Twin Dragons

Road of Fog

That night, Shifu sat down with Zhen beneath the waterfall. The old master sat patiently, knowing the Furious Five were on the lookout for any government soldiers.

Finally, the waterfall parted briefly to reveal Po and Tai Lung.

"Sit," Shifu told them.

Both Po and Tai Lung sat down.

Immediately, Po noticed the black eye he gave Shifu.

"Uh oh," Po cringed. "Maybe I did make it look too real."

Shifu glared at him as Po scratched his head nervously but then decided to focus on the more serious matter at hand.

"We did the best we could considering the circumstances and now our plan has succeeded," Shifu said to the two. "Now the Jade Palace is no longer under the crosshairs of the imperial court. I say this with a heavy heart, especially since I've just been reunited with you again, Tai Lung. But tomorrow, you two will need to leave the Valley of Peace to escape Superintendant Zhao's hunt for you."

Po looked at Shifu sadly while Tai Lung said nothing, with his head hung low.

"This… this is really it, isn't it?" asked Po.

"I'm afraid so," Shifu informed him. "The Emperor will not rest until he gets what he wants and both of you have crossed him. It's also for this reason that I must formally announce Zhen to be the new Dragon Warrior tomorrow."

"That soon?" asked Zhen who looked a little worried.

"The Furious Five and myself can train you," Shifu told her. "All Po had to do was choose a successor and while him becoming your trainer would have helped, specific circumstances now dictate that the training be left in our hands. I'm sorry Po."

"I understand," Po grimaced. "I mean, I was the one who used Oogway's staff on government troops. Zhen, you'll do fine. I promise. Tigress and the others are great teachers too."

"Think you can still swing by every now and then?" asked Zhen.

"I'll try my best," Po said in a tone of voice he didn't feel confident in.

"Po, Tai Lung," Shifu reached inside his robes and took out a scroll. "Take this."

"What is it?" asked Po.

"It's a map," Shifu told the two. "The Emperor's authority does have far reach in China. But there are still individual kung fu schools and temples outside of the Emperor's jurisdiction. These are the locations where you can find sanctuary. Wudang Mountain in particular is one area where you will find reprieve from imperial persecution."

Tai Lung noticed a small gravestone Shifu had carved on short notice.

"Is that for him?" asked Tai Lung.

"Yes," Shifu replied. "Kweng may have been a hardened and unrelenting person but there was once a time when he was a great warrior who had more compassion for others but unfortunately lost his way over the years. And it was the kind of person I had become after I lost you, Tai Lung. It wouldn't be until Po came into my life that I finally stopped being a hardened old man."

The red panda then stared at Po with both firm and loving eyes.

"Please Po," Shifu pleaded. "Look after Tai Lung. I don't want to lose either of you. Look after one another."

"I'll do my best Shifu," Po promised as Zhen hugged him.

oooo

The next day.

On top of the temple overseeing the ceremony, both Po and Tai Lung stood there in robes watching the whole scene.

After the drums and music were over, Zhen went on the stage accompanied by the Furious Five and Shifu.

Zhen scanned the audience, briefly wondering if she would even be accepted. After some ruminating, she finally found the right words.

"Because of recent events, the title of Dragon Warrior has passed on to me," Zhen told everyone. "But due to my inexperience, I still consider myself a Dragon-Warrior-in-training. I will do my best to live up to the legacy of Po, the previous Dragon Warrior. I understand the gravity of his crime but on this day, I would like to ask everyone to remember Po as the hero who saved this Valley countless times. And I will do my best to live up to that legacy."

The residents of the Valley of Peace began clapping and cheering for her.

"Just like that, it's over," Po said wistfully, not expecting his time as the Dragon Warrior to be over this soon.

"Hmph," Tai Lung snorted.

"Zhen will do a great job, I'm sure of it," Po smiled.

"It's time to go," Tai Lung told him shortly.

"Yeah, I guess," Po said glumly.

As Po turned around, he saw Tigress on the rooftop. She gave him a basket of food and a canteen of water.

"Take it," she told Po. "You'll need it for this journey."

"Thanks Tigress," Po told her. "Take good care of Zhen for me."

"Don't worry, all of us have it covered," promised Tigress.

"Oh yeah, and can you watch over my two dads as well?" Po requested.

"They'll be under our protection," Tigress also promised.

"That's awesome," Po hugged Tigress.

Before long, Tigress returned the hug. However, Po soon heard a frustrated snort from the other person in the vicinity.

"Anyways, we've gotta head out," Po told her. "See you around, Tigress."

"And you take care as well," Tigress told Tai Lung.

"I'll try," Tai Lung grumbled.

As the two leaped off the building, Tigress could only look after the two with some concern, especially now that Po no longer had his title of Dragon Warrior and was going out into the world for the first time with almost no backup except a former enemy who once tried to destroy the Valley and the Jade Palace.

oooo

A few hours later.

After a while, Po and Tai Lung entered into a thick bamboo forest. For miles and miles, there was nothing else but thick, green bamboo.

"Oh nice," Po smiled. "Maybe we can get some chowtime here."

"I think not," Tai Lung told him.

"Come again?" asked Po.

"Po, it's time you sent me back to the Spirit Realm," Tai Lung told him bluntly.

"What?" Po protested. "Why?"

"It's clear this experiment to bring me back was a failure," Tai Lung told him. "Send me back."

"But… I'd have to use the Wuxi Fingerhold again," Po frowned. "And I can't do that to you now… Shifu wouldn't want that."

"Fine," Tai Lung said in a more frustrated tone. "Use Oogway's staff to create a portal to get me there."

"I… okay, I'll try," Po held up the staff.

Gathering all his chi, Po tried to use the staff to summon a portal. However, something went wrong and no portal materialized.

"It… it isn't working," Po looked worried.

"Then try harder!" Tai Lung growled.

Po tried again, summoning all his chi around the staff but still could not open a portal to the Spirit Realm.

"Seriously, it won't work," Po said to the frustrated leopard. "I think you may count as a living being now and the Spirit Realm won't take you back. Plus it's kinda strange how you came back to life in our world. Kai came back to the living world for a while but he never stopped being a spirit warrior. I wonder why it's different with you…"

"Unbelievable!" Tai Lung punched through a bamboo in frustration. "You screwed everything up again!"

"Me screw everything up?" Po took offense. "Wait a minute, how is all of this my fault again?"

"You just had to bring me back to the world of the living to make up with Shifu," Tai Lung told him. "And I believed in you. Don't you think that would've happened one way or another once it was Shifu's time to enter the afterlife?"

"Yeah, but I was doing what I thought was the right thing!" Po responded with more anger in his voice.

"A whole lot of good that did!" Tai Lung glared at Po. "If you didn't bring me back to the Jade Palace, NONE of this would have happened!"

"Hold on, I think you're being a little unfair," Po glared right back. "You think I didn't have to suffer through all this? I lost my title and now I'm a wanted criminal just like you! Plus I lost my only student and got to train her for only ONE day! I'm leaving all my friends and my two dads behind! You think I'm happy with how my life is turning out right now?!"

"Maybe you should have thought of that before bringing a dead warrior back to life and putting yourself in this situation!" Tai Lung howled at him.

"And maybe you shouldn't have lost all your self control and beat that old mailman to death!" Po screamed. "I may have brought you back but that one's all on you! I didn't force you to kill him!"

"Oh, you want me to use self-control and not kill someone in a heated fight?!" Tai Lung growled. "Fine! Let me show you how it's done!"

At once, Tai Lung's fist connected with Po's face to Po's great shock. The force of the blow struck Po and sent him flying back into one of the bamboos in the forest.

Po got up, still surprised Tai Lung he struck him like that. He rubbed his chin and then got up, planting Oogway's staff into the ground. Despite his great anger, he still did not want to dishonor Oogway's memory with a rage-filled fight using the staff as a weapon.

"You want to do this?" Po growled. "Fine, let's do this! It'll go about as well for you as it did last time we fought!"

"There won't be a repeat performance," Tai Lung promised and lunged.

Po swung at Tai Lung who dodged it and returned fire with another solid punch across Po's jaw.

Po stumbled back, surprised as the ferocity of Tai Lung. But soon, he got back into fighting mode and blocked the next few incoming blows. Returning fire, Po struck Tai Lung with his belly, knocking the snow leopard to the floor.

"Had enough?" Po demanded.

Tai Lung leaped back to both feet and charged again. He caught a kick from Po and spun Po around in the air, kicking the panda back. Po managed to land on both feet but Tai Lung was onto him, punching him multiple times. The panda caught the next incoming punch from Tai Lung and drove his fist into Tai Lung's stomach, drawing a cry of pain.

However, that did not stop him for long. Tai Lung spun around, spin kicking Po across the face to send him falling face-first to the ground. In an instant, the snow leopard was onto Po, getting on top of the panda and punching him. Po, in return, got his foot under Tai Lung's stomach and kicked him off. As Tai Lung got up, Po punched him full-force across the face, stunning the leopard and causing him to grab hold of a bamboo for body support.

"You done with this temper tantrum?" Po asked as he huffed.

Suddenly, the claws came out as Tai Lung slashed Po across the face.

"Aaaahhh!" Po cried.

Now Tai Lung attacked once more in a rage. He punched Po furiously across the face, causing Po the stumble back. With his left arm, Tai Lung struck one of the bamboos, breaking it and turning the top half into a weapon. With it, he swung the weapon, catching Po across the face.

Again and again, Tai Lung swung the bamboo, striking and beating Po with it until the shoot got broken down to a single internode.

Seeing how the single bamboo piece was no longer large enough to use as a weapon, Tai Lung threw it away but quickly, Po grabbed him by the shoulder, flipping him over and sending him flying into a large rock nearby.

"Agh!" Tai Lung cried in pain, falling down.

"Do we seriously have to do this?!" cried Po.

"You started this by bringing me back!" Tai Lung roared. "You'd better finish it!"

The snow leopard attacked once again. Po got ready and countered it by dodging Tai Lung's incoming punch and spun around, side-kicking him in the stomach to send him back. Soon, the two were exchanging blows again, using every martial arts maneuver they had learned from Shifu and countering each other along the way.

In the bushes, however, there were unwanted guests who had followed the two. It was Zhao with a small squadron of rhino soldiers.

"Sir, shall we get involved?" asked a rhino, watching the two exchange and parry blows.

"No, let them tire themselves out," Zhao ordered, watching as Po punched Tai Lung back with an uppercut. "After that, we strike. Remember, we still need to take them to the Emperor alive."

Soon enough, Zhao was proven correct. The fight while starting out with the two utilizing their vast knowledge of kung fu had now boiled down to a rage fight where techniques were used less and less.

"You should have just let me… return to the Spirit Realm!" Tai Lung cried, striking an exhausted Po across the face. "Everything that's happened… IS YOUR FAULT!"

With a last burst of energy, Tai Lung back flipped across the air, catching Po across the jaw with his right heel and knocking the panda to the floor.

"Agh!" Po cried out.

Tai Lung got on top of Po, punching him mercilessly.

"Why couldn't you have just… let… me… be?!" Tai Lung cried, punching Po.

Despite the pain, Po could hear the agony in Tai Lung's voice and realized that instead of making things better for him, he only made things worse by bringing Tai Lung back.

Soon, Zhao realized Po was beaten down severely with bruises, blood pouring out of the clawmarks on his face, and a swollen eyelid from the beating Tai Lung had given him.

"I… I'm sorry," Po finally said.

Tai Lung looked down, with his fist still in the air wondering if he should deliver the final blow.

Suddenly, something washed over Tai Lung like a cold wave. It was regret at his actions and regret that he was regressing into the same monster who went on a rampage before.

"I… I… lost control again," Tai Lung stammered. "What am I doing?!"

Tai Lung's arm went limp as he got off of Po.

"Just use the Wuxi Fingerhold on me again," Tai Lung told him remorsefully. "End it mercifully."

"I can't do that," Po got up, still in pain from the beating he had gotten. "You're not the enemy anymore."

"Hello gentlemen," Zhao appeared out of the forest.

"You!" Po cried. "How'd you find us!"

"Oh, I had my messenger goose at the town entrance," Zhao told them. "I positioned him there as a sentry and he noticed two hooded strangers leaving town when the ceremony to crown the new Dragon Warrior was still taking place. It could've been no other than the two of you and I immediately followed you after my goose told me."

At once, all the rhinos pointed their crossbows at the injured Po and Tai Lung.

"You're both going to come with me peacefully," Zhao told them.

Suddenly, everyone heard a bestial growl. And it didn't come from any of the immediate animals in the area.

"What?" Tai Lung turned around.

On top of the large rock was a creature with a dragon's head and the body of a deer, with flaming red hair. Just based on the description alone, Tai Lung concluded that it was none other than the mythical Qilin that Shifu told him about.

"Oh wow," Po tried to smile despite the pain of a swollen eyelid. "If I wasn't about to be captured, I'd say this was pretty sweet!"

"What the hell is that thing?" Zhao snarled.

Tai Lung finally fell on both knees, deciding to accept his fate.

"Well, if it's the Qilin's nature to destroy evil men, then I accept my fate," Tai Lung opened up both arms as if to offer himself up as a sacrifice. "I've got a lot to atone for with what I've done to the Valley and Shifu. And even to Po."

At once, the Qilin's mouth filled up with fire and unleashed a scorching flame to both Po and Tai Lung's amazement. However, despite the intense heat, Tai Lung did not feel himself burning up in agony.

Finally, the mighty blast of flames stopped as the Qilin closed its mouth. Po and Tai Lung looked behind and realized that the Qilin had completely annihilated Zhao and his contingent of soldiers, reducing them to smoldering ash in a powerful burst of flames.

Tai Lung looked back at the Qilin. The mighty beast gave him a somber but encouraging look as if to tell him to make amends with Po before walking off.

oooo

"Wow, I don't feel so good," Po woke up later on, nursing a headache.

He got up from the ground, realizing his wounds had been bandaged up.

"I did the best I could," Tai Lung told Po. "I owed you that much. But don't expect an apology because you completely deserved that beating."

"Yeah, maybe I did," Po conceded softly.

"If you can't use the staff to send me back," Tai Lung told him. "Then at least use the Wuxi Fingerhold to do it."

"But I only use that move on enemies," Po protested. "And you're not an enemy anymore. I mean, at least you're not right now because you bandaged me up after we had an angry fight and all…"

"Well Po, I don't know where life is supposed to take you at this point," Tai Lung got up. "But at this fork in the road, I think it's for the best we went our separate ways."

"Wait, what?" Po looked shocked. "You can't be serious! Shifu even told me to look after you!"

"And you forget that I can take care of myself," Tai Lung looked at Po seriously. "Goodbye, Po."

With that, Tai Lung got on all fours and ran off on a different forest path that Po could not hope to keep up with in his current state.

In despair, Po sat down on the bamboo forest floor again. In a short time, he had lost his home, his dads, his master, his comrades, his new student, and now he had just lost the only companion he had on this lonely journey of being an exile.

"What… what is there for me now?" Po looked down, whispering to himself sadly.

oooo

It took forever but Po finally managed to force himself up with Oogway's staff and start walking again. Minutes had turned into hours and he wasn't even aware of exactly how much time had passed, but the sky was turning grey and he was on a mountain trail. He still had the food Tigress gave him but it would not last forever and at some point, he would need to stop and re-supply in some kind of city or town.

"Master Oogway, have you ever been put in this kind of situation?" Po whispered quietly. "Being an outlaw and losing everything you knew in your old life?"

After reaching a certain point, Po heard a rumbling in the distance. Soon, it was followed up by a scream.

"What's going on?" Po ran forward.

Before long, he saw a rabbit couple, a white male rabbit and a brown female rabbit hanging from a ledge after having nearly fallen. The brown one was holding onto the white one and from the looks of it, they had slipped and were now on the verge of falling.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" Po went over to help.

Po reached down and grabbed the white rabbit and his wife.

"I gotcha!" Po told them.

Suddenly, the ledge Po was on completely gave way.

"Whoa!"

Po fell down with the rabbit couple who screamed but thought quickly and grabbed a branch.

"Hang on, I'm gonna get you guys outta here!" Po told the rabbits.

"What is that?" one of the rabbits asked.

Po looked up to see a shadow flying over him.

"Huh?"

At once, a burst of wind came out of nowhere and before Po knew what had happened, he was back on the ledge along with the rabbits in the blink of an eye. Soon, their rescuer landed to greet them.

"Whoa, who are you?" asked Po.

To be continued.