……….
Please read Tai Lung's past for this chapter if you haven't read it yet.
Chapter 5
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The Jade Palace was filled with sounds of breaking wood and shouts as the furious five and Po trains. This has been an everyday life for all of them and Po wasn't that ecstatic about the whole thing. First off, he couldn't sleep or get up late. Second, there was a time period for meals and no in betweens. Third, he had to train every single day because he was the dragon warrior and none of the five takes it easy on him. With all those on top of the first three lists, he wasn't quite happy with it.
Tigress delivered a front hook kick towards Po and he tried to dodge as quickly as he could.
"Faster." Tigress did another chopping kick in front of Po but this time, it caught Po by surprise. The end result? Po had a flat kick mark on his face; Tigress's kick mark.
"Oww…"
"I told you to move faster." She argued.
"How can I move fast enough when you don't even give me a chance to practice on the basics. I liked level zero better." Po snapped back.
"There isn't any level zero and you know it." Tigress felt pitiful for the fat panda and left him alone to tend to his wounded face.
"Hey, where you going? Shifu said you're my trainer today. You can't leave me, oww….." Po touched his face.
"Look panda. My duty is done for today. So, leave me alone for the rest of the day and I won't bother you either." She disappeared to a corner.
"What's she up to?"
--
Tai Lung was meditating in the hall of warrior as he tries to calm himself. Shifu had told him to find a nice spot to meditate so that he can clear up his mind and try to forget the past. However, the peaceful serenity in the hall of warriors was interrupted by a hot-tempered female tiger when she forcefully burst opened the doors. At the end of the hall, there sat a cross legged snow leopard. She walked up towards a calm and peaceful Tai Lung as he meditates.
Look at that smug grin of his. What a jerk. He left me 20 years ago with bad memories and yet he acts as if he doesn't care about it.
"Hey Spotty!" she screamed at him. "Wake up. You and I have lots to talk about."
Tai Lung didn't respond.
"You better respond to me or else you'll get a black eye in that cute face of yours."
Tai Lung was still giving her the cold shoulder. That is, until Tigress prepared to really punch him. Before her fist came in contact with Tai Lung's left eye, he finally spoke, "Are you always this impatient?"
"It seems you've found your voice, brother Tai Lung and looks who's talking about being impatient.
He opened his eyes are stared at Tigress, "Talk. We haven't talk for the last 20 years. I still remembered our last talk before I saw the last of you. We were talking about the scroll."
"That was 20 years ago and it's in the past. Leave it. Right now, new talk. Why'd you come back?"
"I told you this morning. To redeem myself. It may take some time, or maybe, forever but I'm willing to redo my worst in myself."
"Such bull! You'll never change. A leopard can never change its spots and neither can you. Please, just go away from here. Find another valley for your blackened heart and leave the valley of peace."
Tai Lung wasn't so happy with those words. Women can really do their worst in words rather than hitting in your gut, "Why?"
"Because….." she stopped and looked away. "Because I don't want Master Shifu's old wounds to open up again. You have hurt Master Shifu and Oogway with your way of thinking, me as well in the process. You shouted at me the last time and….it really really hurts."
This time Tai Lung was the one to act surprised, "You remembered?"
"Of course I remembered you dick head!" Tigress snapped at him, "Those were the most horrible things that anyone can ever say. To add oil to the flame, you left the Palace for 20 years without saying sorry."
Tai Lung was still rooted on the ground and he tried to fix some words to answer Tigress but it seems he just can't find the right words to tell her how sorry he was, "Ah…"
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue spotty?"
"Don't call me that," Tai Lug spat at her, "Spotty is a dog name and I'm not a dog. I'm sure Shifu did tell you the difference between a dog and a cat right? Or maybe you just weren't paying attention"
That hit her "attack" button real hard and she pounced at Tai Lung. Tai Lung managed to expertly dodge her ferocious attack but was kicked squarely on the chest before he could even recover.
--
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the hall of warrior…
"They're fighting. Oh my gosh!" Crane shouted.
"Shh!!" the rest of the furious give and Po exclaimed.
"Sorry…my bad."
"Tigress loathes Tai Lung." Mantis spoke.
"Heck no. She loves him." Viper joyfully sang.
"How can you say that? He's getting a beating of his life from Tigress. You call that love? Furthermore, he's 20 years older than Tigress." Crane pointed.
"Sigh….Men."
"What about us?" Crane, Mantis, Monkey and Po stared at her.
"You obviously do not know anything. Tigress hates Tai Lung because she loves him. Don't you see the connection? Geez. Imagine this; why of all the places in the Jade Palace, she wanted to come here?"
"Er…because Tai Lung is here?" Monkey answered.
"Bingo Monkey. You just won yourself a year supply of cookies."
Po was the last one to understand all that's happening. He may be the dragon warrior but love wasn't written in the dragon scroll though, "I still don't get it."
"What is it that you don't get?" someone from behind spoke.
All 6 of them turned around to face Master Shifu.
"Aahhh….Master Shifu!" all 6 screamed.
"Are you poking you noses on things that don't concern you? If that's the answer, you'll be punished severely." Shifu grinned.
"Sorry Master Shifu."
"Too late. Your punishment…." Shifu eyed at the 6 kung fu warriors, "Will be dinner."
"What's with dinner?" then Po gasped, "No dinner! No!"
Shifu chuckled. For the past 20 years, Shifu had never laughed or better yet, put on a simple smile. This was a first for him and an improvement you might say.
"Not that but what's IN dinner. As you know, all students must prepare dinner at least once per week and this time…it is Tai Lung's turn."
"He?!" the 6 looked at each other and back to the hall of warriors where Tai Lung and Tigress were still at it.
"Yes him. Come. We must prepare."
--
"Can you do this?" Po asked Tai Lung.
"Yes I can you fat panda." He snapped back.
Tai Lung had never cooked much during his stay in the Jade Palace but he had learned how to cook a few dishes from Shifu. Most of the time, it was Shifu who cooks dinner. Now it is his turn and responsibility.
Honestly, no. I can't do this. I've been locked up in prison for the last 20 years and you expect me to cook. What a joke.
"Hey Kitty. Look here and concentrate. See this? This is a ladle." Po showed Tai Lung the spoon that was on the table.
"Yes I know that's ladle." He said impatiently.
"This is a pot and a stove."
"And this is me getting out of here. Either you get out or I will."
"Ok, Ok. Just don't burn the palace to the ground, got it?" with that said, Po leaves him alone in the kitchen.
10 minutes had passed. 15 minutes…….20 minutes……
"Is he okay in there?" Crane asked.
"I hope he burns himself and die." Tigress grinned devilishly.
"Don't be so cruel Tigress." Po pointed.
"I hope that he dies in the fire and rot." She added.
"Tigress." Crane looked at her.
"His body and soul burns in the same fire that killed him now and –"
"Tigress! Stop it!" everybody chimed in.
"Geez it was a joke. Can't everybody take a joke?" she crossed her arms.
"Not if the joke concerns a death of someone who's trying to do something good." Po pointed out.
--
What's happening in the kitchen? Let's go see.
The pot was boiling so hard that the lid kept on bopping up and down as foam seeps out of the edge. The chopping board was full with messed up spices and overturned flour was next to the chopping hoard. Some broken eggs in the sink and seasoning were all over the place.
This is a disaster!!
"You bet it is a disaster." Leo suddenly appeared out of nowhere outside the kitchen window.
"I bet that's what you're thinking right?"
"I can handle things myself here thank you very much." He growled back.
"Don't kid yourself. You can't cook. You're just good in Kung fu and artistic talents are not your specialty."
"And you can do better?"
"Not really but I do know that I don't make a mess of stuff in the kitchen."
Tai Lung sighed and stopped doing whatever he was doing, "Help then. If I continue, I might really burn the place to the ground."
Leo laughed as if he had never laughed before, "What a joke. Fine. First, tilt the lid of the pot a little. There's no space or air hole for the hot air to release out. What are you boiling anyway?"
Tai Lung did as he was told and answered him, "Well, nothing much. I thought of having some barley and that's it but I kinda forget what's next. So I left it and thought of making flavored rice."
Leo slapped his face with his paw and ran down over his nose, "Oh great skies of the heaven…."
"Well?"
"Patients. I'm thinking"
"Better do it fast or else there ain't going to be a foundation left to hold this building together."
"I got it. Find some fucuk and tong gua. Next, some ginger and Hai nam seasoning."
Tai Lung got to work immediately and did as he was told. Within 30 minutes, everything was done. The pot was boiling properly now and the flavored Hai nam rice was cooking perfectly under the fire. He was proud of his work. Never had he in a million years done this before.
He looked a Leo, "Thanks for saving my tail again mate. I owe you one."
"Nothing to it but I'm just here to remind you about our main concern first. Just the dragon scroll and nothing else. Got it?"
Getting to it alright. It takes time and I'm having difficulties not having my tail bitten off by the furious five. It ain't easy."
"I understand. We'll give you a month. It's more than enough time for you. You'd better no disappoint us or you'll regret it." In an instant, Leo vanished in the shadows.
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R & R again please.