Kung Fu Panda: Rise of the Hollow

[Pterano]

Shen's red eyes widened as he watched the toad explain his chi based attack, his expression one of awe as the balls of light formed and moved up to the ceiling, bathing everything in light for a brief period of time. Such power! If he could learn to do that, he'd be a force to be reckoned with indeed!

Shadows in the distance seemed to scamper away from the light before it faded away, though the peacock didn't notice as he was riveted on the display. But something the toad said stuck out at him. "Now wait a minute... you mentioned the peace within ourselves? So if we don't have... inner peace... it's... impossible to utilize this technique?" he asked now, narrowing his eyes.

[The Great Valley Guardian]

Huang Yu retrieved his stick from against the wall and gave a short chuckle. "Now I never said that Shen. It certainly helps to have inner peace but Chi is alive in everything. If you can focus it and hold onto it you can do almost anything."

Monkey thought about that for a moment before looking down at Viper and asked, "Do you think we could learn a few chi attacks?"

[Blitz]

"I don't see why we can't." Crane chimed in.

(I deeply apologize for not posting here very often, either because I can't really think of anything, or I've been very busy lately)

[Pterano]

((No problem, Blitz. Busy is busy after all. ))

Shen's eyes lit up at this. "I see!" he said with fascination. That was precisely what he wanted to hear!

"Well... I bet I could get something good going with my tail!" Viper commented confidently, flicking it out in front of her. Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to ruminate on this. A black ball, like a shadow almost, flew out of from the darkness and struck Shen upon the chest, knocking the peacock back against the wall and causing him to gasp as he went down, his wing clutching his front.

Hissing sounds emanated from the walls as shadowy figures began to form, seemingly laughing at the group as they took shape. They didn't have much recognizable about them, though they resembled a sort of horned creature. There were several of them on the walls, and they started to float down towards the group now.

"Uh... this isn't a hallucination... right guys?" Po asked, beginning to hop a bit in place as he looked around him at the creatures, their glowing red eyes fixing the party with deathly stares.

[Blitz]

"Nope, doesn't quite look like it." Crane said as the creatures were staring at the group.

[Kor]

"Some may be surprised at what they can accomplish." Chaka said.  

When the creatures appeared he got ready for a fight, holding his staff and adjusting his hat.  "Looks like they found us." he said, waiting for who would make the first move.  "Or something did.  Be confident." He said.

[Pterano]

The creatures zoomed towards the party, and Viper struck first, lashing out with her tail gracefully and knocking one back, their bodies corporeal as she felt solid mass when she struck. "They're solid!" she cried, the one she'd struck reeling back before charging in again. She promptly struck it again, and Mantis seemed to take heart from this, launching a flying kick into one now that sent it soaring backward.

Shen ground his beak down, then drew his guandao and did a spin-slash into another one, slicing it cleanly in half, as they didn't appear to have much substance to their bodies, and were somewhat frail.

"All right! Let's do this!" Po shouted, and hurled himself forward. "Fists of awesomeness!" he cried, pummeling the one nearest him.

[The Great Valley Guardian]

Huang Yu stood stock still as he could see two of the shadow like creatures were charging right at him. He blinked once, inhaled holding his breath for several seconds, and the moment the creatures were about to strike, the sage toad gave a loud croak blowing the two shadow like beings into the wall behind them.

Monkey took his moment to swing around the first one coming at him and kicked another trying to sneak up behind him. "I don't think so!"

[Kor]

Chaka moved his arms as if he were going to strike an unseen foe in front of him, his staff remaining standing upright where he was last holding it.  When he did his strike some of the shadow like creatures that were some distance from them went backwards into the wall as if they had been struck.

[Pterano]

Mantis managed to throw one over himself, flipping it onto the ground. "Ha! These guys aren't so bad!"

"They were never intended to be!" Boomed a voice now, echoing through the caverns. It was dark and threatening, but somewhat sophisticated as well. "They're simply here to amuse you for a bit! My real goal has already been accomplished!" Deep laughter now echoed around them.

"Real goal? OK disembodied voice of evilness! I don't know who you are, but you're going down!" Po shouted as he knocked another one aside with his body.

"I'm not physically present, you see! But I have to admit, it's been fun watching this all the same!" the voice declared. "I sensed the Prince of Gongmen City has some darkness in his heart.. perfect, since he WON'T be reclaiming his city anytime soon!"

Shen suddenly clutched at the spot where the shadow had struck him and passed through his body at the start of this whole thing, and felt pain and weakness as his legs wobbled, and he gasped for breath. He managed to just barely recover however, and slashed into another one of his attackers.

"Well then, enjoy the rest of my playthings..." the voice said, trailing off into the cavern now as if it had never been there to begin with.

"OK, this is officially weird!" Mantis exclaimed, slicing into the head of another one with his fore-limbs. It seemed to scream and fall backward and then dissolve into nothingness.

[Blitz]

"You can say that again!" Crane exclaimed as he attacked a few of the creatures, who then also dissolved.

[Kor]

Chaka took up his staff to strike at a nearby shadow creature.  His hat he casually threw off, targeting a few more shadow creatures who were farther from where he was.  It spun in the air, striking one shadow creature, ricocheting off to hit a second then ricocheting to go back to his hand.

[The Great Valley Guardian]

Huang Yu, holding onto his belief that when fighting using as little energy physically or mentally being the key to his fighting style took a deep breath, dug his feet into the ground and pushed forward wtih enough force to crack the ground here he was once standing. As he flew forward with his momentum he used his hands and struck several of the shadow like creatures in rapid, almost instant succession resulting in the cave being lit for a moment by golden light as he came to a stop.

Monkey was immediately surprised and awe struck. "Wow... he's really good. When this is over you have to show me a few tips." he commented with a smile.

[Pterano]

By now it was clear the group had an advantage, and their opponents were downed rapidly, Viper slapping her tail hard against the head of the final one, causing it to vanish into wisps of smoke.

Shen was panting, feeling suddenly very strange. A bit weaker, somehow. "What... was that?" he asked, still clutching his chest. "What did those things do to me?" he demanded angrily, stepping forward.

"That voice mentioned darkness in your heart... you don't suppose..." Viper tried, trailing off as she regarded the peacock with concern.

"I don't believe in curses." the peacock muttered now.

"But magic DOES exist." Viper pointed out. "Maybe he did something to you we can't immediately see on the surface."

"Is everyone else all right?" Po asked, looking around at the group and bouncing a bit on his feet.

[Kor]

Chaka nodded, "I am all right, but how about Shen?  Perhaps he needs to be seen to." He said, not sure what what had happened to Shen.  "I do have some herbs if you think it may help." Chaka said.

[Pterano]

"I-I feel fine!" the peacock insisted, straightening up.

"You sure? Cause you were kinda all like... clutching your chest and breathing heavy for a moment there." Po pointed out. "Shen... are you really OK?" the panda asked seriously.

Shen looked at Po in disbelief. "What do you care, panda?" he snapped. "I said I'm fine!"

"Because I was kinda hoping you'd let go of those things in your past... ya know? And I DO care about your health... I mean what kinda Dragon Warrior would I be if I didn't? Shen... a lot of kung fu is not just about looking cool and being awesome and whupping your opponents, even though that's a big part of it. Some of kung fu is also about healing your enemies... ya know?" Po continued.

Shen blinked a few times, raising his head a bit here. "Actually I wasn't aware..." he muttered in response. "Anyway... if you have something to fortify me a bit... I'm just feeling a tad weak." the leucistic peacock turned to Chaka now.

[Kor]

Chaka nodded, reaching in a shoulder bag.  "I do have something that may help.  I have made something that should help." He said, taking out a small leaf wrapped packet about the size of a thumb.  "You can just eat it.  No need to prepare it."  he said.  "I have some things I make in my traveling around." He said, holding out the small packet, "It should help to fortify and help you feel better." he said.

[Pterano]

"Thank you." Shen responded, taking the packet and shoving it in his beak. Breaking it down with a few bites, the peacock made short work of it.

"So who do you guys think that voice was? He seemed to know... all of us, I guess, and seemed particularly interested in going after Shen." Mantis said with a glance in the leucistic bird's direction.

"I didn't recognize it." Shen shook his head, frowning. "A sorcerer of some kind, perhaps."

"Yeah well, whoever he is, he's going down!" Po exclaimed, pointing at the ground.

"Wonder if he's connected to the shadow demons at all. Those things we just fought seemed kind of weak..." Mantis commented.

"That's because those weren't what I encountered outside Gongmen City. Those were... conjurations or something." Shen stated with certainty, giving a single nod as he felt his strength returning to him. There was still the sensation of something... foreign within his body, however, and it didn't sit well with him.

"Well come on guys! Let's go! What are we waiting around here for? Sooner we get out of these caves, sooner we can get a ship!" Po exclaimed, leading the way as he waved them on.

Viper slithered next to Shen. "Po's right, you know. The goal of kung fu is never to destroy one's opponent, but to help them heal, and bring them back on the path of the enlightenment. You weren't always so dark, Shen. I'm sure when you were a young one, you were sweet, kind, gentle, heh, your parents' little peachick, right?" she smirked.

He regarded her suspiciously. "So what if I was?"

"It just proves you changed because of circumstances, and not because you were always that way. If you truly seek inner peace, the first step is to reconcile your past with your present." Viper explained. "I would think Po is living proof that anyone can find inner peace, no matter their past. He didn't let the fact that you scarred him change that."

Shen said nothing in response, though he was listening to what the snake had to say.

[Kor]

Chaka shrugged, "Maybe they were meant to scare us off, or test our resolve.   Perhaps to test our strength or let him or her see some of our capabilities." he said, voicing some ideas he had as to why the shadow things had been conjured or sent after them.  "Though it may be some other reason or reasons." He said.

He then looked at the folks in the group.  "How is everyone doing?  Everyone ok?" He asked, not wanting to move on if someone needed to rest or needed healing.  He made sure the belt on his shoulder bag was around his waist.  This was to ensure if he had to fly or jump around the shoulder bag would not get in the way or twist around a wing, or get into an odd angle.

[The Great Valley Guardian]

"It would seem to make the most sense that our adversary would want to test us in some way, but what I don't understand is if he wanted to, he could have easily separated us and gotten Shen alone for a longer period of time. So why didn't it?" asked Huang Yu with a curious frown. He then blinked and replied, "Yes Chaka I am alright."

Monkey smiled and nodded at Chaka's question. "I'm alright. I say we keep going before more of those things show up."