Viper Lays Eggs
As Viper flew over the mountains and valleys in Cranes talons, she couldn't help but feel grateful that Shifu had let her bring him on this duo mission. She had fought side by side with all of the Furious Five and Po, and would trust any of them with her life. But it was only Crane that she felt comfortable trusting with this secret.
As they came in for a landing in a cozy valley after their long day traveling, Viper stretched out trying to find a comfortable position for her ever expanding belly. "Thank you Crane," she said exhaustedly, "We made good distance today."
"Are you okay?" Crane asked, he didn't want to overreact, but he'd noticed Viper had been growing tired quickly lately, her movements becoming lazier. He didn't doubt her abilities, or her willingness, but he worried she was getting sick or something.
"Oh, it's nothing," Viper said. She looked at her stomach wondering if she should tell him now, it was getting close, but she still had time.
But she figured she'd have to let Crane in sooner or later, so she figured now was as good a time as any.
"Can I tell you a secret?" She whispered quietly as Crane prepared their fire. Crane nodded. "I'm about to lay eggs," she said.
Crane stopped in shock, he looked at her in complete bewilderment. "Seriously?" He asked, "Are you okay? Do I need to get someone?"
"I'm fine," Viper said, "I just thought you should know, as I'm expecting before we reach our destination."
Crane just stood there at a complete loss of words as to what to say. Viper didn't really mind, she'd sort of expected this response, that's why she'd asked for Crane to come with her on this mission rather than the others. Crane may worry, but at least he'd take it seriously, something she didn't feel confident she could say for Mantis or Monkey. Tigress would have taken it seriously, but she tended to be too mission-oriented, and would probably insist on Viper staying behind if she knew. Po on the other hand would probably just start geeking out in that heartening way of his once he heard one of the Furious Five was going to lay eggs, which was kind of cute, but wouldn't exactly be helpful. Plus, she felt comfortable around Crane, and him being of another egg laying species, he'd probably understand better than most the others. It may have been a little awkward given that he was a male, but Viper didn't really mind.
Finally, Crane regained his thoughts. "So, who's the father?"
Viper gave out a weak laugh, "There is no father, I'm sure you know that not all eggs carry life."
Crane started pacing anxiously. "But how is this even possible, Green Tree Vipers don't lay eggs, do they?"
Viper looked at him. "How do you know that?"
"I found a scroll about it..."
"Why were you reading a scroll about viperrepro- Actually, I'm not sure I want to know?"
Crane blushed. That was all Viper needed to know.
"It's rare," Viper admitted, changing the subject back to the conversation, "Most species don't know it, even many of our own. Typically, a viper like me will give birth to live young, the eggs hatching while they're still inside the body, but if a viper has eggs without a mate, there are no hatchlings to hatch, so the eggs sometimes come whole."
"Are you sure you're still up for this mission," Crane asked anxiously. This is what Viper appreciated, he wasn't trying to send her home or acting like this was some sort of handicap, he just wanted to make sure she was good to keep going without making any pre-determined judgements on her behalf.
"I'll be fine," Viper assured him, "I lay in a day or two, and then we arrive at our destination, complete our mission, and return to the Jade Palace like nothing happened."
"Okay," said Crane uncertainly, "But if it becomes too much for you, I'll insist we take a break."
Grateful for his company, Viper rested her head, taking in the warmth of the fire. As she fell to sleep, Crane sat up stoking the fire a little longer. He looked over at Viper's sleeping figure, hoping this wouldn't be a mistake.
The next day passed uneventfully, Crane flying on toward their destination, him and Viper making the usual small-talk. It was on the third day as they were flying over some fields that Viper suddenly felt a strange sensation twisting inside her.
"Crane," she called, "Stop."
Crane looked at her, "What is it? You see something?"
"The eggs," Viper said urgently, "I think they're coming."
Crane, realizing the seriousness of this, pulled down, landing in a field. Viper climbed off of him, and stretched out on the ground, trying to find a comfortable position.
"Okay," said Crane, "We're here, what do you want me to do?"
Viper looked at him. "I don't think there's much you can do, just stand by and I'll tell you if I need you."
"Okay," said Crane, beginning to pace anxiously, "Just stand by and wait 'til I'm needed," he repeated to himself.
Stretching out on the ground, Crane standing by, Viper felt herself feeling a little self-conscious. "Crane, please don't mention this to anybody."
Crane looked at her, understanding in his eyes, "Okay, I won't say a thing."
Suddenly, Viper's breath caught as a sharp contraction hit her. Another hit her and she gasped. Crane turned to look at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes," Viper said, gritting her teeth, "Just a contraction."
Viper gasped as another wave of contractions hit her, she breathed hard, trying to keep her cool, but the pain was overcoming all of her.
Struggling with everything she had, she tried to maintain herself. Though every breath was a struggle, she managed to keep her head.
Then suddenly, she let out another gasp as she felt something drop through her, "Oh, oh, oh!" She cried, "the egg, check for the egg!" She said, gritting teeth.
"Check?" Crane asked confused.
"My tail," Viper said, trying to keep her patience through the pain, "Check under the tail."
Crane hurried over and headed for her tail, lifting it uncertainly with his talons, "How can I tell what's tail, you look like all tail to me." But then he stopped, feeling nauseous. Ow, that had to hurt. "Wait, I see it. There's the egg."
He released the tail, and Viper writhed on the ground, growling with grimace as she struggled to keep herself from crying out in agony.
"How close?" Viper struggled.
"Only a little," Crane admitted, "Only a small bit of the egg was visible. I don't think it's going to feel good when the rest comes."
"I can handle it," Viper tried, but in reality, Viper knew if it already hurt this much, it was not going to be good for her when the rest came.
As a Kung Fu Master, she had at many times poured everything she had into fighting foes greater than herself with such effort and sometimes pain, but she had never imagined such a seemingly normal task as delivering eggs could exhaust more effort and pain than any foe she had faced before.
And then the egg came. Viper suddenly let out a cry, unable to hold it in any more.
Gasping, Viper tried to regain her composure, but the pain was too intense, she felt herself moaning deeply through every moment she had to endure.
But finally, she managed to regain her breath.
"Think Kung Fu's hard?" she gasped to Crane, "Try this!"
And suddenly, the second egg came, so unexpected, Viper hadn't had time to brace herself for the pain.
It was then Viper lost it, she collapsed to the ground writhing and crying out in pain, her breath coming out in gasps.
"Viper, are you okay?" Crane cried, trying to come to her aid.
Viper tried to regain her composure, but her body was now out of her control, no steady rhythm she could hold on to to restabilize herself, everything was out of sync with everything else.
Viper tried to use Inner Peace as Po had taught her, hoping that would help the rest of the eggs just roll through her, but her innards were certainly not peaceful, contracting violently in a rhythm she had no control over, sending sharp jolts of pain into her very being. She cried out excruciatingly, jerking her head back on the ground.
And then the third egg came, and she lost all control, writhing and moaning and crying out at every turn, managing to not straight up scream, but not able to maintain anything quieter than short gasps and guttural groaning.
Crane didn't like seeing one of his companions like this, but he figured there was nothing else to do, he'd just have to wait.
Viper laid around 9-10 eggs by the time she was done. When it was over, Viper finally was able to regain a little composure.
"You good?" Crane asked.
Viper nodded, her breath coming in gasps, "Yeah, thank you for your help," she said, "Ready to get on with the mission?" She felt a little self-conscious at what she'd just made Crane witness, and figured it'd be best to get on with things to help get it out of their minds.
Crane looked at her incredulously, "You just finished laying eggs, are you sure we shouldn't rest here a few minutes for you to recover?"
Admittedly, Viper was still feeling a bit queasy from the ordeal, but she wondered if maybe they had already delayed too long. "You're the one flying," Viper said finally.
Crane thought a moment, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a bite to eat before we take off..."
He took of his bag and pulled out a few dumplings Po had prepared for them before they'd left. They took their time eating, Viper's appetite slowly returning, though she had to keep her stomach from giving the occasional heave, and when they were done, they took off.
Viper hadn't known what to do with her eggs considering they'd never hatch, so she did the thing that felt right, she'd buried them in the dirt, leaving them behind in that field as they flew off into the distance.
They completed their mission and returned to the Jade Palace where their friends greeted them enthusiastically, wanting to hear all about their mission, which they told them everything. But in all their excitement over how the quest had went down, they all remained none the wiser about the fact that Viper had laid eggs while she was gone, about the pain she had endured that they'd never know, that far away in that field laid her eggs, buried beneath the Earth.
A moment lost in time that only her and Crane would ever know.