G'day!
Welcome to Chapter 4 for Eye of the Tiger
I hope you have kept yourselves alive and well in times when the world has gone mad. A lot has happened since the last upload. Hopefully none of you are directly affected by the on-going conflict occurring in Ukraine, but if you are affected by it, do not hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. We're all here to support you, and hopefully restore peace sooner rather than later. No one wins a war. Sometimes greed drives people to do things that are not necessary. If only we had Master Oogway. The more you take, the less you have.
Anyway, similar to the previous chapter, this chapter received quite a makeover. You might notice the chapters have been growing in size, with this chapter nearing 10k words. Promise, this is the upper limit of how large chapters will be. Any bigger and they start to drag on, but there was quite a lot of content to get through in this chapter. After all, it's the first chapter to cover a full day's worth of events, whereas the first three chapters covered a single day. Between the movie scenes and my own BTS scenes, a fair bit happens in this chapter. After reading it back while editing, it would be an exhausting day.
Something I'd like to mention... has anyone ever noticed the flaw in the movie for when Master Shifu kicks Po down the thousand steps? I mean, there are quite a few flaws in the movie (if you know where to look), but this was the most noticeable one for me. It's in regards to the scene where Po is sparring with The Five in the training courtyard. Now, the training courtyard is a few hundred feet from the Hall of Warriors, and is positioned on the side of it, facing perpendicular to the direction of the thousand steps. When Master Shifu loses his temper and kicks Po out of the training courtyard, Po flies some distance before landing on the thousand steps. For him to do this, he'd have had to flown over the Jade Palace, and somehow change directions mid-flights, before landing on the steps.
After that, the Furious Five walk out of the training courtyard and appear to be watching Po fall down the thousand steps... which wouldn't be possible. You can have a look at the scene yourself to see what you think. Maybe I'm analysing it too much... that's fine. That's half my job. But yeah, that made it a little difficult writing that scene in a way that made sense, so hopefully it does. I kinda brushed over it, so we'll stay quiet about it. As you may have guessed, that is one scene in this chapter, but that's all I'll spoil. Rather than spoiling the rest, I'll let you read and discover yourselves what's in the chapter.
A special thanks to JustAnotherWriter140, Natecool05, and Starless Echoes for leaving reviews on the previous chapter. Your reviews are much appreciated, so thank you for the kind words you shared. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time out of their day to read my works. Whether you're a seasoned fan or someone new checking out my works, your time is much appreciated. I encourage you to leave a review (or send me a PM) if you want to leave a comment on this story. All reviews are welcomed (as long as they're acceptable), and any feedback given is taken with respect. Feedback is invaluable, so the more received, the better this story will be. Don't hesitate to send constructive criticism too. It's the only way my stories can improve. I'll take the positive feedback with the constructive criticism. Anyway, that's enough dribble for now. As always...
Disclaimer: All characters and settings used in this story are property of DreamWorks (except for the characters/settings randomly created by me throughout the story.)
Without further adieu, here is chapter 4
Please Read, Review & Enjoy!
Chapter 4 - A Real Warrior Never Quits
The faintest shade of light crept into my room, indicating sunrise was imminent. Resting on my bed, staring at the roof, it surprised me to have woken up fifteen minutes prior, given my restless mind keeps me awake some nights. Once the tiredness washed away, my mind snapped into action, remembering the events of yesterday. Doubt plagued my mind, contemplating whether yesterday's events were true, or if it was one stupid nightmare that ended minutes ago. It being a nightmare would be the best result, but my instincts were telling me otherwise. Yesterday had happened, and while it was one of the worst days of my life, today was a brand-new day. Anything was possible.
Since waking up, the confrontation last night with the panda dominated my thoughts. After overhearing what the panda said to himself, it appeared the message got through to him, and he planned to leave during the night. It would have been hard for the panda to hear such words, but the truth had to be said. With the looming threat of Tai Lung, we need every second to prepare for the inevitable battle. The panda's presence was a distraction not needed and his departure was best for everyone. Even if the panda had left, what he said to himself played over and over in my head. No one has ever looked up to me, or has, at least, admitted doing so, and the panda learnt the hard way why that is the case.
Nothing could explain why the panda found inspiration from me, but knowing he did made me contemplate my choice of words. Unfortunately, it is not possible to rewind time. What's done is done. It may have been the right thing to do for the situation we're facing, but part of me felt guilty for having done so. To have called the panda a disgrace may have been too odious of a word to use. He needed to understand the situation we're in, but the anger burning inside of me controlled my choice of words. Whether they were reasonable, my objective was to make the panda leave. We do not have the time, nor patience, to deal with him. After his showings yesterday, he would be an unnecessary distraction, and nothing more.
There's no harm in being a fan of kung fu. Everywhere we go there are fanatics, wanting autographs or something from us, but there's a time and place. Now is not one of them. However, given the panda didn't disrupt my sleep, it appeared as though he hadn't returned to the student barracks. That rose my hopes about him having left, but if that were the case, what did it mean for the title of the Dragon Warrior? Would Master Oogway re-run a tournament and choose again? There was only one way to find out. With the sunlight having sucked all the darkness from my room, I stood by the door and waited for the morning gong to ring in 3… 2… 1…
GOOOONG!
Upon hearing the bell tower gong, I sprung out of my room into the hallway. "Good morning, master!" A glimmer of hope rose in my chest seeing the panda hadn't come out of his room. Perhaps he had left after all. When glancing down the hallway, towards Master Shifu, someone had punctured a hole in the floorboards, between Monkey and Crane's room. That confirmed the panda had fallen through them last night, explaining the snapping noise heard before the panda barged into Crane's room.
"PANDA!" Master Shifu yelled out, only for no response. A frown formed on my face when looking back at the panda's room, hoping he had indeed left, and wasn't further disrespecting us. "PANDA!" Master Shifu walked down to the panda's room, slamming open the doors. "WAKE UP!" After Master Shifu opened the panda's doors, a satisfied smug formed on my face, seeing no panda occupied the room. Likewise, Master Shifu chortled at the sight of the empty room. "He's quit." Master Shifu walked out of the student barracks, shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath after looking at the hole in the hallway before leading us to the training grounds.
With the panda gone, the day felt livelier, knowing my efforts had not gone to waste. Master Shifu appeared just as pleased, if not more, knowing we wouldn't have to deal with the panda anymore. We can focus on more serious matters. It gave us the time required to prepare plans of attack for when Tai Lung returned to the Valley of Peace. Despite the looming danger, the uncertainty regarding the Dragon Warrior lingered in my mind. "What do we do now, master? With the panda gone, who will be the Dragon Warrior?" Viper asked, reading my mind. Then again, everyone would have been thinking the same thing.
"All we can do is resume our training and trust that in time, the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed." Master Shifu opened the training courtyard doors, only to see a sight that stunned us all. The panda was on two training horses facing away from us. It infuriated me seeing the panda, after thinking we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. Why had he stayed? Even after the confrontation with that panda, he would not quit. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
The panda, still on the two training horses, peered over his shoulder. "AHHH! Hi! G-Good morning, master!" After saluting to Master Shifu, the panda turned back around. "I thought I'd warm up a little." The panda stretched to his left, displaying his non-existent flexibility, while also trying to move his left leg, making it obvious he was stuck.
"You're stuck."
"Stuck?! Nah! Whaa? Stuck?" The panda scoffed, waving his arm in the air, pretending he wasn't stuck. "Pfft… Nah. This is one of my… Yeah, I'm stuck."
Master Shifu turned to Crane. "Help him."
"Oh dear," Crane muttered before approaching the panda.
Master Shifu shouldn't offer any help towards the panda. He got himself into that situation. He should be able to get out of it. It's understandable why Master Shifu wanted to deal with the panda first, but he has been displaying an unusual amount of patience. Perhaps we're about to see that patience run out. It shouldn't take long to force the panda out of the Jade Palace, but given the panda's stubbornness, it may take more effort than expected. With the panda stuck on the training horses, Crane grabbed the panda by his waistband and dragged him off them. The panda stood up and looked at Crane. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
"No, really, I appreciate-"
"Ever."
Crane walked back over to us and stood beside me. "You actually thought you could learn to do a full split in one night?" Master Shifu asked the panda. "It takes years"—Master Shifu grabbed two wooden boards and threw them into the air—"to develop one's flexibility!" Without being asked, I stepped forward and crouched down, while glaring up at the panda, knowing the following display would mesmerise him. At the click of Master Shifu's fingers, I sprung into the air, perfecting a split kick to destroy the wooden boards. After landing on the ground, I glared over my shoulder at the panda, daring him to do something like that. Pieces fell around the panda as I returned to my spot, before a sizeable chunk fell onto his head, making me smile, but frowned, seeing the panda pick it up. "PUT THAT DOWN! The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones!"
"Yeah!" The panda threw the chunk behind him before chuckling as he saluted to Master Shifu. "Excellent!"
"Let's get started." Master Shifu snapped his fingers, indicating training had begun. The panda must be prepared because there won't be much left of him after we're finished today. Once we cleared the equipment from the training courtyard, we gathered in a line, ready to spar with the panda. It was unclear what the panda would do during the spars, but after his display from yesterday, there was little doubt it'd be anything but pretty. Master Shifu walked over and stood in front of us. "Your first opponent, panda, will be Viper."
Viper slithered forward, facing the panda. "Are you ready?"
The panda faced Viper, and once again displayed no kind of defence stance, but held his arms up in a sloppy manner. "I was born rea-"
Before the panda could finish, Viper lashed out at the panda's feet with her tail, flipping him into a cartwheel. While the panda was mid-air, Viper used her tail again, striking the panda's stomach, resulting in him doing a somersault, before Viper unleashed a downward tail slap. The panda crash-landed on his neck, yelping out in pain. Viper completed the sparring contest in just three moves. Impressive, but it would take me a third of the moves. With the contest finished, Viper slithered over to the panda. "I'm sorry, brother. I thought you said you were ready."
While Viper's comment sounded sarcastic, it didn't seem to bother the panda. "That was awesome! Let's go again!" The panda saluted Viper, making her look at us, surprised. It didn't surprise me seeing the panda wouldn't die wondering, but this was our opportunity to show him what we're made of, and why he's nothing but useless.
Master Shifu snapped his fingers, showing anger was building up inside of him already, and unlike yesterday, he wasn't containing it today. "Panda, get up! Your next opponent is Monkey!" Master Shifu turned for the Training Hall, leaving us confused, before returning with two bamboo staffs.
Monkey stepped forward as Master Shifu threw him a bamboo staff, while throwing the other at the panda. The panda wasn't paying attention, resulting in the staff hitting him on the head. I shook my head as the panda picked up the staff and faced Monkey. "Get ready to be bamboozled!" Monkey said, twirling the staff around in his hands. With the panda clueless on how to use the staff, Monkey advanced, hitting the panda's staff at first, before moving onto the panda's body. First, Monkey poked the panda's belly before whacking him on the back. Unable to defend himself with the staff, the panda copped both hits, before the panda unintentionally used the staff to block another attack from Monkey.
The panda appeared amazed by what he had done, before a bamboo staff smacked him on the head, knocking him onto the ground. I may have stated earlier that we prevent contact with the head, but this is different. As the proclaimed Dragon Warrior, the panda had to show he could protect vital areas, such as your head. So far, the panda had not. Despite being defeated again, the panda saluted Monkey, reigniting my anger. It was obvious Master Shifu was reaching his breaking point by how forcefully he clicked his fingers but disallowed his temper to snap. "Panda! Follow us! You will face Crane on the Jade Tortoise." We followed Master Shifu into the Training Hall as Master Shifu pointed to the Jade Tortoise. "Panda! On there!"
The panda glanced at the Jade Tortoise before looking back at Master Shifu, appearing sceptical. "Ahhh… how?"
Master Shifu glared at the panda; a glare that never ends well. "You have ten seconds to get on there before I throw you on it!" The panda gulped before scurrying over to the Jade Tortoise. He stopped at the base, glancing up to the edge before looking back at us. "Five seconds, panda!" The panda looked back at the Jade Tortoise, but to everyone's surprise, the panda jumped onto the edge without making the Jade Tortoise topple over. A skill that required soft feet. I glanced at Viper, who seemed just as astonished as me. It didn't change my perspective on the panda, but it was the first "skill" he had shown. With the panda balanced on top of the Jade Tortoise, Crane landed on the other side, nodding at the panda before they faced each other, ready to spar.
Again, the panda showed the worst defensive stance possessed by anybody. Then again, calling it a defensive stance is being kind. Before Crane could start, the panda lost his balance and plunged into the bowl. The Jade Tortoise rocked around, knocking the panda in every direction, just like yesterday. Crane hovered above, looking at us, unsure what to do. Master Shifu rubbed his temple. "How can someone be so clumsy?" Master Shifu said, muttering to himself before snapping his fingers, gathering everyone's attention. "Panda! Outside!" We followed Master Shifu to the training courtyard, but before leaving the Training Hall, I glanced back, seeing the panda topple the Jade Tortoise over, and fall out onto his face. It was remarkable how someone could be so clumsy, yet not injure themselves. Upon walking onto the training courtyard, Master Shifu turned to Mantis. "Do as you please, Mantis."
The panda stumbled out of the Training Hall, still dazed by the Jade Tortoise, misplacing his foot on the top step, and tumbled down the steps onto the training courtyard. While the panda dragged himself to the centre of the courtyard, Mantis hopped out and faced the panda. Before the panda could react, Mantis leapt up and smacked the panda across the face. Stunned by the attack, the panda couldn't recompose himself as Mantis pushed him around the courtyard before slamming the panda onto his stomach. Mantis continued tossing the panda around the courtyard before finishing his turn by smashing the panda into the ground on his back. After finishing his turn with the panda, Mantis hopped over to us as we waited for the panda's next move.
By now, the panda had endured hours of brutal training, and despite copping a severe beating from everyone, he didn't show any signs of quitting or being in pain. At the end of each sparring contest, he would get up and go again. One would say that's showing bravery, but in my eyes, it's stupidity. He possesses no skills, yet sparred with us, knowing we weren't holding back. As expected, after completing his sparring contest with Mantis, the panda saluted to us again. It was infuriating watching the panda not surrender. What was it going to take for the panda to quit? With the others having completed their turns, optimism rose in my body, hoping Master Shifu would allow me to spar with the panda.
"I've been taking it easy on you, panda. But no more! Your next opponent will be me!" Master Shifu said, causing my shoulders to drop in disappointment.
The panda rolled onto his belly, appearing excited. "Alright! Yeah, let's go!"
Why Master Shifu allowed the others to spar with the panda but not me was frustrating. Perhaps he didn't want me to lose my temper with the panda, but then again, Master Shifu looked to have just about lost his. Master Shifu stepped forward towards the panda. "Step forth!" Before the panda could finish his step, Master Shifu pounced on the panda, tossing him around in the air. "The true path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness"—Master Shifu slammed the panda onto his belly, before pinning the panda's arm behind his back in a painful hammerlock position—"and to make him suffer for it."
The panda tapped the ground. "Oh, yeah!" It was hard to tell whether the panda was in pain or enjoying the experience.
"To take his strength." Master Shifu picked the panda up by his head and slammed him into the ground on his neck. "And use it against him." Continuing his relentless onslaught, Master Shifu threw the panda up onto his feet before delivering several upper kicks to the panda's head. "Until he finally falls." The panda flew across the courtyard after being tossed by Master Shifu, before being dragged around and slammed onto his stomach again. Master Shifu jumped onto the panda's back, gripping the panda's face by his nose. "Or quits!"
"But a real warrior never quits," the panda said through his nasal voice. "Don't worry, master. I will never quit."
This seemed to break the last straw for Master Shifu, as he tossed the panda into the air before delivering a flying kick into the panda's stomach. The strike sent the panda flying out of the training courtyard and over the Jade Palace screaming, before disappearing. After dealing with the panda, Master Shifu turned to us with steam almost spewing out of his ears. "Class is finished!" Master Shifu stormed out of the training courtyard, leaving us to ourselves.
With Master Shifu gone, I walked out of the training courtyard, with the others following. "If he's smart, he won't come back up those steps." Though we couldn't see the panda, we could hear his yelps as he bounced down the thousand steps into the valley below.
"But he will," Monkey said.
I glanced at Monkey and rolled my eyes before turning around to return to the training courtyard. "He's not going to quit, is he?" Viper asked as I walked away. It seemed impossible anyone would want to return after receiving that kind of treatment. Was it harsh? Yes, but it was necessary. What couldn't be explained was why the panda showed no desire to quit. We battered him all day, yet never seemed desperate to leave. The panda appeared to be enjoying the experience, which made no sense. Was his village life that horrible he preferred it here? What plausible explanation could he have for wanting to stay? We could only hope the panda would concede defeat and not return, but like Viper said, that won't be the end of him. Something inside of me knew he'd return.
With the panda gone for now, it gave me the opportunity to refocus on more important matters. After having the last two days wasted by the panda, some time on my own was much needed. Not only would some peace help soothe my mind after the horrific past few days, but with an urgent situation unfolding in front of us, I needed to plan for Tai Lung's arrival. Time is running out, yet we've done nothing to prepare for Tai Lung, and that's the panda's fault. A low growl rumbled from my throat, disappointed at letting the panda distract my train of thoughts again. The only way to get him out of my mind was by meditating. Upon leaving the training courtyard, the others had disappeared, presumably to return to the student barracks.
As the sun slipped behind the far western mountains, the Peach Tree always provides a sense of peace and tranquillity, and in current times, both were needed. So many thoughts were going through my mind, but whatever the thought was, it somehow found a tangent drawing back to the panda. Nothing could get him out of my mind, and it was driving me crazy. After spending the entire day watching the others beat the panda to a pulp, only for the panda to get up and go again was humiliating, disrespectful, and degrading. So many words can describe the day, but one word sums up the past two days. That word is disappointment. Everything that's happened since the Dragon Warrior tournament has made me feel like the biggest disappointment to everyone around me.
To have created such expectations, only for the panda to fall out of the sky and take what I've trained twenty years for can only be described as one enormous failure. What disappointed me the most today, though, was not being given the opportunity to spar with the panda. It made no sense why Master Shifu allowed everyone else to spar with the panda but me. Nobody held back when they sparred with the panda. How could I have been any different? It cannot be because Master Shifu feared I'd lose control of my temper and kill the panda. Not even I would have done that. The panda may have ended up with some injuries, but killing is not something in my repertoire unless it's necessary.
Besides, the panda seems to possess some magical ability that absorbs impacts on his body, so even if my anger had taken over, there's no reason the panda wouldn't have survived the attacks, only to get up and go again. He survived Master Shifu's rage, which is quite an accomplishment. That's assuming landing on the ground or bouncing down the thousand steps didn't kill him. If he can survive falling from a thousand feet, who knows what it would take for him to sustain an injury. Upon closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing, I had to get that panda out of my mind. The past cannot be changed, but what happens now shapes the future, and our future will soon clash with Tai Lung.
With the inevitable danger fast approaching, we need a plan of attack, because there's no doubt Tai Lung will be stronger than before. Stronger than when he laid waste to the Valley of Peace twenty years ago. He'll be back, fuelled by re-vengeance. It'll take every skill we possess to defeat him. We cannot risk repeating history. It took many years for the valley to recover from his attacks, and to this day, the scars remain. In saying that, the valley would remain more peaceful if Tai Lung never came close to returning. If anyone doesn't deserve a second chance here, it's Tai Lung. He caused so much destruction and anguish, and while I may have been young, that day will forever remain a vivid memory. To have watched it unfold before my own eyes, yet not have the capabilities to protect the villagers, is something I regret to this day.
Master Oogway may have ended Tai Lung's rage before he could take the Dragon Scroll, but by then, the damage had already been done. That day changed the entire valley for the worse. Nothing has been the same since, but the one thing that changed the most was Master Shifu. Ever since that day, he's never been the same. Tai Lung broke Master Shifu's heart, and ever since, Master Shifu hasn't allowed his heart to voice itself. To know the hurt Master Shifu went through, we must do everything we can to protect him. He cannot be put through such pain again. I will do everything within my power to protect him, because if he experiences another heartbreak like that, he may not survive.
During my youth, Master Shifu may not have acted like much of a father-figure, which is understandable after the pain he went through, but he still had enough heart to provide me with a home, and a purpose. For that, I will forever be grateful, and as my duty is to protect people from danger, Master Shifu is no different. We must stop Tai Lung. Given Chorh-Gom Prison is in the Tavan Bogd Mountains, within the Northern Wastelands, the Thread of Hope is the quickest way he can reach the Valley of Peace. With that in mind, I knew what had to be done. It wouldn't be easy, but with the others supporting me, we have what it takes to defeat Tai Lung.
Whatever cost it takes to stop him, we cannot let Tai Lung cross the Thread of Hope. We either succeed or die trying. As the Thread of Hope is on the north-western boundary of Song, it would almost take an entire day to travel there. We had to leave. There was no time to waste. I stood up from the Peach Tree, but upon turning around, Master Shifu was standing on the top step, looking at me. "Master? Is there an issue?"
Master Shifu still appeared agitated, which didn't surprise me after the last two days, but he kept a calm demeanour. At my question, his expression softened as he walked over and stood under the Peach Tree. "No, no. There are no issues, Tigress. I came here to speak to you."
Curious to know what he wanted to speak to me about, many questions formed at the tip of my tongue, but the thought of the panda brought a different question to mind. "Have you seen the panda return, master?"
Master Shifu sighed. "Not as far as I'm aware, but I'm not here to speak about the panda." Master Shifu sat down underneath the Peach Tree and gestured for me to sit opposite him. Upon sitting down, Master Shifu closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath before opening his eyes and looking at me as he exhaled. "I've realised since Master Oogway chose the panda as the Dragon Warrior, I haven't had the time to speak to you. The last few days have been challenging for us all, for several reasons, but they've been most difficult for you."
Nodding in agreement, flashbacks of the last two days surged through my mind, raising my anger levels. To have trained my entire life, hoping to become the Dragon Warrior, only for some fat panda to take it from me, made my life feel like a complete waste of time. Never do I criticise Master Oogway, but if Master Shifu wants to speak to me, then now is the time to be open and honest. "What was Master Oogway thinking about picking the panda, master? To have spent twenty years' training, dreaming of becoming the Dragon Warrior, only for some panda to snatch it from me is something I'll never live down. That panda has made me feel like a complete failure. I just don't get it!"
Master Shifu remained silent as he looked at the ground, conjugating some kind of response. After ten seconds had passed, Master Shifu looked at me. "Tigress, I may agree with you on the panda. I don't understand Master Oogway's logic, but then again, I never have. He may see something in the panda that we don't. If the panda returns, we'll just have to accept he's here to stay."
The thought of the panda returning caused anger to surge throughout my body, forcing me to clench my paw into a tight fist. "We cannot let the panda return, master! He's nothing but a joke and clearly possesses no skills in kung fu. Every time I look or think about the panda, it reminds me how much of a failure I have become."
Master Shifu looked at me, appearing surprised by my statement, before he let out a sigh. "When Master Oogway chose the panda as the Dragon Warrior, after seeing your reaction, I knew you thought you had failed everyone around you, including me. You have never failed me, Tigress. I have always been proud of what you have achieved, and how you've grown into the kung fu master you are today. If anything, I am the one needing to apologise for having failed you."
I looked at Master Shifu, stunned and saddened by his response, before glancing down at the ground. Not one fibre within my body thought he had failed me. He never has failed me. I am the one that has spent my entire life trying to make Master Shifu proud of me, but also to prove my worth to this world. While Master Shifu may say he's proud of me, I still feel like a failure to him. Until I prove my worthiness, nothing will make me feel like anything but a failure to Master Shifu. With Tai Lung's arrival inevitable, it created the perfect opportunity. This was my battle to fight. It was my chance to prove to everyone, including Master Shifu, that I am not a failure. With those thoughts, I looked at Master Shifu. "What do we do about Tai Lung, master?"
A stern look enveloped Master Shifu's face. "Until he arrives in the valley, all we can do is prepare."
It's understandable the past events still traumatise Master Shifu, but we cannot be passive with this kind of threat. This is one of those fights where we must attack first. "Master, with all due respect, we cannot let him march into the valley. We have time to stop him before he reaches-"
"No! This is not your battle, Tigress! Tai Lung is my mistake. It is my battle to fight."
It was a losing battle trying to convince Master Shifu otherwise, but he cannot fight Tai Lung alone. "Master, all we need to do is-"
"Tigress, it is not your destiny to fight Tai Lung! It is mine! If I die during battle, then I will have paid for the mistakes I made all those years ago." Silence followed, as I looked at Master Shifu, both frustrated and worried. It didn't matter what my argument was, Master Shifu had his mind set on fighting Tai Lung. Once his mind is set on something, it's near impossible to change it. Master Shifu stood up from the ground. "Don't stay out here much longer."
As Master Shifu disappeared, his words repeated in my mind. He may feel a level of guilt about Tai Lung, but that's not his fault. Master Shifu couldn't control the path Tai Lung went down. Everything that happened to him was his fault. Not Master Shifu's, nor anyone else's. It doesn't explain why Master Shifu doesn't want us fighting Tai Lung. If that's not what we've been training for, then what have we been training for? We can defeat Tai Lung if we act early and fight together. The longer we wait, the more time we waste. We've wasted enough time already; we cannot waste anymore. The last thing I could allow was to watch Tai Lung march into the valley and destroy everything without doing something.
We cannot give Tai Lung a slimmer of hope, let alone allow him to come anywhere near Master Shifu. I had to prevent any of that from happening by getting to the Thread of Hope and cutting the bridge while Tai Lung is crossing it. Killing may not be in my repertoire, but Tai Lung is an exception. There is no other way. We must defeat him, and in a way where he can never return. Leaving to do so would disobey Master Shifu's orders, but he left me little choice. If I can convince the others to join me, we have the skills to defeat Tai Lung. The valley cannot come under his threat anymore. He caused enough damage in the past, and he's going to pay the ultimate price for the trauma he caused. Knowing what must be done, I stood up from the Peach Tree and headed back to the student barracks.
By now, darkness had set in, giving us the perfect setting to make our move out of the valley under the cover of the night sky. Given we had a thousand miles of land between us and the Cliffs of the Great Awakening, where the Thread of Hope begins, we had to leave now. It didn't matter what time of day we got there, just as long as we got there before Tai Lung crossed the bridge. Even if Tai Lung hadn't escaped from Chorh-Gom Prison yet, now was our time to make a move. Master Shifu may act passive about this, but I don't. This is something we must tackle front-on. If we don't take advantage, we'll pay for it.
While approaching the student barracks, light illuminated from the room opposite to mine. Hoping for anything but a sign the panda had returned, it wouldn't surprise me if he had come back, but right now, we had more urgent matters on our hands. The panda has wasted enough of our time. We cannot let him waste anymore. Upon entering the student barracks, the sounds of voices caught the attention of my ears. Curious to know who was in there, and what they were talking about, while walking down the hallway, the voice of Viper's drew out from the panda's room. "According to legend, there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile."
"Noooo!" the panda said. I knew that panda would return, but that wasn't the foremost thought at the front of my mind. Hearing Viper mention Master Shifu made me stop and listen, curious to see where their conversation was going.
"Yes," Mantis said, confirming he was also in the panda's room.
"But that was before…" Viper whispered before hesitating. Straight away, I knew where this conversation was heading. A place no conversation should go, but one the panda should know.
"Before what?" the panda
"Before Tai Lung," I said, bursting through the panda's doors, seeing an unexpected sight. The panda had several acupuncture needles sticking out of his back, shoulders, and neck, indicating Mantis struggled to find the nerve points under the panda's fat.
"Uh, yeah, we're not really supposed to talk about him," Crane said through the shoji screen from his room.
I glanced at Crane's shadow before looking at the panda. "Well, if he's going to stay here, he should know."
"Guys! Guys! I know about Tai Lung," the panda said, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him, intrigued to know what he knew about Tai Lung. "He was a student." I approached the panda as he shared his knowledge. "The first ever to master the thousand… scrolls of… kung fu." Mantis hid behind the panda's back, while the panda quivered with his speech as I stood a few feet away from him. Normally, I would want to keep my distance from the panda but felt the need to show the panda some intimidation. "And… then he turned bad… a-and… now he's in jail."
Giving the panda a piercing stare, his knowledge was basic, and decided to fill him in with some much-needed information. This was my last chance to make the panda realise the magnitude of the situation we're facing, and why he must leave. "He wasn't just a student. Shifu found him as a cub, and he raised him as his son. And when the boy showed talent in kung fu, Shifu trained him. He believed in him. He told him he was destined for greatness. It was never enough for Tai Lung. He wanted the Dragon Scroll. But Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused. Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley. He tried to take the scroll by force. And Shifu had to destroy what he created. But how could he? Shifu loved Tai Lung like he had never loved anyone before… or since."
The last part caused me to reflect on my upbringing with Master Shifu. I was there when it happened and was the one who received the aftereffects because of it. It's not Master Shifu's fault, but his change in demeanour caused me to become the person I am today. When my eyes refocused on the panda, anger flooded my body once again. "And now, he has a chance to make things right. To train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with you. A big, fat panda who treats it like a joke." The panda's facial expressions retreated, but before I, or anyone else, could say anything, the panda pulled a googly eyed face, causing my anger to erupt. "OH, THAT IS IT!"
Raising my left fist to attack the panda, Mantis jumped onto the panda's face, stopping me in my tracks. "WAIT! MY FAULT! I ACCIDENTALLY TWEAKED HIS FACIAL NERVE!" The panda plummeted face-first onto the floor, forcing me to take a few steps backwards, revealing his back covered in needles. "And may have also stopped his heart." Mantis poked the panda's face, causing it to twitch.
With my fist still raised in a ball, everyone looked at me, shocked by my outburst. Anger and adrenaline flooded through my body like nothing ever experienced. The anger was blinding. Worse than when the panda was chosen as the Dragon Warrior, while the adrenaline shook my body. I wanted to punch the panda to oblivion the moment he pulled that face, but upon realising what had happened, it took every fibre within my body to stop myself. The panda didn't do that on purpose. He was defenceless. Before anyone said anything, or the anger got the better of me, I fled the student barracks. When my body is seething with anger, going to the Ironwood Forests and punching the trees helps expel the anger, but it wouldn't help after what had just occurred.
Upon arriving at the Peach tree, my mind was racing, trying to comprehend everything, but couldn't. Pacing back and forth, my body just couldn't get rid of the anger flowing through it. Never has anger blinded me so much, and it almost got the better of me. If it weren't for Mantis, my blind rage may have severely injured the panda. Or worse. What's unforgivable is almost attacking the panda, who was defenceless. I attack no one who's defenceless. Not even a panda like him. We're trained not to harm anyone unless it's warranted, but my anger blinded me from those protocols. Nothing makes sense anymore! The panda has thrown everything into mayhem, and there doesn't seem to be a way out.
It made no sense why the panda kept coming back. We have treated him horribly for a reason. What reason could he have for wanting to stay? It's not like we've welcomed him or anything. While standing on the cliff's edge, looking out over the valley below, one image kept coming to mind. That was the look on the panda's face after calling him a big, fat panda. When his facial expressions changed, it seemed like he finally understood my frustrations, but I also recognised that look. It was the same look he had from last night. My words had hurt him. All this time, the panda has been nothing but foolish. It didn't seem like he had a serious side to him, but he does. Like any of us, he has feelings, but he hasn't been showing them for unknown reasons.
Realising this made me reflect on my treatment towards the panda since he arrived. I've been nothing but downright cruel. Half of me was still angry about the panda, but the other half of me remained confused. Why does this panda never back down, no matter how cruel we treat him? It doesn't matter what we do, the panda just hasn't surrendered. His life in the valley cannot be that horrible that what we offer here is better. Sitting down on the cliff's edge, unsatisfied by having not figured out anything about this panda, the thought of Tai Lung diverted my thoughts to the plan. We're better off focusing on the more critical issues, and just ignore the panda. Maybe then, if we give him the silent treatment, he might leave. Nothing else we've tried has worked, but it's time to shift our focus onto Tai Lung.
The sound of footsteps alerted me someone was approaching from behind. Jumping up onto my feet and turning around, I prayed it was anyone but the panda. He was the last person I wanted to see right now. A low growl emitted from my throat as a light source appeared from the darkness, getting closer and closer to me. "WHO'S THERE?!"
Master Oogway appeared, carrying a lantern on his staff. "Hello, Master Tigress. How nice to see you."
The sudden appearance of the ancient grandmaster caused me to freeze up before snapping into reality, bowing to Master Oogway. "Apologies, master! I didn't realise it was you."
"No apologies needed, Tigress. It's good to see you're ready for the unexpected." Confusion flooded my facial features, remembering that was the same thing Master Shifu told me yesterday morning before all the madness begun. "What's bothering you, Tigress? You look flustered."
Master Oogway's question caught me off guard, but upon thinking about it, there was no point in avoiding the truth. I took a deep breath while looking over the valley. "There are many things, master. I'm finding it difficult to accept the panda. Everything I've put myself through over the last twenty years was all undone by the panda. Ever since he turned up, all this anger has been building up inside of me, and it nearly got the best of me tonight. I nearly attacked the panda when he was defenceless. If it wasn't for Mantis." I stopped and thought about what may have happened. The problem was my anger blinded me. It was unknown what would have happened, but knew the panda wouldn't have stood a chance. Looking at Master Oogway, I lowered my head in shame. "I-I was going to hurt him… badly."
A hand touched my shoulder, making me look up, seeing Master Oogway smiling at me before he walked over and stood beneath the Peach Tree. "Sometimes things happen in life that we cannot control. Things that make you feel like it has turned your life upside-down. When you feel that way, it becomes difficult to see the positives in any situation. It may seem impossible now, but that panda will bring peace to us, to valley, and to you. You just need to give the panda time. He needs our trust and support, but most importantly, he needs us to believe in him."
I looked at Master Oogway, unsure of what to say. "Master, I don't understand. I despise the panda. He's taken something from me I've worked my entire life for."
"Let me tell you something, dear Tigress." Master Oogway gestured for me to sit down beside him. "Pride is a powerful emotion and can affect you in both positive and negative ways. When pride gets the better of us, it blinds us from the truth. We think we deserve more than what we have, when we have more than what we deserve. You are destined for greatness, Tigress, but you will never achieve such greatness without the panda. The panda, too, is destined to reach great heights, but he needs you to guide him, to nurture him, to believe in him. He won't reach his potential if nobody believes in him. He will complete you, as you will complete him. When you realise this, not only will you become inseparable, but you will discover new strengths together, and most importantly, you, Master Tigress, will find inner peace."
My mind was blank with words, unsure of what to say. Me and the panda inseparable? Discover new strengths? What does Master Oogway mean by all of that? I want nothing to do with the panda. "Now, I believe everyone is having dinner soon," Master Oogway said, reverting my attention to him. "The panda is actually an excellent cook."
This caused me to raise my eyebrows after hearing the panda was good at something. Perhaps we should force the panda to test his food first to ensure he isn't attempting to poison us. Despite Master Oogway's words zooming around in my head, I stood up and bowed to Master Oogway. "Thank you, master."
"Remember, Tigress. There are no accidents. There is more to being the Dragon Warrior, but there will be no Dragon Warrior if no one believes in him. Give the panda time, and he will prove himself."
I bowed to Master Oogway again, but while turning to leave, a thought came to mind, causing me to look back at Master Oogway. "Master, if you don't mind me asking. What should we do about Tai Lung? Master Shifu doesn't want me going after him, but I cannot let him march into the valley and lay waste to it again. I have to do something."
Master Oogway smiled. "I, nor anyone, can tell you what you should or shouldn't do, Tigress. We can influence a decision, but never decide for you. Only you can control what your destiny is. If you believe that is going after Tai Lung, then that is a decision only you can make. Just remember, whatever road you take, you will always learn things along the way."
"Thank you, master." For the last time, I bowed to Master Oogway with a small smile before leaving Master Oogway to his peace underneath the Peach Tree. While walking towards the kitchen, Master Oogway's words circulated in my head. Perhaps giving the panda time was the right thing to do. After all, it seemed like he's here to stay, but he's not of much importance now. With Master Oogway approving of my plan, or at least not objecting to it, it gave me confidence to enact it and leave tonight. Once we finish dinner, we'll leave. Unlike Master Shifu, sitting and waiting is not an option for me. We must prevent anything from eventuating. Or die trying.
When entering the kitchen hallway, the aromas that filled the hallway were enticing, being the most flavoursome smells to have radiated from the kitchen in many years. The panda couldn't cook something so alluring it forces your olfactory glands to dance, but when I entered the kitchen, the panda proved my doubts wrong. As Master Oogway had said, the panda was indeed cooking. Nobody noticed me standing in the kitchen doorway until Monkey turned his head and saw me. "Hey, Tigress! We're glad you're joining us for dinner."
The others turned and acknowledged me, except for the panda, who was preoccupied with his cooking. He glanced over his shoulder, pausing when our eyes locked contact. After a few awkward seconds, I looked away and joined the others at the table with a plate of tofu. "Po's telling us about how he encountered some wolf bandits in his dad's restaurant," Crane said, revealing the panda's name, but also making me look at Crane, who was opposite me at the table, unimpressed.
"Yeah, I wasn't scared of him," the panda said, continuing with his story. "So, I'm like, 'Fine! You may be a wolf. You may be the scariest bandit in Haijin Province, but you're a lousy tipper.'"
"Really? So, how d'you get out of there alive?" Crane asked, appearing intrigued by the panda's story.
"I mean, I didn't, I didn't actually say that, but I thought it, in-in my mind." The panda brought bowls of his meal over to the table. "If he could read my mind, he'd have been like, 'What?' Order up! Hope you like it." The panda handed out his meal, which was some kind of noodle soup, to the others. Despite conceding the panda was here to stay, that didn't mean I accepted his presence. The panda had to prove himself first before the thought of accepting him went through my mind. Although, after getting a waft of Monkey's bowl, the panda's meal smelt better than anything else that has come from this kitchen, but had to ignore the smell.
"This is really good!" Mantis said, taking another mouthful of the soup's broth.
The panda sat at the table. "No, c'mon! You should try my dad's Secret Ingredient Soup. He actually knows the secret ingredient."
"What are you talking about? This is amazing!" Viper said, backing up Mantis' claim.
"Wow, you're a really good cook," Crane said, further complimenting the panda.
"I wish my mouth was bigger," Mantis said between mouthfuls. Out of everyone, Mantis appeared to enjoy the panda's meal the most, hooking into his bowl.
"Tigress, you've got to try this," Monkey said, gaining my attention.
"Hmm." I picked up my plate of tofu and glanced at the panda. "It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing"—looking back at the plate of tofu, I picked up a single piece of tofu with the chopsticks—"but the dew of a single ginkgo leaf and the energy of the universe." Everyone went silent as I glanced at the panda, who appeared baffled, before eating the piece of tofu.
The panda continued looking at me, before glancing at everyone else. "I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet." After letting out a few small chuckles, the panda continued. "I'm gonna need a lot more than dew, and, uh, universe… juice." I looked away and rolled my eyes as the panda picked up his bowl, drinking his soup in mere seconds. The panda placed his empty bowl on the table, releasing a satisfied sigh, before the others started laughing. Curious to know what they were laughing about, upon glancing at the panda, a single noodle dangled from the panda's top lip. The panda looked at the others, confused. "What?"
"Oh, nothing… Master Shifu," Mantis said, bowing to the panda.
Upon glancing down, the panda, realising a noodle was hanging from his face, pushed his chair backwards and got down on his knees before imitating Master Shifu. "You'll never be the Dragon Warrior unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth." I looked away, sighing, and shook my head at the panda's behaviour, unlike Monkey, who was in hysterics. "What's that noise you're making? Laughter? I never heard of it! Work hard, panda, and maybe, someday, you will have ears like mine." The panda grabbed two bowls and held them up like ears, sending the others into laughing fits.
"That's good," Crane said, after calming his laughing down.
When looking back at the panda, my eyes widened in shock, seeing Master Shifu standing at the door behind the panda. Unaware of Master Shifu's presence, the panda seemed confused why the others stopped laughing. "Ears? It's not working for ya? I thought they were pretty good."
"It's Shifu!" Monkey said, whispering to warn the panda, but the panda remained oblivious to Master Shifu's presence.
"Of course, it's Shifu! What do you think I'm doing?" After receiving nothing but awkward silence, the panda glanced under his arm, reacting mortified seeing Master Shifu. "Oooh! Master Shifu!" The panda slapped the two bowled on his chest, giving off an impure impression—"ahhhh"—before slurping the noodle from his face.
Master Shifu, visibly furious, glanced at the panda before glaring back at us, as the others tried to stifle their laughs. "You think this is funny?! Tai Lung has escaped from prison, and you're acting like children." I looked at Master Shifu, shocked. Master Oogway was right. He envisaged this, and now it has happened.
"What?" the panda asked as he looked at Master Shifu.
"He is coming for the Dragon Scroll"—Master Shifu looked at the panda—"and you are the only one who can stop him!"
A stunned silence followed before the bowls on the panda's chest plopped off, crashing onto the ground. How could Master Shifu expect the panda to stop him? He can't even defend himself against the adversary. The panda started laughing as he looked at Master Shifu. "And here I am, saying you got no sense of humour. I'm gonna… stop Tai Lung." Noticing Master Shifu's glare, the panda panicked, realising this was no joke. "What? You're serious?! And I have to, uh, ne, uh, eh, Master Oogway will stop him. He did it before. He'll do it again."
"OOGWAY CANNOT! Not anymore." Snapping my attention to Master Shifu, shocked by what he had said, it was then I realised Master Shifu was holding Master Oogway's staff. Why now?! We need him! I had only spoken to Master Oogway twenty minutes prior… for the last time. Master Shifu raised his head and looked at us. "Our only hope is the Dragon Warrior."
"The panda?!" I asked as anger returned to my body.
"Yes, the panda!"
I stood up and pushed my chair back. "Master, please! Let us stop Tai Lung! This is what you've trained us for!" The panda backed out of the kitchen and fled.
"NO! It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung! It is his!" Master Shifu pointed his staff to where the panda had been before he fled. Realising the panda had vanished, Master Shifu looked around the kitchen for the panda. "Where'd he go?"
"He left after you said he had to stop Tai Lung," Monkey said.
Master Shifu grunted and dashed out of the kitchen, with me following. "Tigress! Where are you going?" Viper asked. "Master Shifu said it's not our destiny to stop Tai Lung."
I turned and looked at Viper. "Someone has to stop him. We can't just let him march into the valley. He'll destroy everything!" Before anything else could be said, I left the kitchen and leapt onto the roof of the Hall of Warriors to track down Master Shifu and the panda.
"AHHHHHH!" a scream, sounding like the panda's, alerted me to their presence. Making my way around on the Hall of Warriors to the eastern corner, Master Shifu had caught up with the panda and was blocking his path.
"YOU CANNOT LEAVE! A real warrior never quits!"
"WATCH ME!" The panda tried to manoeuvre around Master Shifu, only for Master Shifu to redirect the panda with his staff back to where he started. After regaining his balance, the panda faced Master Shifu. "Come on! How am I supposed to beat Tai Lung? I can't even beat you to the stairs!"
"You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior!"
Master Shifu poked the panda in the belly with the staff. "Ow! You don't believe that!" Using the staff again, Master Shifu swiped at the panda's paw, hitting it. "Oh! You never believed that! From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!"
The panda tried to get past Master Shifu again, only this time, Master Shifu used the staff to flip the panda off his feet, causing him to land on his back. Master Shifu pointed the staff into the panda's face. "Yes, I was! But now, I ask you to trust in your master, as I have come to trust in mine."
"You're not my master." The panda swatted the staff out of his face and pushed himself up. "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior!"
"Then why didn't you quit?!" Master Shifu asked, reading my exact thoughts, as he slammed the staff on the ground. "You knew I was trying to get rid of you, yet you stayed!"
I looked at the panda, waiting for his explanation. If there was ever a time to provide the most flawless reasoning possible, now was the perfect time for the panda to pull it from somewhere. "Yeah, I stayed!" The panda picked himself up from the ground. "I stayed because every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled, it hurt, but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life just being me. I stayed because I thought, if anyone could change me, could make me, not me, it was you! The greatest kung fu teacher in all of China!"
"But I can change you! I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior! And I will!" Master Shifu slammed the staff on the ground again, but this time with different reasonings.
"Oh, come on! Tai Lung is on his way here right now. Even if it takes him a hundred years to get here, how are you gonna change this"—the panda gestured to himself—"into the Dragon Warrior, huh?" For the first time in ages, Master Shifu was rendered speechless. "How?… How?" The panda towered over Master Shifu. "HOW?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!…I don't know."
"That's what I thought."
Silence followed as both Master Shifu and the panda looked at one another, defeated. Much like Master Shifu, the panda's words had taken me aback, stunned by his admissions. The entire scene caused my head to go blank. We had misjudged this panda. Worse, I misjudged the panda for someone he wasn't. He seemed like a complete joke, but he wasn't. The fame of being the Dragon Warrior wasn't the reason he kept coming back. He kept coming back because he wanted to change for the better. Hoping we could help create a better version of himself, but we kept pushing him away, torturing him, trying to force him to quit. How Master Shifu, or anyone, could help the panda, was unknown.
The whole situation frustrated me, and that was our own fault. All the panda wanted was a chance, but we never gave him one. He wanted to change, but with his lack of confidence, he didn't believe in himself, and so, nobody believed in him. This exchange between Master Shifu and the panda provided a different, unseen perspective of the panda. Even though Master Shifu kept pushing the panda down, the panda always got back up and argued back. It never ends well arguing against Master Shifu, as I showed earlier when trying to convince him to let us fight Tai Lung. If we had given the panda time, as Master Oogway had said to me, then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation.
Tai Lung is still on his way, though. Dragon Warrior or not, he will do everything to get that Dragon Scroll, and that's something I cannot let happen. With the scene before me dead and buried, if Master Shifu didn't believe the panda could stop Tai Lung, then I had to. As a kung fu master, it is my obligation to protect the valley from any danger, but with the threat being Tai Lung, also had to prevent Master Shifu from suffering any more pain. He endured enough hurt the first time. He cannot go through it again. With Master Shifu losing hope, this is my opportunity to step up. We cannot let Tai Lung reach the valley. Either I defeat him or die trying. With those thoughts concluded, I turned around, looked up into the sky, and leapt off the Hall of Warriors.
[End Notes]:
That concludes the end of this chapter. What did you think? Lemme know in the reviews (or send me a PM if you like).
Is it just me or does your heart always break for Po during the confrontation scene with Master Shifu? Man, I feel so bad for him. Just wanted a chance and the people he looked up to kept kicking him down. I dunno how anyone could endure that for essentially two days. We all would love a backstory on Tigress' life, but seeing some backstory on Po's (after he arrived at the Valley of Peace) would help understand why he developed such a poor self-esteem. As someone who has had their confidence knocked out of them during my teenage years, it's understandable the mindset Po is in. He wants people to believe in him, to give him a chance, but when he doesn't believe in himself, that prevents him from backing himself. He's one tough cookie. That's for sure.
I know that was a lot to get through, so if you did, well done. Hope you liked the added scenes between actual movie scenes. As always, if you find any mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know. All feedback, no matter the size, helps me gauge where the story is at and how to improve. Thank you for taking the time to read the latest chapter.
Chapter 5 is scheduled to be released on the 4th of April
Until then, take care and stay safe!
Footrot Flats :)