Through the dust and chaos, Xian, holding the unconscious Master Yang, simply turns and leaps into the night, disappearing.
Silence falls. The dust begins to settle. Po pushes himself up, bruised and battered. He coughs, a cloud of dust escaping his lips.
PO: (His voice a choked whisper) "Shifu...?"
His whisper turns into a desperate, heart-wrenching shout.
PO: "MASTER SHIFU!"
He runs to the mountain of rubble where the Hall of Heroes once stood and begins tearing at the heavy rocks and splintered beams with his bare hands, his movements frantic and desperate, ignoring his own pain.
INT. JADE PALACE RUINS - NIGHT
He runs to the mountain of rubble where the Hall of Heroes once stood and begins tearing at the heavy rocks with his bare hands, completely alone. He lifts a massive, splintered beam aside and hears a faint, weak cough from beneath the debris. With a final surge of adrenaline, he lifts a huge stone pillar. Beneath it lies Master Shifu, mortally wounded but calm.
At that exact moment, Zhen finally reaches the top of the grand staircase, gasping for breath, her body aching from the long run up the mountain. She freezes, her eyes widening in horror.
Her gaze sweeps across the utter devastation of the courtyard until it lands on Po, who is gently gathering his small, broken master from the rubble and falling to his knees. The initial shock on Zhen's face gives way to a look of profound, heart-wrenching sadness. She remains where she is, a silent, sorrowful witness to the tragedy unfolding before her.
Po cradles his master, his tears falling onto the rubble.
PO: "Master! Don't worry, I'll get you out! We'll get you help!"
Shifu raises a weak, trembling paw and places it on Po's arm.
SHIFU: (His voice a dry, quiet whisper) "No, Po... My time... is over."
PO: (Tears welling in his eyes) "No! Don't say that! Please, don't leave me."
SHIFU: "Listen to me." His gaze is intense, focused. This is his final lesson. "Xian's power is a raging storm. I have watched you try to match his fury with your own... but you cannot defeat a storm by becoming a bigger storm."
He takes a shallow breath, his voice growing weaker.
SHIFU: "Your greatest strength, Po... was never your physical strength. It was your heart. Your... stillness. While I was a tempest of frustration... you were always the quiet pool... that could reflect the sky. Do not fight his rage with more rage. Find that stillness inside you. Be the pool, Po. That is your true power."
Overcome with emotion and gratitude, Po gently leans forward and hugs his small master, his tears falling onto the rubble.
PO: (His voice choked with sobs) "Thank you... Master. For everything."
Shifu uses the last of his strength to return the embrace, a faint, peaceful smile touching his lips.
SHIFU: "I am... so proud of you... my son."
As his last breath leaves him, Shifu's body does not simply go still. A soft, warm, golden light emanates from his chest. He dissolves into a swirl of countless, glowing peach blossom petals, which float up through the ruined ceiling and into the starry night sky.
Po stares, heartbroken, as the last petal vanishes. He is left kneeling in the rubble, a single petal landing gently on his paw before fading away. He clutches his paw to his chest, his body shaking with silent, wracking sobs. Zhen puts a comforting hand on his shoulder as a cold rain begins to fall, mingling with their tears.