Redeeming Light - 10

           Redeeming Light
Chapter 10 – In The Moonlight

Amazingly enough, it seemed Shen's biggest obstacle was the moon tonight: it was execrable, and it seemed to be on the villagers' side, ducking sinisterly behind a cloud when he needed its light the most. The terrain was also not on his side, slick and wet and jagged; it seemed nature didn't like him either. Oh, and don't even get started on his lungs.

Shen was coughing hard still, the smoke far gone and he wasn't near the villagers now, but the remnants of the black fog still stayed wrapped around his lungs. His body threatened him with various fainting spells, but he managed to best them all. He stayed moving so he wouldn't slip into darkness. He had a feeling that if he did he may not wake up.

The orange lights were becoming more and more distant, until they were mere little specks of dancing orange, then looked like they faded. (No, if only; they wouldn't fade until they found their target.) The cave Kurisu was in was far from visible.

Shen's throat began to close.

Don't think about the child, you idiot, she's fine! Worry about yourself right now, you made sure she's safe. You said good-bye....

Another feeling twisted and churned his gut and heart into painful knots. He never got to say good-bye to Nana.

"Shen!"

The peacock halted in shock; it seemed like the gods forgave him and were willing to grant his final dying wish. (No, he wasn't dying, but he would...soon.)

"Nana?" It hurt to say it. The address alone meant so much to him, just as much as her. It was perhaps the last time he'd ever call to his beloved nanny; she couldn't go where he was going. She didn't deserve to go where he was going..

"Darling!" She reached him, sobbing, falling into his arms from her wounds and in relief. She clutched to him; he folded his wings around her protectively, attempting the first embrace he had done in....he had no idea how long.

He pulled her back, just enough to survey the damage done to her. The knife had cut into her side, but – thank the gods – not deep enough to cause mortal injury, or anything too serious. None the less, he tore off a piece of his expensive silk, and watched as its now worthless value dwindled away as her blood soaked it.

"Now don't try eating it," he huffed quietly. "It's all I have for bandages." She only showed the hint of a smile, but it at least made it easier for the peacock to breathe. His wings tightened around her fiercely when he heard the distant chanting, and soon, the orange light cast a glow on their faces once more.

He pulled back again, much to the distraught old woman's protest. He made her look at him; wide frightened eyes that no mother wanted to see, burning into her's.

"Nana, please promise me something." The second person he made promise him something tonight.

And again, this one was much too emotional and shattered to respond.

"Get yourself to safety, and when the mob leaves, find the kitten; she's further down by the forest in a cave. Get her to her family and get her home safe."

Finally, the old woman gathered enough will and power in her vocal chords to speak.

"B-but the mob won't leave..until they have you.."

Now it was Shen who couldn't speak; he didn't look at her either: he couldn't see the pain in her face; it would break whatever resolve he had left. After having the two people he cared for wounded, having to say good-bye when he knew he was walking to his death, his emotional shell was already cracked in many irreparable places and with little time to recover.

"But Shen..." she sobbed.

"Don't you dare, old goat," he cut in sharply, desperately. "If you cry, I'm gonna cry."

She gave a more anguished sob, and he trembled, refusing to look up, fore the annoying tears brimming his eyelids threatened to fall.

The soothsayer wanted so badly to force him to stay, or to come with him. Scream at the mindless beasts attacking him and fight them alongside Shen. Hurt them as badly as they hurt him – she was pretty efficient with a knife after all, thanks to her chick.

But she knew she couldn't. This was Shen's battle, and as a mother she needed to let her child do what was right. There would be no more fighting; he was willing to give himself up. And if there was anything this mother learned about her boy, it was that once he set his mind to something nothing would stop him. Not until he accomplished what he thought was right.

And this time, it was the right thing.

She came forward, pressed her trembling lips to her baby's forehead, keeping them there as she stroked his feathers for as long as he allowed her.

And he never pulled back; he always used to, snapping that he was much too old for childish treatment such as this, but to do so would be as heartless as he could get. Doubtless, he was still unable to say the words that he needed to say, so this would be all he could really do to show he loved her. He hoped she knew.

"I love you," the goat sobbed, clutching to his tattered half torn off bloodied robe. She was pressed right against him, and in his arms.  "I love you so much, Shen..my little chick," she whispered lovingly.

He shook harder and opened his mouth – and then the blinding light grew dangerously closer. The peacock shoved her back behind a bush with the hilt of his sword. She collapsed out of sight into the brush, and the torches passed her. He started running again, desperate to lure the villagers to the rim of the city and away from the kitten and goat. If he could get them far enough from the city, maybe they'd forget about the crime the girls committed of 'harboring a fugitive.'

He found another rocky side, and he hoped this one was more forgiving then the last climb was. The moment a foot ascended up a rock, he knew it wasn't, as the rock crumbled, giving way under his battered feet. It was far higher up – much higher up. There was no way he had the strength and will power for this harrowing climb.

The marching grew louder; the orange hot eyes of death did as well. He'd have to climb this if he wanted to survive. But really, was there a point? If he survived this and made it to the borders, they'd catch him there and they'd kill him. No, killing would be the last thing they'd want to do; they'd want him to suffer first.

He couldn't give up. At least this way by climbing and prolonging their chase gave him more time to avert them away from the kitten, goat, and the other warriors. Wait, since when did he care about the warriors? Well, he didn't really, but they were the girl's family after all.

He pushed himself to climb the rocks. His wounds screamed and pleaded for rest, but it was a wish he hadn't the time to grant. Yet, the peacock found himself slipping further and further down to the torches, that had all bound together to create a mass circle of fire. He couldn't do it..he couldn't.

He looked down, eyes blurring; the images around him distorted and the fire disappeared. In its place was a faded image, but one he could see well. The gentle and loving eyes of the kitten and old goat, gently urging him to go on. The picture changed to the distant memories (no, it only just happened, but it seemed distant and forgotten to him), of him and his nanny and the child when they were outside, playing, picnicking under the plum tree. He smirked, eyes slightly twinkling when they saw the kitten hanging off the tree by her tail.

And suddenly another image broke through the others, but it wasn't his memory at all; the image came from the smoke of the torches. It floated up and blocked the moon. It was a shape: a heart; Shen knew immediately that this wasn't just a coincidence for it to create this shape. He squinted harder at it
and saw that one shade of the smoke was plenty darker than the other, making the other seem white.

And the other, light blue...

Eyes closed, he smiled and looked up in time to see a star shine a bit brighter than usual for a split second, as if it was winking at him. Shen didn't know who was sending this message to him, but he knew exactly what it meant.

Now fueled with determination burning brighter than those darned torches, he propelled himself up the rocks, never letting go for a second. None of the pain mattered to him, none of the cuts or surely broken ribs. He just had to get up that cliff.

And get that mob away from his family.

Leaping in the air slightly, he changed his rock climb to a vine climb as he saw some sprouting just in his wing's reach. Good, this was much easier. The vines were soft and easier to grip; it was much easier to use his less destroyed feet than it was using his tattered and bloodied wings to climb.

But the vines weren't being very helpful: some of the leaves were dry and starting to break. Pesky animals seemed to have chewed a good portion of the foundation of the vine right off. The higher he climbed, the more that danger became pronounced.

The vine started to give away, and his pain set back in as he scrambled and cried out, grabbing at the decaying leaves in terror. He was to high up to really depend on the rocks for support; they were embedded in the cliff and none stood out for leverage. If he fell, he'd die. Too much of his tail feathers were damaged and a few actually ripped out to act as a balance as he flew. He couldn't fly.

The vines swayed more. Shen closed his eyes and could feel himself start to fall back into the waiting mob and waited for the burning pain and – and something took a strong grip on his arm. Shen didn't open his eyes because he was afraid of what he'd see, who'd be positioning a blade over his face. He heard the creature pant desperately, and something told him to open his eyes, so he did.

Instantly, his eyes flooded.

"Xun?"

The wolf hissed as he struggled to grab onto the albino peacock's wing. Shen noted immediately that the canine's fur was tattered and matted with blood and twigs. It was obvious he had been tearing up the mountain, probably searching frantically for him. Searching for him after all he did - after all he caused his once best friend.. And he still-

"I can't do this on my own – help me out here!" the wolf strained out a snarl, biting back a whimper as the force of Shen's wings pulling him stretched his skin and therefore the frighteningly deep wounds.

Shen shook his head fiercely.

"Let me die, Xun; I don't deserve your help and you know it!"

"I'm going to kill you myself if you don't help me and stop thinking I'm going to kill you or let you kill yourself by dropping or let the villages kill you! Help me before we both get killed!"

"....What?"

With a fierce grunt – and thankful that he found a deep crater in the cliff side: therefore able to dig his claws in for a better grip.  Xun grabbed the peacock in the firmest grip he could. He was being yanked even further down into the abyss and it was hard to keep his grip. Regardless, he wouldn't let go. He couldn't. He wouldn't let go; they'd die together. If Shen fell, he'd fall too.

The peacock's bloodied legs kicked and scrambled at the rocks; he grabbed onto a drying vine (and he wondered why it was dry and dead with all this rain the province was getting, but of course nature had to make his attempt at survival so much easier),and he started pulling himself up with the wolf's help.

"Xun..I can't believe – is it really you?"

The wolf gave a small wry smile, never taking his eyes off the peacock as he pulled the vine and bird up the mountain side.

"Yeah, it's me. Whoa – hey, waterworks," he blinked, paws up in front of him in shock when he saw the dew in the corners of the lord's eyes. "Maybe you have changed."

"Just shut up and help me up!" Shen snapped, beginning to slip.

The canine sighed and lowered his glaring eyes as he pulled Shen up the final few rocks.

"Or maybe not," he grumbled, and had to barely smirk at his former lord's glower.

The peacock dusted off his robe (was there even a point, it was bloodied and barely anything more than rags that barely covered his feathered butt.) He turned to his long lost general (even longer lost best friend) and shook his head.

"Xun, how are you.."

"Kind hearted pedestrian saw me floating away and bleeding to death and decided to lend a hand – a hoof to be more specific."

"So it was a pig. Li?"

"No, and you're going to laugh when I tell you who it was."

The peacock lord's crown feathers quietly flattened and he trained his eyes on the ground.

"I don't so much feel like laughing right now, wolf. So just tell me who it was."

Xun gave the wryest of smirks, studying the peacock's reaction as he said it,

"Old mister Hu."

Shen's mouth silently twitched and he could feel the wolf's smirk on him as he started to grin. But he kept to his word; he didn't laugh, and turned to the wolf.

"That horrible old swine? How did that happen?"

"He is NOT horrible!" the wolf snapped, with such fierceness and such a fiery glare that it made the peacock take a step back in alarm. That comment tweaked him the wrong way; he was so sure that that swine was the most heartless person in the city, constantly making rude and snide marks and even wrinkling his snout in contempt at his own prince. He of course knew different now, and he knew who Hu really was.

"But, Xun," the lord screwed his beak up, perplexed with the hurt and defensiveness in the wolf's eyes. "You hated him too."

"I did," the wolf agreed softly, "until I truly met him and we reconciled." His ears flattened against his skull in chagrin as the peacock ignorantly scoffed.

"Oh, please, you dog; a bad seed remains a bad seed."

It took every fiber of will from the canine's back claws all the way to his baring fangs to keep from socking that arrogant avian in his beak, not just because of the way he was dishonoring the swine, but actually having the audacity to make the 'bad seed' comment when he-

Boom.

The ground split; he could feel it before he saw it under his feet. It split with colors of blue and red, and the sparks burned at his feet. He could hear them scream as they pelted the earth; the trees; the rocks – exploding with a spectrum of colors that always seemed so beautiful..

If it didn't mean death right now, that is.

"RUN!" Shen; he could barely be heard over the deadly screams and whistles as the explosives detonated tree after tree, rock after rock – and nearly a certain wolf, who's tail was just grabbed and yanked back seconds before the rocket mutilated his face. He could feel the fire just inches away, and though he got splashed with white hot sparks it was nothing compared to what his fate almost was.

They took off, suddenly in a race against time (if they weren't already), as the land beneath them began to slowly crumble away, threatening to yank them down with it. A few of the rockets spiraled through the air, the rest tumbling into the new gaping hole that got bigger with every explosion.

Shen could feel it: they were on a slant now. And a dangerous slant; one that had a small rocky slide down to their dark demise of the abyss. One slip of the foot and they'd both be dead.

"Move, you dog – MOVE!" Shen shrieked, squawking and flapping with his tattered wings to gain some balance, all the while frantically shoving the canine up the rocks, amid his protests and 'stop – you'll make me fall!' Thankfully, the peacock lord stayed behind him to make sure that didn't happen.

"These villagers have gone mad!" Shen yelled over the roars of the fireworks.

"You JUST established that?!" Xun shouted back, "really??"

"I knew they lost their mind!" Shen hissed back, deflecting a piece of debris away from them both with his sword. "But I didn't think it was to this extreme!"

As if to punctuate his last sentence, what was left of the small mountain finally gave way to nothing more than a million of rock shards floating in the mountain air. Shen and Xun didn't even register how high they had climbed until they saw Gongmen and all its beauty, able to see all the way to the border. Shen's heart twisted and constricted when he could make out the cave the kitten was in. He tried squinting, tried to see her.

They were falling now, trying to cover themselves from the rocks that came down just as quickly as they did. The rushing air felt nice in such vehement heat of the summer, and Shen wished he could enjoy it if he wasn't falling to his death.

The ground was rushing up to them fast, and they'd splatter since neither were too much in the physical condition to perform some sort of impressive Kung Fu move to break the fall. Yet, Shen knew he had to do something; he looked over at Xun, who surprisingly didn't seem all that horrified; maybe the stupid dog was just too content with the breeze or too frazzled and dazed by the fireworks that he didn't notice he was falling to his death. Shen wouldn't be surprised if it was either.

He needed to act fast; his tail feathers carried no nerves nor pain receptors, but at least pain he could work with, while absence of a few much needed feathers for flight he could not. He glanced up at the long feathers trailing in the wind and knew it was worth a shot. When he fanned them, he blinked as he was halted and jerked upwards slightly like a parachute, grimacing as the sheer force tugged the root of his feathers a bit, therefore rather hurting his backside, but nothing too serious.

He soared sideways slightly – wobbling from the lack of feathers – and grabbed the wolf, rolling his eyes in deep annoyance when the pathetic pup clung to him, his eye wide in fright and darting rapidly around him.

They glided delicately to the ground; Shen had to bite back a cry of pain when his feet – the unprotected part – rubbed against the terrain and stung his wounds. He shook his head when he saw Xun was still clinging to him and debated on throwing the insubordinate dog into a tree or something, but upon seeing his blood soaked bandages, casually replaced him on the ground.

"You're bleeding everywhere, dog," he said, trying to disguise the genuine concern in his voice with disgust as he tore off more of his robe.

Xun blinked, stunned as the lord destroyed more of his precious silk – he remembered a time when he was still Shen's general, and he accidentally splashed the peacock while they tread through a puddle, and Shen had venomously threatened to dispatch his only good eye if it ever happened again – and he watched him destroy the robe without thinking about it.

"Shen, your robe?" He bit back a whimper as the peafowl un-gently wrapped the silk around his wounds.

"It's worthless to me now," was all Shen said as he tightly tied the fabric. "It was destroyed the moment the blood touched it and it means nothing to me; it's just clothes."

Xun just stared, contemplating whether or not to praise Shen for realizing that there were more important things than his robe ( a lesson the bird learned long ago), or just saying nothing. In the end, he looked over to where Shen's tattered robe barely touched his feathered rear now and smirked.

"You're going to be naked by the time the night's done," he grinned. This earned a smack on the head with the hilt of the peacock's sword. "Ow! Well, at least that was better than your old discipline, and at least you used the handle this time," he muttered.

Shen's glare faded as his wing lowered, and so did his crown feathers. Undeniable guilt filling his eyes, and he couldn't speak.

Xun blinked, certain that comment wouldn't have hit his old master that hard; it was just a joke and he didn't think Shen cared about what he did. But it seemed the peacock thought different.

"Oh, uh, sorry, I was just-"

"Never mind," Shen said, and not harshly. He continued up their new climb, and the apprehensive canine eventually awkwardly followed suit.

They slipped various times in the muddy terrain, not stopping for a second to break, despite the pain. Eventually, one did trip – Shen – over a log, causing his barely-a-robe to fly up and result in a smirking comment from Xun.

"You're going to be mooning the villagers, Shen," he snickered.

"Xun, I swear to the gods.."




The summer air was smoldering, but she couldn't be any colder. Maybe it was the freezing cave, or maybe it was because of dehydration; she couldn't be sure, but she didn't care. All thoughts consumed by the grief of being alone, pinned to the wall by knives, and not knowing if her family – old or new – was alive.

That peacock – what was he thinking? They could make something work with the villagers, couldn't they? Talk to them? Try to reason with them? Convince them he'd change? No, what was she thinking 'talk to them' – it'd be easier convincing the clouds to stop raining. (Which would be most appreciated.)

She bowed her head and let the tears fall; they mingled with the blood under her feet, and she watched them drip further down the cave. Her eyes closed; she kept to her promise and still didn't say a word or scream or cry (well not out loud.) She tried to imagine being back in the warmth of Dao-ming, remembering just mere minutes before this nightmare started where she was being dangled by Shen, and she tried to focus on wondering what he might have done to her if Po hadn't abruptly ended the fun.

Oddly enough, she wasn't thinking about the palace too much, or trying to escape from this living hell by remembering time with them; it was probably because she knew she'd see them again, and would probably not see Shen again. If she did, and if she went home, he was coming with her.

But, could she convince Shifu to grant Shen a home at the-

"Kurisu!!!" Po; she could see him: he was there running around like a headless chicken outside the cave, stupidly not thinking to turn around, as he scrambled up and down various trees and rocks, shouting for his sister everywhere.

"Po!" Irritated, but much too relieved to show it, the kitten shouted to him, and he turned to her, gasping and running up tearfully, stopping when he saw the knives that pinned her sleeves.

"Did he do this to you?" the bear growled as he pried the stubborn blades from where they stuck firmly in the wall. Instantly, once he threw down the last blade, he stumbled as a sting exploded over his left cheek. He looked up at his sister.

She still had her paw raised venomously, angry tears glinting in her eyes. Despite her concussion, bruises, cuts, and barely any energy, she summoned enough to snarl this,

"STOP IT, PO!"

"Wh-what?" the bear just sat there, still rubbing his smarting cheek.

"Would you just-" she sobbed and started to fall to her knees in anguish and agony, and her brother caught her. "Just leave him alone.." she muffled into his fur.

"Huh?" he smoothed his sister's blue fur, utterly confused.

"Shen d-did this to me, yes; he did it because h-he knew I'd go after him and he was right." She was shaking now, sobbing harshly as she recalled their final moments in the cave.

"But I don't understand it.." The panda continued to comfort his little sister, really just utterly baffled. He had seen it: he had seen the change in the peacock. Looking back now when he first heard Shen threatening his sister, he recalled the tone: playful, almost friendly. Not a hint of malice. But it didn't make sense; and the fact that the peacock took off with his sister to hide and protect her just topped that.

He had come to Dao-ming in fear, every night spent crying over his sister, sure he'd find her with bones or nerves shattered, or just her corpse. Instead, he comes to find his sister has her own bed; her own bedroom; her own seat at the table; a family. He knew Shen had changed, but the man responsible for the murder of his birth mom – of his entire population, he couldn't believe it.

Yet, he knew...he knew he owed that peacock his little sister's life.

"Look, ya stupid kid," Po said affectionately, pulling the kitten back. "I really don't know how you got yourself into this – and more, got yourself into that bird's heart somehow, but....but.."

She looked up at him, blue eyes wide and tearful.

"....But I'll do what I can to help." Emerald eyes narrowed and determined, he looked out the mouth of the cave. "Wh-where did he go?"

The kitten's eyes sparkled and more tears flooded, but she knew this wasn't the time to be fawning over the panda's change of heart, or endlessly thanking him.

"Up the mountains." Well, maybe just one thank you. "Oh, brother.." She sobbed again into his fur, smiling as the tears rolled. Only now did it truly dawn how much she had missed him. "Thank you so much.. I've missed you..."

His eyes dewy, he pressed his heart shaped nose against her's.

"I've missed you too, kiddo." He stood; the frail child still cradled in his arms as he ducked out the mouth of the cave and back into the warm summer air. "Now, let's get you to Shifu."






The moon was high in the sky, finally starting to cooperate with the two companions, casting its glow on different rocks and showing them where to go next. Once in a while, Shen glared up at the luminous orb when he caught sight of it seeming to dip behind a cloud. He seemed to smirk a bit when it came back out in the center of the sky immediately.

"Looks like the gods realize I mean business," he snickered, and Xun rolled his eyes.

"I know you love to control everything and want to control everything, but there are some things even you can't manipulate, and the moon, I'm afraid, is one of them," he snapped.

Shen chuckled coolly, casually making his way through the smooth rock trail, his wings tucked in what remained of his sleeves.

"Oh, you'd be surprised, you old dog; I can manipulate anything. The moon would bow down to me if it suits me." He grinned sinisterly, hoping to provoke another irritated eye roll from his comrade.

Xun wasn't looking at him, or listening; he just stood there at the edge of the cliff, paws at his side, a look of utmost horror on his face.

Shen smirked for a moment, then it changed to confusion, and concern; he leaned his head over slightly to look at the wolf, and also hoped to see what was causing the canine to shake.

"Xun, what is your prob-"

And the wolf jumped off the cliff, skidding down the rocky ledge, to the forest below.

"XUN-!" He dove after him, fanning his tail and gliding down the rocky side. "Xu-" He nearly crashed into a tree and furiously batted the leaves out of his wings, trying to descend the dangerous ride as slow as possible. Xun however paid no regard to his safety as he quite nearly ran down the cliff.

"You horrible mongrel!" the lord snarled, crying out in pain as he slammed into the land hard. Pain jarred his entire frame, and he lay there; there was no point in getting up, and he'd just slam back down on the ground if he did while he was this dizzy.

"I swear, you dog – we just spent the past hour climbing that mountain, and here you-"

He stopped......and could only stare.

The wolf was there in the moonlight, crouching silently by a tree where a small mangled form laid. He looked so peaceful and calm; his eyes were closed and he couldn't seem to feel the pain, didn't realize their was blood streaming down his arms and into the cracks of his hooves. His chest was rising and falling, though far between.

Shen could recognize him, despite never having seen the swine since he was a young child. Despite never having seeing what age had done to him, how many wrinkles and bags it had brought; despite the blood caking him and covering most recognizable features, he knew who he was.

The pig opened his eyes; they were gray, but they were brown the last time Shen saw them.

"I....I tried to divert them, boy," the pig breathed out, his sad dim eyes trained on only Xun. "And....I...I sorta did; they didn't follow you up that second mountain...right?"

Xun said nothing, tightly gripping the swine's hoof as crystal-like tears spilled over his cheeks.

The pig weakly let his head flop to the side, gray eyes starting to close wearily once more. They opened when he realized the taller shadow above him. He looked up at the bird, and smirked.

Shen just stood there, unable to properly react as a small stinging pebble hit him on the cheek, and bounced off, back towards the pig.

Hu's eyes twinkled mischievously as he wagged a scolding finger to the peacock, his expression impish and sinister.

"That's for the frogs, cretin."

Shen could say nothing, watching as the pig fell limply against the base of the tree. Xun's breathing was erratic from his silent body quivering sobs. The lord wasn't able to tear his eyes away, and was grateful – whispering a soft thanks to the gods as the moon finally slipped behind the clouds, darkening the entire forest, and no longer illuminating the small creature.