Tai Lung's Redemption (KFP AU)

[KingKovu44]

This is a series of two stories that I have been writing for my long-running KFP AU series in which Po and Tigress are a romantic pair. No flames or mean comments. Also, a section of this is rather dark, so be wary.
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Part 1- Beginning Of Redemption


The final battle of Po, Tigress and their allies against Lord Shen was in full swing. The fight had spilled from the palace into the streets of Gongmen City. It was a massive battle. Tigress looked up at Shen.

"You cannot win, you coward!" she shouted.

"Coward? You will find that you are mistaken, about a great many things!" Shen replied, moving in to impale the beautiful tigress with his sharp-tipped weapon.

However, he never got the chance, for Po got in the way, fury beaming from his emerald eyes.

"Keep away from my wife! You even think of touching her and I will make you wish you hadn't!" he shouted, ignoring the pain from his shoulder, which had been wounded in the fight.

Shen laughed.

"You are married? How wonderful! Now you can be sent to the other side together," he said with wicked glee.

He attacked again. However, Tigress leapt up and delivered an extremely powerful kick to Shen's face, causing him to fall back. He struggled to get up for a few moments. He finally did. However, he was suddenly distracted by something. A short distance away, in the darkness, the white peacock saw a muscular feline shadow that seemed to be getting closer. Finally, it leapt down into a pool of torchlight, which revealed its true identity. It was Tai Lung himself. The battle came to a halt as everyone looked in shock. Tai Lung walked up to Shen and picked him up by the neck, his feet dangling a few feet off the ground, and began to squeeze, slowly cutting off the bird's air supply. Tai Lung left merely enough air for Shen to speak, the words coming in pained bursts. Tai Lung looked menacingly into Shen's eyes.

"Just what did you hope to accomplish, you pitiful, insignificant fool?" he asked in a grim tone.

"I planned to rule China," the peacock answered, his voice barely just audible and fear blazing in his eyes.

Tai Lung tightened his grip even further. Po, Tigress, Song, Viper, Tai Shan, Shifu and the others winced as they heard the loud snapping of bones as Shen's neck began to break. Shen looked at Tai Lung.

"Please! Spare me! If you let me live, I can help you with whatever it is that you are doing!" he gasped, his voice almost a whisper.

Tai Lung growled ferociously, showing his fangs.

"You're even more foolish than I thought. The idea here is not to bring you to the brink of death, only to bring you back at the last moment. It is to bring you to death's door and shove you through to the other side," he said as he tightened his grip further one last time.

Suddenly, there was a loud, wet snap as Tai Lung's massive paw finally broke Shen's neck, killing him instantly. Shen's wolf and gorilla army fled the scene in terror. Tai Lung looked at the group.

"It is done. You can go now," he stated.

Po was still stunned.

"Tai Lung? You're alive? But how?!" he exclaimed.

Tai Lung turned to him.

"Nevermind that. I have returned, but not to kill you myself. I have returned to reunite with my family. I have found redemption," he stated.

Song stepped out from the group, going right up to Tai Lung without a hint of fear. Her parasol was clutched in her paws in case she needed it.

"And so this is how you begin your redemption? By murdering an unarmed opponent?" she said with a sneer.

Tai Lung glared at the smaller leopard.

"If I hadn't killed him, you would be a spotted smear on the ground, missy," he replied.

Song was enraged by the condescending tone with which he had called her "missy". She raised her parasol as if she were going to strike Tai Lung. However, she suddenly felt someone grab her wrist. She turned to see her fiancée, a handsome young male panther in blue kung fu garb by the name of Shang. Shang looked into her eyes.

"Song, don't, particularly before he has a chance to explain his claims of redemption," he said.

Shifu nodded as he walked up to Tai Lung.

"Yes, my former son and student. What brought this on?" he asked.

Tai Lung looked at them.

"If you allow me to return home with you, I will explain everything to you on the way," he said.

Shifu sighed and looked down. He truly wanted to hear this.

"Then come. We leave for the Valley in the morning," he said.

Tai Lung nodded and followed. Po looked at Tigress.

"Hey, what do you think of this?" he asked her.

"One thing is for sure. If he's lying and tries to harm our girls, he will pay for it," Tigress declared, the seriousness in her voice unmistakable.

[KingKovu44]

Part 2- Family Matters


It was over. Lord Shen was dead, his neck broken by Tai Lung's paw. Now, the group, Tai Lung in tow, began the trip home. As they walked, Po looked at Tigress, as she seemed to be in a hostile mood.

"Is everything all right, love?" the panda asked his beloved wife.

"No. I don't trust him," Tigress replied to her husband, gesturing slightly to indicate Tai Lung.

Po tried to calm her by speaking of their two five-year old twin girls, the white tigress Mei-Lin and the panda Huan Ning, but it only worked a bit. They continued their journey to the Valley. Finally, at long last, they arrived. Upon getting to the Jade Palace, they sent Zeng to inform Mei Ling, who had stayed behind to watch Mei and Huan, along with her adoptive son Cheng-Ti the Snow leopard and the fox kit Wei. The aging Mountain cat brought the girls out to her parents, who were in the courtyard. The girls were overjoyed.

"Is it over? Are those mean bad guys gone?" Huan asked.

"And is everything fixed so that you never have to leave again?" Mei added.

Po and Tigress knelt down to their daughters' level.

"Yes, girls. Everything is fine now," Po said.

The girls hugged their parents. Just then, Tai Lung came close to them.

"Ah. So these are the daughters of the Dragon Warrior," he said.

Before anyone could respond, Tigress put herself between him and the girls and snarled ferociously, showing her fangs.

"You stay away from them!" she said, still not quite believing his claims of redemption.

Tai Lung's eyes narrowed.

"Is that the kind of treatment you give your brother?" he asked.

Tigress growled.

"I have no brother. I am Shifu's only child. You gave up that right when you betrayed him!" she said.

Shifu then stepped in.

"Tigress, that's enough. I can see that we have some family matters here. Everyone, take my granddaughters inside," he said.

The others did so, taking Mei and Huan with them into the safety of the palace, where they would not have to witness any potential arguments. Shifu looked at Po, Tigress and Tai Lung.

"Now, we can deal with our family issues," he said.

Tai Lung looked at Tigress.

"Tigress, no matter what you say, the fact remains that I was also raised by Shifu. Therefore, we are brother and sister," he said.

Po tried to keep Tigress calm and hold her back, as it was obvious that she was seething with rage.

"Tigress, please. We don't need more trouble. We're supposed to be happy now. Shen is dead and nearly all of our other enemies are defeated," he said.

Tigress pulled away from her husband's grasp, but she knew he was right. However, the mistrust remained.

"You are right. Both of us were raised by Shifu, and that makes us siblings. However, that doesn't mean I will trust you now. You'll have to prove yourself worthy of being the uncle of my girls," she said.

Tai Lung nodded.

"Believe me, I will," he said.

Shifu nodded.

"You see, Tigress? He is willing to prove that he has changed," he said.

Tigress sighed.

"It's getting late. We can discuss this tomorrow," she said.

And with that, Tigress turned and left. Po went up to Tai Lung.

"Just give her time. I'm sure she'll eventually accept you for who you are now, not who you were," he said.

After that, Po left and caught up with his wife. Shifu watched them, and then turned back to his son.

"Tai Lung, you have much work to do to continue your path of redemption," he said.

Tai Lung nodded.

"I vow to do whatever it takes," he said.

He knelt down to Shifu's level. The former villainous warrior and his father and teacher then shared a reconciliatory hug.

[KingKovu44]

Just so there's no confusion, Tigress is the sister referred to here.
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Part 3-My Son-Shifu's POV


Tai Lung

My son

The last memory I had of you

Before I adopted your sister

Was the sight of the guards

Binding you in chains

And taking you off

To that dreadful mountain prison

For twenty long years

You remained there

Your sister Tigress came into my life

And I blocked your crimes from my mind

Now, you have returned

You claim redemption

You have slain Lord Shen

We shall see

If these redemption claims are true

But for now

Welcome home

My lost son

[KingKovu44]

Yes, Po and Tigress are married in my AU. No flames or mean comments.
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Part 4-The Brother That I Never Knew-Tigress' POV


Tai Lung

Once, you were known

as a fierce villain

Now, you have returned

And are claiming redemption

How you survived your defeat

At the paws of my husband Po

I will probably never know

Now, you are returning home with us

I want to warn you now

If you are lying about your redemption

And come near my husband

Or our girls

I will not rest

Until you are brought down

We shall see what happens

For you are

The brother that I never knew