Usual disclaimer thingies and blah blah…(Don't own Kung fu Panda characters. Leo and Vikki belong to me). In my wish, I wish that I own Tai Lung, Tigress and Po in real life. Would like to thank Awerewolf for keeping me sane for a while, I really appreciate it. Luna Goldsun for forever helping me in my writing battle to the death. I really owe you one. Corset-rebellion-follower and Lucius for your reviews. I really appreaciate them, totally. Thanks guys.

Chapter 10

In the previous chapter, (if you remembered and I hope you did). Tai Lung found the scroll while Tigress was waiting for him but Po suddenly felt odd about something. It was an uneasy feeling and his sixth sense was telling him that he needs to check out something in his room.

Do I?

Tigress saw that Po was deep in thought again and questioned him to kill her curiosity. "It's nothing," Po answered her. "I'm gonna be right back. I feel something's not right."

He ran to the side of the Jade Palace where the window of his room was. Tigress was left behind; again by the two males.

"What is up with those two." She crossed her arms.

Po reached his room window and what he saw made his eyes bulged out. "Tai…Lung…buddy…."

Tai Lung looked stunned seeing Po standing outside the room. "Po!" he panicked and quickly got out of the room.

"Buddy! Wait!" Po screamed and chased after him.

So many things were racing through Tai Lung's head and he wasn't thinking straight. I've got to it! I've got it! I need to get away from here. I don't care. He was holding the scroll between his teeth as he was running on all four heading towards any available exit within the place. He obviously can't run out the front door, that's where Tigress is waiting. The next option was the backdoor. He ran outside breathing in the fresh morning air but stopped short when he saw Po standing in his way.

"Buddy, it doesn't' have to be this way," Po held out his big paws. "The scroll Tai. Talk to me, what's the problem?"

Tai Lung spitted the scroll onto his paw. He was filled with rage and couldn't take it anymore. His eyes looked like it was on fire and confronted the black and white bear. "Problem? What's the problem? Everything is a problem! From the day I was sent to prison, everything is a problem. The day I left the Jade Palace, rampaging through the valley. Everything!"

"Calm down Tai. I understand your feelings but you have-"

"You?! You don't understand anything! For you, everything is easy. Everything drops right in front of you. What's there to understand? As for me, I have to work so hard till my bones break all over my body in order to achieve what I want." Tai Lung roared.

"Will you listen!" Po was raising his voice so that whatever he's trying to say can get through that thick head of the snow leopard. "You have to trust me. I value friendship as much as everything in the world. I don't want to see this breakup. You're my friend Tai Lung and friends do what they do best, help each other in times of need."

Friend? Friend!

Yes………a friend………one of the missing pieces of your life in the 20 years……… Tai Lung……a friend……… An inner voice started to speak again.

"What's this voice?" Tai Lung clamped his head hard.

"Tai Lung, what's wrong?" Po moved forward.

"Stop! Don't take another step or this will be last time you'll ever see me or the scroll."

"Tai! Stop it!"

Tai Lung winced and turned, "Goodbye……Po…"

Po screamed his lungs out, "This is NOT goodbye buddy!"

Tai Lung was already heading for the walls surrounding the Jade Palace to run away but incredibly, Po stood in front of him.

"What?!" the confused snow leopard said. "Impossible. You're….faster than me?"

"I'm the dragon warrior Tai. Now, the scroll." Po demanded.

All of a sudden, Tigress came into the picture. Isn't she lovely? What a good sense of timing, or rather…bad. "I heard noises and…and…" Tigress looked at Po and Tai Lung, "Po? Tai Lung? Wha-what's the meaning of this. The scroll!" She pointed at Tai Lung's paw.

Tai Lung was panicking even more and was sweating bullets like never before. He raised his paws and struck at Po. A golden shimmer of light appeared on Po's stomach and he laughed. "Don't…hehe…" Po laughed. "The nerve attack won't do Tai, I'm impenetrable."

Tai Lung looked around and Tigress was approaching him already. I've got to get away. He started to move towards the opposite direction when he felt Po hugging him from the back extremely tight. "Tai, listen. Don't do this."

"Release me panda." Tai Lung struggled.

"Tigress, the scroll." Tigress quickly snatched the scroll from Tai Lung's firm grip and stared at him. "What's gotten into you?"

"None of your damn business woman!" he roared and was still struggling to get released. The more he struggled, the tighter Po squeezed him.

"It's not going to work buddy. I'm bigger than you and you can't use brute force to break free."

"Release me! Now!"

"NO!" Po screamed at him. "Listen to me, please, Tai, relax your body. Relax….relax…. feel your body relaxes…"

"I don't want to listen and….and….." for the first time, Tigress swore that Tai Lung had shed a drop of tear from his eyes. A real tear… He's feeling pain and anger in him; he's incomplete. Something's missing and he tries so hard to get it but, no matter how hard he tried, nothing goes his way. One tear…says it all. One……

Po continued his relaxing remedy on Tai Lung and he started to feel relaxed, "That's it buddy. Clear your mind and thoughts. Give yourself to the world and release. That's it…"Tai Lung was limped and Po released him. He literally dropped to the ground on his knees.

"Why? Why does it have to be this way? Why fate does despises me." He looked to the ground. Tigress bent down and lifted his chin up, "Tai Lung, fate to not hate you, it is you who hate fate. Like I said before, you think that you are good in everything and do not need any help but in reality, you need them. It is not something that you should be proud of. Remember that..."

Po helped Tai Lung to stand on his own two feet and spoke, "Come, Shifu is waiting for us. We've taken more time than we are given. We definitely don't want Shifu and the rest to know anything about this."

Tai Lung kept quiet and had a sobered look. Po tried to cheer him up. "We can talk later. Trust me Tai Lung. Listen to Tigress, you are not alone. I'm here for you, in good times or bad. For now, be open."

"It's not easy," Tai Lung replied.

"Nothing in the world is easy Tai," Po added. "You just got to embrace it. Come on."

Morning quickly moved on to the afternoon and swept away evening, leaving the night standing alone. The picnic was great and everybody had fun, well, not everybody. Only a beaten up snow leopard didn't appreciate the great morning that they've encountered, even Tigress and Po somehow managed to have fun. Luckily for the snow leopard, no one saw his misery, except Po.

Tai Lung was sitting on the porch of the Jade Palace and was gazing at the beautiful stars which seemed to be much brighter than the previous night. Although he wanted to be alone throughout the whole ordeal but Po just wouldn't let him.

"Nice evening we have here, don't you agree?" Po was standing next to Tai Lung and sat down. "It has been such a long time that I've ever done any star gazing."

"What do you want panda?" Tia Lung slowly said.

"Nothing. Just want to accompany you that's all." He replied.

"I don't need you."

"Yes you do," Po turned to look at the snow leopard, "Tai Lung, I know what you're missing, it's friendship. You don't feel it. In the world, no one is without a friend."

"I don't need friends," he spat. "Friends bring you down and slow your progress in life. When there's a time to choose, who do you choose? Friend? Or your pursuit goal? That's why I hate having friends."

Po sighed, "No, it's not. Friends can help your pursuit goal. That's what we do." He was actually holding something in his left paw and showed it to Tai Lung. "The dragon scroll…"

Tai Lung looked at it and back to Po, "I know it's important to you but you have to know one thing, the scroll benefits the warrior with the most wisdom. When the time you were trying to get away, I was faster than you, remember?"

"How could I," Tai Lung said, "I lost a fight with you and now a race. How foolish."

"It's the scroll Tai. The scroll understands me and I understand it. I don't know why but it works that way. Right now, it's telling me to lend it to you." Po extended his arms towards Tai Lung.

"But…you will never see it again."

"I trust you."

"You trust me?" Tia Lung said.

"Yes, I really do. That's what friends also do." Po smiled.

Tai Lung was taken aback by his few words. Never in his life had he anticipated a pure help, from the bottom of someone's heart, for him alone. Should I?

Yes………you should………his inner mysterious voice said.

"What on earth is this voice?!" he said out loud.

"Huh?" Po looked at him, confused and deranged. "What voice?"

"It's nothing," He shook his head and continued his road to redemption from Po.

"Don't you want to know why I need it?"

"No need," Po made a broad smile. "I ain't no busybody to know what your business is. Though I think Tigress might."

"That old tiger won't know anything."

Po laughed, "You better let her hear you say that or she'll make a fur coat out of you. You are like 20 years older than her."

"Yeah."

The two laughed together like old friends, "See, you can laugh." Po said.

"I told you, only laugh if it's worth it."

Po wiped away his laughing tears, "Ahem…alright. You go on, do your stuff and I'll fake a lie on you. Don't worry about anything."

"What is this lie, may I ask?"

"It's simple. You and I are having a sleepover in my dad's noodle shop and you went there first. I'll catch up with you afterwards. That's it."

Tai Lung sighed, "Po, sometimes, some of us aren't as simple minded as you are. Shifu won't buy it."

"Yes he will." Po said with confidence.

"Fine. I ain't arguing with you again."

"Tai?" Po asked with a concern look, "Be back by tomorrow night, kay?"

20 years had done a lot of damage to Tai Lung and once again, no one had ever showed any concern for him alone. In prison, for 20 years, has ruined his pride, ego, self-respect, and worst of all, his personal life. What more could a mislead snow leopard do? Only a few and the top two priority are friendship and love. Po is truly a great friend to have. For love, that will come later…. I hope. Do I love Tigress...? Or maybe...it's not the time...

Tai Lung made a weak smile, "I'll try." With that said, Tai Lung was on his way to wherever he's heading.

--

Next chapter will be boring, I think... I've been having a hard time in College. Actually, for this chapter itself, I was struggling to write it down and forced myself to write something. It turns out to be unfulfilling for me though; I don't know why. I'll try to dig up something, hope for the best.

Oh... One more thing, Tai goes on shirtless but I've got a question, which shirt colour would suit him best in your opinion?