G'day All,
Welcome to Chapter 8 for Eye of the Tiger!
It's been a while, hasn't it? *laughs awkwardly*
Yeah... I sincerely apologise for the unintentional long delay. It wasn't planned. It just took an awfully long time to create this chapter. Why did it take so long? I really don't know. It's not like my time has been limited over the last few (hell, this took nearly 10 weeks to finish). What the heck have I been doing? I mean, look, I can sorta explain why it took so long. Whenever I write descriptive narration, or whatever, exploring Tigress' thoughts, it takes a little longer to structure the paragraphs so they flow. Dialogue and action scenes roll off the tongue (or fingers), because it's easier to imagine. Writing deep thoughts requires more time. Other than that, I can't really provide any other explanations.
The good news is this story's still going and I'm not dead (yet), so yay (I hope you're happy about that anyway, otherwise… well, damn. Sad face.) Now that this chapter is finished, it has made me realise I am going to need to pick up the pace if I want any hopes of finishing this story, otherwise the sun will explode before we get halfway. In saying that, some chapters will contain more in-depth narration compared to others, but having such detailed (filler) chapters is important to the development of the story. It connects the chapters, but chapters like the one you're about to read will be as details as they'll come (and they'll be rare). You've gotta remember this story is about the life of Tigress. Some chapters will act more like filler chapters. But life is like that. You have some filler (nothing) days.
Alright, I'm going to have a small rant about the English language. Why are the words "interrogate" and "interrogative" not pronounced the same way? "Interrogate" is pronounced as "in-ter-ro-gate", yet some fool decided that because interrogative had two extra letters, instead of pronouncing it "in-ter-ro-ga-tive" as I thought, it is pronounced "in-ter-rog-a-tive". Did anyone know that? Who the hell came up with that? No wonder the English language is messed up. They're the same sounding word. One just has 'iv' added between the 't' and 'e' at the end. How did I discoevr this? Well, when I edit my works, I use the read aloud tool in Microsoft Word (it's under the "Review" tab) as a final check because getting that audio aid helps identify mistakes missed visually. So, of course, when the voice read out "interrogative", I thought it was a mispronounciation… or perhaps a British thing. Maybe we do say "in-ter-ro-ga-tive" in Australia. My friend said I should never question the English language, so perhaps that is what I'll do.
A special thanks to gsmith1030 and Starless Echoes for leaving reviews on the previous chapter (even though it was published months ago), and to Central Intelligence Anon for leaving a review for the first chapter. It's always a nice surprise receiving reviews, so thank you for your positive feedback. Hopefully, these chapters keep delivering to your expectations. To everyone else, thank you for taking the time to read my works. I highly encourage you to leave a review. Reviews are an extremely helpful guide for me to understand how these chapters are being perceived. Without reviews, I'm working off my own judgement, and while I do my best to make sure these chapters are of the highest quality that I can produce, getting feedback is invaluable. I'm not asking for long essay-like reviews. If there's something you liked about a chapter, let me know. If you think something could be improved on, let me know. The only way I'll know is if you tell me. If you'd rather send me a PM, that is also fine. My PMs are open anytime. All reviews (or PMs) are welcomed (as long as they're acceptable), whether it's positive feedback or constructive criticism. Your reviews will help shape this story, so don't be afraid to share your thoughts. I'll respect the time you take to leave a review.
Just FYI... the chapter isn't 13,000 words long. The length of this has blown out because of my post-chapter author notes being an additional 3,000 words. You'll find out why when you get there.
Anyway, I think that's enough dribble for now. You've waited a few months for this chapter...
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 ado,
Please Read, Review & Enjoy Chapter 8
Chapter 8 - The Dark Nightmare
A dense haze shrouded the Valley, preventing the mid-afternoon sun from shining down on us and providing its natural light for guidance. The haze, a product of the Wuxi Finger Hold, left the Valley dark and cold, reducing the visibility of our surroundings to almost zero. Though the abnormal conditions blocked the sunlight from reaching the Valley, the lanterns Crane and the villagers were carrying illuminated our immediate surroundings. This allowed me to identify whereabouts within the Valley we were, but couldn't see much further than thirty feet. The thick haze hid the Jade Palace from our position, nor could we see any of the surrounding landscape. It was strange, but didn't stop me from venturing into the Valley, exploring for any unusual activity.
After witnessing the Wuxi Finger Hold a few hours ago, we had spent the day travelling back to the Valley, unsure of what we would discover. From afar, this thick haze didn't appear suspicious in any form as we approached it. We had never seen the Wuxi Finger Hold before, therefore, didn't know what to expect in the aftermath. According to the scroll written about the Wuxi Finger Hold, cleaning up is the hardest part, but my memory cannot recall it describing anything about a thick haze lingering around afterwards. Now that we had reached the Valley and were standing within this thick haze, it created a strange feeling. Something didn't seem right, but couldn't pinpoint what. The further we ventured into the Valley, the more my expectations rose for something to happen, but nothing eventuated.
There were no signs of life anywhere. No lights. No noise. Nothing. It was just us five warriors leading the villagers through the Valley. This silence made me feel as though another presence was here, watching us, but nothing made its presence known. All we could do was remain cautious with every step we took. Anyone could use the cover of darkness to sneak up and attack us. While walking deeper into the Valley, a yellow light appeared, catching my attention as it illuminated the surrounding haze in a golden hue. It was unknown what caused this light source to appear, nor who had placed it there. As we drew closer to the light, I hung my right arm out, gesturing to the others to stay back with the villagers, before turning my attention to the lantern, proceeding forward to investigate the area.
The closer every step drew me towards the light, the more my anticipation grew for something to happen. It felt like a trap. As though somebody was waiting for me to get close enough before attacking, but nothing emerged from the darkness. Not yet anyway. After creeping closer and closer to the light, listening, and waiting for any movements, the source of the light revealed itself through the haze. In the middle of the path sat a lantern. Something seemed too perfect about the placing of the lantern, and given there were no visible signs of damage to the lantern, it just seemed odd. That didn't stop me from edging closer towards it. Upon getting within ten feet of the lantern, it flickered a few times before going out, turning the place pitch black. That didn't gain my immediate attention, though.
Everything had gone black, including the illuminous glow from behind, where everyone once stood. This caused me to turn around, becoming confused, seeing everyone had vanished. There was not a single trace of anyone. It was just me, alone in this darkened Valley. My mind couldn't understand what was happening, nor why everyone had vanished, but suspected something was about to happen. Something was telling me to prepare to fight, for my instincts sensed somebody was here, but hadn't spotted them yet. If it weren't for my ability to see in the dark, the situation would be worse than it is. While scanning for any signs of life, the surrounding air became colder, giving the impressions it was warning something was about to happen.
"We meet again," a familiar voice said, causing me to spin around into my defensive stance. The lantern flickered back on, revealing none other than Tai Lung. He looked at me with a smug grin plastered on his face. "Took you long enough to return. I was beginning to get bored." Tai Lung stepped over the lantern, causing me to retreat backwards a few steps while growling at him. What Tai Lung planned to do remained unknown, but part of me suspected he caused the appearance of this thick haze. Though that made me question whether he was behind the disappearance of everyone or whether there were other strange forces at play. After stepping over the lantern, Tai Lung stopped, but maintained his smug look. "So… what brings you back here?"
"What do you want?"
"What do I want? Well, I don't want anything from you." Tai Lung paused, though neither of us broke eye contact. It was unclear what his motives were, but knew he was planning something. His eyes articulated a strange expression, warning me to remain vigilant. Tai Lung stepped forward, causing me to step back and growl, though he seemed unfazed. "How does it feel chasing something, only to realise you were wasting your time?"
Tai Lung's question caused me to frown at him, confused. "What?"
"To have spent all those years breaking your body for nothing." Tai Lung took a few steps closer while he spoke, but held my ground this time, maintaining my interrogative frown on him. "It must make you question your worth."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know what it's like when others fail you. They led you on a path you were never meant to be on. Now look. You don't know what direction to take."
"DO NOT blame Master Shifu for your inexcusable acts of betrayal! It was your own failure to recognise how self-centred you were becoming to gain the power of the Dragon Scroll!"
"MY FAILURE?!" Tai Lung stepped forward again, bringing the gap between us to about fifteen feet. "Who forced me to train from dawn to dusk, bending my body until it broke?! Who bestowed this vision in my head of me becoming the Dragon Warrior?!"
"Others can influence your destiny, but they can never control it. You were never destined to become the Dragon Warrior, nor gain the power of the Dragon Scroll, because all you wanted was power."
"Perhaps you're right, but it is futile now. Your master can no longer persuade my destiny, and neither can you, but tell me something." Tai Lung took another few steps forward, bringing the gap between us to ten feet. "You say greed for power denied my quest to become the Dragon Warrior, but you were never hungry for power. So, what denied you of becoming the Dragon Warrior?"
The question left me searching for answers, but none came to mind. It remains unknown why Master Oogway chose the panda as the Dragon Warrior over any of us, let alone me. "My motives to become the Dragon Warrior are irrelevant now. The Dragon Warrior has been chosen, and that is something I must live with."
"Indeed, but you still strive to achieve those motives, don't you?"
This left me confused, wondering what Tai Lung was insinuating, but also felt as though he was trying to twist this conversation. "What I strive to achieve is none of your business."
Tai Lung scoffed. "You're so oblivious you fail to realise your motives are why you were never destined to become the Dragon Warrior."
An agitated growl escaped from my throat, as my right paw shut tight into a ball. "Are you implying I was never worthy of being deemed the Dragon Warrior?"
Tai Lung stepped to the left as he began walking around me. "You may possess the qualities of a warrior, but you never had the mindset a warrior needed to become the Dragon Warrior."
This made me scowl, angered by what Tai Lung was implying. "How would you know that?! At least I wanted to become the Dragon Warrior for good reasons."
Tai Lung scoffed again, continuing his slow walk around me. "And those reasons are exactly why you would never become the Dragon Warrior."
"Care to explain, seeing you seem to know everything."
The smug expression on Tai Lung's face widened, as he looked at me like I should know what he was thinking. "When someone tries to prove themselves to another person, they do things hoping to gain their word of honour, but when you're trying to prove your worth to yourself, it doesn't matter what you do, it never feels enough. The harder you try, the more difficult it becomes to gain that self-acceptance. You don't think you're good enough and assume everyone thinks the same. This makes you strive harder for what you're trying to achieve, but what you failed to realise is that this distracted you from understanding what was required to become the Dragon Warrior."
It was unclear what Tai Lung was suggesting, but the further this went on, the more confusing and frustrating it became. "Are you saying my motives to become the Dragon Warrior prevented me from achieving that?"
"You have always strived to make Shifu proud of you. He gave you this life, and you have this desire to repay him by proving your worth, but it doesn't seem like it is his approval you're after. How many times over the years has Shifu admitted he's proud of you?" The question left me stumped, as my mind filtered through the countless memories of when Master Shifu had admitted his proudness of me. Despite that, part of me still feels like a failure to him. "Rather than focusing on what it takes to become the Dragon Warrior, you were too concerned about proving yourself to Shifu, so you could then be proud of yourself."
My eyes shifted down to the lantern as Tai Lung walked past it, thinking over what he had said. What bothered me was the fact there was no rebuttal to disprove his statement. He couldn't be right, but he wasn't wrong. All these years, my main objective has been to make Master Shifu proud of me. To repay him for the life he gave me. Without him, my life would be far different to now. How Tai Lung knew that was beyond my understanding. A low growl emitted from my throat, as my attention refocused on Tai Lung. "What gives you the right to tell me this? It doesn't matter what you say, nothing will change the past."
"You're right. Nothing will change your failures. You can either learn from them and move on, or remain ignorant of the truth. The choice is yours."
My eyes narrowed on Tai Lung, feeling as though he was toying with me. "Calling me ignorant isn't a wise move."
"What are you going to do? Fight me?" Tai Lung chuckled after saying this, feeding the rage burning inside of me. "You can fight me if you dare, but you will never defeat me." This snapped my last straw of patience, causing me to lash out at Tai Lung, angered that he was implying my skills were not good enough for him. Tai Lung leaned away from my advancing hook punch, before grabbing onto my attacking arm, and used the momentum of my movements to throw me away from him. After regaining control of my momentum, I swung around and faced Tai Lung. He approached, appearing agitated. "Your anger is another reason you were never destined to be the Dragon Warrior. It doesn't take much for you to lose control of your temper. What will it take for you to understand that?"
"You disappearing from existence would be a good start?"
Upon re-engaging battle with Tai Lung, despite throwing strike after strike, Tai Lung manoeuvred his way through my attacks, preventing any from landing. While he was evading my attacks, he never retaliated in return, which allowed me to remain on the offence, although it was near impossible to land a strike on him. This agitated me, feeling as though he was taunting with me, but why he never tried gaining advantage of the fight confused me. My attacks couldn't have been that ferocious that there were no opportunities for him to counterattack. When we fought on the Thread of Hope, he absorbed my attacks, before finding a weakness in my offensive moves to turn his defence into attack, gaining control of the fight.
From there, despite my best efforts to regain momentum of the fight, he maintained his aggressive drive, denying me any opportunities to reclaim control of the fight. Tai Lung used brute strength and highly advanced combat skills to overpower us, but this fight wasn't the same. Something felt different about his technique, but that didn't stop him from displaying an impenetrable defence. It was almost as if he predicted my next move, making me doubt the unpredictability of my attacks. What confused me, though, was the fact Tai Lung didn't seem interested in gaining the upper hand of the fight. It was uncharacteristic for Tai Lung to not take advantage, especially since he was picking my attacks.
After throwing another punch, directed at Tai Lung's head, he blocked it, allowing me to advance and strike him in the ribs with a liver shot. The strike stunned Tai Lung, causing him to stagger backwards, giving me the space and time required to execute a low spinning sweep kick, aiming to knock Tai Lung off balance. To my frustration, Tai Lung jumped over my sweeping leg, but didn't deter me from following through with the momentum, pivoting around on my right leg before leaping off the ground to unleash a five-forty roundhouse kick. What surprised me was when Tai Lung stepped forward and grabbed onto my attacking leg, before using the momentum of my move to slingshot me around his body, throwing me into the wall of a nearby building.
Tai Lung's counterattack was unanticipated, but had enough time to extend my right arm out, bracing for impact. Upon colliding with the building's wall, a sharp, stabbing pain shot up my arm after crushing my right paw under the force of impact. Despite training for many years amongst the Ironwood Forest anaesthetising the nerves in my paws, that didn't make them immune to injuries. The training damaged the nerve endings within my paws, preventing them from feeling pain, but that was restricted to my paws. My body can feel pain, but given my paws contain the highest concentration of nerve endings, my pain tolerance is incredibly high. Despite that, while pushing myself up from the ground with my right paw, another wave of shooting pain travelled up my arm, causing it to give way.
"Do you even know why you're fighting me?" Tai Lung asked, reverting my attention to him. He walked over to me, stopping several feet away. I stood up, cradling my right paw, being careful not to further injure it, while keeping watch of Tai Lung. It was unknown what injury my paw had sustained, but suspected my wrist was broken. "Your anger forces you to make irrational decisions. It's another reason you were never destined to become the Dragon Warrior." Another wave of anger flooded my body, causing me to leap at Tai Lung, claws unsheathed. He grabbed onto me mid-flight, hurling me back into the wall, busting my paw for certain. "Now you're becoming stubborn to the truth. You play ignorance, but all you're doing is making the situation worse for yourself."
This made me growl, irritated at being called ignorant again, while propping myself up onto my feet, using my good paw. "What did I say about calling me ignorant?"
"What are you going to do? Bust up your other paw?" This drew my attention down to my right paw, which my other paw was supporting, preventing it from becoming further damaged. "Combat isn't the solution to everything. You know you can't defeat me."
The frown on my face turned into a scowl, looking back at Tai Lung. "It is not impossible to defeat you."
"That might be true for the conscious world, but not the case for your subconscious world."
My scowled expression turned into a confused frown. "What do you mean my subconscious world?"
"The mind is a mysterious and complex structure. Everyone possesses little voices in their head that are in a constant battle with each other for dominance. They influence every decision you make. Some know how to control these voices. Others don't. When the darkness of one's soul overrides these voices, it can force you to make decisions you wouldn't with a clear mind."
"The heart influences your darkness, not your head."
"And where does the blood that flows through your head come from?"
"What's your point?"
"The mind uses the brain, and the brain responds to the mind. This causes the mind to change how the brain reacts, and thus, alters how you view the world." A silence fell over us, as my mind struggled to determine whether Tai Lung was talking nonsense or whether his words had a purpose. "That little monster everyone used to call you is still part of you. Deep down, you know that. You just choose to ignore it, but one day, you won't be able to contain it. When that happens, there's no turning back."
"Unlike you, I have the ability to prevent my anger from harming others."
"I am not who you think I am." This prompted me to frown at Tai Lung, confused. "Your mind has always possessed darkness. That little monster has always lived inside of your head, but has remained figureless until now. And believe me, you won't be able to control yourself once that monster breaks out."
"How would you know that?"
Tai Lung's eyes turned dark, matching the transforming malevolent appearance on his face. "Because I am your darkness." The darkened figure, which no longer possessed Tai Lung's appearance, kicked over the lantern, causing it to break and flicker off, rendering the area in complete darkness. After breaking the lantern, the demon-like figure advanced towards me, causing me to snarl and retreat backwards until my back hit the wall. My only option was to defend myself when the figure attacked. "Let's see how strong you really are… and this time, there's no one here to save you." The figure launched at me at speeds that gave me enough time to close my eyes, bracing for the worst.
My eyes snapped open as my body jolted upright, startled by the scene that had unfolded in front of my eyes. It took a few seconds to realise a nightmare had awoken me, causing my attention to notice my ventilating state. This forced me to focus on calming myself down, knowing nothing was threatening my life. After several deep breaths, my breathing had returned to a regular rhythm, although my heart was still pounding hard inside my chest, feeding on the adrenaline coursing through my body. Despite it being dark, given there was no moonlight shining through the walls of my room, my ability to see in the dark allowed me to identify the interior of my room, further calming me down.
Nightmares are no stranger to disrupting my sleep. They make a regular appearance to my subconsciousness, but that nightmare was far different from other nightmares. No two nightmares are the same, but some can have a common theme. Prior to the Dragon Warrior Tournament, most of my nightmares revolved around failing to become the Dragon Warrior. This nightmare was nothing like those nightmares. My mind didn't know what to make of it. These nightmares wouldn't occur if nothing triggered them. They happen for a reason. Those nightmares about never becoming the Dragon Warrior occurred because of a fear. That being the fear of not repaying Master Shifu for the life he had given me.
Becoming the Dragon Warrior would have shown Master Shifu why the time and effort he dedicated towards me would not have been a waste. Failure was not an option for me. Not after spending most of my life training for it, but that fear became a reality. A reality that is still difficult to accept for many reasons, but none of those nightmares predicted the outcome to be what it is. Nonetheless, those nightmares were derived from my inner fears. They had a logical reason to occur. What caused this nightmare to occur remains unknown. Something about the nightmare gave me the feeling it was forewarning me of something, but couldn't pinpoint what. There must be some deeper messages encoded in the nightmare, but would require a thorough analysation.
What baffled me was the appearance of Tai Lung. He has never been involved in any of my previous nightmares. That thought caused my mind to flash back to the fight that took place, making me remember my right paw had been severely injured. Upon looking down at my right paw, there were no visible signs of damage. The structure of my paw was how it should look and moving it around didn't cause any pain. Had it been injured like it was in the nightmare, it would have gained my attention much earlier. Apart from the right side of my ribs, which were still sore from the actual fight against Tai Lung a few days ago, my body hadn't obtained any of the injuries sustained in the nightmare.
Despite coming to the realisation that a nightmare had woken me up, there was no chance of returning to sleep. Not only had the nightmare kicked my instincts into overdrive, but my mind was too active, thinking about the nightmare, to even attempt getting more rest. It would be more beneficial meditating on the floor until sunrise to soothe my mind. Upon getting out of bed, I walked over and opened the exterior shoji screen to observe the conditions outside. Given the exterior of my room faces west, it is impossible to watch the sunrise from my room, but can observe the atmosphere brighten as sunrise approaches. The western sky, however, showed no signs of light, but sensed dawn wasn't far away.
After sitting on the floor in my meditative position, next to the open shoji screen, it was important to relax and focus on my breathing before doing anything else. The open shoji screen allowed the cool predawn breeze to infiltrate through my room, bringing a calming sense with it. There is no point meditating if my body is not relaxed. It would disrupt the rhythm of meditating, preventing me from obtaining a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state of mind. Some might question whether focusing on my nightmares while meditating is beneficial to the purpose of meditating. These nightmares might be a figment of my subconsciousness, but understanding why they occur helps obtain that clear state of mind.
When Master Shifu first introduced me to the concept of meditation, it seemed pointless and a waste of time. My young and impatient mind thought we could have spent that time training, but as my patience grew, so did my understanding of the benefits to meditating. Overtime, meditation evolved to become self-therapeutic for me to focus on my mental and psychological state of mind. It allows me to reflect and learn from the past, whether it was something that happened during my conscious or subconscious state, while also clearing my head of any troubles and resetting my focus on the present. There is no such thing as a good nightmare; no nightmare is enjoyable, but they happen for a reason. Something causes them to occur.
That is why it is important for me to focus on understanding what triggers such nightmares and the messages they portray, rather than dwelling on the emotional trauma they inflict. Once those triggers are understood, then my focus can shift to determining whether a fear triggered the nightmare or whether it was the universe forewarning me of something. Over the years, most of my nightmares were caused by a fear of something. Other nightmares are random and unexplainable. Then there are rare instances where a nightmare has the characteristics of a nightmare, but something feels different about it. That's the feeling this nightmare brings to me. It may have seemed like a nightmare, felt like a nightmare, caused me to react like a nightmare would, but its unexpected appearance bothers me.
That difficulty to explain the origins of this nightmare makes me think the universe is forewarning me of something, but that creates other questions to arise inside my head. Then again, some nightmares are nothing but confusing. That doesn't mean this was a spontaneous nightmare. It happened or a reason. Even if that reason seems ridiculous, understanding what triggered the nightmare to occur would bring a sense of clarity. Given the nightmare is slowly fading from my memory, it is best to preserve the memorable details in a scroll. That will enable me to refer to them later rather than relying on my memory. Upon standing up, I walked over to my nightstand and lit the lantern on top of it before opening the top drawer.
Inside laid six scrolls side-by-side, a few quills wrapped in clothing to protect them, and a small ink bottle. After gathering the materials required, while returning to my meditation spot, the faintest shade of light evading the western skies caught my attention. Though it was still predominantly dark, the level of light indicated sunrise was about an hour away. There was enough light to distinguish the outline of trees and mountains, but still dark enough for the western stars to twinkle in the sky. With sunrise fast approaching, there wasn't much time to spare until the day began. After sitting on the floor and positioning the lantern in front of me while placing the ink and quill to my right, my eyes shifted to the closed scroll in my right paw.
Just looking at the scroll left me searching for ways to describe this nightmare. It was unlike any nightmare experienced before, which is strengthening my confidence that it was a vision forewarning me of something brewing within myself. The possibility of an unknown fear triggering the nightmare is low, but never out of the equation. However, that's appearing less likely the more the nightmare replays through my head. There are many plausible explanations, but whatever the case, my mind strives to understand the purpose of this nightmare before sunrise. Once its purpose is understood, then my focus can shift to determining how to best use that information. But where to start?
The nightmare is nothing but a muddled mess, with random moments zooming around my head, making it difficult to obtain any sort of clarity. That made me realise how far my mind had wondered from a clear and relaxed state. After clearing my mind of all thoughts and refocusing on my breathing, I picked up the quill with my right paw and dipped it into the ink bottle before looking back at the opened scroll. There were no significant moments during the beginning of the nightmare, but all aspects are important, no matter how trivial they seem. Every detail will help piece together the nightmare, so began making notes in the scroll as the memories of the nightmare re-flooded into my mind.
On the twelfth day of the sixth month, a nightmare, unlike any nightmare experienced before, plagued my subconscious mind. The nightmare began with the Valley of Peace shrouded in a thick, smoky haze. It is unknown what happened prior to this moment, nor what caused a thick haze to smother the Valley, but suspected something strange had occurred…
After writing the third sentence, it felt as though something was missing. Nothing significant, but annoyed me not being able to remember. While contemplating what that detail could have been, a sudden realisation struck me. Everyone was there at the beginning of the nightmare. The villagers, plus the others, too. That made me wonder whether the nightmare drew from yesterday's experiences, having returned to the Valley after the Dragon Warrior defeated Tai Lung, but that was a pointless tangent to follow. Other than answering my curious mind, it wouldn't provide any useful information to explain what triggered the nightmare. Remembering that minor detail, however, caused me to scrap what was written and start again.
On the twelfth day of the sixth month, a nightmare, unlike any nightmare experienced before, plagued my subconscious mind. The nightmare began with us five warriors leading the villagers back to the Valley of Peace from an unknown location. As we approached the Valley, a thick smog shrouded it, obscuring it from our view. It is unknown what happened prior to this moment, nor what caused a thick haze to smother the Valley, but suspected some forgotten event may have occurred. After reaching the Valley and entering the thick smog, some short time later, a lantern flickered on, glowing through the smog, illuminating the surrounding area in a golden hue.
Its sudden appearance caused me to approach the lantern, suspecting someone had placed it there and was hiding from us, but nothing made their presence known. Upon getting within reaching distance of the lantern, it flickered off, leaving the entire Valley in darkness. That didn't cause too much concern, but what did was realising everyone behind me had disappeared. The villagers and the others had vanished, leaving me alone in this darkened Valley. Amid the confusion, a familiar taunting, egotistic voice echoed out from the darkened Valley, gaining my immediate attention. When the lantern turned on again, its light revealed the voice belonged to none other than Tai Lung…
Taking a break from writing, now that my mind had remembered the opening scene of the nightmare, reading back on those memories does nothing but create more questions than answers. There are many unsolved mysteries, but they are pointless tangential thoughts that would not solve the purpose of this nightmare. In saying that, my mind cannot help muse about them. What caused a thick smog to blanket the Valley? Where had we come from in the beginning? Why did everyone disappear after the lantern flickered off? Despite these questions going through my head, none of them had logical answers. Perhaps they cannot be answered. They could have been random features my subconscious mind created to set the scene of the nightmare.
Whatever the case, the biggest question burning through my head was the appearance of Tai Lung. He has never appeared in a single nightmare of mine. Why, after his defeat, does he appear in one? Not only did he feature in the nightmare, but he seemed to control the progression of the nightmare. My mind cannot fathom any reasonable explanation. Then again, it is difficult to fabricate an articulate response to any of those questions. The only logical explanation that comes to mind, explaining his appearance, is after yesterday, he was still fresh on my mind. Ever since he was locked away in Chorh-Gom Prison, he has always remained on the back of our minds. The threat he posed to the Valley never disappeared.
Something was bound to happen, and eventually, after twenty years of imprisonment, he escaped. Part of me still doubts whether the Dragon Warrior banished Tai Lung to the spirit realm. Given we didn't witness the Dragon Warrior defeat Tai Lung, we cannot declare with certainty that Tai Lung no longer poses a threat to us. All the evidence suggests that is the case, but we can only make such a conclusion based on the evidence before us. Had we defeated Tai Lung ourselves, or at least witnessed his defeat, there would be no opportunity for doubt to form in my head. Without that visual evidence, we have to draw conclusions based on other forms of evidence. That being the chi shock wave and the Dragon Warrior emerging from the Valley, but no signs of Tai Lung.
We just have to believe Tai Lung is no longer a threat to us, but after twenty years of remaining vigilant, it will take time to adjust. Realising my mind had wondered off on a tangent, I brought my attention back down to the scroll. After reading over what was written, my mind had a mental lapse, not being able to recall what occurred next. Once the lantern revealed Tai Lung, he made some arrogant remark before talking about something worth writing, but couldn't grasp the conversation that took place. Something tells me he asked a question, but cannot remember what that question was. It frustrated me, not being able to remember the next part, given it contained more valuable information than the opening scene, yet that is the only part which is clear in my mind.
The rest of the nightmare is distorted, with random moments sticking out more than the rest, but no real clarity or context around those moments. Some moments included a line, or two Tai Lung said, but what dominated my thoughts was the ending of the nightmare; the part which woke me up. That scene is simple to remember, but my problem was trying to remember how the nightmare transitioned to that scene. After Tai Lung appeared, we had a conversation which was interrupted by a fight, followed by another conversation, but couldn't remember the details of those conversations. It was making me delve deeper into my memory, trying to remember what occurred, but just couldn't connect the pieces together.
Perhaps it is best working on the parts that are memorable, rather than wasting valuable time getting no progress. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, my mind cannot remember everything about this nightmare. Legend says you forget your subconscious visions within the first seven seconds after waking up. When you wake up, the brain takes several seconds to initiate cognitive functions, but during that transitioning stage, the brain is still in sleep mode and does not store anything into your memory. By the time the brain's cognitive functions activate, seven seconds have long passed. Given large proportions of the nightmare have vanished from my memory, there is no point noting what is memorable.
With such insufficient information, it is futile seeking explanations behind the purpose of this nightmare. Besides, given how abrupt the nightmare ended, it was preventing me from thinking about other parts of the nightmare. That's when it became obvious how disconnected my mind had become. Rather than finding clarity within this nightmare, it was causing my mind to become disorientated, preventing me from thinking straight. After closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing, my mind thought back to the first conversation Tai Lung brought up. Tai Lung asked something which triggered that first conversation to occur, but couldn't remember what it was. It was right there on the tip of my tongue.
While straining my brain, it struck me in an epiphanic brainwave. Remembering that question made the entire conversation unfold in my mind. Now that my mind had a clearer picture of the first conversation, I continued writing in the scroll.
… Once Tai Lung appeared, he made some sly comment before asking me, "What does it feel like chasing something, only to realise you were wasting your time?" The question confused me, prompting Tai Lung to further elaborate by saying, "To have spent all those years breaking your body for nothing. It must make you question your worth." At this point in the conversation, it was unclear what point Tai Lung was getting across, but when he followed that up with—"Because I know what it's like when others fail you. They lead you on a path you were never meant to be on. Now look. You don't know what direction to take,"—it was obvious he was referring to his failed upbringing with Master Shifu…
Not once has the thought of blaming Master Shifu for my failure to become the Dragon Warrior crossed my mind. No one failed me but myself. That's the bottom line. In failing myself, and my expectations, that has made me feel like a failure to Master Shifu after everything he has done for me. While thinking about what Tai Lung said, it made me question whether he had a valid point to his statements. He stated that chasing the title of the Dragon Warrior was a waste of time, but it is not like any of us could have foreseen how the Dragon Warrior Tournament would unfold. No one could have predicted who Master Oogway was going to choose as the Dragon Warrior.
Only Master Oogway knew the type of warrior he was looking for to proclaim as the Dragon Warrior, but none of us expected him to choose some random panda over us. It still disappoints me, having failed fulfilling my dream of becoming the Dragon Warrior, but that's as far as my disappointment goes. Unlike Tai Lung, my disappointment is not directed towards Master Oogway or Master Shifu. Not even the Dragon Warrior can take the blame for the crossroad my life has stumbled upon. It would be disrespectful to the accomplishments he has achieved. In saying that, now that the threat of Tai Lung has passed, it is unknown what lies ahead of me, but where my destiny leads me depends on my choices.
As difficult as it is to accept the past, the longer it dwells within me, the harder it will be to move on as each day passes. Staying ignorant to the truth will only affect my mental and psychological state, preventing me from obtaining a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable mind. It would also distract me from performing my duties as a kung fu master. Despite knowing nothing will change the events of the past, my mind cannot help but wonder where my training went wrong. Something must have caused me to become side-tracked from devoting my full attention to becoming the Dragon Warrior, but what that was remains unknown. My focus has always been centred on becoming the Dragon Warrior, so what went wrong?
In the nightmare, Tai Lung blamed Master Shifu for his downfall, but it was not Master Shifu's fault that Tai Lung became greedy for power. Master Shifu could not control what went through Tai Lung's mind. It was his own doing caused by his own desires that destroyed his chances of becoming the Dragon Warrior. While Tai Lung's lust for power denied his ambitions of becoming the Dragon Warrior, what was my downfall? What prevented me from becoming the Dragon Warrior? My dreams of becoming the Dragon Warrior had nothing to do with wanting the power of the Dragon Scroll. Being granted limitless power would have been a bonus to my achievements, but it wasn't what drove my desire to become the Dragon Warrior.
The main reason for wanting to become the Dragon Warrior was to repay Master Shifu for the life he had given me. It would have proved to him my capabilities of becoming the warrior he had spent twenty years training me to become. That the time and effort he dedicated towards training me would not have been wasted. Failing to become the Dragon Warrior undermines everything Master Shifu has done for me. He bestowed his faith in me; he believed in me. That gave me reasons to train and fight. To utilise his faith and make him proud of me. Having failed myself makes me feel like a complete failure to Master Shifu. My failures have wasted his time and effort, and that leaves me determined to capitalise on other opportunities to prove myself to Master Shifu.
Now that those thoughts had crossed my mind, it caused me to think about what Tai Lung said in the nightmare. After trying to blame Master Shifu for his failures, he turned his attention to my failures, and what denied me the opportunity to become the Dragon Warrior. The panda may have proven himself as the Dragon Warrior, but there must be other reasons Master Oogway chose him as the Dragon Warrior. Not knowing those reasons makes me wonder whether Tai Lung was right. That it was a waste of time chasing the title of the Dragon Warrior when someone else's destiny had already claimed it. When Tai Lung spoke about my reasons for failing to become the Dragon Warrior, he stated:
"Rather than focusing on what it takes to become the Dragon Warrior, you were too concerned about proving yourself to Shifu, so you could then be proud of yourself."
My mind didn't know how to interpret that statement. It seemed like Tai Lung was implying my desires to make Master Shifu proud of me prevented me from focusing on what was required to become the Dragon Warrior. Even if that holds some truth to it, that doesn't justify my motives for wanting to become the Dragon Warrior. Tai Lung cannot be right. That cannot be the reason for having failed at becoming the Dragon Warrior. Yet, the more my eyes read over those words, the harder it is to create an argument. What Tai Lung said made sense, and that was causing me to question my training purposes and where it went astray. Prior to discovering the prophecy of the Dragon Warrior, my training was based on gaining Master Shifu's approval and respect.
That's all my mind desired to obtain and still does to this day. It didn't matter what the training, missions, battles, and everything else in-between were about, my priority was to gain Master Shifu's approval and respect. Not even learning about the prophecy of the Dragon Warrior changed my mindset. The power of the Dragon Scroll was unimportant to me. Without Master Shifu's approval, nothing else mattered. In my point of view, training to become the Dragon Warrior was an incentive opportunity to prove myself to Master Shifu. To become the warrior he trained me to become, but most importantly, to make Master Shifu proud of me. Over the years, that determination to make Master Shifu proud must have distracted me from understanding what was required to become the Dragon Warrior.
My obsession with gaining Master Shifu's approval caused me to fail at becoming the Dragon Warrior. That's when an epiphanic thought flashed through my mind. Throughout my entire life, whenever something happened that made me feel like a failure to Master Shifu, more often than not, Master Oogway would find me and share a few simple words. Most times, Master Oogway's wisdom wouldn't ease the disappointment and self-loathe flowing through my body, but that was only because it was difficult to understand what he meant. Master Oogway had told me countless times that Master Shifu has always been proud of me. The only reason he never expressed his proudness, like he did with Tai Lung, was because he wanted to maintain a disciplined training regime. Now, somehow, this nightmare, and what Tai Lung said, has enlightened what Master Oogway meant.
Deep down, Master Shifu was, and still is, proud of me, but he restrained himself to prevent me from following Tai Lung's footsteps. My mind has become so critical of myself that every wrong move makes me feel like a failure to Master Shifu. With all these mistakes accumulating over time, it has become difficult to imagine how Master Shifu could consider me as anything but a failure. Truth is, Master Shifu has never seen me as a failure, but my attempts to make him proud of me, thinking he wasn't, caused me to fail myself. That was what Tai Lung meant. Rather than focusing on training to become the Dragon Warrior, my mind was too concerned about proving myself to Master Shifu, so in return, it would make me feel proud about myself.
Despite coming to that conclusion, my opinions of myself haven't changed. Nothing will stop me from feeling like a failure until my life has obtained some fulfilling achievement. Becoming the Dragon Warrior was my greatest opportunity to repay Master Shifu for everything he had sacrificed for me, but that opportunity has long passed now. Other opportunities will arise and must grasp such opportunities with both paws, but until my life has been fulfilled, nothing will stop me from striving to prove myself to Master Shifu. How that will be achieved remains unknown. Perhaps the universe will present opportunities to me, but staying vigilant is my best hope. No one knows what their destiny has installed for them.
Some find the path to their destiny at an early age. Others never discover their true potential, and that's something which troubles the back of my mind. The road my life has travelled on has never been a straight road, with any real purpose. It makes me wonder whether my destiny will ever reveal itself in the future. Somewhere out there lies my true destiny, but the path to getting there hasn't been discovered yet. That's not saying being the leader of the Furious Five is a worthless accolade. To train and fight alongside the others, leading them through battles, is an honour no one else will ever experience. In saying that, it just doesn't feel fulfilling that my destiny may have already reached its endpoint.
There must be more to my life than the present life. My life as a kung fu master, protector of the Valley of Peace, and leader of the Furious Five cannot be where my destiny ends. Something feels like it's missing from my life, but in saying that, there's every chance that this is it. Deep down, for a long time, my mind has wondered whether the universe will ever reveal my beginning. My earliest memories are of the Bao Gu Orphanage, but that cannot be where my life started. There must be a reason for my abandonment, but the lack of information about other tigers has caused so many questions to arise over the years with no answers. What happened to my kind? Why did they abandon me at the orphanage? Where could they have gone? Are they still alive?
Until finding out what happened to my kind, and why they abandoned me at the orphanage, my mind will never cease searching for the truth. Master Oogway has said during many conversations that when the time is right, the universe will answer my questions, but it troubles me not knowing my true identity. The possibility of never finding out where my life began is something that plagues my mind. When my time comes, there is every chance of passing into the spirit realm, knowing nothing about the beginning of my life and what happened to my clan. It's possible something horrific happened to them, which could explain why they abandoned me at the orphanage, but that's a risk worth taking. There must be an explanation for their disappearance.
Had they not abandoned me at the orphanage, they would have returned for me. Even if they returned after Master Shifu brought me to the Jade Palace, the orphanage caretakers would have directed them here, but we have received nothing since Master Shifu adopted me. If they did, in fact, abandon me at the orphanage, then so be it. They may not have had adequate resources to raise me, or perhaps my birthing wasn't planned, and thus, their only choice was to abandon me. Whatever the case, all that matters is finding out the truth. The only other plausible explanation, besides them abandoning me, is that something prevented them from returning, such as death. That possibility has always made me wonder whether the rest of our clan suffered the same fate.
It's unknown whether my biological parents were part of a clan or not, but whatever the case, my mind struggles to comprehend the absence of other tigers. There must be other tigers out there somewhere, and if so, where? The lack of tiger activity evokes a sickening feeling in my stomach. Countless questions with such little information, but there's one question my mind tries to ignore, though it never goes away. Am I the last tiger alive? To think there may not be any other tigers alive sends a tingling shiver down my spine. There's no proof saying there are other tigers out there, but there's also no proof to say there aren't. It's a question of the unknown, but until those mysteries are unearthed, my life will never feel complete.
Realising my mind had wondered astray, again, upon snapping my focus back to the nightmare, despite gaining some understanding into the first conversation, the second half of the nightmare remained unsolved. When looking back at the fight that occurred, it disappoints me, knowing my subconscious mind broke one of the many protocols Master Shifu has taught me over the years. That is to always remain defensive and never initiate a fight, but my subconscious mind did not have the patience, nor control, to restrain itself. Whatever the nightmare is about, my subconscious mind must restrain itself from getting involved in any fights, unless it is necessary. Otherwise, it's a reflection of my instinctual mindset, and is something that must be controlled to prevent myself from getting into any unnecessary trouble.
Moving on from the fight, once it ended, Tai Lung started talking about how the voices inside one's head are in a constant battle for dominance. Much like the first half of the nightmare, there are bits and pieces of this conversation which are memorable, but most of the conversation has been forgotten. In saying that, my memory recalls Tai Lung speaking about how the mind uses the brain, and the brain responds to the mind, but when darkness overpowers one's mind, this changes how the brain reacts, and thus alters their thinking processes. Whether that has any relevance to me is unknown, but there was one thing Tai Lung said which has been running through my head since waking up.
"That little monster everyone used to call you still lives in your mind. You just choose to ignore it, but one day, you won't be able to contain it. When that happens, there's no turning back."
It is difficult to interpret what Tai Lung meant with this statement. Everyone, except those who possess golden chi, has a dark side to them, but how you control it determines how much it influences your thinking processes. The more the dark voices control your mind, the worst your decision making will become. If these dark voices take over your mind, you will make nothing but pure evil choices. That's why remaining vigilant of my mental and psychological state of mind prevents these dark voices from taking over my mind. Once you lose control of your mind, it becomes extremely difficult to escape the downward spiral. Perhaps that was the point Tai Lung was trying to get across.
Deep down, the monster everyone at the orphanage created in my mind is still part of me, but my training to master self-control has allowed me to store it deep within, away from any light. While straining my brain, trying to find reasonings behind Tai Lung's words, a sudden thought crossed my mind. How did he know about my orphanage days? And how everyone at the orphanage used to refer to me as a monster? Nobody knows about those days except for Master Oogway and Master Shifu. Perhaps it wasn't Tai Lung. At the very end of the nightmare, Tai Lung stated he wasn't who he appeared to be, but represented my darkness before morphing into some evil demon figure and attacked me.
Perhaps my subconscious mind gave the dark, soulless figure the body of Tai Lung. Maybe the purpose of the nightmare was to remind me to maintain the self-control of this monster that resides within me. Or maybe my subconscious mind wanted to torment me with no real meaning behind the occurrence of this nightmare. After what has unfolded over the past week, my mind has become overcritical of everything that has happened, attempting to understand why such events occur. For that reason, perhaps my mind is over-analysing the nightmare, trying to find a reason for its occurrence when it may not have a reason. In saying that, certain aspects of the nightmare have enlightened some worthy points, but given its randomness is proving difficult to explain, it may have been one of those random nightmares that arise from nowhere.
If a similar nightmare occurs again in the future, then further action will need to be taken as it could be a warning something deep inside, out of my conscious control, is awakening. For now, my only option is to continue with my training and remain vigilant of any disturbances within me. Upon opening my eyes and looking out of the open shoji screen, the snow-covered peaks of the nearby mountains, half-illuminated in a golden glow, gained my attention. Many years of observing the sun's rays cascading down the mountains have allowed me to calculate when the morning gong will ring out. Throughout the year, it varies in height, but once the sun's rays reach a certain height on the mountain, that is my cue to prepare for the morning gong.
With the sun's rays almost halfway down the mountain's slope, it was time to prepare for the day. Upon looking down, though the lantern was still alight, the natural sunlight infiltrating into my room overpowered the lantern's effects. After blowing out the lantern, I grabbed the scroll, which was resting on the floor to my right, and rolled it up, gathered the ink and quill, before standing up and walking over to the nightstand. Despite planning on using the scroll to note down the nightmare, there was no point doing so when my mind could only remember fragments of the nightmare. Instead, noting down some of the key things Tai lung said would allow me to refer to them if a similar nightmare occurred in the future. Once everything was stored away in the top drawer and placed the extinguished lantern on top of the nightstand, I walked over and stood by the door, waiting for the morning gong to ring out.
{Twenty-seven seconds later}
!GOOOOOOOOOOONG!
"Good morning, Master Shifu!" the five of us warriors said, simultaneously entering the hallway to greet Master Shifu.
"Good morning, students!" Master Shifu said, replying to us from the end of the hallway. "I hope you are feeling refreshed after what some might say was an unprecedented week. There will be plenty of time to celebrate the peace the Dragon Warrior has bestowed upon us, but for the time being, we must focus on today's tasks. We have a long day ahead of us and must get started right away. Follow me." Walking out of the student barracks, we followed Master Shifu as he led us through the Jade Palace, towards the thousand steps, on our way to the Valley below. There were many scenarios running through my head about how the day could unfold, but had to ensure my mind remained focused, no matter what occurred today. The villagers need our assistance restoring the Valley, and until we have completed restoring the Valley to its previous glory, nothing shall distract me from the tasks at hand.
[End Notes]:
That concludes the end of this chapter. What did you think? Lemme know in the reviews (or PM me if you want). As mentioned at the start, any review, no matter the size, will be muchly appreciated. If you find any mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know. All feedback helps me gauge where the story is at and how to improve.
That chapter went quite deep, didn't it? This chapter wasn't how it was originally planned to go. My initial plans were to have the nightmare and pre-morning meditation/reflection take up the first half of the chapter, but the nightmare itself was 3500 words. By the time I started getting into Tigress' meditation, the chapter was already at 5000 words and I was like, "You know what… let's make this chapter just about the nightmare." So, over 9000 words later, what you just read was the end result. If truth be told, the first draft was over 10000 words, but after editing it, I reduced the chapter down to 9200 words (9242 words, to be exact). The beauty of my works is nothing is set in concrete, so when something originally planned gets pushed back, it doesn't get lost. Instead, it'll make up a part of the following chapter. So yeah.
Now… I know most of us wanna forget about it, but what were your thoughts about The Dragon Knight? Yes, I know. How dare I mention such filth? If you haven't watched it yet, you ain't missing out on much. I haven't seen too many positive reviews about it. You wanna know what I thought of The Dragon Knight? Alright, lemme share my thoughts...
Look, the show on its own is okay. It's appealing to children, and that was their main focus, but it is NOT canon to the franchise (even the director of TDK said that himself on Twitter). There are many aspects of TDK that us grown up KFP fans are not pleased with. The fact it treats the movies (and everything we consider canon) non-existent is quite disappointing. KFP for me is installing deeper messages in the plot, seeing Po train and fight alongside the Furious Five, annoy the heck out of Master Shifu, cook with Mr Ping, the random cameos from Master Oogway, the subtle tipo moments, and everything else in-between. We get none of that in this series. It's like The Five, Shifu, The Valley of Peace, and everything we've come to know doesn't exist. The only "reference" we get is seeing Po pack his Tigress action figure in the 1st episode, and him mention Master Shifu during the 10th or 11th episode. Other than that, they're never spoken about. It's like nobody from DreamWorks realises how much value The Five holds.
Yes, the franchise may be called "Kung Fu Panda", and is centre around Po, but it's not the same without the Furious Five and Master Shifu. They have as much value in the franchise as Po does. Without them, you're missing a huge chuck of what people want to see. If a series were to come out tomorrow about the adventures of the Furious Five, we'd all be wetting ourselves in excitement (well, I would be anyway). There's so much about The Five's history that's unexplored. We may know how they came together, but there had to be more than that battle against Boar which defined their legacy. What happened between that point and the Dragon Warrior Tournament? No one knows. Po mentioned another battle, in the Sweeping Mellows or something, during the 1st movie, but other than those two moments, we have nothing else to build their legacy with.
That aside, the animation wasn't anything like the movies, but it was better than LoA. Unfortunately, the breath-taking animation we've come to love from the movies didn't hit the mark in this series. There were some parts where the animation seemed to lag or be out of sync and it just looked wrong (and a little lazy). For most of the series, though, it wasn't too bad. Other aspects overshadowed the animation. It was a pass, at least.
What wasn't a pass was how they portrayed Po's character. I mean, not only did they throw him under a massive bus, but his character traits didn't reflect what Po has learnt during his time as the Dragon Warrior. And that's another thing... he's not the Dragon Warrior in this, but a Dragon Master. I don't get that. How can you lose the title of a thousand-year prophecy that was given to him by the one who created kung fu? Po says in the third film while defeated Kai "I am the Dragon Warrior", not the Dragon Master. Po's entire arc was finding out what makes him the Dragon Warrior, only for the producers to start calling him the Dragon Master. Makes no sense at all. I think the producers made a dud call on this. All they've done is caused mass confusion amongst fans. To me, Po's character was quite OOC. It felt like the Po we've watched mature in his craft across the franchise was forgotten, and in TDK, he was more of a comedic, cliché idiot stretched to the maximum. It was actually very difficult to like the character Po is portrayed in this series.
The other main character, Wandering Blade, could have excelled if her arc wasn't like watching a British Tigress, except, be the worst version of what Tigress could have been without any development as a whole. Wandering Blade was a dishonest and constant death threating character who disrespected everything she did not deem "useful" and above all, a hypocritical and awful companion with no development. If anything, she backtracked on any development that was handed to her, which made the series even worse. Po accepted her tough nature, but she really buried herself deep into the ground when she purposely left Po to be captured, declaring her "mission" more important than anything else. And what ticked me off the most was when she used Po's Iron Belly attack. Unless you have the body shape of a panda, it just doesn't look good at all. It wasn't so much an Iron Belly slap, but more so a pelvic thrust attack... that's probably more information than people wanted (I'm sorry).
I know some will question the "British Tigress" claim, but to me, the way she acted and spoke towards Po reminded me of Tigress (from KFP 1... and even a little bit of LoA Tigress), Like I said before, Wandering Blade is a character who could have been given any character arc, but the fact they recycled the same elements used to develop Tigress (a hardcore character with a sad backstory, who hates Po at first, but later learns to appreciate him) is a massive disappointment, and slight disservice to both characters. Surely they could have thought a little harder when developing Wandering Blade's traits. There were just so many problems between the development of Po and Wandering Blade it impacted the series negatively.
Now, there's one scene I must bring up, but really don't want to. The Hug. Do I dare speak about it? Honestly, was it really necessary? Yes, Po may have saved Wandering Blade's life, but like, come on. I nearly threw my phone across the bedroom... and at 1.30am, that wouldn't have ended well. When it happened, it gave me flashbacks to when Tigress hugged Po in Gongman Jail. It just seemed to have an uncanny resemblance to that scene. Did anyone else think the same? Obviously, the hugs had different meanings to them, but Wandering Blade was getting a little too touchy-feely for my liking. I'm no expert on hugs, so perhaps I'm overthinking it, but cannot help see the similarities. They're trying to force their friendship together, and make it feel like how Po and Tigress' friendship developed, but it's not the same. They have different dynamics, but it gave me the feeling they're trying something. Hopefully, a hug is as far as they go.
Overall, if I had to rate the series out of 10, I'd probably give it 3/10. There was so much more they could have done. Alright, I've blabbered on long enough about The Dragon Knight. If you haven't watched it, give it a go and see what you think. You may enjoy it, but yeah. Once is enough for me.
There's more!
Last, but not least... who's excited about Kung Fu Panda 4?
As of today, there are 550 days until its release.
If truth be told, I'm excited, but also nervous about its release. We've waited many years for this, and I think a lot of us lost hope during the pandemic. I know my hopes were slowly disappearing, and because of that, we started creating our own stories of how we envisioned a 4th movie could play out. When it seemed like we would never get a 4th movie, DreamWorks makes an announcement out of nowhere that a Kung Fu Panda 4 is in production. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see what they do, but at the same time, there's a little bit of uncertainty, too. Why? Well, since joining FanFiction nearly two years ago now, I've developed theories in my head on what could occur after the 3rd movie. It's the main reason for having started this story, Eye of the Tiger. I planned on writing my own story, filling out Tigress' life, but now that the 4th movie is on the way, that could alter my plans depending on what they produce. And that leaves the biggest question everyone's asking: What will Kung Fu Panda 4 be about?
Many of us wonder whether Po has anything else to achieve. I mean... is Po's story over? The first three movies were based upon the concept of body, mind, and spirit, which pertains an individual's mental, physical, and emotional/spiritual health. All three aspects are connected. When one thing is thrown off balance, it affects the other two aspects. For example, when something is troubling you mentally or emotionally, you being to manifest symptoms physically. Your heart starts racing, you may sweat more than usual, you have a hard time sleeping because you keep thinking about the problem - and you begin to feel lethargic and fatigued. This is when the mind-body-spirit are out of balance. However, when your mind is at peace, you are more likely to be happier, kinder, and more grateful because you're not so embroiled from within. Physically, you are relaxed and ready to take on whatever life throws your way. So, when you think about it, Po has achieved a balanced body-mind-spirit. What more could he achieve in life? He's become Master Oogway's successor and has reunited the past with the present. He has achieved the reasons Master Oogway chose him as the Dragon Warrior.
In saying that, just because Po's story appears to be completed, doesn't mean he has everything. It may sound cliché, but Po doesn't have love (yet), and peace doesn't last forever. Something is bound to disturb the peace he has bestowed upon ancient China. It may not even directly affect Po, but like the 1st and 3rd movie, it will target someone he cares for. I mean, look at it this way. Kung Fu Panda was about Shifu's past, Kung Fu Panda 2 was about Po's past, and Kung Fu Panda 3 was about Oogway's past. What's saying that pattern doesn't continue and Kung Fu Panda 4 is about Tigress' past? Two of the three movies haven't been about Po's life directly, but he was still the mainstay of the three movies and learnt/obtained something valuable each time. Yes, the three movies may have covered the connection the body-mind-spirit has, but love is that unwritten fourth aspect. Without love, what do you have? Love is almost the hidden linkage between the three aspects. When you lose love, or feel unloved, the connections are severed. Love maintains that balance you need.
I know not everyone ships Po and Tigress, which is fine, but to me, it seems inevitable that they're destined to be brought together. The reason I say that is because of the Yin and Yang, which brings an endless loop to my thinking. The Yin and Yang describes how two opposites need each other to create balance and harmony. Yin is feminine, dark, passive, quiet, introverted, and is associated with night (sums up Tigress). Yang is masculine, light, active, loud, outgoing, and associated with day (sums up Po). I did some research about the Yin and Yang ages ago (as part of my planning for this story), but what really caught my eye was the animals that symbolised the Yin and Yang. Not hard to guess. The Tiger represents the Yin - The Dragon represents the Yang. When reading further into the Tiger and Dragon Zodiac Signs and Comparability, it summarises with, "The Tiger and Dragon relationship will be full of romance and combustion. They will challenge each other. At the same time, the Tiger requires freedom first as they are very sensitive. They also have a lot of kindness and acceptance."
So, with that in mind, it made me think, "Well, who is Po's opposite?" Tigress. This sorta closes the loop to my endless thinking. If Po and Tigress were to be brought together, it would be at the end of the 4th movie after enduring some life-changing journey, which would close out the franchise on a high note by bringing together the Yin and Yang. However, before Tigress can be open to love, and as a result, Po and Tigress become canon, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Yin and Yang, and ultimately completing Po (and Tigress') journey, Tigress needs closure on her past. She needs to know what happened at the beginning of her life and how she ended up at the orphanage. It may be one of the most painful, heart-breaking backstories, but she needs to go through it to obtain inner peace.
This won't push Po to the side. He'll play a main role as usual, and be there by Tigress' side (as will the others), helping her through the journey, defeating whatever foe threatens their peace. Her past won't determine who she is, but her decision to go through that journey, to discover who she is and where she came from, will shape who she becomes in the future. It will bring her the closure and inner peace she deserves. For that reason, my hopes are that Kung Fu Panda 4 will finally explore Tigress' backstory and give her the closure she deserves. Yes, there may be some unavoidable similarities between Po and Tigress' backstory, but does that not define the Yin and Yang? Their lives have, and always will be, interconnected. Their lives share many similarities because they are the Yin and Yang. However, something makes me feel as though Tigress' backstory is far more complicated than Po's. Let's step back and look at this from a different direction.
Out of the Furious Five, who has the most mysterious, unexplored life? To me, it's Tigress. She has such an unknown past that's been made to feel as though something cataclysmic happened, yet we know nothing about it. To have developed her in such a way without closure would seem pointless. There's a way to explore her backstory without making it seem like a regurgitation of KFP 2. I just don't think it would be right for Tigress' character, if she truly is the Yin to Po's Yang, to have such an uncompleted story. She deserves the closure. I don't believe Kung Fu Panda 4 will be a money grab. If they put in the effort, the money will flow. They just cannot make this movie with money as the main reason. There needs to be something about Po's life they're wanting to fulfill. Maybe it's love... because then, I think he will have a completed life (as will Tigress).
For now, we can only wait patiently.
I'll be honest... maybe this is just something that's part of my long-term plans for a certain story, so I'm secretly hoping my telepathic powers work and DreamWorks create a movie that brings closure to Tigress' past. If DreamWorks doesn't give Tigress any closure, maybe you'll see it somewhere else. That's all I'm saying...
Alright, someone shut me up. I've planted a seed, I'll leave it there.
From here on in, I won't make any confirmed schedules as to when each chapter will be published, but hopefully chapter 9 is out before Christmas (haha). I also want to get Anything But Mine finished, and get some of these one-shots/short-stories written and published that are piling up in my notebook. I've got plenty of ideas, but have not had the time to start them. So, releases will be sporadic, but hopefully between this story and my other works, things are getting published more regularly than 10 weeks apart.
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read the latest chapter (and my dribble - this is as long as any pre/post author notes will be).
Until next time, take care and stay safe!
Footrot Flats :)