Well, everyone, here's the second chapter! Again, sorry about the sad chapter previously, but that's how his adventure started.
Some of you may have ideas on what connections I'm making with these two prequels and my final major Kiro, Po, and Five story, and there have been some close guesses, but nobody has gotten it right yet.
Anyway, enjoy…
*With teenage Kiro, 11 years later*
"Look, kid, just give us the cash that you've got, and you can live another day."
Three wolf bandits stood over the homeless Kiro, one holding a sword to his neck.
Kiro's clothes were tattered and grimy. His fur was messy and discolored and a foul stench roamed around him, due to Kiro not being able to bathe for weeks.
Ever since the fire, Kiro had no place to go, barely any food, and enough water for him to survive. Due to his father's reputation as a criminal, nobody wanted to hire Kiro to work for them, out of fear that he would rob them blind. Kiro made a little money begging and he had a small plantation a few miles from the valley where he grew all the vegetables and fruit he could to sell in the market. Due to the freshness and low price, his produce went fast, however people often didn't pay and would steal from him when he wasn't looking.
The wolves wanted every penny he had left, which would more than likely leave him starving to death.
"Really? Robbing a homeless person? There's not like a jewelry store or some rich guy that you could rob? You have to steal all the money from a hobo, leaving him to starve to death?" Kiro asked in a weakened voice.
"Eh, I guess you're right. Give us the staffs and we'll leave." One of the wolves replied.
"I'd rather give you the money." The tiger said.
"Nah, those staffs are worth much more! We'll take those and be on our way." The third wolf jeered.
The edge of the blade pressed closer against his neck.
"Fine, just let me get them."
The wolf took the sword away from his neck and Kiro slowly walked over and picked up his Di staffs. He walked back over and held out the weapons, the red ends pointing towards the wolves.
"Well, thanks! Glad we could conv—AAAHHH!"
The wolf was cut off from his sentence when to beams of red power shot out from the staffs, sending the thieves flying across the area.
"Come on! Come and get them! I'm waiting!" Kiro called out.
"You dirty little trickster!" One of the burglars snarled.
The three charged towards Kiro, ready to slash him to pieces, but the tiger elongated his staffs and spun them around, slamming the ends into his foes and forcing them to the ground.
"BING!" Kiro cheered slamming his staff on a wolves head, knocking him out.
"BANG!"
Another thief fell unconscious.
"BONG!"
The final wolf slumped to the ground.
"And that, ladies and gents, is why you don't mess with homeless people! You never know what they have up their sleeve!" Kiro joked in a deep voice.
"My, my, that was impressive!" A voice said from the shadows.
"What ho? A foe? Where? Who's next?" Kiro said, getting into his fighting stance.
"Relax, boy. I just came to make you an offer!" A snow leopard stated, walking out of a dark alley.
The cat was big, grey with brownish spots, muscular, and handsome. He had purple silk pants on and tape was wrapped around his ankles. A large, metal band was wrapped around his waist.
"And who might you be?" The white tiger demanded.
"I'm Tai Lung, that's who." He replied.
"Hey, aren't you a cousin or brother or something of the Wu sisters?"
"My boy, just because we look similar doesn't make us related. A common misconception."
"Oh, okay. Why are you here? What do you want?" Kiro asked, lowering his staffs.
"Well, I couldn't help but notice your talent for fighting. I also couldn't overlook your…condition. I'm a great kung-fu master! Surely you've heard of me." The leopard gloated.
"Sorry, can't say I have. Should I be, like, bowing or something?" Kiro asked.
"It would be nice."
Kiro slightly bowed to the snow leopard, then narrowed his eyes. "So, you still haven't answered my question. Why're you here?"
"Well, dear child, I have been looking for an apprentice to pass my teachings down to. I hadn't found anybody worthy enough, until I saw you. Funny, though. I don't see many tigers around here. Most of them originate from Japan!" Tai Lung stated.
"You flatter me! Oh, stop! Anyway, I guess I'm one of a kind, then. Ever since I can remember, I've lived here. Moving back to the topic at hand: you're asking me to be your student?" Kiro responded.
"That's right! I could take you away from this life and give you new clothes, food, water, a home…" Tai Lung took a sniff in Kiro's direction, "…and you could have a bath."
"Well, that sounds great and all, but would I be able to keep these?" Kiro said, holding up his staffs.
"Sure! You'll learn how to fight with those and learn different styles of kung-fu also." Tai Lung responded.
"Well, deal! I'll get my stuff!"
The snow leopard expected to have to wait a few minutes, but was surprised that once Kiro had picked up his small pouch of money and got his coat and weapons, he was ready to go.
"How long did you expect to wait? I'm homeless!" Kiro said, walking past his new master.
*A couple of days later*
Tai Lung had lead the tiger to a medium sized home, that had two rooms, a hot spring, and a training hall added on to it. The whole building was made out of bamboo branches, but was cemented into the ground, so it was sturdy enough.
Once Kiro had bathed and unpacked his stuff, he ate almost everything in the house and slept for quite a while. He hadn't had this kind of treatment since he was a kid!
Eleven years of starving and rotting in the streets are over! Now, I have a life again with a fresh start.
Once Kiro had awoken, he put on a grey shirt with some black pants and a black and red cloak and went downstairs to meet Tai Lung.
*With Tai Lung*
"Well, master, I'm ready to begin my first day of training!" The tiger said as he walked down the steps and up to Tai Lung.
The new and improved Kiro Takimuro stood before his master, ready to begin training.
"Excellent, boy! I'll teach you as much as I can and soon, you'll be the master of tiger style!" The leopard replied.
"Sounds pretty awesome! Well, let's get started!" The white tiger said, enthusiastically.
Wonderful. Soon, I'll have the boy at my side, and he'll help me seize what's mine! Shifu and that stupid turtle will be sorry that they ever banished me from the Jade Palace! The Dragon Scroll WILL be mine!
That's the end of this chapter! Much more upbeat for Kiro than the last one, don't ya think? Things are starting to turn for the best! Or are they? Keep an eye out for the next chapter! I'll be writing it in a couple of days!
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More to come…
