This is just a little one shot I wanted to do over Tai Lung. Hope you enjoy!
Tai Lung landed on the steps in front of his former teacher light as a feather, as befitting a true Kung Fu prodigy. Master Shifu stood overlooking the valley, but with his eyes closed. Sensing the presence of another, Shifu opened his eyes to see his former student standing before him.
As the thunder rumbled behind him, Tai Lung said with his low voice, "I have come home, Master." Indeed, Tai Lung intended this to be his home for a long time indeed. The home of the Dragon Warrior.
"This is no longer your home, and I am no longer your master." Shifu answered softly.
"Yes… you have a new favorite." Tai Lung said, irritated at the very thought that he could be replaced. "How is this… Po?" He chuckled. This new player in the game must not be very tough. Why else would he send the Furious Five and Master Shifu to fight his battles? "Did I scare him off?"
Shifu stared him down. "This battle is between you and me."
Tai Lung sighed. "So that is how it's going to be."
"That is how it must be." Shifu replied, adopting a battle ready stance.
Tai Lung growled, then leapt high above, gracefully bringing down a deadly kick onto his former master. But Shifu was no fool, and easily rolled out of the way. Tai Lung was expecting that. His kick had shattered the ground and Tai Lung quickly kicked a large boulder that had sprung up from the attack at his master. Shifu, as powerful and skilled as he was, shattered the large boulder before it could hit him. But Tai Lung had already sent a much more dangerous projectile following the first: himself. Shifu was unable to block as the massive leopard struck him.
He flew through the wall, and then the air, landing gracefully on the smooth floor of the Jade Palace. Tai Lung walked through the massive hole in the wall, and roared, "I had to rot away in jail for twenty years because of your weakness!"
"Obeying your master is not weaknesss." Shifu pleaded.
"You knew I was the Dragon Warrior!" Tai Lung said angrily. "You always knew. But when Oogway said otherwise, what did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO? NOTHING!"
"You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior, that was not my fault!" Shifu argued.
"Not your fault?" Tai Lung repeated, anger boiling withing him as he closed in on his teacher. "Who filled my head with dreams?" He asked as he kicked a statue at Shifu. "Who drove me to train until my bones cracked?" He threw an intricate shield, which Shifu dodged. "Who denied me… my destiny?" He roared as he threw a weapons rack at Shifu.
Shifu managed to deflect all of the incoming weapons. Tai Lung, meanwhile had kicked a deadly blade into the air before kicking it at his master. It spun in the air at deadly speeds, and Shifu was forced to dodge it, but rerouted it to send it into the ground at his feet.
"It was never my decision to make." Shifu said defiantly.
Tai Lung roared, then charged at his small teacher before noticing something that stopped him in his tracks. He dashed to that instead. There was Oogway's staff, sitting amongst a collection of unlit candles. Behind those hung a painting of the old turtle himself. It couldn't be… had Oogway finally? Yes… Tai Lung picked up the staff and turned back to Shifu. Who, he realized, was the new Master of the Jade Palace. He grinned. "It is now."
Shifu launched himself at Tai Lung, unleashing a barrage of kicks at his opponent. Tai Lung answered them all, forcing his master away before catching him with the fork at the end of Oogway's staff by the throat.
Forcing Shifu to the ground, Tai Lung said, "Give. Me. The Scroll!"
"I would rather die." Shifu said as he struggled to breathe, trying to force the staff away from his throat. But then suddenly the staff snapped in half. Tai Lung tossed it away, no longer having any use for the weak excuse of a weapon. Shifu's gaze lingered on the stick as it clattered away on the jade floor. Tai Lung saw an opportunity through the distraction, and struck.
He kicked Shifu into the wall, but the small rodent forced back, knocking Tai Lung away. Tai Lung pressed his advantage, not wanting to let Shifu get away. Shifu fled, jumping from pillar to pillar, barely escaping Tai Lung's clutches.
Shifu leapt up, breaking through the roof, with his leopard apprentice close behind. Now high in the air, they resumed their battle of kicks and strikes. But as they fell, the more nimble Shifu gained the advantage and found his way to Tai Lung's back. Grabbing his apprentice by his ears, Shifu forced Tai Lung into a descent that would end in a brutal crash.
But Tai Lung wasn't going to let that happen. He ripped his way out of Shifu's grip, and grabbed the small old man. Shifu was forced to take the blunt of the crash as they broke through their roof and into the palace once again. Before they hit the ground, Tai Lung released Shifu and delivered a hard spinning kick that knocked Shifu into one of the pillars.
Shifu slumped onto the ground, and Tai Lung flew backwards into another pillar, catching his claws on the way down. Sparks flew, and suddenly there was a light blue fire on the floor and in Tai Lung's paw. He pressed his attack on Shifu, with flaming claws. Shifu was back on his feet, and barely dodged Tai Lung's strikes.
"What I did," Tai Lung roared as he struck angrily, "I did to make you proud! Tell me how proud you are, Shifu!" Finally a blow hit its mark. "Tell me!" Shifu's defenses were slipping. "TELL ME!" Shifu was knocked to the ground before Tai Lung's relentless offense. Shifu flew across the floor, landing in the light from the hole above in the roof. Tai Lung casually put out the flames on his paws. He had no more use for them.
"I have always been proud of you." Shifu said softly, trying to raise his head. "From the very first moment, I've been proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I was turning you into. I'm s- I'm sorry."
Tai Lung wasn't expecting that. Shifu was sorry for everything that happened? But he still loved him, still was proud of him? That tore at his heart for a moment. But then he remembered what he had come for, what he had worked for, what he had spent twenty years in prison to claim. He growled. "I don't want your apology, I want my scroll!" He grabbed Shifu by the throat and lifted him into the air. But as he held up Shifu he noticed that up above, where the scroll had always been, was empty. The scroll was gone. "What? Where is it?" he yelled, throwing Shifu to the ground.
"The Dragon Warrior has taken the Dragon Scroll halfway across China by now." Shifu said smugly as he struggled to breathe. "You will never see that scroll, Tai Lung. Never." Halfway across China? No! How far would he have to chase his dream? Tai Lung felt his anger erupting again inside. He drew his claws once again, ready to finish this.
"Hey!" came a shout from the palace entrance. Tai Lung turned his head to see… A panda? Now this would be interesting. The panda was breathing heavily, and muttered, "Stairs."
"Who are you?" Tai Lung asked, annoyed. He felt a slight bit of hope, remembering that the Dragon Warrior, who had his scroll, happened to be a panda. Could this be him? No, he couldn't possibly be that stupid to come back here.
"Buddy," the panda said, breathing hard, "I am the Dragon Warrior." He tried to add in a fighting stance, but couldn't hold it before putting his hands back on his knees, exhausted.
Tai Lung almost couldn't believe it. He really was that stupid. "You?" he asked laughing. He turned to Shifu. "Him?" He tossed Shifu away and rounded towards his new opponent confidently.
So this is Po. The Dragon Warrior he had heard so much of. Somehow this… panda was more worthy than he is. Impossible. Tai Lung knew that he was there is. And, now, after all of this time, he could finally prove that he was the Dragon Warrior. That no one could stand against his might.
No one. Not even Po.
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