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9 YEARS LATER

Another day has come in the village of vipers. As always, the mother prepared food for her offspring, before she could wake him up.

It was not a poor family, that lived in poverty. It had enough money for the most necessary equipment.

The female serpent took an occasional job as the ribbon dancer, dancing in theaters during plays, to get money for the ingredients needed for dinner. If that wasn't enough, she earned money from her father for important expenses and taxes.

During her work, she received more money than she planned, thanks to her former fame as a kung fu master from group called The Furious Five.

Sadly and with a heavy heart, the snake had to give up her martial arts career and return to her homeland, when her first son and only child was born. She also was forced to leave her best friends she cared about.

Viper had no choice. But to not understand her wrong, she REALLY loved her son.

With a sigh, the female serpent began pouring the soup into two bowls on the table. It wasn't a problem for the female serpent with her tail within reach.

When Viper finished, she adjusted the pillows tied on the sharp edges of the table. If she didn't tied them, Ba Lan would definitely have painfully hit it with his head.

The snake thought her son was weak and fragile.

Just in case, she tied a pillow to his chair.

Perfect. Nothing threatens her beloved son now.

"Ba Lan!" the viper called out with a soft tone. "Dinner!"

The female serpent smiled, hearing the familiar sound of sliding on a wooden floor, but felt delighted when she saw a small albino viper standing just by the half-open door.

"Good evening, mom" the young serpent smiled.

"Oh, there you are sweetie" the adult female snake approached her little one. She gently opened his snout to check if his fangs were in place. Fortunately, they were. "Sit down at the table"

The young albino serpent slowly approached the nearest chair in contact, in front of which the soup cooled.

"No, not this one" Viper shook her head, before pointing with her tail a chair with a pillow on it. "This one"

The young viper sighed and with lowered head slithered toward the chair, his mother told him to sit.

"Hold on!" Viper appeared next to her son, causing Ba Lan to jump. The female serpent grabbed him and gently lifted. "Let me help you"

"Mom" the little snake rolled his vertical eyes with annoyed look. "I can climb there myself"

"Talk!" the adult female viper hissed firmly, being overwhelmed by her responsibility. "Without me, you would be light as a feather"

With one lift of the tail, Ba Lan found himself on the chair. After this, the overprotective mother grunted firmly and sat down opposite him.

They started to peacefully eat. The sound of tinkling spoons and slurping was heard throughout the kitchen, which disturbed the awkward silence.

Viper, spotting that it is quiet and her son was barely eating, coughed to get her offspring's attention. At this Ba Lan quickly raised his head forward.

"Um, sweetheart?" the female serpent asked with concern. "Are the noodles warm enough for you? You're barely eating them"

The young albino snake looked back at his bowl with a shrug.

"They are good, mommy" he stated with a nod. "...but my feelings are more complicated right now"

Even without raising his head, Ba Lan knew his mother was staring at him.

"I think I was a panda before"

"W-what?" the mother asked, intrigued. "W-what do you m-mean by that?"

The young albino viper sighed, feeling free to confess it to someone without difficulty.

"I do not know how to explain it" Ba Lan growled with a little uneasy expression. "I have the feeling that I used to be a panda and lived with my adoptive fa–"

"SAY NO MORE!" the adult female serpent suddenly snapped, scaring the little snake by forcing him to lean on the back of the chair in fear. "I FORBID YOU TO SAY SUCH THINGS AT THE TABLE!"

"W-what?" Ba Lan asked, agitated. "D-did I said som–"

Viper took a breath to calm down at least slightly.

"Did I not make myself clear?" her firm tone returned. "I'm not allowing you to say this kind of things next to the table. And in general"

Ba Lan felt confused.

"But mother... Did I say something that hurt you?"

The adult female viper hesitated before she shook her head.

"No" she replied with a sigh. "Can you just not talk about it, please?"

The young albino snake nodded.

"Yes, mother"

"Good" the mother hissed. "After you will finish your noodles, I'll lead you to your bedroom for sleep"

Ba Lan raised his head again.

"But mom, it is the middle of a clear da-"

"Do you question my authority?" The adult female serpent rolled her eyes with irritation.

The little snake lowered his head with sadness, that he offended his mother.

"No, mommy" the young creature bowed in her direction. "Forgive me my words"

"I forgive you" The adult viper smiled. "Now eat and get ready to sleep"

After a few minutes of eating in silence, Ba Lan finished his meal. His mother accompanied him to the bedroom and put him to the bed. When she was about to leave her son's room, Viper realized he had something to say to her.

"What is it, sweetheart?" she asked with a concern in her hissing voice. "Have you hurt yourself somewhere and didn't told about it?"

Ba Lan shook his head, letting her know that this is not what he meant.

"I wanted to ask about my daddy" he stated. "Why did he leave us?"

The female viper flinched having no idea what to say to her offspring. She could not just say that he was created during the ritual she performed.

"Let's talk about it other day" the adult snake kissed her son's forehead. "Now sleep"

The little serpent yawned, when his mother slid to the door.

"I love you, mommy"

Viper turned to her son.

"I love you to-"

The little snake was already asleep.

"I love you too, Po" she sighed, as the soft smile appeared on her snout.