Ourselves
Autumn, winter, spring, and summer passed over the world twice. Seasons brought changes to the Valley of Peace. The dark blue skies lawned the heavens as the sun slowly rose above the eastern hemisphere. The bird looked across the sea of trees and bamboo. He had been on the trail for a while, but the excitement boiled up in him and he took to the air.
That and his feet were getting tired.
He soared over the green-filled basin where something among the sea of trees caught his eyes. "Is that... is that, Monkey?" He said. "Monkey!"
The figure waved his hand. "Hey! Crane!" shouted the simian. Monkey clambered down in one bound as the bird swooped to a landing. They bowed out of formality and custom. "Aw, come in here, you."
"Ack!" Crane yelped but laughed as he and Monkey hugged each other. "It's good to see you, Monkey. How have you been?"
"Great! Great, never thought I would be the type to do kwoon work. But my students seem to learn something from me," Monkey replied; kwoon means Training Hall.
"What do you mean?"
"It's hard being a teacher."
"Yeah, I know. Oogway and Shifu made it seem so easy."
"Ha! Well, Oogway did anyway. Shifu looked like he would pop a blood vessel any time Po would mess up."
"But what's wrong with being a teacher?" Crane asked as they walked towards their destination.
The simian warrior huffed, "Other than people don't take me seriously? You should see me train them. I'm a whole different person when I'm training these guys."
Crane smiled, "You often have to be in order to get them to learn."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm hard on my students. They're like me in every way, almost."
"That bad, huh?"
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding," Laughed the bird. They slowed their pace a bit.
"Sooo," Monkey smirked. "How's the miss?"
"I knew you were gonna ask about that," Crane sighed with a smile.
"Come on, man. It's been two years and you got married a year ago. How has married life been? You know, asking for a friend," Monkey said with a cheesy smile.
Crane rolled his eyes. "It's been nice. And with the baby on the way-"
"A baby!?"
"Oh... I didn't mention that in my letters?"
"No! It's bad enough that you didn't invite us to the wedding!"
"I told you. Min and I didn't want that many people. Besides, trying to get everyone to meet up is like trying to grab hay in a windstorm."
"Alright, alright, I'll give you that," Monkey sighed. "Still. But that's great! Have you thought of a name yet?"
"Not yet. We're taking things one step at a time right now," Crane smiled.
"Hm, I know that," Monkey sighed. They took another step. The bamboo stalks separated to the familiar cozy village resting at the foot of the high mountain that pierced the clouds. Wide smiles came to the warriors' faces. Crane felt his feathers bristle a bit as his heart rested comfortably somewhere in the bottom of his ribs. His feet began to ache more. Probably because they knew the same thing Monkey knew.
"We're home," Crane smiled. Monkey sniffed the air hoping to smell something deeply familiar. "Hope Mr. Ping's open by now. It's still early."
"Man, I miss Po's and Mr. Ping's cooking. I can't wait to get some food."
"Come on, let's get going," Crane said. The two walked down into the village. Familiar faces bowed and crowded the two masters. "Thank you, thank you. But we really must be going," Crane ushered on.
"We been gone a while," Monkey replied as the villagers slowly dispersed the further they walked. They turned one corner and headed down the road. It wound around the southern end of the village. The two could use the rooftops, but they wanted to see how the village had changed. Crane stopped and looked down the street to his right. A little empty lot sat in a very interesting place. "Crane?"
"Monkey, look."
"What?"
"You see what I see?"
Monkey looked at the empty lot. It was a small playground for kids, and by the look of the smiling female goat watching over them, he assumed it was a kind of daycare or foster home. "It's a playground, buddy. They have them here."
"No, but... do you realize where we are?"
"South of the village?"
"That's where the Huai Difang Tavern used to be."
Monkey's eyes widened. "They tore it down?"
"Yes," said a voice behind them. "Shifu thought it would be better for an orphanage playground than a tavern. It removes the danger a bit."
"Viper!" Crane and Monkey exclaimed. Next to the snake was a small bug that jumped onto Monkey's shoulder.
"Mantis! Hey little buddy! How have you been?"
"Great, just got in from my kwoon and met up with Viper," Mantis said. "We heard some noise and thought it might be you guys."
"It's so good to see you all again," Viper smiled. "It hasn't been the same without you guys here."
"And how is Master Viper? Second strongest warrior in the Master's Council of Warriors?!" Monkey exclaimed.
"Hehe, I asked Tigress and Master Shifu for some help with my training and...yeah," She said bashfully. "Though I can't defeat Tigress. She's gotten way too strong."
"I can imagine," Crane sighed. The village ran with little children's feet while workers and vendors noisily tried to sell their produce and wares. The alluring smell of Mr. Ping's food grew closer and closer. "It's like we never left," Crane smiled.
"Yeah, other than the Huai Difang Tavern being gone, everything is the same," Monkey added.
"Speaking of which, how are Tigress and Po? I can't imagine Po being alive with Tigress's temper," Mantis chuckled.
"You're one to talk," Viper smirked. "And things have gotten... interesting between those two."
Mantis and Monkey glanced at each other and shrugged, but Crane stared at the snake's grin. "Viper, you know something that you're not telling us."
"Huh?"
"I know that look on your face. What happened with Po and Tigress?" Crane asked. Viper opened her jaw, but commotion started before she could say anything else. The four spun around and ran down the street, and a small group of gorilla bandits tore through the village market lane.
"Looks like we need to get back to our old jobs," Monkey said, ramming his fist into his hand. They charged down the street and cut off the bandits to a standstill.
"You're not going anywhere," Crane ordered.
"Eh! Get out of our way, birdie," grunted one of the gorillas. Crane immediately flew right in front of him and slammed his foot across his face. The gorilla flew back, right into his comrade's arm.
"That's Master Crane to you."
"Whoa! It's the old Furious Five!" Said one of the younger gorillas.
One gorilla with a hammer snorted, "Yeah. Old."
"Lee, I don't think-"
"What are you chicken? Come on! Get rid of them!" Monkey and Mantis darted at the gorillas. Monkey jumped over the hammer and punched the gorilla, but another large ape body slammed him off. Crane flew in and knocked a gorilla back. Mantis jumped through the air and struck at a gorilla's nerve point.
"I'm hit!" Shouted the gorilla as he fell with a great crash. Lee's hammer smashed Crane out of the air and right into Monkey and Mantis. The three flew and broke a crate by the side of the road. The gorillas, five in all, slowly got up and set their eyes on the snake.
Viper hadn't moved. She idly checked the tip of her tail. Lee stormed up, grinning grizzly. "And what are you going to do, little snake? What's wrong? Not fighting because you're weak?"
"Oh, it's not that," Viper replied calmly. "I just told Tigress that she owed me for taking down the last bandit group."
The gorillas laughed. "Oh, and where's the little kitten?" asked Lee. Suddenly a large log bashed the gorilla squarely in the head. His hammer flew out of his hand, clattering to the ground. "Aarrgh!" He fell back with a loud thud.
"There she is," Viper smiled.
The four standing gorillas watched as a warrior with a tattered white vest showing her abs stood on the unconscious gorilla. She picked up the log that stood at her waist but was as thick as a cinderblock. Her muscular form meshed with each curve she had in her legs and arms, and black tattered ripped pants tried to contain her powerful thighs. Only one marking rested on her left arm, a powerful tiger tattoo.
Crane narrowed his eyes. There was something familiar about this tiger.
"Sorry, I'm late. Po had to get second lunch," the tiger sighed.
"It's alright, Tigress," Viper smiled. Tigress threw her log at the four gorillas, who tumbled to the ground. One got up, grabbed Lee's hammer, and swung at her. Tigress lept over it with ease. She struck right in the gorilla's gut. The gorilla clutched his stomach and fell to his knees. Then he fell to his face. "Hm. Twenty seconds. New record."
"Hm, Po owes me a new pair of pants. I'll add it to the list of things he already owes me," Tigress smirked. She finally saw the three standing with gawking dropped jaws. "Hello. Nice to see you three again."
"T-Tigress?" Crane said. "Why are you dressed like Momoda?"
"You never told them?" Viper asked.
"I was trying to keep it a secret, remember?" Tigress took a deep breath. "I was Momoda."
"WHAT?!" The three shouted.
"I used the Shift Stone and some advanced Kung Fu to become Momoda."
"So wait, we were getting our butts kicked by you! Why did you do that?!" Monkey asked.
"Honestly, you needed the brutal truth," Tigress smirked, crossing her arms.
"So this was some test! Did Master Shifu put you up to this?" Mantis exclaimed. The girls laughed.
"No, he didn't. It's... I did it to get some freedom. It's hard being the leader and support for everyone, especially when people think you can do no wrong," Tigress frowned.
"Ah, I get it now," Crane smiled. "The pressure got to you." The tiger growled. "Heh, it's okay. I get it. Pressure gets to me when I'm teaching. Part of me thinks I should know everything. Thinking like that usually ends up hurting my students. So I can only imagine what it was like for you." He glanced up and down Tigress's fullish figure. "And you've definitely been eating Po's food."
"Are you calling me fat?" Tigress grunted slightly.
Crane smirked back, "You know I'm not that stupid. I'm just saying you've finally stopped caring about how others see you and how you look. You look nice."
Tigress laughed and patted Crane on the back. "Seems like marriage has finally gotten you a backbone."
"You could say that," Crane smiled. Monkey and Mantis couldn't pick up their jaws to make coherent sense of what was happening. "How did Master Shifu let you have the tattoo?"
Tigress chuckled a bit, "After he made a joke about how I was turning into Momoda for real, it gave Po and me an idea."
"What was it like when you got it?"
The tiger smiled cheekily. "I've only seen that shocked face of his when Po was chosen."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Crane rolled his body back and gripped his stomach.
"But he grew to like it. I decided to only get one. Two just seemed a bit much."
"Like the beads?"
"That was just out of practicality," Tigress grumbled. "Po and I tried to put them in, but... it's a lot harder than it looks. And harder to maintain."
"Speaking of which," Crane said, looking around, "Where is Po?" Just then, a familiar face came running down the road.
"Po," Tigress grumbled, "You're late."
"Sorry, Dad wanted me to taste the new tofu recipe. Aw man, I missed the fight," Po pouted. Tigress shook her head and kissed the panda's cheek.
"It's okay. I'll let you get the next attack."
"Thanks."
"WHAT?!" Monkey, Mantis, and Crane exclaimed.
Crane blinked and blinked but the confusion couldn't go away. "You two are... dating?"
"Yes, we are," Po smiled proudly.
Crane blinked again before a long wide smile crossed his face. "FINALLY!" he screamed, looking at Mantis and Monkey. "Pay up you two!"
"Aw come on, Crane."
"Nope! Pay up," Crane grinned. The simian and bug pulled out their money and gave it to the bird. "And now I'm 30 yuan richer."
"You put a bet on us?" Tigress grunted, annoyed.
"Oh don't worry," Crane smiled, "Master Shifu owes me money too."
"WHAT?!" Tigress and Po shouted.
"Yeah, he said you two wouldn't get together by the time we got back. Viper didn't want to play, but I had faith in you two," Crane smiled.
"Is that why Shifu was so persistent about us taking our time?" Tigress growled, "Crane, I really want to punch your head into the ground right now."
"But you're in love," Crane smiled, not the least worried. Tigress looked at Po's goofy grin and shrug, and she sighed with a defeated smile.
"But I'm in love."
"Hehe, I know the feeling," Crane smiled.
"Wow, Crane. What is Min like to get you like this?" Po marveled. "I need to meet her 'cause you've probably changed the most."
"Or maybe," Tigress smiled, "She just pulled out who you always were."
"Haha, maybe," Crane smiled back. "Also, 'Harder birdie'?"
Tigress's eyes darted back and forth. "Wh-what are you talking about?"
"When Monkey and I first met Momoda, that's what you said when we fought," Crane smirked. "What's up with that?"
Tigress sighed, grumbling a bit out of embarrassment. "I was trying to get you off your guard. You held your ground better than I thought. I was proud of you."
"Thanks."
"Monkey on the other hand."
"Oh shut up, I already paid for my pride," Monkey grumbled. Everyone laughed.
"Come on," Po said, wrapping his arm around Tigress's waist. "Let's go meet up with Shifu. It'll be nice to have everyone and see how we've changed."
"I don't think we ever did change," Crane said thoughtfully. "I think we just started to be who we always should've been."
"What's that?" Po asked.
"Ourselves," Crane smiled. The team walked over to Mr. Ping's where they reunited with the old goose, Master Shifu, and Li-Shan all playing a game of Mahjong. They chatted about their challenges, hopes, fears, joys, and themselves.
All of themselves.
If you could be anyone, who would you be?
The End
