The Curious Tale Of Momoda

The Full Story of Momoda

"Now before you say anything," Po immediately spoke, "I won't tell Master Shifu about this."

"Really?"

"I promise. I mean, Master Shifu doesn't know I listen to you sing in the shower."

Tigress blinked. "You... you listen to me sing?"

"I... I don't do that because I'm a weirdo! I just... You are a great singer," Po said nervously, twiddling his fingers. He shook his head after hearing her small chuckle. "But that's beside the point. I just want to know... like... Why! WHHHHHYYYYYY?! What started all of this?"

Tigress looked at the grass as she held herself tightly. Taking a deep sigh, she turned around, facing the village. "I... When Master Shifu ordered me to take the Shift Stones back, I... overheard your conversation with him."

"Now if you were like Tigress, I wouldn't have to-"

"Wait, what?" Po's eyes widened and shrank back down into a narrowed stare. "You're seriously comparing me to Tigress?"

"What's the matter with that?"

Po puffed out his chest a bit. "What's so wrong with me that you think being like Tigress is going to fix everything?"

"She doesn't do the things you do," Shifu replied.

"So just because she's your little Miss Perfect student, I should be exactly like her?"

"It wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah, it would!" Po remarked. "Because being me is what took down Tai Lung, Shen, Kai, and every other bandit in the valley." He crossed his big plushy arms with a scowl. "I thought you finally accepted me for who I am, Shifu."

"Po, I... I didn't mean you being you is always a problem. It's just... the way you are sometimes-"

"What is wrong with the way I am?"

"Okay, that came out wrong."

"No, no, I get it," Po grumbled. "Tigress plays by the rules and does everything you want like a good little student. With no emotion and no fun. Just like you want. I get it. She's just the perfect image of you and that's what you want me to do. Is that right?"

Po grimaced and winced at the memory. It didn't occur to him until now that he basically called Tigress a walking stick with no feelings. Maybe Master Shifu wasn't the only one that had to watch his words.

"It just..." Tigress shivered a bit. "It made me realize how people saw me. What people see me as. But... I'm not like that all the time. I HAVE to be like that for other people, for the team, for Master Shifu, even for you!" She sighed, "I was Master Shifu's star pupil unhealthily listening to her master for every correction. That's all I was. That's all I thought I was."

"What do you mean unhealthy?"

"Po, does your dad ever talk about your cooking skills when you're not working?"

Po shrugged, "He talks about work but not about my skills. He does a good job of only correcting me when I'm actually cooking. He says that it wouldn't be right to mention the mistake during off times."

"And how did it feel?"

"I mean, it was okay. He was a tough teacher but he wasn't that strict. Besides, I didn't spend every moment of my life learning how to cook. I had a life too... even if it was just making action figures and learning about awesome Kung Fu stories," Po mumbled, twiddling his fingers. 

Tigress chuckled a bit. "What I wouldn't give to live that life," She frowned. "Shifu would talk about how my skills needed adjustment. Every time. Day in and out. Everywhere. The training happened in the Training Hall and outside of it. Correction after correction, waking and sleeping. Eating, drinking, and even playing. I received the same training that Tai Lung had, just without... appreciation. And it never stopped," She growled lowly.