Night descended on the Valley of Peace like a soft blanket. We set up camp in a small forest, a couple of hours away from the settlement at the foot of the Jade Palace.
Actually, I could have gone without sleep—I don't need it that much, and the Furious Five could have endured, but the return was too important for me, and I wanted to gain a couple of hours to finally think everything over and prepare.
It's clear that I will take the title in any case; I didn't even consider the option where I, like a cartoon character, act dumb and lose to a panda practicing Kung Fu for a couple of months at most. Reality is cruel, much harsher than any cartoon, and therefore in an extreme case, I will simply use not fists, but claws, and no fat will protect against that...
Another matter is my path after this. Well, I get the Dragon Warrior title, but... what next? What do I do after that?
All my youth and childhood I trained like damned to make my father proud of me. Tried my best, literally tore my veins so Shifu would be proud he raised me... But even if I become the strongest master, even if I get this damn title, nothing will change—I will be a bloodthirsty psycho in his eyes who needs to be stopped...
Actually, "camp" is a big word. In fact, the Five just lit a small fire, threw sleeping bags around, and went hunting. This is considered even excessively luxurious conditions for Kung Fu masters, who can sleep standing or lying on some branch without fear of falling down and getting injured. I, understandably, didn't get such luxury—there were only five sleeping bags, because they didn't think everything would turn out so that the "evil monster from Chorh-Gom" would suddenly become their companion.
"Hey, I'm going... to meditate!" I shout to the Five, after which I turn around and walk toward a small gorge.
The Valley of Peace is known not only for the almost complete absence of crime but also for a large number of such gorges and other "holes in the ground." According to legend—these are "consequences of many battles in the name of peace," in fact—who the hell knows, maybe really formed due to battles, maybe just the rock is like that here.
"Um, Tai Lung, do you mind if I go with you?" Lian (Viper) quickly appeared nearby and, glancing at her comrades, asked my permission to watch, "isn't he going to the Jade Palace," albeit indirectly.
A logical precaution, actually. Good for them, even if they are just kids who haven't seen life.
"No problem," I shrug, after which already in the company of one snake I go where I wanted.
We moved far enough so that the camp noise subsided, giving way to the sounds of the night forest. The gorge turned out to be picturesque, like everything here—sheer cliffs covered with moss, and a thin silver ribbon of a stream somewhere deep below, shining in the moonlight.
I chose a flat stone on the very edge, sat in the lotus position, and closed my eyes, trying to even out my breathing.
Lian didn't interfere. She gracefully settled on a neighboring boulder, tucking her legs under her, and froze, pretending to admire the landscape, although I perfectly felt her attentive gaze on me. Her vertical pupils dilated in the dark, catching the slightest movement.
"You understand I won't run away?" I asked without opening my eyes. "I have nowhere to run, and no reason to. My goal is there," I nodded toward the Palace hidden behind the hills.
"I know," she replied quietly, adjusting a stray lock of hair. "Just... the guys are worried, and leaving you alone doesn't seem like the best idea to me either. Even though you control yourself perfectly, I see your heart is in turmoil."
"In turmoil?" I chuckled. "Do you really think I can't sort myself out?"
I fell silent, listening to the rhythm of my breathing and the flow of Chi. But thoughts, as if on purpose, didn't want to calm down.
"And yet..." Viper began, hesitating a little, as if choosing words. "You know, you weren't talked about in the Jade Palace. Your name was under an unspoken ban; we didn't want to cause our master pain." She looked at the moon reflected in the stream. "But honestly, we all knew stories about you... We, back then just students, gathered information bit by bit—from various scrolls, legends, fairy tales... For us, you were something like an evil spirit from horror stories used to scare naughty children even now. 'Don't be lazy, or you'll become like Tai Lung,' 'Don't let pride take over you, like Tai Lung'..."
"So, I became a boogeyman for you," I chuckled humorlessly, but sensing misunderstanding from Lian, explained: "A scary story... Ironic. I wanted to become a legend that would be sung about, but became a monster used to scare children."
"But outside the Valley, the legends were different," Lian suddenly said, turning her head to me. "Bandits, mercenaries, old masters... Even if many spoke of you with horror, everyone—with respect. Legends of the 'Snow Devil' who single-handedly cleared the Black Bamboo Valley, of a warrior who knew no defeat. We knew you were strong, but we didn't know... what you were really like. Shifu never told why you became... like this."
I opened my eyes and looked at my hands.
"Of course, he didn't tell," I say quietly. "Because looking at you, I understand: he is not ashamed of me. He is ashamed of himself. He is ashamed to admit that my cruelty is his mistake."
"What do you mean?" the girl didn't understand.
I sighed and immersed myself in memories, transporting twenty-six years back.
"I was fourteen," I began, looking into the darkness of the gorge. "I already knew hundreds of techniques and had only recently received the title of master. Shifu was proud of me, but he thought I lacked... resolve, I think. After all, I was almost always in the Palace and hardly saw the outside world..." Lian listened attentively, not interrupting. "One day he woke me up in the middle of the night and led me into the mountains. We walked for a long time until we came to a bandit camp. It was the 'Red Wolves' gang—scumbags who robbed caravans and burned villages if they weren't paid tribute. Shifu brought me there and said: 'Watch closely what they do.' I thought we came to beat them up and hand them over to the guard... I asked: 'Master, will we stop them?', and he looked at me with his stern look that tolerated no objections and said: 'No, Tai Lung. You won't just stop them, you will destroy them'."
Viper flinched.
"Destroy?"
"'Evil must be torn out by the root'," I quoted Shifu's voice, which still sounded in my head. "'The Dragon Warrior is not only a shield protecting common people but also a sword punishing evil. You must be ready to step over pity for the greater good. Kill them all. It will temper your spirit'." I fell silent, letting her realize what she heard. "And I did it," I continued hollowly. "I went down to that camp... I was just a child then who wanted to please his father, and... I killed them, Lian. Didn't knock out, didn't immobilize, but broke necks, pierced chests, tore throats. When it was over, the ground was soaked with blood, and I stood in the middle of this nightmare, trembling from adrenaline and horror."
"And the master?" whispered Viper.
"He approached, put a hand on my shoulder and smiled, after which he said: 'Well done, Tai Lung. Now I see you are ready to go out into the outside world and I won't worry about your safety'." I looked at Lian. Horror stood in her eyes; the girl couldn't believe that her beloved teacher, the wise and kind Master Shifu, could give such an order to a child. "That's why I 'became like this'," I finished. "And that's why you are so... soft compared to me or any other master. Shifu realized his mistake, he saw that he created a killing machine, and got scared. When he raised you, he went the opposite way—he taught you mercy, teamwork, protection. You are his correction of mistakes. His final draft, which still couldn't achieve his dream—the title of Dragon Warrior." I smirked bitterly. "And I am his rough draft. A ruined sketch he crumpled up and tried to throw into a trash can called Chorh-Gom."
Lian was silent; she simply had nothing to say because my story turned her idea of the teacher and me upside down. Now she saw before her not just a villain thirsting for power, but a product of cruel upbringing, a broken tool that suddenly gained its own will.
And one can't say I lied to her. Manipulated—yes, but all this really happened and really left a strong mark on young Tai Lung, who often had nightmares after that...
"Go to sleep, Lian," I said, closing my eyes again. "Tomorrow is a hard day."
I heard her sit motionless for another minute, digesting what she heard, and then quietly stood up and, without saying a word, headed back to the camp. But her steps were no longer as confident as before...
Third-person view
Meanwhile, tense expectation reigned by the fire; the Furious Five sat quietly, occasionally throwing branches into the fire.
"I still think this is madness," muttered Tian He (Crane), nervously adjusting his hat. "Are we really going to just lead him into the Jade Palace?"
"Don't whine," Monkey waved it off. "We are returning home after a failed battle, and he is just... a fellow traveler. Dangerous, yes, but seemingly peaceful... Well, relatively... And also..." Wu Kong looked around, making sure Tai Lung and Viper hadn't returned yet, and leaned closer to the others. His face, usually cheerful, became serious. "I know how we can avoid a massacre in the Palace."
"That noodle idea of yours again? Aren't you tired of these jokes?" snorted Mantis.
"No jokes, I'm serious. We just have to feed him!"
Tigress raised her head; her eyes flashed in the firelight.
"You propose throwing him a feast? After everything he did? Do you really think this might work?"
"I propose saving our skins and the Master's skin!" hissed Wu Kong. "You saw everything yourselves! Tai Lung doesn't want to kill us; he wants recognition and... food. He hasn't eaten anything for twenty years!" He paused. "We all tasted Po's noodles, so tell me honestly, is there anything tastier in the world?"
Silence reigned in the clearing again. Everyone remembered that taste. Rich broth, perfectly cooked noodles...
"It... is really good," Tian He (Crane) reluctantly admitted.
"It is delightful!" pressed Wu Kong. "If we persuade Po to cook noodles for Tai Lung, it might work. As they say, 'A well-fed beast is a kind beast'. We'll gain time, calm him down, and then, look, Shifu might come up with something, maybe they'll even make up!"
"That's stupid," cut off Mantis. "We cannot risk everything betting on a plan built on noodles."
"We have no choice, Mantis!" Wu Kong hit his knee with a fist. "Face the truth: Po couldn't become a master in these couple of weeks; he is still the same clumsy panda, and in a fight against Tai Lung he will live exactly one second, and Shifu... Shifu is old, not to mention he will hardly fight Tai Lung at full strength. If we do nothing, they will both die."
"Even if we combine forces with the master, we will lose," Tigress unexpectedly supported him. Everyone stared at her in surprise. The leader of the Five, always ready for battle and not seeking compromises, admits defeat? "What?" she twitched an ear irritably. "Thought I would be against it? I'm not blind and not a fool. I saw his speed, strength, and skills. He could have killed us in a dozen different ways... There really aren't many options... And if this stupid noodle plan gives us even a tiny chance to avoid bloodshed... I agree."
Wu Kong exhaled, clearly not expecting such an easy victory.
"Well there! I told you!"
At this moment the bushes parted, and Viper came out to the fire. She looked depressed, her gaze unfocused.
"Viper! You were supposed to watch Tai Lung!" Mantis immediately pounced on her. "Did he run away?"
"No," Lian answered quietly, sitting by the fire. "He is meditating."
"You are kinda strange," noticed Crane. "What happened? Did he do something to you?" Everyone immediately tensed.
"No... He just told me... a story..."
For the next five minutes, Lian retold the story told by the Snow Leopard to the Furious Five, making all her friends frown.
When she finished, dead silence hung by the fire. Only the crackling of firewood and the night hooting of an owl were heard.
"Shifu... couldn't," whispered Mantis.
"He could," Tigress answered gloomily, looking into the fire. "He used to be different. Before Tai Lung... left, he was tougher."
"That changes things," said Wu Kong, breaking the silence. His voice was quiet but full of confidence and some old pain. "He is not just a bloodthirsty villain; he was simply raised differently from us. My plan is even more relevant now." Monkey looked at his friend. "Viper, we decided to feed him Po's noodles. Are you with us?"
Viper raised eyes full of exactly the same old pain, but nodded.
"Yes. It's... right. At least we must try."
"Then it's decided," summarized Wu Kong. "Tomorrow, as soon as we approach the village, we'll rush ahead, find Po, and shove him into the kitchen to make the best noodles of his life."
"Hope the panda doesn't eat everything himself from excitement," Crane chuckled nervously.
The plan was adopted, and everything further depended only on luck... And on Po's noodles.
POV Tai Lung
Having spent the whole night thinking about my actions, I finally managed to make a decision I had been looking for so long.
The title of Dragon Warrior is given by the "lord" of the Jade Palace. Previously it was Oogway, but then he "died," and the position passed to his heir—Shifu. That is why in the cartoon, when Tai Lung returned, he suggested his master change the Wise Old Freak's decision.
Neither taking it "in a duel" nor getting it any other way is possible, although there is one option. The Dragon Warrior can voluntarily transfer the scroll, thereby transferring the title too. The main word here is VOLUNTARILY. This is done so that in case of a fatal wound, for example, the Dragon Warrior could transfer the title to his student, or, if everything is so bad that the "lord" of the Jade Palace died, then this way the title won't disappear forever.
Recalling the cartoon, I can say for sure that Po himself handed the scroll to Tai Lung and said something like "well take it." It's clear that this was just a taunt to distract the snow leopard's attention from the beaten Shifu, however, this gesture EXISTED, which means... If I use this correctly, I can get both the title and the scroll.
On the other hand, no matter how I didn't want to, I loved Shifu. He was literally my father, and even though I am still angry because of his betrayal, I haven't forgotten all the bright moments associated with him, and therefore killing him... Is just stupid. I don't intend to do this, but I don't know how we can reconcile either. Not sure that even if he sincerely asks for forgiveness, I can let go of the resentment, and he, I am sure, will only pour more fuel on the fire; he is like that, yeah...
Alright, minimum plan—scroll and title, maximum plan—repetition of the My Little Pony series plot with the slogan "Friendship is Magic" and all that. Unlikely everything will go according to the best scenario, but... Let's hope we manage to part peacefully.