G'day!
Welcome to Chapter 10 for Eye of the Tiger!
"Chapter 10 is a bit more planned out, so hopefully it doesn't take 4 months to complete, but no promises."
- A comment made by me, I, and myself in the last chapter's end notes.
That comment aged well, didn't it? At least I said no promises. Don't ask how this chapter took six months to complete. I'm trying to figure out where the time went, too. Believe me, it is not within my intentions to have this story progress at a snail's pace, but nonetheless, the story is still chugging along. It's hard to explain, but there are several factors contributing to these chapters taking so long to complete. One is time (or lack of). I don't spend everyday working on this story. In fact, I alternate days between this story and my other works. So, really, this only took three months to complete, but other works delayed this chapter by three months. It doesn't sound great, but alternating what I work on prevents me from getting bogged down. Another reason is the concept of the story. It's not easy writing an unfiltered story from the perspective of Tigress. Each scene takes time to write, and on top of that, finding ways of linking them together so it flows like it would it real life.
Chapter 10 - feels like a minor milestone having made it to double digits. Now, without spoiling the contents of the chapter, we're starting to move away from the aftermath of the battle between Po and Tai Lung, and looking ahead to some upcoming events (hence, the title for this chapter). Even though it was a challenging chapter to string together, there's quite a lot squashed into this chapter. And you'll notice that the chapter is the longest one yet. It's over 10,000 words. Promise chapters of these lengths will be rare. I'll try and maintain an average chapter length around 8500 - 9000 words. I'll explain in more detail after you've read the chapter what caused this chapter to balloon out to over 10k words. In saying that, it's quite satisfying doing the final edit and seeing how it actually flows. Makes me feel like my time hasn't been a complete waste seeing the final product in full.
Like I've said in previous pre-chapter notes, if you'd like to shoot me ideas, please feel free to do so either via the reviews or PMs. This story is designed in a way where you (the audience) can have an active input into the story without affecting the plot. The plot itself is very open-ended. Even if you only have a single scene, that is fine. All ideas will be considered. Some will work. Others won't. Keep in mind that I'll do my absolute best to incorporate all ideas into the story, but some ideas may not appear in the next chapter, or in the next ten. But it will find its place in this story. And of course, any ideas used that were not mine will be credited to whoever gave me the idea.
A special thanks to Vinicus176 and Gsmith1030 for leaving a review on the previous chapter (hopefully you remember some of it). Your feedback is much appreciated. It may not seem like much, but your reviews provide me with extra motivation, knowing people still read this story, while also giving me some valuable feedback to take into consideration while writing. So, thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. Hopefully these chapters keep delivering to your expectations.
To everyone else, thank you for taking the time to read my works. I would 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 am working off my own judgement, and while I do my best to ensure these chapters are of the highest quality that I can produce, getting feedback is invaluable. I am not asking for long essay-like reviews, breaking down every aspect of writing (although, I wouldn't complain if someone decided to do that). If there is 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 your thoughts 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 is positive feedback or constructive criticism. Your reviews will help shape this story, so don't be afraid to share your thoughts. I'll respect your opinions and the time you take to leave a review.
Anyway, I think that's enough dribble for now. You've waited many 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 10
Chapter 10 - A Look Ahead
The intense summer sun belted down on the Valley, baking the lands we stood upon. With no breeze to provide any relief, it created stifling conditions most would find unbearable. To the north, there was nothing but clear skies. However, to the south, dark clouds bellowed over the distant mountains. It didn't guarantee the Valley would receive any rain, but it increased the sense that some late-afternoon thunderstorms were a possibility. Any form of precipitation would certainly provide a much-welcomed cool change. Despite what some would describe as uncomfortable conditions, that didn't deter the villagers from being outside, continuing with their daily lives. In saying that, there weren't as many villagers outside as there were this morning.
Most villagers had taken refuge inside the coolness of their homes, but the Valley wasn't dead of life. While walking through the streets of the Valley, it was fascinating to observe how the damage from the Dragon Warrior's battle with Tai Lung was rather isolated. Instead of seeing damage everywhere, as one would expect after a significant battle, only a few other buildings within this area of the Valley appeared to have sustained any serious damage. Obviously, no damage would have been preferred, but given the circumstances which led to such damage from occurring, it was rather miraculous the damage wasn't more widespread. Ahead of me, a building caught my attention, seeing its exterior wall had been destroyed. Upon stepping inside the building, it appeared uninhabited.
There were no signs of anyone occupying this space, nor did it contain any belongings. It was empty. Had somebody lived here, they would have made their presence known by now, unless they were absent, which was a possibility, but seemed unlikely. Despite that, it was rather lucky no villagers appeared to be using this property. If my memory recalled correctly, Crane mentioned earlier that a building which had collapsed near the river also appeared uninhabited. Perhaps it wasn't luck that prevented more damage from occurring, but rather the gods of the universe guiding the fight to preserve the villagers' homes. Or it was a mere coincidence and nothing more. Whatever the case, it was a blessing that none of the villagers were hurt or killed throughout the ordeal with Tai Lung.
That was obviously thanks to the Dragon Warrior for having the courage to confront and somehow defeat Tai Lung before worse ensured. A moment of history that my mind still fathomed to understand. While looking around the interior of this building, apart from the exterior wall, it didn't appear to have suffered further structural damage. It would still require some extensive works to repair the damage, but nothing the soldiers wouldn't be able to handle. Now that my curiosity had been satisfied, it allowed me to leave this building and proceed to investigate the building Crane had reported about yesterday. Along the way, a couple of villagers stopped and bowed to me, but thankfully, all interactions with the villagers were limited to just that.
Sometimes children approach us for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the heat saved me from having to deal with them right now. In fact, not a single child could be seen outside, which is no surprise or unusual for this time of the year. Children, much like the elderly, are more susceptible to suffering heat-related issues during prolonged spells of hot weather. For that reason, during this time of year, when daytime temperatures were at their hottest, the Valley was always less active in the middle of the day as villagers sought refuge from the heat. A benefit from that was it enabled me to remain more vigilant of my surroundings, whilst completing tasks more efficiently with fewer distractions.
Upon reaching the site of the collapsed building, despite knowing what to expect, it was rather devastating to observe it firsthand. What Crane had reported yesterday was true. The building had collapsed. This will require a complete rebuild. On the ground, Viper and Mantis were working amongst the rubble, dragging large chunks of debris into a single pile. Crane was also assisting, transporting debris through the air. It was unknown whether they had devised a plan, but seeing the state of the area left me searching for solutions. One option was to reconstruct the building. Another would be to clear the area to make the river more accessible from this point of the Valley. The final decision would come down to Master Shifu's discretion.
"Hey, Tigress!" Crane said, gaining my attention. He flew over and dropped a few pieces of debris onto the pile next to me before landing on the ground. "Whatcha doing here?"
"Assessing your progress." Crane remained silent, allowing me to continue examining the area without being distracted. My mind still hadn't settled on an idea. The place was a complete mess.
"Tigress!" Viper said, calling out and diverting my attention away from my train of thought. She slithered over, with Mantis hopping alongside her. "Where are Po and Monkey?"
"They stopped to eat."
"What?!" Mantis said, agitated for unknown reasons. "And they didn't invite me?! That's it! I'm outta here!" Before anyone could say anything, Mantis bolted from where he once stood, disappearing towards the Dragon Warrior's restaurant.
"You don't seem happy about that," Viper said, reverting my attention back to her.
"We have a responsibility, Viper, to restore the Valley. Nothing should distract us from that."
"We want to see the Valley as it was, too, but you have to remember it will take time for Po to become used to our lifestyle."
"He's going to need to adapt quickly."
Viper tilted her head, appearing confused. "Why would he need to adapt?"
An exasperated sigh expelled through my nose. "Arguing was not my intention to come here. If you do not require my assistance, then my time is better spent discussing important matters with Master Shifu."
"What do you need to discuss with Master Shifu?"
"To request additional support for the Valley."
"Are you going to come back afterwards?"
"Do you need me to return?"
"We could use your strength. And an extra pair of arms wouldn't hurt, either."
"After speaking with Master Shifu, I will return to assist you. And unlike certain members of the group, please utilise your time in the Valley."
"Don't worry, Tigress. We'll keep watch of the others."
Without another word, I sprinted back to the Jade Palace, leaving Crane and Viper to resume what they were doing before. We had already lost half the day; we couldn't afford to waste the remaining hours of sunlight. Upon entering the Jade Palace, Palace servants were running and flying in every direction imaginable. It was complete mayhem. Some were running and flying across the Palace Arena, transporting materials from one side to the other. Other servants were on top of the eastern pavilion, repairing the damaged roof. There were more Palace servants scattered along the staircase which led to the Hall of Warriors, repairing the damage it had sustained. The massive hole near the top of the stairs had been barricaded, preventing anyone from venturing too close and falling in.
Mind you, anyone that fell in deserved the consequences for not paying attention to where they were walking. How they were going to repair that was unknown, but it would require a substantial amount of work to reinstate the integrity of the stairs. Despite the obvious efforts from the Palace servants, much like the Valley, it could take weeks for them to restore the Jade Palace. In saying that, the Palace servants had made considerable progress with repairing the eastern pavilion. At their current rate, they may complete restoring the eastern pavilion by the end of the day. That couldn't be repeated about the Hall of Warriors, though. The entrance to the Hall of Warriors had been destroyed and would require a complete makeover.
That might provide some challenges given the exterior wall either side of the doors would need to be rebuilt first, but its reconstruction was not in my control. How it would be restored would become the responsibility to those with the expertise we acquire. Some might question why we need to seek assistance from the Emperor rather than appointing a proportion of the Palace servants to support the restoration works within the Valley. After all, over a hundred servants serve the Jade Palace, but unfortunately, it was not part of their responsibility to serve the Valley. They must provide their full, undivided services to the Jade Palace. Nothing can alter that. They serve the Jade Palace and keep it functional, so we, in return, can serve and protect the Valley.
Therefore, it becomes our responsibility to restore the Valley, but given we do not possess the suitable proficiencies, we must seek aid from the Emperor. Some might argue that as the Palace servants serve us, they must fulfil our demands, which is technically correct, but there are limitations to what we can demand from them. After entering the Hall of Warriors, much like outside, Palace servants were scattered everywhere, fulfilling different duties. Some were tending to the damaged interior pillars, while others were cleaning and refurbishing the damaged floor and artefactual displays. Even though they had made noticeable progress in restoring the Hall of Warriors, it was still dysfunctional for its purpose. While walking down the Hall of Warriors, towards the entrance to the Scroll Room, a sudden memory caused anger to surge through my body, making me clench my fist.
The memory was of Master Oogway's broken staff. However, upon glancing over to where his staff laid, my body stopped, seeing it was missing from its resting place. It was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, Master Shifu had taken it to be repaired, otherwise we would have a serious issue to investigate. The last thing needed was for Master Oogway's staff to have been misplaced, or worse, stolen. Standing here wouldn't solve where Master Oogway's staff had disappeared to. It was best to seek Master Shifu first, before escalating it. With that in mind, after making my way to the Scroll Room, unlike the Hall of Warriors, the Scroll Room was free of noise. Shelves of scrolls lined the corridors three quarters of the way to the ceiling.
Streams of sunlight penetrated through the tainted windows that lined the upper ceiling of the Scroll Room, illuminating my surroundings without being overpowering. Upon rounding the shelves, at the other end of the Scroll Room, in the corner behind the desk, sat Master Shifu, with a lantern placed on the corner of the table. On the edge of the desk laid Master Oogway's staff. Some relief washed over my body, knowing nothing sinister had happened to Master Oogway's staff. What caught my attention, though, was seeing that Master Oogway's staff was no longer in two pieces. It appeared as though Master Shifu had attempted to join the two pieces back together. Whether he had any success remained unknown, but at least the staff was in the righteous hands.
While approaching Master Shifu, his ear twitched, indicating he had detected my presence. "Tigress." His voice was almost at a whisper.
"Apologies for the disturbance, Master. I've come to discuss with you about an urgent matter."
"Hmm."
"The matter is about requesting external aid to support the restoration works within the Valley."
"I figured that might have been what you came here to discuss," Master Shifu said, glancing up at me, before reverting his attention back to the scroll in front of him. What he was writing remained unknown, but his statement left me waiting for him to further elaborate. Master Shifu looked back at me. "Zeng is transporting a message to the Emperor as we speak. Once the Emperor receives the message, he will deploy soldiers immediately for the Valley depending on the resources he has available."
"When should we expect their arrival, Master?"
Master Shifu resumed writing in the scroll. "We won't know until Zeng returns with the Emperor's reply. Until then, you must do everything within your capabilities to assist the villagers prior to the soldier's arrival."
"Yes, Master. I will relay the message back to the others." After bowing to Master Shifu and leaving him to resume fulfilling his duties in peace, upon re-entering the Hall of Warriors, the reflectiveness of the Moon Pool caught my attention, drawing me towards it. The Moon Pool had always portrayed, and always will portray, such significance to me. Like many symbolic features around the Jade Palace, the Moon Pool would always remind me of the legacy Master Oogway had left behind. These are all we have to remind ourselves of Master Oogway. While looking into the Moon Pool, it was fascinating how, despite the Moon Pool being enclosed and protected from the outside elements, the water was not tranquil.
Rather, something beyond my understanding must have been disturbing its peace. Perhaps it was a sign that something was disturbing Master Oogway's peace in the Spirit Realm. Maybe it was warning something was disrupting the peace of the universe, which was the last thing we needed given we haven't recovered from the ordeal with Tai Lung. These were all hypothetical speculations. What caused the Moon Pool to display such behaviour remained unknown. As my mind sought for an explanation, like magic, the disturbance within the waters vanished. The Moon Pool sat silent. Free of tension. Its tranquil state brought a calming effect to my body, washing away the tensions from within. Now that the waters were still, the reflection of myself within the Moon Pool captivated my attention.
This was how the world perceived me. Every opinion each individual formulates about me is based upon what they observe, but what they observe does not reflect everything they see. There is more to me than just being a fearless kung fu master with sharp teeth and claws, but that was how the world identifies me. That is the first thing they notice, but that does not define my true identity. Nobody knows my true identity. Not even me. There are significant proportions of my life that are unknown. When somebody looks at me, they may identify me as a warrior, a protector of the lands, a kung fu master of the Jade Palace, the leader of the Furious Five, or a student of Master Shifu's. Maybe they see a combination of those things, if not all.
Some may look past all that and see a tiger. It was not unusual for villagers to appear fearful of me, even though my presence posed no threat to them. That type of judgement was out of my control, but it was also expected for them to be judgmental. They react like that because their judgements are based upon my appearance and reputation. Because of my stature as an aggressive predatory animal, some will look at me and presume the worst was about to happen. That was the reality of my life. Getting misjudged for something that wasn't me. They don't know the struggle my life has been, nor the struggles my life continues to endure. Why would they? It would be unreasonable to expect villagers to know something they don't know.
As those thoughts passed through my mind, my focus shifted from my reflection to the reflection of the dragon sculpture high above the Moon Pool. To have become used to seeing the dragon scroll locked within the jaws of the dragon sculpture over the years, it was rather strange observing it without the dragon scroll. It didn't seem right, yet the Dragon Warrior had claimed the dragon scroll. That thought drew my memory back to when Master Shifu presented the dragon scroll to the Dragon Warrior. At the time, it forced me to dwell upon my failures leading up to that moment. The failure to become the Dragon Warrior and the failure to defeat Tai Lung, but above all, failing to prove myself and allow Master Shifu to present the dragon scroll to me with great proudness.
That was something my mind had envisioned for many years, but it wasn't part of my destiny. Those moments still linger in my mind, wondering what could have been, but nothing can change the past, no matter how difficult it was for me to accept those failures. That was the reality of life. You cannot have everything you want. Realising my mind had ventured into a darkened corner, upon pulling my attention away from the dragon sculpture and back onto the Moon Pool, once again, an unknown cause was disturbing its waters. Though it captivated my curiosity, there was no time to mull over the probable causes for the water's behaviour when far more important duties needed to be fulfilled in the Valley.
After leaving the Hall of Warriors, upon reaching the bottom of the thousand steps, by now, it was mid-afternoon, with the heat peaking in intensity. Clouds had continued building over the distant mountains as the day progressed, but nothing, in terms of rain or storms, appeared to pose any threat to the Valley. Despite the intense heat, the Valley wasn't dead of life. Dozens of villagers were outside, going about their lives as per normal as possible, unfazed by the heat. Some cooling rains would be welcomed, but that was beyond my control. It frustrated me seeing the Valley in its current state because, despite our best efforts, the Valley won't be completely restored until we receive assistance from the Emperor.
How long that would be won't be known until Zeng returned, but there was nothing more we could do other than prepare the Valley for the arrival of the soldiers, which is what frustrated me. It accomplishes nothing nor restores any of the damage, but given we lack the skills, there were too many risks involved in attempting to rebuild anything. That was no one's fault. It was simply a result of our training restricting what we can achieve with the current circumstances. They're the same reasons for having instructed the Dragon Warrior not to rebuild the entrance to his father's restaurant. He does not possess the skills. We can only hope the villagers understand and remain patient for the time being.
Upon returning to the area that Crane and Viper were working on, it surprised me seeing they had almost cleared half of the debris away. It was pleasing to know that at least some of us were utilising our time and being productive. Who knew what Monkey and Mantis had been doing. They may surprise me, but it would come to no surprise had they remained at the Dragon Warrior's restaurant being unproductive. As leader of the Furious Five, it was my responsibility to maintain the functionality of the group in the absence of Master Shifu, but it was not possible, nor was my responsibility to control everyone's decisions. We must contribute equally, no matter the task, but also work independently from one another.
"Oh, hey, Tigress!" Crane said, drawing my attention to him. "You're back." He flew over and landed on the ground. Viper, upon seeing me, slithered over to join. "How did the discussions go with Master Shifu?"
"Master Shifu has sent Zeng to The Capitol with a message for the Emperor. Once the Emperor receives the message, he will discharge soldiers for the Valley."
"How long will it take for them to get here?" Viper asked, making me look at her.
"We won't know until Zeng returns. It could be many days before they arrive."
"Well, I suppose it could be worse," Crane said, which Viper nodded in agreement with. It may not be the worst situation imaginable, but the Valley would remain in an unacceptable state for several days. "So, what can we do until the soldiers get here?"
"For the rest of today, we'll continue clearing this area." Crane and Viper nodded. "Have either Monkey or Mantis made themselves useful?"
"We haven't seen them since you left," Viper said, glancing at Crane before looking back at me. "They could be helping Po, though."
A sigh expelled through my nose, knowing they were most likely wasting time with the Dragon Warrior. "Let's continue working. We must finish clearing this area before returning to the Jade Palace tonight." And so, over the next few hours, with the assistance of Crane and Viper, the three of us worked on clearing the debris from the area into a single pile. By doing this, not only would it provide easier access for the soldiers, but it would also provide them with an open slate, unrestricting their options on what they wished to transform this area into. They may decide to reconstruct the building, or they may wish to clear the area for the river to be more accessible from this point of the village.
That was something Master Shifu would need to discuss with the soldiers upon their arrival, but for now, our job was to prepare the area for their arrival. When they arrive, they'll determine whether the debris can be reused. Part of me suspected they won't, and for that reason, it made me feel as though the work we were doing today was rather pointless. There wouldn't be any shortage of material. However, if the soldiers claimed the debris was nonreusable, then it would be more beneficial to spend our time removing and disposing of the debris from the Valley. That uncertainty left us in a situation where the ultimate decision was not ours to make, but Master Shifu's, meaning we had little choice on what to do with the debris.
This won't be the first time we'll have called upon the Emperor for assistance. It'll be the fourth. Although, this would be the third time we'll have contacted the Emperor about matters which required urgent attention for the Valley. The last time we required support from the Emperor was seven years ago, after the devastating blizzard which swept through the region. After any catastrophic event which causes severe damage, loss of life, or both, whether it be of natural or artificial causes, the Emperor was required to provide support. However, if the Emperor was not informed of such events, then he cannot take the necessary actions required to provide support where it was needed, as he was unaware of the situation.
That was a mutual agreement between the Emperor and Kung Fu Councils or Temples, which oversees large swaths of land, such as the Jade Palace. There was another occasion, about fifteen years ago, where a firestorm raged through the forests to the east of the Valley. My memories of that event have faded over the years, but still remember the morning it first came to our attention. It started as a small plume of smoke, rising into the atmosphere in the far distance. Despite the lack of threat, given the fire was burning through deep forests at a considerable distance from any civilisation, Master Oogway informed the Emperor to prevent a catastrophe from occurring.
However, during the early afternoon, the conditions deteriorated beyond what either Master Oogway or Master Shifu expected. Strong easterly winds developed, fanning the fire straight towards the Valley. Within a few hours, the fire, fuelled by strong winds, had increased many multitudes in size, leaving Master Oogway no choice but to order an evacuation of the Valley. Throughout the evening, and into the night, Master Shifu led the evacuation of the Valley, while Master Oogway stayed behind, waiting for the arrival of the soldiers. By the time the soldiers arrived, the small fire had turned into a raging inferno, tearing through the landscape, fuelled by the persistent strong easterly winds and high temperatures over the previous few days.
All we could do was watch and hope. It seemed like the Valley would succumb to the flames, but heavy rains swept through the region, sparing the Valley. Although the firestorm didn't reach the Valley, by the time it had been extinguished, the fire had already burnt through miles of land, levelling several villages, and leaving behind a massive scar to the surrounding landscape. Those scars have since healed, but some of the smaller villages that perished were never re-established. Some folks from those villagers moved to the Valley for closer protection. Others went elsewhere. In fact, after the fires, the population of the Valley almost doubled. What ignited the fire has remained unknown to this day.
There were no storms during the time of the fire's ignition, ruling out natural causes, which left two plausible explanations. Either someone's campfire had become out of control, or it was a malicious act. Whatever the case, it is something many, including myself, will never forget. The only other occasion we have needed to call upon the Emperor was after the attacks of Tai Lung. Again, that was something my mind had sporadic memories about, but those are memories worth forgetting about given the pain and suffering he caused. Not to me, but to Master Shifu and the Valley. It was not so much a physical scar Tai Lung inflicted on those who experienced loss and suffering, but more so a mental scar.
Outside of urgent matters, Master Oogway used to write to the Emperor every year, several weeks before the winter festival period. My understanding is that Master Oogway was required to not only invite the Emperor to the Palace Feast, but to also inform the Emperor of the year that had been. Now that Master Oogway had passed, perhaps that responsibility would be handed down to Master Shifu, as would all of Master Oogway's responsibilities. After working for close to three hours, despite my mind doubting whether the work we were doing was worthwhile, with the help of Crane and Viper, the three of us had almost cleared the area. The debris pile was already twice my height and growing as each minute passed.
There was still lots of work to accomplish, but at our current rate, we should finish within the next hour. Maybe sooner. The Valley still didn't look pleasing to the eye, with piles of debris and damaged properties littered across the Valley, but there wasn't anything more we could do, much to my dissatisfaction. It made me feel useless, not being able to restore the Valley for the villagers. However, the villagers shouldn't expect miracles from us. We are kung fu masters. Not architectures or engineers. What's required for the Valley was outside of our scope. All remaining works required from here on in would need to be completed by the soldiers. We had done the best to our abilities.
"I think we've done a pretty good job," Viper said, gaining my attention as she slithered over to me. Crane flew over and dropped the last block of debris onto the enormous pile. "What do you think, Tigress?"
"The Valley is still in an unacceptable state."
"It's alright, Tigress. The Valley won't look like this forever." Despite Viper's attempts to reassure me, it only resulted in a sigh expelling through my nose. We cannot accept the current state of the Valley. Crane landed on the ground and walked over to us. "Once the soldiers arrive, they'll have the Valley looking better than brand new." Again, they can say what they wish, but it won't change my opinion on the unacceptable state of the Valley. Simple as that.
"What do we wanna do now?" Crane asked. "There's still some time left before we need to return to the Jade Palace."
"Why don't we see how the others are going?" Viper asked, before looking at me. "Do you wanna come with us, Tigress?"
"I have other plans in mind. Do not be late returning to the Jade Palace."
"Don't worry, Tigress. We won't be late. I guess we'll see you tonight." With that, Viper and Crane left for presumably the Dragon Warrior's restaurant, leaving me to myself once again. After working in the scorching heat for the past few hours, my body felt the need to unwind before returning to the Jade Palace. To retreat to a place that provided a relaxing atmosphere, where it was just me and nature. Nothing else. With sunset about ninety minutes away, it gave me plenty of time to slip away from life and enjoy some time to myself at Dragon Falls. The day had kept my mind so preoccupied, it didn't allow for me to think about anything but the tasks at hand.
Now that there was nothing to distract my mind, the nightmare from last night kept popping into the back of my mind. What frustrated me was even after spending close to an hour this morning trying to understand its occurrence, it seemed like nothing would stop my mind from searching for an explanation. It could not have happened without a reason. Something had to trigger its appearance, but the inability to understand what triggered it has left me confused more than anything else. Was the universe warning me about something? Or was it a nightmare with no logical explanation for its occurrence? These were the questions my mind sought answers to, but there seemed to be no answers to these questions.
At least no logical answers came to mind. The struggle to understand its occurrence made me think it was a random nightmare with no logic, but coming to such conclusions does not satisfy my mind. There must be a reason. Nightmares that plague my subconscious mind are often derived from either real-life experiences or events that are forthcoming. Prior to the Dragon Warrior Tournament, it was a common occurrence to have nightmares about the tournament going wrong. That anticipation was what triggered those nightmares to occur. The logic behind such nightmares was straightforward. This nightmare, however, had scrambled my mind, and there didn't seem to be a way to untangle the mess it had left behind.
Perhaps forgetting about the nightmare would be best for my mental state. My mind already had enough to think about. Forgetting about the nightmare could prove a challenge given the scar it had imprinted into my memory. The purpose of coming to Dragon Falls wasn't to ponder about my problems. There were times for that elsewhere. It may not be a regular occurrence, but coming to Dragon Falls had many purposes. Not only did it provide an opportunity to seek some serenity from the world, but its cool waters also cleansed and recharged my body. Being a warrior was exhausting on the mind and body, constantly having to be alert, while pushing your body beyond its limits every single day. It takes its toll.
After following the river through the dense forest to the east of the Jade Mountain for the past fifteen minutes, a tributary joined the main river which flowed through the Valley. This tributary was Dragon Creek, fed by the waters that flowed through the Dragon Grotto on Lòngshíkū Mountain, the neighbouring mountain which towered above the Jade Mountain. The waters that flowed down Lòngshíkū Mountain formed Dragon Falls. These Falls, over thousands of years, have eroded into the mountain, forming several tiny caves and grottos, hidden from view. One particular grotto, several times smaller than the Dragon Grotto, presented a hidden gem, but getting there wasn't a challenge for the faint-hearted. Or anyone frightened of heights.
Like most of the mountains in the region, Lòngshíkū Mountain had near vertical slopes from the base to the summit. In addition, these mountains are often composed of sharp, uneven rocks covered in moss, water, or vegetation, making them slippery and extremely difficult to climb. To reach the grotto, one must climb up the mountain for seven hundred feet, being careful not to venture too close to Dragon Falls. It would be suicidal climbing the mountain near Dragon Falls, given the rocks become slipperier the closer you climb to the waterfall. For that reason, it is best to remain at least a hundred feet from Dragon Falls whilst climbing the mountain to avoid slipping and falling to your death.
Once you reach the height of the small grotto, a small section of the mountain has been carved out, protecting it from the waterfall above. Within this vertical depression, behind the waterfall, is a small cave. Inside this cave resided a grotto with a small rock pool. Large enough for one, maybe two individuals of my size, but a second individual would be one more than my liking. How this grotto formed had been a mystery since discovering this place, but its formation was both mysterious and breathtaking. No direct sunlight could reach inside the cave, but the cave remained enlightened during the day. The lack of sunlight resulted in the waters being cold, but refreshing.
After removing my training attire, upon sinking into the rock pool, its chilly waters caressed my body, releasing the tension from within. As my body relaxed, a prolonged sigh expelled through my nose while closing my eyes, allowing my other senses to become more heightened. There was no need for thoughts to flood my mind and disrupt my peace. This was a time to clear my mind, to take deep breaths, and listen to my body. To immerse myself within my surroundings. Nothing else was needed. Apart from the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance, the soothing sound of water gushing over Dragon Falls drowned out all other noises. It created the feeling that my body was floating within the weightless serenity that surrounded me.
Minutes passed. How many minutes that was remained unknown, but time was insignificant to me right now. A loud crack of thunder snapped me out of my somnolent state. It wasn't the thunder that frightened me, but when your body is deep at rest, any loud noise would snap you back into reality. What did surprise me, though, was seeing how dark it was becoming. Despite not wanting to leave, the thunder was a perfectly timed reminder it was best to return to the Jade Palace to avoid being late in meeting Master Shifu at the top of the thousand steps, as he had requested this morning. The last thing needed was to arrive late. Master Shifu does not tolerate latecomers. Those who arrive late often receive severe punishment for their disobedience.
Upon getting out of the rock pool, after shaking off the excess water and redressing myself, it was time to return to the Jade Palace. Whilst sprinting through the forest, the warm air that lingered in the near-dusk air would completely dry my fur before reaching the Jade Palace. Though thunder continued to rumble around the Valley, there were no sign of rains. Just a passing thunderstorm. Or so that was my hope. It wouldn't be ideal getting caught in a thunderstorm after having dried off. By the time it took me to reach the gates of the Jade Palace, the sun had almost set. Master Shifu should arrive any minute, but despite his imminent arrival, none of the others were anywhere to be seen.
They weren't waiting inside the Palace Arena, making me wonder where they were. In fact, the Palace Arena was empty. All the Palace servants had ceased work for the day, leaving the Palace Arena lifeless. Had the others been nearby, their voices would have echoed through the air, giving away their location, but there was nothing. Just complete silence. Either they were late or had arrived before me and forgot Master Shifu specifically asked for us to meet him here at the top of the thousand steps on sunset. Whatever the case, their presence was not of my concern. They'll have to face the consequences of Master Shifu for being late to his request.
While leaning on the wall, just outside the Palace Arena, waiting for Master Shifu to appear, the faintest voice could be heard approaching from the thousand steps. Despite recognising the voice belonged to the Dragon Warrior, he was too far away to understand what he was speaking about. Curious to gain a better view, upon walking over to the top of the thousand steps, Viper was carrying a lantern with her tail, leading the group towards the Jade Palace. Monkey, Crane, and Mantis followed, and to no surprise, the Dragon Warrior lagged several steps behind them, fatigued from having to walk up the thousand steps. His physic was not equipped to handle the physical exertion required to scale the thousand steps.
That is something he must become accustomed to for many reasons, and rather soon, otherwise, it will create a liability. Even though the Dragon Warrior was fatigued, that didn't stop him from blabbering to the others about whatever. It was not worth listening to. Perhaps had he focused on his breathing, and stopped talking, he wouldn't find himself out of breath. Though the others didn't seem to mind or care, hearing him groan the entire way up the stairs was infuriating, to keep it polite. Complaining will achieve nothing, nor get you anywhere in life. What perked my curiosity, though, was seeing everyone, except Viper, carrying bags and other belongings of what were presumably the Dragon Warrior's.
No surprise, given Master Shifu stated this morning that the Dragon Warrior must reside at the Jade Palace from now on, much to my annoyance. It will take time adapting to the Dragon Warrior's presence. That was no secret, but until his presence can be tolerated, he will be nothing more than a nuisance who will irritate me with everything he does, while causing a confliction of emotions to clash within. That was not what my mind needed, but perhaps it was self-inflicted to a degree. His endless groans as he dragged himself up the stairs were not helping him change my perspective about him. It was beyond infuriating, but had to control my temper. The last thing needed was another explosive outburst directed at the Dragon Warrior.
"Hey, Tigress!" Viper said, slithering her way up the final steps with the others in tow. "Hope we didn't keep you waiting for long. Po needed our help carrying his stuff up here."
"It's not me who is waiting for you."
"Ah! I made it!" the Dragon Warrior said, drawing everyone's attention, including mine, to him. He dragged himself up the final step before collapsing on his back in exhaustion. "Woo!" The Dragon Warrior fist pumped the air before his arm flopped to the ground. His large stomach rose and fell with each heaved breath. The Dragon Warrior's behaviour was completely unprofessional, giving me vicarious embarrassment. He cannot act like this when he possessed a significant title.
"I see you all have finally made it," Master Shifu said, making us swivel around. He stood beneath the paifang, at the opening of the Jade Palace. His face was stoic, as usual.
"Sorry, Shifu," the Dragon Warrior said, pulling himself onto his feet. "The stairs kinda slowed us down. Well … slowed me down. Not really used to, you know … that many stairs."
"You were exhausted by the tenth stair," Monkey said.
"Hey! I wasn't that bad!"
Master Shifu walked over to us. His stoic expressions remained unchanged. "Students. Please gather around." We did as Master Shifu instructed, gathering around him. "I have a few important announcements to share, so please ensure you are paying close attention. First, I apologise for not being more present today. Other duties prevented me from joining you within the Valley, but understand our skills have limited what we can achieve. For that reason, I have sent Zeng to the Emperor to request support for the Valley. When-"
"Oooh! Will the Emperor be coming to the Valley?!" the Dragon Warrior asked with excitement, interrupting Master Shifu with his pointless question.
"Not at this stage. And do not interrupt me." The Dragon Warrior's excitement vanished upon hearing Master Shifu's deservingly blunt response. "When the soldiers arrive, they will complete restoring the Valley back to its former self. Once the Valley has been restored, we will hold a festival to officially commemorate the Dragon Warrior's victory." Master Shifu cannot be serious. That is the last-
"What?! You're gonna have a festival for me?! That's so cool!"
"Yes, Po. Your courageous act deserves to be recognised and celebrated by the civilians of the Valley in which we protect."
The Dragon Warrior sniffled; evident his emotions were overwhelming him. "I don't need a festival." His eyes became glossy. "I'm just happy to be livin' the dream, you know."
"That may be the case, Po, but the festival would also allow us to welcome and celebrate a new era for the Valley. An era that has only been made possible by your selfless deeds."
"Well, I mean, I do like festivals." Nothing was going to save me from having to attend this stupid festival. They're the biggest waste of time, but Master Shifu would expect us to attend to show our respect towards the Dragon Warrior. Or whatever reasons he wishes to use.
"After the Dragon Warrior's festival, the next few weeks will be rather chaotic, I'm afraid to say." There was silence from everyone, waiting for Master Shifu to elaborate. "With the passing of our treasured friend and master, we will be hosting a ceremony on the new moon to celebrate the life of Master Oogway." The next full moon was four days away, meaning the following new moon would be another fourteen days after the full moon. "Masters from all across the lands will be gathering in the Valley to pay their respects to Master Oogway."
"Woah! Woah! Woah!" the Dragon Warrior said, interrupting Master Shifu once again. "Wait. So, like, every single Master will be coming to the Valley?"
"Not all, but hopefully most can attend the ceremony."
"Wow! That's gonna be so awesome!"
"Yes, it will be one of the largest gatherings of Masters in the Valley's history, and a highly deserving tribute to the one who gave us kung fu. This will be an opportunity for us to pay our respects to the legacy Master Oogway has left behind. To remember what he has taught us. And to thank him for giving us the opportunities to pursue our dreams. Now, as part of preparations for Master Oogway's ceremony, I have requested the creation of a sculpture of Master Oogway, set to be revealed at the opening of the ceremony. Unfortunately, with Master Oogway's passing, his duties as Grandmaster of the Jade Palace have been handed down to me. As a result, I will not have the time to travel to Star City and collect the sculpture myself."
"Ooooh! Are you gonna send us all to collect it?!" the Dragon Warrior asked, causing my heart to skip a beat. That would be pure torture. "That would be so awesome! We could, we could-"
"Unfortunately, I will need you to stay here with me, Po." Thank the high heavens for that. The Dragon Warrior was becoming unbearable to listen to now. Spending several days listening to him gabble about such nonsense would be worse than death.
"Aww, c'mon, Shifu! Can I please, please, please go with them?!"
"Do not make me repeat myself. You will understand why later on." The Dragon Warrior looked as though he was going to complain further, but opted to remain quiet, much to the pleasure of my ears. Hopefully, he realised pestering Master Shifu any longer would not end well for him. "In the meantime, from tomorrow, we will resume training until advised otherwise. Do not mention anything about Master Oogway's ceremony to anyone, and whatever you do, do not speak of it in the Valley. The villagers would be unaware of Master Oogway's passing, and I would like it to remain that way for the time being. Let us have something to eat before we rest for the night."
"Ooh! Can I cook, Shifu?" the Dragon Warrior asked as we followed Master Shifu into the Jade Palace. "There's nothing better than a hot serving of noodle soup after a long day."
"No. We have a Palace chef who prepares our meals."
"What? C'mon, Shifu. You know I can cook, right?"
"You are a student of the Jade Palace, not the Palace chef. And as a student of the Jade Palace, you must adhere to the strict dietary requirements all students of the Jade Palace are expected to follow. No exceptions. You cannot just eat whatever you want. Understood?"
"Me? On a diet? Pfft! Like that's ever gonna happen." The Dragon Warrior chuckled, but Master Shifu's silent response caused the Dragon Warrior's chuckles to cease. "Wait, are you being serious? So, I can't, like, you know, have my dad's noodle soup anymore?"
"Not on training days. And if you're found to have deliberately breached these dietary rules of the Jade Palace, there will be severe punishment. Do I make myself clear?"
The Dragon Warrior didn't respond straight away; an indication that he was thinking of a response. This silence continued as we passed the Sacred Peach Tree to our left. "Can I at least visit my dad? He'll get lonely not seeing me."
"You may do whatever you wish on rest days, but under no circumstances are you permitted to leave the Jade Palace during training days unless necessary."
"We get rest days?"
"Yes. Every seventh day is a rest day to ensure you are not overworking yourselves. What you choose to do is to your discretion, but you are not expected to train."
"Believe me, Shifu. You won't need to give me two reasons not to train." The Dragon Warrior chuckled, though he was the only one to do so. Given the Dragon Warrior's physic, it was no surprise he displayed little enthusiasm about training. "Man, there's so much to learn about how you guys, you know, train and all."
"I understand it will take time for you to adapt, Po," Master Shifu said. "But the sooner you become familiar with the rules and routine of the Jade Palace, the easier you'll find it to follow."
"And we'll be here to help you, too, Po," Viper said. "Right guys?"
"Absolutely," Crane said in response.
"You can count on us, buddy," Monkey said.
"Thanks, guys," the Dragon Warrior said, looking back at us with a frivolous smile before reverting his attention back to Master Shifu, who he was walking alongside. "I'm just worried my dad'll think he'll never see me again, you know, with this whole 'me being the Dragon Warrior' thing."
"Most of us have had to leave behind family and abruptly change our destinies to pursue our passion in kung fu," Master Shifu said, raising an interesting point. "Being the Dragon Warrior will take precedence over everything else. That is your destiny now, but those are changes you must accept and adapt to. You are no longer a villager. You are a student of the Jade Palace, a protector of the innocent, and above all, you are the Dragon Warrior, destined to become Master Oogway's successor."
"Man, it sounds so cool when you say it." Another moment of silence followed. The interaction between Master Shifu and the Dragon Warrior was interesting to observe. "Do you really think I have what it takes to succeed as the Dragon Warrior?"
"You already have succeeded, Po, but it doesn't matter what I think. What matters is whether you believe you can fulfil the prophecy of the Dragon Warrior."
"Well … I mean, I guess I do."
Despite the Dragon Warrior's constant questioning, which would usually infuriate Master Shifu, Master Shifu remained patient and conversed with great calmness towards the Dragon Warrior. Perhaps that was because the topics being spoken about were genuine conversations and not just the Dragon Warrior talking about nonsense. Whatever the case, the Dragon Warrior will learn after some time when Master Shifu is and isn't in the mood for conversations. In saying that, this was the same panda we tried to force out a mere few days ago. To have watched Master Shifu's interactions with the Dragon Warrior evolve from being completely hostile towards him to accepting of his presence, it displayed the moral respect they had for one another, as you would expect between a Master and their student.
But seeing how Master Shifu interacted with the Dragon Warrior made me question my treatment towards the Dragon Warrior. Even after accepting him as the Dragon Warrior, and knowing my ambitions of becoming the Dragon Warrior were long gone, it hasn't changed my perception of the Dragon Warrior. It doesn't matter what situation we're facing, something prevents me from interacting with him. Whether that was because of self-guilt or other reasons was difficult to determine, but in the few times we have interacted since he defeated Tai Lung, my mind flashes back to that night. Calling him a disgrace. Shaming him. Saying such unforgiveable things. That memory then triggers my mind to think of the following night, where my blind rage almost caused me to attack the Dragon Warrior.
Had it not been for Mantis, who knows what would have happened. Nonetheless, neither interaction can ever be excused. Both have brought great shame to me. It does not represent how we, as Masters of the Jade Palace, behave. And that's possibly where my problem lies. The Dragon Warrior isn't the problem. It was the disgraced feeling for having treated him in such ways which prevents me from interacting with him. Part of me knows it is necessary, and the right thing to do, to seek forgiveness from the Dragon Warrior for my actions, but one cannot seek forgiveness from another when they haven't forgiven themselves. No amount of forgiveness from the Dragon Warrior will ever justify my actions towards him, and because of that, my mind doesn't know what actions to take.
"So, ah … with this diet thing, how does it, you know, work?" the Dragon Warrior asked, dragging my attention away from my black hole of internal thoughts. "Is there, like, a restriction on how much I can actually eat? Or what I can eat? Or …?"
"Everyone is allowed one serving for breakfast and dinner," Master Shifu said, answering the Dragon Warrior's question. "That is all you are permitted to eat while training at the Jade Palace. You are not allowed to have 'snacks', as you would refer them to, between these meals. And as I stated before, any breech of these rules will result in severe punishment."
Silence followed. Given the lack of self-control and inadequate table manners the Dragon Warrior displayed the few times he has eaten in our presence, it would be quite the surprise to witness him change his eating habits in months, let alone weeks. What wouldn't be surprising was for the Dragon Warrior to take every opportunity to consume food when allowed, such as on missions, when he is not under the watch of Master Shifu. It also wouldn't surprise me if we were to catch him consuming food at the Jade Palace during training days. Self-discipline is something not acquired naturally. You have to learn how to be ill-disciplined with yourself. That is something that the Dragon Warrior will figure out, perhaps through some hard-fought lessons.
Up ahead, light shun through the thin walls that lined the kitchen quarters, illuminating the shadows of the few Palace servants who were inside preparing dinner for our arrival. Upon walking into the kitchen, we sat in our respective spots around the kitchen table, waiting for Master Shifu to approve the serving of dinner. Inside the kitchen were several Palace servants, including Yuchu, the Jade Palace's chef, who appeared to have finished cooking and was waiting for our arrival.
"Good evening, Yuchu," Master Shifu said.
Yuchu turned and bowed to Master Shifu, who stood at the end of the table alongside the Dragon Warrior. "Good evening, Master Shifu. We are ready to serve upon your approval."
"Excellent." Master Shifu shifted his attention to us. "Students, before you eat, there is one last thing of high importance to address. As mentioned previously, the passing of Master Oogway has ensued in me taking his position as Grandmaster of the Jade Palace, resulting in my previous position as Deputy Grandmaster becoming vacant. Now, we could scour the lands for somebody to honour this position, but there is one individual, sitting here with us tonight, who deserves this preferment more than anybody else." After saying that, Master Shifu looked at me. "Tigress, nothing makes me prouder than to have witnessed you transform into the warrior you are today. You maintain such high morals for yourself and everyone around you, it would be wrong on my behalf to not present such an opportunity to you. And so, with great honour, would you accept the offer to become the Deputy Grandmaster of the Jade Palace?"
Nothing makes me prouder. Those four words alone left me pondering within my thoughts. Such an opportunity was not expected to have ever occurred, but opportunities like this only happen once. Becoming Deputy Grandmaster of the Jade Palace won't undo my failure to become the Dragon Warrior, but for some reason, having Master Shifu present this opportunity to me made me feel a sense of accomplishment. As if sacrificing so much over the years wasn't a complete waste of effort and time. It seemed like Master Shifu was acknowledging that through this offering. And so, with that in mind, I stood up from the table and saluted to Master Shifu. "Yes, Master. It would be a privilege."
"Excellent. I will see you all at dawn. You may now eat."
On Master Shifu's approval for the serving of tonight's supper, five palace servants presented a bowl of vegetable noodle soup to everyone except me. The other palace servant placed a plate in front of me, containing four cubes of tofu; my standard meal for both breakfast and supper. As the six palace servants served us, another palace servant walked around the table, serving everyone with a cup of freshly brewed green tea, hot from the pitcher. Once everyone had been served their meal and tea, all but one palace servant left the kitchen. That palace servant was refilling the pitcher with the teapot, which was left to simmer on the stovetop, before leaving the pitcher on a wooden trivet in the middle of the table. He, too, then left the kitchen.
"Congrats on the promotion, Tigress," Viper said, gaining my attention. She had just taken a mouthful of the soup. "You deserve it."
"What does, ah, you know, being Deputy Grandmaster actually mean?" the Dragon Warrior asked, before picking up his bowl and gulping down the contents. He is going to need to develop some table manners if he wished to earn some respect for the title he carried. The Dragon Warrior placed the empty bowl down on the table, letting out a long sigh. "That was actually pretty tasty. I should get, what was the pig chef's name?"
"Yuchu," Crane said, answering the Dragon Warrior's question before resuming to consume his soup.
"Yeah. Yuchu. I should see if he's got a recipe that I can give my dad … whenever I see him next."
"It's a simple vegetable noodle soup," Viper said. "Wouldn't your father be able to make this without needing a recipe?" She took another mouthful of her soup.
"Oh yeah, of course. I just wanna know if Yuchu has any secrets like we do with our Secret Ingredient Noodle Soup."
"What's so secret about it?" Mantis asked with his mouth full of soup, surfacing from his bowl for the first time tonight.
"Well, if I told you guys, it wouldn't be such a secret. Although it did kinda help me understand the dragon scroll." Though the Dragon Warrior's comment raised a few questions in my head, it wasn't worth the time questioning the Dragon Warrior to satisfy my curiosity.
"How did it help you understand the dragon scroll?" Crane asked, causing me to internally sigh. Somebody was bound to ask the question we were all thinking. "Last we knew, you didn't know what it meant, and neither did Master Shifu."
"Yeah, I know, but that was before my dad told me the secret ingredient to his Secret Ingredient Noodle Soup. That was when I realised what the dragon scroll actually meant." The Dragon Warrior, much to my surprise, and possibly everyone else, pulled the dragon scroll out from behind him, holding it in his hand. "You see, the dragon scroll doesn't actually hold-"
"You cannot share the secrets of the dragon scroll with anyone, Dragon Warrior."
The Dragon Warrior looked at me, after having interrupted him, frowning in confusing. What he planned to say was unknown, but feared he would reveal more than he was allowed. "Why not? I mean, I am the Dragon Warrior, after all. Surely, I can decide who to share it with, right?"
"Master Shifu stated that whoever was proclaimed the Dragon Warrior was prohibited from sharing the secrets of the dragon scroll with anyone."
"I, I know Master Shifu told us before the tournament we weren't allowed to share it, Tigress, but Po does have a point," Crane said, making me glare at him. They cannot support the Dragon Warrior disrespecting Master Shifu's word. It's completely unacceptable. "Besides, we-we've seen what's inside of it, anyway, when we weren't meant to."
"Yeah, nothing," Mantis said, disgruntled. It was a waste of effort trying to persuade the Dragon Warrior, or the others, otherwise. What he chose to do with the dragon scroll was his choice. He'll have to face Master Shifu's wrath for having gone against his word. And he won't have any excuses to save himself.
"It may seem like that," the Dragon Warrior said, before placing the dragon scroll on the table and opening it, revealing its shimmering golden reflection. "But that is not the case."
Everyone looked at the golden reflection within the dragon scroll before reverting our attention back to the Dragon Warrior, waiting for him to explain himself. Mantis hopped over and stared at the dragon scroll before he, too, looked at the Dragon Warrior. "I don't get it. There's nothing there."
"You're trying too hard. That was my mistake, too, when I first opened the dragon scroll. I thought it would reveal some secret message or power, but it doesn't. Close your eyes, clear your head, and then open your eyes." We watched Mantis follow the Dragon Warrior's instructions, closing his eyes for a few seconds while taking a deep breath, before he opened his eyes. "Now, what do you see?"
Mantis remained silent for a few seconds; confusion still laced his face. "It's just my reflection."
"Exactly." The Dragon Warrior held a pleased smile, despite the obvious confusion on everyone's faces. "There is no secret ingredient or power. It's just you." There was a slight pause from the Dragon Warrior; my mind struggled to comprehend what the Dragon Warrior was telling us. The secret of the dragon scroll seemed too simple, but perhaps that was my own fault for expecting it to contain some complicated message. "My dad told me, 'To make something special, you just need to believe it's special.' And that was when I realised what the dragon scroll meant."
"Wait. So, you're saying that the secret to limitless power is for us to believe in ourselves?" Monkey asked, sounding confused.
"Yeah. When you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible." Hearing the Dragon Warrior speak those words gave me a déjà vu feeling. The same words Master Oogway had spoken many times before. "And so, that was when I knew I had what it took to defeat Tai Lung."
"Wow," Crane said, speaking his mind. "That … that's very impressive, Po."
"Thanks," the Dragon Warrior said, chuffed about Crane's compliment. "It's still crazy to think I'm here talking to you guys. My mind's like going berserk."
Almost on cue, the silence indicated it was time to surrender for the night. Upon standing up from the table, everyone looked at me. "We must rest for the night." Before leaving the kitchen, my focus shifted to the Dragon Warrior. "And for your information, Dragon Warrior, being Deputy Grandmaster means, in the absence of Master Shifu, you must obey my orders. Understood?" The Dragon Warrior nodded, appearing to become timid, making me huff in amusement before leaving the kitchen for the student barracks.
"What, ah, what do we do with these?" the Dragon Warrior asked, though it was unknown what he was referring to. "Do we need to clean them or …?" He must be talking about the bowls and cups we had used for tonight's supper.
"It's okay to leave it there, Po," Viper said, answering the Dragon Warrior's queries. "The palace servants will clean the kitchen once we leave." The others soon followed me through the hallway, which connected the kitchen quarters to the student barracks. Candles, which were burning in our rooms, shun through the thin walls, illuminating the hallway of the student barracks. While approaching my room, everyone expressed their goodnights before they entered their rooms. Upon walking into my room and closing the door behind me, a sigh of relief left my body. Today had been a long and exhausting day. My body longed for rest. Hopefully, nothing would disrupt my sleep unlike the previous night, but it wouldn't surprise me for another nightmare to occur.
"Goodnight, guys!" the Dragon Warrior said. The floorboards squeaked in distress as he walked down the student barracks to his room, opposite mine, before the clicking sound of the Dragon Warrior's door indicated he had entered his room. Having the Dragon Warrior reside opposite my room wasn't to my liking, but that was something out of my control. It gave me no choice but to become used to these changes; changes that would take time becoming used to. Something made me suspect these floorboards would need to be reinforced to handle the Dragon Warrior's extra weight. He had already fallen through them once. It wouldn't take much to find another weak spot and fall through them again.
Over the next ten minutes, the others extinguished the candle burning in their room, rendering their rooms in darkness. Only the Dragon Warrior's room remained illuminated. While preparing myself to rest for the night, the Dragon Warrior's room, too, fell into darkness. After snuffing the candle in my room with my paw, only the moonlight bathed the student barracks. The moonlight wasn't bright, but was enough to illuminate inside the student barracks. As my body succumbed to its desire to sleep, the soft pitter-patter of raindrops could be heard falling onto the student barracks. Though it was only light, the tinkering raindrops soothed my mind, causing my body to lose a conscious grasp of its surroundings.
[End Notes]: That concludes the end of this chapter. What did you think? Lemme know in the reviews (or PM me).
Hopefully, it was worth the wait. As mentioned at the start, any review, no matter the size, will be much 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.
Did you stay awake reading that chapter? It was long, wasn't it? This was one of those chapters that contained around a dozen smaller segments sown together to create one big chapter. It wasn't like one main theme carried throughout the entire chapter. Instead, there were several different interactive (dialogue) scenes broken up and joined together with several narrative segments. That's kinda why the word count ballooned out to over 10k words. Now, originally, I finished this chapter last Monday and had it end just after Master Shifu appointed Tigress as Deputy Grandmaster. The chapter was sitting just under 9k words. It was final, waiting to be published today.
Over the next two days, I begun writing the start of Chapter 11 (the scene up until they went to sleep), but it felt awkward having the day end in the first section of the chapter. This insect inside my head kept bugging me about adding it to Chapter 10 to start the next chapter on a new day. That insect kept pestering me until I finally gave in to it on Thursday. So, from Thursday to Saturday, I frantically finished writing that section so the chapter could still be published today. As a result, it added an extra 1500 words to the chapter, leaving the chapter's final word counting sitting over 10,000. This is the type of thing that occurs behind the scenes. Sometimes, I'll have something done until a stray thought comes and demoralises the satisfaction I once held for a piece of work. Then that stray thought pesters me until I finally give in and fulfil whatever it wants done. I'm sure fellow fanfictioners who write stories can relate. You think something is good to go, but then you have second thoughts and feel the pressure to change until you're completely satisfied with the final product.
Anyway, regardless of the final result, hopefully you enjoyed it. Hopefully, the chapter provided a good mix. It was like a filler chapter, but it also contained some important information, foretelling of events to come, such as the festivals. They're gonna be interesting to write. At the moment, they're ideas in my head. Nothing's written down. We'll see how it goes.
Chapter 11 is currently in progress, and hopefully will be published in the next 3-4 months (around October). No promises, though.
Also, there's a one-shot which is very close to being done, so hopefully that'll be ready by the end of the month.
Thank you for taking the time to read the latest chapter.
Until next time, take care and stay safe!
Footrot Flats :)