G'day!
Welcome to Eye of the Tiger! As the name of this story may suggest, this story will be based around the life of Tigress, written in a 1st-person POV. This makes some aspects of the writing challenging, but what story isn't a challenge? I know many of you liked and followed the previous version, and have been waiting for this day, so thank you for having remained patient. For those who have followed me from the beginning, you will know this is my 2nd attempt at it. After becoming lost in the settings, I had to step back and realign myself. In the months having been absent, that is exactly what I have done. The settings will no longer (hopefully) become an issue, but also, the story will progress a little differently too.
Of course, just like last time, this story will begin on the morning of the 1st movie, and we'll take the story from there. Obviously, I cannot change anything that happened in the movies, but there have been changes made to the 'behind-the-scenes' aspects. But first, let's get through the first chapter before progressing with the story one chapter at a time. To those who are new, first, thank you for choosing to spend your valuable time reading this story. I hope clicking on this story will be worth your time. Kung Fu Panda has always been one of my go-to movies. Even before discovering the KFP Fandom, I loved the whole franchise, and given who this story is based off, it may come to no surprise that my favourite character is Tigress.
When I first discovered FanFiction back in November 2020, at first I was just looking for stuff to read, but after reading so many wonderful stories, it inspired me to create my own story. Now, I knew at the time my idea wasn't a small one, but after going through the entire fandom, no-one had created a full-blown story about Tigress. That's what I wanted to do. If DreamWorks aren't going to create a story about her life, I wanted to. She's an awesome character and deserves to have her story complete. Of course, that's the big picture, but it's best to look at this story one chapter at a time. A mistake I made last time was looking too far ahead. The story needs time to develop. Now, as a pre-warning, this story is going to be long. By long, I mean loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong! I'm talking 100+ chapters, possibly 500k+ words. The big picture is BIG! So, hopefully you will all stay with me on the journey, cause not even I know how the story is going to turn out. I have a few ideas, but they're nothing more than dot points.
Anyway, I don't want to be blabbering on and on with gibberish nonsense. You've all waited long enough for this story to return, so let's not keep you waiting any longer, but first...
Disclaimer: All characters and setting used in the story are property of DreamWorks (except for the characters/settings randomly created by me throughout the story).
Without further adieu, here is the 1st chapter
Please Read, Review & Enjoy!
Chapter 1 - The Vision
The first rays of light rose above the distant mountains. Its light glistened upon the cliff where the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom stood, marking the beginning of a brand-new day. After watching countless sunrises over the years, one would think they'd get bored with such a thing, but its beauty was something that never got tiring. No two sunrises were the same. Not only that, the positioning of the Peach Tree, east of the Hall of Warriors, allows one to watch the sunrise over the Valley of Peace. The Valley of Peace sits to the northeast, on the foothills of the Jade Mountain, upon where the Jade Palace resides.
As the sun rose further above the mountains, the artificial lights provided by the lanterns burning within the valley below became ineffective. A cool, gentle breeze accompanied the sunrise, blowing across the valley, providing much welcomed freshness with it. Amid summer, these cool mornings were always a delight as the summer heat builds up within an hour after sunrise. You can sense when a day is going to be hot. The light breeze coinciding with clear blue skies were two common indicators warning of a sweltering day ahead. However, it didn't matter whether it was hot, cold, sunny, or raining, my focus would be on training and nothing more.
After taking one last breath of the cool morning air, and letting out a lengthy sigh, I stood up from the cliff, stretching out my body to loosen any stiff muscles before making my way to the kitchen for breakfast. The kitchen adjoins the student barracks, which are about five-hundred feet southeast of the Hall of Warriors. A large, thick wall separates the two building blocks, preventing most of the noise from the kitchen reaching the student barracks, where we sleep. Not that it bothers me. I've learnt to filter out background noise over the years. The wall also helps muffle the rustling and munching noises caused by Monkey when he sneaks into the storage room to eat his almond cookies at some ridiculous time of night.
Upon walking into the kitchen, the palace servants were finishing breakfast preparations, which was an array of fruits. The palace servants maintain the Jade Palace in pristine condition, and while they may go unnoticed, due to them being instructed not to interfere with us unless required, the work they do is much appreciated by all. While we're training and protecting the valley, they keep the Jade Palace functional, allowing us to do our jobs. "Good morning, Master Tigress!" To my left, Zeng, the Jade Palace messenger goose, and servant leader, approached before bowing. "Would I interest you in some fruit for today's breakfast?"
I bowed in return before looking at Zeng. "Good morning, Zeng. Thank you for your offer, but I will have to decline today."
Zeng bowed again before leaving the kitchen. Fixating myself a cup of jasmine tea, before sitting down at the table with half a dozen pieces of tofu, my breakfast routine has not changed for many years, and there are reasons for that. Without being disrespectful to the palace servants and their efforts, the breakfasts they prepare take up precious minutes, and that's something that cannot be wasted. Every minute as a kung fu master is valuable. There are more important things the time can be used for, such as training, rather than wasting it on breakfast. A quick and simple breakfast allows me to utilise my time. Besides, in dreaming of becoming the Dragon Warrior, my body must adapt to being malnourished while training or fighting in battles.
Having spent the past twenty years' training and pushing my body beyond physical boundaries hasn't been for nothing. The day upon learning about the meaning of the Dragon Warrior changed my training methods. It provided me with something to strive for. To become the greatest warrior in the history of kung fu. No one knows when Master Oogway will choose the Dragon Warrior. It could be tomorrow. Or in fifty years. Until the day arrives, giving myself every chance to be deemed worthy enough of being presented with such a prestigious accolade is critical. Without dedicating every second between dawn and dusk to training, I would fail myself. With breakfast finished, it was time to leave the kitchen and head to the Training Hall. "Good morning, Tigress!'
The voice of Master Shifu's rung out from the hallway, startling me. Spinning around, I bowed to Master Shifu, who stood on top of the three-flighted staircase in the hallway. "Good morning, master!"
Master Shifu reciprocated the bow before walking down the steps in the hallway. "I didn't mean to startle you, Tigress, but you must remain alert at all times. You never know what's around the corner." A slight smile appeared on Master Shifu's face before disappearing as quickly as it appeared. "So, where are you heading to, Tigress? The Training Hall, I assume?"
Nodding in response, I followed Master Shifu, who had walked into the kitchen after asking his question. "Yes, master. I'm going to warmup before today's training session with you."
Master Shifu grabbed a peach from the table before turning to face me. "Just make sure you're ready for the unexpected today, Tigress."
Looking at Master Shifu, baffled by his advice, he took a bite from the peach before walking past me and out of the kitchen. After shaking off the confusion, I left the kitchen for the Training Hall. All the buildings within the Jade Palace are in proximity to each other, connected by an array of pathways cutting through the jagged mountain top. If you didn't know your way around the Jade Palace, you wouldn't get lost unless you were blind as the Hall of Warriors is visible from anywhere on top of the Jade Mountain. Getting lost would be your own fault. It takes time to learn your way around, but the design simplifies things, even for those with poor orientation skills.
Upon entering the Training Hall, its quietness was something that had become familiar in the early mornings, but didn't last long after I jumped onto the serpent logs, activating them. All the equipment within the Training Hall is self-activated, which is a safety feature, ensuring it cannot injure anybody unless they engage with the equipment. The Training Hall also has an open roof, which helps ventilate the hall, but doesn't block out the weather, so there's no escaping the rain by being in the Training Hall. As kung fu masters, we must have the ability to fight in all conditions, because bandits don't care what the weather is doing. They'll attack when they please.
Whenever there's spare time during the daylight hours, using it to train in the Training Hall ensures there are continuous improvements in my skills and techniques. If it were permitted, I would also train late into the night, but Master Shifu has enforced rules, prohibiting any training from occurring between dusk and dawn. Master Shifu states it provides our bodies time to restore their energy, but it appeared Master Shifu introduced these rules to prevent me from training all night. Instead, if something is keeping me awake during the night, meditating in either my room or by the Peach Tree helps calm my mind. While training is crucial to my development, respecting the peace of my fellow students and masters is important, too.
Not being permitted to train at night leaves me hungry to train at first light in the morning. There's no such thing as perfection, but if you work hard on the minor details, you can train yourself to become as close to perfect as possible. It doesn't matter how good you think you are, there's always something to improve on, so using the time to work on such weaknesses helps turn them into strengths. That's one of the main reasons behind my rigorous training regime, but there were three other momentous events that changed everything for me. Without these events shaping my life, there's no doubt I wouldn't be the warrior I am today.
Twelve years ago, at fifteen, my training intensified upon discovering the importance of the Dragon Warrior, and subsequently, the Dragon Scroll. It gave me a goal, a dream, and a sense of purpose. Knowing there was something to aim for caused me to train from dawn to dusk. From nothing, it provided something that seemed destined for me. However, my dreams of becoming the Dragon Warrior weren't as easy as first thought. That's when the next major event occurred, and this led me to obtaining my master's status in kung fu at eighteen years of age. Not only did this change my training, but it also uncovered my true potentials.
Two years after learning about the Dragon Warrior, a villain rose from nowhere, wreaking havoc and terrorising villages, defeating many kung fu masters along the way. This was no other than Boar. A violent, heartless, destructive individual, who seemed to enjoy the pleasure of defeating kung fu masters with no real motives behind his actions. Master Mongrel, an ex-Jade Palace student who is now a kung fu master that protects the Goudiyin Village in the Mianyang Mountain Ranges, informed us of Boar's arrival. This provided Master Shifu the required time to prepare for the battle. However, after eating a meal Master Oogway ordered from the valley, Master Shifu became ill.
Where the meal came from remains a mystery, as was Master Shifu's sickness, but the untimeliness of the illness meant he couldn't take part in battle. As a result, Master Shifu sent me to recruit four warriors from the Wang Fu Village to help fight the threat, but because of an unexplainable mix-up cause by me, the original scroll was lost. Instead, while searching for the lost scroll, I came across one, identical to the original scroll, and used it to gather the warriors after assuming it was the correct scroll. Upon returning to the Jade Palace, Master Shifu made his disappointment in me loud and clear. Confused and angered, nothing seemed to help me understand what had happened until Master Oogway spoke to me later in the evening.
Until that point, Master Shifu had based my training on himself, forcing me to replicate his style. While sitting underneath the Peach Tree, thinking about what had gone wrong, Master Oogway came and spoke to me, making me realise no training would turn me into Master Shifu. My style of kung fu was different, and it was time to embrace it and become my own warrior. With Boar's arrival imminent and Master Shifu still unwell, the only choice we had was for me to fight and defeat Boar. Sure, Master Oogway could have done so himself, but he seemed content to let me battle Boar, as he had always believed in my ability, but knew Master Shifu's training was holding me back.
Standing in the western farmlands, facing the Ironwood Forests, Boar charged through the forests straight towards me. Once Boar engaged in battle with me, Master Shifu's style of kung fu proved ineffective, as Boar overpowered me. The initial battle left me unconscious, but before Boar could do anymore damage, the warriors I recruited returned, saving me from defeat. Upon regaining consciousness, my instincts kicked in, unleashing my true potential. Ripping off my old robe, and using Tiger Style for the first time, with the help of the others, we defeated Boar, rendering him unconscious. Little did we realise that battle had formed one of the strongest groups of kung fu masters. The Furious Five.
There aren't too many mistakes anyone would be pleased with, but to have found those four warriors who have since become my comrades was a blessing in the making. It marked a major change in my training regime. After the defeat of Boar, Master Shifu allowed me to train using my style, rather than training with his style. This change led me to one of the greatest achievements of my life. Over a year after the battle with Boar, myself, and the others, had reached a milestone we had been training hard to achieve. That was becoming masters in kung fu. Being acknowledged as a kung fu master is one of the proudest moments of my life. It is a memory that resonates deep within.
Since obtaining my master's status in kung fu, training has been nothing more than pushing my body past its limits to fulfil my dream and become the Dragon Warrior. Dedicating my life to kung fu hasn't been for nothing. By establishing my style, and later becoming a master, nothing could stand in my way, except for one thing. Master Oogway has watched me develop over the years, but nothing can influence his decision. When Master Oogway chooses who the Dragon Warrior will be, praying to have done enough to earn such a prestigious title will be my only hope. The thought of not becoming the Dragon Warrior is one that does not enter my head often, but when it does, I must block such thoughts out. My training has no time for such negativity.
After sweating away for what felt like several hours, in my peripheral vision, light entered the Training Hall, indicating someone had opened the door. It may have been Master Shifu, or my fellow students, if not both, but couldn't divert my concentration away from the most difficult obstacle in the Training Hall: The Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion. They are the first obstacle you see when entering the Training Hall, and because of their dangerous appeal, it repels the faint-hearted away. Besides, only skilled warriors should enter this Training Hall. Anyone who comes into the Training Hall with little-to-no kung fu skills may not leave alive. You enter at your own risk.
The Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion, referred to by many alternative names, hasn't received its name for nothing. Many have fallen victim to them over the years, which proves why you cannot enter this Training Hall unless you're prepared. They are one of the more dangerous obstacles, if not the most dangerous, in the Training Hall, which is why they're my favourite piece of equipment to train with. Sharp spikes cover these clubs on one side, while the other side is a flat, wooden stomach. Long chains attach the clubs to the ceiling, allowing them to swing back and forth in random. Beneath the spiked clubs are serpent logs which lay parallel to each other and operate at various speeds and rotational directions.
Despite someone having entered the Training Hall, it didn't distract my training. After a few more minutes of training, with one last block of a spiked club, I launched myself off the serpent logs, landing on the side of the training equipment in front of my fellow students. A green tree viper (Viper), Chinese mantis (Mantis), golden langur (Monkey), and black-necked crane (Crane) stood before me. They are my fellow students, taught under the guidance of Master Oogway and Master Shifu. Together, with me included, I knew us as the Furious Five. The defenders of China. Our duty is to protect the innocent from danger, whether it's natural or artificial.
"Morning, Tigress!" they said, bowing to me.
I bowed in return, acknowledging their presence—"Morning"—before walking past them, planning to sit on the floor and wind down from training.
"Any ideas what Master Shifu has planned for us today?" Viper asked.
Sitting down on the floorboards, I glanced at Viper and shrugged. "Master Shifu hasn't told me, but he said to be ready for the unexpected. What that means, I don't know."
"Sounds like he wants to continue working on our stealth skills."
Nodding in agreement with Viper, in the background, the Training Hall doors opened again, gaining my attention, before Master Shifu entered. As the others were facing me, they had their backs turned to Master Shifu. With the others unaware of his presence, Master Shifu snuck up behind them, stopping a few feet away. Waiting for someone to do something, I looked between the others and Master Shifu. "Why are we silent?" Crane asked, breaking the strange silence.
"Good morning, students!"
"AHHH!" The others jumped and spun around, facing Master Shifu before bowing to him. "Master Shifu! Good morning!"
Master Shifu half-chuckled to himself before a stern expression enveloped his facial features. "Today, students, we will continue with our recent trainings and practice the concept of ambush attacking. In this exercise, you will need to fight in unity, attacking from all directions, if you wish to lay a punch or kick on me. Do not hold back! When you hear the gong, followed by this flute." Master Shifu pulled out a bamboo flute and showed us. "That is your signal to start. I'll be waiting outside. Good luck, students!"
We bowed to Master Shifu as he left the Training Hall, but before we could share any thoughts, the gong rang, followed by the softness of a flute being played. Looking at each other, we walked towards the Training Hall doors before I opened them, ensuring they did not squeak, and peered outside. On the western side of the training courtyard sat Master Shifu, in the lotus position, playing the flute. Holding up my paw, stopping the others from walking out, I scanned the courtyard to strategize a plan of attack before closing the doors once a plan had formulated inside of my head.
To avoid Master Shifu from hearing us, upon turning around, I signalled to the others to gather close, which they did, forming a huddle allowing me to whisper my plans to them. "Viper, you attack from the south. Crane and Mantis, from the north. Monkey and I will assess the situation before lapping around the training ground to attack from the east. We need to attack at once to ensure Master Shifu cannot escape." My eyes shifted to Crane and Mantis. "Monkey will let you know when to attack. Are we clear?" The others nodded, showing they understood their roles. "Let's go!"
Opening the door, preventing it from squeaking again, after checking on Master Shifu, who hadn't moved, I signalled to Crane and Mantis to hide behind the wall surrounding the training courtyard. Viper and Monkey followed me across the front of the Training Hall. As we passed the last pillar supporting the Training Hall, I gestured at Viper to climb it. She nodded before ascending the pillar, hiding herself within the frameworks, while Monkey followed me onto the western fringe of the training courtyard. Monkey hid behind some bushes while the boulders protected me from Master Shifu's view, allowing us to peak on Master Shifu and assess the situation. Master Shifu may look oblivious to the pending attacks, but from experience, he'd be anticipating our arrival.
With everything appearing set, I looked at Monkey and nodded before we bolted from our spots. Preventing myself from being seen by Master Shifu, I jumped over the western wall of the training grounds before racing around to the eastern side. Upon reaching the eastern side, Viper launched at Master Shifu, with me and Monkey backing her up by leaping over the eastern wall, before Crane and Mantis attacked from the north. We charged at Master Shifu, surrounding him, but he didn't move until we were within several feet of him. Master Shifu shot up from his position, blocking Viper's attack with his staff before ducking under my roundhouse kick and swiping at my leg, knocking me off balance.
While being off balance, Master Shifu jumped onto my back, launching himself into the air, evading Crane's torpedo attack and knocking him away with his staff before avoiding Monkey's sidekick. After recomposing themselves, Crane and Monkey ganged up on Master Shifu, resulting in Monkey being tossed away. A flying Mantis charged through, only to get blocked by Master Shifu's hand, rebounding him away. Mantis returned for a second attempt, resulting in the same outcome as before. Monkey and Crane launched a few other attacks at Master Shifu but were blocked and knocked away again. While Crane, Monkey, and Mantis preoccupied Master Shifu, I jumped onto my feet, waiting for the right moment to re-enter the fight.
Master Shifu performed a sweeping move with his staff, throwing Monkey, Crane, and Mantis away, leaving his back exposed. Before landing a hit, Master Shifu pivoted himself around, blocking my right jab punch. Following up the right jab with a spinning wheel kick, which Master Shifu ducked under, before using my momentum to swing around with a sweeping kick. Master Shifu jumped over my sweeping leg before grabbing onto the back of my qipao and tossing me away. After landing a few feet away and skidding to a holt, I jumped back up, charging at Master Shifu, who stood ready for our next move as we surrounded him.
To have used an enormous amount of energy during the battle, in a short space of time, left me fatigued, but not landing a single hit on Master Shifu exacerbated my thirst to continue training. It didn't matter how fatigued training was, everyone was exhausted, but being unsuccessful fuelled my desire to fight more despite being against Master Shifu, who is a formidable opponent. Master Shifu isn't the type to falter in his style, and if he does, it's only when he's fatigued. We have to wear him down and hope he makes a technical mistake, rather than use everything at once, which is the mistake we've made during the training session just completed.
Before anyone made a move, Master Shifu twirled his staff around, signalling the end of the training session, and straightened up to provide his feedback on the training. "Well done, students!" We bowed to Master Shifu, gratified by his unexpected compliment. "If you were trying to disappoint me!" I looked up, stunned that we disappointed Master Shifu again, but after what had occurred, it shouldn't have surprised me. Master Shifu pivoted and pointed the staff at me. "Tigress, you need more ferocity!" Respecting his critique, I bowed to Master Shifu before he turned to Monkey, continuing to assess each of us. "Monkey, greater speed! Crane, height! Viper, subtlety!" As Master Shifu critiqued Viper, Zeng landed next to Mantis. "Mantis-"
"Master Shifu!" Zeng said, interrupting Master Shifu and sounding out of breath.
Master Shifu pointed the staff at Zeng. "WHAT?!"
"AHHH!" Zeng took a few steps backwards, startled by having the staff shoved into his face. "It-It's Master Oogway! He wants to see you!" Intrigued by what Master Oogway could want, I glanced at Crane and Monkey, who, unlike me, seemed confused by the sudden announcement.
"Where is he?!"
"In the Hall of Warriors, Master Shifu!"
Master Shifu turned to us. "I will be back after seeing Master Oogway. Continue with this training until I return."
We bowed to Master Shifu, who vanished the second we looked down. "Wonder what that's about?" Viper asked, as she slithered next to me.
Despite the endless possibilities flooding my head, I glanced down at Viper and shrugged. None of the scenarios springing to mind seemed feasible. "Must be important," Mantis said, leaping onto Crane's hat. "Master Oogway never summons Master Shifu unless it's something serious."
With one last glance up at the Hall of Warriors, wondering what could be transpiring inside those walls, my attention diverted back to the training. "We'll find out later. Let's keep training." The others groaned, looking at me unenthused, but nothing would allow them to slack off because Master Shifu left. He requested us to keep training, and that's what we'll do until he returns. "We'll take turns training on each other." My focus shifted to Crane. "Crane, you're first."
"Aww, but-"
"Crane. NOW!" Without hesitation, Crane scampered to the centre of the training courtyard, most likely to get away from me. I approached Crane, making him nervous. "Be ready."
Crane gave me a timid smile before positioning himself in his defensive stance. With Crane ready, the rest of us scattered around the training grounds, hiding from Crane's view. Some bushes on the eastern side of the courtyard provided sufficient camouflage for me, while Viper slithered up a tree next to the bushes. Upon reaching her desired spot, Viper glanced down at me, signalling she was ready. Where Monkey and Mantis had gone remained a mystery, but they would be ready. Peering over at Crane, he had his head lowered and wings up, ready for battle. I looked up at Viper and nodded. We exploded from our positions, charging at Crane.
Monkey flew over the western wall, while Mantis charged in from my right, appearing to have jumped from the training courtyard paifang. Before any of us could reach Crane, he launched himself high into the sky, well out of our reach. We may possess excellent jumping skills, but none of us could jump that high. Looking up at Crane, incensed, a threatening snarl erupted from my throat. "CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"
Crane looked down, grinning, as he hovered high above our heads. "You forgot I could fly!" He must've seen the flaring glare my eyes were giving him, as nervousness enveloped his proud grin. "I may never come down if you look like you're going to kill me."
A roguish smile formed on my face, while raising my right eyebrow. "I'm thinking about it." Crane lowered himself to the ground, monitoring me while doing so. Once on the ground, he maintained his distance from me, avoiding the daggers my eyes were throwing at him. "This time, stay on the ground."
Crane lowered his head, trying to make himself invisible from my glare. Once Crane had positioned himself in the far-southern corner of the training courtyard, we scattered around the training grounds again, but picking different locations to hide. This time, I leapt over the northern wall, planning to ambush Crane front-on. Mantis also followed me over the wall, hiding beside me to my right. "Five cookies he launches himself into the air again," Mantis whispered with a chuckle. My side-glance silenced Mantis before a figure moving on the Training Hall roof caught my attention.
Upon looking up, Monkey was hanging from the roof, ready to attack. He glanced down at me, giving the thumbs up, signalling he was ready. Nodding in reply, we attacked. With Mantis alongside me, we jumped over the wall and charged at Crane, while Monkey leapt off the roof, attacking Crane from his right. Viper emerged from the bushes on the western fringe of the training courtyard, ambushing Crane from his left. By charging at Crane front-on, it ensured he couldn't escape, and would have to fight. Monkey reached Crane first, swinging his bamboo staff at Crane, only for the large avian to grab the staff and toss it away, taking Monkey with it.
Viper attacked Crane, striking out at his legs, allowing me to launch an array of punches and kicks at his upper body. Crane blocked my attacks, while avoiding the strikes of Viper, causing us to circle around as we fought. In-between defending my punches, Crane swung his left wing away from his body, smacking the charging Mantis away in one swift move. My continuous unleash of attacks brought Crane's attention back onto me, as Monkey returned for a second round, joining in on the fight. As we fought, Crane jumped over us, giving himself a few seconds to recompose before resuming to defend himself from our attacks.
Mantis bolted between Monkey and me, charging straight at Crane, only to be deflected in the air and swotted over the wall. With Crane exposing himself, it provided the opportunity to unleash a roundhouse kick, directed at Crane's body, which he avoided before jumping over my sweeping kick. During my kick, Monkey attacked Crane, using his staff to fight against the defences of Crane's wings. While Monkey fought Crane, Viper returned to resume striking at Crane's legs. In defence, Crane picked Viper up with his free claw and threw her away into the bushes, before reverting his focus on Monkey and me.
This distraction provided the time required to execute a flying sidekick, which Crane blocked at the last second. Crane then swung around, grabbing onto Monkey's bamboo staff with his claw, ripping it from Monkey's grasp and knocking Monkey on the head, stunning him. By doing this, Crane left his body unprotected, allowing me to deliver a roundhouse kick into his belly, knocking him off balance. Standing in my defensive stance, ready for the next move, upon seeing the carnage the fight had left, Crane's turn had ended. With a teasing smile, I walked over to Crane and helped him up. "You defended well, but couldn't stop everything."
Crane dusted himself off before looking at me and pointed to the centre of the training courtyard. "I think you need to show us how it's done, Tigress."
"It would be my pleasure."
"Can we have a break first?" Mantis asked from somewhere behind me.
Peering over my shoulder with a frown, Mantis, and the others were re-joining us in the training courtyard, looking worse for wear after the fight. Before another word was spoken, someone slammed open the training courtyard doors, making us jump into our defensive stances, ready to fight whoever emerged. "STUDENTS! STUDENTS!" Master Shifu shouted, appearing panicked in a rare occurrence.
"What is it, master?" Viper asked, as we rushed over to Master Shifu, seeing how freaked out he was. Either something bad had happened in the valley, or to Master Shifu. It had been a long time since Master Shifu has shown such concern over something.
Master Shifu closed the training courtyard doors before turning around, looking hesitant to share whatever information he had for us. "I… I have some good news, and some bad news for you." We glanced at one another, before looking at Master Shifu, intrigued. "Although, Master Oogway would say, 'It's just news'," Master Shifu muttered, making us confused, before he took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Master Oogway summoned me because he had a vision." A frightened look enveloped Master Shifu's facial features as he looked down before bringing his focus back up to us. "He envisioned that… that Tai Lung would return."
We all gasped, stepping back in shock. Out of all the possibilities, that was the least expected. "Master, how?" I asked. "He's in Chorh-Gom Prison. That's the most secured prison we know."
Looking down at the ground, Master Shifu nodded in agreement. "I know. I know." His head shot back up, fear evident in his eyes, but maintained his composure. "I've sent Zeng to inform the guards to tighten their security. We cannot! let Tai Lung return. He'll destroy everything!" Master Shifu paused; the concerned expression faded as sanguinity replaced his facial features. "Master Oogway also informed me of something else. Something far bigger, and much better, than his vision." Pausing again, Master Shifu became hesitant for reasons that made me curious to know. "Master Oogway informed me that today, he would pick someone, one of you, to become… the Dragon Warrior."
Silence took over the training courtyard as we stood there, stunned. My brain tried processing what Master Shifu had said, but part of me wondered whether my hearing was hallucinating. Did Master Shifu just say that? I had to double check. "Master, today?"
"Yes, Tigress!" Master Shifu said, looking at me. "Today, one of you will become the Dragon Warrior. I suggest you go freshen up, relax. Do whatever you need to do to prepare. When the gong rings, meet me at the Palace Arena where I'll give you a last-minute dressing."
We bowed to Master Shifu as he left the training courtyard. Once Master Shifu had disappeared, we looked up at one another, trying to process everything Master Shifu had told us. Part of me doubted whether this was true. That it was just another one of my stupid dreams, filling me with optimism only to end up spitting it in my face, but my instincts were telling me otherwise. This was no dream. This was real. Today, Master Oogway would choose the Dragon Warrior. It felt surreal saying those words, but despite the shock, now wasn't a time to be sceptical about the truthfulness of Master Shifu's news. Now was a time to prepare for the most historical event in the history of kung fu.
These next few hours will be the most important hours of my life. It will determine whether the years spent dedicating my life to training will pay off. Now was a time to do everything within my control to provide me the best chance of being given the greatest honour. Snapping out of my pensive state, I turned to the others, who were also in deep thought. "We better prepare for the tournament." The others looked up at me and nodded. Before leaving the training courtyard, a thought sprung to mind. "Oh." I shifted my attention to Monkey. "Mantis owes me five of your almond cookies."
"OI! Stop betting with my cookies!"
"It wasn't my fault!" Mantis said, defending himself before pointing at Crane. "It was his!"
"What did I do?!"
Crane's bewildered face at being blamed for reasons unknown to him was my last observation before leaving the training courtyard. While walking towards the student barracks, a smug look plastered itself on my face for having created another argument between the boys. Sometimes they never learn, and until they do, I will forever bait them into pointless kerfuffles, providing some entertainment for myself. Half the time, no, most of the time, it's stuff you shake your head at, but that's the boys for you. The things they do, well, mainly Monkey and Mantis, make you wonder how they have survived being kung fu masters for so long.
[End Notes]:
That concludes the end of the first (of many) chapters for this story. What did you think? Lemme know in the reviews (or feel free to send me a PM... they're open to anyone who wishes to chat). For those who remember the previous version, what did you think? Did you notice much change from what you remember? I can tell you a lot has changed. In the previous version, this 1st chapter was a mere 2100 words... it's now just over 5600 words. Now, because I want this story to feel as realistic as possible, if there are any parts which seem unrealistic, or you think could be reassessed, please don't be afraid to let me know. Getting constructive criticism will help me shape this story. If there's something you think I could improve on, the only way I will know is if you tell me, so don't be afraid to. In addition, if you spot any mistakes (grammatically or punctuationally), do let me know too. I may edit my works thoroughly, but mistakes are bound to slip past me here and there.
Now, we're just getting started with this story. This chapter is just a warmup, and to be honest, it was kinda weird going all the way back to when Po wasn't even in the frame. Lots to cover, lots to do, but that's okay. I've given myself this challenge. So, what's next? My plan is to upload a chapter every three weeks. That way, it gives me enough time to write the chapters, without rushing them, edit and polish it up, ready to be uploaded, and then start on the next one. Over time, that'll allow me to get ahead with the story while ensuring the uploads are continued at a regular interval. Then, down the track (maybe in a year or so), I might be able to increase the upload frequency to every 2 weeks to ensure the story moves along. It's a big story, so I want to complete it as efficiently as possible, without having it take 20 years to complete. That's the plan anyway... whether I stick to it, we'll see.
The reason I don't want to be uploading once a week is because not only is it not enough time for me to complete a chapter (to the standard I hold myself at), but also to ensure you guys have enough time to read the chapters, because some will be close to 10k long. This chapter is slightly under average in terms of chapter lengths, so from hereon in, most chapters will be in excess of 7k words, but I will try to keep them below 9k words. That 7-9k chapter length is ideal for the amount of content I'd like to include in each chapter. So, for now, a new chapter will be uploaded every 3 weeks on the Monday (unless something out of my control happens). If any changes do occur, I will post them on my profile, so if a chapter is meant to be realised on a particular day, and it's not, check my profile out for any possible notes. I will also provides links in my profile to each chapter. Anyway, thank you for spending your valuable time reading this chapter, and my extended author notes (they won't be this long every chapter). Your time means a lot to me.
Chapter 2 is scheduled to be released on Jan 31.
Until then, take care and stay safe!
Footrot Flats :)