And here is Part 2. Like I said, these two Chapters were originally one but I am releasing them as 2 to make it easier on the readers. Not everyone can sit through and read a 9000 word chapter in one sitting. Enjoy the Read!

Chapter 26

Captured Light Part 2

With Po…

Po was shaking the stars from his head as he got up to his knees after sliding down the volcano's wall. "Ouch…man that hurts." Po complained when he heard Gladir call out to him, "Pull yourself together Po! Tigress is up there all alone with Drizen. I doubt that she can deal with the creature alone." That got Po's attention, as he looked up and could see Tigress was racing over to the Cliffside to look down at him. Gladir was right, Po needed to get back up there and help Tigress take Drizen down.

As Po shakily got back up to his feet, he was unaware of the fact that Feng was now looking over at the Panda, with a malicious grin spreading across his face. This was it…this was the moment Drizen had planned for him. The signal for Feng to make his move was when Drizen launched the Panda over to him from the Altar…and it was now!

Slowly, Feng brought out from underneath his tunic a smallish bundle, wrapped in a heavy black cloth. Whatever was inside, Drizen made it explicitly clear that Feng was not to touch the object directly or else he would be the one in a world of hurt. As Feng unwrapped the bundle in his paws, he saw that it was a rather sizable chunk of a clear crystal that was now glowing a bright white light. Feng wasn't sure how this was supposed to render the Panda useless exactly, but when it came to magic, Feng was learning ever since he started working for Drizen to ask fewer questions and to just go with it.

Nightshade had just finished pushing Yin back after her and Min had failed to double team him. In a quick duck from her latest swing of her remaining dagger, Nightshade swiped at her feet with his staff, forcing Yin to fall down on her back with a grunt, while Nightshade held the end of his staff at her neck to stop her from moving. "Stay down Yin…you can't defeat me. You've lost."

Yin just stared up at Nightshade for a brief moment before her eyes caught sight of Feng now sneaking up on the Dragon Warrior, with Drizen's "Weapon" now out and unwrapped. Yin then returned her attention to her brother as she stated, "It's not all about you Nightshade…in fact…none of this is about you. See for yourself."

Nightshade hesitated for a brief moment before he slowly turned his head away from his sister and looked around. Min was lying a small distance away, his only remaining Chackrahm now lying a few yards away, while the Masters continued to hold the mercenaries at bay. Tigress was standing across the Chasm looking down on them all and Po was…!

As soon as Nightshade's eyes landed on the Panda, he saw Feng was coming up from behind him with an all too familiar object in his paws. An object whose power that Nightshade himself had experienced firsthand, and his heart nearly stopped. "No!" Nightshade whispered as he looked down at Yin and shouted, "You knew!" Yin however remained silent as she watched her brother's face twist from rage to concern in seconds, as he immediately removed his staff from her neck and began running for the Panda as he shouted, "PO, LOOK OUT!"

Tigress was now watching in horror as she recognized the object Feng had revealed and immediately her heart had stopped. "Oh no…NO!" Tigress shouted. She knew exactly what that crystal was. It was the Encryllion! The same crystal Drizen tied using to steal Nightshade's Darkness. Suddenly Drizen's plan became as clear as that Crystal, as Tigress shouted with all her might at the same time as Nightshade, "PO, RUN!"

Po looked up at Tigress confused. He could hear both Tigress and Nightshade calling out to him but he couldn't make out what either of the said. He was about to turn over to Nightshade when Gladir panicked, "Po, behind you!" but just as Po was turning his head, he heard a dark cold voice whispering from behind, "This…is for Lord Shen." Po was just able to turn his head around far enough to watch Feng shoving a familiar looking Crystal at his back. All Po had time to think in that instant as realization dawned on him was, "Oh no-" but the instant that crystal made direct contact with the Panda's back, the only sound that could be heard throughout the entire Volcano was the Panda's Screams.

"GYAAAAAHAAAAAAAAA!"

The instant the Encryllion made physical contact with Po; its magic immediately took hold, as the crystal immediately began to extract the largest source of energy within the Panda. Po's entire being was immediately wracked with several bolts of what looked like golden electricity, as the Heroes Chi was rapidly being extracted. Po felt himself being torn apart in every possible direction, as he felt the Heroes Chi being ripped away from him. He was in absolute agony and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Gladir then called out to the Panda, "Don't let go Po, hang on! Don't let go! PO!" But Po couldn't even begin to possibly think about how he was supposed to stop the Crystal's magic. He was in constant pain as bit by bit, every ounce of Power was ripped away from him. As his Life…was slowly ripped away from him.

Po's screams were so loud that it draw the attention of everyone present at the time, and as soon as Shifu looked over and saw what was happening to his Son in law, he immediately shouted desperately, "PO!" Nightshade ended up tripping over a stray rock as he fell forward with a low groan. As he looked up, he immediately felt helpless as he watched Po screaming in utter agony. "No." Nightshade whispered as he quickly got to his feet once more and continued running over to his friend. Tigress was screaming in Rage as she immediately launched herself from the high cliff and was hurling herself towards her Husband as fast as she could.

Gladir was doing everything he could to try and keep from being extracted from his Host, but no matter how much he fought, Drizen's Magical crystal was proving to be too strong for the Celestial being as he was soon wrapped completely by the Crystal's magic and was being yanked away from the Panda's soul. The very place he had been able to truly call a home for the past 7 years or so.

And then it happened…and Gladir knew that both he and Po could feel it the instant it did. It was like a string from a Raun that was stretched just too far… and the instant it happened, everything seemed to all but stop for both Po and Gladir, as their Bond, was severed completely, and then suddenly…there was nothing.

Po's eyes were wide open as he felt the Bond he shared with the Dragon break, as the Crystal finally stopped extracting energy from the Panda. Once it did, Po immediately fell down to his knees first, and then the ground was suddenly rushing up to meet him as Po smacked his face off the earth, completely unable to move.

Feng was laughing maniacally at the sight of the Dragon Warrior, as the Crystal in his Paw was flashing uncontrollably with a bright golden light as Gladir was fighting desperately to escape his new prison. "PO!" Gladir roared as he continued to fight against his prison but to no avail.

While Feng was laughing, he almost never even noticed Tigress landing just on the cliffs edge only a few yards away from him as she roared in a blinding rage, "GIVE THAT BACK!" But before Tigress could make a move for the Encryllion, Feng quickly threw the Crystal out over the Magma and into the chasm below, as Tigress screamed, "NO!" but as the Crystal was about to start to fall, it suddenly stopped and began floating upwards.

Tigress watched as the Crystal floated upwards quickly and stop before the Raven who was cackling sinisterly as the Crystal continued to flash violently in front of him while Drizen jeered, "Oh how long I have waited for this day! The day I can finally crush the Dragon Warrior. Everything is going just like he said! Everything is going according to plan!"

Tigress immediately snarled at the Raven and she was about to run back up the narrow path to get back the Encryllion when a single sound grabbed her attention from behind. Tigress immediately whirled around and saw Po's body twitched as he coughed weakly. "Po!" Tigress exclaimed as she was instantly beside her husband as she rolled him over and into her arms. As Po opened his eyes halfway he looked up at his wife and whispered, "T-Tigress…" Tigress immediately gripped his paw in her own as she whispered, "I'm here Po…I'm here." Po then whispered weakly, "I…I'm so cold…Tigress…why…why is everything so cold?" Tigress was now even more concerned, they were inside a Volcano for crying out loud and Po was cold!? Tigress's grip on her husband's paw tightened even more as she muttered, "It'll be okay Po…It'll be fine. You'll be okay, we'll get him back…we'll get Gladir back."

Just then, Tigress heard Feng from behind her, "I don't know who that is, but you aren't about to get that magic Crystal back anytime soon." Tigress snarled viciously as she turned her head and was met with the edge of Feng's serrated sword. "The Dragon Warrior dies today!" and with that, Feng raised his sword up above his head and brought it down upon the couple. Tigress immediately brought Po closer to her as she prepared to take the blow for him when there was a loud *Clang*.

Tigress slowly turned her head as she noticed Nightshade had arrived in the nick of time to block his Father's attack. Nightshade was growling dangerously as he snarled at the surprised Feng, "Don't. You. Touch. Him!" and immediately Nightshade let loose his True Darkness completely, as his entire being was now wrapped in his own dark blue Aura. Nightshade roared in rage as he quickly twirled his staff around and smacked Feng with it in the ribs, sending him flying back and into a nearby wall over by his siblings.

Nightshade was breathing hard as he looked over at his friend who looked so incredibly weak as Nightshade asked desperately, "Is he gonna make it?" Tigress however never answered right away, but after a few seconds she looked up at Nightshade and said, "Keep them away from Po." Nightshade tried to object by saying, "But Tigress, I can-" "-I gave you and order, Nightshade!" Nightshade flinched at the Tiger's outburst. It had been a long time since she had ever yelled at him like that.

Nightshade gave his friend one long look before he knelt down and placed a paw on the Panda's shoulder and said, "Hang in there my friend…We'll figure something out." and with that, Nightshade got to his feet and placed his paw in Tigress's shoulder briefly before he turned around and began walking back over towards Feng. Nobody was going to get past him to get to his Alpha again. Nightshade would die before he let that happen again.

Po's eyes opened a little more as he looked up at Tigress for a long moment as he continued to shake a little before he said, "Tigress…I can't even feel him…I can't feel Gladir." Tigress however shushed the Panda as she caressed his face and whispered, "It's okay…It'll be okay…We'll get him back. I won't let you die…You promised me, remember?"

Po remembered, he remembered that he promised Tigress that they would both make it out of this mission alive…that they would both be able to see their Son again together. But now Gladir was gone, and with him, the Heroes Chi. Which, as Po and Tigress both knew, doubled as Po's Life Force. Slowly Tigress began to get an idea as she began to remove her Dragon's Heart Necklace from around her neck and she gently began to place it around Po's. "Tigress…what are you-" But again, the Tiger just shushed the Panda as she spoke gently, "Quiet…you need to save your strength. Maybe…Maybe Huo's Power can help you." Po was doubtful but he had to admit, once Tigress placed the necklace around him, Po did begin to feel a bit warmer. But it was obvious that the Heroines flame wasn't going to be able to keep him alive, but it at least appeared to be making Po more comfortable.

Tigress looked away from Po long enough to glare at the Raven who was still sneering down upon them from the Altar. It was in that moment that something within Tigress snapped, as she released a growl and gently laid Po down. Po then asked desperately, "T-Tigress!?" but Tigress simply turned her back on him as she whispered, "I'll be back for you…I promise. Just…just hang on Po." and with that. Tigress dropped down to all fours and began racing along the Pathway once again, leading up to the Altar, while she listened to Po call out desperately, "Tigress!...Tigress wait!" But Tigress refused to listen. She refused to let her husband die.

As Tigress was running along the Path that wrapped around the edge of the Volcano, her only thought was to get that Crystal back to Po. If she could do that then Po would be okay….right? But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was purely guessing here. There was no guarantee that it would work, but right now it was the only hope Tigress had.

Soon Tigress reached the end of the path once again as she alerted Drizen of her presence with a savage growl. Drizen however refused to turn around as he continued to stare at the Panda below who was now struggling just to get up to his knees. "It's amazing isn't it? The power of the Encryllion. But it pales in comparison to the Power that dwells within this Volcano." Tigress growled once again as she demanded, "Give me the Crystal, Drizen!" Drizen then turned around to face the Feline and noticed immediately that Tigress was without her fancy little Necklace. Drizen then chuckled as he stated, "You are making this far too easy Master Tigress…I'm disappointed."

Tigress then released a mighty roar as she suddenly dashed for the still floating golden crystal that held the Great Dragon within. As she neared it, Tigress immediately dove for the Crystal only to stop short just a few inches from the Crystal as Tigress was completely gripped within Drizen's foul dark magic. Drizen then asked, "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk…did you truly think it would be so easy? I have been waiting years to make that Panda suffer for foiling my plans and I am not about to be foiled by some Kitty cat!"

Tigress's eyes widened for an instant and then narrowed as she snarled at the Bird. There was only one person in the world that could ever get away with calling her Kitty. Tigress then snapped as she struggled against Drizen's magical hold on her, "I said, give it back!" but Drizen simply continued to laugh as he looked from Tigress then over to the Panda, as a new thought came to mind. "Perhaps it might be a bit soon, but I don't believe I want to wait anymore. The Dragon Warrior now suffers physically…I think it's time to make him suffer emotionally next." At this Drizen returned his attention to the Tiger as he whispered, "And what greater emotional trauma is there…than being forced to watch your own wife fall to her death, while you can only sit by helplessly…and watch?"

Tigress's eyes widened in fear but immediately narrowed once more as she remembered the one line to the Prophecy. "A warrior' life brings Dragon's Light." Tigress then growled in Drizen's face, "Whether or not you kill me…Po will still stop you. You can't win Drizen. Not now…not ever." For a moment, Drizen and Tigress continued to glare at each other, before the black Raven smirked as he whispered, "We shall see. Farewell…Master Tigress." and with that, Drizen threw his Wing to the side, and Tigress was thrown over the Side of the Cliff and out over the Sea of Magma.

Po watched as the woman he loved was falling in his direction. But the more he watched her fall, the more he realized that unlike him, Tigress wasn't going to reach the cliffs edge. She was about to fall! Desperate to keep that from happening Po pushed himself up with everything he had and dug deep, as he tried to crawl desperately over to the nearby Cliffside as he somehow found the strength to scream out, "TIGRESS!" as he dove for the cliff and wrapped his left arm around a nearby rock while he reached out with his right paw for Tigress to catch.

As Tigress neared, she watched as Po crawled desperately over to the edge of the cliff and reach out to her. Not even certain if he would be strong enough to catch her, Tigress reached out as far as she could and caught Po's Paw as she gripped it as tight as she could. Even though their Paws were now linked, Tigress still continued to fall until Po's grip on the rick managed to stop Tigress's fall abruptly, to the point where her shoulder had popped out of socket causing Tigress to roar out in pain, as she hung there helplessly over the sea of bubbling magma.

And there they were…

Po was struggling desperately as he held onto the rock for dear life with his left arm wrapped around it, while he leaned halfway over the edge of the Cliffside, with Tigress's Dragons Heart necklace dangling loosely from his neck. He was beginning to fade, he could feel it. It took so much energy for him to just move fast enough to catch Tigress that now he felt just so…exhausted. He could only remember one other time he felt so weak…but NEVER had he felt so empty before. His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, and he was sweating profusely thanks to the intense heat of the magma from below. He could feel himself slowly dying, yet he still somehow managed to find the strength to hold on…He would never let go…He would never let her fall.

In his right paw, Tigress was clinging desperately for dear life. Her shoulder was dislocated for sure, yet she showed no signs she was in pain. As she looked up at Po's half dead eyes, she remembered what conclusion she had come to up at the Altar as she called out to the Panda, "Po…Let me go." Po was shocked as he stared down at Tigress for several seconds in bewilderment before he shook his head weakly and breathed out, "N-No! Are you Crazy!? I'll never let you go Tigress!" But Tigress just smiled as she looked up at her husband, tears now falling from her eyes as she explained "It's okay…You don't need to keep your Promise…I'll be okay. Po…You're dying…Let me go."

But Po just shook his head no as he continued to hang on to his wife, calling out weakly. "No…I won't let you go! I don't care if I'm going to die, I won't let you go!" Po then thought rapidly, "Where are the others? I can't last much longer like this, I need help!" But as Po's eyes darted around, he eventually found each of his comrades. Viper, Mantis and Monkey were still fighting off a group of wolves while constantly risking glances over at him and Tigress, trying to make their way over to their friends. Master Shifu and Crane were likewise occupied with some crocs and Nightshade, was still keeping his Family at bay and away from Po.

He was on his own…for the first time in a very long time…Po truly was on his own. Po suddenly heard the sinister cackling up above, as he lifted his head up with great difficulty at the menacing Raven. Drizen stood victoriously across the chasm before the altar as he laughed down at the Panda, while floating next to him in mid-air was the shattered piece of the Encryllion which was now flashing a bright Golden aura, as its prisoner was attempting to break free from its hold "PO!" Gladir roared as the Dragon continued to fight his way out of his prison. But Po could barely hear him…their bond was severed almost completely. Soon it would be gone entirely and Po wouldn't be able to hear the great Dragon at all… and then Po would be dead.

Drizen continued to laugh as he shrieked, "Finally!After all these years, I will finally have my revenge on the Dragon Warrior! I swore to you that day 5 years ago, that I would one day take away everything you cherish from you! And what better way to start then by taking from you the very woman who you have pledged yourself to completely?" Po could only glare at the sorcerer, as the Raven then called out to his left. "You! It's time you held up your end of the bargain! I've waited all this time just like you asked; now you must fulfill your end of the deal!"

Suddenly the mysterious cloaked figure who everyone knew was Drizen's Partner emerged from the shadows from behind the Altar, causing Po to breathe out, "It's…It's him!" as Tigress tried to crane her neck enough to get a good look at the Partner. The Partner sneered, "But of course Drizen, I am a man of my word after all. You of all people should know that." Drizen then began to snicker as he muttered "But of course my friend." And soon the cloaked figure began muttering an incantation, as one of Min's abandoned Chackrahms lying off to Po's right began to float up into the air and began to spin at an alarming speed. Tigress's eyes widened in fear as the spinning blade slowly made its way over towards the panda.

Tigress looked up and pleaded with the panda yet again, "Please Po! You have to let me go!" But Po shook his head as he tried to pull her up, but to no avail. He was just too weak. He probably couldn't even pull someone like Monkey up if he wanted to. "NO! Tigress…I can't lose you…I can't-" But Tigress cried out to him as her own tears began to flow, "You MUST! Don't you see? You need to think about HIM! He needs you…Li needs his father!" Po began to sob as he pleaded with his wife, as he tried to tighten his grip around her paw, "But he needs his mother too! I can't do this to him, I can't let him lose you…I…I can't lose you!"

Tigress looked up into Po's eyes, and for a moment, Time seemed to stop as the two stared into each other's eyes. Eyes of bright jade, swimming behind so many tears, staring into eyes of fiery amber, that were filled with acceptance. Tigress then called out, her voice calm and strong as she squeezed his paw back "You CAN do this…Let me go Po." But Po shook his head as he continued to choke on his sobs. "No…I can't, I'm not strong enough without you!" Tigress continued to look up at her husband as she hung there. Finally Drizen's partner said with finality, "Time…to Die." And then, with a single flick of the wrist, the spinning Chackrahm flew towards the Panda.

Shifu, the Five, and Nightshade, as well as all of the mercenaries were watching with baited breath as the blade sped towards the two Lights. As Tigress saw where the blade was going she looked up at Po and shouted "I love you!"

Time soon slowed to a crawl as the Chackrahm spun towards Po's elbow, ready to sever the Panda's arm completely. But as the Blade was about to meet Po's arm, a single flash of light caught his attention as his eye darted over to his left as he breathed out, "What?"

Flying through the air towards the Chackrahm was a golden light of sorts that Po would recognize anywhere, but only if it was coming from him. It was a Chi Blast…A Heroes Chi, Chi blast! The Blast managed to intercept the Chackrahm the instant before the enchanted blade was about to make contact, blasting the weapon off to the side and soon the weapon was falling into the sea of Magma below. "WHAT!?"

Everyone looked up to notice that it was the Partner who had screamed just now, but nobody else had so much as said a word. Po was speechless as he looked down at Tigress who was looking up at him with confusion. "That…that was…the Heroes Chi." Po whispered as he struggled to turn his head in the direction of where the Chi Blast had come from. When he managed to turn his head far enough, Po gasped lightly as he wondered aloud, "Who…in the world?" Tigress also followed her husband's gaze as well as Shifu and the others. Even Drizen and his partner were looking over in the direction of the source of the attack. But as the Partner looked over, he failed to keep himself from uttering, "That…is impossible!"

There standing high above the Warriors and the Mercenaries on a cliffs edge at the same height as the Altar stood a single Male white Tiger wearing a Jade Green Cloak and dark blue pants. But what had Po's attention was his outstretched right arm, for there placed securely on the Tiger's right wrist, was an all too familiar Golden Dragon Bracer which was now glowing the same bright golden aura of the Heroes Chi.

As Li stood there staring out over the many faces who were now staring up at him, his eyes landed over at the one he knew to be a younger version of Drizen along with some Partner, as Li called out to the two, "Not this time, Drizen!"

It took FOREVER...but Li has finally met up with his family from the Past. The Partner recognizes Li, but will the Panger's identity be revealed? Thanks for reading everyone and Remember...

REVIEW!

Also...to answer a question from a guest review, I want to be able to finish this story no later than July 5th. That's when I want to start publishing my sequel to Fate Can Be So Cruel, along with my KFP 3 story, Curse of the Shadow stone.