The Curious Tale Of Momoda

A Worrying Development

Po ducked from Crane's wing before pushing the bird's chest. Crane backed away. He looked up and took to the air before circling and diving from above. Po rolled from the bird's diving attack. Crane landed in his ready stance. Po ran up and tried to grab Crane. With a flap of his wings, Crane soared into the air, hovering over Po in a circle. "Come on, Crane. That's not fair. Why are you always flying away?"

"Ever since we fought Kai, I want to make sure that I can get out of the line of danger."

"Hmm, good point," Po said, rolling his shoulders back. The bird gently fluttered to the courtyard ground right outside of the Training Hall. "But that's not gonna win the fight, you know."

"I can't win the fight if I'm possessed."

"Another good point. Wow, you're on fire today." 

Crane smiled. Po stretched his back and gave a loud grunt of relief. "I think we're good for today. You keep dodging everything I throw at you."

"And that's a good thing."

"But you have to go on the offense sometime, you know," Po argued. 

"Not if I can-"

"I'm pretty sure someone like Kai isn't gonna be around for a while." (A/N: Right Dreamworks?)

"You never know," Crane replied. Suddenly, they heard a loud clang. They whipped their heads and ran over to the left side of the Training hall where they cleared a small bush from their sight. They saw a certain snake trapped under heavy weights. 

"Viper!" Po and Crane rushed to her side and took the weights off of her. 

"Are you okay?" Po asked. 

"Ack! Ack! I think so," Viper coughed. Her body looked mangled and misaligned. She stretched out, and Po and Crane winced as several pops and cracks echoed from the serpent's body. "I... think I'm going to rest for a bit."

"Viper, why are you hiding here?" 

"I'm not hiding," she answered Crane. 

"But you're in the bushes practicing with... actually what were you doing with the weights?" Po asked. 

Viper glanced at the two warriors and sighed. She slithered out of hiding and into the courtyard, still frowning. Po and Crane glanced at each other in silence and stillness. "I was just... trying to get better."

"At what?" Crane asked. 

"I was trying to get stronger."

"Why?" Po asked. 

"Because I... I feel like I've been falling behind. Like my training has stalled. I know that you're the Dragon Warrior Po, but I can't help but feel like I've gotten... weaker."

"What? What makes you say that?" Po asked. 

"It's just... you've mastered Chi, inner peace, and almost every Kung Fu imaginable." 

"I have not."

"You might as well have. It's just... I feel like I'm... weak."

"Viper," Crane spoke up. "You're not weak. And besides, strength and power can only get you so far, and you know that."

"Yeah, I may be the Dragon Warrior and the best at Kung Fu, but not strength."

"What about Tai Lung?" Viper pointed out. 

"Tai Lung was still strong, but what's strength when you're fighting me? I'm as unpredictable as they come, but I'm not as muscle-bound as he was. I can't fight Tigress in a simple game of wrestling. Not again anyway," The panda murmured, rubbing his forearm.