G'day!
Welcome to Chapter 5 for Eye of the Tiger!
Hope you've been keeping yourselves alive and well amidst the crazy world we live in. Every day is a blessing, for there is someone who is in a worse situation than you are. Cherish what you have, because you could lose everything in an instant. Anyway, that's enough channelling me inner Oogway. This chapter... lemme tell you, I'm glad this is being published. When I first started writing this chapter, given the changes that were being made, I didn't expect it to be anything more than 6k words. And that's fine. Like I've mentioned before, some chapters will be 6k long, others will be closer (or just over) 9k. Adds a bit of variety, and after the length of the previous chapter, it wouldn't have been a bad thing. However, my fingers had other ideas. I'll be honest, without spoiling the chapter, the middle section took me literally 5 weeks to write. Why did it take so long? I have no idea... but I had to get it right. When I say 5 weeks, I mean, around 2 hours on average per day working on it... so, some simple maths... 2x7x5 = 2x35 = 70 hours. Even after roughly 70 hours, there are parts that can be improved, but had to get the chapter done and move on to the next one.
When I wrote the original version, initially I had the chapter end at the fight scene between Tai Lung and the Five. It seemed like a good point to end the chapter, but the problem was it made the chapter barely 2k words. I think it was around 1600 words. Tiny for me, right? So, to create a chapter of a decent length, I ended up adding the rest of the movie to that chapter. Now that this story has been reconstructed, I wanted to end this chapter where I originally planned. By doing that, it left the chapter a little small, forcing me to find a way to fill in that gap, and hence, welcome to the middle section of this chapter. A very common theme among the reviews left so far have commented about the inner viewpoint from Tigress. And that's a good thing. This story isn't called Eye of the Tiger for nothing. I want you to feel like you're getting an "inner brain" perspective from Tigress. As if you're being immersed in her mind. For those that like that, well, get ready for the ultimate "inner brain" narrative. The next few chapters will contain quite a lot of narration from Tigress (well, the whole story will contain lots of narrative parts), so hopefully everything that's included seems realistic, reasonable, and in-character to Tigress. With everything that's transpired since the Dragon Warrior tournament, it just felt like at some point, Tigress had to take a moment to think about the whole situation they're in. That's all I'll say for now.
A special thanks to B(Guest) and Fanficteller for leaving a review since my last upload. As you know, your reviews are much appreciated, so thank you for taking the time to leave them. Thank you to everyone who has taken time out of their day to read my works. Whether you're a returning 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 provide feedback on this story. All reviews are welcome (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 either. It's the only way my stories can improve. I'll take the positive feedback with the constructive criticism.
To B (Guest) - as you're a guest, I cannot respond to you through a PM, so I will here. First, Happy Pi Day to you too! Second, thank you for taking the time to read and review my works. You may not realise it, but your reviews to motivate me to continue with this story. The confrontation between Master Shifu and Po is certainly one of the hardest moments in the franchise (Po finding inner peace tops my list, but this comes second). As you said, the raw emotions just make your heart bleed.
Here's a random tangent... Today is National Walk Around Things Day. Celebrated annually on April 4th, Walk Around Things Day recognises that sometimes, it's alright not to deal with things head-on. We've all had days when we cannot deal with certain people or situations. Walk Around Things Day celebrates the art of strategic withdrawal. Step back, walk around the problem, come back, and address it later. Perhaps someone should have told Tigress about this. Like all the best things in life, it's open to interpretation. Celebrate it by avoiding nagging problems. Bring it in by (literally) waling around everything you see. I did - I walked a lap of the kitchen while my toast was burning. It doesn't matter what the object is - tables, chairs, people, flowerpots, pets, road signs, trees... feel free to get creative. No matter how you choose to celebrate, the day promises to help us see and experience the world differently. It's also an excellent way to get some exercise and/or get them step counts up.
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 5
Please Read, Review & Enjoy!
Chapter 5 - Battle of the Thread of Hope
The speed of my descent caused the night air to rush past my body, ruffling against my fur. Sensing the ground was fast approaching, upon opening my eyes, I extended my arms out, creating drag to slow down my free fall speed, while scanning for a landing spot. My eyes locked onto a roof within the Valley, causing me to flip upright and slide down the roof, leaping off it while performing a backflip mid-air, before landing on another roof. Adrenaline pumped through my body, increasing my breathing, but glancing out into the darkened distance reminded me of the reason for having leapt into the Valley. With my breathing returning to a normal rhythm, I peered over my shoulder, glancing back at the Jade Palace. "This is what you trained me for."
Looking back into the darkened distance, only one thing went through my mind. To defeat Tai Lung. Springing off the roof, the houses flew past me while racing out of the Valley. With the magnitude of the mission, and the distance required to cover, every second that passes could be the difference between defeating Tai Lung and losing everything. Nothing is more important than-
"TIGRESS!" the voice of Viper's called out, surprising me.
Glancing behind me, Viper and the others were hot on my tail, following me like a shadow. Thinking they were trying to stop me caused me to weave in and around the village buildings, attempting to lose them, but knew it was pointless. "Don't try and stop me!" I said, before leaping onto the side of a building and flipping over it.
The others were still following me as we raced along the rooftops, not allowing me out of their sights. "We're not trying to stop you!" Viper said.
"What?" I looked at Viper, who was on my right, confused.
"We're coming with you!"
Looking to my left, the boys were travelling beside me, not showing any signs of stopping me from pursuing Tai Lung. Monkey stuck his thumb up, causing me to smile, relieved they weren't trying to stop me, but were coming to fight Tai Lung alongside me. My confidence rose to great heights, knowing that, with the five of us fighting together, we could defeat Tai Lung. I knew we could. Under no circumstances can Tai Lung get past us and reach the Valley of Peace. The Valley's safety is depending on us to do what we've done for so long, and that's defending it against danger. No one's life is counting on us more than Master Shifu's. We cannot let him down! After witnessing the confrontation between Master Shifu and the panda, we're his only hope.
Going after Tai Lung is disobeying Master Shifu, but what other choice do we have? He couldn't have spent the past twenty years training me, and the others for over ten years, for nothing. If all that training was not to prepare for the day Tai Lung escaped, then we've wasted our time. Ever since Tai Lung was locked away in Chorh-Gom Prison, there has always been that lingering danger of him escaping. Now that it has happened, the five of us can combine our sixty years of kung fu experience to bring down Tai Lung. If we can't, nothing will. After the disastrous past two days, this was my last chance to restore dignity in my name and repay the faith Master Shifu has shown in me my entire life. To prove the years Master Shifu spent training me was not a waste. That I am not a failure.
Nothing can quash my determination to make Master Shifu proud of me. Not even the prospect of facing Tai Lung. That makes this fight even more important, knowing it may be my last opportunity. We have never disappointed Master Shifu more in our entire lifetimes when compared to the last two days. It's unacceptable and disrespectful to everything he has done for us. If we cannot defeat Tai Lung, dying in battle would be better than returning to the Jade Palace battered, bruised, and defeated, only to further disappoint Master Shifu. That is why nothing is more important than defeating Tai Lung. The consequences would be disastrous.
"Where exactly are we going, Tigress?" Viper asked, as we travelled north along the river's floodplain, heading for the mountains.
"The Thread of Hope!"
"What if we encounter Tai Lung before getting there?" Crane asked as we followed the river, drawing closer to the mountains, although the river flowed the opposite direction we were running in.
"We fight! Tai Lung CANNOT get past us!"
"What if we get there and Tai Lung never turns up?" Mantis asked. "If he crosses the bridges before we get there, it's almost certain we'll never cross paths with him among these mountains."
"That's why we must get to the Thread of Hope first. There are no other options." Our sprinting had eased back into a fast-paced jog after entering the mountainous terrain. Most of the journey will involve traversing the mountains, making every second even more important. With many rivers and mountain ridges intercepting our path, it meant we had to manoeuvre through the mountains, using rivers and valleys to get around the ridges. A task that wasn't difficult for us, but would provide some inconveniences along the way. "Crane, could you guide us through the mountains? We need to ensure we're tracking northwest."
"On it! I'll keep watch for any trouble, too."
Crane flew high into the night sky, hovering several hundred feet in the air, while the rest of us continued to make our way through the mountains. The darkened sky made it almost impossible to see Crane, which is one reason for sending Crane to sky watch. Not only can he guide us through the mountains during the night, but also keep watch for any suspicious activities. We don't have time to come across some conflict and be drawn into it. Our jobs are to restore peace where conflict is occurring, but we have a more dire situation to deal with. The panda wasted enough time as it is. If we waste any more time, we risk failing to stop Tai Lung, and that is something none of us wants.
While tracking deeper into the mountains, the question Mantis asked planted itself in the back of my mind. If we maintain this pace, and limit the number of rests we have, then we should reach the Thread of Hope before Tai Lung can cross it. Tai Lung has a greater distance to cover than we do, but unlike us, once he reaches the northern side of the Thread of Hope, he won't have mountains to climb over. It'll be a clear passage for him until he arrives on our side of the Thread of Hope. Again, because of the panda, we've lost a significant amount of time. That is why we cannot afford many stops. Considering we've left the Valley of Peace in the hands of Master Shifu, we cannot risk having Tai Lung cross the Thread of Hope.
If Tai Lung crosses the Thread of Hope before we get there, he has the entire lands of Song at his disposal. Our chances of stopping Tai Lung would drop to almost zero, leaving the Valley and Master Shifu unprotected. We're not there to protect Master Shifu, and after watching Master Shifu's hopes vanish, he's not prepared to battle Tai Lung. That's why nothing is more important than reaching the Thread of Hope first. If it means no rests, then so be it. We need to do everything we can to stop Tai Lung, because the consequences of allowing Tai Lung back into the Valley are unimaginable. They're thoughts that make me queasy. The Valley's future depends on us. Our battle with Tai Lung will be the most important battle in our lives.
"TIGRESS!" Crane called out, before flying below the treetops into view. "Everything looks fine from the sky, but we should think about resting for the night. We've been travelling for hours."
"We don't have time to stop."
"I know you want to get to the Thread of Hope, Tigress, but we need to conserve our energy," Viper said.
"I'm keen for a rest," Monkey said, outnumbering my desire to continue three-to-one.
"Fine. We'll continue for another half an hour and then rest."
We had travelled for several hours, and despite having crossed many mountains and rivers, there was still a long way to go. The darkness made it difficult to know where we were, but suspected we still had over halfway to go. Crossing the mountains was challenging, as they slowed our progress, making it important to get through them without too much delay. For the past hour, we had been following a river as it took us on a meandering journey through the mountains. The rugged terrain and meandering rivers made it almost impossible to get into a sprint. There had been sections where we could run, but for most of the way, we had been jogging. It wasn't ideal, but given the conditions we were dealing with, jogging was the safest speed.
Any faster and we could miss a turn or run into a dangerous situation. Neither is something we can afford. We had to go at a pace that ensured we progressed through the mountains, but also allowed us to remain vigilant of our surroundings. After following the river in a northward direction, it made a turn for the west. This area looked acceptable, and hidden, to rest for the night. On my left, some thick bushes provided decent shelter, so long as nothing else was already using it. I stopped by the edge of the bushes and turned to the others. "We'll stop here for the night. We leave at first light."
"Thank god! My thingies are killing me!" Mantis said.
"You've been sitting on Crane's hat the whole way," Monkey said, sitting on the lowest branch of the tree closest to us.
"You try hanging on while kamikaze weaves through the clouds. It's hard work, alright."
"What do you expect?" Crane asked, shrugging. "I'm a bird. All birds love flying in and around the clouds."
"I think them wolfberries have gone to your head."
"To be fair, I don't think they were ready to eat."
While Crane and Mantis carried on with their small talk, I walked over to the bushes, first, to check nothing was there, before clearing the area so we had somewhere to rest. It was a neat spot. The flat-weathered boulders created plenty of sleeping platforms, while the thick bushes provided sufficient protection. Not that we expected anyone else to travel past here. It's very secluded from the world, and would be a mere coincidence. The river nearby was also convenient, as we can use it to wash or drink from. "Tigress!" Viper called out, gaining my attention. She slithered over to the resting area, stopping next to me. "Are you okay?"
"What makes you think I'm not?"
"You've been incredibly quiet along the journey. Is it to do with Master Shifu and Po?"
"Yeah, what happened between Master Shifu and Po?" Monkey asked, not giving me a chance to answer Viper. "We heard some yelling and screaming, but didn't see what happened."
"What happened between them is not important." I sat down on a flat rock in my meditative position. "We must stay focused on the mission because the slightest lapse in concentration could be the difference between restoring peace or never seeing the Valley again." A silence followed, making me hopeful they understood what they should be focused on. We could talk about this and that, but this and that won't help us defeat Tai Lung. Staying focused will give us the best chance of defeating Tai Lung.
"I could use another round of Po's soup," Mantis said, making me roll my eyes. "How good was it? Almost felt like I was in another dimension eating it."
"It actually was pretty good," Crane said, as their conversation about the panda began agitating me. "Better than most stuff we've had. You should have tried some, Tigress."
I glanced at Crane with a disproving look, while Mantis laughed. "I'll let you guys paint me pink the day Tigress eats anything other than tofu."
A low growl rumbled from my body while glaring at Mantis. Nothing could stop them from talking about the panda, but any other conversation would be preferable. The panda has caused enough trouble. It's the reason we're sleeping out here, in the middle of the mountains, tonight. "We leave at first light, and not a minute later. Now, if you don't mind, can you please stop talking about the panda and rest?"
"Alright, bye!" Monkey shot up into the tree, out of sight.
"Goodnight, guys!" Viper said, causing everyone to respond with their goodnights, before a welcomed silence fell over us.
It was peaceful listening to the water flowing down the river while looking at the stars through the treetops. Compared to the river that runs through the Valley of Peace, this river was about a tenth of the size, acting more like a creek than a river. Its shallow depths prevented any strong currents from forming, allowing you to stand in it or cross it without the currents dragging you away. Despite nature providing such tranquil sleeping conditions, my mind couldn't tap into such calmness. A lot happened before we left the Jade Palace, but our journey's mission preoccupied most of my thoughts. Now that we're on our way to stop Tai Lung, nothing should distract my concentration, but that's not the case.
The confrontation between Master Shifu and the panda remained fresh in my mind, playing over and over what the panda had said to Master Shifu. Since the panda fell into our existence, he appeared to be nothing but a clumsy, goofing nuisance, who had no skills in kung fu. He may know some knowledge about kung fu, and his admiration for us was impossible to miss, but he doesn't belong in the Jade Palace. That's not disrespecting the panda. It's the truth. He doesn't possess the skills required to be the Dragon Warrior. By remaining at the Jade Palace, he's putting himself in unnecessary danger. Perhaps that's a mistake on our half. The panda may not have any kung fu skills now, but that doesn't mean we couldn't have taught him those skills.
Our anger blinded us from providing the panda the correct guidance. Instead, we belittled him beyond humiliation, or what most would describe as humiliating, treating him with no respect, hoping he would leave. Despite the near-death experience during his training course run, nor did it matter how much we battered him during the sparring sessions, the panda didn't quit. Nothing we did seemed to faze the panda. At first, part of me suspected the panda stayed because he wanted the fame of being the Dragon Warrior, but after seeing how much he admired us, knew that wasn't the case. It was fair to presume the panda stayed so he could continue geeking over us. The reality was we didn't know the truth.
Either assumption could have been true, but neither ended up being the reason behind the panda's stubbornness to stay. We misunderstood the panda's intentions, and that's all it comes down to. One big misunderstanding, but there's not much we can do about it now. Perhaps being out here in the middle of nowhere, halfway to the Thread of Hope, is a consequence of our hostile treatment towards the panda. That may be the case, but even if the panda hadn't confessed why he stayed, we still have a massive problem on our hands. In saying that, the panda admitted why he stayed. Not only was it the first time seeing the panda drop his goofy demeanour, but his confession was confronting and resonated deep within me.
"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!"
The panda endured the physical pain we inflicted on him, as it couldn't hurt as much as the pain he felt every day being who he was. He stayed because he thought our horrendous treatment would help him become a better version of himself. His goofy exterior was a shield to the problems that plagued his life, but he didn't want those problems to become our problem. It's unknown how long the panda has suffered like this, but he accepted such harsh and unjustified treatment, hoping it would turn him into the person he wished to be. All we did was mistreat the panda, endangering his life, while trying to get rid of him, unaware of his psychological problems.
To realise how little the panda thought of himself was a confronting sight. Nobody should ever judge themselves where it damages their self-esteem, leading to many problems. It's a familiar feeling, though. When you lose your confidence and develop a low self-esteem, it's difficult to recover from that state of mind. You judge everything you do, questioning your worthiness. Over time, these negative thoughts can limit your potential, as you believe they are true. Through my own experiences, it's understandable how the panda feels. He thinks he's worthless. That his life has been nothing but a failure. You could sense that through the desperation in the panda's voice when he asked Master Shifu how he could turn him into the Dragon Warrior.
"Oh, come on! Tai Lung is on his way right now! Even if it takes him a hundred years to get here, how are you gonna change this into the Dragon Warrior, huh?! How?!"
The panda knew what his faults were, and how severe they had become. It was almost as if the panda knew Master Shifu wouldn't know how to help him, yet questioned Master Shifu anyway, hoping he could prove him wrong. When Master Shifu confirmed the panda's fears true, admitting he didn't know how he could turn the panda into the Dragon Warrior, the silence that followed was harrowing. That's when it became obvious just how troubled this panda was. He has suffered for what seems like a long time, and we further compounded his issues. There are many questions floating around my head, and while the panda confessed why he stayed, it's unfathomable why anybody would endure such hostile treatment.
Perhaps the panda didn't want to question the training methods we used on him, in fear of offending us. Given how unwelcoming we would have appeared to him, that may have been part true. He may have thought the training we forced him to complete was testing his credibility of being named the Dragon Warrior. That's part true, but the main objective was to get rid of the panda. The panda knew that. He knew we were trying to get rid of him from the very beginning without giving him a proper chance. What would be unacceptable is if the panda endured our imprudent treatment because he was used to it. Nobody should suffer such pain caused by others, but it's understandable why the panda withstood the treatment he got.
When you're down on confidence and something happens to you that seems unreasonable, rather than questioning it, you accept it because you don't back yourself. Sometimes it's not your confidence that's the issue, but dominant external influences that make you doubt your abilities. That's been the case for me. It's always important to stand up for myself and my beliefs, and that's caused many arguments between Master Shifu and me. Master Shifu is an assertively strong-minded person, making it almost impossible to persuade him to think otherwise. There's been many instances where his mind is set on something, and no matter what my arguments are, he stands firm on his decision.
My conversation with Master Shifu that occurred yesterday by the Peach Tree, regarding Tai Lung, is a perfect example. Despite pleading to Master Shifu to let us stop Tai Lung, he remained persistent about fighting Tai Lung by himself. Given what has occurred the past two days, with the panda being declared the Dragon Warrior, followed by the news of Tai Lung's escape, it wasn't the wisest of decisions. If there's anyone who could defeat Tai Lung by themselves, it's Master Shifu, but he's not in the right frame-of-mind to face someone like Tai Lung. The panda's arrival would have rattled his mind, but then to watch Master Shifu lose hope tonight, the opportunity arose for me to step up and prove why Master Shifu should have faith in us.
We have faith in Master Shifu's teachings, but when he doubts my abilities, that causes me to doubt myself. While my confidence fluctuates depending on my mood, the panda seems to have no faith in himself at all. Seeing the panda's true nature caused me to ruminate about my treatment of the panda. What the panda did still angers me, for he took something I trained many years for, but my actions towards the panda are causing guilt to drown out the anger. My behaviour has been nothing but unprofessional, heartless, and hypocritical. The whole situation has left me confused and frustrated. Confused about how to feel, which is frustrating me. The panda wasn't placed into our lives as some obstacle we had to overcome. He's a person with feelings and inspirations, and we failed to recognise that.
The panda may not possess the skills required to be the Dragon Warrior, but he didn't deserve the disrespect we showed him. There's no doubt the panda wanted any of this to happen. It's difficult to control your actions when anger blinds you, but if we could have our time over, rather than expelling our anger onto the panda, we should have taken the time to train the panda. Although it seemed like the panda knew he wasn't fit for the title as the Dragon Warrior, everyone deserves a chance, no matter how little they believe in themselves. Sometimes, all you need is for someone to show their faith in you. When you realise others believe in you, a surge of confidence flows back into your body. You feel you've gained a superpower. Nothing becomes impossible.
It's difficult to understand everything that happened during the past two days. Some parts are still difficult to believe. The panda's arrival threw everything into mayhem, changing our lives in ways that were beyond the least expected. When Master Oogway declared the panda as the Dragon Warrior, anger surged into my body, blinding me from feeling anything else. After having spent twenty years training for that moment, my anger was warranted, as the tournament's result unjustified my dedication to kung fu, making me feel like a complete failure. Part of me still feels like I have failed myself, and Master Shifu, explaining my decision to go after Tai Lung. Now that my blinding anger has subsided, it's obvious, and disappointing, just how blinding it was.
My anger prevented me from taking a step back and evaluating the situation in a controlled environment. All I wanted was for the panda to be gone. It didn't matter how we got rid of him, nor did it matter what the panda was going through, his presence kept refuelling my anger. Even just thinking about the panda angered me, but now there's nothing but guilt. My training focuses on several core elements. One of them is self-control. More specifically, controlling my anger. That was the first thing Master Shifu taught me. Being a tiger gives me an aggressive nature, which increases the chances of having uncontrollable rage attacks. That's why controlling my anger is the most crucial component of my training. Without that self-control, my anger may have forced me down a path similar to Tai Lung.
Perhaps that's why Master Shifu taught me how to control my anger at an early age. He didn't want me to become a victim of my anger. Whatever the reason, nothing has angered me more than the moment the panda pulled that stupid face at me after telling him about Master Shifu and Tai Lung's connection. When it seemed like the panda understood my message, he pulled that face, causing my anger to erupt to dangerous levels. It wasn't the panda's fault, though. Mantis triggered the panda's facial nerve, but my focus wasn't on what Mantis was doing. It was on the panda. Looking back on that moment disappoints me for several reasons, but knowing my anger almost became uncontrollable is unacceptable. Had Mantis not interrupted, snapping me out of my rage, the panda may not be alive.
Everything that happened at that moment went against my training protocols. Not only did my anger get the better of me, but it almost caused me to attack the panda, who was defenceless. It's essential to control my emotions because it doesn't take much to anger me. Especially if it's something that's sensitive or important to me. That's why controlling my anger is critical to ensure nobody who doesn't deserve it is harmed. After leaving the student barracks and calming down, my mind cleared up, making me realise how close the anger came to controlling my body. It's a memory that will stay fresh in my mind for a long time, but despite that, the one thing that stuck out the most was my confrontation with the panda the night before. The words that came out of my mouth still play loud and clear in my mind.
"You're a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do, you will be gone by morning."
Those were my first and only words spoken to the panda, while also being my first interaction with the panda in a face-to-face manner. It felt necessary to say something to the panda at that moment. Not only did he take the title of the Dragon Warrior from the tip of my fingers, but then to watch him during his training course run felt like he was making a mockery out of us. It angered me seeing the panda refuse to leave, for it seemed like he didn't understand the mess he had caused, nor did he seem to know the severity of the situation we were facing. After discovering tonight why the panda endured our treatment and stayed, it was unwarranted and heartless of me to tell the panda such things.
Upon opening my doors on the panda, despite him appearing worried, thinking he had disturbed me, he also seemed chuffed to be standing there, face-to-face with me. Even my death glare didn't seem to faze him, but once those words left my mouth, that glow in his facial features vanished. From the anguished look on his face, those words had cut him deep. One would think if someone had endured such callousness treatment for an extended period, they would become used to others treating them with such disregard. That's not the case, though. The panda may hide his pain, but that doesn't mean he cannot feel pain. He reacted to my words because they had hurt him. It's obvious now just how hypocritical my words were, and how naïve my thinking has been regarding the panda.
My treatment of the panda was how everyone at the orphanage used to treat me. Because of my appearance and extraordinary strength, everyone at the orphanage treated me like some monster. The other orphans were the worst, screaming and yelling names at me every single day of my life. It made me feel alone and depressed, knowing everyone hated me for being me. These were times before Master Shifu first appeared in my life, well before knowing how to control my strength. Even after Master Shifu taught me how to control my strength, some still harassed me. However, by proving to them I could control my strength, they realised how wrong they were and began trusting me.
It took longer to gain the trust of the orphanage caretakers, but just gaining the trust in the other orphans was one of the greatest feelings. For the first time in my life, others trusted me and became my friends. It no longer made me feel alone. When looking back at those times in the orphanage, and then thinking about my treatment of the panda, it's disheartening to think they were right. Before gaining their trust, they treated me like a monster, and I acted like a monster towards the panda. Going as far as saying he was a disgrace to us and that he didn't belong here. It made me remember what the panda said to himself after the confrontation.
"She's right. I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere. The one person I look up to hates me. Just like everyone else. No point staying here."
After hearing the panda say that, my mind couldn't figure out why the panda had said such things, but it all made sense now. That was the first time the panda expressed his true feelings. It seemed like my words had crushed the panda's hopes in the same way he crushed my dream of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but that wasn't the case. Given he, for unknown reasons, looks up to me, it makes sense why the panda felt like he didn't belong anywhere, because that's how we made him feel. It's how I made him feel. The panda feels alone and neglected, just how everyone at the orphanage used to make me feel. That's why the panda's confession resonated deep within me.
It's understandable why the panda behaved like he did and stayed, despite everything we threw at him. He saw us as his last hope, but all we did was further amplify the pain he's feeling. There are many ways you can view the situation and judge us how you like, but whichever way you look at it, the reality is we still have a major problem on our hands. Our treatment of the panda is bound to come back and haunt us, as karma loves biting those in the wrong, but it's time to shift my focus onto Tai Lung. Once the first signs of light rise above the mountains, we must continue without a moment's rest. By stopping here overnight, allowing the others to rest for a few hours, we've lost several hours of travel time.
I could have rested too, but with so many things keeping my mind active, sleep was never happening. A poor sleep would make me feel worse than now. Besides, when we rest out here in the wilderness, it is best one of us remains awake during the night and keeps guard while everyone else sleeps. If the mission takes over one night to complete, we'll rotate night watching duties, but given this is the only night stop, there's no need for anyone else to take this duty. Stopping for the night gives me time to devise several plans of attack for our upcoming battle against Tai Lung. The main objective is to prevent Tai Lung from returning to these lands, but more importantly, the Valley of Peace.
Not only are the peaceful lives of the villagers endangered by Tai Lung, but Master Shifu's life is most at risk. This is why we must stop Tai Lung from reaching these lands. We cannot allow Tai Lung to harm Master Shifu, or any of the innocent villagers again. It's as simple as that. Defeating Tai Lung won't be easy, but for once, one of Master Oogway's sayings makes sense, giving me indestructible confidence. Nothing is impossible, and neither is defeating Tai Lung. We can defeat Tai Lung. I know we can. How we stop Tai Lung depends on the situation we're facing. That's why we must be ready for anything that could happen. Preventing Tai Lung from crossing the Thread of Hope would make things easier for ourselves.
Tai Lung has a greater distance to cover than we do, given he's coming from Chorh-Gom Prison, which is why we must take advantage of the head start we have. It would have been better leaving earlier, but because of obvious reasons, we couldn't. Regardless of that, getting to the Thread of Hope first would save us having to fight Tai Lung, but if we end up facing Tai Lung, we need to install a smart battle plan, and execute it to perfection. We cannot make any mistakes. Tai Lung is the only person to have mastered the thousand scrolls of kung fu, apart from Master Oogway, who created the thousand scrolls after developing kung fu one-thousand years ago. Not even Master Shifu has mastered the thousand scrolls.
Because of the knowledge Tai Lung obtained by mastering the thousand scrolls, he will possess very few weaknesses. Any weaknesses he possesses will be almost non-existent. After spending the past twenty years locked away in Chorh-Gom Prison, Tai Lung may be out of practice, but we cannot underestimate his abilities, even if he hasn't had the opportunities to train. When you dedicate your life to something, you feel like a failure until you get what you've devoted your life towards. Tai Lung is fuelled by revenge and pure determination to gain the power of the Dragon Scroll he was denied twenty years ago. He won't hesitate to kill anybody that stands in his way of obtaining the Dragon Scroll.
The Valley is under threat from his revenge, and the only way to remove that threat is by eliminating Tai Lung from the mortal realm. If that means sacrificing my life to prevent Tai Lung from harming Master Shifu, or any of the village citizens, then so be it. Nothing will stop me from laying down my life to take Tai Lung with me, but waiting until Tai Lung is on the bridge before cutting the supporting ropes would preserve all our lives. However, if we're forced to fight Tai Lung, then we'll need to trust each other and the training we've done to ensure we defeat Tai Lung. It doesn't matter how we do it, nor does it matter how long it takes, the bottom line is we must defeat Tai Lung. We cannot let him win. The consequences would be beyond catastrophic.
A high-pitched screech of a Chinese Francolin caused my eyes to snap open, seeing the faintest shade of light beginning to invade the night-time sky. Rising from my resting position, after stretching my neck from side-to-side, cracking the joints while doing so, I stood up and walked down to the creek to freshen up. The water in the creek was flowing with a low velocity, allowing me to cup a pawful of water before splashing it on my face. Its coldness removed any tiredness from my eyes, snapping my brain into action, knowing what we had to do. It was time to stop Tai Lung. Upon returning to the resting area, everyone was awake, though they hadn't moved from their resting spots.
"Morning, Tigress," Viper said.
I looked at Viper and nodded. "Morning."
Viper uncoiled herself and slithered over to me. "Are we going now?"
"Yes, but before we go, everyone should know exactly what the plan is."
"Isn't it to stop Tai Lung?" Mantis asked from somewhere behind us. We turned around, seeing Mantis hopping over to us. "We haven't gone bushwalking to admire the wilderness."
I frowned at Mantis, unimpressed by his comment. "It's not as simple as stopping Tai Lung, and you know that."
"So, what's the plan?" Crane asked, walking over to where Mantis, Viper, and I had gathered.
"Tai Lung is the biggest threat the valley has faced since Boar," I said, glancing at Crane. "The only way you can remove such a threat is by eliminating them from existence."
The others looked at me, almost as if they questioned my tactics, before Crane spoke out. "Well, I-I mean, we didn't exactly banish Boar from existence. He was taken to Exile Island."
I looked at Crane. "Perhaps, but there's no point capturing Tai Lung and sending him back to Chorh-Gom Prison. He's broken out once. Nothing says he couldn't do it again. Our only option is to banish him from the mortal realm."
"Isn't it against kung fu protocol to, you know… kill?" Viper asked, showing great hesitation to say the word 'kill'.
The question caused me to look at her. "Do you think Tai Lung follows any protocols? No! He'll do whatever it takes to get that Dragon Scroll. We must prevent him from harming or killing anyone. We cannot allow history to be repeated."
My ears picked up rustling noises coming from a nearby tree, bringing my attention to the tree, only for Monkey to drop into view. He hung from the lowest branch by his tail. "Hey guys! What did I miss?"
"We're just discussing how to banish Tai Lung from the mortal realm," Crane said.
"Oh, cool." Monkey leapt down from the tree, heading for the creek, before he stopped and turned around. "Wait! Banish?! Isn't that-"
"Necessary for the peace and safety of the entire Valley?" I said, interrupting Monkey by finishing his question.
"I… guess?" Monkey said, scratching his head. "I mean, it would remove the threat he imposes on us."
"Exactly."
"So, what do you have in mind, Tigress?" Viper asked, bringing my attention to her.
"Once we get to the Thread of Hope, we wait for Tai Lung. That way, when Tai Lung crosses the bridge, we cut it, sending him into the abyss below."
"Brutal," Mantis said. "Guess we don't have many other options, though."
"Exactly, but if we do come across Tai Lung before reaching the Thread of Hope, we'll have to fight him, so be prepared. Any questions?" The others shook their heads. "Let's go!"
Passing through the mountains was challenging because of the difficult terrain, taking far longer than my liking, but there was little we could do. Some mountain ridges were almost vertical, offering limited options to scale over them. By now, the sun had passed halfway through the sky, indicating how long we had been travelling for, but the clear skies, accompanied by the sun's warmth, made our travels much easier. We still had a few hundred miles to go, and at this rate, we might reach the Thread of Hope by the mid-afternoon. The sooner the better. Upon reaching the summit of another mountain, forested plains laid on the other side. We had made it through the toughest part of the journey.
A river cuts through the forested plains, meandering towards the Thread of Hope, but curves away and drops over the cliffs near the Thread of Hope. These cliffs, known as the Cliffs of the Great Awakening, mark the boundary of the lands of Song. Beyond these cliffs lies the Tibetan Kingdom, with the great chasm, known as the Devil's Mouth, sitting below the Thread of Hope, awaiting to swallow any ill-fainted victims who fall off the Thread of Hope. After following the river through the forested plains for a few hours, the river diverged away, taking a sharp turn to the left, while the path we were using curved to the right. Upon rounding the bend, up ahead stood the Mountain Pass, a paifang which marked the entry or exit point for the Thread of Hope. This was the final stretch.
We were almost there, but had to remain vigilant for Tai Lung. He could pass the bridges while we approached them. We just had to be ready. Anything was possible. As we climbed up the steps, upon passing through the Mountain Pass, we stopped at the edge of the first rope bridge, assessing the surroundings. Nothing occupied the bridge, giving me confidence we had beaten Tai Lung to this point. The moment those thoughts passed through my mind, Tai Lung slid into view on the other side of the bridge. Seeing him caused me to growl. Tai Lung roared and charged across the bridge, snapping me into action. I turned to Viper and pointed at the rope securing the bridge to the edge of the cliff. "CUT IT!"
The others cut the ropes, except one, as Tai Lung approached, before I severed the last one, causing Tai Lung to lunge in desperation for the cliff we stood on. Realising Tai Lung could make it, I leapt into the air, delivering a jumping front kick, uppercutting Tai Lung on the chin. The impact knocked Tai Lung backwards several feet, preventing him from reaching the cliff, but my efforts meant both Tai Lung and I would fall into the abyss below. A sacrifice worth taking. The others snatched onto the ropes, preventing the bridge from falling into the chasm below, allowing me to land on it and not fall to my death. To our misfortune, Tai Lung grabbed onto the supporting ropes and swung onto the bridge, saving himself as well.
As I stood face-to-face with Tai Lung in my defensive stance, prepared for his next move, he casually stood on the rope, showing off his arrogance. "Where's the Dragon Warrior?"
"How do you know you're not looking at her?"
It was unknown whether Tai Lung knew Master Oogway had selected the panda as the Dragon Warrior, so the question was to see what he knew. Tai Lung snickered in response to my question. "You think I'm a fool?" Yes. "I know you're not the Dragon Warrior. None of you!" Tai Lung looked behind me to the others, as a growl emitted from my throat, annoyed he knew more than expected. "I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire. That he's a warrior"—Tai Lung jumped off the rope, onto the bridge, straightening it—"unlike anything the world has ever seen." I growled again, as Tai Lung took a few steps closer to me, but was also curious how he discovered so much information about the panda. Some of which was debatable.
"Po?" Monkey asked in a confused tone.
"So, that is his name… Po." Tai Lung closed his eyes, as if he were taking it in, not that there was much to take in, before he reopened his eyes. "Finally! A worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!" Tai Lung fist-pumped the air, causing anger to build up inside of me, knowing he thought we weren't worthy opponents. We didn't travel hundreds of miles for nothing. It's time to end Tai Lung's villainous objectives, and restore peace to these lands. With a snarl, I lunged at Tai Lung, throwing a right hook, initiating our battle. Tai Lung leaned back, avoiding my attack before retaliating with his own right hook. After narrowly evading his strike, I threw another right hook, clipping Tai Lung's chin, though it unfazed him.
It gave me enough time to launch another hook, with my left arm this time. However, Tai Lung blocked it before appearing to wind up for another hook shot, drawing me into blocking it, but it was a feint move. He struck out with his free left paw, striking my unprotected ribcage with a liver shot. The punch stunned me, sending a shooting pain through my ribs, but had to ignore the pain as Tai Lung advanced upon me with a high knee. I evaded Tai Lung's attack, giving me room to unleash a jumping one-eighty heel kick, collecting Tai Lung's jaw with the back of my heel. The impact stunned Tai Lung, allowing me to wrap my legs around his neck in a triangle choke hold, swinging him around the bridge, before letting go to throw him over the bridge and into the Devil's Mouth below.
Tai Lung grabbed onto the ropes, nullifying my plan, and preventing himself from falling to his death. He used the momentum to swing the bridge downwards, making me lose my balance, falling back onto the bridge. It forced me to grab onto the wooden planks, stopping me from falling into the chasm below, but left me exposed to Tai Lung. He swung upwards, landing a powerful uppercut kick on my jaw, before launching himself high into the clouds above, out of view. His kick left a throbbing pain in my jaw, but had to remain focused on Tai Lung, otherwise he would finish me. While lying on the bridge trying to locate Tai Lung, he came charging down at me through the clouds.
Realising he was heading straight for my head caused me to flip over the bridge, hoping it would provide some protection. Tai Lung crashed through the wooden boards, continuing to fight with me while hanging onto the bridge. My plan of throwing Tai Lung into the chasm had backfired, allowing Tai Lung to gain momentum of the fight. We continued trading punches, landing none, before a snap kick collected Tai Lung on the jaw. Despite trying my hardest, having to hold on to the bridge with one arm, while battling Tai Lung with the other arm, made it almost impossible to regain control of the fight. Tai Lung's attacks were powerful, and my vulnerable position didn't help. Amid a spinning hook kick, Tai Lung grabbed onto my attacking leg and pulled me through the hole in the bridge, dislodging my grip.
Tai Lung hurled me over the bridge, attempting to throw me into the chasm below, but lunged out in desperation, sinking my claws into Tai Lung's forearm, causing him to roar in pain. With Tai Lung distracted by the pain, it gave me the opportunity to pull myself upwards, and land a powerful kick across his face before launching for the bridge, regaining grip of it. Before being able to turn around to face Tai Lung, he landed a kick into my back, causing me to fly forward, losing grip of the bridge. I grabbed onto the bridge again, before turning around to re-engage in battle with Tai Lung. His attacks forced me to defend myself, but landed two sidekicks onto Tai Lung while defending. After regaining his composure, Tai Lung launched at me with a sweeping kick, missing me, before he landed a kick on my face.
Its impact stunned me, but before recomposing myself, Tai Lung landed three more kicks, as he began to overpower me. He struck me with a powerful uppercut kick, causing me to break through the bridge. Things were getting out of my control, and unless the others intervened soon, Tai Lung would gain full control of the fight. While clinging to the bridge, trying to regain my focus, Tai Lung swung himself at me, kicking me in the chest. The impact sent me flying backwards, slamming through dozens of boards, severely destroying the bridge. All the momentum was within Tai Lung's paws now. The others had to intervene, otherwise this fight, and my life, will be over soon. As soon as I stopped travelling backwards, the ropes twisted around me, causing them to close around my throat, choking me.
My efforts to loosen the ropes were in vain, but while doing so, the ropes lost their tension, releasing me from its grip and catching me by surprise. It caused me to reach for the ropes in desperation, but missed. Thinking that was it, I closed my eyes, bracing for impact, but to my relief, Crane clasped onto my arms, bringing me back above the clouds. After taking a few breaths to recompose myself, upon scanning the situation, Monkey struck Tai Lung in the face with a powerful sidekick, sending Tai Lung flying backwards, and releasing his hold of Viper. Tai Lung skidded to a holt on what remained of the bridge, before leaping up and charging back towards Monkey and Viper. At the end of the bridge, Mantis stood at the edge of the cliffs, hanging onto all the ropes.
"MANTIS!" I yelled, still dangling from Crane's claws. Mantis whipped the ropes, sending a wave towards Tai Lung, hitting him in the face, stunning him. This was our last chance to finish him. "NOW!" Crane dropped me onto the ropes as we charged at Tai Lung, while Mantis held onto the ropes. Monkey launched at Tai Lung, landing a powerful flying kick into Tai Lung's chest, sending him flying backwards. Viper followed up with a tornadic tail slap, further stunning Tai Lung. Crane cut a rope and wrapped it around Tai Lung, pinning his arms to his body, before I jumped off Crane's back, striking Tai Lung in the chest with a double-palm strike. Tai Lung flew backwards, as I landed on the rope, severing it, causing Tai Lung to disappear into the gorge below.
Mantis whipped the rope we were holding on to, bringing us back to the mountain's ledge. We landed on the ground and watched as Tai Lung's half of the bridge crashed into the far side of the mountain, silencing his yells. Relieved we had defeated Tai Lung, with none of us dying, I turned to leave before a noise from the gorge caught my attention. Looking back, the rope we tied Tai Lung to began moving around the distant mountain, before rising out of the mist, only for nothing to be attached to it. We watched, waiting for something-
!CRASH!
The sudden crash caused us to turn around, shocked to see Tai Lung standing behind us, after somehow avoiding certain death. "Shifu taught you well." Tai Lung lunged out and struck Monkey in the chest, sending Monkey to the ground, paralysed and unconscious. Seeing Monkey drop dead horrified me, but upon looking back at Tai Lung, he had a menacing sneer plastered on his face. "But he didn't teach you everything." Before any of us could react, Tai Lung attacked Viper and Mantis, paralysing them, too, with the nerve attack. It sickened me seeing them paralysed too, before my focus shifted back to Tai Lung, angered by his ruthless actions. Tai Lung looked at me with a smug look on his face. "You fought well, sis."
A growl grumbled from my throat, while stepping in front of Crane, blocking Tai Lung from reaching him. "I'm not your sister!"
Tai Lung shrugged. "Suit yourself." He launched out at me, but blocked his attempt to nerve attack me. This agitated Tai Lung as he lunged at me again, only for me to block his arm, jump up and slap kick him across the face. The impact caused Tai Lung to yell in pain and stumble backwards, before he shook his head, and looked at me, narrowing his eyes. "I'll get what's rightfully mine, no matter how hard you fight. That Dragon Scroll is MIIINE!" Again, Tai Lung tried to strike me in the chest, only for me to block his attack while pushing Crane to the side.
"CRANE! GATHER THE OTHERS AND GO! YOU MUST WARN MASTER SHIFU!" Something hard struck my chest, causing a tingling sensation to radiate through my body, before everything went black.
[End Notes]:
That concludes the end of this chapter. What did you think? Lemme know in the reviews (or send me a PM).
I really do hope you enjoyed diving deep into Tigress' mind during that chapter. It was damn hard writing that out, but we got there. Hopefully the fight scene between Tai Lung and The Five was well-described. I literally watched the fight frame-by-frame to ensure it was described correctly. Even while watching the scene at x0.25 speed, some things happened so quickly I had to re-watch it a million times, literally. Then when it was finished, I looked at it and realise that a 1500-word section of the chapter covers a 5-minute fight. No wonder my chapters approach 9k+ words. It may sound like a lot of effort, but hopefully that effort shows. I know that was a lot to get through, like the last chapter, but until things settle down, it's gonna be a little frantic.
Here's a question: what do you think happens after Tigress gets nerve attacked? Do you think she can hear/feel, or do you think it's the same as being unconscious? It's hard to know, cause they're also paralysed. Another thing... how many of you noticed that Tigress was the only one who had her eyes closed? Mantis, Monkey and Viper all had their eyes open after being nerve attacked, yet Tigress didn't. Why that is, I dunno. I've just had to pick what I think for the next chapter, but do feel free to share your thoughts. It may help me with the beginning on chapter 6. 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 6 is scheduled to be released on April 25
Until then, take care and stay safe!
Footrot Flats :)