Chapter 3 – Let the Tournament Begin
In canon, the Wu Sisters are portrayed as cartoonishly evil, and the entire thing was shown in 2-D animation rather than 3-D, indicating it was a story (one which sounded like it was meant for children), not necessarily a true tale of history. I mean, really, "Tell us sister, what diabolical plan have you concocted"? Yeah, right. It's not like anybody would have been around to hear them say that besides the Wu Sisters themselves, so that's just what the in-universe author of the story (Po) assumed they said. Although now that I think about it, I guess Oogway's bird informant could have overheard. Still, this story will be attempting to tackle the Wu Sisters in such a way that doesn't assume pure evil as the beginning and end of the complexity of their characters.
Tai Lung stood among the crowd of gathered kung-fu fighters, anxious and anticipatory.
"The winner of this tournament will not necessarily become the Dragon Warrior."
Shifu stood above the crowd, stern and proud.
"The winner will only be allowed to look upon the Dragon Scroll."
Tai Lung was not anxious because he was nervous.
"I repeat," hashed out the harsh voice of Shifu. "The winner IS NOT guaranteed to become the Dragon Warrior."
Tai Lung was anxious because he couldn't wait to get started.
"The winner shall only be guaranteed the right to look upon the Dragon Scroll, the opportunity to solve it, and the privilege to be judged by Master Oogway himself."
And after glancing around at the many martial artists of China, he realized he wasn't the only one who felt that way.
"If the winner deciphers the secret meaning of the scroll, and Master Oogway agrees that they have truly done so, only then shall he or she become the Dragon Warrior."
The entrance square was filled with a greater diversity and number of combatants, perhaps, than the Jade Palace had ever seen – if not in its entire history, then certainly within Tai Lung's lifetime.
"If that winner does not decipher the meaning of the scroll, they shall not become the Dragon Warrior."
Most dojos had heeded the call of Shifu and Oogway, while most major cities had answered the advertisements. There were wolves and weasels, pigs and porcupines, rabbits and raccoons, bears and boars – species of all shapes and sizes.
"And if it is a group of combatants who win, rather than an individual..."
There was even a trio of female snow leopards.
"...then the group must pick one warrior to read the scroll."
Many contestants gasped, including the leopards.
"For although it is foretold that the Dragon Warrior will fight with friends and lead with loyalty," Shifu said solemnly, "it is not foretold that a group will hold the title. This competition is meant to decide the Dragon Warrior, after all, not the Dragon Warriors, or the Dragon Team, or the Dragon Group, or the Dragon Squad, or the Dragon Party."
Many cries of protest rang out, including the leopards'. Their leader's voice cut through the rest of the outrage as it asked, "Then what of my sisters? Why let us compete as a group if you won't let us all look upon the scroll?!"
Shifu waited for the volume to drop low enough before speaking again. "If you discern the meaning of the scroll and become the Dragon Warrior," Shifu said, seeming to address the Leopard, "it shall become yours, and you may show the scroll to whomever you wish, including your friends. If you do not become the Dragon Warrior..." Shifu shrugged. "There's always next year. Perhaps a teammate will fare better in understanding it."
This did not seem to quell all the outrage, but it did quell most of it. Those who continued to vent with their voices did not come off as reasonable, to the point where the immediately-surrounding members of the crowd shushed them.
"You all know the rules," Shifu continued. "Any contestant who violates them shall be disqualified." He glared at some of the mammals who seemed more riffraff and ruffian than respectable and reputable. "The first rounds will begin in one hour. Dismissed."
Tai Lung sighed in relief.
One hour until it begins.
Not long after until it ends.
He was ready to win this.
"Hey handsome," one of the Snow Leopard trio cat-called.
"How're you doing?" asked another, sliding to Tai Lung's side.
"I've never seen such a pretty boy before," said the leader. She put a hand on her hip. "Want to join the party? Groups can go up to five, and I think you'd make a purrfect addition."
"No," Tai Lung said simply. He freed his arm from the grip of the second female snow leopard, turned around, and walked away.
"His loss," he heard from behind him.
"He's just playing hard-to-get."
"He'll come around eventually."
Tai Lung rolled his eyes.
The future Dragon Warrior would have plenty of time for romance after ascending to his rightful place.
It was the first match.
The rules were simple:
Render your opponent unconscious, immobile, or out of bounds, and you win. Be rendered unconscious, immobile, or out of bounds, and you lose.
No killing.
No maiming.
Permanent injury is heavily frowned upon.
That's all.
The Elephant across from Tai Lung was large, carrying an equally-large tree trunk as a weapon, but his feet did not look balanced in the slightest.
"BEGIN!"
Tai Lung lunged forward, dodging the tree and going straight for the feet. Three kicks were all it took to topple the towering behemoth out of the ring and secure victory.
The crowd cheered.
Tai Lung snorted.
This would be easy.
In another ring, a peacock stood above a sleeping bear.
He removed his sleep-poisoned dart from the neck of the bear and returned it to his robes.
In a third ring, three snow leopards were laughing.
Their opponent had been sent very, very far out of bounds.
The Tournament progressed rapidly, to everyone's surprise. Many had been expecting long spectacles, but most battles were over in minutes, if not seconds.
Even more shocking, many of the seconds-long battles involved students from reputable kung fu dojos. The short battles involved the dojo students losing. Often to riffraff from the streets. Or mercenaries. Or brawlers.
It would seem that many of these dojos had been teaching their students forms and stances without teaching their students to fight. Some of them, it seemed, had even taught useless lessons, like "poison viper stance" and "iron fist technique". Those sorts of techniques, while usable by snakes and hooved animals respectively, would be entirely useless for any other type of fighter.
And yet some teachers seem to have tried teaching the techniques to their students anyway.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in Tai Lung's battles, where China's greatest Kung Fu Student swiftly and mercilessly crushed any who could not stand up to his mixed-martial arts.
Mastering the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu meant mastering the standard counter-techniques to the forms used by other students. Well, at first it had meant that. Eventually, it simply meant mastering a style of combat unlike most other Kung Fu, a style which prioritized strength and function over form and beauty.
Tai Lung single-handedly humiliated at least three dojos by effortlessly trouncing their top students. He was by no means the only competitor to bring shame and embarrassment to his opponents, only the most prominent.
"Many dojos," Oogway had remarked to Shifu half-way through the Tournament, "shall be re-thinking their lesson plans. Perhaps this idea of yours was even better than I thought."
Shifu, unlike his master, was far less calm about the whole ordeal. Only his training allowed him to hold his temper. "Indeed," he said imperiously, looking down his nose at the so-called 'Kung-Fu Masters' who had proven themselves and their teachings fraudulent.
Without merit.
Disgraceful.
"Perhaps we should mark down the performances of each dojo's students and mail them out across China. That way, the people would know the worth of their local instructors."
"Do not be too harsh, old friend," Oogway said placidly. "I'm sure we shall see much improvement next year."
Shifu looked at his master in some surprise. "You do not think the Dragon Warrior will win this year?"
"No," Oogway shook his head. "I do not. And even if I did, you said we would continue the Tournament after the Dragon Warrior is found, did you not?"
"Ah. Right."
Soon enough, it was down to the final four.
Semifinal 1: Tai Lung vs. Rhino.
Semifinal 2: Lord Shen vs. the snow leopard trio.
"So, you're the son of the legendary Flying Rhino," Tai Lung said casually before the match started.
"And you're the legendary protégé of the Jade Palace," Rhino huffed.
"You might be the first serious opponent I get to face today," Tai Lung said, still casual. "I hope you live up to your father's legacy."
"Be careful what you wish for," Rhino said, taking a stance. "You might get it."
"BEGIN!" shouted Shifu.
Tai Lung made the first move, aggressive as usual. And to his glee, it was competently blocked. This really would be a decent match.
"Solid punch," Rhino observed, and punched back.
"Likewise," said Tai Lung after making a block of his own.
Then the fight began in earnest, with lunges being sidestepped, kicks being jumped, grapples being escaped, and bruises received and delivered on both sides. But one side clearly had the upper hand.
"You fight well," Tai Lung said confidently when there was a lull in the battle. Both contestants were distant from each other, neither making a move. "But do you think your Kung Fu will be enough to win?"
Rhino's eyes narrowed. "Not the normal kind. But maybe this will work."
Rhino lowered his head, horn forward, and charged.
Tai Lung tried to dodge, but Rhino's tracking was nearly spot-on. The attack only missed by the length of Tai Lung's fur.
And then Rhino spun around and charged again.
Tai Lung decided to meet this one head-on.
That was a mistake.
One which nearly cost him the fight.
Tai Lung was pushed all the way to the edge of the ring. At the last moment, Tai Lung's feet swiveled and spun, redirecting his momentum one way and Rhino's the other. Both stumbled along the edge of the circular platform, neither falling out of bounds, both teetering over the edge, until they came to a stop directly across from each other once more, as far apart as they could be without either going out of bounds.
Tai Lung was silently cursing himself. He had never faced a technique like that, but he had read about them many times – Kung Fu styles specific to certain species of animal, raised to their highest level, and used to topple any who didn't know the counter.
And Tai Lung hadn't read up on the counter to Rhino style.
"You're no match for my Unstoppable Force," the Rhino boasted. He lowered himself into position, took aim, and made one final, confident charge...
A final charge which, in a flash of insight, Tai Lung realized how to counter thanks to their last exchange.
Tai Lung first pretended like he would meet it head-on, like he did earlier and almost lost.
Rhino saw this and snorted victoriously, increasing his speed and power to their maximum.
Then, at the very last possible moment – a moment which could not have been capitalized upon without thousands of hours of Kung Fu practice – Tai Lung sidestepped the charge.
And Rhino charged straight out of the ring, a shocked expression on his face as he fell.
"I may be no match for your Unstoppable Force," Tai Lung gloated from above. "But your Unstoppable Force is more than a match for itself."
"Match!" Shifu called loudly, to the cheers of the crowd.
This particular fight had been more heavily-spectated than any that had come before, with two actual near-kung-fu masters engaging in actual near-equal kung-fu combat.
This is what the spectators had come to see, and Tai Lung basked in their praise.
The spectators had not, however, come to see a contestant win his fights through poison and patience, nor had they come to see a group of fighters easily win all their battles through "unfair" (but perfectly legal) strength in numbers.
Unfortunately for the peacock, who had only ever learned to throw one dart at a time, strength in numbers won the second semi-final match.
Though the trio of snow leopards did request a waiting period for the poison to wear off from the body of their downed member.
This request was granted – not because of the poison, but because the final match was scheduled to happen the next day anyway.
If the peacock was bitter when the match was called in favor of the leopards, he didn't show it. He only bowed regally, seemingly content with his performance.
"You don't seem all that upset at your loss," Tai Lung observed at dinner that evening over a cup of tea.
The final four – well, final six – had been invited for dinner at the Jade Palace. Oogway was attending, but Shifu had business elsewhere.
"I am not," Shen shrugged.
"Why not?"
"I only came here to measure my performance and sharpen my skills, not become the Dragon Warrior. I trounced all unskilled competitors, defeated all skilled opponents who fought alone..." he glanced at the trio of snow leopards who had introduced themselves as the Wu Sisters "...and lost to the skilled opponents who fought as an actual team."
The Wu Sisters nodded in acknowledgement.
"The result does not surprise me in the slightest. Therefore, I am not upset. I am simply pleased with my performance, and glad for the opportunity to improve."
"A wise outlook," Oogway nodded sagely.
"An impossible outlook," mumbled a voice from across the table.
"And what of you, Rhino?" the turtle asked, turning his head to the one who had spoken, the other runner-up. "Are you upset at your loss?"
"Yes," Rhino said, frowning at his soup. "My father says that I shouldn't be. But he also said I should be honest. So yes. I'm upset."
"Your father has a tendency to rush things," Oogway sighed. "All good things take time to nurture, including good sportsmanship. Your father was not so noble in defeat when he was your age. It took him many years to learn humility."
"So you're saying I'll be a better sport when I'm as old as my dad?"
"Not necessarily," Oogway warned. "As I said, the trait must be nurtured. Planted in soil. Given water. Given sunlight. Allowed time to grow." The turtle stood from his seat and began a slow amble around the large table which could easily have seated fifty contestants, but currently only sat six. "If you want to be a kung fu warrior who is gracious even in defeat, you must ask yourself why you should be gracious."
"Why should I be gracious?" Rhino snorted, eyes narrowed at his plate.
"For your own well-being," Oogway said sagely. "It is easy to know the reasons for bitterness. Your mistakes-" Oogway's staff, seemingly by accident, knocked over an empty chair as he passed by "-your missteps-" his feet tripped over another chair, causing him to stumble, though he recovered quickly "-and your failures-" he completely fell over a third chair, landing on his back and retreating into his shell, sliding across the floor until he was right behind Rhino's seat.
Rhino leaned forward at the empty-looking shell. "Master Oogway?"
"-will always stand out in your mind," Oogway continued, his head emerging from his shell at the word 'out'. "As they should, for failures are how you learn." Oogway walked back to the chairs and righted them, then stood on top of one, elevating himself above his gaping audience. "In doing so, you will become stronger yourself... but that can lead to arrogance and pride." He stepped down from the chair, sat down, and crossed his legs. "If you wish to learn humility, you must ask not what you have done wrong, but what your opponent has done right." Then the old turtle closed his eyes and went still, as if he'd decided that moment was the perfect time to meditate. Or fall asleep.
"What my opponent did right..." Rhino said, turning his gaze slowly to Tai Lung. "I guess you beat me fair and square. You didn't use any cheap tricks-" he glanced Shen, who shrugged, "-or unfair numbers-" he glanced at the Wu Sisters, who smirked, "-to win."
"And you almost beat me fair and square," Tai Lung nodded in return. "I did not realize how to counter your technique until the very last moment."
"Really?" Rhino asked. "With the way you beat me, I thought you knew from the start. You read the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu, right?"
"Yes, but Rhino style is not contained within them."
"It isn't?"
"No. The Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu can be learned by any student of Kung Fu, regardless of species. Well, perhaps not snakes, but most others. You, for example, could learn them. Shen could learn them, if he chose to. I have learned them. But I did not realize until today how that does come with certain drawbacks. Not knowing counters to very specialized styles like yours, for example."
Rhino was frowning hard. "Then how did you know how to counter my charge?"
"I realized it at the last moment, like I said. From your first charge, I learned I could dodge your technique, if barely. From your second charge, I learned that I could indeed redirect your technique, even if I could not block it outright. Put the two together, and you have the strategy I used in the end: pretend that I'm going to block, then dodge at the very last moment."
"Nobody's ever tried that against me before," Rhino said, still frowning.
"It is not something that could be done by your average kung fu student," Oogway said from the sidelines, eyes still closed. "Or even your above-average one. But it is something that any master would think to do. Especially those that have mastered inner-peace... or have thousands of hours of practice, like Tai Lung."
Rhino sat still for a long moment, thinking quietly. "I... guess that's important for me to know. My dad never taught me that." He sighed, stood, and bowed. "I'd like to think about this on my own for a while. It was a good fight, Tai Lung."
"Likewise," Tai Lung nodded.
And the Rhino walked off, accompanied by a palace guard.
"I think I shall take my leave as well," said Shen, rising graciously and gracefully. "I wish you luck in tomorrow's match," he said over his shoulder as he reached the door.
"Thank you," said the Leader of the Wu Sisters. "But we won't be needing it."
Shen chuckled.
So did Tai Lung.
The both of them knew the well-wishing had been meant for the solo snow leopard, not the trio.
The next day.
A single snow leopard stood across from a group of three.
The match began.
The contestants fought.
The match concluded.
With only a slight tremor, Shifu's voice rose above the crowd.
"I declare the first Tournament of the Dragon complete..."
His voice trembled in shame, not pride.
"And the Wu Sisters, the victors!"
A great cheer rose from the audience. It is a common instinct to back the winner, and the Wu Sisters had seemed, from the start, like winners. The only fight to bring them any challenge was Shen's, but the Peacock had been defeated even before his sleep poison took effect. Tai Lung had been a challenge too, but the three Wu Sisters together had been more than a match for him.
"You may now choose who looks upon the scroll," said the red panda above them.
The two sisters with head wrappings stepped back, and the leader stepped forth, her heterochromatic eyes narrowed in determination.
Minutes later...
"The Dragon Warrior must have a golden spirit!" the leader of the Wu Sisters declared, standing tall and proud before Oogway.
"Hmm," Oogway said slowly. "True."
The other two Wu sisters squeed excitedly, and the leader was about to proclaim herself the Dragon Warrior...
"But that is not the secret of the Dragon Scroll. I am sorry."
"WHAT?!" shouted the leader. "You said my answer was TRUE! HOW could it NOT be the secret?!"
Oogway raised a placating claw. "The Dragon Warrior must indeed have a golden spirit, one which will shine upon everyone else, inspiring all and becoming a bright beacon for China to follow." The turtle chuckled. "But that is no secret. Everyone already knows that." He reached into his sash and tossed a scroll to the leader. "Check number twenty-three."
The leader snatched the scroll and unfurled it. The title read Dragon Warrior Proverbs.
Her eyes darted down to number 23: At the moment of ascension, the Dragon Warrior shall possess a soul of gold. No evil shall erode him, nor difficulty deter her, nor trauma scar them in permanence. They shall forever act as a beacon to guide China out of darkness and into the light.
(Many Kung Fu scholars have theorized that this proverb, as well as a few others, were delivered in such a fashion as to hint that the Dragon Warrior could be male or female. Only the Soothsayer of the Third Dynasty, who had prophesied all the proverbs in the first place, could know for sure... but she was long dead, and no one had thought to ask her about this theory at the time. Or if they had, her answer had not been written down.)
"Do not be discouraged," said the old turtle into the stunned silence of the crowd. He had recited the proverb from memory for all to hear, and now his attention was on the leader. "You have done better than any other, and your Kung-Fu is strong. Perhaps one of your sisters will solve the riddle next year. Or perhaps a year of thought will help you realize the answer yourself."
The leader's hands trembled. If they weren't surrounded by security, she would have torn the proverb scroll to pieces. Instead, she dropped it to the ground and turned on her heel.
"Sisters, we leave."
Thus the first Tournament of the Dragon concluded with Oogway declaring it a stunning success.
None dared argue, especially not Shifu.