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.
PLEASE READ, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DRAMATIC, I NEED SOME HELP!! My dog, Chrystal, who I don't remember ever not having, died today, on October 10, 2008. The worst part? I don't even remember what color her eyes were. I'm not sad, angry, or anything. I don't know what to do. I feel like, by not crying I dishonor her memory and what she meant to everyone else, but if I do cry, it'll only make it worse for my parents, who I know are hurting. It hurts, in my throat, like there are a billion tears that can't decide if they should be cried or not. Our other dog, Totoro, doesn't know about death. He has no clue as to what happened. Is he going to be wondering where his sister, though not biologically related, I doubt he cared or even knew, where she went? He's barking now, ouside, and my brain has translated it to 'when is she coming home?' Dad is going out to get her body and some tools for digging, but I don't want to watch. I don't want to- crap. I'm crying, no, I won't. I don't want to so much as move. I hurts, that lump in my throat that I'm still not sure about now finally going down, as it realized I won't allow tears. But there's still some that just won't take the hint. Those tears linger, making new, ignorant tears, that want to be shed. They're not going to be, and that's final. I just want to curl up with Totoro and Chrystal and have four years ago when nothing could possibly be wrong, everyone was going to live forever, and I was happy. I want to curl up there and freeze time and pet the dogs and play with the cat (we only had one, then) and scootch in the grass with the snake and keep time from taking my tears, so that the only reason I would ever have to cry would be when I skinned a knee, something easily remedied by a cold nose and a forked tongue to tickle my cheeks and take all pain away. I'm about to cry, I don't want to. I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want any of this. If you've read my profile, you know I used to cut. I don't want to do that again. I won't. I'm not going to start that up again. It's not going to happen. I just need something to take away the pain. Help.
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Ch. 4
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Zzz…zzz…zzz…SNARK!!
"Huh, who, wha-?" exclaimed Po, leaping up to find himself standing in the midst of a burned, deathly version of the Plain of Enlightenment. Though the entire scene was nothing but an endless expanse of nightmarishly dark depictions, from wilted flowers to splintered trees, crying out for some relief from the pain that haunted them, it retained some remnants of the beauty it once held, however horrific, in the reddened sky, blood forming clouds in the pale grey and rouge surface. The familiar tortoise smiling sadly at him told him everything he needed to know. It was his fault.
"Grand Master Oogway," Po breathed, earning a small nod. "What are you doing here?"
"It is not why I am here, but why you are here, Po, that should concern you," he replied, mystic air about him.
"Well, then, why am I here?" his question earned a low chuckle from the Master.
"Now you are asking the right questions. Po, you are here because of your regret. You must not let it cloud your mind, or your judgment. You must look after Tai Lung, and be able to give him what he needs, not what your regrets demand you give him. Do what is right, even if it is hard," he explained to the panda, watching as his furred face contorted in understanding.
"I have to tell him, don't I?" It wasn't a question, but received an answer, anyway.
"You do not have to do anything, but you never know how he will react, do you? I would highly recommend it. Good luck, Grand Master Po," and with that, Po awoke.
It was dark, wretchedly so, but Po was not the least bit tired. He attributed that to being dead, so his body no longer needed to sleep. Standing and stretching, Po began preparing a light breakfast that consisted of wild sugar cane, barley, and honey that he used to fry nearly a pound of sunflower seeds. As the sun finally peaked over the treetops like a large, bald head, Po finished his work and set it out on a small rock for his brother to eat.
"G'morning, brother Po," greeted Tai Lung, yawning as he plopped himself down on the ground, the panda handing him the rock plate of freshly fried sunflower seeds.
Stuffing his face, Po had to chuckle at the happy sounds of muffled compliments filled the morning air with a childish joy. How he wished he could be that happy again.
'You will be,' whispered a voice on the wind that sounded so like Crane that Po would swear he was standing right beside him. 'You just have to tell him. Tell Tai Lung the truth, Po.'
Tell Tai Lung the truth? And shatter his innocence? Could Po do that? Even if it meant an eternity of happiness for himself, for Crane, for their love, could he betray his brother like that?
He wasn't sure he had an answer to that question.
"Can we go somewhere, Po?"
Po turned to the snow leopard, watching him as he was distracted again by a stray seed from a dandelion, chasing it up a tree until he leapt, caught it, and then crashed to the ground with a resounding 'Ow!', and found his answer.
No.
He could not do that, not then, not ever, to someone so innocent and so pure as the new Tai Lung.
And so he would run with him.
"Yes, Tai, we can go somewhere. We'll leave immediately," replied Po, ignoring the stray tears as he realized that, by ignoring Master Oogway and Crane's orders, he had destroyed any chances he had of reaching the Plain of Enlightenment, and of seeing Crane.
"Alright! Let's go!" shouted Tai Lung, racing up to Po's side, walking on all fours to allow his brother to scratch him between his ears.
And, with the feline trotting so happily by his side, Po found the strength to ignore the shouts that echoed on the wind, cries for him to go back, to return to the Palace, to please, for the love of the gods, return to his lover from the voice of the love Po was forced to leave behind.