Dwelling In The Past
Chapter 13
The darkness and cold of the night has already settled over the Valley. Rain had slowly began to fall from the heavens. But all was not calm – loud yelling and chasing could be heard deep in the Valley of Peace. And it was leading straight to the 1000 steps. Two teenager cubs were beaing chased by an angry group of people. A monkey and a tiger cub were runing for their lives at the moment, and the only place they could call their home was now a 1000 steps away from them.
"Run Jin! They're cathing up to us!"
"I'm running!"
The two cubs started running up the steps, the angry group of people right behind them. Slowly the sky had darkened, heavy rain already falling from the clouds as the heavens themselves were torn open by the monstrous lihtning that lit up the valley, revealing the two terified teens, trenched to the bone and running for their lives.
"Ahh!" Monkey yelled out as he tripped just a few steps from the top.
"Monkey are you alright?" Ji yelled at him as he stepped to him and offered him his wet paw.
"Jin watch out!" as the young tiger turned arround, a strong fist collided with his face, making him a little wobbly. The group of people had caught up to the two and was ready to take out their punishment.
As fist after fist collided with Jin, more and more fear and regret was showing itself in the monkeys eyes. "Jin fight back!"
"…No…" another fist was sent straight for his stomach, knocking out all the air he had left. The tiger cub fell to his knees, gasping for air, his world slowly fading out.
The brute that had been beating down Jin now stepped up to him and was about to deliver the final blow to the back of his head. A split second before his fist connected, a thin wooden staff was lodged in between his knuckles, resulting in a painfull cry.
"M-Master Oogway…" Jin managed to choke out while trying to breathe.
"Enough!" The small panda accompanying him yelled at the crowd.
A young peacock stepped out of the crowd and spoke with a ragged voice.
"No Shifu! Those deserve punishment for this!"
"But not like this!" was the small pandas reply.
"Then by the voice of the council you are banished from this valley for 10 years tiger cub." His beak now showed a scary smile. "You will suffer, you will break i assure you."
The crowd slowly left down the stairs and the panda master turned to his apprentice.
"Oh Jin…"
The night of the banishment had arrived and Jin said his final goodbyes to his fellow students… well all but one snake. He looked her in the eyes with unmatched regret for his foolish actions and before he could say anything, Viper was already coiled arround hiw with heartbroken tears leaving her eyes.
Master Oogway signaled for the others to give the two lovers some alone time. When they left and the tiger was alone with his snake, he too let his guard down and quietly sobbed into the nightsky.
"Viper please forgive me… and please remember… no matter what you're never gonna be alone… I'll always be thinking about you…"
Vipers grip tightened arround him as the words stung her heart like salt in a fresh wound.
"Her grip loosened a bit as she heard his comforting words for one last time, the words that she would remember for 10 years… his words of goodbye…
Time, is going by, so much faster than I,
And I'm starting to regret not spending all of it with you.
Now I'm, wondering why, I've kept this bottled inside,
So I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you.
So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know...
You're never gonna be alone
From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,
I won't let you fall...
You're never gonna be alone
I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone.
And now, as long as I can, I'm holding on with both hands,
'Cause forever I believe that there's nothing I could need but you,
So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know...
You're never gonna be alone
From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,
I won't let you fall.
When all hope is gone, I know that you can carry on.
We're gonna see the world out,
I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone.
Oh!
You've gotta live every single day,
Like it's the only one, what if tomorrow never comes?
Don't let it slip away,
Could be our only one, you know it's only just begun.
Every single day,
Maybe our only one, what if tomorrow never comes?
Tomorrow never comes...
Time, is going by, so much faster than I,
And I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you.
You're never gonna be alone
From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,
I won't let you fall.
When all hope is gone, I know that you can carry on.
We're gonna see the world out,
I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone.
I'm gonna be there always,
I won't be missing one more day,
I'm gonna be there always,
I won't be missing one more day.
"Viper… I love you" he placed both of his paws to her and squeezed gently.
"… I forgive you…" She smiled as much as her painfull heart would let her, but it was enough to comfort Jin and give him enough hope for the next 10 years… the painfull years he would have to spend without the one thing a heart cannot be without… without its other half.