Tai Lung

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I knocked at the door three times to see if I could get a response but to no avail. So instead I decided to just wait at the front of the large doors and meditate.

There was nothing I could do here. If there was someone stronger than father, that person could be me, especially since I was just around my father, if not slightly better than him in everything I did. So all I could do now was just wait here until the two large doors opened.

There was also another reason, I had come to learn and not to fight. Not meaning that I wouldn't kill someone for making me wait but here, i'd rather not try my luck.

So I just sat there with my eyes closed, not like it mattered, and my legs crossed as I began meditating… Or at least I had tried to.

I never actually meditated before. Even in my previous life I never did it so I was just going off what I heard from others around the world that partook in this activity. But even though I am not good at meditation I am good at waiting. Shocking right?

But you have to have patience when you train, you have to have patience when you want to learn anything, and I have waited years at a time to learn many tricks and trades. Some I even made myself. So I can wait, which is exactly what I did.

[three hours later]

I am glad I ate those dumplings. They tasted so good~... Wait, is that fighting I hear? There seems to be two men fighting with each other judging by the noises they made so I decided to check it out.

I got up from where I was sitting and while ringing the bells, I navigated around the Jade Palace. Pretty soon after walking about I got closer to the noises but what stopped me from getting any closer was a large wall. It was separating me from meeting anybody that could have been a part of this place so I just used my surroundings to climb up to the top of the wall.

As soon as I got over the large wall, I looked around to see if I would be able to see anything from up here. And despite all my training my sight could only just reach the floor and a bit beyond.

So I just jumped down and landed onto the ground with a thud, ringing my bells as I walked forward where I heard the training or fighting happening. But that is when I noticed that the noises had stopped.

Wondering what happened I stopped in my tracks, listening and waiting which is when I sensed someone right in front of me.

It was shocking especially since I couldn't hear any footsteps and I certainly didn't notice anybody in front of me until they were right before me which was very alarming. How long was he there for? Did he notice me from the beginning yet didn't say anything?

I went to ring the bells yet a small hand stopped my own. This shocked me yet again. Afterwards I heard the person in front of me speak. "Who are you and what are you doing here. Don't you know it's rude to invade such a sacred place?" The man said. He sounded old.

"Yes but I knocked at the door and nobody came after such a long time so when I heard noises coming from over here I was quite happy. I am looking for the master of the Jade Palace. I would like to train under him."

"Well I believe you found him but I deny your request. You not only entered this sacred training ground meant only for disciples of the Jade Palace without permission, but you also have the audacity to say that you've come to learn? Unless you give me a good reason why I shouldn't throw you out right now then leave before I force you to." The old man said. I could feel his grip tighten to the point it actually started to hurt.

It was then that I had an idea on what I could do to possibly be accepted. But it all depended on the attitude of the master and what he was like.

I force myself to tear up as I get down on one knee, lowering my head in the process. "Please sir I don't have anywhere to go. My father died by wolf bandits and I almost drowned trying to escape. I will accept any type of punishment but please let me train under you. I beg of you to not force me out." I said, putting on a weak willed voice but all I got in return was silence.

I kept my head low and waited. If the old man wanted to kill me he would have done so by now but I am still here which meant that I had a chance.

"...Hmm, then show your dedication. I know you are blind by your hazy eyes so if your story was true then I am sure you can put on some sort of display." He said as his grip lessened. He then dragged me along with him but not before taking away my bells first.

The old man led me somewhere not far from my original position but the man let go of my hand and there I could sense someone else in front of me now. Yet another who is stronger than me from what I can sense.

"In front of you now is a student of mine that I have taken in and trained since he was very young. A natural prodigy in the realm of Kung-Fu. You will face him over and over until I see what I want to see from you. His name is Tai Lung, a Snow Leopard and is currently Fifteen so I definitely don't expect for you to defeat him. Now then Let's begin." With that information my face distorted a bit.

Not only was the man in front of me older, not only has he been training since his youth with a good master, but he is also a snow leopard. A Species known for their swift and agile movements but also their raw strength and grip.

This was a very bad match up and that old man knew it. So as soon as the fight started I went on the defensive.

I quickly entered a defensive stance, my right leg in the front and the left in the back, knees bent and my left arm close to my body with my right outstretched a bit with both of my hands open and ready for anything. (sorry if the description isn't the best)

I thought I could dodge a few strikes, maybe block a few that came right at me but all of that was futile. Because before I could completely set up my stance I felt the need to vomit.

My body flew backwards and I fell flat on my back, groaning and holding my stomach while I curled into a ball.

"You said you were dedicated right? Then get back up and start again. If you don't, Tai and I will just throw you out" The old man quickly said.

It took a bit for me to get back up, but once I was up I went and got in stance again.

And again, I got knocked down, but not from being hit, I got knocked down from being tripped and shoved to the ground like I was a kid being bullied at school. Well…

Let's not think about that for right now.

This continued on again and again and again. Tai Lung was just too fast and too strong for me. I was getting embarrassed time and time again without fail. Every time I got up I fell back down again. It did not matter how fast I was, it did not matter what I did or where I put my legs or arms. I always got knocked down one way or the other.

WHo knows how long this went on for, how many times I had fallen and gotten back up. But it did not end until I heard the old man say something I never thought I would be happy to hear.

"Alright that is enough. Clearly you can tell there is an obvious difference between the two of you, a very large difference but I believe you can do well. You have the body for it and the attitude to continue getting back up even after falling on your butt numerous times before. So I accept you as my disciple. Your training won't be easy since you will be trained to become like Tai Lung, which means you will learn to look up to him mainly because you will be training with him from now on. You will not get your bells back either unless you can fight, train, and live with your senses alone." He said before I nodded, falling on my face after he had finished speaking.

Maybe I wasn't so happy that he took my bells away but everything else I was fine with. But now I feel tired and I will just go to sleep here…

[The next day]

I groaned as I woke up in a soft bed. It was a comfortable one and from spreading my arms out, it was a decent sized one for a single person. I got up and rubbed my head before reaching to get my bells from… Somewhere only to remember what was said by that old man.

I sighed and got up, feeling around my room until I found the sliding door which I opened.

I then walked around without a destination, moving around while hugging the wall the entire time. Only stopping when I heard an unfamiliar voice come from beside me.

"Watch out, you are about to fall from a broken floor board." The man said. I stopped where I was and looked towards the voice. "You didn't hear me talk when I was beating you but I am Tai Lung. Nice to see a new student about to learn Kung-Fu Under Master Shifu, well technically it's more under me for right now."

Shifu. Master Shifu was his name hmm? Good to know.

"I agree, thank you for welcoming me and don't worry about destroying me earlier. I am fine. Been known to heal quickly or at least quicker than most. I hope we can have a good relationship. Now do you know where the training room is if you have one?"

"Yes but you will not be able to use it so you will come with me to a storage room where there are plenty of wooden dummies to practice on." Tai Lung said, telling me to follow him as he led me to the storage room. "We are now here. This is where the old wooden dummies are, you will train your instincts here with me. This is what you will be doing for the next year or until you can move with little to no problems. The same goes for Kung fu, now then let's begin with your stances and after that we will work on your strength and speed."

We began training together from there onwards, we practiced many stances, did lots of training routines and a whole bunch of instinct training. Tai lung helped me train in many ways my father couldn't and overall did more than my father ever could when it came to training.

My body got into better shape than before, my speed and strength increased many fold to the point even Tai Lung was surprised at how quickly I was progressing. I was at the point where I could begin destroying the old wooden dummies which I wasn't able to do before even with a full on strike.

And needless to say, Tai Lung and I got along well together and became close brothers quickly. I don't know why but something about him just fit with me so well. Like we were meant for each other in more ways than one.

That feeling caused me to think a lot over the next five years about our relationship and what it meant.

During this time I regarded Shifu as my Master but also as a second father in a way. He warmed up to me around my second years of being here, seeing my dedication made the process go a lot smoother as well. Now I can train with Tai Lung in the main training room.

I am able to walk around without my bells and train without them as well. Even when the training got harder since the move to the main training room I was still able to hold my own, even more so with Tai Lung by my side. It almost seemed like the two of us were an unbeatable duo that could not be stopped by anybody.

We were one of a kind. Something you wouldn't see every day. Two different species that were like minded and fought in identical but very unpredictable ways. It seemed like the both of us knew just what to do at the right moment without the need to communicate.

We even got bestowed a title called "The unpredictable Twins". But that is not important right now.

What was important was that It was time to see if Tai Lung would get the title of Dragon warrior. A title he had told me about himself when we were training. He told me what it represented and how much he had trained for this moment. So at this moment he was off in the Jade Palace while I was here to awate the news to come.

Of course he would become the dragon warrior. If the title fitted anybody it would definitely be him. But as that thought went through my head. I heard the door at the entrance of the building slam open.