A/N: My first one-shot. Happy Halloween.
Since as long as he could remember all Tai Lung wanted to do was make Shifu proud. Most days he would spend eight hours in the Training Hall, going through all the challenges as if they were child's play. To him everything was easy. He had perfect balance on the Jade Tortoise of Wisdom, outstanding agility in the Seven Talons, uncomparable speed on the Tounges of Flame and supernatural strength on the Swinging Clubs. He was handsome, suave, strong, had muscles the size of some entire people, brave and went everywhere shirtless. He was the perfect warrior. The Dragon Warrior.
That had been his dream since Shifu had first told him about the Dragon Scroll, the secrets to unlimited power, power which he would use for the good of China. And today that dream was to become a reality. Years of training had finally payed off as he was to be brought forth towards Master Oogway, who would deem him the Dragon Warrior, and present him with the Dragon Scroll. His destiny had finally arrived.
That was where he was going now, to the Hall of Heroes where he would recieve what was rightfully his. He would use the power to bring fame and glory to the Jade Palace, he would rid China of all its villains, he would silence the Mongols, the Japanese, the Indians, the Koreans, the Russians. There would be no more war, only bliss and harmony. And all that started today.
He pushed open the doors of the Hall of Heroes, where Masters Oogway and Shifu were awaiting. He bowed low, for even the great Dragon Warrior had to show respect to his superiors. Shifu was smiling encouragingly, whereas Oogway stood there, with a grim expression on his face. And of course his expression would be grim, how many people had he trained, and yet it was one of Shifu's students who would recieve this great honour. Even he couldn't help smile at this.
After a long while of quiet hopeful silence. Oogway gave his verdict. The hammer fell and not even Shifu could smile at this.
"This is not the Dragon Warrior".
He spoke the words so calmly and effortlessly that Tai Lung would have preffered it if he screamed. Then the message sank in. He was not the Dragon Warrior. But how ? For as long as he could remember Shifu had always told him how he would one day own the Dragon scroll, be the the Dragon Warrior. The ultimate hero. And he would make Shifu proud. Surely hos master would do something. Protest ! But Shifu just stood there, ears drooping, a look of shock on his face, but he did nothing. He did not complain, did not shout didn't even say but.
Suddenly a burning rage like that at the bottomless pit of hell swelled inside his chest. If he was not worthy, he would show them who was worthy. He shouted, a truly uncontrolable scream of pure unleashed fury before running through the door and towards the valley. Shifu was about to follow him, but Oogway grabbed a gentle yet firm grasp on his shoulder.
"Let him be, he'll be back. They always come back". And he stalked off, leaving the red panda completely weirded out by the Grandmasters actions.
Tai Lung leapt down the stairs taking ten at a time in great strides. All his life he had been raised for greatness, and yet now it had been denied to him. He would show them, he would make them pay. The sun had setand the moon was full. The snow shimmering in the darkness of the moonlight. Someone called out to him.
"Hey look everyone it's the great dragon warrior"!
The few people still outside clapped and cheered. Tai Lung turned to the direction of the noise, a duck with an apple cart. He stopped, and for a moment did nothing. The next moment he had slammed the duck against the wall, forming a predominant crator. He then repeatedly smacked the avain against the wall, blood splattering over the broken web of wall fragments, before he threw the duck at a cart in the distance. After that the blood rage descended.
He grabbed the entire apple cart and threw it in the direction of a couple of elderly pigs, knocking all of them down in a large pile. He proceeded to pulling the nearest object, a black duck, and ripping one of it's wings clean off, the blood pouring around the flightless bird, staining the silver snow a deep crimson red. Just then he felt a hammer connect heavily to the side of his head, knocking him down to the ground. In his rage he had forgotten that an entire squadron of Imperial Army soldiers had been staying at the valley, under their general, Chuizi, the golden takin who had slammed Tai Lung down.
The snow leopard noted the hammer, it's heavy stone fist, metal edges and long pole of black and gold ribbon. And ornate carving of a dragon on the fist itself. If he wasn't going to be the Dragon Warrior he would show this guy who was boss. He raised one fist in a faux strike, which the general fell for and blocked, only for Tai Lung to full body slam him into the ground. He grabbed the takin's leg and started twisting and contorting it, using both his claws and his sheer muscle power to disambiguate his foot. He then threw him into a wall. Grabbing the hammer and slamming it onto the general's chest repeatedly and rhythmically. The bovine coughing blood in the gallons, the snow long since red.
And that was what made Tai Lung realised. He would show Shifu exactly how much he had learned. But first he would torch the village. Throwing open a barrel of of rice wine and spraying the contents all over the valley he set it alight with a bit of friction from his paws.
He now raced upwards, towards the Jade Palace. The Dragon Scroll was his and he would take it as his. Even now he could hear the first screams coming from the Valley. The true Dragon Warrior had left his mark on the valley, now an onslaught of burning crimson snow and bedraggled bodies.