This prompt actually came from either tumblr or FF site, but I couldn't exactly remember who and what was the title. So pardon for my lack of credit towards the source.
Scene: a few weeks after Tai Lung's defeat.
When you have a specific goal in your life, a specific target that you want earnestly, then it would become easy. When I say easy means attainable and possible, not exactly 'easy' as you imagined it. Your goal would become your life purpose, your drive that propelled you to pick yourself up again every time you fall. I used to tell myself that failure was just a delayed success, and the real failure was not a person who failed, but who stopped trying.
But what if someone else took that goal from your life? When you don't know what you want, things became complicatedly hard. And that's me.
Everyone knew my ultimate ambition to be the Dragon Warrior.
The fervor to prove myself worthy to bear the dignitary had turned my life into a huge training session. Unfortunately for me, that purpose was decimated after a panda, with all his lacking in both physical and mental aspect, robbed me from my destiny.
In a moment of disappointment, resentment, and confusion―a realization climbed out like a specter. And I finally discovered, there are more to life outside Kung Fu.
Things like… friendship.
I had never interested on this subject. It's not like I don't have friends, I have the Five. But our friendship was superficial, based on necessity and out of convenience. We frequently leave the conversation at a professional level. I never keen to know or meddle with their personal problem. I am always a solitary kind of girl. I only exposed so much to the unsuspecting eyes and hid the truth underneath. For most of the time, I was contented with the way I run my life. Until I tasted the real sweetness of friendship from the most unlikely creature I knew.
I began to open myself up, removing my steely facade. I stopped feeling that I had to prove myself to others all the time. I started to accept that I wasn't perfect, and never will be, but I don't need to be flawless to be accepted and loved.
I knew I was dumb to miss such a life lesson in decades of my life. I was blinded by my selfish ambition. Po may have stolen my dream, my aim, and my goal. But he had replaced it with a new one and giving my life a purpose, that far more noble and a lot more priceless than earning a Dragon Warrior title.
"Panda! Get your stance ready!" I heard Shifu barked imperiously at his latest recruit over his sloppy footing. It's been two months since my estranged brother defeat, and the atmosphere of Shifu ruthless training regime had settled into its usual routine.
"Tigress will be your opponent," he announced, "and watch your own to―" before Shifu finished his sentence, the giant panda had managed to step on his toes and landed himself in the middle of the training hall mortal contraption, just like he did on his first day. Luckily, this time around, he quickly recovered and got out of the entire fire breathing, spiky, swaying equipment relatively unscathed.
"Ow, maaaan," he moaned. He pulled himself, sluggishly plodding on his belly.
And as he crawled next to me, he found something white and small next to the adversary. Upon closer inspection, we realized it was his beloved tooth that he lost during his first spar with the dummy to attain level-0.
I saw Crane politely tried to clamp his beak (which ended up rattling like a boiling pot), Mantis and Monkey attempted to bite down his laugh―grinning like a mindless lunatic, while Viper already lost it and giggled uncontrollably. Shifu was the only one who displayed a phlegmatic fortitude, but again, he was a paragon of self-restraint and forbearance. Wait… I did too. I just threw an insipid glance at him.
The giant panda didn't mind a single bit on his comrades erupting laughter. There was no evidence of bitterness in his eyes. In fact, he rather treated it as a medal for his endless charm towards bringing mirthful atmosphere in the otherwise vapid training hall.
"Panda, get up," Shifu commanded, not unkindly, and gave him a chance to the panda to compose himself.
I stood, prying my opponent with my menacing eyes, trying to put down his mental battle before the onslaught ensued. I could see he gulped in both nervousness and giddiness. Maybe the prospect of sudden death in a hand of his childhood hero made it less…. agonizing (for the lack of better word).
"Begin."
A small predatory grin spread across my maw, as I pounced the hapless panda. We exchanged blows and punches for a mere five minutes before I saw an opening. I landed a precise spin kick across his face. I know that he was aware that it was coming. I even registered a flash glance of admiration on my expeditious, perfect, accurate form, but why on earth he was closing his eyes instead of trying to dodge my leg? Did he think my leg would vanish should he not see it? I had no idea! Definetely not the sort of muscle reflex one could hope coming from a Kung Fu Master.
My powerful thrust sent him hurling right towards the weapon rack.
"Po!" Everyone hurried to see how bad he was injured. I didn't hit him with all of my strength, but considering where my kick had landed―square in his face, it would be still hurtful nonetheless. I saw his eyelids dropped like a curtain being drawn, his tongue lolling to the side, and his figure limped in an ungraceful manner.
"Viper, Crane… fetch the medical kit." Shifu commanded. But before long, the panda spirit had returned into his body.
"He is awake," I said. It was hardly a question, nor a statement, just an announcement in my usual dry tones. Mantis ventured into his room, came back with an acupuncture chart to examine Po.
"Nothin' serious Big Guy, just a little shock from such an awesome blow," the insect ribbed, grinning smugly. The rest soon left after they attended Po's innocuous injury, while I was still looking at the morose panda, with my paws sitting on my hips.
"That's so stupid of you for not blocking my kick." I berated blatantly, "...you were lucky I didn't use my full strength."
He sat there in mute appeal. His frivolous, signature grin quickly evaporated into a disappointed frown. I heard him sighed.
"You never gonna like me, do you?"
That's true, admittedly, even after him proving himself worthy of the honorific title, I still hardly treated him like a friend. However, all my prior disgust, hatred, and resentment had dwindled astoundingly, after I reasoned with myself that the panda had never planned to steal the title from me in the first place. Nonetheless, I still found his supernatural clumsiness and boorish habits hard to tolerate.
Then I remembered, how I treated him like a slime, a loser. With the hope that he would eventually break and leave. I witnessed how he hero-worshipped me, the enraptured gaze he bestowed, the myriad of posters in his room, the doll…. even chunk of rubble that I kicked! I was even cruel enough to use all those against him, to make his departure more expedient. But it never did, he said the true warrior never quits!
At the moment, I am glad he didn't.
"I mean―right, you call me 'Master' and all that… but you never smile at me. You even call me, Dragon Warrior or panda most of the time."
"Tell me, why you hate me?" He riveted his green eyes on me, probing for the truth.
I tore my gaze from him before explicating. "My entire life had been a huge training session." I told him, "So I was a little disappointed when you were chosen the Dragon Warrior... and thus, I did you wrong to resent you when you first came. But, now, I do not hate you. I don't know where you get that idea from." Of course, I glossed the sentence from the truth to say 'a little,' when I am despicably gutted.
"Really?" He ventured, voice entirely unconvinced, "you don't hate me?"
"Well, perhaps a little."
The panda laughed rather sarcastically. "Geez, Tigress… I pity the guy that you hate a lot!"
"I respect you!" I nearly roared, he squirmed in his seat looking at my perfectly piqued face. Swiftly, I gained my usual composure, "...sorry," I cleared my throat, "I thought you want me to respect you, that's why I called you Master and address you with your title."
"So you called all this… treatment, coldness, and the distance between us as…. respect?" He asked prudently, fearing to ignite my ongoing snit further and tasting my angry retribution.
"Excuse me, Dragon Warrior. Being warm, fuzzy wuzzy, huggy and cuddly is not my natural propensity," I scowled at him.
He mused for a moment, and a big innocent grin spread from side to side.
"I never want your respect, Tigress. I want to… be able to train with you, talk to you, eat with you… and to be….. your friend."
"My friend?" I asked, completely stupefied.
"Yes, I am Po Ping. Your friend―not the Dragon Warrior."
And he extended his paw. That for a start.
"Deal?" He winked playfully, still tugging the lopsided grin on his maw. I hesitated. Part of me couldn't believe, after all the mean things I said to him, he wanted nothing but friendship? Either he was a moron, or downright lunatic.
"Tigress?" His words snapped me back from my reverie. His extended paw still waiting for my answer. "Something wrong?" he raised his brows.
"No ―no. It's just. No one ever asked me to be their friend."
"Let me be the first." He smiled goofily.
I suppose I could try. I mused and extended my paw, mirroring his.
And since that day, my training and my life became that bit sweeter.