The Berserker Saga reading order:
Daddy-Daughter Issues – One-Shot – Shifu and Tigress have a discussion on the events of KFP2… (Completed)
A Completed Collection – One-Shot – Tigress notices something missing from Po's action figure collection… (Completed)
Father's Day – Two-Parter – Mr. Ping helps teach Shifu to be a better adopted father for Tigress while Tigress goes to Po for help with a gift for Shifu…
Confidence and Courage – multi-chapter – A horrible "accident" shakes Po's confidence in himself and his Kung Fu…
Today is a Gift – multi-chapter – An ancient artifact sends Tigress on an amazing yet horrifying adventure…
Hidden Talents – one shot – Everyone has little things that they can do, things that they enjoy… one member of the Furious Five's will surprise Po the most…
The Claws of the Berserker – multi-chapter – The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five face their greatest enemy yet, a monster, a Berserker that does not want power, wealth, or rule, but to watch all of China burn… and why is Master Shifu determined to keep Tigress out of the fight?
After the Storm – multi-chapter – the Masters of the Jade Palace and the Valley of Peace try to heal the physical and emotional wounds left by the Berserker…
Father's Day
Chapter 2: A Father's Greatest Joy
"I don't see how you can say that you've done wrong, Grand Master," Mr. Ping said, sitting across from the aged Kung Fu Master. "Tigress is one of the greatest heroes in all of China."
"I took her in and trained her but I have done nothing to provide her a family…" Shifu bowed his head, "If not for your son I fear I was pushing her on a similar path I had taken Tai Lung."
"Your lives have been sheltered from us in that palace, Master," Ping smiled, "your personal lives are little more than legends and what exaggerations my son shares. If I can help I'll need to know more." Ping's feathers drummed on the table, "Tell me about you and Tai Lung."
"I found him as a cub; he was abandoned to at the Palace gates," Shifu explained, sipping at the broth of his soup. "I adopted him… and I had never seen one with such a gift toward Kung Fu…"
"I'm not asking about his skills or how he was a student to you," Ping said, replacing Shifu's empty bowl with another filled with steaming soup.
"He wanted to be just like me," Shifu sighed, bowing his head in remembering the times he caught the small cub putting on his robes. "He dove into kung fu because he wanted to be the best… for me."
"When I brought M-… Tigress home, he was so excited to have someone to train himself," Shifu smiled at the memory. "I'm fairly certain he terrified the girl…" Ping nodded, and smiled sympathetically as Shifu's smile faded, "For a short time… Tai Lung, Tigress, Oogway, and myself… we were a family. We were a real family…"
"What went wrong?" Ping probed.
"Tai Lung mastered all thousand of the Scrolls of Kung Fu…" Shifu's lower lip trembled slightly, "I was so very proud of him! I never told him, but I'm sure it was showing on my face… I took him immediately to Master Oogway. I knew he was the One. I knew he was the Dragon Warrior… My SON was the Dragon Warrior!"
"Then… to my horror and shock, Master Oogway shook his head. He said he was not the One," Shifu closed his eyes. "I saw the waves of disappointment and hurt wash over Tai's face… I am certain it mirrored on my own…"
"What did you say then to Grandmaster Oogway?" Ping tilted his head.
"I … I … what could I say?" Shifu bowed his head, "Master Oogway was and is wiser than I ever could be… who was I to question him?"
"You were the father of a young man who just had his every hope and dream shattered," Ping said quietly, and Shifu closed his eyes tightly.
"I couldn't bear to see the disappointment on Tai's face… I had to look away…" Shifu looked up and saw the shocked look on Ping's face. "I know now that was a mistake…"
"Mistake does not cover it, if you don't mind me saying, my friend… Please tell me you went to him after and tried to comfort him," Ping pleaded. When Shifu simply glanced away, Ping shook his head. "Oh dear me…"
"It's not that I didn't try to, when Tai Lung didn't want to be found, he could disappear completely… I didn't see him again till… that night…"
"I remember when Po was little. He was going to try to cook me noodle soup for my birthday…" Ping smiled at the warm memory. "It was… the worst meal of my life."
Shifu's eye brow rose. "You do not think the boy was a natural born noodle chef, do you? I am serious, I put both chopsticks in the broth and they stood straight. It was completely inedible! I tried though, because he was watching me with those big eyes and smile. He wanted to please me so badly."
"I remember his smile falling and his big green eyes fill with despair when he realized I was unable to eat his meal… It broke my heart." Ping smiled softly at the aged master who was now watching this humble noodle cook as if he was an aged grandmaster himself. "How does a father comfort a child who has failed in what he had tried so very hard to accomplish?"
Shifu nodded wordlessly, feasting on Mr. Ping's every word of wisdom.
"I placed both my wings on Po's trembling shoulders," Ping explained, "I looked him in the eyes, and told him, that no matter what… in every success and every failure, I would always be proud of everything he did. And I explained to him that it didn't matter how things ended up, just that he did his very best… that that was the most important thing."
"I… I wish I had done that… things might have been different had I done that…" Shifu sighed, "Looking back I know he thought I had saw him as a failure…"
"It might have made a difference," Ping nodded, "Or it may have already been too late to turn that tide." He then smiled at the grandmaster, "Now that we have discussed your son, let us move on to your daughter."
-KFP-
Tigress growled softly as she once again sliced the edge of her finger. She frowned deeply as Po knowingly took her paw and placed yet another bandage on her battered hand. From her intensive training she didn't feel any of the slices, but Po insisted on bandaging the wounds; that 'blood was not one of the ingredients'. But at the rate they were going, stopping every three chops to cover a wound, they'd never even get to cooking.
"Tut, tut, Tigress," Po said, as if reading her mind, "cutting and chopping is very important to the cooking process. You must have the vegetables the correct size to cook properly and quickly."
She mewled to herself, before going back to chopping, and yet again after three chops pulled her hand back. Po yet again bandaged her paw, and then smiled at his friend. "Why don't you start the water boiling? I'll finish this up."
Tigress nodded, and moved to the stove. She placed a large pot already filled with water. She glanced and watched Po effortlessly chop the vegetables and smiled at his skill. Po had already put some water in, but she knew his appetite and wanted to please her new 'cook master' as much as Shifu. She'd just add some more water to have plenty of broth to meet his well known massive appetite.
She looked at the control of the eye. She lit the flame and turned it all the way up on max to get it boiling quickly, then turned to help Po with the vegetables.
"I've wanted to tell you for a while, Po," Tigress started, "watching you cook is amazing. If we had as much skill in Kung Fu as you do in cooking we'd be completely undefeatable."
"Tigress, the Furious Five are undefeatable," Po stopped his chopping for a moment, "The only time you guys are ever captured or beat is when I mess up…"
"That isn't true," Tigress frowned, "And even if it was, Po, you've only truly been learning Kung Fu for going on two years, it takes time to truly master. We're all still learning too. Don't forget that."
"Thanks…" He started but his eyes widened when he looked behind Tigress to the stove. "TIGRESS!" He shouted, leapt forward, grabbed her by her shoulders and spun her around so that his bulk would shield her from what he saw coming.
The whole room trembled as the pot exploded, and it flew through the ceiling like a rocket. A moment later the pot slammed into the market of the village and throughout the valley a pig's voice could be heard screaming "MY CABBAGES!"
"You ok?" Po glanced down at the tiger in his arms, and his breath caught in his throat. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were large and filled with surprise, her ears were held back and her whiskers stood straight out. Her paws were clinging to his sides as the two stared into each other's eyes. They've had a few hugs but this was the first time they'd been this close with one or both of their eyes open. It was almost electric and neither knew exactly what to do.
Po bit his lip softly as Tigress closed her mouth and took a hard swallow but neither made any attempt to move away.
It seemed like their bodies went on autopilot as they became lost in each other's eyes for a moment, and their bodies instinctively made them move closer and closer to the items that held their interest.
Tigress' paws moved from his side to his shoulders, as his own slide around her back.
Eyes fluttered close as trembling lips puckered and braced themselves for contact.
Closer and closer.
They could feel each other's nervous breath washing over their faces.
Finally…
The sound of a twitch caught Tigress' ear and she turned to see Mantis standing in the door holding an almond cookie staring at them.
"Just do me a favor and don't eat his head," Mantis requested, "we're probably going to need him to save our butts again sometime down the road." And with that, the insect turned and left the kitchen.
The mood for whatever was about to happen ruined; Po stepped away from the Tiger style Master and cleared his throat. He glanced up at the hole in the ceiling and sighed. "This is really not working…"
"Huh?" Tigress asked, glancing to the panda in confusion.
"Have a seat, Tigress…" Po said softly.
"When you focus on cooking," Po began, standing before the Tiger, "When you concentrate …" Her face brightened for a moment, "You suck." She deflated.
"No, sucking isn't the proper word… you're a danger to yourself and likely everyone in the valley…" She looked as if she might cry. "I can't teach you to cook the way dad taught me."
"I see…" She stood up sadly, looking for the first time since Po's known her totally defeated. "I thank you for your time and the attempt, Po…" She started past him.
"Tigress!" She glanced back, and effortlessly caught the chopping knife that Po threw at her head. "Defend yourself!"
"What?" Tigress' eyes widened as Po held a plate in one hand, and a carrot in the other. He came at her with the carrot and Po moved the knife to defend the jabs and slices with the vegetable in confusion, slicing through it and Po caught the sliced pieces on the plate.
"Pathetic!" Po snapped, narrowing his eyes at her as he pulled a celery stalk and did the same.
Once it was cut up they spun around the kitchen, and he dumped the chopped pieces in a pot he had set up. "Say hi to my friends, Green Pepper and Yellow Pepper, they say your stripes make you look stupid. You gonna take that, Tigress?" Po asked with a smirk.
Tigress snarled and picked up a second knife.
Po tossed the green pepper to her, and she sliced it right through the middle, juggling it with her other knife, and slicing into quarters. "That's it, Tigress! Chop that little jerk into pieces and drop him into the hot water!" Po instructed, and Tigress spun the knives around as she juggled the four pieces of pepper in the air, chopping it into small chunks that she let drop into the pop. "Now take out his buddy!" he said, throwing the yellow pepper and she did the same to it.
The two locked eyes and they shared a determined gaze. "Alright, let's get cookin'!" Po said with a smirk.
"Master," Tigress replied with a smile, spinning her knives.
-KFP-
"She was a trouble child," Shifu replied, resting his chin on his fists, "Concidering what she witnessed before she went to the orphanage, one would expect as much. I cannot broach that subject, Mr. Ping, for Master Tigress' sake, but I will say her uncanny strength and temperament came naturally from both her parents."
"You knew her parents, Master Shifu?" Ping asked curiously.
"I knew lots of people, Mr. Ping, and I know a lot of things… some things I feel I should speak with her about before anyone else…" Shifu said, glancing at the old fowl.
"I understand completely, only share what you wish to share," Ping nodded.
"Looking back, when I first met Po, he reminded me of Tigress when we first formally met at the orphanage," Shifu said, "I don't quite know how to describe it… she was… she was hungry for a place to belong… a place where everyone respected her… where she wouldn't be locked away and called a monster. The deep wounds those children and the sheep at the orphanage left have only recently closed to scar… Mei Ren is far more fragile than she wishes others to believe. Sometimes I forget this as well…"
"Mei Ren is her true name?" Ping smiled, "Magical Gem, it suits her…"
"Indeed," Shifu smiled proudly, "unfortunately others, herself included, have often looked to the darker meaning of the name…"
"She is no demon by any means," Ping nodded in agreement.
"Tell that to her enemies… and to herself…" Shifu smiled sadly.
"You should," Ping pointed a feather with a smile.
"I should," Shifu nodded, "I have… I have tried but for years… after my failure with Tai Lung, I went to the far end of the spectrum with her."
"After Master Oogway defeated Tai Lung… Mei Ren took up Kung Fu… and ironically took the name of one of the masters who first trained under Master Oogway with myself: Master Tigress." Shifu sighed and glanced down, "I never wanted this life for her. The nightmare that was her early life should have been replaced by a peaceful life with a husband and family. Not training till she had no feeling of pain…"
"But I was worried she would follow the dark paths laid ahead of her if I gave her the type of support I gave Tai Lung… so at first in both my grief of losing Tai Lung, and wanting to discourage her in the paths of Kung Fu… I had no mercy. If she was going to be Kung Fu Master, there would be no cushion, no relief; only bloody knuckles and broken bones," Shifu explained bitterly, "I gave her no support, no comfort, only stiff hard instruction. I was acting childish… and Oogway and I took away first her big brother and then I took her father."
"And to my surprise… she didn't just keep getting up when I knocked her down, but she excelled! No matter what it was I put in her way from the Training Hall of Doom to the Iron Wood Trees, she would not stop. Nothing but pure determination in her eyes as she fought on. And every time she surpassed an obstacle, I simply placed another in her path… I was no father to that poor child… and I was a horrible master."
"She's more of a kung fu prodigy than Tai Lung ever was, just like both her parents…" Shifu shook his head, "I should not have been surprised. She never defied me, except when I wanted her to quit."
"Have you ever spoken with her about your wishing for her to have a more peaceful life?" Ping asked.
"How could I?" Shifu asked, a tear sliding from his eye, "After everything I put that poor girl through, how can I tell her that it wasn't so she could master Tiger Style, but to make her quit!"
"Children don't always follow the paths we lay for them to follow," Ping replied, "That is the most important part of growing up, they must choose their own paths. Sometimes we agree, and then there are times like we have had where we do not."
"We?" Shifu cocked an eyebrow.
"I never wanted Po to do anything more than cook noodles by my side, and when it comes time for me to leave this world for him to take my place… and for him to find a nice girl… regardless of species and settle down, have a family. I still hold for that."
"Me too," Shifu nodded, and the two fathers shared an odd look.
"Perhaps, we should discuss this also…" Ping cleared his throat, "in case things continue to progress as they have…"
Shifu leaned forward, an odd numbness inside him. His little girl had grown up on him, after all he had failed to do for her, this was the least he could do. "Yes, perhaps we should…"
-KFP-
Mr. Ping and Shifu laughed as they walked up the long steps to the Jade Palace. After they concluded their conversation, Master Shifu invited Ping up to the Jade Palace for dinner with the Furious Five and his own son. It was Father's day after all.
"I had forgotten how long these stairs were…" Shifu looked back and smiled at Grandmaster Viper who was slithering up behind them.
"Viper, old friend, it is good to see you," Shifu nodded, "Coming to visit your daughter?"
"Yes, she invited me. Since she took my place as Master Viper, our time together has been short." The aged snake said. "Who is your friend?"
"This is Ping, he is the father of Po the Dragon Warrior," Shifu introduced, "Mr. Ping, this is Grandmaster Viper, Master Viper's father."
"Oh it is an honor!" Ping bowed to the snake.
"The honor is mine, Mr. Ping," Viper said, leaning down to whisper to Shifu. "The Dragon Warrior is a goose?"
"Not… quite…" Shifu cleared his throat.
The three entered the gates and found the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five waiting. "DADDY!" came a high pitched squeal, and the smaller Master Viper went flying around her father's neck.
"Haha! Jai Li! Look at you!"Grandmaster Viper exclaimed, "You've gotten so much stronger and so much more beautiful!" both father and daughter took a somber smile, "Your mother would be so proud…"
"I know…" Viper smiled to her father, "let me introduce you to my friends!" She turned to the rest of the Furious Five and Po. "This is Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Tigress," Viper introduced, missing her father's eyes widening at the sight of Tigress, "And this is the greatest Panda ever: the Dragon Warrior Po Ping!" she said and continued to ramble on as the aged grandmaster kept glancing to Master Tigress.
"Are you listening, Daddy?" Viper pouted.
"What? Oh yes, I'm just a little tired from my journey…" Grandmaster Viper smiled at his daughter.
"Then let's get in and get to eatin!" Po clapped his hands, "The best noodle soup you ever ate isn't gonna eat itself!"
"Shifu, she looks just like…" Grandmaster Viper whispered to his old friend.
"Her mother, I know…" Shifu glanced away.
"I miss her too, old friend," Grandmaster Viper said as they followed the students into the dining hall.
-KFP-
Shifu, Grandmaster Viper, Ping, Monkey, Crane, and Mantis sat at the main dining hall table as Viper entertained them with a ribbon dance. Once she finished they gave her a rousing applause before she joined them. "Where's Tigress?"
"Think she's helping Po in the kitchen," Crane said, and Shifu and Ping shared a look at the comment.
"Po is the greatest noodle chef in all of China!" Viper proclaimed, then flushed and smiled to his father, "Next to Mr. Ping, of course."
"Its fine, Master Viper," Ping smiled to the young snake, "It is a father's greatest honor to be surpassed by his child." Grandmaster Viper nodded and smiled to his daughter.
"Order up!" Po said coming in with some bowls on his arms, Tigress following behind, carrying some bowls the same way.
Po and Tigress placed a bowl of steaming noodle soup before each seated, as well as one for themselves, then Tigress placed napkins and chopsticks. Po watched her for a moment and cleared his throat. She looked up at him and he motioned to the placement of the chopsticks. "Oh! Right…" she readjusted the chopsticks on the napkins exactly as he had showed her. Shifu and Ping watched as Po pulled Tigress seat out for her before he went to take his own seat across from her.
"Alright, dig in!" Po said, and his eyes never left Tigress as she stared at her bowl, breathing hard, a trembling paw holding her chopsticks tightly.
"Wow!" Shifu's eyes widened as the delicious flavor exploded in his mouth.
"Po, is this secret ingredient soup? It is amazing," Ping praised.
Tigress looked down and thanked the gods for her orange fur to hide her blush. "Yes, Po, this is outstanding!" Shifu said, and everyone at the table agreed.
"Thank you, but I can't take the credit," Po said, smiling at Tigress "This was made by Master Tigress, especially for Master Shifu." Mantis spit it across the table.
"Tigress? You made this?" Shifu asked in awe, glancing to his adopted daughter.
"Yes, Master," Tigress nodded.
"Po gave you the secret ingredient of our secret ingredient soup?" Ping narrowed his eyes at the tiger.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Ping," Tigress bowed slightly.
Tigress looked around the table and the counter as they finished putting in the ingredients to the pot to cook the soup. "Wait, that was all the regular ingredients… what's the secret ingredient? Are you hiding it somewhere?"
"Oh, yeah, the secret ingredient," Po said, "first start stirring the soup so it cooks evenly." Tigress nodded and did as instructed.
"So… what's the secret ingredient?" Tigress asked, "or are you going to put it in without telling me. If you do that's fine. I respect you and your father's privacy."
"You have to swear to never tell another person this," Po said more seriously than she had ever heard him.
"Po… it's ok…" Tigress said, locking eyes with him again.
"Tigress, do you swear?" Po asked again.
"I swear, it will never leave my lips to anyone," Tigress nodded.
"Ok…" Po glanced around to make sure, then checked the door. "Ok. Tigress... the secret ingredient to secret ingredient soup is…" Tigress leaned forward as if she was about to receive the biggest secret of all of China. "Nothing."
"What?" Tigress asked, completely confused.
"There is no secret ingredient," Po explained, "It's only special because you think its special. YOU make it special."
"But… that…" she stared at Po for a moment as realization slammed through her, "Just like the Dragon Scroll…that was Oogway's great revelation…" Po nodded as she was visibly overwhelmed. "There are no accidents. Po, you WERE the only one who could understand that." She beamed at her friend, "That's why Oogway chose you, it's why you were destined for it. None of us, not even Shifu could have understood that." She said with a broad smile.
"I don't need that much credit…" Po blushed, and scratched the back of his head.
"I don't care, I'm giving it to you," Tigress smiled proudly at her friend.
"I swear to you, I will never tell another soul your family secret," Tigress said to the aged goose.
"Nonsense, Master Tigress," Ping held up a wing, "I insist you share it with your daughter or son, and instruct them to do the same. It is now your family secret as well."
"And what about Po's children?" Tigress asked.
"Eh, it all work out," Ping smiled, giving a wink to Shifu.
-KFP-
Later that night, after Grandmaster and Mister Ping retired to guest rooms in the Jade Palace for the night, Po and Tigress took up dish duty. "That went awesome," Po said, smiling toward her.
"Yes it did, Dragon Warrior," Tigress smiled, moving close enough to bump against him. "Thank you for all your help. I mean that. You didn't have to help me…"
"You're my best friend, Tigress," Po said seriously, "whenever you need me, I'll already be there."
Tigress smiled and glanced down. After a few moments of silence she spoke again. "Mei Ren."
"Wha?" Po asked, glancing to her.
"Mei Ren," She said again, her eyes turning to him, without looking up. "It's… it's my name."
"Mei Ren…" Po said again, as if testing it on his lips. "I like it."
Tigress simply smiled, and continued scrubbing the dishes.
-KFP-
Po and Tigress walked toward their dorms and to their surprise Master Shifu stood waiting by her door. "Master Shifu…" they said in tandem.
"Goodnight, Panda," Shifu said without taking his eyes off Tigress.
"Uh, Master Shifu, I just gotta say…"
"Goodnight, Panda," Shifu said again, a little stricter.
"Gotta say…" Shifu turned a glare on the Dragon Warrior, "Just gotta say goodnight! Goodnight Master Shifu, goodnight Mei…er Master Tigress…" Shifu turned a raised eyebrow to Tigress, who simply ducked from the gaze.
"Uh… night-night!" He said ducking into his room, blowing out the candle and settling into bed.
"Master?" Tigress asked, standing before the aged Grandmaster.
"Tigress… I'm sorry," Shifu sighed, "What I said this morning… I'm sorry I lost my temper. I did not mean what I said. You are a great Kung Fu Master, and I am proud to say one of the greatest in all of China. You've accomplished so much in your life, but I have not given you a moment of praise. I want you to know, even though I can be hard and I can be cold… I have always been proud of you, and no matter what you chose to do, no matter what you accomplish or what you fail to do… I will always be proud to call you my student… I will always be proud to call you my daughter."
"I have no right to call myself your father, Mei Ren, I know this. I know I have failed you… but know that I do love you, and I always will. I beg you to seek it in your heart to forgive an old fool like me… if you see fit… I would like to try… but I ask you to bear with me if you do… we have been in this type of role for so long… you must be patient with an old man…"
Tigress stared at him, no emotion on her face at all, and Shifu wondered if laying it all out like this was a mistake or not.
"Are you testing me?" Tigress asked, frowning deeply.
"Not this time…" Shifu smiled softly, "All I ask is one last chance to make it right… to be your father…" He ducked his head and closed his eyes, "just one last chance…"
"One chance…" Tigress nodded, her voice breaking slightly, before she went to her knees and embraced the red panda. "Baba…"
They still had problems, but they had finally started on the road to recovery. "I love you too, Baba…" Tigress whispered into his shoulder. "I love you too…"
-KFP-
Somewhere in the mountains surrounding the Valley of Peace, Lord Shen flexed his wing, shifting his new metal dagger-like feathers. "Do you like my gifts to you, Lord Shen?"
Shen turned to see the Berserker standing in the door way, his stripped arms folded across his armored chest. "Yes, Master, I am humbled by your kindness…"
"Is everything prepared?" the Berserker asked, narrowing his good eye.
"Yes, Master, all is ready," Shin bowed.
"Good, very good…" the armored tiger chuckled darkly, "Let the fun begin…"
The End
Coming soon: Courage and Consequence…