Soaring Dragon, Dancing Phoenix

by Luna Goldsun

Sequel to "That's Why They Call It the Present". The Jiao Clan may be defeated, but the past has a funny way of creeping back to haunt you, as Po and Tai Lung are about to find out...the hard way.

13. Chapter 13: Purification

This chapter was a drain to write, and probably for good reason. One, its longer than most of the others, and two, I took so long writing it because I participated in National Novel Writing Month this year (I WON! WOO!); 50,000 words in 30 days, averaging 2000 words a day. We shall not speak of the monstrosity I wrote. Before you say "It can't be that bad..." it can. I took a dare to write the cheesiest, corniest romance possible, and I think I rose to the occasion. But enough about that...on to the chapter! (if there are a lot of errors in here, sorry; been running a fever today and I'm not at my best)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kung Fu Panda, that is the domain of Dreamworks pictures.

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Chapter 13: Purification

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The bird returned Tai Lung's stare, a slight smile on her beak. The snow leopard, still stunned, staggered a bit in his footing as he gaped at the magnificent bird. The Phoenix lowered her head, turned it this way and that way, looking at him from as many sides as possible, waiting with a patience only reserved for those who had all the time in the world.

Tai Lung finally blinked a few times then rubbed his eyes. "I must have had some bad eggs this morning..."

The Phoenix smiled at him. So sure that rationality explains all.

"It does, doesn't it?" he argued. "You're not really there. I'm hallucinating you. And if I'm hallucinating you then that means my even talking to you-a creature that is not even there-means I am completely nutters."

You used to believe in me. You used to believe my people exist.

"I used to believe a lot of things." He frowned. "And I'm still talking to you...when this is over, I'm checking myself into an asylum."

She bypassed his skepticism, gracefully arching her neck to look up into his eyes. You believed in many things, and still do believe. You believe in love. You believe in miracles. You believe in gods and Heaven and that anything is possible. You claim there is no proof. True believers do not need proof.

"I suppose that means I'm not a true believer." He sighed when he saw her recoil, hanging her graceful head in sorrow. "What do you want from me? Yes, I used to believe all those things, but life hasn't exactly been kind to me, you know. I've stopped believing for a reason, and plenty of damn good reasons."

A small smile grew on her beak. You sound like him, when I first appeared to him.

He thought about it before asking, "You mean Sun Bear? You're saying I'm just like him?" After a long pause, where he felt the Phoenix was giving him the flattest look possible for such a beatific being, he replied, "Well, fine, I suppose that's not much of a stretch." He hesitated, then asked, "He lost his faith too?"

Faith is not lost, only misplaced. You still have it. You know in your heart, Tenzin, that you never lost hope, or faith.

He thought it over as he stared back at her. Going to prison for life would have shaken any man enough to make him lose hope. Coming close to death more times than he cared to count would have shaken stronger men than he. "May I ask why you're appearing to me now? I haven't finished my training yet. Neither has Po."

I am a reminder for one, she said. I am a beacon for another. The time of the first champion will soon end, and your time will reach its zenith. Your master knows when it shall be, and soon, so shall you.

Tai Lung stared back at her with mixed awe and trepidation. He knew he was nowhere near ready to assume the title. If what Sun Bear had told him was true, there was no way he would be ready by the solstice. He wasn't even sure he'd be ready years from now. He had far too many questions left for Sun Bear, and if the old master would soon die...Tai Lung would be left to navigate this title and position with no guidance whatsoever.

But Po was in the same boat. Worse, actually, now that he thought of it. Oogway had only spoken to the panda once while still living, and every other time he had spoken to Po through his dreams or meditations, his instructions had, if possible, been more vague and unclear than they would have been in life. Until he had come to this temple and learned the true history of the Dragon Warrior, Po had been walking blind, with only legends and outright falsehoods to guide him.

His name is Asmodei Koshchei.

Tai Lung shook himself out of his reverie. "What, what was that?"

The Phoenix looked him directly in the eye. The monster you seek to defeat is named Asmodei Koshchei. Your dear friend's mother tried to tell you, but as a lower immortal, she does not have the same influence as I.

"You can defy the gods?"

Tenzin, I am a god.

"Oh. Right. That makes sense."

The Phoenix raised her head and looked to the sky. He looked up after her, but saw only open sky that was swiftly darkening into cold late autumn night. The avian spirit turned her head back to him and said right before she disappeared from view:

He will give you all you need. Trust in him, as you trust in me.

He blinked, and she was gone.

Tai Lung turned about in place, desperately scanning the courtyard for any sign of a bird. Nothing. No fire, no red or golden feathers, not even the tell-tale singing to announce her arrival or departure. The Phoenix had disappeared into thin air. He hated using cliches, but that was exactly what had happened.

He turned around again and found Sun Bear watching him from the cloisters. The snow leopard froze, feeling like a child caught doing something he shouldn't be doing. Sun Bear had an odd expression on his old, weather-beaten face, but he didn't look angry. He didn't even look annoyed. Most surprising, he looked more depressed than anything, but most distressingly to the snow leopard, the old bear looked to have accepted whatever it was that bothered him so much.

"She was here, wasn't she?"

Tai Lung paused before he guiltily nodded. "She was."

"Did she say anything to you? Be honest."

The snow leopard looked back at him, feeling downright awful that something had shifted into his favor-not Sun Bear's, whom he owed so much to-and that Tai Lung would be the only one to conceivably benefit from this seismic shift in destinies. "She said that my time was coming."

"How ironic, mine too," the old master smirked. "Seems we do have a lot in common."

Tai Lung's eyes widened. "How long have you been...?"

"She's told me. She told me that you and Po were coming, but she refused to say who you were. She's rather irritating like that, just so you know."

"She told me I still have faith."

"And you do. What else?"

"She told me the name of the bloke who's trying to hurt our families."

Sun Bear actually looked surprised. "Seriously? Damn, she never tells me things like that! I'll knock it off your tab," he added when Tai Lung began to tally for the Swear Jar. "At this rate, you may have a zero balance by the time you leave."

"Gods, I hope so." He looked around the courtyard once more, then back at his master. "Does this mean that, soon, I mean, that you..."

"Will croak? Tai Lung, I knew decades ago that I was going to die." Sun Bear beckoned him to come closer, which the snow leopard reluctantly did. "This just means that it'll happen a lot sooner than either of us expected. If the Phoenix appeared to you as she appeared to me, so many centuries ago, that means she's officially accepted you as my successor, and that my time is severely limited."

"Limited?"

"Tai Lung," he said softly, with heart-breaking honesty, "Her appearing to you-choosing you before I can present you to her-is her way of telling me I have only a week left to live, maybe less. In the next few days, I need to teach both you and Po as much as possible, including moves and techniques that you need to know to truly become the warriors you were meant to be."

The snow leopard silently followed him, feeling like a boulder had been dropped on his shoulders. Yes, he was desperate to know his true destiny and to assume it, but to assume it at the expense of someone like Sun Bear... Tai Lung had tried to assume his own destiny at Shifu's expense, and seriously hurt him in the process. Shifu had not come close to dying at all, but the knowledge that Sun Bear was going to expire-and within the next seven days-brought a sobriety that Tai Lung was not prepared for. In his defense, Sun Bear didn't seem too worried about facing his own expiration; perhaps he had mentally prepared for this ever since he first drank of the Spring of Eternal, er, Longer-Lasting life. He knew he would die eventually, and prepared himself for it. Hell, he even had his own tomb constructed below the library. He had had plenty of years to plan and prepare for it.

Tai Lung couldn't understand his own motivation now. He wanted to know his destiny, and he wanted to assume it, to be someone great, powerful, and both beloved and feared. But-and as he was seeing himself through the window of another's soul-he and Sun Bear truly did have much in common. The snow leopard thought about the amazing story of the original Dragon and Phoenix warriors, and knew that Sun Bear's motivations were his own, and that Oogway's motivations were most certainly Po's. If it had been them at that battle, had Tai Lung been mortally wounded and forced to drink at that spring to save his life, the snow leopard knew Po would, without hesitation, drink from it as well, just as Oogway had done for Sun Bear. He could tell from the narrative that the two loved each other as brothers and dear friends, and though Sun Bear had not explicitly said so, Tai Lung knew that the old bear would have willingly laid down his life for the late tortoise master, just as he himself would die for Po. There was nothing romantic about it; Po was the first person after his imprisonment to welcome him with open arms, no questions asked. Po was the first person to forgive him, and treat him not as an ex-con, not as a dangerous warrior, but as a person, just like anyone else. Had Oogway done the same, he wondered? Had Oogway-after Sun Bear had saved his life that first time-just smiled at him and nonchalantly offered tea to the likely bemused bear who had just barged in and defeated an assassin? Tai Lung could see him doing that.

Oh, the tortoise would say in his own measured, patient way, An assassin. How interesting. Would you like some tea?

And Tai Lung could just as easily imagined Sun Bear's perplexed reply: After a long pause, wherein the likely armed-to-the-teeth and armored ursine warrior would narrow his eyes in his typical discerning way, he would ask point-blank, ...Are you out of your damn mind?

And Oogway, ever the smart aleck, would reply, Most likely, yes. Tea?

And Sun Bear would do like Tai Lung had done whenever Po offered food: he would shut up, accept it, and damn well appreciate it. He couldn't help it, Po was a great cook. And, he recalled faintly, Oogway really knew his teas.

He snapped out of it when Po tapped on his shoulder. "You okay, buddy?"

His initial reflex was to say "yes, of course I am", only to deflect any possibly uncomfortable conversation that might follow. Instead, he offered the truth, completely lacking sarcasm. "No. No, I don't believe I'm well at all."

"You're not well?" Sun Bear snorted. "You're not the one who's about to die."

"Die?" Po gasped. The panda turned to the old master. "You're dying? How long have you...?"

"Since the day I was born, Dragon Warrior," the old master replied. "The minute you're born, you are dying for the rest of your life."

"Wow," Po said. "That...is really, really sad. And kind of pathetic."

Sun Bear glared at him.

"Hey, you're the one who said I was a lot like Oogway; he'd talk to you the same way."

"He would," Tai Lung agreed. "He hated it whenever Shifu got fatalistic. And he knocked sense into anyone with a black-and-white worldview."

"I hope you'll forgive my rather dark mood," Sun Bear sharply said with a glare between them. "Its not every day one learns they're about to die at any moment. I'm a little perturbed by it. Po, what did you learn about dragons?"

"Uh," the panda began, but looked a little sheepish. "I actually didn't spend a lot of time reading; I spent more time thinking. I read about those kung-fu schools you told me to look into. You were right, they are more my style; Ba Gua and Tai Chi," he explained for Tai Lung's benefit. "See, now I get why Oogway was so long-lived...I mean, aside from the magical spring or whatever. The fighting forms of the Dragon Warrior were never meant for direct hits. Its all about using the enemy's strength and own bodily inertia against him. Here, try hitting me."

Tai Lung raised a brow and looked around the tight enclosed space of the library. A quick look to Sun Bear said that the old master was about as enthusiastic about this demonstration as the snow leopard was. "Po, I'm not hitting you."

"C'mon."

"No."

"One punch, that's it."

"Remember where you wanted to stop a revolving wall with your body? This is another of those situations. I'm not hitting you."

Po finally snapped, "Hit me, you son of a bitch!"

The fur on his hackles rose and a growl ripped from his throat. Fine, he never really knew his mother while she lived, but no one-no one-called his mother a bitch. Especially not some fat, monochromatic punk. So he threw a punch.

Po deflected it with an outward sweep of his arm, then lunged down low, swinging his other arm down to knock Tai Lung off his feet. The snow leopard fell and hit the floor just as he realized he had literally fallen right into the trap. Sun Bear was impressed.

"Oogway used that move once, on a highwayman we encountered in the western regions. Very well executed," the master said.

"Thanks," said Po. "I got the idea from watching the other brothers and novices practicing grappling." Po pointed out the window at the courtyard, where the last class of the day was practicing sparring methods. Tai Lung picked himself up and grumbled as he rubbed at his sore rump as Po explained. "See how the bigger one launches forward? He has a harder time stopping than the smaller one, because there's more weight. Larger bodies in motion are harder to stop than smaller bodies. Like a rock falling down a hill. If its a small rock, you can stop it with your body, but if its a boulder rolling down, you're not going to stand there and take what it gives you. You move out of the way and suffer less damage than if you faced it head-on." The panda pointed at Tai Lung. "You are the boulder. If I had kept a strong stance and tried to catch your punch, I could've seriously hurt myself. But by moving out of the way..."

Tai Lung saw where he was going. "By moving out of the way, the entire force of the opponent's strike is felt by the opponent, not you."

Po grinned. "Exactly! This is what I noticed while watching the kids-their bodies, when they propel themselves forward, tend to stay moving, unless something causes them to stop. I think I might be on to something here. I don't know what, but I can tell its something big."

Sun Bear had an odd look on his face, but then he smiled. "You're adding on to Oogway's teachings."

"Well, not really," Po said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oogway just had really roundabout ways of teaching. I think this is a better, more direct way to show what his style was all about."

"Now, answer my next question: did you read anything about dragons?"

Po hesitated, then said, "A little."

"And? What are your opinions?"

"I think it requires further study."

"Good answer. And I agree. That is why, tonight, both of you are going to stay here, in the library. I will give you a list of subjects to read up on. Once you have studied, we will begin the process of opening your minds tomorrow morning."

"Opening our minds?" Tai Lung echoed.

"Yes. Specifically, opening the channels to each other's minds, that you two may communicate like Oogway and I did. I will need to meditate on how best to accomplish this in such short time, and you two will need to steel yourselves for when it occurs."

---

They had dinner, and Sun Bear sent them back to the library with a short list of references, plus candles and blankets to keep themselves warm. There was a brazier in the middle of one of the smaller reading rooms, which Po lit and fed with kindling and charcoal. The panda expertly tended the fire until it warmed the room comfortably enough to not require the blankets. Tai Lung watched him, wondering where he had learned this, when Po caught his look and explained, "Part of learning to cook is knowing how to make the oven and stove just hot enough that you cook the food without burning it. It's one of the first things I learned."

"That's interesting," Tai Lung smirked, "I would have thought it was noodles."

"Making the dough, sure. But I was too small yet to make the noodles." Po hesitated, then cleared his throat and said, "I lied to Sun Bear earlier."

"What about?"

"About what I read or didn't read. I read more about dragons than I told him."

"Oh."

After a long, uncomfortable pause, Po asked, "You knew about those other dragons, didn't you?"

"Not before I read up on phoenixes earlier, no," the snow leopard answered guiltily. "I...wasn't quite sure what it meant. It bothers you, doesn't it?"

"What, that there are more cultures that believe dragons are mean and nasty than good? Not really," Po said with a nonchalant shrug.

The snow leopard stared at him. "You're not? But why?"

Po shrugged again. "It seemed obvious to me: people start to fear what they don't understand, and what people fear, they start to hate. My guess is that those other cultures don't understand dragons like we do. In what I read, it didn't look like those cultures gave offerings to the dragons, like we do. That's probably why the dragons got so mad at them and started kidnapping maidens and eating people who came to slay them."

"Can't say I blame them; I'd be mad at anyone trying to slay me, too."

"Exactly; they don't understand them, not that we understand them any better, but...I guess we respect that they have a place in this world too, and that if they're here, they have to be here for some good reason." When the panda looked over at his feline friend, he sighed and tried a different approach, "Okay, so...better example: You."

Tai Lung lowered the scroll in his hands and raised a brow. "Me?"

"Yeah, you. I was afraid of you. Even after I defeated you, I was afraid of you. Even when I found you in the Jade Palace after your return, I was afraid of you."

The spotted feline fell silent, then questioned, "Why did you never tell me this until now?"

"At first, because I was still afraid of you, obviously. But after I got to know you, after I started to understand you, I wasn't afraid of you anymore. After that point, it didn't seem like a big deal anymore." Po looked his friend in the eye and smiled warmly at him. "People were afraid of you because they didn't understand why you were so angry, why you went on that rampage. Now, at least, the Valley understands, so they're not afraid anymore."

The snow leopard lowered his gaze back to the parchment, muttering dejectedly, "But I'm still capable of awful things."

Po bluntly replied, "Well yeah, duh. But everyone is capable of bad things. Its the ones who are strong enough to not do those bad things, that we look up to and call heroes."

"So you're saying I was weak before?"

"Everyone is weak, because everyone has moments of weakness. You're not alone, Tai Lung. You had a moment of weakness, just like everyone else, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

Tai Lung fell silent, doubting that he had nothing to be ashamed of. He thought this over as he flipped through pages of philosophic texts. This revelation that Po had feared him, even when the panda was the one to offer his hand in friendship, was deeply unsettling, and not something he preferred to think about. So, instead, he focused on what he was reading, or tried to. There was simply too much on his mind. The words and characters on the page seemed to blend together in his vision as his mind wandered...

"Po?"

"Yeah, Tai?"

"Have you ever heard of someone named Asmodei Koshchei?"

"Who?"

"Asmodei Koshchei, he's the bloke who's after us-when the Phoenix appeared to me, she told me his name. I wondered if you might have heard of him."

Po shrugged. "Dunno. All I know is that you told me he was a northern leopard, he used to work for Jiao Shen, and that he has blue eyes. I don't know a lot about the Jiao-all I know is what Dalang said about 'em. And, y'know, personal experience." The panda paused, then glanced back at him, "How do you not know who he is? I mean, you were in a military prison for two decades; surely someone had to tell you something about the outside world?"

Tai Lung growled. "Are you forgetting the part where I was literally under a rock for twenty years? I've missed a few things. And like Vachir would have told me anything? Over his dead body. Look, the only reason I thought you might know-aside from being on the outside your whole life-is how obsessed you are with kung fu, surely you've heard something."

Po shook his head. "Sorry, buddy, but I don't. Maybe he doesn't know kung fu?"

"Impossible. No one would challenge us if they didn't know some form of kung fu."

"I don't think you're listening," Po said. "I said he probably doesn't know kung fu. There are probably other fighting forms not related to kung fu that he knows; if he's a foreigner, there are probably a lot of techniques he knows that we don't. In my vision, he looked like he had been fighting longer than either of us have been alive..."

"In that case, how is he still alive?"

"How is someone like Sun Bear still alive?"

"Good point." He paused. "Do you think he might have something supernatural about him?"

Po shook his head, rolling up a scroll to put away. "I doubt it, but something about him does seem...off. Sinister. Not like Dalang's dad; Shen was sinister, but I wouldn't call him evil. Oogway said he was a 'man of little mercies'. This guy in my vision-the blue-eyed guy with the weird name-he seems evil. Like, no reason behind it. Just pure, real, evil. Shen always had a reason for what he did; I think he knew right from wrong, but he just didn't care. I don't think this guy actually knows right from wrong."

"More animal than man," Tai Lung said, echoing Oogway and Ming Hua's sentiments. "So we're likely going up against a blue-eyed golden leopard, older than Jiao Shen, perhaps as old as Shifu, who doesn't know kung fu," Tai Lung said, trying to get a mental picture of their opponent, "But who has to know some way to fight, and he has no conscience whatsoever."

"Which means he wouldn't think twice about killing us."

"I hate to break it to you, Po, but there are a lot of people who wouldn't think twice about killing us."

"So what makes this one so different?"

"I don't know." Tai Lung thought about it, then turned to the panda, "Has Oogway spoken to you at all lately?"

"No. Has Ming Hua talked to you?"

"Not a peep. That bothers me, a good bit. She told me that her visitations would get more frequent, but I haven't seen her since our first night here. And you said you hadn't heard from Oogway in nearly two weeks..."

Po finished the thought: "Something's wrong. Something must be very wrong, or they would've told us."

Tai Lung bit his lip and somehow managed to keep his tone under control as he worried, "If its as bad as we fear, they ought to tell us right now! How are we to know that our friends and families aren't in danger as we speak?"

Po opened his mouth to say something, but promptly shut it.

"What?" Tai Lung asked.

"Nothing. Just a stupid thought."

"Po, please..."

"I was just thinking..." he said haltingly, "What if its not Oogway or Ming Hua...what if the Phoenix doesn't want you to know what's going on?" An uncomfortable pause followed his suspicion. Then he laughed it off. "I know, its stupid..."

"No," Tai Lung growled. "No, its not." He stood and gathered the red robes closer around him. "I'm getting the answers, right now."

"What?" Po dropped the tome in his hands and tried to block his friend's retreat. "Where're you going? We're supposed to-"

"I don't give a damn what we're supposed to do!" Tai Lung snarled. "That phoenix is supposed to help us, and if she is in any way hindering our progress-"

He was promptly cut off by a loud screech and a rush of wind that upset papers and scrolls, sending the room into a complete disarray. The flames in the brazier fluttered like a candle flame then went out in a wisp of smoke, cloaking them in complete darkness. The two warriors felt a chill that had little to do with the crisp mountain air, the hairs rising on their hackles. Po scanned the darkness, but couldn't locate Tai Lung.

"Tai? Tai, c'mon buddy, where are you?"

"He is with Ming Hua, currently."

Po snapped to attention and turned to find Oogway staring back at him, an enigma through the still-smoking coals. The panda sighed with relief, "Thank goodness, we were getting a little worried..."

"You have right to be worried, Dragon Warrior," Oogway warned, with a haste in his voice that Po had never heard. "Ming Hua and I have, until now, been unable to meet our own terms. There have been developments, many of them, that concern you and your loved ones. I have little time. Time is swiftly running out. Your opponent has amased an army, and is advancing upon the Valley of Peace."

Po barely let him finish when he exclaimed, "What? When, how long? How long do we have?"

"Not long," the tortoise said sorrowfully. "You both must leave soon, sooner than I fear you are ready to. My old friend Sun Bear may disagree with me, but the time has come for both you and Tai Lung to assume your destinies."

"How big an army are we talking?" Po asked. "And does the Valley know? Does Shifu? The Five? Anyone?"

"No. As of now, you are the only of our allies that know. You, and Sun Bear, whom I will visit in his meditations tonight. Ming Hua is similarly informing Tai Lung of this predicament."

"Predicament?" Po asked, aghast. "No, a predicament is trying to choose between noodles or stir fry for dinner. This skeedadles way past 'predicament'!"

"Po," Oogway said in a tone that offered no argument, "Calm down."

"Calm down? Some crazy-evil Manchurian leopard named Asmo-something Whatsisface is bringing not just him, but an entire frickin' army to invade, loot, pillage and rape the Valley, none of our friends know about it, and with me being hundreds of miles away in some place where I can't do anything to stop it, you're telling me to CALM DOWN?"

"Technically, its Asmo-something Vhatsisface."

"BIG HAIRY DEAL!"

"Po, really, you should try to calm yourself. You don't want Shifu's high blood pressure."

Po tried very hard to focus on a meditative breath, taking in deep, quick breaths and letting them out as slowly as he could. "Okay...just answer me this: is Tai freaking out like I am?"

"Knowing him as I do, I would bet money on it."

"How can you be so calm about this?" he demanded. "Master Oogway, how can you be so calm? Even when certain doom is staring you in the face, how do you not freak out about it? How do you do it?"

What Oogway told him would stick with him for the rest of his life, and shape how he viewed his world...and his future.

"I keep calm because I must. That does not make me immune to fear, but I keep a cool head because for so long, so many people depended on me. Many people depend on you, too. The torch has been passed, so to speak. The honor of protecting the Valley is now yours, as are all the responsibilities thereof. But Sun Bear was right: you try to please everyone. You cannot please everyone, because everyone cannot be pleased all the time. Dragon Warrior, in order to assume your destiny, the key—and this is very important—is to accept what you cannot change, know to change what you can, and know the difference between the two. This, ultimately, will bring you the peace you seek."

Po ran it over in his head. Accept what he couldn't change, change what he could, and know how to tell the difference. Well, didn't entirely answer his question, but it did make him feel better.

"How much time do we have?"

"The same as before," Oogway answered. "Winter solstice. Be ready."

And suddenly the flames in the brazier lit back up into a flume of light and smoke, shocking the panda, who made a rather bearish noise of surprise. Tai Lung, similarly, yowled like a cat with a scorched tail when the flames burst back to life. In the sudden light that temporarily blinded them, the warriors shared a look between them, and, though they lacked the mental link that Oogway and Sun Bear had, they each knew what the other was thinking. Tai Lung finally spoke up:

"What the deuce was that?"

---

"I don't think we're ready for this."

"Of course we're not ready, we're never going to be ready at this rate."

"You sure we're not being impatient here?"

"Po: big-arse army, armed to the teeth, about to invade the Valley of Peace—I wonder, though, how we can still call it the 'Valley of Peace' after-"

"You made your point, now quit it," Po snapped. They were halfway up the slope to the "forbidden pagoda" to get some "one-on-one time" with the Phoenix, and hopefully find Sun Bear. He wasn't in his quarters, or the library, nor was he indulging in a midnight snack (Po's last-ditch idea, which, he admitted, was largely inspired by his own stomach's rumblings). It was the last possible place to look. When Po snapped at him, Tai Lung turned and frowned at him. The panda sheepishly apologized, "Sorry, you know how I get when I haven't eaten."

"Regrettably."

"You sure its cool for us to be up here, though? I mean, with Sun Bear's warning..." Po asked, looking around warily.

"And if I am the stinking Phoenix Warrior, I highly doubt the phoenixes are going to try and peck me to death," Tai Lung sarcastically replied. "Now lets get the devil up there and figure out what the flip is going on."

"Okay, wait...'stinking', 'devil' and 'flip'?"

"Well I can't keep swearing—I'll be out of money in no time. And don't count the one from the library."

"Why would I? I was thinking the same thing."

They reached the upper courtyard and looked out through the portal at the end of the tunnel. The courtyard was dark but for seven flames burning in sconces shaped like birds' nests, but two red lanterns burned on either side of the pagoda doors. Someone was inside. Taking a chance, Tai Lung boldly stepped out into the courtyard, advanced seven paces, then stopped. He readied himself for an attack, the hair on the back of his neck rising with the feeling that he was being watched. He looked out over the courtyard, then up the slope, around the rocks, the far corners hidden by dancing shadows from the flickering flames.

After a long, tense moment, nothing happened. Not one to jinx anything (at least now), Tai Lung beckoned Po to follow him, and the two of them quickly dashed straight to the pagoda doors. As they ran, they both heard the singing, the flapping of wings, but neither of them looked back to see what was chasing them. They made it to the pagoda doors and threw themselves against them-

-only to tumble onto the interior floor when First Brother opened the door just as they were about to barge in. The old lion blinked a few times in surprise, then glanced out at the empty, quiet courtyard. Then he smirked down at Tai Lung. "Careful now. Don't want to make a habit of charging doors like that."

"I'll bear that in mind. Thank you."

Po picked himself up and rubbed his smarting rump. "What're you doing up here?"

"Offering Master Sun Bear some company," First Brother said. He closed the doors with a solemness not lost on the panda and snow leopard.

"How is he?" Po asked.

First Brother sighed through his nose, his old shoulders heaving under his heavy robes. "He's not were meditating in there, trying to speak to the Phoenix, allow her to speak to us, as she has in times of great distress...then he suddenly told me to leave and lock the door behind me. I've been waiting for him to call me back, but its been over an hour."

Po looked at Tai Lung, who nodded once. The snow leopard picked himself up, then strode over to the door, pressing his palm against the heavy lock.

"How much has he told you?" he asked the lion.

First Brother held his tongue, for fear of their reactions. When he finally trusted himself to speak, the elder said, "His time is very, very near. I fear this is his last night." He thought about it, then sighed heavily. "Oh the hell with it." The lion strode forward, shoving the key into the lock and twisting it. He pushed open the doors and pointed inward. "Go. Of anyone, he would like to see you most of all."

Tai Lung nodded, turning back to Po, who only gave him an encouraging nod and smile. The snow leopard would have to do this on his own. Tai Lung took in a deep breath and stepped into the inner sanctum.

What he saw took his breath away. The walls were painted, from floor to ceiling, with scenes of heaven at the top, scenes of the earthly realm in the middle, and scenes of hell at the bottom, nearest the floor. The phoenix flew throughout each scene, even offering solace to those poor souls suffering in the Lakes of Fire and Blood in Hell. The floor was red marble, something he had never seen before, and the ceiling had a mosaic of the phoenix with six offspring flying around her in a continuous circle, representing a mandala wheel.

But what truly impressed him, and made him want to fall to his knees and bow, was the statue of the phoenix resting atop the altar. He had never seen anything so rich, so extravagant, but that wasn't the point. Here, the point was to come as close to the original as mortal hands could make. Having seen the bird with his own eyes, Tai Lung could see the inconsistencies and flaws in the design. The body made of rubies was the wrong shade; the phoenix shined much brighter. The gold in the tail feathers and beak and legs were nowhere near the perfection he had seen. But, for what materials the builders had, they had done as well as they could.

Sun Bear was sitting on the floor, on his old, worn yoga mat, in full lotus position, but his eyes were open. He was staring up at the statue. He didn't bother to turn around to look at Tai Lung as the snow leopard came nearer.

"I know what you're thinking," Sun Bear said, and Tai Lung was struck more by not the sudden words, but by how...fragile they sounded. As he got closer, he now saw why, and it was all he could do to not allow his jaw to drop.

Sun Bear was now nearly ghostly white. He still breathed, his heart still beat, but he looked even more withered than before. He looked frail and weak, but the fire still burned in his eyes; he knew his body was failing, and he was none too happy about that. He wasn't ready to give up. Tai Lung knew right then that he didn't want to live to be so old. He knew he couldn't live knowing his strength was completely sapped from him, that he had lost all independence. That terrified him more than tightly enclosed spaces. More than going back to prison. More than asking Mei Xing to marry him (yes, he had been terrified to do that, he was man enough to admit it).

Where before there were hints of darker fur, almost pitch black in his youth, now it looked as if Sun Bear had always been white-furred. His whole body drooped, and he had a hard time sitting straight.

"What am I thinking?" Tai Lung finally asked.

"The statue. It's nowhere near as glorious as the original."

"No. No it is not."

Sun Bear sighed and rubbed his eyes, now looking closer to his age than ever. "I've just finished speaking with Oogway. This is my last night. He is waiting for me on the other side. He will meet me at Heaven's gate, along with all the people we knew and loved in our lifetime who passed before us." The old master inhaled then exhaled heavily. "There is comfort there."

Tai Lung silently kneeled next to him, looking up at the altar once, then looking again at his master. Sun Bear wearily turned his head and offered him a small smile. "I thought it would be worse than this, honestly. It feels...almost like going to sleep."

Tai Lung bit his lip, trying very, very hard not to say anything tactless. "Do you? Want to sleep, I mean?"

Sun Bear roughly chuckled, but it quickly turned into a hacking cough. Tai Lung gently patted his back until he stopped coughing. "No," the old bear said, "No, I can't sleep tonight, not yet. I have yet two more things to do before I lay myself down. The first is to get you and Po ready for the journey home. You will leave with some documents to help you develop your mental link to each other; I will help open the portal to get you there. The second, of course, is to give you your destiny." And here he pointed, up at the statue. Tai Lung saw the precious treasure perched in the phoenix's beak:

The Phoenix Scroll.

He couldn't help but feel a little anxiety. The last time some old master said he would give him a scroll, Tai Lung had been sorely disappointed. In some odd way, he suspected that if he truly dreaded it, it may come to pass anyway, while if he looked forward to it, it would disappoint him, or never happen...such was the story of his life.

But his eyes were more drawn towards his master, who looked wearier than seemed appropriate. Tai Lung cleared his throat.

"If its alright with you, Master," he said. "I will stay by your side...until the end, if you wish it."

"How very altrusistic of you."

The snow leopard smiled a little, hopeful that the sarcastic joke was a sign that Sun Bear hadn't given up yet. "So I'm guessing you do?"

Sun Bear paused, silent, and for the first time, he was hesitant to ask something of his pupil. Finally, he said, "It is the custom where I am from that we burn our dead. The body is only a vessel for the soul, and once the soul departs it, it is simply a shell, like a snake's skin that is shed so regularly. It is custom for the first born son to light the pyre. As I have no children of my own..."

Tai Lung placed his hand over the old bear's, gently squeezing as tears glistened in his eyes. He choked back his emotion to answer him as he bowed his head. "I would be honored, Master."

Sun Bear smiled at him. "I was almost afraid to ask this of you. I know your customs are to bury the dead and honor them that way..."

"This is important to you. I will honor you as you deserve to be honored." Tai Lung thought about it a moment, then asked, "This also has something to do with the Phoenix legend too, doesn't it?"

Sun Bear nodded, "That it does. To rise from the ashes of one's own destruction, they are born anew. Who knows, for all we know, I could be reincarnated as your child."

"Gods help us all."

They both laughed at the thought of it, but it wasn't as depressing as it could have been. In some strange way, Tai Lung was glad they were having this conversation. It left out a lot of guess work, and strangely put him at ease, knowing that everything was planned out in advance.

Sun Bear tugged on the snow leopard's robes and reached for his bamboo staff. He leaned heavily on it until Tai Lung helped him stand. The old bear faltered and nearly collapsed a couple times before he was able to stand on his own, stooped over though he was. He leaned much more heavily on his staff than the snow leopard had ever seen him before, and despite his master's protests, Tai Lung kept a careful hold on him lest he stumble again.

"Come," the old master said. "The sun will soon rise, and I have one more lesson to teach. And, if I am lucky, I will make sure you leave here with a smile and happy memories instead of a frown and regrets."

---

Just before the twilight of dawn, the three of them entered the forbidden courtyard. The day promised to be gloomy and grey, fitting for the event that was supposed to take place, if Sun Bear had any say about it. The seven torches still blazed in their sconces, and Sun Bear had them sit opposite each other on the stones. There was a conveniently nearby boulder that had fallen to the courtyard floor from the tip top of the peak, and he eased himself into a sitting position on the rock. First Brother stayed close to the pagoda, standing and watching in case he was needed.

"This, gentlemen," Sun Bear said as he slowly sat on top of the boulder, "is the trust exercise to end all trust exercises. It's a new form of spiritual help that I've developed…I'm thinking of calling it 'group therapy'. Anyhow, we are going to break down the barriers keeping the two of you from forming the same mental link that Oogway and I shared. What's holding you back are the secrets you two keep from each other, and today, those secrets will come to light."

"But isn't there a good reason to keep these secrets?" Po asked, looking a bit nervous. He had mercifully not asked any questions until this point. He had noticed Sun Bear's alarmingly sudden frail state, but out of respect didn't say anything. Yet he instinctively knew the old bear's time was very, very near. Even Tai Lung had settled into a stony silence.

"Your spiritual development hinges on releasing these secrets that hold you down. Neither of you will be able to attain the abilities you will need to defeat this threat until you let go of the negative forces inside you.

"Now, this is a safe place, a non-judgmental place," the old master assured them. "Instead of judging each other or getting angry, you must both encourage the other. Even a single, small, seemingly insignificant secret is the stepping stone to a stronger friendship."

"In other words," Po said, "Confession is good for the soul."

"Hmm…" the old bear mused. " 'Confession is good for the soul'…short, sweet and to the point. I like it. Very well, carry on. Start with small ones, then work your way up."

Po and Tai Lung sat cross-legged across from each other, both warriors taking in deep breaths. They stared into each other's eyes, each wondering which one would begin. Po decided to take the initiative and cleared his throat.

"Remember that apricot pastry you made last year?"

Tai Lung furrowed his brows, "You mean the one you said you really liked?"

"Yeah…" Po said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It actually…sucked. Like, it sucked hard. Really hard. It sucked really, really hard. Sorry. You just seemed so proud to have made up your own recipe; I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

Tai Lung thought about it, then nodded. "All right…actually, it is all right. I never really liked apricots anyway."

"Seriously though, never ever make that thing again."

"All right."

"I thought Mantis or Monkey had made it instead of you."

"I get it, Po, thanks."

"Your turn," the panda said.

Tai Lung thought for a moment, then his face flushed bright red. "Remember when I got on your case about washing your pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears?"

"Yeah…"

"I…did something worse."

Po's jaw dropped. "You didn't—!"

"I did...skinny-dipping," he added for Sun Bear's understanding, "…just to see if I could get away with it." The snow leopard paused. "You know, I never told anyone about that."

"How did it feel?" Sun Bear asked.

"It felt…really good," Tai Lung smiled.

Sun Bear smiled and nodded. "Good. Po, your turn."

And so the rest of the morning went on, and as the sun rose, so did the severity of the confessions, ranging from shameful secrets to hilarious—and most certainly embarrassing—revelations.

"You snogged a doll of Tigress?"

"It's called an action figure, and shut up!"

"No, really, a doll?" the snow leopard asked.

"Action figure."

"Whatever."

"Like you never looked at her like that!"

"Of course I didn't! She's technically my sister, you sick freak!"

"Sick freak?"

"You heard me!"

Po frowned and took a cheap shot: "Oh yeah? At least I don't color code and iron my underwear!"

Sun Bear had to bite down on his fist to keep from laughing. Tai Lung gasped at the panda, then glared and accused, "You swore you'd never talk about that!"

Po addressed Sun Bear, "And he folds his socks!"

"Everyone folds their socks!" Tai Lung countered.

"Okay, see..." Po pointed out, "Here's the difference between 'everyone' and you. You actually put two socks together, fold them in half, then neatly stack them in a drawer. Every normal person just rolls the cuffs down over the socks and stuffs them in a drawer."

"Why would anyone do that? You'll just stretch out the sock cuffs that way!"

"In all sincerity," Sun Bear interrupted, then stared down at Tai Lung and started chuckling, "You iron your underwear?"

"Could we move on?" the snow leopard dourly asked.

And later in the morning, shortly before the gong rang to awaken the monks below...

"Bull, you didn't shoplift."

"Yeah, I did," Po said. "From Mr. Guang's stand."

"Mr. Guang sells fine art, not kung fu portraits like what you collect," Tai Lung pointed out. "So what did you steal, if you actually did?"

Po blushed bright red and averted his gaze. "Porn."

Tai Lung blinked in surprise. "…Wait, really?"

"Yeah."

"No, really, he sells pornography?"

"He's got it hidden away behind a curtain, but yeah."

"Why in Yanluo's name did you keep this from me?" the snow cat demanded. "Come on, panda, details, details!"

"Lets keep it moving, boys," Sun Bear said shortly, but his tone betrayed that he was glad to see it turning out so well.

"Your turn," Po said to Tai Lung. Now the snow leopard had gone completely silent. He had been skirting around this one confession for too long…well, two confessions. But these two deep dark secrets would likely negatively affect his relationship with the panda, and, if their survival and defeat of Asmodei Koshchei depended solely on their partnership…Tai Lung couldn't risk ruining it. Besides, this confession game had been really fun, and he was about to suck the fun right out of it. But if they were to set up a telepathic link that could very well save their lives…he had to tell at least one of them. And for the time being…it would be this one.

"Just so we're clear," he asked Sun Bear. "This is a safe place, and if I say something that could hurt his feelings…that doesn't change anything?"

"That's right," Sun Bear nodded. "Po, are you prepared to hear something that may hurt? And if that happens, are you prepared to forgive your friend?"

"You still think I'm too fat to be a warrior, don't you?" Po asked dismally.

"No!" Tai Lung said. "No, gods no, you've proved to be a better warrior than I am, on many occasions! But…please, just promise me you'll forgive me and not think less of me for keeping this from you."

Po spoke up during the long pause that followed. "Is this about prison?"

Tai Lung swallowed hard. "Not…not exactly. I suppose it has…something to do with it. For twenty years, I hadn't known a single kind soul, no companionship whatsoever, and when I first got out of jail, I…well, let's just say my blood was running a little hot…" He looked up at the panda's face and saw that Po was trying to piece it together. "After I survived the Wuxi finger hold, and started my recovery, I…entertained certain…thoughts…about a certain individual…"

His eyes and Po's eyes locked…and that was when both males realized—

"Holy crap," Po gasped.

"What—no, Po, NO! Not you!"

"Then who… Holy crap—it was Dalang?"

"NO! Damn it, panda, I'm straight!" He stopped and turned to Sun Bear, "Do I owe anything for swears while in therapy?"

"I'll let it slide," the old master said. "Please continue."

Tai Lung took a deep breath and let it all out. "No, Po, it…it was Su Lin." He held his breath and waited for the storm to hit.

Po stared at him, aghast, blinking in shock. "Su Lin? My Su Lin? Su Lin, my girlfriend?"

"She wasn't your girlfriend at the time," the snow leopard gently reminded, but still cowed to the panda's increasingly negative vibe. There had been a very good reason to keep this secret from him…and the panda's reaction was that very reason.

Po gained control over his shock then yelled, "I can't believe you—she's almost twenty years younger than you, you...cradle robber!"

"Don't call me that! I'm not that old!" Tai Lung snarled. "And I had a crush on her long before you came along, and long before Mei and I were an item!"

"I should've known," Po said, angrily shaking his head. "That spin-the-bottle game…"

"Po…"

"I should have known it from the way you kissed her…"

"Po, don't get mad at her—she never reciprocated my—"

"I'm not mad at her, cat," Po said sharply. "I'm mad at you! How could you do this?"

"How could I do what? Develop feelings for her? For hell's sake, Po, it's not like I shagged her!"

As fast as Sun Bear was, even he was too slow now to stop Po's fist from making contact with Tai Lung's face. The snow leopard fell flat on his back, brought his hand up to his nose to discover blood coming from his nostrils. The panda, now visibly enraged, stood and glared down at the snow leopard, who stared back in absolute awe at the bear's sudden turn…

"I trusted you, Tai Lung. And to think I let you have all those training sessions alone with her…"

"Didn't you hear me? We never did anything!" the snow leopard shouted in his defense. He slowly picked himself up, pressing his fingers against his nose to stop the blood flow, and said through a partially pinched nose, "I never touched her, not once! Did I think about it? Sure. Did I have adult fantasies about her? You're damn right I did! But the minute I saw she cared for you and not me, I let the matter drop. She loves you, Po, and all things considered, I never had a fucking chance with her!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Po contested. "Look at you—you're strong, handsome, smart…women trip all over themselves to get to you! What do I have?"

"Everything I don't, you twit!"

This seemed to somehow calm the panda down considerably. The last statement had taken him by complete surprise…which made it easy for Tai Lung to grab him and keep him in a headlock.

Po struggled against the cat's grip and clawed at him, snorting and growling, "Damn it, Tai, l'eggo!"

"Not until you calm down!" the snow leopard snapped. "I'm not letting go until you calm down, or share another secret of equal or lesser value—"

"You know," Sun Bear spoke up, "I suggest you two just drop it; you've made excellent progress, but—"

"Hell no," Tai Lung growled at the master. "I plucked out something that's been eating at me for two damn years! It's his turn!"

Po struggled a bit in the snow leopard's grip, angrily thinking that he didn't have a secret so groundbreaking that it could harm their friendship…but then he remembered his most recent omission, and he swiftly settled down. The panda swallowed hard, not sure how his friend would take this confession:

"Those guards back at the gatehouse, at the entrance to the Thread of Hope…they gave me a note, warning me about this guy named Captain Zang Deshi…who wanted to arrest you for murdering the Anvil of Heaven."

Tai Lung released him, staring at him with an accusatory look. "You…you kept this from me? How could—you kept that from me?"

"How is this any different from—" Po started to ask.

"My secret was a love and sex matter. Yours is life or death—it's just a teensy bit more important!" Tai Lung sarcastically replied.

"I forgot to tell you about it, okay?" Po shouted.

"Oh, you forgot! That's all well and good, then, isn't it? So when I find myself at the business end of an executioner's ax, the best you can say is you forgot?"

"What's the big deal? Its just one guy—"

"And if he means to arrest me, he's got to have back-up, Po!" Tai Lung growled. "Now I've got more enemies than I need, and I know for a fact that—gods," he abruptly stopped. "No…gods in heaven, no. I need to leave. I need to go back, right now!"

Sun Bear stopped him, standing as quickly as his quickly aging body would allow. "Hold, warrior, just one moment. Why must you leave?"

"Master," Tai Lung said, all rage immediately drained, "If this Captain seeks to arrest me, he could harm my family in the process. For all I know, he could be working for this Amur leopard our visions have warned us about—"

"Amur leopard?" Sun Bear's face had paled even further than it already was, then he looked between the snow leopard and the panda. "A leopard, from Siberia, with blue-green eyes and savage temper?"

"Yeah…" Po said, now sobered. "Do you know who it is?"

"You mean Asmodei Koshchei? Yes, regrettably. Come," he said, grabbing Tai Lung's arm. "I thought we had more time, but unfortunately, you need to leave sooner than we thought. If you want to stop the impending storm from being worse than it already is, you both need to leave by this afternoon, no later than nightfall."

"But I haven't learned everything I need to learn," Tai Lung protested. "I was supposed to learn the things all men must learn."

"And you think learning stops after you've finished school? No, Tenzin, no one ever stops learning. But before you go, there's something that I need to bestow upon you…the final proof that you are, in fact, my successor."

He didn't need to finish; Tai Lung did it for him: "The Phoenix Scroll."

---

This time even Po was allowed into the inner sanctum. He stood towards the back with First Brother, who stood reverently silent as the original Phoenix Warrior bestowed the sacred artifact upon his successor.

Sun Bear still leaned heavily on his staff, which was starting to bend under his weight. He waved Tai Lung off him, then pointed up to the encased scroll in the Phoenix's beak.

"All you must do is take the scroll from her beak."

Tai Lung glanced at him. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch."

"I call bull. It's never that simple with you."

"You're right, it's not. I hope I was right about you. If you can lift the scroll from the statue's beak as effortlessly as lifting a feather, and as long as it does not scald your hands straight down to the bone, it is final, undeniable proof that you are my successor."

"Wait," the snow leopard said, "You mean to tell me that the fail-safes for this thing are that it literally scalds someone's hands off and weighs a fair few kilos if they happen to be unworthy?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, my good sir, you thought of everything."

"Oh, and I ought to warn you, the scroll's case is booby trapped."

"Of course it is."

"Mind not to touch the end with the jade enlaid in the stopper. There are little needles hidden in there that will prick you and poison you."

Tai Lung stared at him, thinking off all the booby traps that protected the Dragon scroll: the bottomless moon pool, the statue set into the ceiling, and not to mention all the trick-shelves that housed the scrolls...not that he had tested that rumor himself, mind. "And I thought Oogway had overkill."

Sun Bear smirked triumphantly. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Tai Lung truly didn't know. He had waited so long for this moment, that now that it had finally arrived, he wasn't sure what to do. He knew what was expected of him, and he knew he had limited time to do so, but he still hesitated. In the back of his mind, he recalled that his last brush with a sacred mystical scroll had yielded less-than-stellar results... It's nothing! he had cried, feeling absolutely defeated, that he had suffered so much and trained so hard for that life-changing moment that would elevate him higher than any man before him...and he had fallen so, so far.

Even if you reach for the moon and miss, you still land among the stars, a voice in his head told him...a voice that sounded suspiciously like Po.

Tai Lung whirled around and stared at the panda, who stared back with equal surprise. Had that...had that been...? Tai Lung shook himself out of it. It wasn't possible...well, it was, but they had in no way gotten far enough to apply those lessons yet. But that voice, those words...'you still land among the stars'...it brought an odd comfort to him. For so long, Tai Lung wanted that moon, so to speak, and had fought for and prayed for it that accepting anything less would be a tragedy, and ultimately mean he was unworthy. His self-esteem couldn't take another blow like that.

With a deep breath, he stepped forward, ascending the small set of steps leading up to the altar, and stood before the statue. His eyes fell on the encased scroll, his prize, still perched precariously in the bird's beak. Another deep breath, he climbed atop the altar after bowing deeply in reverence to the phoenix. As he reached for the scroll, he kept thinking—praying—please, please forgive me, please let this lead to something better—and when his fingers brushed against the scroll's case, it slid from the statue's beak as simply and fluidly as the Dragon Scroll had fallen to Po. A literal gift from Heaven. And Tai Lung's arm shot out to catch the case—he held his breath.

The weight of the scroll fell into his palm, and he quickly wrapped his fingers around the cylinder.

The cylinder was ice cold, like the mountain air around him, and it was so light in his hand that he doubted there was anything inside.

The snow leopard stared down at the scroll, the Phoenix Scroll, and felt something odd come over him. Like something had shifted, that something had fallen upon his shoulders, like a mantle or a crown, and the responsibilities that came with them. This scroll, this text, was his armor he would wear to war, the crown he would bear for rest of his days, and unlike the exhilaration he felt from first holding the Dragon Scroll...

"I don't want this."

Po's jaw dropped. First Brother couldn't stifle an alarmed gasp. Sun Bear stayed silent, waiting for Tai Lung to continue.

"I don't want this," he repeated, hopping down from the altar. "I know, I know—I worked so hard to get this far, and it is an honor to be even named the Phoenix Warrior...but I don't know that I am worthy, or that I even want...this."

"You mean," Sun Bear said. "You don't know that, after suffering so much and living such a life, that you want to continue living the life that got you here in the first place?"

"I wanted to quit kung fu," he said. "But I guess I don't have a choice now, do I? 'One often meets one's destiny on the road he takes to avoid it'; that's what Oogway said."

The old master nodded. "That he did. And he was right. This is your destiny. And do you know why?"

The snow leopard shook his head, still staring down at the gilded metal case, enlaid with red jasper and stoppered with gold orbs, one enlaid with jade, the other enlaid with strings of rubies. The cylinder bore the outline of a phoenix in gold faience. It seemed almost gaudy in his eyes now.

Sun Bear placed his bony hand over the scroll and instructed him to look in his eyes. "This is your destiny, and you are worthy. You think you would be an awful Warrior, and that you no longer have the stomach for war...and that is why you will be the best warrior in China."

Tai Lung looked back, then down at the scroll. "You have more faith in me than I deserve."

"Funny," Sun Bear said. "That's exactly what I said to her. If you desire, you can wait until the time feels right to you to read the scroll. I will not hold it against you if you decide not to read it right away."

The snow leopard smiled a little, but ultimately looked back at Po, who still watched his friend carefully. He sighed, "I guess there is nothing else for it, is it? This is undeniable proof, isn't it?"

"The proof has always been there," Sun Bear said. "You were just too much of a knucklehead to notice it and recognize it for what it was." He clapped his hand on Tai Lung's shoulder and squeezed, but to Tai Lung, it felt weak and so very unlike the old master's grip. He was truly fading fast.

Seemingly knowing what he intended, Sun Bear nodded and directed him to the door. "Not much more time. Lets get you your things back, get provisions for you, and get you ready for your journey home. You have much waiting for you."

He turned to Po, "For the sake of present business, you will have to go on ahead, descend the mountain and wait for your brother-in-arms in the village. You will not wait long, that I can assure you."

"That's actually not very assuring," Po said. "But if you are at peace with it, so am I."

The old bear snorted, "A typical Oogway answer." He paused. "Thank you, Dragon Warrior."

---

News that the duo were leaving, and that day, travelled quickly through the temple, which was not terribly surprising, considering how few lived up there. Third Brother retrieved their belongings from storage, and handed them their gray clothes they had worn from the Valley of Peace. Fourth Brother invoked his power over the kitchens and provided them with ample enough provisions to get them to Yunnan. "It will get you to the Diqing prefecture," he told them. "They have a large market there, and you will be able to find enough to get you home."

By mid-morning on that cold, dreary day, with gunmetal grey clouds swirling above their heads, the entire monastery had turned out to see off the warriors. Sun Bear was the last to arrive, having gone to the library first to instruct the scribes on something. As agreed, Po would go on ahead, and wait for Tai Lung to join him. The snow leopard, meanwhile, would stay until Sun Bear's passing, and participate in the funeral. Even still, he prepared his bag for departure at a moment's notice. He would stay to light the fire, he decided, but he would not stay to see the rest of it through. He knew he wasn't strong enough to start a journey out like that, so inauspiciously.

Sun Bear, however, did not see it that way: "You're setting my soul free. Consider that after I die. Believe me, Phoenix Warrior, you are doing me a favor.

"Now, before I let you go, there is something I must warn you about…" Sun Bear said with great gravity at the temple gates. "While it feels like you have spent only a month here, in reality, a year has passed…"

Tai Lung's stomach sank. "WHAT?"

A year? He'd been gone a year? What about his wife? Mei Xing had given birth, and he wasn't there for her! What about the Valley? Their enemies could have already decimated it, perhaps completely destroyed it, and they hadn't been there to stop them! Suddenly, the snow leopard began to feel like he would be violently ill.

The old bear snorted once, then let out a loud hoot as he laughed. First Brother just groaned and put his face in his hand and shook his head. Still laughing and slapping his knee, however, Sun Bear said,

"Hah! I've been using that joke for nine hundred years and it never gets old!" then for the snow leopard's benefit, he immediately sobered, "But seriously, it has only been a month."

Tai Lung gritted his teeth and looked like he was holding back a torrent of four-letter words. So Po stood in for him: "You are a mean old bastard, you know that?"

"Four jiao. And yes, I know. But come on, look at him," he said, pointing at the snow leopard with a chuckle. "He makes it so easy."

Po sighed and bowed to the master, stepping back to allow the original Phoenix Warrior to offer guidance to his successor:

"Remember my advice from earlier, do not open the Phoenix Scroll until you feel the time is right in your heart. The secret of the scroll, as I've said, would destroy empires, and bring the proudest men to their knees; a secret like this is not to be treated lightly. But you will need it in the coming days, for these are dark days ahead of you." Sun Bear sighed and looked back over his shoulder at the monks and novices huddled around the door. "The sun is quickly setting on my time, whereas your sun is rising ever higher. Someday you will need to name your own successor, and when that day comes, I pray that you will be as satisfied and hopeful in your choice as I am in mine."

Tai Lung smiled; this was as close to a compliment as the old master would ever give him. But still he frowned and asked, "Does this mean you'll…die soon? As in, soon soon?"

"Everyone dies, Phoenix Warrior, some just take longer than others to meet that fate, remember? When my time comes to lay myself down on my death bed, you will know it, but do us both a favor and don't mourn for me. I had a good life…" he frowned, "And frankly, I've put up with a lot of crap in my time, so I'll be happy for an end to it!"

"Regular ray of sunshine, you are," the snow leopard dryly said.

"We have that much in common, remember?" The old bear placed his bony hand on the snow leopard's shoulder and gently squeezed. "Be safe, be smart, and above all, never, ever lose faith—sometimes its all you'll have."

Tai Lung nodded, and bowed reverently. "Thank you, Master. I will heed your advice."

"One more thing."

"Yes, Master?"

Sun Bear leaned in and whispered, "Just between us, never trust anyone from the Haijin province. Lousy tipping isn't the only thing they're known for."

"Right."

Stepping away, the old bear effortlessly picked up their rucksacks and handed them back. "As promised, here are your possessions, untouched…except for the money bags to pay your Swear Jar tab."

"Saw that one coming," Po sighed as he accepted his parcel.

"Hmm, still seems heavier than it did when we arrived," Tai Lung grunted as he shouldered his pack.

"We put extra provisions in for you," First Brother explained. "Even if the weather stays clear, it's a long while before you can find another place with ample food stores."

"Aw, you guys didn't have to do that," Po smiled. "But thanks all the same."

Sun Bear put his hand on their shoulders and tugged gently. "A word, warriors, before you depart…" he pulled them to the side outside the gate and said in low tones, "Follow my instructions to the letter—first, do not open the Phoenix Scroll until you believe in your heart that you are ready for it."

The snow leopard nodded, "Of course."

"Second, do not—and I can not stress this enough—do NOT take the Red Bird Pass home."

"What?" Flabbergasted, Po countered, "But…but that was the fastest route! If this Asmodei guy is really on his way to the Valley, we need to intercept him—"

"Use the brain Heaven gave you, Dragon Warrior!" Sun Bear hissed. "You may have taken that road to get here, but mark me, this Captain Zang will expect you to take this road home. Do not fall for that trap. Go further north, and cross the border at the corner of Yunnan; stick to the Diqing prefecture and pass through mid-Sichuan. That part will be mountainous and a bit more treacherous in places, but you'll be less likely to encounter trouble from Imperial forces there."

"He's got a point," Tai Lung said. "The further we stay from heavily populated areas, the safer we'll be. Besides, I was able to make it from Mongolia to the Valley in a week's time—if we stick to that pace—"

"We stick to that pace," Po said flatly, "I'll be dead before we even get there."

"Not with the muscle you've gained," the snow leopard said, poking the bear in his now less-obtrusive belly. "You'll be able to keep up."

If you say so, Po thought. With one last bow to Sun Bear, the panda straightened, looking sorrowfully at the old master. "Thank you, again, for everything. I wish there was more I could do..."

"You've done enough," the old bear said with a smile. "Truly, I am the one who should be thanking you; you made my last days some of the most enjoyable of my life."

Throwing propriety out the window, Po strode forward and hugged the old master. Sun Bear, to his credit, rolled with it, and hugged him back. When Po let go, he looked between Sun Bear and Tai Lung, who already appeared sober at the thought of what he would do later that day, and perhaps that night. Po sighed and shouldered his rucksack, then turned to the door to make his way down the mountain...

He didn't get far.

They turned to the closed gates at the sound of the pounding. Whoever was at the door did not bother to ring the gong. An icy chill fell across the courtyard as the monks looked between themselves with questioning, worried gazes. Sun Bear held up his hand to stall any noises, but he need not have bothered.

After a long, tense, moment, the pounding came again, louder, more forceful, with booms that echoed off the peaks and forced their stomachs to sink. Po and Tai Lung shared a nervous look. This wasn't good.

Sun Bear beckoned to First Brother and pulled him close, whispering in his ear. The lion's face paled, but he nodded and started quietly herding the monks away to the far end of the courtyard. He grabbed the two travelling warriors along the way.

"You're staying close to us," the old lion said. "Whatever this is about, it won't be good."

"What's going on?" Po asked. "Are we under attack?"

"I don't know, but Master Sun Bear will find out. Until we know for sure, plan as if you are going to escape with us."

"Escape?"

Tai Lung answered Po's fretful look. "Sun Bear said there are many secret passages in this mountain; one of them has to get us down to the foot, away from any trouble." He turned to First Brother, "Why are we running? This is a fortress, and these monks are trained to fight."

He got his answer when the heavy gates creaked open. The Warriors turned to the door, gawking at the mass of heavily armed soldiers bearing a Chinese flag...and Sun Bear standing in front of the column, the sole challenger.

"You're about a fifty miles outside your jurisdiction, gentlemen," he began congenially enough. "And this is a monastery. A holy place. There is sanctuary here for those who seek it, and enter of their own free will."

Leading the pack was a bulky ox, who stomped forward and snorted steam onto the old bear's face. "Stand aside, old man. We're here for Tai Lung. A snow leopard, yellow eyes, about six feet tall, can snap an ancient oak tree like a toothpick."

Sun Bear glared back up at him. "Yes, he is here. He has sanctuary here. If it is violence you promise, then you may not enter."

"I'm not fucking around, old man!" the ox snapped, thrusting a torch into the bear's face and singing his whiskers, but the old master didn't flinch. The ox was winded, clearly unhappy that he had spent all night and most of that day climbing up a hellish crag, and was becoming increasingly irritated that this old, skinny monk was standing in his way. Sun Bear, however, showed no signs of moving, no signs that the fire directly in front of him was hurting him, nor of giving away his successor.

"You cannot have him. He is my student, and I am not like Shifu - I don't forsake those who put their trust in me. If you want him so much..."

He freely extracted his long black claws, shining like jet in the firelight. With a simple swinging motion of his arms, he drew the fire straight from the torch and into his hands; each hand lit up with crackling flames. The soldiers drew back in alarm as their commander dropped the now-flameless torch, and jumped forward to put the fire out, thinking the old man had caught fire. But he stopped short when he noticed the flames were only concentrated to the bear's hands, and that a sudden sharp, hellish heat had invaded the bear's dark eyes. The ox commander drew back even further when the old master growled,

"If you want Tai Lung, you can take him over my charred, dead body."

Tai Lung stared at the old bear, who wielded this yellow-orange fire as effortlessly and expertly as he himself had done in his fight against Shifu. Master Sun Bear had stood up for him, something Shifu had never done. When Tai Lung had been carted away to prison, Shifu wasn't even there to say goodbye. Shifu hadn't spoken up about the Dragon Scroll, and though now he knew why he wasn't worthy of that scroll, it still stung. In one month, Sun Bear had taught him things he should have learned years before. In one month, he helped lessen the sting of the injustices he suffered in prison. In one month, Sun Bear had taught him more than he had learned in his entire lifetime.

Tai Lung owed more than just his life to this man. This man, who was hundreds of times his age, whose life he knew was going to end soon...and by the gods, it was going to end on his terms.

"Where is the closest tunnel?" he dejectedly asked First Brother.

"Right behind us, along this wall," the lion said, his eyes still trained on the lone bear. He gasped when he saw the soldiers storm through the gates at the old bear. Sun Bear was ready.

"Any way for us to help him?" Tai Lung asked.

First Brother's eyes glanced over at the rainwater barrels in the corner. That told the snow leopard that those barrels did not contain rainwater. "Overturn those barrels," the lion said. "This temple is the tinder, and those contain the accelerant."

"Open the tunnel and get the others inside," Tai Lung whispered, taking a lantern from a nearby monk. "I'll buy you all some time." Casting one glace at Po, he thought, Just trust me, and strode forward in a determined march right towards the dueling monk and soldiers.

A few soldiers broke rank and came straight at him. He grabbed one by the collar and the other by the arm; the first he threw over his shoulder and slammed into the stones, the other he swung into the nearest pillar. Three more came at him, spears at his throat. He blocked one high, the other one low, dodged the third and swung the soldier's feet from under him as he snapped the three spear shafts together in half. He kept moving forward, straight towards Sun Bear, who stood in the middle of a circle of soldiers, taking each one at a time. He wouldn't last long like this. He knew what the old man was doing and if this was his plan, it wouldn't work. These soldiers weren't going to stop until either he was dead...or they were.

Tai Lung stopped in the middle of the courtyard just as more soldiers charged at him. He set down the lantern, and lowered himself into his signature Leopard Style stance. The soldiers charging at him slowed, just a little; that alone probably saved their lives. He lowered himself into a battle stance and hissed at the soldiers,

"I'm giving you the same chance the Anvil of Heaven had: get out of my way, leave this temple now, and you will live. This is the only warning you're going to get."

None of them moved. He pleaded with his eyes, looking at each of their faces. Get out...get yourselves out... Two of them brandished their weapons and advanced on him... "Fine; don't say I never warned you."

With a roar, he threw his first punch, tripped another and threw him down in a body slam that snapped the soldier's neck. He caught a spear that had been aimed at his heart and yanked it forward, viciously striking the soldier bearing it. Tai Lung snapped the spear over his knee and used the broken parts to keep two more soldiers at bay. Finding no easy way out of this, he growled and with a powerful lunge, grabbed the lantern he had dropped, flipped over the soldiers' heads and fought his way into the circle that Sun Bear was fighting in.

Tai Lung only barely dodged the flaming hand that swung out, striking down a rhino that had lunged towards the snow leopard. A drop-kick further slammed the rhino into the paving stones. Tai Lung looked to Sun Bear, who stared back at him. His breathing was far more labored than it should have been, and the old master looked tired and worn, despite the fire that blazed in his dark eyes.

"I told you to run, you fool!" the old bear said, throwing a volley of punches at one of his opponents.

"I said I wasn't leaving you until the end!" Tai Lung shouted, taking down two more soldiers as he spoke.

"Tai Lung, you idiot, this is the end!" Sun Bear shouted back. "You think I was going to die an old man in my bed? The hell with that!" He took down three men simultaneously then moved in close to the snow leopard, hissing, "You're not getting another chance to do this: run. My time is over. Yours has just begun. I will not tell you again: Get Out."

Tai Lung paused, quickly asking as another foolish soldier came at him, "What about my promise to light your pyre?"

"What do you think that lantern is for?"

And suddenly Tai Lung understood. He wasn't happy with it, but he understood. He watched breathlessly as Sun Bear made a hole in the ring of soldiers for him to run through. Handing him the lantern, the old bear said, "Light my pyre," and was back to fighting to the last breath.

Tai Lung ran, dodging weapons that came his way, and he ran right for the barrels next to the pillars in the courtyard. He quickly tipped one over, spilling a vicuous substance upon the stones. Taking the candle out of the lantern, he took one last look over his shoulder at his mentor before letting the candle drop into the flammable fluid.

At the far end of the courtyard, First Brother and Po were waiting for him. Tai Lung looked over his shoulder back at Sun Bear, the original Phoenix Warrior, who was still holding his own against a score of soldiers. Master and Student locked eyes across the courtyard. Sun Bear sent only one word: Go.

Fighting down his emotions, Tai Lung fled in the direction of the escape tunnel, ushered along by Po and First Brother, who sealed the door shut behind them. As they ran they could hear a horrific roar from the surface, but neither of them dared to find out what it was. Tai Lung knew. The Phoenix and her Warrior had purified the temple in the only way they could.

---

It had taken them the better part of that night to reach the bottom. It was a gray dawn that met them when they finally emerged at the foot of the mountain. Even so far below, the air tasted acrid with smoke and soot. The Phoenix Temple burned as a pyre for the soldiers that had come for Tai Lung's life, and, of course, for Sun Bear, who had given his life to save his brethren. Po noticed that the monks were not immune to such distress. They had clearly planned for something like this, but in some ways they were never fully prepared for it.

Tai Lung had not prepared for it. He had known Sun Bear would die, of course, but the panda didn't think the snow leopard was emotionally ready for it. The snow leopard had been absolutely silent since they began their escape, and seemed alarmingly catatonic. He sat alone, hugging his own arms and staring into space. Po was at a complete loss for what to do. He had never lost anyone he was truly close to. He had no clue what to say to make it better, or to at least snap him out of it. The glassy look in his golden eyes was very unsettling.

Po meditated on it, or tried to. He couldn't focus, which he felt was a failure on his part, allowing such an event to unsettle him so. After much deliberation, he decided to let it be. Tai Lung would talk when he was ready. Instead, from across the camp, Po sent Tai Lung an internal message:

I'm sorry, Tenzin. I don't know what to say. If you ever want to talk, you know you can trust me.

Whether or not Tai Lung got the message, he didn't know. He didn't hear anything back. Either way, it was now up to the snow leopard to continue the conversation. Instead, he barely spoke two syllables in as many days, when finally Po decided they had waited long enough. It was time to go home.

---

"We've given you enough rations to get to the largest village in Yunnan," First Brother explained, "But after that, you'll be on your own."

"This is more than we deserve. Thank you, First Brother," Po said, bowing deeply to the old lion.

Tai Lung was still staring into space, this time up at the top of the mountain. The fire had finally died down so that it was no longer visible, but instead the peak smoked like a volcano on the eve of eruption. Po knew that the purification by fire was a good thing, that even a forest destroyed by fire comes back just as gloriously as before, if not more so. Po and the new leader of the monks exchanged pleasantries, well-wishes, and honors.

"Go in peace, Dragon Warrior. We will chant prayers for you to ensure a safe return."

"You don't have to do that..."

First Brother gave him a stern look, "We must. Right now, without our prayers, we have nothing."

In the silence that followed, Tai Lung finally said something; absolutely downtrodden, he quietly stated, "This is my fault. They came here for me, none of you should have been harmed. Now you're homeless, your abbot is dead, and at the worst possible time..."

"You had no idea they were coming," First Brother said in comfort. "This was not your fault, and we both know that."

Tai Lung looked back up at the peak. First Brother sighed and squeezed the snow leopard's shoulder. "We both know he would never have died in his bed. He died as he lived...kicking butt and taking names. If only we could all die as we have lived. He was lucky."

"Lucky?" Tai Lung snapped. "He's dead! How is that lucky?"

Po grabbed his other shoulder, and firmly called his name. "Tenzin, listen to me: Sun Bear was over a thousand years old. He knew his time was coming. I know it hurts to lose him. He wasn't even my master, and I'm sorry he's gone. But he did this for you. He died so we could escape and bring balance back to the world."

"Po, he died up there, and he was alone..." he shook his head miserably. "I left him up there to die alone. I swore that I would be there with him until the very end, and I broke that promise. How much is my word worth now?"

Po gave in and hugged him, sighing as Tai Lung wrapped his arms around him. "Tai Lung, he wasn't alone. He had the Phoenix, didn't he? And now, he's got Oogway. He's not alone, okay? And neither are you." Po released him from the hug and patted his shoulder. "We need to get going before it gets too dark." Po turned back to First Brother, "Thank you for everything. We won't forget any of you."

"Nor we, you," the lion replied. He gave Tai Lung a sad look, "We may be down, now, but we'll pick ourselves up, as we always do. Remember, even when we think Heaven is not there, Heaven carries us in our greatest times of need." Forgoing all propriety, First Brother gave Tai Lung a hug and whispered, "We will go into hiding, in case more of them come around. You make us proud, Phoenix Warrior, and you will do us proud. Good luck."

The warriors bowed to the new leonine abbot, picked up their rucksacks, and began the arduous journey home. Following Sun Bear's instructions, they avoided the Red Bird Pass, and considered taking the Bing Yuan Road home. But first, they had to stop for provisions in Yunnan's largest village, about twenty miles across the border in the Diqing prefecture.

The journey was mostly silent, no matter what Po tried. He attempted conversations about food, about jokes he'd heard the monks tell, or about the things that awaited them when they got home. The snow leopard never responded to many of them, except for the promise of seeing his wife and his father again.

By the end of the day, they had tracked all the way back to the border of China, and Po decided to make camp for the night. They had made great time-what had once taken them two days, now only took them one day; whether that meant the training had made them faster or stronger, the panda didn't know. It boded well for them, that perhaps the journey home wouldn't be as bad as he'd thought. But one look at Tai Lung made him sigh.

"Hungry?" Po asked, desperately looking for something to talk about. Tai Lung didn't say much besides a quick "I'm not hungry". Suddenly, Po got very, very mad, and he growled, "You've barely eaten anything in two days. If you don't eat something, right now, I'm shoving it down your throat. Don't make me do that."

The snow leopard paused, then sighed and said, "I suppose I could eat." Tai Lung dropped his bag, loosening the ties to reach inside. "All right…map…candles…flint and tinder…now where's the—"

A furry little hand shot up out of the bag and handed him a travel bar wrapped in a lotus leaf.

"Oh, thank you. Here's your—BOLLOCKS!" he shouted, jumping back a few feet in shock. Gripping at his rapidly beating heart, Tai Lung stared in shock back at his rucksack, which had suddenly grown a pair of tiny hands…and a set of two large furry ears.

"Little Brother!" Po gasped. "What are you doing here?"

The tiny red panda finally poked his head out of Tai Lung's rucksack, an impish smile on his round face and a travel bar in each hand by way of peace offerings. Tai Lung still clutched at his chest, muttering swears that he hoped the child could not hear. Little Brother waited for Po to take a travel bar and climbed out of the rucksack, taking the map with him. The child trotted up to Tai Lung, grinning, and pushed the other travel bar and the map in his face.

"Oh no, no, absolutely not," the snow leopard said. "No, Little Brother, you cannot come with us!"

The child stuck out his bottom lip—

"Don't you even dare; I wrote the book on the 'pitifully cute face', I know all the tricks," the newly-minted Phoenix Warrior said. "This journey is not for children. Now you are going to march right back to that mountain, young man, or so help me—"

"Tai, let it go," Po said tiredly. "It's too late for us to head back now, and we're almost to the border anyway."

"Po, I'm not letting him come with us—it's too dangerous! And the monks have got to be worried sick by now, not knowing where he is."

"And if we go back now, we may never find where the monks went. They're supposed to be in hiding, remember?" Po pointed out. "Lets just let him come with us. We might find his home along the way. If we don't, well, we're going to the Valley anyway, right? That can be his home."

Tai Lung sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling a headache coming on, though from frustration or the sudden change in altitude, he wasn't sure. "I don't want to bring him into any danger, Po."

"What danger?" Po asked. "He'd be in danger anyway if he stayed with the monks. There's risk everywhere, Tai, and no one is ever totally safe. Don't you think he'd be safer with us?"

"No, because we're both wanted men on both sides of the law!" he sighed again and looked down at the red panda, who was giving him a longing, sad look. Po watched him carefully. This marked the first time in days that Tai Lung had exhibited an emotion other than grief, and he probably knew it too. The Dragon Warrior watched his equal, knowing how his thought process was turning: He wasn't going to cave...no, he was Tai Lung, the Phoenix Warrior! And he was strong enough to not cave to a seven-year-old's pouty-face...

"Bugger. Fine. He can come."

---

Sorry about how depressing this was...Chapter 14 won't be much better. Sorry.

A couple notes here: "Use the brain Heaven gave you" is a nod to my mom who, throughout my childhood, begged me and the rest of the family to "use the brain God gave you". And yes, Po's analysis of deflection fighting is a paraphrasing of Newton's Law (I think it is, anyway): an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless met by an equal and opposite force. Oogway's advice to Po is also a paraphrasing of the famous "Serenity Prayer": "God, grant me the serenity/ To accept the things I cannot change/ Courage to change the things I can/ And wisdom to know the difference." This generally applies to various support groups like AA and NA, but IMHO, it can also apply to daily life.

Flame me if you desire (no pun intended), because I know a few of you liked Sun Bear. Please read and review, I'd like to know if I still got it after such a long break in updating.