𖠌 𝐊𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐓 𖠌 [𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒]

14

"According to legend, there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile." Viper hissed out sadly

"No..." Po shook his head unable to imagine the cruel red panda being able to smile

Outside, Tigress leaned into the door even more, wanting to hear what was going on

"But that was before..." viper hesitated

"Before what?"

Tigress saw her chance and walked into the room with a stone cold face, glaring at the panda

"Before Tai Lung." She spoke his name as if it were venom on her tongue

Crane's shadow is silhouetted on the wall.

"Uh, yeah, we're not really supposed to talk about him." Crane called out from the other room

"Well, if he's going to stay here, he should know." Tigress spat

"Guys, guys. I know about Tai Lung." Po's fanboy abilities kicked in

Tigress looks at Po.

"He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand... scrolls of... kung fu... and... then he turned bad... and... now he's in jail..."

Tigress glared and Po immediately shut up, thinking that he was somehow wrong.

"He wasn't just a student." She begun, her eyes glossed over in a flashback

A younger Shifu stepped out of the Training Hall Courtyard and found a baby leopard cub on the steps, swaddled in cloth.

"Shifu found him as a cub. And he raised him as his son."

While being fed, baby Tai Lung yanks off some of Shifu's whiskers.

"...and when the boy showed talent in kung fu.."

A slightly older Tai Lung approaches the training dummy. He kicks it across the floor, and it hits the wall, knocking a spear from the weapons rack. Shifu approaches, impressed, and Tai Lung nudges him affectionately.

"...Shifu trained him. He believed in him. He told him he was destined for greatness."

Tai Lung faces a wooden warrior.

"But It was never enough for Tai Lung."

Soon a full grown Tai Lung fought, demolishing the warrior while Shifu looks on with intense pride. Master Oogway is also watching, but does not look impressed.

"He wanted the Dragon Scroll. But Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused."

An enraged Tai Lung rampages through a village.

"Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the valley."

Tai Lung returns to the Jade Palace and crashes through the doors into the Hall of Warriors, where Shifu and Oogway are waiting for him.

"He tried to take the scroll by force. And Shifu had to destroy what he had created."

Shifu leaps at Tai Lung to deliver a kick. However, at the last second he sees only baby Tai Lung running towards him.

"But how could he?"

Shifu pulls his kick short. Tai Lung counters with a devastating strike and Shifu crashes to the ground with a broken leg.

Tai Lung leaps for the scroll, but Oogway intercepts him with lightning speed strikes at his pressure points. 

He falls to the ground in a heap. Shifu stares at what has become of his beloved student with sadness and disbelief. He crawls toward Tai Lung, but is ultimately unable to touch him.

"Shifu loved Tai Lung like he'd never loved anyone before..."

Some time later, young Tigress in the training hall strikes the dummy in the same manner as Tai Lung, but this time, the spear in the reack spins rather than topples. Shifu corrects her form. Nothing more. Young Tigress looks crestfallen.

"...or since."

The sad, young Tigress cross-dissolves to adult Tigress. Everyone is quiet in the moment.

"And now he has a chance to make things right, to train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with you... a big, fat panda who treats it like a joke."

Tigress shook her head and scowled

"At least Y/n would have been able to achieve greatness"

Po froze, his eyes suddenly darted in opposite directions and his tongue stuck out

"Doieeeee..."

Tigress growled, springing from her spot
"Oh, that is it!"

Mantis quickly popped up on Po's face and halted the fuming Tigress.

"Wait! My fault! I accidentally tweaked his facial nerve."

Po fell face first to the floor, revealing his back covered with needles.

"And may have also stopped his heart." Mantis spoke guilty

Mantis poked pos face, checking if he was still alive.

Y/n suddenly walked into Pos room, stopping as she saw a passed out panda and a fuming tigress while the rest whistled and looked away.

"Huh?"