Lotus

Chapter 6. Nightmare or Memory?

A female panda was running through the winter forest, everything but the snow was covered in red, and nothing but the angry howls of wolves on her tail filled her ears. She was told to run away. To fled. For the safety of the rest of her pandas, and... the little bundle curled up in her grasp. She dodged all the wolves attacks, breathing heavily as bits of blood decorated her dress.

She should've listened to her master's warning.

She shouldn't have dismissed it out of paranoia.

If she had just gave her master's vision a chance, she wouldn't be running for her life now.

Just when the wolves were about to close in on her, she whipped her body around, covering her baby's eyes, and raised her palm towards them. A golden light radiated from her paw pads, and in a split second, she used her chi to blast the wolves.

The impact and the golden hue was too strong, it was able to knock the wolves out into the snow. She sighed in relief, but she still wasn't safe, not until she knew her baby was too.

She dashed through the woods, only to come across a ditch, where a bunch of boxes filled with vegetables were ready to take off. It was a perfect hiding spot. She slid into the ditch and quickly put her baby boy in the box of radishes. His big green eyes that he inherit from his mother filled with tears as he cried, confused to the situation present and wondering why his mama was going to leave him in a basket. They were so happy, weren't they?

The mother tried to calm her baby boy down, "Shh, it's okay Lotus, it's okay..." She comforted. She latched on her boy's hands with a smile, before she started to sing to her baby to calm him down...

"Moonbeams and starlight...

Magical Twilight...

The warmest Ray...

Hear it whispering your name..."

The boy started to slowly cease his sobbing at the sound of the familiar lullaby. It always worked. Whenever the cub had trouble sleeping, his mother would sing him that lullaby, rocking him to sleep. He giggled in delight, showing the biggest smile on his face.

The mother now started feeling tears brim her eyes instead, knowing full well that this might be the last time she would be able to sing him this lullaby. She sniffed to try and stay strong for her boy, and continued singing with her angelic voice.

"Rainbows at midnight...

Sparkling night skies...

Don't go away...

Stay another day..."

The boy cooed happily and clapped his hands, asking his mother to sing to him again. The grown panda chuckled at her son's adorable antics, and leaned forward to kiss his little head for the last time.

"Ma..." Her eyes went wide at her son's mumble. She looked down at him in surprise. He just said his first word, and it was hers! She caressed Lotus' face in her paw, watching him lean into her touch. He giggled again and latched onto her arm. She felt her heart broke. She wanted to stay with him, she didn't want to leave her 3 month old baby behind! There was still so much she wanted to see him do! She just witnessed his first word, but what about his first sentence, his first step, his first day of school, his first crush, his first girlfriend, his first heartbreak, his first kid!? And her husband, Li Shan, what about him? How can they go on without each other!? She needed him here, as much as he needed her. He can't raise their son by himself!...

...No. No, she was not going to be selfish. She didn't care what happened to her, if she stayed, the demon in white will for sure find her. She can't rescue both of them. One has to go. And she promised herself the moment she held Lotus in her arms that she would do everything in her power to protect her son. No matter the price. Otherwise she wouldn't be Oogway's successor.