The Butterfly effect
Disclaimer: I don't own anything so don't sue
Shifu's beloved student, his pride and joy, now stood in front of Oogway hoping to be named the dragon warrior. This was a happy circumstance indeed, the leopard had trained for this moment all his life and had thought of nothing but this since he could remember. Finally the bleeding wounds on his knuckles, the broken bones and the sleepless nights he spent training in the dojo, all of it would now pay off tenfold as soon as the dragon scroll is in his paws.
Yet master Oogway didn't look pleased or proud, he had an unmistakable hint of pity in his eyes -"I'm sorry Tai Lung, but you are not the true Dragon Warrior"-
The leopard couldn't believe what he just heard, he looked at his master in utter shock. How could that be possible? Shifu had said he was the one! He had promised him that if he trained hard enough he would be the dragon warrior and he did exactly what he was told!
-"What? Master why would you say that? Tai Lung has been training with us since he was a cub, no other fighter in China can match his skill. How could he be deemed unworthy?"- Shifu stepped to intervene on behalf of his student, if after all this effort his son wasn't deserving of the title it was a sign of failure for him as a trainer as well.
-"The dragon warrior must have more than skill Shifu, skill can be taught and practiced, but a pure heart is something that must come from within one's self and your student does not have that. I sense darkness in his soul, I also see an excessive pride that could be his downfall"-
Tai Lung was about to snap, who did that old turtle think he was to insult him like that? Who was he to stand on the high ground and look down on him and say he was undeserving of the title he was told he had to achieve? But before he could act on his anger his father told Oogway
-"He might not be the one yet. But he could be in the future, if he proves his heart is pure and that he can be a good leader, will you reconsider your decision?"- The red panda was quick to find a solution, he wouldn't give up on his son even if part of him could agree with the turtle's statement, as years went by Tai Lung had become increasingly violent and aggressive but he believed it was expected from a young inexperienced male.
-"I will think about it"- The turtle said sadly as he retrieved to the peach tree to meditate.
As he left Shifu consoled his student -"Don't worry son, I know you are the Dragon Warrior, I wouldn't have been so harsh on you if I didn't"-
And with that the surge of rage and desire to destroy had left Tai Lung's mind, his teacher believed in him, at least that brought him hope.
As Oogway meditated he realized that before him was a really important decision to take. On one side he could deny the title to Tai Lung in spite of the hurt and rage it might trigger on the young trainee, he understood it would be unfair to promise him that much power and status for so many years only to deny him afterwards, but such a position could never be given to a dark soul. The dragon warrior will one day achieve immeasurable power that in the wrong paws could cause even the end of all China.
But on the other side laid the road to redemption, was it possible for a person to purify their flaws and achieve true greatness? Tai Lung did have the skill, strength and commitment necessary to become great, what if he could prove himself truly worthy of the title one day? What if his rage could be tamed?
And with that he made a decision he would regret many years from now. He came back to the palace and decided to not name Tai Lung as the Dragon Warrior, but at least he would give him the chance to become one in the future.
Seventeen years later:
Po was cutting the vegetables and placing them on the pan, it was a common ritual that at this point in his life he had repeated more than thousands of times. It wasn't even noon and there were already some customers sitting on the tables, soon the smell of the spices of the secret ingredient soup will waft through the air attracting even more customers.
He took a breath of the familiar and heavenly smell and felt contented, it was a bright sunny day, business was booming which made his dad happy and he had a simple yet peaceful life. It might not be the most glamorous existence but it was an honest safe one, he should be happy right? It's not like he had any other goal in his head or even the hope of being something other than what he was right now. Time and time again he reminded himself that he was doing what he was meant to do which is sell noodles, that was his calling in life or at least that's what his dad always told him.
And he believed him, sure there was a time when he was a teenager that he had dreamed of being something more or at least something different, yet those dreams were crushed on a fateful day along with a huge chunk of his innocence.
So here he is, making noodles, his calling in life, his destiny. But if that is the case why does he feel so empty?
The smell of smoke alerted him to watch over the kitchen, he had burned the vegetables again, luckily his father wasn't around or he would have scolded him for daydreaming on the job once more.
He barely had time to discard the burned vegetables and put on a new batch before his father came rushing in
-"Po I have some great news! The dragon warrior will be declared tomorrow at noon! Don't you see what that means?"- The goose was so excited he didn't even give his son time to answer -"We can take our cart there and sell our noodles! The whole valley will be there, we're going to make a huge sell!"-
The panda shuddered at the thought of being even close to that dragon guy -"Dad are you sure about this? I mean, what if the dragon warrior doesn't want us there selling noodles in his big day? Have you asked for his permission?-
-"What? Po don't be silly. The entrance to the Jade palace is for public use!"-
-"Then why are all citizens banned from climbing it? I heard a pig dared to knock on the palace's doors to sell something and he was pushed down the stairs"-
-"That's an exaggeration you know how people always create these dumb stories, besides all citizens are invited there for the occasion"-
-"I don't think that was made up dad, I know how cruel Tai Lung can be"-
-"What do you mean?"-
-"I was picking mushrooms by the hill a few years ago when the big Boar came to the valley of peace"-
-"Oh I remember that"- He said dismissively, -"He threatened to destroy the valley but Tai Lung defeated him in a blink of an eye"-
-"Yeah… you could say that"-
Flashback
A teenage Po was picking mushrooms for his father's stir fry noodles when he heard the sound of battle right behind him.
-"I wanted to fight Shifu but he is so afraid of me after I defeated him that he sent his student in his place. What a coward! Well I guess you will have to do. I will destroy you and your puny valley!"- Boar told Tai Lung with bravado as he launched himself into the fight.
Tai Lung merely raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest, not even bothering to strike a combat pose. As the boar came close he feigned an open palm strike at his face but as the boar deflected the upper blow he didn't bother to block his lower body, so he couldn't defend himself against the powerful kick his opponent threw at his midsection.
As Boar howled in pain the leopard jumped several feet into the air and as he fell back towards the ground he concentrated all his momentum on his left leg, his heavy body mass added even more power to the blow as his left foot collided right above Boar's right knee, the impact not just destroyed the joint but practically severed the leg. After that the helpless nemesis fell to the ground and never got up.
For Po it was a horrible sight to behold, the cocky boar was now crying in agony as his leg gushed more and more blood. Tai Lung saw his fallen rival with nothing but contempt -"You worthless bug"- He said in disgust, after seeing the evil glint in his eyes Boar understood what was in the deranged leopard's mind
-"Please have mercy!"- Was the last thing he said, then there was a sickening crackle followed by a moaning gurgle, after that there was nothing but dead silence.
When everything was over and Tai Lung left the field, the young panda came out of his hiding place and ran away horrified after losing his lunch on the side of the road.
End of Flashback
-"He didn't just defeat him dad, he crushed him, like literally."- Po had to fight a surge of nausea at the mere recalling of the gruesome memory -"Even when Boar gave up and asked for mercy all that the dragon warrior did was laugh and crush his head with his foot like it was a melon"-
The goose patted his son's paw gently -"There's nothing to worry about, the Dragon Warrior is supposed to protect us, as long as you don't become a kung fu master and challenge him to a duel I don't think he would attack you"-
-"You can be sure about that, I don't see why people pay so much attention to Kung Fu"- The panda recalled the awful scene once more -"If you ask me I think it's horrible"-
Meanwhile beyond the bamboo forest:
Tigress rested idly by the shade of a tree, her posture seemed careless and relaxed but her sharp senses were tuned towards the environment around her, she was always vigilant of her surroundings and alert in case there was an upcoming threat.
Her moment of solitude was interrupted by her boss' presence, the leopardess threw a parasol at her paws -"Start practicing your dance moves kitty, we have a big job in the valley of peace"-
Rolling her eyes the larger feline answered with sass -"One, I'm not a dancer I'm a bodyguard and two, the valley of peace? Isn't it like protected by a sadistic leopard with zero tolerance to crime? If he catches us stealing in his territory we're dead"-
The leader of the ladies of the shade had a soft spot for the tigress in spite of her rebellious behavior, she had proven to be loyal to them ever since she came their way almost ten years ago and was a very helpful addition to the group. She was like many of them, a large feline fending for herself in a hostile world. Like every other member of their crew she had a troubled past and no place to call home, Tigress was an unwanted orphan that got tired of waiting for someone to adopt her and escaped in the hopes of finding a better life for herself. Ever since she stumbled into their group of misfits they were the closest thing she had to a family.
-"That's the thing, the Dragon Warrior himself has chosen us to perform a dance at his coronation ceremony and I rather have you shaking that pretty stripy tale on the stage that causing a fight on the crowd. We all know how easily you can lose your temper"-
-"This is a trap Su, sure most people only know us from our dancing shows but the rumor of our stealing spreads fast and the Dragon Warrior probably knows what we're up to"-
-"That's why we will behave when we get there, the pay for this honest job is bigger than what we could steal in the dingy taverns we usually dance. Besides it doesn't hurt to have someone as powerful as him on our side"-
They say the dragon warrior lives in a luxurious palace over the thousand steps and that his skill in battle can only be surpassed by his power, yet Tigress would rather live her whole life in poverty than befriending that psycho, the stories she heard of his cruelty towards criminals just like herself make her fur stand on end. -"Fine, but remember that whatever he pays won't be of much use if you're dead"- She said opening the parasol with a flourish and striking a coquettish pose, before sticking out her tongue at Su cheekily.
The leopardess didn't know wether to laugh or growl at the other feline's anctics -"Good, go with Song to practice your moves, you'll both take center stage"-
Tigress sighed, at least Song was a good company, she was always sweet and easy to talk to. Over the years they had become best friends, their opposing personalities complement each other somehow and often that good chemistry translates into a great performance. Oh the large feline sure could be a good dancer when she had to since she had an innate coordination and grace that helped sell the show, even when deep down she didn't like to expose herself that way in front of an audience filled with potential pervs.
As soon as she escaped the Bao Gu orphanage she had understood what males expected from a young female that had no family or means of support. She thanked the heavens that she was given a strong large build to fight off any male with wondering paws but even then, there were times where she was exposed to things she was too young to understand. For the most part her aggressive personality has been of better use as a bodyguard of the other females than as a dancer herself, but Su had an eye for talent and her motto was: "If the audience focuses on the pretty girl in front of them, they won't see how they get stolen from behind"
Meanwhile inside the Jade Palace
Tai Lung sulked alone in the hall of heroes sitting right next to the moon pool, tomorrow he would be given the title of Dragon Warrior, an honor he had worked for his entire life.
Neither Oogaway nor Shifu would be there to do the honors, since their untimely demise had made that impossible, not that they would have if they were alive.
A surge of rage bubbled within him at the realization that they would never have agreed, they never accepted him as the real dragon. An entire lifetime of devotion towards his masters had done nothing but cause him frustration and hopelessness, all they saw within him was a monster. They made him think that if he could prove himself as an honest soul he would be given the title so the logical conclusion he arrived to was to destroy all crime, within a few years of his reign any sign of misconduct was extinguished from the valley as the mere mention of his name made every illicit animal tremble in fear. But years went by and the iron fist of justice he brought over the valley caused nothing but horror to both their masters, they called him "A cure much worse than the disease"
Well look who had the last laugh, now the dragon scroll is finally in his paws while those two old coots are nothing but a bitter memory he will erase from history. He felt a huge satisfaction at the idea that they could see him from the spirit realm where he sent them as he unlocks the secret to limitless power.
Nothing, there is nothing written in that scroll. All he sees is a thin sheet of gold glued to the fabric casting a mirror reflection of his own face.
It was a lie, something as vacant as Shifu's promises. Then reality hit him, he realized too late in his life that the scroll meant nothing and there was no secret to unlimited power at his grasp, perhaps the title of Dragon Warrior was useless as well.
He cried, surrounded with nothing but the empty carcasses of armors from wars past. In the end it was all for nothing, all the suffering he went through, all his crimes, the loss of his only family.
Losing all hope he threw the scroll to a bonfire, as he watched the object disappear into the flames he understood that the illusion of a Dragon Warrior was destroyed as well.