips. "Didn't you say you wanted to make your parents proud?" Shen nodded. "Why? Why wouldn't your parents be proud of you now?"

"I'm different." Shen said. "My parents are blue/green and colorful. I, on the other hand-" Shen showed Shifu his plumage. "-am as white as snow. I look like a ghost."

"I like ghosts." Shifu said encouragingly. Shen sighed and pulled away from Shifu and walked off. Shifu stared after Shen until the peacock disappeared. The cub hated to see his friend, who he looked at like a little brother, so sad. He thought for a while before his face lit up. He ran off.

That night, Shifu snuck out of his room and knocked lightly on Shen's door. The peacock yawned and rubbed his eye when he opened the door.

"What is it?" Shen asked tiredly.

"I have something to show you." Shifu whispered excitedly. A small bundle was under his arm. He grabbed Shen's wing and pulled him along as he ran off towards the Training Hall. Once there, Shifu showed Shen a target on the other side of the room with the picture of a crudely drawn picture of a bandit on it. Shifu set the bundle he had on the ground and unrolled it, revealing about a dozen small knives.

"What is this?" Shen asked.

"Well, I just wanted to test a theory." Shifu said. He fingered with the knives for a moment before handing Shen a thin blade. The peacock took it in his wing and looked it over, but only gave Shifu a weird look.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Shen demanded.

"Hit the target." Shifu said. "Just imagine where you want the knife to go and let everything else flow through you."

"I don't know." Shen was unsure of himself.

"Just do it." Shifu urged. "Don't think about it." Shen looked from the knife to the target and back again. Then, he flipped the knife a little and threw it. The blade flew in a straight line and hit the bandit right between the eyes; a perfect bulls-eye.

"You did it!" Shifu cheered. "You did it!"

"I did it?" Shen asked.

"That was awesome!"

"I did it."

"You rock, ya little fluffball!"

"I did it!"

Shifu playfully put Shen in a headlock and ruffled his feathers. "I knew you could do it, Xiōngdì (A/N: Chinese for 'brother')!"

"I can't believe I did that!" Shen cheered. The boys laughed and whooped until Oogway came and gently ordered them to go back to bed. They obeyed, but they couldn't stop smiling.

Shen paused when he got to his door. "You called me Xiōngdì." He told Shifu.

Shifu paused as well. "Oh yeah." He shrugged. "So?"

"We're not brothers." Shen said, confused. "We're not related in any way."

"We friends." Shifu told him. "You're my best friend and I look to you as a brother; that's how much I care about you." Shen was shocked and touched at the same time. He smiled.

"I always wanted a brother." He whispered.

For the next week, Shifu helped Shen practice. A day before Shen and his parents had to leave, Shen showed them his skills. He hit three perfect bulls-eyes. His parents and Oogway clapped for him.

"Well done, my boy!" Shen's father laughed.

"That was amazing!" Shen's mother complimented, tousling the feathers on Shen's head. Shen usually ducked away, but he only smiled this time.

"I want to learn kung fu and make you proud." Shen told his parents.

Shen's parents were surprised. "You do make us proud." Shen's father assured. "You are our son."

"If you want to learn, we can arrange that." Shen's mother said. "You can stay here and train with Shifu."

"Cool!" Shifu agreed.

"But what about your other lessons?" Shen's fatter asked. "You are the heir to Gongmen City's throne. There are things you must learn before taking our place. How can we work out you being here and being in the city at the same time? And Master Oogway can't come to the city because he must protect the Valley of Peace."

Shen's head dipped and his face fell.

Shifu saw this and thought for a moment. "Doesn't Master Thundering Rhino live in Gongmen City?"

"Yes, he does." Shen's father said.

"Well, he is a great kung fu master." Shifu said. "Could he teach Shen? Then Shen can learn kung fu and also learn to be a ruler at the same time." Shen's parents thought for a moment before their faces lit up.

"That would be perfect." Shen's mother said. "We will, of course, visit again."

"Good." Shifu nodded. "Then Shen and I can spar and I can kick his tail."

"Bring it on, fur ball." Shen teased.

STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR

BANG BANG BANG

Shifu yawned and opened his eyes, blinking away his sleep.

BANG BANG BANG

"Someone's at the door." He sighed. He pushed himself to get out of bed. His feet dragged a little as he walked to the door. He was careful to not wake up Tai Lung; the infant was fast asleep and it had taken Shifu an hour to get the cub that way.

BANG BANG BANG

"I'm coming!" Shifu snapped. He pulled open the door and looked out. What he didn't expect was his best friend, wounded and breathing hard like had been running for hours. His feathers were ruffled, a scratch was on his chest, and his feet were burned. The sword in his wing was stained with blood.

"Shen!" Shifu gasped. He was by his friend's side in an instant. "What happened to you?"

Shen coughed and clutched his chest. "Attack….I…"

"Don't talk." Shifu urged. He draped one of Shen's wings over his shoulder and supported the peacock as they walked inside. "We'll get a doctor."

"Shifu…" Shen wheezed.

"It's ok." Shifu coaxed. "Everything's going to be fine." Shifu led Shen to a spare bedroom and helped the peacock lie down on the tatami mat. "Stay here. I'll get the doctor. And please stay quiet; Tai Lung's asleep." Shifu sprinted off as fast as he could. Shen lay on the mat, breathing steadily and not moving to prevent further injury. Shifu got to the palace doctor in a few minutes and she hurried to Shen's room. The doctor, who was a fox, worked quickly to help Shen. Shifu stood to the side, watching his friend with worried eyes. Thankfully, Shen only had two serious wounds: the gash on his chest and the burns on his feet. The rest were bumps and bruises.

"You need to rest for a while." The doctor said. "Shifu, can you take care of him?"

"Absolutely." Shifu nodded. The doctor nodded with a smile. She packed her things and walked off.

"I should be dead." Shen said.

"Don't talk like that." Shifu said. "What happened?"

"An attack." Shen said. "I was knocked into a fire." Shifu looked at Shen's feet, which were wrapped in bandages.

"Rest, Shen." Shifu said. "We'll let Oogway know you're here tomorrow. If he doesn't know already." Shen actually laughed a little. Then, he coughed. Shifu took a hold of Shen's wing and gave it a squeeze. "Hang in there, little Xiōngdì." Shifu went to bed and helped Shen to breakfast the next morning. The old tortoise, of course, only pretended to be surprised to see Shen.

"You're welcome to stay until you are healed." Oogway said. "Shall I send word to your parents? They must be worried about you."

"No." Shen refused. "They know I'm fine. I just need to heal."

"Very well." Oogway nodded. "I'm going to meditate." He left the two alone.

"So I'm stuck in this palace?" Shen guessed.

"Until you can walk on your own and your wounds have healed." Shifu added. "That must've been some fight."

"I don't want to talk about it." Shen muttered. "But I have taken away what was blocking my path to victory."

"Really?" Shifu asked. "That's great. How is it in Gongmen? Anything new?"

"Not really." Shen shrugged. He sighed and tried to walk, but he stumbled and winced with pain. Shifu stood by his friend and helped him up. But Shen was stubborn; he shoved Shifu away and tried to walk. But he kept falling. Little Tai Lung walked beside him, a worried look on his face. Then, he bounded ahead and faced Shen, his tail flickering. He wanted to play, it seemed.

"Not now, Tai Lung." Shifu said. He walked to the cub, but Tai Lung jumped away. He mewed encouragingly to Shen. The peacock raised an eyebrow, but the light in Tai Lung's eyes made him smile a little. He took a step, stumbled a little, but kept going. Tai Lung was always ahead of the bird, mewing with encouragement. Shifu stayed beside Shen and helped him when asked. Eventually, Shen was able to reach his room and lay down. He fell asleep almost instantly. Shifu led Tai Lung out of the room and closed the door to let the peacock sleep.

Shen spent the next week recovering. The doctor checked his wounds everyday and started putting less bandages on them. Shen's feet were recovering fast, but they had ugly scars. He was constantly grumbling about how ugly they were and how people might stare at him.

"How is he?" Oogway asked one day.

"He'll be alright." Shifu answered. "Shen's not one to stay down for very long. He's quite bothered by his scars, though."

"Indeed….." Oogway had a far off look.

"Master?"

"Shifu, I want you to be careful." Oogway warned. "Shen seems to have changed somewhat."

"How so?" Shifu asked.

"Just be careful." Oogway said. The old tortoise walked off, but turned at the last minute. "By the way, do you think you could run down to the market and get some groceries? We're running low on a lot of things."

"Yes, Master." Shifu bowed. Oogway smiled and walked off. Shifu went to the kitchen to make a list and then headed down to the village, Tai Lung beside him. The cub was constantly by Shifu's side, so Shifu didn't need to worry about him getting lost. But, while Shifu was paying for a bag of rice, Tai Lung wandered off to the blacksmith nearby. Shifu followed the cub and watched the blacksmith (a leopard named Li) hammer away at a sword. Tai Lung stared at Li with wonder; it was one of the few times the cub had seen someone that looked like him or looked close. As Li dipped the red hot sword blade in water, he turned to Shifu and Tai Lung.

"Long time, no see old man." Li chuckled.

"Good afternoon to you, too." Shifu greeted.

"How's your friend up there?" Li asked, referring to Shen.

"He's fine." Shifu shrugged.

"That's good." Li nodded. He took out the sword blade and stared at it. "How long will he be staying?"

"The doctor wants him to stay a few more days to monitor his wounds." Shifu said. "But he wants to go home."

"I can't blame him." Li said. "He must want to show off his victory to his parents." Shifu and Li had talked a while back about the whole thing.

"Li, can I ask a favor of you?" Shifu asked.

"What's that?"

"I have a project for you." Shifu smiled. "A challenge."

"I'm up for it." Li said. "What do you want me to do?"

When Shifu got back to the palace, the doctor told him Shen couldn't leave for another five days, just to make sure his wounds didn't infect or anything. Perfect. Shifu thought. He spent those five days helping Shen recover and practice his kung fu. Shen's sword was cleaned from the blood and he used it to spar with Shifu. The red panda was just as good with a sword himself. Tai Lung was with Shen for a while, entertaining the peacock as the cub played. Every day, Shifu went to Li to check on his progress with the project. On Shen's final day at the palace, Shifu came to him with a package in his hands; the finished project.

"What's that supposed to be?" Shen demanded.

"Something to hide the scars." Shifu answered. He handed Shen the package. The peacock seemed a little wary as he unwrapped it. He was even more confused when he saw what was in it: metal feet of some sort.

"I don't get it." Shen said.

"They'll hide the burn scars." Shifu said. He helped Shen put the contraptions on. Shen found them very comfortable. They had lethal-looking metal talons that hid his short peacock claws.

"Impressive." Shen mused. He jumped up and sliced his new talons, leaving scratch marks in a nearby post. "They work great."

"I thought you might like them." Shifu smiled. Shen smiled softly.

"Thank you, Shifu." Shen bowed.

"We're brothers, aren't we?" Shifu reminded him. "Together no matter what?"

Shen nodded. "Of course."

STAR STAR STAR STAR STAR

Shifu watched as the fireworks exploded into the sky. The people of Gongmen were cheering. His students were behind him, relieved it was over.

But Shifu's mind was elsewhere. He stared at the wreckage of Shen's ship. His smile was gone. Shen was dead. He should be happy that it was over and that everyone was safe, but he wasn't. Shifu was thinking of his friend, hi brother, that he had lost.

I should have been able to help you. Shifu thought. Please forgive me.

We're still brothers. Always.