The Lion and the Leopard

Forgiveness

The Spirit Realm

.

In the Spirit Realm, the atmosphere was oddly calm, especially considering the circumstances. Everything was gold or green tinted. Large mountain-like formations loomed in the distance. Water rippled, some unknown source causing unease in the water. A small island rolled out of the water.

The island was called The Hill of Creation of Souls. Whenever a Kung Fu Master passed away, whether it be by natural causes or at the hand of another animal, their soul arrived on the island. It was kind of like the Center of the Spirit Realm's Universe.

The Hill of Creation of Souls was not a large island, however. A large peach tree jutted out from the island. Beautiful pink petals dotted the tree branches, and the bark of the tree was dark. Three figures stood on the island.

One of the figures was Kung Fu Grandmaster Oogway the Wise. He was a galapagos tortoise, with a small head and a large shell. He wore a green cloak and carried a golden metal yingyang staff. He was one of the most powerful masters in the Spirit Realm, if not the most powerful.

Standing right beside Oogway was Master Leo Lung, the Lion Master. He was a large asian lion with a full, brown mane and light golden fur coat. He was a strong warrior who commonly went by 'Leo'. Leo wore simply a pair of emerald green pants. It was the outfit he was killed in.

The final figure, standing opposite of Leo and Oogway, was Tai Lung. He was the adopted brother of Leo. Tai Lung was a snow leopard, with a wide head, broad shoulders and a long tail. He was just as powerful as his brother. He did not wear a shirt or vest. He simply wore a large brown belt and purple pants. It was the outfit he was defeated in.

Now, the three figures stood staring at each other. Tai Lung glared at Oogway and Leo Lung. Oogway glanced slowly from Leo to Tai Lung, and Leo's wide, golden eyes shifted between Master Oogway and his brother.

The tension was so thick that even a dull blade could cut through it like butter. The silence was deafening, as loud as cannonfire. However, no animal dared break the silence. The two large cats were tense, waiting for the other to make a move. Oogway stood silent. Even he, the founder of Kung Fu, was unwilling to spark a flame that could possibly rage for centuries.

After what seemed like hours in the quietness, Tai Lung broke the silence. He turned to Leo Lung and addressed him,

"What are you doing here?" He growled. The snow leopards muscles twitched underneath his skin.

His dark amber eyes bored into Leo's. The asian lion felt the need to shift under his brother's ruthless gaze, but he remained strong. Leo lifted his chin and, forcing his fur to lay flat and his voice to remain steady, he spoke, "In your deranged, mad grab for the Dragon Scroll, it seems that you killed me."

"I'm not deranged!" Tai Lung immediately retaliated, his fur spiking and his tail lashing.

Leo Lung rolled his eyes, his lips twitching as he spoke, "Oh, please. You almost crippled Shifu again, you broke Oogway's wooden staff, and you defaced countless artifacts in the Hall of Warriors."

"That scroll was mine!" The snow leopard hissed. His claws unsheathed and he leapt at his brother. Leo snarled and sidestepped, and spat out another insult to his brother,

"You idiot! Why can't you just accept your fate like a normal animal? None of this would have happened if you had just accepted your fate instead of acting like a crazed madman!" Leo spat. Tai Lung's ears pinned to his head and he lunged at Leo.

In the mortal realm, the two cats were already injured and winded from previous battle, Leo from the lion trio and Tai from Shifu. But now they were replenished and healthy. They did not have scars or wounds to hold them back.