"Desperation"


Tai Lung grinned harshly, standing in place to admire the beautiful, lush forest around him. For the first time in many years - he truly understood what it meant to be free. This was far away from the cold, windswept mountains of Mongolia - or the chilly breeze barreling across the Thread of Hope - it felt simple now, just dusty ground occasionally featuring a lone tree or spiky green bush. The sky was blue and perfectly opaque, and finally - the vague, hazy vision of buildings and stone structures came into view a far distance from him.

The Valley of Peace.

It was still an hour away, considering the winding path he was on - but it felt concrete now.

Home, the snow leopard recalled. It helped being able to see it in-person, assure himself that the past twenty years were nothing more than a hiccup to his eventual destiny.

The same destiny Shifu had ripped from him.

You are a fool.

"ENOUGH!" Tai Lung roared, picking a large rock resting on dusty ground, and chucking it straight into the sky. "COME DOWN HERE! FACE ME!"

I am not in the sky, boy.

I am not with you.

I am not in you.

"THEN HOW ARE YOU SPEAKING TO ME?" Tai Lung screamed again, still staring at the empty blue sky as if it would produce something.

In time.

For now - reflect on your mistakes.

Do NOT allow your anger to supersede your mission again.

"I could have killed the Five," Tai Lung ferociously denoted. "Until you interfered."

I wouldn't have needed to interfere.

If you had just obtained the beacon.

Tai Lung sighed, knowing this would lead nowhere.

"I am done asking you questions spirit," Tai Lung emphasized, vision turning back to the Valley. "I am close to my home. And after I take the Dragon Scroll - this Valley will know who I am. You will know who I am."

Tai Lung paused, choosing to savor his next words. "I am grateful for everything you have done for me, spirit - but as soon as that sacred power floods through me - I will locate your presence. Then kill you."

Tai Lung paused again, because the voice didn't rebuke this immediately. But after a few seconds, the response came.

Then do what you must, boy.

Tai Lung growled, pouncing off on all fours - vision of the Valley growing brighter and clearer with every step.

. . .

Shifu's first response had been complete fear.

Then complete anger.

After dragging the Five inside the Palace's Main Hall, unlocking Mantis, Monkey, and Viper's paralyzed bodies, then proceeding to heal as much of the Five's injuries as possible - Shifu had elected to give a brief, but quick interrogation. After learning what had transpired, the old master combined this with a terse scolding.

"He could have killed you."

Tigress didn't respond.

"You allowed him time to reach the Valley - and now we can't evacuate the citizens!"

The Five didn't respond.

"Po - we - none of us are ready."

No one responded.

For the first time in weeks, everyone was in the same Hall. The Five sat down on the marble flooring, clutching at their various injuries (only half-healed) with depressive outlooks. Po was standing next to Shifu, both pairs of eyes focused on the golden Dragon statue fixed to the high ceiling - Dragon Scroll held perfectly in its jaws. Po saw his reflection in the pool in front of him.

Broken images.

A lost face.

The ripples of water making his appearance look completely incongruous.

None of it made sense.

Alf and Yu were present. None of the Five or Shifu had the strength to shoo the Seeker away, and none of them cared that the two had bags sitting next to their feet. In an almost twisted irony, the constant sense of Dragon metaphors were everywhere - green Dragon paintings on the floor, on the walls, many lining the various artifacts cluttering the large space, among many more instances.

None of it helped.

"Shifu," Po remarked, voice tight. "We need the Scroll. Now."

"You are not ready," Shifu noted, somber tones letting itself through.

"We don't have a choice now," Po remarked, voice grim as well. "Just - just do it."

Shifu braced himself, tilting Oogway's staff in his hands. He spun it gently upwards, displacing flower petals resting on the pool's surface.

The Five joined Po and Shifu. Even Alf and Yu walked closer.

Shifu made movements with the staff again. More petals flew into the air, gathering everyone's attention as in a rare moment of serenity - everything was working according to plan.

One petal drifted farther than the others. It came to a rest gently atop the Dragon Scroll.

A slight scratching noise.

The Scroll began to tip downward.

Shifu made a final movement.

The Scroll fell.

Shifu extended the staff perfectly forward, right above the center of the pool. The semi-circular end of the staff made light contact with the scroll, gently easing its way down - just touching the tip of the water's surface.

The ripples cleared instantly, replaced by a perfect reflection of the Five, Shifu, Po, Alf, and Yu.

"Woah - kinda supercool…" Po unintentionally let out.

Shifu smiled, rotating the scroll's cap off. He extended it to Po, breaths coming out in heavy whispers.

"Read it, Po," Shifu begged. "Read it, and become - the Dragon Warrior."

The Five were standing in dead silence. Alf moved closer, ignoring Yu's silent pleas to keep a safe distance from Shifu.

Po grasped the Scroll, unfurling it quickly.

The longest of all pauses. The Five looked away, bodies acting like they were paralyzed again. Shifu fell quiet. Alf couldn't see the Scroll.

Only Yu understood what was happening before the others, watching Po's expression fall.

"It's - it's blank," Po breathed.

A jutting, almost hurtful silence.

Shifu grabbed the Scroll immediately, brushing past the golden dragon trims to look at the central substance.

It wasn't actually blank - but just reflective. Shifu saw his own features, more aged and grave than he had ever seen, peer back into himself.

"It's a metaphor," Shifu stated, voice tired. "About believing in oneself."

Po was shaking with rage. The Five shot each other perplexed expressions. Only Alf and Yu resigned their heads downward, having somewhat predicted this.

A flurry of voices.

"A METAPHOR!?"

"OOGWAY WAS CRAZY!"

"AFTER ALL THIS TIME - OUR FINAL HOPE - IS A FREAKIN' METAPHOR?"

"THERE IS NO DRAGON WARRIOR! THIS IS ALL JUST A BUNCH OF LIES!"

"NO!" Shifu interrupted, voice unforgiving.

The others fell silent immediately, watching the old master look at Oogway's staff with regret.

"Oogway was wiser than us all," Shifu remarked, waving down Tigress' protests. "He - He just couldn't have expected what happened. With Po's short training. With you all failing to give us time."

The Five turned their heads downward again.

"Can I say something?" Alf broke in, completely unable to restrain himself any longer.

Yu gasped. This was the first time - since Alf and Po had come to the Palace - that the Seeker had elected to speak.

In front of everyone.

Actually asked to speak.

Mantis was looking at Shifu with concern. Monkey and Viper's mouths were open, fear gripping them. Crane looked at the floor in apprehension.

Tigress looked at Alf. Po looked at Shifu's eyes glow red.

"Tigress - shock him for speaking out of turn," Shifu spat.

Alf's heart seized up, fingers flying to his collar immediately.

"If I may, Master," Tigress noted, voice a bit stronger now. "I would like to hear what the boy has to say."

Alf kept his grip on the collar. The rest of the Five looked dumbfounded. Po stood uncomfortably in the center of the chaos. Yu kept a careful gaze at Shifu, who was quivering slightly.

Alf looked at Tigress. Her normally ferocious orange eyes were tinted less, shone less - perhaps even seemed just a tiny bit - softer.

Boy? Alf questioned internally. She called me - boy?

And he could have sworn that what happened next was nearly unbelievable - the stuff of fantasy and daydreams.

Shifu nodded his head in enraged, but agreeable silence. Tigress's gaze lingered on Alf, wordlessly egging him on.

"Master Oogway was - a great teacher," Alf noted, fingers refusing to let go of the collar. "A great master. A great - scholar of kung fu."

Alf paused, amazed at being allowed to keep talking. Tigress nodded her head again, encouraging him.

"But - he had certain flaws," Alf mentioned quietly, voice almost to a whisper as Shifu's nostrils flared. The Five and Po - surprisingly - nodded their heads in agreement. "Call it idealism. Maybe it's old age. I - "

Shifu's teeth started showing, anger flooding through him. Alf quickly rerouted.

" - it's just that - for some things… metaphors won't help. Sayings won't help. Prophecies - won't help. All that matters is knowing that maybe - just maybe - what really matters for some things is having a plan. Details. Stuff that's - proven to work."

Shifu's gaze somewhat calmed itself. His words came out tense, but restrained. "He told me that Po - was a peach."

"Great line for a poem," Alf noted silently. The Five - again to his great surprise - sent out tiny chuckles. The faintest whisper of a smile may have appeared on Tigress' face - but he could have also been hallucinating.

" - but maybe not so much for knowing what to do," Alf finished. "A peach needs time to grow. Water. Sunlight. Care. Work. A plan."

Alf took a moment to pause, every second passing (where he was still left un-shocked) amazing him further.

"All I'm saying is that we can't depend on Oogway now," Alf emphasized. "Only - on ourselves."

"And what do you plan to do - fleshling?" Shifu spat, tension coming back into his voice.

Alf gulped. "I - well, Yu and myself are running - running as far away as possible."

Yu waved a hand uneasily in front of her. The Five turned their gazes to her, then back to Alf. Po looked resigned, almost expecting the next few words.

"And we - well I - would recommend doing that too."

Yu was shocked at the audacity of this statement.

The Five looked conflicted, looking at each other and back. Tigress looked completely emotionless. Po felt anxious, staring at Alf with a completely understanding look. Shifu merely growled.

"We are not - cowards." Shifu delivered, as harshly as possible. He didn't even look to see the Five - many of them genuinely mulling over Alf's plan. "We will defend this Valley to our dying breaths… isn't that right, students?"

Tigress nodded her head immediately. Crane and Monkey nodded weakly. Mantis looked away, while Viper kept a sympathetic stare at the bag sitting near Alf.

"Po?" Shifu asked, staring at the panda.

Alf couldn't let this happen. He gave a stare right back at Po, watching the panda oscillate his gaze from Alf to Shifu, then back to Alf, then back to Shifu.

Please Po, Alf thought internally. Do the right thing. Please - big bro.

Something told Alf that Po had heard him. Yet his face didn't change.

"I - I'll stay," Po noted, watching Shifu's expression smile as Alf's fell. "Besides - I've gotta get my dad out and stuff…"

This was mostly a pretense. Alf's heart sank. Yu gripped his shoulder, squeezing mildly.

"He's made his choice," she whispered to him, trying to pull him away. "Come on Alf - let's just…"

Alf began yielding to her pressure.

He had tried.

"What will we do now, Master?" Viper squeaked, tail still sore from the beating Tai Lung inflicted on her.

"Evacuate as many villagers as possible," Shifu noted, tone grave. "We - won't be able to save most of them - considering how much time we have. Just - just do it, or at least tell them to start running."

"And what about us?" Po questioned.

Shifu - for the first time in many years - gave a genuine smile. He walked over to the large panda, gripping his paw in quiet pride.

"You have grown in skill considerably, Po," Shifu affirmed, watching the Five round up on the panda with appreciative gazes. "You - didn't quit when we told you to. You kept fighting. You've learned what kung fu is. You - despite knowing what will happen - chose to stay with us."

Tigress smiled, holding Po's shoulder, offering a statement of her own. "If that doesn't make you the Dragon Warrior, I don't know what will."

Po was so fixated on Tigress actually showing an emotion that he forgot about the rest of the Five - and even Shifu! They rounded up, smiling at him in earnest appreciation.

"The fleshling is right," Shifu admitted, throwing down the Dragon Scroll. "We can only depend on ourselves now. We will try our best. We will fight as hard as possible. As one - team."

Po's doubt was quickly fading, despite the impending end.

Despite all the probability in the world that Tai Lung would kill them all.

Despite knowing this would likely be the last time he would see Alf again.

Despite everything his heart had been saying for the last sixteen years.

He was ready. He chose to be.

That's what made the difference. He understood what Oogway had meant - but knew that the rest was up to him now.

Shifu smiled, shooing the Five away as they sprinted out of the front gates of the Palace, making their way down the Thousand Steps - leading into the Valley. Cool noon air flew in, almost signaling some kind of change.

Alf finally gave way to Yu's pressure on his shoulder, moving backwards. He tried his best to put Po out of his mind - focusing on exiting through a backgate in the Palace.

"Seeker."

He whipped around. Yu kept her grip on his shoulder.

Tigress.

Alf got a chance to look more closely at her. The broken knee was only partially splinted, and some of the purple bruises lining her face still remained. She was clutching at her ribs as well.

"Don't think for a second that what I did back there changes anything," Tigress noted harshly. "Seekers are still the worst scum on this world."

Alf nodded quickly, wondering why she had taken time out to parrot something back to him that had been said already - by literally everyone in the Valley of Peace.

"But…"

That part was new. Alf watched Tigress try to get a good grasp of the words.

"... I understand that there are some things I don't know," Tigress admitted. "The Seekers that we were told about in history books - and well - compared to you… I'll be the first to say, there isn't much similarity."

Alf suppressed a gasp.

A compliment? Could it even be classified as a compliment?

"Thanks…" Alf let out, keeping his tone incredibly low and respectful.

"Not much of a compliment," Tigress replied, answering Alf's mental questions. "The Seekers - well - they were a barbaric, savage people. They nearly destroyed the world until they were defeated."

Defeated? Alf thought. By who? When? Where? What?

He had heard the savage description before.

He had never heard the defeat part.

From anyone.

The villagers.

Po.

No one.

"That's actually what we're planning to do," Yu chimed in, clearly overstepping her bounds as Tigress snorted. "Learn more about Alf's history and okay I'll shut up…"

Tigress stared at Alf, eyes again growing considerably softer than what Alf was accustomed to seeing.

"Good luck, boy," Tigress finished, beginning to turn away. "I - I hope you find out the truth and - maybe even live somewhere more… peaceful. More - tolerant - of your kind."

Then Tigress did something Alf had truly never expected.

Her paw drifted into her waistband, pulling out a small metal box - red button centered at the edge.

Tigress grasped Alf's smaller hands - just before they made their way to touch his collar reactively. She gently placed the device in Alf's palms.

"Maybe it's all my head injuries," Tigress noted. "Or perhaps Tai Lung's arrival, or fear, or something - has finally let me know that - you didn't deserve to be held prisoner by this."

Alf's hands were shaking. He blinked twice, making sure it was really in his fingers.

"Farewell."

With that, the last member of the Five sprinted away, making her path through the gates and down the Thousand Steps.

"Come on," Yu forced, tugging at Alf again - even carrying both bags now. "We don't have much time. We have to go."

Alf began walking with her, a small part of him excited to have the button under his control - but his mind was inexorably drawn to the large, flabby panda standing next to Shifu - black and white hue growing dimmer by the second.

. . .

"Home."

Tai Lung smiled.

The Valley of Peace was exactly as he had left it. The noon sunlight bounced off the simple clay and stone buildings, throwing itself into the ample rock and dust floor. The villagers were minding their usual business - some carrying pots, others running to deliver messages, and more just standing or walking around the center of the Valley - navigating narrow roads, talking to each other, enjoying freedom and life…

The same freedom and life that had been robbed from Tai Lung - for twenty years.

The first pig who saw him - and Tai Lung made no attempt to hide himself - screamed. This lead to a cascade of screams, echoing throughout the crowd of onlookers.

Tai Lung grinned, deciding to have a little fun before making his way up to the Palace. Through the building next to him, a small goose with even smaller stature walked out - staring directly at Tai Lung with first confusion, then fear.

Tai Lung smiled at the sign. Mr. Ping's noodle shop.

The goose merely clucked, scared. The snow leopard bared his teeth.

Excellent choice of victim.

Kill him first.

Tai Lung launched forward. The goose gave no resistance.

The snow leopard didn't need to do much. With one well-placed paw, pressuring the goose's tiny windpipe - movement gradually went from flapping at Tai Lung's muscular forearms, to shaking, to eventually nothing.


A/N

*Mic drop*

I told y'all Alf being in the story would change things - few ppl didn't believe me - well, do you believe me now? :D And we're not even at the end of KFP1 yet, let alone 3! (assuming I plan to end this story after KFP3 - which might be wron - oops! Sorry for spoiler! Hehe…)

Seriously though, I hope people are enjoying the plot divergence and seeing how things sort of "spiral" because of plot points set very early on in my version of KFP - and all of that is ramping up with each chapter! Imagine KFP 3's plot considering this last scene…

I'm working at a breakneck speed because I desperately wanna start writing KFP2. The rest of KFP 1 is planned out.

That should indicate how exciting things are gonna be now. And remember, I pride myself in having tricks up my sleeve ;)

Do I even need to say how amazing y'all are?

~TW