I do not own the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
The Father and the Mentor
The noodle shop was deserted.
Mr. Ping leaned against the countertop that divided the kitchen from the dining area and gave a sigh of boredom. Despite the fact that his shop got decent business during the winter season he wasn't too surprised that not a single customer had come this particular day.
It was absolutely freezing.
A thick layer of snow covered everything and a bitter wind assaulted the Valley of Peace. Icicles hung from the edges of his wooden tables and he was sure that the chairs had frozen to the ground. Mr. Ping eyed the shovel that rested near the shop entrance. He supposed he could have at least done the job of shovelling, but it was much too cold and he was an old goose. Best to wait for Po to come visit and make him do the laborious work.
Ah, Po. Mr. Ping gave a soft, sad smile at the thought of his son. A rather intense crime wave had struck the Valley a few weeks ago and the Dragon Warrior had his hands full with cleaning up the bandits and thieves. Adding that with Kung Fu training, Po simply didn't have the time to come down and visit.
Well, you certainly have the time to visit him.
Mr. Ping brightened up at his self-given idea. Why not? Po always made the trek to visit him and he hardly ever visited his son at the Jade Palace. Besides, there would be no customers that day (and admittedly, that did make him disappointed. Money was money after all).
The goose took a few minutes to close up his shop before walking out into the street. He studied the grey sky and noted that the falling snow had ceased, which meant it was safe enough to fly up to the Jade Palace.
Mr. Ping took flight and arrived at the Jade Palace in no time. He gave a sigh of relief when he landed in the courtyard, his wings nearly frosted with ice from the winter wind. Mr. Ping shook himself off and headed for the barracks when he suddenly heard a shout coming from the training hall.
"I am losing my patience with you, Panda! You will do as I command or face the consequences!"
Shifu's voice, filled with barely controlled rage, rocked the courtyard. Mr. Ping gave a slight frown and ventured over to the training hall. The doors were slightly ajar and Mr. Ping peered between the crack, being careful not to be seen by the master and student.
Po stomped his foot in irritation (a habit that had stuck with him since he was a cub) and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Master Shifu, I'm telling you, I got the Seven Swinging Clubs of Whatever down pat! I didn't even get hit the last two times!"
"Your form is still clumsy and you barely avoid the clubs when they come at you." Shifu's voice was clipped, as if he was tired of repeating himself. "Your problem is that you can't stay focussed."
"I am too focussed!" Po protested. "I just don't see the point of going through it again when I pretty much got it."
"'Pretty much' isn't good enough. You will do this course again and again until you have it perfected."
"Perfection is impossible," Po shot back.
"True, but you can come close. And you, Panda, are hardly close," Shifu returned coolly.
"Look, I'm tired and hungry. I'm taking a break," Po grumbled. He turned to step past Shifu but the red panda was not having it. Within a blink of an eye Shifu had Po pinned to the ground, Oogway's peach staff pressed not-so-gently against Po's throat.
"You will do as I say," Shifu thundered.
Po scowled. "Why do you always have to be so difficult?"
Unable to take any more of his son's insolence (and he was certain that if Po didn't shut his mouth soon Shifu would behead him) Mr. Ping shoved the doors open and stormed inside. "Po Ping, you've got some nerve!"
"Dad!" Po exclaimed, jolting upwards and getting Shifu's staff jammed into his throat. He gagged and Shifu hastily jumped off of the panda, turning to give Mr. Ping a curious glance.
"Who do you think you are, talking to Shifu like that?" Mr. Ping demanded.
"Uh…the Dragon Warrior?" Po offered, still a bit stunned from his father's sudden arrival and not thinking straight.
"Dragon Warrior or not, that doesn't give you the right to argue with your master. And how can you be so disrespectful after everything he's done for you?"
"But Dad-"
"Don't 'but Dad' me! I raised you better than to be rude to your elders. You apologize right now!"
An embarrassed flush crept up Po's neck and he stared at the floor, ashamed. "I'm sorry for being rude," he said sincerely. "I'm just…really tired of doing it over and over."
"I know you are. But in Kung Fu things are not done halfway, as I keep telling you. You do them until you know you cannot do any better."
"But…I can't-"
Shifu waved his paw to cut off Po's remark of self-doubt. "Don't give me that. If you can do the Golden Lotus Clap and Wuxi Finger Hold, I have full faith you can run this course with perfect balance, timing and focus."
"Okay." Po eyed the Seven Swinging Clubs of Oblivion and gave a meek smile. "I'll do it until I get it right, I promise."
"Good." Shifu gave a curt nod. "I will be back to check on you in two hours. Don't goof off."
"I won't."
"And no snack breaks."
"Uh, can I have-?"
"No snack breaks," Shifu said firmly. Po could feel his father's stern gaze burning into his neck flab and he nodded in agreement.
"Alright, alright. No snack breaks."
"We'll see you in two hours," Mr. Ping said, following Shifu towards the door. "Be good and don't disappointment me!"
"I won't, Dad."
The two elders stepped out into the frigid weather and Shifu closed the doors behind him. Almost immediately after a pained yelp was heard. Shifu finally heaved the sigh that had been building up inside him and rubbed his forehead. "You put up with him for how long?"
A grin curled across Mr. Ping's bill as they descended down the stone steps and towards the Jade Palace. "Too long. And there's no give backs."
Shifu chuckled softly. "There goes my backup plan."
"I do apologize for my son, Shifu. If it's one thing he's had since he was a child it's a mouth that gets him in trouble and a thick skull."
"It's nothing I can't handle. Although he has been a bit more…brash than usual."
"I hope I didn't upset you with my intervening," Mr. Ping said, worried that he had perhaps overstepped his boundaries in the Jade Palace.
"Of course not, he's your son after all. To be honest if you hadn't stepped in I probably would have hurt him." Shifu shook his head in exasperation. "The only thing he seems to respond to is the threat of a good beating."
"That sounds like Po," Mr. Ping agreed. "Where are the others?"
"I told them they could take the day off. They actually completed their training yesterday. Po decided that training should be forfeited for an autograph session down in the village." The very memory of the panda's display of strong arrogance caused Shifu's stomach to turn. "I sometimes worry about him."
Mr. Ping eyed Shifu thoughtfully. It was no secret that Tai Lung's betrayal had resulted in Shifu's sudden harsh treatment with his students. Despite the fact that Po had rid the Valley of Tai Lung and finally allowed Shifu to achieve Inner Peace, the red panda still feared that he might one day fail his students to the point where they too turned to darkness.
Mr. Ping, however, thought the very opposite.
"Po can let his head swell, that's for sure. But he's got an even bigger heart that overpowers that. He will not let you down, nor will the Furious Five. They adore you too much for that to happen." Mr. Ping paused to let his words sink in before adding, "And you won't let them down."
Shifu gave a slow nod. "If you have such confidence in my abilities as a master and teacher then I suppose it would be foolish of me not to share the same confidence."
"Exactly! Plus, if Po becomes extremely difficult, I know just the way to snap him out of it."
Intrigued, Shifu turned to the goose. "How?"
"Oh, I'll have to show you. I can do it when Po finishes training."
"Have you closed the shop for today?"
Mr. Ping gestured to the frozen land that surrounded them. "No one's coming in this weather. I wouldn't even come in this weather."
The two approached the Jade Palace and Shifu led the goose into the Hall of Warriors. Mr. Ping eyed the artifacts with interest and suddenly spotted something tacked to the wall. It was a picture of Po touching an ancient vase and there was a big red 'X' overtop the panda. Mr. Ping let out a snort of laughter and Shifu followed his gaze. A soft smile crossed his lips. "Mr. Ping, you have no idea how many times that boy has broken the Urn of Whispering Warriors."
"Well, Po is indeed clumsy," Mr. Ping agreed. "Has he been destroying things more so than before?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"I hate to tell you this Shifu, but when Po becomes comfortable in a place, he also loses the worry about wrecking any possessions." Mr. Ping grinned. "You'll be stuck with him for a long time."
A mock sigh of disappointment left Shifu. "Only I would have that kind of luck. Come, how about we play a round of Chinese checkers? I want a rematch."
…
Roughly an hour later Mr. Ping had won all the matches. Shifu gave a frown and shook his head. "If only Po shared your skills for strategy."
"Master Shifu! Dad!"
Po's shout reached Shifu's sensitive hearing. Immediately he was up and racing across the tiled floor to assist his student in whatever trouble he had gotten himself in. Leaving him alone with the Swinging Clubs, what was I thinking? One wrong move and he could be critically injured!
"What's wrong?" Mr. Ping cried as Shifu took off with great speed. Figuring that Shifu's sudden anxiety had something to do with his son the goose took after the red panda, trying to keep his own worries from consuming him.
In rapid time they reached the training hall. Shifu kicked the doors open and landed in a battle stance. He quickly relaxed upon seeing Po dancing excitedly on his feet on the wooden floor. "Po, what's going on?" Shifu demanded. "Are you hurt?"
"No! I did it!" Po exclaimed. "I did the course perfectly! Or close to it!"
Mr. Ping flew into the hall and landed beside Shifu. "What's…wrong?" he panted, winded from the fast flight.
"Po has completed the course," Shifu informed him. "Well, Panda, go ahead."
Po obeyed and got into position. With grace, skill and precision he effectively avoided the Seven Swinging Clubs of Oblivion and finished with a perfect stance. "Well?" Po asked hopefully.
A proud smile lit up Shifu's face. "And you thought you wouldn't be able to do it."
Happiness shone in Po's eyes and Mr. Ping clapped his wings together gleefully. "My little Dragon Warrior is all grown up! Come here!"
Po flushed when his father wrapped his wings around him tightly. "Dad, come on, you're embarrassing me."
"I'm your father. I'm allowed to do that. Oh! Shifu, are you still interested in learning on how to deal with a stubborn pig-head?"
Po's eyes darted between his father and mentor curiously. A sly smirk curled across Shifu's face. "I would love to."
Mr. Ping turned and sharply pinched Po's side, twisting the flab and bringing the panda to the ground in a second. "If he ever gets difficult, that little move normally shuts him up."
"Da-ad!" Po cried, mortified. "Why'd you have to show him that?"
"Hey, when you're not with me you're under his care. That means he needs to know how to deal with you when you get insufferable." Mr. Ping rapped his son gently on the head. "It's done out of love and utter annoyance."
"I think I'll call that one the Po-Pinch," Shifu mused. "It'll definitely come in handy. Thank you, Mr. Ping."
"Yeah, thanks Dad," Po grumbled, getting back to his feet.
"No problem. Now, how about we all get some lunch?"
"Can you make your noodle soup and bean buns?" Po asked hopefully, having missed the special touch his father had in his cooking.
"Of course I can." Mr. Ping patted his arm.
The three started out of the training hall. Po paused for a moment on the steps and gazed at his father and father-figure hesitantly. "You're not gonna exchange embarrassing stories about me over lunch, are you?"
"Of course we are," Mr. Ping replied, sending Shifu a smile, which the red panda returned with a wink. "What else are caretakers supposed to do?"