230th month

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Small trickling droplets of water dripped down from the ceiling and plopped onto the floor in growing puddles. It was probably after nightfall because it was so quiet. Despite that being said, the guards were still on patrol and this time around, none of them slept through their duty. It was amazing how persistent they had become in just a few months' time after my escape attempt.

It was quiet…too quiet for comfort but it didn't scare me one bit, not at all. The darkness…

Darkness is my element now. Like Oogway had foretold, I am not destined to be the Dragon Warrior. Not the title, nor even the scroll, but just a wannabe. Darkness in me, I will be by your side.

I clenched both paws together to help ease the pressure a little but it was futile. It was forever useless to try and break it because no matter what, this fucking device could only be destroyed with that damned, senile sage.

Yes, a great master device… I rolled my eyes.

"I am sure you are doing your best, Commander Vachir."

Speak of the devil and he appears.

Oogway had finally arrived. What took him so long?! Some great kung fu master he was. If it were me, I could have been here in a week or less, depending on the weather. But months?

Oh yeah, he'll probably say that time is a thing that should be taken into concern because the phrase: time waits for no man; it is only for man who wants things fast. He'll probably start his infamous lecture that we must 'take the time to enjoy the scenery and the climb to the mountain' shit again.

At that moment, I remembered something from my past that he had told me before; a long time ago where I attempted my first climb to the highest mountain in the Ha Jin province.

"It isn't about how fast you get there, my dear child, it is about the journey. But once you get there, take in the scenery around you. You only live once, so make the best of it. And if you stumble, don't be afraid of the fall. Just pick yourself up and carry on…"

The sound of the main door clicked and it began to reel down to the solid ground. My train of thought was broken, and I snarled and hissed. Perhaps, it's a natural thing for me to act in anger and resentment because of what has been happening throughout my stay here. How long have I been here? Ten years? Fifteen years? Seventeen perhaps? I don't know. I've been in the darkness so long that time seems to stand still.

I remembered, when I was a still a teenager, I had always looked forward to greet the morning sunlight that beamed through my room during the dawn but now, I hate the sun. Am I… a changed man?

Yes. Yes… I am a changed man. A changed warrior, and darkness dwells in me. There is no way to save me from this darkness now. I stifled an ironic laugh. Go on, Oogway, give me your best shot.

Footsteps pounded the pathway, and Vachir stood in front of me as he always did, glaring at me whenever I said anything inappropriate about Master Oogway. Why the hell should I even care that I said anything bad about him? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

"Oogway's here to see you, Tai Lung." He seethed those last two words as if they were the most disgusting thing that he had ever said.

A soft strike reverberated through the prison and small footsteps slowly marched forth. Each sound of the staff that tapped on the ground reminded me how Oogway was when I was still a young cub, it reminded me of the things that he had shown to me, not to mention his teachings as well; all those lessons, now completely lost to me.

All of a sudden, his long claws rubbed against my chin and he lifted my head up.

"Tai Lung," the old sage announced. "My, you have grown so big and handsome. I'm pretty sure you'll be a hit with the females in the valley."

What? Is this what he wanted to say after traveling all the way here? Is that it? Is that all?!

"What the fuck do you even care, you bastard?" I growled.

His gnarled staff quickly came in contact with my head. "Manners, my son," he chuckled lightly. "Didn't I teach you to greet others when you see them?"

"Right, and this would help me calm down," I snapped.

I looked at his face, his old yet knowledgeable expression. Oogway was old, a little senile perhaps, but old nonetheless. The mark of honesty and calmness was displayed on his old and wrinkled face. He had never, not once, gotten mad or angry at anything, and not once in my life have I ever even seen him annoyed.

His expression turned into a soft, paternal smile as he ignored my remark. "Can you fetch me the tea set, my dear Vachir," he gestured to the commander. "A cup of Oolong tea would be nice right now."

"Yes, Master Oogway." The rhino bowed and left for the tray.

"I'm not here to drink tea with you," I growled.

"But I am."

What the hell?

The next thing I knew, the commander was back with a set of tea. Master Oogway gently took the tray, placing it to the ground as he rested in front of me. He ordered the commander to leave us and he obeyed without another word. It felt awkward to actually have tea in the middle of a prison hole and better yet, I was strapped down to a large mechanical device. To add salt to the wound, I had a quick flash of a vivid image of the last time we had shared tea like this. It was long ago but I could still remember it well.

"So, tell me," Oogway started as he broke the silence between us. "How are you? I'm sure you are well fed and well taken care off?"

I glared daggers at him and if looks could kill, that one would have killed ten thousand men. Well fed? Taken care of? Is this his image of Heaven? I doubt it… or was he being sarcastic?

He poured some tea into a small cup. Oogway held the cup to his lips and slowly sipped at it.

"Ah, how very refreshing, after climbing those treacherous mountains... You know, I had to stop a few times to actually balance myself. The winds howled like a pack of wolves and the snow was colder than I could have ever imagined it to be and – "

"Shut the fuck up!" I roared with fury. "Just tell me what you want with me and get going! I don't want to see you any more. I don't want anything to do with you!"

Oogway didn't react to my sudden outburst but continued sipping his tea. "My, this tea is very good. Must be from the eastern provinces of China, or perhaps south. I'm not sure." He chuckled a little. "Frustrating, isn't it, when you don't have the perfect knowledge your home?"

I seethed and snarled at him. "Tell me what you want to say and get going, now."

All the old sage did was shake his head and respond, "Tai Lung, my dear Tai Lung. You have turned your heart to the darkness, but yet, you fail to emerge out of the sea of darkness."

"What do you care?"

"A lot, apparently."

That struck a chord. He had cared? Cared for me? Hah! Don't make me laugh! The old master took the pot of tea up to face level. He obviously was responding to my hostility.

"Tai Lung, you are like this pot of tea," he caressed along the body of the clay filled tea pot and started pouring out its contents. "It is big and strong and full of goodness. See how clear the tea is? It tastes good, doesn't it? But, when the end approaches at the bottom of the tea, it darkens and taste bitter."

"So?" I replied darkly. "What does this has anything to do with it?"

Oogway smiled gently to me and continued his analogy. "How do we see through this dark and bitter taste of such a great tea? We add in goodness in to it." He started pouring in hot water back to the pot and waited for it to simmer down. Taking up the pot again, he poured it into his cup.

"Do you understand, my dear child?"

"Simple, yet profound," I answered dryly.

"Good," he smiled and sipped the tea again.

I was not convinced. Was there… hope? "There's… hope, then?"

He placed his cup down and gazed into my eyes, seeking for the truth and most of all, seeking for the goodness in them. The goodness in me… is it still there? I don't even know myself.

"It's all on your shoulders. Whether you want to be what you always wanted, or be somebody else, I don't really know. Tea, don't tea. Good, don't good." Oogway shook his head but chuckled lightly. "I'm getting too old for this."

The old sage got up from his position and let out a deep sigh. He was obviously feeling it and I know it but, I didn't say a word about it; the feeling of defeat, the feeling that all hope would be lost in me. Why do I even care for such loyalty from him? There were too many questions, and no answers.

Loud pounding hooves were heard and I saw a few men, and Vachir in tow, coming over to the turtle master. They exchanged a few words and Oogway turned to me. We locked gazes for a brief moment but I turned away, not wanting to let him see how much shame I have endured throughout my whole ordeal.

"Tai Lung, think about it and meditate. All I can give you is hope, hope for yourself and hope for mankind. I will see you again, my son."

With that said, the creator of kung fu walked away from me. A few of Vachir's men ushered him out and disappeared from view. I closed my eyes as I reflected on the whole event that had unfolded in front of me. Was there… hope? Hope for me?

No, darkness is you. My mind ticked. Who do you care? Yourself? Or the fucking turtle that had denied you of the scroll? It's your choice. The rage and emotions inside of you are what makes you… you… Hope is nothing to you. It is not you.

"Kitty," Vachir spoke all of a sudden. "Oogway won't be back at all. That's all I can say." He began to walk away but stopped abruptly to turn around and look at me with a sly grin. "We will have one more great time together and this time, you're going to enjoy it."

I hung my head low, unable to accept what's happening and… oh dear god of the heavenly skies! Why does this have to happen to me! What have I done to get this punishment?

There is no escape from this any more. I am destined to die here but, Oogway said that there's still hope. Is there hope? Or just false hope! Kung fu… has brought this all to me…

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Ah… right… I… guess I have some explanation to do with this story. Well, not going to say anything but hey, I'm trying to finish this story off… but, that depends on my schedule. I've not really find the right time to write much but I try. Anywho, R&R? I know that most of my readers are gone since it's been only a year that I've updated…