The Lion and the Leopard

Behold, Tai Lung

If you guys remember in the movie, right after the Dragon Warrior selection, Zeng flies to Chor Ghom prison to deliver Shifu's message, and we get a first look at Tai Lung. So I think you guys know what is coming up in this chapter ;)

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Zeng had been flying for almost a day and a half now. At first the journey was not that bad. But as he kept going, the air began to grow cold. Instead of seeing the warm, green pastures and villages, his vision was filled mountains. Snow froze his beak and winter winds buffeted his small body. The harrowing journey seemed endless, and he was finally relieved when he saw the gaping jaws that was the entrance to Chor Ghom prison.

He flapped his wings quickly, descending to the ground. But, unfortunately, the goose was clumsy and, with no help from the ice on the ground, landed on his stomach, bouncing and sliding towards the rhino guards.

The goose bounced off against the door and landed right at the rhino's feet. The pair of beasts pointed dangerously sharp spears at his throat, ready to kill him without even saying a word.

"Wait! Wait wait wait!" Zeng said quickly, waving his wings, "I bring a message!" The rhinos did not look convinced. Zeng quickly added on to his statement, "From Master Shifu!"

At that statement, the rhino's eyes widened, and they both lifted their heads in surprise, one of them even snorting. The guards wordlessly raised their spears away from Zeng's throat, and he sighed in relief. One of the rhino guards pulled him up, and they both led him towards the door.

The wooden, spiked door opened ominously, and Zeng stepped inside. It was much warmed in here. Torches lined the inside of the door. But as Zeng glanced around, he was greeted by countless, heavily armored rhinos. One of the rhino guards who met Zeng at the door handed his scroll to a large rhino who had a bronze horn tip, who was named Vachir.

"You bring a message, huh?" The rhino said, opening the scroll. As his eyes scanned the page, a scowl formed on his face. His eyes narrowed,

"What?! Double the guards?" He read the scroll out loud, his eyes hardening, "Extra precaution?"

Zeng nodded his head slightly as the rhino continued reading, "Your prison may not be adequate?!" Vachir snapped the scroll shut, shoving his muzzle towards the messenger goose. One of the guards dropped a mace near Zeng, and he glanced upward.

Three large rhinos, each with large, sharpened horns on their muzzles, glared daggers down at the quaking goose. Zeng gulped.

"You doubt my prison security?" The bronze-horned rhino, who Zeng assumed was the captain of the endless amount of rhinos inhabiting the prison, growled at the goose.

"Absolutely not!" Zeng feigned surprise, almost as if he was insulted that the rhino captain questioned him. Zeng continued, "But Shifu does. I'm just the messenger."

"I'll give you a message for your Master Shifu." The rhino got so close to Zeng that he could see the individual hairs on the tip of his muzzle. Zeng gulped again and smiled nervously. Commander Vachir continued, walking down the center aisle, "Escape from Chor Ghom prison is impossible!" He bellowed. The goose followed him and peeked down the wall.

The prison went at least a thousand feet down, maybe one thousand five hundred feet down. Many more aisles criss-crossed the way down, each being patrolled by at least fifty rhinos. Zeng could not even see the bottom.

Vachir gave Zeng a hearty, borderline violent slap on his back. Zeng gasped in surprise and fear as several of his feathers flew off of his body. Commander Vachir laughed, a deep, throaty laugh,

"Impressive isn't it?" He asked, glancing down at his army, and at one of Zeng's feathers that floated harmless down to the bottom- if there was a bottom. The messenger goose gulped nervously. He spoke,

"Yes..very impressive. It's VERY impressive!" Zeng said, still shaking slightly.

"One way in, one way out!" Vachir said, continuing along the bridge, "One thousand guards, and one prisoner!" The rhino bragged.

"Yes," Zeng added, "except that prisoner is...Tai Lung."

Vachir and Zeng arrived at an elevator, manned by two rhinos. Vachir ordered the two guards to take them down, and Zeng hopped onto the platform. The elevator began to descend towards the ground. Vachir, having a brief flashback of when a lion came to visit, shook the elevator's chains,

"What are you doing?!" Zeng demanded, grabbing onto the rails of the platform. Vachir laughed again, the sound echoing throughout the prison. Zeng's grip on the railing was tight.

The elevator arrived in a tower. The goose looked nervously around, tentatively stepping off of the elevator. In front of him was a series of doors, each with locks. Two rhinos in front of the door began to unlock it. Zeng glanced nervously at Vachir. The large rhino had grabbed a torch and was glaring ahead.

At last, the final door was unlocked. A drawbridge fell.

"Oh my..." Zeng said, breathless at the sight in front of him,

"Behold, Tai Lung." Vachir said.

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Tai Lung's Point of View

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I heard voices.

One of them was the rhino commander. Vachir. That was his name.

I hate him.

Another was unfamiliar. I did not know who that was.

I kept my eyes closed. My body ached from the contraption on my body. I heard Vachir order for the crossbows. The unfamiliar voice spoke,

"Crossbows?!"

I heard footsteps, approaching me. I took a small breath and tensed.

"Hey, tough guy!" Vachir said, coming towards me, "Did you hear?!" He was right next to me at this point, "Oogway's finally gonna give someone the Dragon Scroll and it's not gonna be you!"

Imbecile.

"What are you doing?!" The newer voice squealed, "Don't get him mad!"

Stupid newcomer.

"What's he gonna do about it?" Vachir asked, moving around behind me,

Kill you.

"I've got him completely immobilized." Vachir went quiet for a moment. A crunching sound erupted behind me and pain shot up my spine. The idiot just stepped on my tail. I did not dare move. If I did, then I would have shown weakness in front of him. I simple added that to the mental list of the times the rhinoceros, or his guards, had hurt me, taken advantage of me.

The newcomer gasped, as if it was his tail being stepped on, and backed away. His footsteps were light. He must have been a small animal, like a rabbit or a goose. The rhino laughed, moving to my side.

"Aww, did I step on the wittle kitty's tail? Aww!" He said obnoxiously in my ear. I did not move. I didn't even twitch my ear.

"I'm good!" The other voice said, "I've seen enough." The two animals began to move towards the exit, "I will tell Shifu he has nothing to worry about!"

"No he doesn't!" Vachir added.

Yes, he does.

The footsteps faded as the two left. I heard the drawbridge being pulled up. I sighed quietly. My tail twitched, throbbing from when the heavy rhino crushed it under his foot.

I felt something land in front of me. My golden eyes opened. It was a feather.

I moved my tail around to delicately take the feather, and move it around behind me.

It was time.