Chapter 20

The Cliff

All has been lost. Not only have we been looking off the cliff to insanity, but worse;

We've tripped off of it. We cannot change our position, because we are stuck where we are.

We cannot stop falling, because there's always something that will hold us back.

There is always something that wants to have us dead, no matter how far it goes to fulfill that matter.

We may never know what it may be, for all we see is rushing time, falling as we are.

We never know when we will hit the ground, if ever there is any.

All we can hope for, is something that will save us from damnation itself.

Though, what is there to hope for?

What is there... to hope for...

Tai Lung quickly shot his eyes open, and gasped rapidly inwards. Grunting in emotional pain, he rolled off his bed. Finding his hand situated on his wrist, he looked down at it. He was clenching hard onto the green wrist band that he never seemed to let go of. Growling with all his might, he stared at the wrist band with shame. His upper lip quivered, as his eyes never shot another gaze at anything else situated around the room. He knew now, that this wrist band was causing these nightmares of his; and worse, they were coming true-

"T... Tai Lung?" A faint, feminine voice whispered through her yawns. Tigress poked her head up from her position.

The disturbed snow leopard turned his head back around, as his quick shots of breaths slowly went back to normal.

"What's wrong...? What happened?" Tigress sniffed, as she rested her head on her palm, in which had rested her elbow on the slim pillow.

Tai Lung stared away, mouth a little open, still breathing hard. "Nothing... just..." He paused. "...just a nightmare..." He slowly climbed back into bed, as he let Tigress embrace him. A thought quickly took his mind. "Tigress...?"

"Hmm?" She replied, closing her eyes.

Thinking again, the snow leopard shook his head, as he brought his paws up to his face. Rubbing his eyes closed, he sighed. "Nothing.." He was in deep thought, as he soon laid his head down, and let Tigress rap her arms around his chest. Slowly... they went back to sleep.

Because there cannot be anything to hope for, we are already falling.

Redemption may feel right, but damnation just feels too good.

Don't worry my friend, we will all fall down, one by one,

And join you.

He took his first step onto Earth. Earth, what a simple and cold place to live in. It was pretty clear for everyone to know that life on Earth is just torture, and when it's all over, your decisions make who you are, in the end. Life's Death's sacrifice, even when Life should give credit for Death itself. All in all, these animals do not know what good and bad is. Apparently they think Death is bad.

Skyler smiled. I'll make them think it's good; because it is. He withdrew his claws in his rage, and bolted through the the city where he was left off: Patna, India. Only a couple miles to travel... Tai Lung, I am getting that wrist band, along with Song...

She awoke.

"Ugh..." She could barely move her body. Her paws were clenching onto her tail, as her clattering teeth matched her shivering, naked body. What... She opened her eyes. What happened...? The only noise she could hear was that of the crickets, slowly chirping themselves to sleep. Above her, the skies were dotted with great, glistening stars. The moon was full and dark green, as it shined a great light, casting reflections on all the trees around her.

"Wh... where am I...?" She whispered to herself, as she picked her sore head up, and looked around frantically.

She then blinked. "Who am I?"

The bird noticed her sitting next to The Sacred Pool of Tears. He slowly circled around her, as he squinted down at her. Her eyes were wide, and searching. Her fangless mouth slowly drew open, as her unmoving body stood on the lush, green grass.

"Viper...?" Crane slowly whispered, landing ever so softly, next to her.

Viper stood still, not budging at all. She kept her wide gaze upon the pool.

The bird blinked in concern. He solemnly looked into her fragile eyes, as he kept his breathing low. The atmosphere all around them was glittered with fireflies, as they lazily buzzed from plant to plant, flickering their light on... and off... and on... "Viper!"

Viper gasped, as she quickly backed up. She flicked her head over at her friend, and sighed out quickly. "Oh... hello, Crane."

"What are you doing here, Viper?" He asked lightly.

"I'm just..." She brought her sight back upon the waters edge, and seemed to stare into it in oblivion. "...looking."

Crane knelt down next to her, and began to stare into it, as well. He could hear Viper's breathing quicken.

"Uh, so, why are you out here, this late at night?" She quickly asked, breaking the sweet silence.

Crane kept his gaze on the pool. "I should be asking you the same question."

"Too late." They both softly chuckled.

"Just flying around." The bird replied with a jump in his voice.

Viper stared at him. She got closer to his face, as he began to feel a little uncomfortable. She squinted into his eyes. "Okay you do know we both are lying, right?"

"Yeah..." He diverted his head back to Viper, and giggled.

"So why not bother just telling what we know?"

Crane nodded. "You-"

"You first." Viper interrupted.

There was a silence, as they both looked into each others eyes. Crane blinked away. "I was thinking about Po. Ever since he passed away, I couldn't just stand there on my bed and sleep. I wanted to get out and at least... do something..."

"You're right. We all regret that he's gone... but we can't do anything about it."

"But there has to be some way of getting him back! I can't help but feel as if we dragged him into this mess..." The crane lowered his head, as he let his long, pointed beak rest on the earth.

"I know, I know... but that's how every animal feels when another loved one passes away; they feel guilty. But we're not guilty, just know that. You didn't take his life."

"But Tai Lung did..." Crane felt a sense of anger take over him.

"No Crane," Viper scolded. "What Tai Lung did was right. He did take the life of Po, but not in a bad way. In any way, he would take his place, but he can't. We all know he can't..."

"Yeah, I guess so... I just feel so sorry for Po, I mean, he used to be a regular civilian. He used to work at his dad's noodle shop, having the normal time and life of his own and all... and now he doesn't have the chance to live it out. I just wish he had another chance..." Crane softly sighed, as thoughts began to fill his heavy head.

Silence came.

The bird then snapped out of it, and shook his head, as Viper was still staring at him. He glanced thoughtfully back at her. "Et toi? And what were you thinking about exactly...?"

Viper softly sighed out, and looked out, among China. "I was uh..." She had a regretful look on her worried face. "Remember when Po passed away and we had Tai Lung join us, and from that day forth, we would never speak of the evil one...?"

Crane nodded. "Yes, I remember." A pause. "But, you know, it's just the two of us here, so you can say anything you want... it was only Tai Lung and Tigress that we couldn't speak of him around."

"Okay... well, I was..." She sighed. "I was thinking about Skyler, that wolf."

Crane shot a glare at Viper. "What about him?"

"Well... I was thinking about how he turned black, once he chopped down the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom... I mean, if Tai Lung were to do that, would he turn completely black, too?"

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.

"Never mind... I was just-"

"No no, please, go on." He scooted closer to her. "Try me."

She hesitated. "I've been thinking about Yin and Yang. Do you remember how Tai Lung turned good?"

"Yes."

"And... don't you remember how bad he was, a long time ago?"

"Yes." He replied.

"And, and Song, and how we thought she was good, but she turned out bad?"

"Viper, where is this getting to?" Crane patiently asked.

"Well, what if there was no good or bad... and it's just us thinking that we are good, and thinking that others are bad?"

Crane shook his head and blinked. "What?"

"Well what I'm getting to...," She hesitated some more. "What I was concerned about was..." She looked around, and leaned in. "What if Skyler isn't all that bad?"

Crane backed away as a quick response. "What are you saying? That animal is mad! He can never turn good!"

"But what if there is no good or bad?"

Crane extended his wings. "I'm sorry, I can't take anymore. I don't understand what you're saying. I have to go..." He quickly turned and began to take off.

"Crane..." Viper breathed, as he flew away. Seconds of frustrating silence passed. "Crane!" She gasped.

He was gone.

Viper lowered her eyes, and looked back onto the pool. "Why me..." She sighed.

It's okay Viper, your friend just doesn't understand. Hopefully he will. He should...

He better.

We are falling because we are made up of our own decisions.

Those decisions create out fate; our destiny; our future.

That future now, is not in sight, for we have a long ways to go.

Come with me, and watch them fall, deeper and deeper into this mess.

The Cliff of Fate, all lies in their hands now.

It would really help if I got a beta-reader, just asking... I still struggle on a bunch of stuff, and I would LOVE somebody to help me publish my stories. So yeah, anyone wanna volunteer beta-reading me?? Dx

Alright. R&R, you know, just don't break your fingers when you type. Hate it when that happens.

-Skyy.