A Normal Life

Shifu groaned as his sigh and strength left his body. "She's doing my job for me," He muttered in his room. The map of all their failed attempts to find Momoda stood as a reminder on the back wall above his cot behind him. His white teacup reflected his sadness. "And she's doing a better job than I ever could."

"Master Shifu, don't be so hard on yourself," Po said, sitting across from him. The two pandas sat at a low red table, drinking some tea while Po reported what happened last night.

"But it is true. She manages to turn Master Viper's spirit around with a candid conversation that neither I nor you could produce in her. Monkey takes training more seriously. Crane is more confident in his fighting and himself. It makes me wonder if my way of teaching is hindering or stalling you."

"I mean, Mantis is the same, right?" Po grinned. The red panda stared as the wisp of steam rose from his tea. "Yeah, I think we both suck at encouraging people right now."

Shifu sighed, "In any case, I've decided to let you deal with her."

"I'm sorry what?" Po asked.

"She seems to open up the most with you. Maybe you can figure out her end goal."

"So what? I'm supposed to be up all night?!"

Shifu shook his head with a small smirk "No, Po. I'm not going to exhaust you. Master Tigress's training has already shown me that I may be pushing you all too hard. And expecting too much."

Po's head tilted to the side. "What's wrong with Tigress?"

"She's... I believe she's overtraining," Shifu groaned lowly. "She's been more exhausted as of late and... I can't help but feel like I'm responsible for her... unhealthy attitude toward training."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine for now. She just needs some rest," Shifu replied.

"What happened?"

"When morning came, I found her completely knocked out in the Training Hall. She was breathing and snoring, but I couldn't get her to wake up."

"Whoa, that's deep sleep."

"Exactly," Shifu sighed.

"But... that can't be your fault. You didn't tell her to train harder. That was her own decision."

"But I started that attitude with Tai Lung and even more so with Tigress. I'm starting to see the errors of my... teaching more clearly."

"Hmm," Po stroked his chin as his master got up.

"But that's another matter entirely."

"Hmmm," Po got up, bowed, and left. "Maybe it isn't," He muttered to himself.

Three nights went by. No sign of the tiger, but Po didn't really mind. The panda could be seen muttering to himself day and night in the crowded or lonely streets over who Momoda was and what exactly she was doing. He even muttered in his sleep. Her actions had no reason or motive to them but knowing her they were exactly her style of mayhem.

But was it mayhem?

Po couldn't figure that out. He went over the evidence in his head: Crane had a new girlfriend, Monkey took training more seriously, Viper was more confident in her strength and herself, and Master Shifu was learning the hard way that his teaching had consequences. And they couldn't deny that the village was safer at night.

Po sighed. That didn't explain why Momoda was doing this, who she was, or if she intended to do all of this. "What is she trying to do?" He muttered.

Because Master Shifu had appointed him to interact with the tiger, Po began taking charge of the mission to find and catch Momoda. Hence why he was alone down on this warm spring night. He didn't do this every night; the others would still help, except Tigress. The others refused to let her. "Why?"

"You're overworked, overtrained, and I'm over it!" Po complained one time. "And we need you in top shape to fight Momoda. So rest." Po had to get firmer with Tigress over time, a change no one saw coming.

Po's eyes stared into the nighttime pavement while he rubbed his chin and sternly twitched his eyebrow in thought about his master. "It's weird that he gave up though," Po mumbled. Shifu didn't give up that easily on anything. But in this case, he did. Were Momoda's actions really causing him to look in the mirror that much? "Why did Shifu give up?"

"Maybe he got bored?"

"Nah, Shifu doesn't get bored. He's too stubborn to- wait a minute." Po looked to his left. There standing next to him was Momoda.

"Hello," She grinned, kissing the panda's nose. Po jumped back.

"You!"

"You know, I do have a name."

"Momoda! What... how-"

"I saw you walking alone and talking to yourself. Thought I could keep you company," The tiger smirked.

"Uh... huh," Po shook his head as the tiger chuckled. "Momoda, can... can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."

"WHAT?!"

"Hmmm so that's what a blushing panda looks like."

"Stop that!" Po fussed, rubbing his cheeks to make sure that he wasn't blushing. Momoda's grin couldn't be wider. "Ugh, why are you doing this?"

"You're fun to play with."

"No, I mean all of this. Why are you here? Why are you doing what you're doing?"

"It's important to live a little," the tiger grinned, "Someone close told me that."

"But why act like this? Punching anyone that annoys you? Talking so... soo... weirdly? Kissing random people-"

"You're still on that?" The tiger chuckled.

Po blushed, "That's not the point. It's just... it almost feels like you're being rebellious. But against who?"

"Whom, panda," the tiger groaned slowly, placing her hands on her hips, "Against whom. That's been my entire life. Corrections, discipline, order, do this, do that. All of this?!" She exclaimed in a rising voice. "I couldn't do. I could never do under my parents' roof. It was lock and key all because of my siblings' talents. I was told to do this. Do that. Every single day! I was never enough. Now..."

She roared loud and proud into the night. The valley echoed with the haunting power of her rage, energy, and freedom. "Now," She continued in a quieter tone. "I can be who I want to be and live like I want to live. If it means being frivolous and adventurous for the first time in my life since I had my first period-"

"Okay, TMI!" Po yelped.

Momoda grinned at him, "I just wanted to taste the life I've been missing. And wow. What a life." She looked at the stars shining in the blackest curtain. The moon outshone them all. Her wild grin settled for a moment. A more appreciative free smile replaced it. The moon's light reflected a bit along her black back beads while her red eyes calmed in their normal fiery passion, like a flame on a candle stick that finally stopped its flickering.

She was beautiful, Po thought, but he promptly pushed it out of his head as he returned to reality. "But that doesn't mean wrecking the village is the way to live your life."

"Like you haven't figured out that I'm only around the worst parts of town?" Momoda smirked, patting her hand on Po's cheek. "Besides, goody handsome heroes like yourself will clean it up just nicely."

"Hey! But... thanks?!" Po said confused. The tiger chuckled and started to walk away, "But... So all of this was for... freedom?"

"Yeah," Momoda smirked over her shoulder.

"That can't be it. What you're doing and saying isn't making sense. That's not all you want, is it?"

"What else is there to want?"

"Do you want freedom... or someone to finally tell you that you're good enough?"

She stopped. She didn't move for a second. For a moment, Po thought she'd tear him to shreds. Maybe even throw him across the village. She was definitely strong enough. She just stood there with her back toward the panda. No sound came out of her mouth. One second, two seconds went by.

Sniff, sniff

Po heard it. It was soft. Each sniff came with a body jerk. She struggled to stand up. She bent her back over. Her knees hit the ground. She clasped her hands to her face. She wouldn't emit any more sounds other than sniffling.

But then she cried. Po wrestled with what to do. There's a rule that a decision should be made within three heartbeats, otherwise one starts to overthink and find excuses.

Ba-Bump!

She cried louder and louder, gripping her white vest in a futile attempt to quiet herself. But she had expressed so much of her feelings. This feeling was just as powerful. It couldn't be stopped now.

Ba-Bump!

"Why?" She muttered. That's all she could say. Was she wondering why no one couldn't simply care for her? Couldn't simply say to her that she was enough? That she was loved just the way she was? That she didn't have to constantly change who she was? Were the thoughts in her head true? Po couldn't tell.

Ba-Bump!

By the third heartbeat, Po moved. He didn't remember why or how. He just moved. He knelt at her side and hugged her.

She gasped. Why was he doing this? Why would he do this? Why?

The questions stopped for a moment. Her mind grew peaceful.

It didn't matter.

She cried harder.

"I... I just want to be free," She muttered through her tears, letting her head fall into Po's soft chest. "I want to be... to be free from that voice in my head that tells me I'm not enough. I want to be enough! I don't want to...to... to ask people if I'm enough! I want to be free from wanting my... parents' approval. I-I just want to be free!"

"I know," Po said in a broken voice. The tiger gasped again. The silvery light of the moon was just enough for her to see the glint of his tears. "I know."

He knew that pain.

He knew it well.

"But," Po finally said, offering the most understanding smile, "You can be free. I know it. You can't please everyone but people will have to deal with who you are and who you want to be either way. You're you and no one else. You'll mess up, but that's okay. One day I know you'll find a way to be free."

"It's impossible," Momoda groaned back. The panda lifted her head like it was a small baby. Po gently nestled his hand on her cheek, smiling warmly.

"Nothing is impossible." Her red eyes brightened up. Her lips suddenly found Po's, kissing him tenderly yet fiercely. Po shut his eyes. There was something so calming about her lips this time. So warm and energizing and...

She pulled away and jumped onto a rooftop, but stopped to turn around and smile. "I'll think about it." With that, she dove into the night.

Po stood back up and smiled with a loud sigh. "I've... got to get a normal life."

Continued...