Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda and all those stuff. I really do wish that I own Tai Lung though.
Wow! It's been such a long time that I've ever updated this story and I do not intend to leave it alone. I've got the ending formed in my mind and this is the mid of the story. I just need time to sit down and type the story out. Anyways, thank you all so much for this story and I hope that you were entertained as much I did when I wrote this.
Now, on with the story.
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132nd month
"Stop moving!" Swee Hoong hissed at me, after wiping the blood from my face. The scars that Tigress had given me were far deeper than I had thought. He had been nursing my wounds for the past two months – as he told me - and it didn't help heal my pride.
"If you continue to struggle, I will punch you till your nose breaks," Swee Hoong admonished.
"You dare?" I let out a low growl.
He lifted my chin up and came face to face with me. His expression was stern and strong as his eyes stared at me without a sign of fear. He was hard and firm as his calloused skin touched my face, a simple sign telling me that he wasn't the kind of rhino that I should trifle with
"I dare you and I will. Don't think that just because I'm helping you, means that I do not have the heart to kill you, right here, right now."
"Fine," I said and shook him off.
Swee Hoong dried my cheeks once again before leaving me in that atrocious prison that Master Oogway made as a solution for my wrong deeds; alone, once again, with nothing but my own thoughts to accompany me. Every time I was left alone, it meant a time for meditation as I reflected on my past. I remembered the years when I was still a cub and the years that I had been training kung fu, easier said than done as I remembered every move that I made.
That damn red panda never appreciated what I did for him, never! Every time I did a move correctly, he was never proud of it but, when it comes to Tigress, he was always proud of her. Am I not good enough? Am I? Am I??
I sighed. Scroll number 901, crouching low technique: a coward's way of fighting but a valuable move to execute when dire times are in need.
136th month
Swee Hoong had stopped by once again to have a talk with me. It was like a daily ritual for him to come down to that hell hole. I might even consider him a friend! But, I shall keep my distance with all of the rhinos here, if only to keep up appearances. After all, he might betray me at the very end.
He came to have a 'chit-chat' conversation – as he had put it – three times a week and our topics were mostly about my past life and his abominable childhood. Apparently, both of us neither had a very good childhood, or good memories of it, none what so ever.
Swee Hoong was orphaned young and was taken in by an orphanage. He had never learned kung fu and worse, he served as the punching bag during his whole ordeal there. The poor rhino was a coward during his time there but years later, he had snapped off from his delusions when somebody had murdered his only friend on the streets. Over the years, he had turned violent with everyone, and the rest was history to him. He didn't reveal much and how he had managed to stay calm over it was remarkable.
"And in the end, I joined the Anvil of the Heaven, and now I'm here," he finished.
"Pretty good, huh?" I asked sardonically.
"Not exactly," he shook his head. "More than meets the eye, to be precise."
I had nothing else to say at that point on; he had said everything that was needed to be said. The sound of pounding hooves echoed in as the guards patrolled about the prison. A few metal chains jingled away as they were being repaired. Hammers clanging away as some of the guards made armors and weapons out of their limited resources that they are able to salvage high up in the snowy mountains of the prison. However, one thing that stayed on forever in my mind: the smell of a dead, rotten body and blood all over the ground. This was the most prominent thing that will be embedded in my mind, forever.
As much as I wanted to continue this meaningless conversation, I felt quite sleepy. I don't know why but I was. Swee Hoong, however, continued, "Vachir will be back soon, in a few days,"
"So?" I growled and didn't even care about that piece of information. "So what if he comes back? So what if he tortures me? So what if he beats me up like a piece of shit till I'm unconscious. So what?!"
"It means that you won't receive the same treatment as I'm giving you now."
I fell silent after that sentence. Yes, he was right on that. I had nothing else to add as I have lost all sense of disagreement.
"This… might be our last talk."
Again, I said nothing. I even turned away without looking at him.
"Anything else before I go and say goodbye?" The big rhino pronounced with his gravelly voice as he got up and began to walk away from me. "No? Well then, goodbye, Tai Lung. I hope we get to talk again in the future."
He was about to leave but I was feeling a little reluctant to let go. Couldn't describe on why this feeling had emerged from the depth of my heartless soul, but it did. Am I getting soft? Has this little talk made me feel… relaxed in my heart? Has it?
I scrutinized at him with disdain and what I saw made me say something to this very day, I couldn't explain why.
"Itch?"
He stopped abruptly.
"What did you say?"
"You have an itch down below, right? Want to do something about it before leaving me behind?"
Swee Hoong turned around, eyes staring at me with distrust and disbelieve. I don't blame him for that kind of deduction because I myself don't even know why I said that.
"Are you saying that you want to help me get this itch away, from here?" He pointed below his waistline.
I fell silent and closed my eyes. What am I thinking…This has got me in trouble before with Vachir and I'm asking for it? Am I going insane?! ...Probably.
Finally, I nodded in agreement. I trusted him and I hoped that he trust me as well. I needed an ally by my side as long as I am here in this cavernous prison, a helpful soul that I could trust and give me information about this place, anything will be sufficient for my escape. I needed…something…
"You trust me?" I asked.
He knelt down in front of me and gave me a look as he gazed straight into my amber eyes, examined the truthfulness in me. The eyes never lie.
After a moment lasting several loud heartbeats, he pried away his gaze from me.
"I do, Tai Lung. I do trust you," Swee Hoong rubbed at his sensitive area but never doing anything foolish. He didn't intend to do anything harmful to me anymore like what he had done previously in the past months before. History must never repeat itself, here, in place of never ending torture.
"You don't want to?" I benevolently asked. "I thought you trust me? I won't bite. Honest…"
"No, Tai Lung," the rhino looks down upon me, and turned his back on me later on. "It's not that. I trust you and you trust me as well. We have bonded. Just ask me whatever you want to know. I am more than happy to supply you with it. You want to know the way out of here? I will tell you. I will even reveal to you the combination to that shell's lock."
That struck a chord harder than anything else that I had in mind. The very shell that was on me, the heavy, painless nerve device that had me paralyzed, the very same shell, had a combination that
I never knew of until now. This rhino was offering his help at all costs to save me; this very same help that the previous rhino had done, and he died because of his generosity.
"No," I shook my head. "Don't. Unless…." I look up. "You can tell me without getting yourself killed. Then, I will be more than grateful. I will spare you your life when I kill every single one of these bastards here that tried to imprison me. You have my word as a warrior, a snow leopard and…as a friend."
Swee Hoong smirked at my comment and said nothing. He simply walked off without looking back at me. His hooves pounded the pathway and with each passing sound, I thought back about his life. What has he to offer for me? Why is he helping me? These questions still remained in my mind, every time.
"Wait…" I said, loud enough for him to hear my raspy voice before leaving. He stopped in his tracks, slowly; he turned his face towards me.
"Why?"
He knew all too well what I was talking about. Why did he want to help me? A debt to pay perhaps? I don't know. Was he doing this out of pity for me? Bullshit! I don't need any fucking pity! I waited long for his answer but none came back. He looked back in front without a word and left without any resentment.
I had failed to get that out from him. What are his intentions? Why? There is a reason why he wants to help me. Nobody in this world is ever that helpful, especially towards a convict like me. I will find out, sooner or later. Furthermore, I want the scroll… but first, I need to get out. Swee Hoong might be my only key out of here and I will not fail… regardless of what his intentions are…
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Finally, I'm done with this chapter. Loads of thanks to my beta reader as usual, Luna Goldsun for your eternal help. I don't know where I would be without you. As usual, R & R! I'm open to all critics and more, if you think something needs to be done, please, do tell me.
