I died. My crimson red blood pooled around my pathetic corpse, drowning it once more like as if it was painfully screaming for a reason. One single reason. Only one question. Only... One word.
Why?!
And it plummeted my deceased head over and over and over. It demanded it. What is the answer you might ask; the answer, I also can reply that with one word.
"Failed..."
I could still feel the blood draining out of my body through the slash of my own flesh. And the coldness creeped to my body. I could feel my broken ribs impaling my lungs deviously, and they strangled helplessly. Air escaped their prison of flesh.
I failed...
I failed all. I failed everything I stood up for, everyone who cared for. Idea of devastation struck my mind, and it ravaged and plagued over me. The idea proved me that I am useless, like always was. All these would never have happened if I was better. The fire wouldn't spread like a group of wild tiger if I only was faster. Mr. Ping didn't need get killed if I only been more cautious. I never had to loose Po because of my actions. I never had to be hated by everyone around me.
But in the end, whatever I do, I was always depicted as outlast. Always not sociable.
I was a monster.
That's what they called me. A monster...
No matter what I do, there seemed to be no end of it. They were right. I am the monster. And always was. I can still hear them through my broken body. I can still their voice though my soul falling in to godforsaken abyss where impenetrable shadow lingers. All of them shouted at me, cursing me to my very soul. One of them, I could see those who were once my friends. Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis. All of them shoot me a disappointed glare, and Some anger behind them. They looked at me for a moment, and then they transformed and vanished into dust and smoke. And between those crowd's condemnation, he appeared.
My eyes widened.
"Po..."
His flaming eyes fixed directly to me, burning what's last left of my soul. I reached out my paw to him, hoping that he will gently hold it like he always did to me. I felt myself falling down more to the shadow that I call hell. I stretched my arm further to him. I hope desperately that he would forgive what I've caused. What I've done. I wanted to cry. I wanted to burst out all the tears, and wanted to scream for mercy and absolution. But I was just now a soul in a dead body, barely holding myself until I leave the body. No tear would come, I knew that. But somehow, I felt it. I felt a single drop of tear running down my cheeks. But Po, he just stood there, and just kept on pushing me further with his gaze. I screamed and yelled.
I begged him.
But none came. And instead, he turned his back and walked away. My heart crushed and like a molten steel, it forced my body down to fall further. And one by one, all villagers vanished and turned to smoke. Then i realized, I was still here. The bottom of the cliff where I threw my body. There were nothing around me except my pool of blood. Everything was quiet, as if nothing happened. It started to rain. First one drop, then followed by few more until it poured over me. Thunder laughed at me and it echoed through the cliff. And rain condemned me with it's continuous words. Water washed over my blood, flooded them and led to elsewhere. And looked like they were trying to get far away from their master as much as possible. Deep depression again stood over me.
I muttered myself once more...
"Po..."
I died.
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To Shed a Light on Her Blood
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Step one - To Draw a Knife
Tigress's eyes shot wide open and body jerked up with loud gasp. She felt her heart pumping as if she was running. She felt cold sweat covering her entire body. Her clothes, her fur were soaked with it. Air went in and out in a speed that she could barely control. She was panicking, and she felt cold air passing through her clothes and fur. She thought,
'What happened! Wha…'
as she gasped and analyzed her thoughts, she quickly scanned her area, and immediately noticed that she lying on the ground, and her pillows and blankets randomly scattered around her room. However, dressers, bed, and other furnitures were intact. It was quiet, too peaceful, and it looked like that not even single event happened while she was sleeping.
If that is true and nothing has happened, it made her heartbeat slow down a bit. She gained little more control over her breathing. She collected that it must have been just another bad dream. Just another bad dream. Now realized that it was a dream, it did make her feel little relieved. But strangely, she could still feel the pain agonizing in her body. It gradually subsided however it made her uncomfortable. And disturbed. She did not liked it even an inch of it. Her shot opened eyes started to gain it's ordinary composer as she frowned her brows.
That dream she had felt... different. If her memory serves her correctly, that dream should be her first dream she ever had after she changed into what is her now. It was indeed questionable. It seemed too odd to dream again. She never dreamed while she slept. She could not afford to waste her efforts even in her sleep. Meditation. Clear her minds and thought. Sleep and Meditation are two completely different things, but she made sure not to dream about anything to concentrate on her Kung Fu.
Although recently she sometimes dreamt about being with po, but she thought that has nothing to with her nightmare. But why does it have to be this? Why the dream has to be about her and Po? She didn't wanted to know. It bothered her too much. But if this not just a dream, then what is it? Is Po really going to let her die? Is he going to hate her? Am I going to burn down the town?
All this thought in her head drove her insane. All the images in her dream felt so real. As if actually happened. She needed to push these thoughts away. She wanted to start her day as usual. She regained herself and started to stand up. And once she did, she closed her eyes tight. She sensed her fist forming. She stood that for a while. She needed some time. After few seconds, she let out a long tired sign. She felt as if she didn't had any sleep. Her whole body ached. But she picked up her randomly placed blankets and pillow and just throw them on her bed. If usual, she would have place them neatly because she was always counted as perfectionist and she also thought so as well. She stared at her mess and hung her head low. She thought aloud.
"So, this is how it feels like to be lazy..."
"I totally going to need a shower..."
She grabbed the drawer and pull out her usual, red vest, dark pants and undergarments and instead of closing them, she just leaved it opened, and left her room. Then the truth struck her head, and it made her out a very grumpy roar. The waterfall that she takes shower required some walking. It was something that Tigress used to and did it without any complain, but oddly, she was complaining. If somebody is watching her like this, she was going to kill that person.
Thankfully, the fall was behind the Palace, so no stairs, and there was always no one behind the palace. And it lead straight into bamboo forest. After a short walk, she perked up one of her ears. It was undoubtedly Sound of waterfall. After few more minutes, she was standing in front of a creek with waterfall coming down between two stones. Water was crystal clear as always, and she could see through the water clearly. Sunlight glittered on the wave of water, it's light eventually touching the ground of sand, illuminating it. She could also... see... her... um... reflection...
(Tigress gives death stare to the author)
(Oh, shit...)
Yeah, let's just agree on that she looked at least ten years older.
(Punch)
(God dammit Tigress!)
And for being a Tiger, she loved water. So without hesitation, she threw away her clothes and jumped straight into the creek. The creek was always, not too deep or too shallow. Water was always refreshing. She went in to deeper section, where lied a waterfall. First she looked up to it, ray of sunlight beamed between the forest and stone. Some of them hit water, and water shining in the air as it falling down was always a sight to see, and power of waterfall hitting down was always made her feel so relaxed. She felt air getting cooler as she approached. She inhaled deeply, refreshing her inner smiled. Everything was quiet, only except sound of water. She place her hand on the fall and drank some. She closed her eyes at the taste of cool mountain water. After that, she decided to walk straight in. Cold water fell on her body and soaked her furs, and ran down smoothly on her perfect curves. She stayed for couple minutes as dropping water massaged her back. She let out a long and comfortable purr. Then she turned and sat right on the spot where water can submerge her to her waist. She sat there. Starting a morning like this always made her forget everything. Even her nightmare. However the thoughts of her dream started to come back. She didn't like one a bit. She shut her eyes tight and push away those uncomfortable thoughts and just decided to enjoy her moment. Well, the senses of water did made her shudder in pleasure. So, she decided to keep it that way for now. She sign with smile, and thought,
'Just enjoy it, Tigress. Just enjoy it...'
Po wandered around the palace looking for someone. A certain tiger. The reasons unknown, else than she is his comrade, the leader of the Furious five, has been looking for her for a quite some time. She was not to be seen anywhere since the day started, and now was already closing to noon. What seemed like a millennium was just a minute. And it had his concern grow. Was other concerned like him, oh they did. Were they searching for her, yes they did. They already searched her room, and no, she wasn't there. Tigress was known for early start, but however, she was always found in training hall. What made them worried was that tigress was her neat room was disoriented. And Tigress hated disorganized. In fact she loathed it with all her life. And seeing her room like this was very un-Tigress like. Something clearly happened to her and they could not fathom what, and why. Po and his friend has been everywhere they could think of, with nervous air filled their body. It was Po to break the frustrating silence.
"We really have checked everywhere, did we?"
Monkey answered,
"Yeah, I think so, we even went to the town."
Crane asked,
"Do you guys think... You know...?"
Viper snapped.
"No, Tigress will never let herself taken by someone."
Mantis wailed.
"Oh, man! If master shifu finds out about this, he will kill us for sure!"
Po said,
"Guys, we need to concentrate! Okay, what place we still haven't checked?"
Mantis suggested.
"Uhh... Hall of Warriors?"
Monkey answered.
"No, I've checked that place already."
"Don't lie to me you, midget! I saw you walk just straight pass by it!"
Monkey slammed his hands to the ground and yelled his traditional monkey sound.
"What! Who you calling me midget! You asshole, you insect, I'm a fucking golden monkey!"
Viper yelled.
"Guys, Language! And you are not being helpful! We already have enough trouble with Tigress!"
Mantis protested.
"Right, monkey watch your language! And try to be useful!"
Then every one of them shot death stare at Mantis.
"What?"
Silence...
"Oh... Right. I'm not being helpful either..."
Crane decided to speak,
"Guys, did any of you saw Tigress in morning roll-call?"
Everybody stared each other blankly, however they were searching for a memory in their brain. Po was first one to speak.
"No... No, Tigress wasn't in the roll-call, guys this is a disaster!"
Mantis agreed.
"Tigress never wakes up late doesn't she?"
Viper interjected.
"She wakes up much earlier than us, you know."
Monkey answered,
"Yes, but she always shows up in breakfast... although we don't really eat together..."
Po concluded,
"Guys, listen. Something definitely happened to Tigress! Like... like kidnapped or attacked by some random evil bandits! Guys, I mean, what else could happen?"
Viper said,
"That's the worst case scenario that we want to hear, Tigress will never let herself kidnapped. And didn't Crane mentioned that already?"
Po added,
"But it could happen!" Then Po raised his paw to his chin and started to rub as if he was thinking. Then suddenly Po jerked.
"What happened, Po?"
"Hey guys, I think I just remembered something."
Mantis snorted.
"Really? Your food Brain come up with something that's not related to food?"
Everyone shot an angry glare, saying'I am going to fucking murder you.'
"I'll...I'll just shut up now... And...yeah...I'll do that right now... I mean right now 'now'."
Monkey asked,
"Po, what did you come up with?"
"Well, I am not sure but I remember Tigress often walks in to bamboo forest, maybe she's in there?"
Viper raised her eyebrow.(figurative speech. Deal with it.)
"Bamboo forest? You mean the one behind the palace? No one goes there. So why would she go there?"
Po pointed out.
"Yeah! That's the point! No one goes there and it makes the perfect place for her to go if not the village! I mean, where else she could be?"
Viper argued.
"Are suggesting that she is planning on something?"
"No, I mean, maybe. But hey, we don't know."
The he turned to others.
"What do you guys think? Wanna go go check it out?"
There was a short silence.
"Come on! I need you to back me up!"
Crane agreed.
"I guess it's worth a shot."
Monkey joined as he scratched his head.
"It's a possibility. I mean considering all other places, it is only place we haven't checked."
Po added
"HAH! It's already a tie! Now just Viper and mantis!"
Viper rolled eyes,
"Okay we are taking sides now, heh? Hey midget, what do you think?"
Mantis yelled.
"Hey! Don't call me that!"
"Yeah yeah I get it. Could you Just answer the question!"
Po, crane, and monkey gasped at viper's reaction. Why sudden aggression towards mantis?! However mantis answered uneventfully
"Yeah, why not."
Po claimed with his heroic smirk as he threw punches In the air.
"Ha! It's four to one! Do you have anything else to say Viper?"
Viper signed in defeat, however her expression showed signs of worries.
"Fine, I'll admit it. But I am not so sure about bamboo forest. Some how I am having this really bad feeling."
Po flicked his paw lazily to ensure that it is nothing.
"Oh, come on. We are Kung Fu masters! What could possibly happen to us?"
Crane pointed out.
"Well, we could be fighting some powerful villains."
"But in the end! We always beat them with our kickass Kung Du moves, right guys!"
Po then showed off his few kicks and punches to them, however their emotion was unchanged. Mantis spoke,
"Come on. Let's get this over with."
Then all four except Po started to head towards the forest. Po watched them leave and he followed them with his slow body after he said his favorite line.
"Get ready to feel my Thunder!"
It is said that dreams are commonly forgotten after person is awake. But some dreams does not, and they refuse to do so as they haunted him/or her head until they collapse themselves In to deep will not stop and continue to do so over and over and over until they achieved their goal. And weak souls may plunged themselves to well without a rope to return back. Death seems to know it takes less than death to kill a man. The water smashed upon her body as the chill of water ran down to join others to become one bravely and powerfully. But however it appeared to tigress that even water that cracks stone could not crack her head open and wash over her ever threatening memory. They merely have weaken it, for a moment but it did not last very long. Tigress clinched her head with her paws and yelled in anger and frustration.
"Why I can't get it out of my goddamn head!"
But she remembered. It felt so real. It felt as if it actually happened. She jolted her head down with her paws covering up her head. Her eyes shut tight and she bared her fangs. She remembered she killing po's father in cold blood. Why did she killed him was a question that was out of her reach. She remembered the village on fire. She heard scream. Painful scream that climbed her very soul and life. She heard last desperate plea for their lives. Plea to the Death, and She was the Death. Her eyes widened and iris dilated into small peck of dots in fear and horror to the sight before her. Fire... Smokes...ashes...and burned and bloodied corpses. She did this. She killed them all. She made innocents suffer. She was a cold hearted murderer and a brutal killer. Even though she wanted to reject that idea but the vision in front of her screamed otherwise. She was a monster... Then a sudden memory if her childhoods in Bao gu orphanage flashed her.
"I'll make him stop if you bow down and kiss my feet, you freak!"
Tigress helplessly cried in pain as she was stricken down to the ground with blood and dirt covering her body.
"Please... Make him stop... Please... It hurts..."
A pig with yellow shirt asked,
"Are you going to kiss my feet?"
Tigress hesitated. After the seconds The pig instructed boar to continue beating her with evil grin.
"No? Well, deals a deal."
The boar smirked and said
"Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure we get some fun!"
And he raised his fist high up towards to her poor head. Tigress saw what's about to come and yelled desperately.
"Wait!"
The boar stopped and pig raised his eyebrow.
"Well...?"
Tigress said in defeat.
"I'll... I'll do what you say... Pl...please no more..."
The pig laughed to see how pathetic she looked and motioned her to come to his feet. And slowly, Tigress weakly crawled towards it with her baffled and blooded body. The boar suddenly kicked her with anger.
"Faster you lazy scum!"
Tigress chipped with pain and she forced herself to go further as she breathed heavily, and when she was under the pig's feet, she lowered her head to kiss it. She could not even think how humiliating position she was in. She cried and let tears slowly fell. If she is going to do this. It will be quick. If it is quick enough she might not feel it... or she though. As she lowered her head, she closed eyes tight, not wanting to see the sight in front of her. But unexpectedly, a forceful kick smashed to her muzzle. The pig kicked her on her mouth intentionally. Tigress was thrown back and cried in pain as she covered her blood in her mouth.
"You thought, we were really going to stop!? Look how stupid you are! No wonder why your parents left you here!"
Tigress was no longer sad or grim. She felt fire building up in her mind. She was now furious! She stood up and growled. They promised they would stop! They told her it would be over! They lied to her! And she had no exceptional interest or excuse over liars...
"Look! A kitty has claws!"
With that word, tigress lunged herself with her fist striking the pig's face and sent him backward couple food meters. Then a boar jumped from behind but Tigress spun and grabbed his fist and twisted in unnatural way. The boar collapsed and tigress jumped on him and sat on his chest, and started to ruthlessly beat his head. Boar had no time to cry for pain, but only his face gotten distorted and red from the pain.
The rabbit behind saw this and grabbed tigress's neck to pull her out, but Tigress bit his arm, and Rabbit screamed in agony. Then she threw him to the wall. After she saw him lying motionlessly front of the wall, she saw a croc running towards her but she dodged it's attack and threw him to the ground and started to stump her feet on his belly where i's venerable.
The bull charged at her but she easily grabbed his horns and locked him in position where she could throw devastating kick to his chin. All her enemies fell before her unconscious. However, the pig wasn't. He quickly got up and sneaked out of the fight before she catches him again. Then he ran to the one of the caretaker, lying what just happened. He told them he was innocent and it was tigress who started the fight.
The result was all predicted. When caretakers arrived the scene, they were shocked. There were unconscious children on the ground where Tigress stood in the middle. They decided that it was too dangerous so they forced sedated her and locked her in to the iron cell. Then after that... Every one of them looked to her with hate and fear.
"Look! It's the tiger!"
"A freak!"
"You are a monster! Do you even think about what you do!"
"A monster! You don't belong here! I hope somebody kills you!"
"Monster! Monster!"
"Get away from me!"
"What you gonna do behind that bar, monster!"
"I hate you for what you've done!"
"How can you do such thing! You are worst than a monster!"
"You are a freak of a nature! A monster! You are not one of us!"
"I hope you die!"
"Know your place, monster!"
Monster...
Monster...
Monster...
Monster...
Monster...
Tigress clamped her ears and yelled with agony and sorrow.
"No! I'm not a monster! I'm not a monster!"
Tears started to flow down to her cheeks.
"I'm not a monster! Please! Don't call me a monster!"
The words echoed her Brain and every time the word hit the brain, it made her head suffer. She twitched and turned in pain that she could not avoid. She was left in her own cell. Alone. Alone for as long as she could remember. There was no food or water. No toy to play with. Just empty cell with hays as her bed... The word always echoed in her head, reminding her what she was, and is...
Then the images before twisted and bent into black masses, in horribly unnatural way. Then chunks of them reformed itself to a scene that she saw earlier. A scene that was drilled in her very core. Villagers were burnt alive as the houses and woods collapsed. The remaining survivors were moaning to their dead loudly so that the sky and earth can hear. Their wail deafen her ears, and choked her lungs. She became breathless. No air could go in and out. She fell on her knees in despair. No words came out from her mouth. Only a streak of tear ran down to her cheek. Then her ears twitched to the sound.
"You...you MONSTER!"
One of the village stood up with her fist clenched with anger. As soon as that others started to stand their ground as well. One of them pointed his finger to her and yelled.
"You killed my son! You took my wife!"
"You monster! You took everything from me! How could you!"
"We trusted you! We all looked up to you! Why did you do this us!"
"You are no Master! You are a parasite!"
"Murderer!"
"Monster!"
Their flaming gaze melted through her skin of steel and body of flesh. And it went on to her very heart and burned it without remorse or forgiveness. Tigress did this to them! She killed them all! She took everything from them! She wanted to deny them. But how can a man(woman) deny the fact when the truth lies in front of him? She wanted to deny that she was a monster, but everyone called her that way. She buried and avoided that fact for too long. Maybe it is time to accept the fact. She was, is, will be a monster. A murderer... A criminal who was responsible for death of many. A criminal... Monster... Eternal sorrow took her and words kept on haunting her like a living nightmare. They tortured her very heart and head. She wasn't sure whether she could take it anymore. She could not hold herself. She could not bear the pain. However the words and the visions scratched and dented her heart of steel in most brutal way that no man could think of. Then suddenly she remembered... the furious five... master Shifu... and above all... The Dragon Warrior... Po... they will stand for her. They are her comrades... friends... and Po... he was someone special to her. Albeit he doesn't know, she could not help herself to hold her growing affection towards him. Although she never shows it to anyone. Yes... they had her and she had them... She felt glimpse of hope in her, but she still felt helpless. Weak. She wanted the visions to end. She wanted villagers stop cursing at her. She wanted them all stop! She wanted peace, but no, and no villagers, even smallest and slightest pity was shoven and they wanted her pathetic and useless life to suffer until she dies and even after her death! Tigress violently twitched and turned as her facial expression collapsed in agony. Her both paw grabbed her head tight and could feel her own claw sinking in to her skin, but pain in her head was far greater. She moved so violently that it looked like she was in serious spasm. Despite the water, she could feel cold sweat running down. Then she saw her...her reflection standing infront of her with cold deadly look... with cold stare that pierced her soul million times over. She spoke.
"It all happened because of you! Because you becoming yourself! This never had to happen but it did solely because on a reason that you exist! Look at what you've done! You are nothing more than a monster! That what you always will be!"
The words were harsh cold and unforgiving. The former tigress yelled through the pain.
"No...GET. OUT. OF. MY...HEAD!...(she paints abnormally)... I AM NOT A MONSTER!"
The other grabbed her chest and demanded it with screaming tone.
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU TIGRESS!?"
All the sudden, the vision was gone. It was gone just like that. However tigress's mind still suffered from mental trauma. She let out involuntary gasping sounds as she fought back against her own.
Sound similar to snort, groan, and sneer came frantically without pattern. Then she lied motionless...
All Kung Fu Panda Preferences Belongs to Dream Works.
I do not wish to take your precious time so I am going to be quick and will go straight to the point.
I know my shit grammar skill, but other than that, please tell me what I'm missing.
Please do Fave and Review. I'll see how this one goes and will continue depends on the people's reaction.
And also, I've noticed how people just read only first chapter and ingore the rest. I find that interesting... again. Tell me what to improve then I will do it, and just read all the way through. Do me a favor alright?