Kung Fu Panda: Rise of the Hollow

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #40 on:** November 24, 2013, 11:18:42 PM

Tai Lung followed after Shifu, saying nothing, head still held low. Makoto, meanwhile, glanced over at Shen and Boss Wolf.
"Ah. Nice to see other masters of weapons. It's been quite some time since I last met one."
He said amiably...

Pterano · **Reply #41 on:** November 24, 2013, 11:43:44 PM

Shifu walked towards where the Dragon Scroll used to sit in the dragon's mouth high above. This was the place they had fought each other... and this was the place it had all started... Tai Lung's betrayal, and Oogway's incapacitation of him. Turning to face him now, Shifu narrowed his eyes. "Are you... REALLY... the Tai Lung I used to know? I want to believe you but... I just... I find it so hard." he said, shaking his head sadly. "You wanted to kill me only a few years ago... to complete what you had started."

------------------------------

Shen blinked, suddenly coming out of his daydream. "Oh... what, this?" he asked, showing off the guandao now. "Well it's uh... it's a weapon I've studied for a long time... ever since I was young. Throwing knives as well... which I keep carefully concealed on my body." he explained. "I first started the guandao on my father's insistence... around the time I was... in my early 20s, if I recall." Shen said, gazing off into the distance, as if he were seeing a time long past, which he was.

Kor · **Reply #42 on:** November 25, 2013, 12:21:46 AM

"I would not mind practicing, when others have time." He said. He had doing the moving meditation forms for some martial arts as the only main avenue for practice and exercise as well as one of the types of meditation he would do.

Hearing what Shifu said he assumed he was included and decided he would like to see the inside of the palace so he walked up with the others, keeping to the back since he wasn't sure of the way there and to give everyone else plenty of room.

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #43 on:** November 25, 2013, 12:42:02 AM

Tai Lung nodded, looking up at the alcove the scroll had sat.
"It is me, master. After Po bested me, I had time to think about what I had done, about how foolish I had been. I let my desire for power...my desire to be accepted as your greatest success...your son...blind me. I was wrong, and I see it now. The words that he told me have changed me. I no longer seek power for that reason. I only seek it to be able to protect other people who cannot fight for themselves."
He said gently...
______________________________________________________________

Boss Wolf chuckled and smiled.
"And Lord Shen introduced me to the hammer, uh...right after I met him, almost. I've been practicing with it since. I'm not nearly as good as you guys probably are, but I promise I won't let you down!"
He said eagerly, as Makoto nodded.
"The Guandao. A noble weapon, for a no doubt noble soul."
He said, bowing slightly...

Pterano · **Reply #44 on:** November 25, 2013, 01:07:48 AM

Shifu paused at the mention of Tai Lung saying he wanted to be Shifu's son. "You were... wrong?" Shifu asked slowly, taking a cautious step or two towards the leopard. "You use only your power to protect those who cannot fight for themselves?" Shifu seemed bewildered by this, unable to comprehend it. "Are you..." Shifu shook his head. "Tai Lung... It's so hard to believe but... it's... you." Shifu said, a slight smile spreading across his features now as he moved closer. "I've waited... so long... to hear those words..." He continued, his smile growing.

-----------------------------------------

Shen paused as Makoto called him noble. Noble? He... used to be noble... he used to be in line to rule Gongmen City... but what was he now? He looked off into the distance, studying some far off thing or unseen horizon. "I... I WAS... noble... once..." he said softly, looking down. "But I betrayed my parents... they hated me... for it... and... I... didn't live up to my... expectations.... I was in line to rule a city once... but those days... are past." he said regretfully, looking down.

Master Viper looked over at Chaka now. "Well brother eagle... if you'd like to train, I would be happy to be your opponent." she offered, stretching herself out a bit now.

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #45 on:** November 25, 2013, 01:24:56 AM

Tai Lung smiled softly.
"I'm so sorry that it took me as long as it did. I know I have been a disappointment thus far, but...from now on, I will strive to do better. I will strive to live up to the way you once trained me."
He said, calm, gentle, and sincere...
________________________________________________

Makoto smiled a little at Shen.
"Nobility isn't just something that comes from blood, you know. It is something that comes from one's actions. Something that can be lost and found in one's life. I believe that you still have a noble soul, even if you are lost at the time."
He mused quietly...

Pterano · **Reply #46 on:** November 25, 2013, 01:31:45 AM

Shifu's smile became wide and warm now, and he nodded once. "Well then... all I can say to that is... welcome home, Tai Lung." he beamed, rather still finding it hard to believe this wasn't a dream... but he knew... it wasn't. It was reality... the best kind of reality.

-------------------------------------------

Shen glanced at Makoto in profile now. "You... you think I still have a noble soul?" he asked curiously. "What... what makes you say that?" he stammered, turning his head to look at the cheetah fully now. "I've done things, you know... terrible things."

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #47 on:** November 25, 2013, 03:19:50 AM

Tai Lung smiled, glancing around the hall with a new reverence.
"It is good to be home, master. And this time, I am home to stay."
He said, eyes misting slightly with tears...
__________________________________________________

Makoto grinned a little, turning to look at Shen.
"The deeds we commit are not the content of our souls. Our souls may guide our hands, but sometimes, we simply do not hear them. If you were not a noble soul deep down, then you would not have come to try to find redemption."
He said, smiling reassuringly.
"I think that, deep down, you are a good person. One who has made mistakes, true. But 'tis a rare soul that hasn't. Heaven knows that I have made many in my life. But you are here now, so that is a step in the right direction."
He added...

Pterano · **Reply #48 on:** November 25, 2013, 01:18:54 PM

Shifu caught the tears in his former student's eyes, and smiled once more. "It is good to have you back, Tai Lung. Your room hasn't been touched since you left... I kept it available for your use if you ever rejoined us... and now that you have... it is yours once more." the red panda said softly.

------------------------------------------------------

Shen's head rocked back a little, surprise evident on his features. He was... a good soul? Deep down? The peacock thought about this for a moment, turning things over in his mind. He HAD been good... as a child... he'd been good... sure he'd acted out sometimes, but what child hadn't? It wasn't until his late teens when he'd started to become overly ambitious, and by his 20s, he was experimenting with gunpowder.

The peacock smiled for just a brief second at Makoto's words, but it melted quickly. He still had these dreams... nightmares more like it. And they weren't going away. "You know..." Shen began slowly. "I've been having these dreams... dreams in which I'm about to take my place as ruler of Gongmen City... the crowd is cheering... I can hear them all down below. They're chanting my name even... but then I step out onto the balcony and the faces turn hostile... they start shouting all the terrible things I've done... they want my head..." Shen gulped here, moving a wing to his neck.

"I try to run but... they follow... I can't escape... I plead for clemency but... they don't listen." he explained, his voice low. "Eventually... I wake up... but maybe... you're right." he said, turning his attention back to Makoto now. "Maybe... coming here WAS the right choice..." he said softly.

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #49 on:** November 25, 2013, 02:07:48 PM

Tai Lung smiled even wider, looking up and wiping his tears away with his paw.
"Then...shall we go see how the others are settling in, master?"
He asked...
_______________________________________________

Makoto nodded a little.
"Nightmares have a way of reminding us of what we fear most. But maybe, by coming here...you can end the nightmares, and with them, your uncertainty and turmoil."
He stated gently...

Kor · **Reply #50 on:** November 25, 2013, 05:12:32 PM

Since the others were busy doing stuff Chaka thought he'd go on a tour of the palace, doing his best to remain only in the more public areas and out of what would obviously be private areas. Also if he were going to stay here this would let him look for various good spots to mediate in, as well as knowing the layout of a place was better then always wondering around lost and finding out the layout by pure chance.

Pterano · **Reply #51 on:** November 25, 2013, 05:51:28 PM

"Yes... though from the lack of noise... I think Lord Shen is settling in just fine." Shifu commented, hopping down from the pool and walking for the doors now.

Outside, Shen nodded at this. "Well I hope you're right. I was driven almost mad by my ordeals... and my mistake was not accepting the panda's offer to let go of the past when I could. I chose to fight him..." he glanced once at the panda. "And it almost led to my death. It took almost dying to finally wake me up to the reality of it all." he sighed. He looked up as Tai Lung and Shifu exited the temple. "So! had a good time in there, did you?" Shen asked, smirking in the leopard's direction now. "Caught up with your old master, yes?"

Kor · **Reply #52 on:** December 06, 2013, 06:24:31 PM

After a bit Chaka decided to head back to where the others were. No need to fully explore the entire place, he thought. A basic knowledge of the area near the entrance should be enough for now. With that done he started to head back to where he heard the majority of voiced to be.

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #53 on:** December 06, 2013, 10:04:43 PM

Makoto turned and grinned at Shifu and Tai Lung
"Ah, nothing warms my heart like a reconciliation of master and pupil! Glad to see that you worked things out!"
He said cheerily...

Pterano · **Reply #54 on:** December 06, 2013, 10:37:18 PM

"Yes well, I'm very happy for you two." Shen muttered. "But while you were reconnecting with your old master, I was thinking that perhaps we should go out and confront this threat now, shouldn't we?" the peacock asked. "Devise a strike of some sort..."

Pterano · **Reply #55 on:** December 11, 2013, 12:58:11 AM

((I'll take Po until Nick can rejoin us))

Po wandered over now, all smiles as he noticed Shen. "Hey! You survived! That is like... severely cool! Have you found inner peace?"

"Uh... no." Shen said, caught off guard by this sudden question. He regarded the panda curiously and with a frown.

"Really? That's too bad, because you totally have the background for it, I think... and no way! Tai Lung is alive too!?" Po asked incredulously. "No-ho-ho way! That's like... totally insane! The Wuxi Finger Hold didn't finish you off? Are you like, made of steel or something?" Po asked, hopping on his feet in his usual hyperactive fashion.

Shen still frowned, but thought about what the panda had said. He had... the background for it? What? A background of tragedy, abuse, murder, and regret? Yeah... that was REALLY peaceful...

StarfallRaptor · **Reply #56 on:** December 11, 2013, 02:41:49 AM

Makoto chuckled a little as he covered his mouth with a hand. Tigress, who had gone inside the Palace earlier, simply rolled her eyes and sighed a little. Tai Lung, on the other hand, simply bowed respectfully to Po.
"Ah. Dragon warrior. It has been a long time, hasn't it? And no, I am not made of steel or anything of the sort. I don't know why it did what it did, but it seems that the Wuxi finger hold you performed didn't kill me."
He said, smirking a little...

Nick22 · **Reply #57 on:** December 11, 2013, 02:45:53 AM

(I'm back guys)
ah man.. so what happened to you? i did the hold and then you just .. well vanished.. i thought i blew you apart. po said.

Pterano · **Reply #58 on:** December 11, 2013, 12:28:48 PM

Shen shifted, as if he were uncomfortable or anxious about something. Finally unable to contain it any longer, the peacock moved over to Shifu, tapping his wingtips together nervously. "I'm sorry... Shifu, was it?" Shen asked, looking at him. "I don't mean to interrupt this little reunion, but I'm particularly worried about Gongmen City."

Shifu raised a brow, a knowing look on his features. "Oh? Gongmen City? The very place you terrorized upon your brief return instead of ruling it justly?"

"Yes... well..." Shen looked away now and down at the ground. "I AM worried about it. You see... the shadow creatures I encountered were on the outskirts of the city... and I'm worried they could mass for an attack... and even one of those demons is enough to cause serious trouble to the city... especially now that there's a... well... power vacuum." the peacock muttered.

"Yes... Gongmen City currently has no ruler." Shifu commented, nodding. "Without a central government, it won't be able to defend itself as effectively."

"It wouldn't be able to anyway." Shen continued, still murmuring. "They lack a real military force after my wolf army was well... wiped out, for lack of a better term."

"Mmm-hmm." Shifu nodded, still regarding Shen with that knowing look. "Go on."

"Anyway, I think we should focus on Gongmen City first." Shen finally said, turning back to the red panda. "If they gain the city, their power will be overwhelming. We won't be able to stand before them."

"I concur. I will dispatch the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five to Gongmen City, but on one condition." Shifu said, holding up a finger now.

"Uh... wh-what's that?" Shen stammered, looking confused.

"You must find inner peace while there." Shifu smiled warmly at the peacock now, which caused the bird to take a few steps back.

"Inner peace?" he asked, blinking.

"Yes... it is the thing you are most desperate for, and I would like to see you attain it." Shifu nodded.

"I..." his red eyes fell to the ground, as if searching for something. "I don't know if I can..."

"But you will..." Shifu said softly, and turned to Tai Lung. "Tai Lung... would you mind accompanying the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior to Gongmen City? Shen feels the threat to the city is great, and wishes to stabilize the situation there to prevent the demons from gaining many new unwilling recruits." the red panda explained.

Kor · **Reply #59 on:** December 11, 2013, 04:20:39 PM

Chaka was walking back towards the front of the palace when he heard some of them talking. He caught part of the conversation, but continued walking since it seemed a private conversation and he certainly wasn't going to eavesdrop nor enter a private conversation. He heard another group talking and walked over in that direction to see if they were in a private conversation or in a more public sort of area.