Amazing Accomplishment
By: PointyEdgesofaSign
Note: This is the sequel to Magnificent Mistake: Uncut Version, so read that first or this won't make any sense. I own nothing. It's thanks to Awerewolf that I've been inspired to continue this, his kind words make my brain work in ways I never thought it could, and without him I'd be nothing. Thank you so very much, my brother in writing. BTW, if you're reading this, may I call you bro? 'Cause you seem like a big bro to me. Love ya!! And please, people, if you want more of this, comment! I can't improve without constructive criticisms!
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Ch. 2
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Agony, sheer and unabridged, coursing through his blood stream, tearing through his midsection, drew a shriek from the sleeping panda. A voice, frantic and caring, broke through his cries, and he clamped his mouth shut, honing all his senses on that single, perfect voice, caressing his ears like a thousand hands.
"Po, it's alright. You're going to be okay. Just hold on, love," it whispered through the haze of agony that had formed a thick fog on his eyes, covering his ears in cotton, his tongue tasting a fresh spray of irony blood from his lower lip, the scent lingering in his nostrils like an annoying family friend who doesn't know when they've overstayed their welcome.
"Shh, Po, baby, it's okay, love. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you," cooed the voice as Po finally managed to place who it was.
Crane.
Fiery rage welled up within his chest, pain being eclipsed by his anger. He had lied to Po. He had lied to Po and pretended to like Tai Lung, when, in actuality, he was just doing it so Po wouldn't be upset! Like he was some sort of two-year-old who needed things deluded for the sake of his fragile mentality.
Ignoring his pain, Po shoved the flier away from him, hissing angrily, "No, Crane, it's not okay! You lied to me! That is not okay! I trusted you! I trusted you to tell me the truth, and you lied! You betrayed me; I don't want anything to do with you! Do you hear me? Nothing!"
Struggling to his feet, ignoring the look of unabashed horror on his previous lover's face, Po made his way out the door, miraculously unnoticed by any of the residents, knowing Crane wouldn't come after him. He'd made it quite clear they were through.
That aside, he also knew he had screwed up. He had frightened Tai Lung so badly he'd reacted out of instinct. Po wanted to find him, to make it up to him, somehow. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but it also wasn't impossible. That in mind, Po began limping in the direction he had seen Tai Lung flee the night before.
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It was warm. Warm? Where did that come from? Was warm the happy feeling of something nice on his… His? Hers? How was he a he?
Wanting nothing more than to know where he - he decided he liked the idea of being a he, and would stick with it - was, he pushed himself up and opened his eyes.
He remembered - eyes, arms, legs, feet, fur, he because of his pants, all the basic facts of life. If only he could figure out whom he was.
Shakily standing he saw something, his mind dubbing it 'sun' and decided that, since it was providing him with such a nice, comfortable warmth, he would walk toward it, hoping maybe it could tell him where he was.
A crack of something loud and frightening was heard in the distance, on the side of the sky away from the sun, and he decided that it might be better to run. Fast.
--
Po walked nonstop until he felt he would collapse from dizziness. His injury was bleeding again, and it didn't appear to intend to stop any time soon. Seating himself on a stump, he panted and gasped, pressing large hands tightly against his middle, hoping to staunch the blood flow.
A crack of thunder rang out and Po cursed loudly, grabbing several, large bamboo leaves and slipping them inside of his bandages. He knew Tai Lung was afraid of thunder. He just hoped his fear wouldn't make him do something stupid.
--
Po was gone.
He couldn't believe it, didn't want to, but the proof was all around him. Monkey had not burst out laughing in days. Mantis had not cracked a single joke, and even if he had, Viper didn't appear to have the will power to reprimand him. Tigress had taken refuge in Monkey's room as soon as the news had been broken, she hadn't been out in days, had, in fact, recently been joined by Monkey, and Master Shifu hadn't dragged the two of them out for practice.
Crane had barely noticed this as background chaos to the tornado that ripped through his heart, blaring emotions the sirens of fire carts and paramedics that could only help once the collateral damage had been taken care of.
A knock at his door was promptly ignored. The creak of said door opening? Also ignored. The sound of his master's voice offering him condolences? Didn't even hear him. The feel of a bamboo staff knocking his feet out from under him, causing him to hit the ground? Yeah, okay, he wasn't invincible, he had definitely felt that.
"What do you want?" Crane hollowly whispered.
"To know why Po left," answered Master Shifu.
"Because," began Crane, drawing a deep, albeit shaky, breath to steady himself. "I lied to him. I lied about being in love with Tai Lung, and now he doesn't want anything to do with me. And I don't blame him. I hurt him, Master, what should I do?"
Shifu appeared to consider this for a moment before smacking Crane over the head with his staff.
"Ow!" exclaimed the avian warrior, rubbing the lump with a soft wing. "What was that for?"
"Does it matter? It is in the past," Shifu replied, eyes slowly glazing over as though he were possessed, though Crane didn't seem to have noticed.
"Yes, it matters, it hurt!" complained the bird.
"It hurts now, but in a few minutes, you will be okay and forgive me," explained Shifu, his cerulean orbs rippling to green as he leaned more on the staff and less on his feet.
"Wait, are you saying that what I did to Po is like what you did to me? That it'll hurt him for a while, but when he's ready, he'll forgive me? That's it! Thanks, Master Shifu! I'm going after him! You're the best!" Crane shouted as he bolted from the room and after his panda.
A swirl of peach petals fluttered from the tip of Shifu's staff as his posture and eyes returned to their norms. Master Shifu smiled lovingly up at the figure before him, reaching a small hand out to caress the belly of his lover.
"It has been too long, dear heart," he murmured, hugging his old friend close.
"Indeed, it has, Shifu," replied the sage like tortoise, cupping the back of his lover's head in a clawed hand as he bent over to capture succulent lips in his own.
Those were the last words heard before the two Kung Fu masters dissolved into unabashed, unrestrained, shameless pleasure, the ocean and land breathing in time to their love.
Though, deep in their hearts, they also knew there was reason to grieve, for they had just sent one of their closest students, their children, on a mission from which there would be no return.
--
He was lost, wet, and hungry. Come to think of it, he also had to pee. A curse escaped his lips as he stopped his running in favor of a bathroom break.
That taken care of, he looked around at where he stood. Nothing looked familiar; then again, he couldn't remember his name, so why should land marks be any different?
Shrugging the thought off, he pulled up his pants and continued his mad race against the wind, rain, and loud, scary noise. At least, he would have, had he not noticed a loud panting, someone crying a name over and over. Thinking about it, he decided to see if the person was lost. That way, at the very least, they could be lost together.
Thought in mind, he raced toward the voice, the one that sent shivers up and down his spine as though fingers, round and soft, were caressing his entire form, making him shudder involuntarily in anticipation.
--
"Tai!" cried the panda, searching frantically. "Tai! Where are you, love?"
He had been at it for days with no sign of the snow leopard. His heart had slowly become heavy with grief and regret over that time, for what he had said to Crane wasn't how he felt.
'I was supposed to be able to stop things like this from happening! That was why I was sent back in time! To prevent sorrow and pain in those I love!' Po thought frantically, head buzzing annoyingly as his body screamed for rest. The only problem was that Po knew what would happen if he let himself rest, given the severity of his injuries.
He'd never wake up.
But he had to find Tai Lung before he could go for help, had to let him know he was sorry, that he had made a mistake, and pray that he could be forgiven.
"Tai!!" screamed Po, resolve set in the stone of his mind.
A rustle of leaves to his left caught Po's attention and he whirled around to see a figure step out from behind the bushes.
"Hi, are you lost?" he asked and Po felt his heart soar.
"Tai!" he screamed, racing over and hugging the leopard close, babbling apology after apology until he felt him tense up. Pulling back, he found Tai Lung was staring inquisitively at him. For a moment, he feared this was some other snow leopard, but the next words out of his mouth brought his most frightening fears crashing down on his head.
"Do I know you?"
Time froze as Po recalled a legend his father had told him when he was very little. If ever a time came that he was so hurt, so alone, so frightened that he simply wished he could forget, the spirits would take pity upon him and steal his memories away to a place of sorrow and remembrance.
Tai Lung had been hurt worse than Po could even imagine. Tai Lung had felt he was alone after he had run off, after Po's mistake. Tai Lung had been frightened. He had been so very, very frightened. Hell, Po was still afraid of his own, damn shadow after Vachir, he could only imagine the antagonizing fear that must have lingered after twenty years at that mad rhino's nonexistent mercy.
And the spirits took pity on him.
"Tai Lung, it's me, babe, it's Po. Don't you remember me? Your mate?" Po asked, praying he was wrong in his assumption.
"I have a mate? Wait, you called me Tai Lung, is that my name?" he queried.
Po's heart fell down past the very bowels of his stomach. First he broke up with Crane, and then Tai Lung forgot him. He'd forgotten more than Po, he'd forgotten everything.
And there was nothing Po could do.
Fatigue overcame him and Po crumpled to the ground, ready to give up, to follow the sleepiness that tempted him to let it guide him past reality. It dared him to follow it to a world with no more pain, no more hurt, no more regret. A drunken death.
The light swirled lazily about him, making odd patterns against his nonexistent eyelids. Po felt something against his lips, pushing something against his chest, forcing something into his unreal lungs. It was actually rather annoying.
"Po… Po…" called a voice, warm and soft, male, friendly, familiar.
Po opened his dead eyes to see, there, on the Plains of Enlightenment, a winged figure wreathed in shimmering light that softly emanated from his entire body.
"Hey, love. Welcome to the Heavenly Plains of Enlightenment. I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you this, but you're not done, yet. They need you, Tai Lung, Shifu, and even the Four," he whispered, approaching Po slowly.
"Wait, Four? Why are you here, Crane?" Po fearfully questioned, the worst possibility rising to the front of his mind.
Crane smiled sadly as he replied, "Lightning had always frightened me, and for a good reason, apparently, but that's not the problem at hand. The problem, the conundrum you now face is whether or not to give Tai Lung his memories back. You must decide whether you let him remember everything that happened to him, never to forget again, or let him live out his life unaware. You have three days to do whatever you feel you must."
Po felt himself being suctioned out of the warm, joyous feel of the afterlife into a cruel, realistic world, but just before he saw his first sight, he swore he heard Crane murmur against his fur, "I forgive you."
And then he lived.
