"Idiot," Shifu murmured as he slipped past the shadowy, cloaked figures raucously screeching beside him. The bar, although both discreet and approachable, plagued him with the problem of now rubbing shoulders with these degenerate scraps of filth. Amicable as they were, sporting their sleazy, bulbous faces and darkened eye bags made the Grandmaster vibrate with revulsion. It was not so much an ideological hatred, as it was a mutual disconnection. He knew they were far too indulgent, far too consumed in their tawdry affairs to partake in the act of observation – a "feat" Shifu thought he had not only abused once too often, but utilized to his advantage. Sharp as he as, they would always laugh.
He turned sharply as his feet found solid rock, the exposed toes crunching into the abrasive surface with gusto. Scrunching his face tightly, he momentarily stopped and balanced himself on his staff, gradually lifting his bruised foot up for examination while he surveyed around him. The night that had once provided comfort and belonging now darkened the area with a thick, impenetrable coldness; the bright, straw-colored houses that once brimmed with life and the voracious squeals of toddlers now appeared permanently cloaked and sheathed by a black fog. They flanked him on both sides, the sole hanging urns of fire perched on thimbles in front of Shifu now acting as his sole guide back to the Jade Palace. As he clutched fruitlessly at the swollen joints, Shifu realized how dark it was, how lonely the limbs were cluttering against one another, almost instinctively searching for warmth… a provision Shifu had long since discovered, he never quite had. Besides, the toes would have to brave on. Long journey ahead, Shifu mused.
With a brief squint, the Grandmaster forced himself forward into the path of the next urn. Its yellow flames flashed off his round face, further irritating him into an already unwelcome predisposition. The meeting with Commander Heng went nowhere near as well as he had envisioned it to be; but then again, he had never quite understood why he had agreed to meet the rusted Commander in such a precarious time in the first place.
And he stood perfectly still.
Perhaps it was his old age, but just outside the corner of his eye, lurking just behind the large yellow house to his left, a small figure had appeared. Not a usual shadow, but its appearance was far more spiked, almost gristly in appearance.
Shifu turned very slowly to face the figure. With a small flurry of fingers, he sleuthed it into his pockets, clasping the sharp metal with an inherently aggressive hold. The figure was moving forward.
And a sudden burst of speed.
"Don't."
His fingers were both trembling and pulsing. It was an unusual feeling, to be both terribly frightened and incredibly angry. The voice that had suddenly risen to meet his ears was so close that briefly Shifu surmised that he was truly growing too old. However, the small figure no longer was seeking refuge behind the yellow house. It had advanced so quickly that Shifu had only a moment to clasp the blade, except the fat fingers that had squelched them were now burning with a fiery sensation.
"Who are you?" Shifu breathed.
The cloaked figure giggled.
"Trite…" the figure squeezed the fingers harder. "…and stupid."
Shifu swung his left hand straight into the hooded top, only to feel immeasurable pain as the blackness vanished. Instead, he felt a relentless pressure on his back as the familiar breath again swished through his back, fur reacting revoltingly.
"Now stand still and do not turn back," the voice commanded. Shifu squirmed as he felt a cold, hurtful presence being pushed into his back. The coldness was nearly as unbearable as the danger that the presence likely had.
"Ke-Pa," Shifu whispered. "I thought as much."
"You don't usually think Shifu," the pig breathed. "As a matter of fact, you have shown a remarkable capability to not only prove yourself potent in the vicarious acting genre – " he leaned in closer, "but you have proven to become a valuable asset."
"Stop speaking in crude rhymes," Shifu retorted, shifting uncomfortably from the coldness that was now being suddenly infused by an ominous warmth that seemed to be almost pouring form his back. There was no pain, but he knew something was being damaged in the process. "
"Idiot," the pig answered, "Rhyming is when sounds combine to form similar harmony – remember that time in the Valley, Shifu? Harmony?" The grandmaster tightened with fury.
"Remember when people were off opium – off the indulgent hedonism that they carry around right now in general, almost… but it seems as if that time is no longer here. They like new things. And it's ok. Because… they want it. They ask for it. They desire it. It's theirs. Their happiness to satiate. Their lives to excite. Their minds to cultivate. Their souls to break."
Shifu gradually glimpsed downward to see a rapidly reddening circle stretched across his midsection.
"Why does the rightness of what I do bother so many individuals such as yourself?" the pig asked. "I'm just giving people what they want."
"You're killing them," Shifu spat softly.
"I'm tending to their needs."
"By ruthlessly destroying their minds."
"Providing supply for a common demand."
"A vendor of self-indulgent destruction."
A long pause.
"No," the pig replied staunchly. "Who are you to make judgments Shifu?"
The coldness was no longer bothering him… not even the reddening circle that was draining the pallor from his face even remotely scared him. He had no answer. That positively horrified him.
"Exactly," the pig ended. "You think you're apart from all this. A man outside the scummy, filthy part of society. The humble elitist looking down upon them all… or are you?"
Shifu was breathing much more quickly now.
"You think you're coming back from a poor meeting with Commander Heng?"
Much more rapidly now.
"You remember anything that happened?"
"Stop, please…"
"You think there's nothing that could have been done to you? Nothing that would make someone look vile… while the other looked… doctorly?"
"You've drugged me," Shifu broke out. "You've been drugging me."
"No…" the pig glistened. "I was giving you what you want."
An insinuation. A brief scuffle. Shifu towered over the trembling figure, now huddled beneath him in a fetal position. His raised fist wanted to proceed forward, but he felt hatred arise as he realized what was happening.
"I've never drugged you…" the pig cowered. "As I said, I'm only giving you what you want. And this is it, right?"
A powerful noise rippled through the air as knuckles collided with flesh.
"…yes…"
Rippling.
"You enjoy this…"
Rippling.
"The eternal demise of Master Shifu… seeker of control."
And the air rippled. And rippled. And rippled.
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A/N:
Sorry for the lack of updates, but it's been a tremendously draining week: moving preparations, work, etc. I have to attend to my real-life sometime! Other than that, I also have plans to make chapters even more absorbing - not just better writing, more effective plot devices, etc. but doubling the chapter length. I figure that for 2-3 week wait times, I should at least give you all a nice 6000 word chapter. Again, I promise you all again that future updates will come sooner...
Other than that, this is only a sample of the full chapter, which I am currently revising! Please R/R and let me know what you all think of the new structure... I've made it more "arsty", almost liberal with syntax and structure because writing at its best creates a mood and envisions a world. This new format allows much more expressive thoughts... maybe! R/R!
What? Shifu being drugged? Wait the pig saying he didn't? Conflicting situations!? Tune in next time for the all-new, all-kewl, all- Whatever. Thanks for reading and R/R! (3rd time, I know)
~A Crt (Mah new kewl pseudonym)
