Truth in Punishment
By: PointyEdgesofaSign
A/N: I own nothing. Done to sedate Vachir and his wish that the truth be told. I did not write this, I merely was the conduit for his words. Review if you think he should continue, and please say more than just 'yes' or 'no'.
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We reached the third level of Chor Gom when I heard shouting from below. Glancing down, I was met with an impossible sight: Tai Lung had escaped his bindings.
Zeng made to leave, but I grabbed him, recalling Tai Lung's promise. So long as he was near me, I could protect him.
Hurt him, kill him, betray him.
My mind was a whirlpool of emotions, my tainted love for the goose in my hand making me experience lust and disdain, loving the feel of his feathers while loathing the sound of his voice. I couldn't decide whether I loved or hated him, but at the moment, it didn't matter.
Either way, it was my sworn and sacred duty to protect him.
I shouted for the crossbows. I watched in exasperation as those were rendered useless to me and the leopard used them to his advantage. I ordered the archers to fire. Fat lot of good that did. He was coming for Zeng, for me, and there was no way to stop him.
I grabbed Zeng, signaled the Anvil, and we ran for the exit.
Whose brilliant idea was it to have only one, anyway?
Of course, I later would laugh at the irony that my brilliant design was ultimately my downfall.
We reached the bridge and crossed single file, racing to the other side. I had my second-in-command, my best archer, prepare to light the explosives, and I waited, Zeng by my side, for the inevitable arrival of Tai Lung.
He came.
There was an electric tension in the air. He roared and so did I. Zeng merely squawked.
The leopard began bounding across the bridge, but I ordered it destroyed and it was. Silently, I mourned its destruction. What most didn't realize was that I had carved, in my own time, Zeng's gentle face into the bottom of the bridge. In that moment, I realized, they never would know.
That wasn't my concern at that moment, though, as Tai Lung leapt up and up, higher and higher until he reached the explosives. He ripped them from the stalactite and spun around, shouting as he fell toward us.
Zeng asked if we could run.
I weakly replied, "Yes."
I tore off my chest armor, it bearing a striking resemblance to an apron, and covered Zeng with it in a final, desperate show of my undying love for him.
Then, as he gave me one last look that clearly read, 'I'll be back for you,' the world dissolved in a blast of unbearably hot agony.