Literature
KH Toronto Part 4
THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY….
It was early in the evening. Mei and the trio stepped out of mei’s room. Mei looked at the flyer given to her by Tyler. She and sora looked at each other and nodded before putting the flyer away.
Mei: Ok, we’re heading off to mathletes.
Sora: See ya later.
Ming: Wait! What about dinner? I made all of your favorites.
Mei looked at the banquet of food on the table, her mouth starting to water. She held back her urges.
Mei: Thanks, but Miriam's dad is, uh… ordering pizza.
Ming: What about you boys?
Sora: That’s very nice of you ming, but I had a late lunch.
Donlad: we’ll take some for the road just in case. (Puts some bao in a ziplock bag)
Mei: Save us leftovers. Come on, guys.
Ming: What if I come with you?
The 4: What?!
Ming: What're you doing? Linear equations? Geometry? I've got a double-jointed elbow. Look, I can make a perfect circle! (rotates her arm in a circle)
Sora: whoa.
Donald: that’s both impressive and disturbing.
Mei: Plus it’ll be super boring, Wouldn't you rather hang with Dad?
Mei gestured to her father, the man perking up as everyone looked at him.
There was a short pause.
Ming: Let's get my flashcards.
Sora: Ooh, that's cold.
Donald: (To Jin) sorry Jin.
The group heads outside catching up with Mei and Ming.
Ming: I was mathletes champion in eighth grade, you know.
Mei: Uh huh…
Ming: They called me the Uncommon Denominator!
Donald: Oh great, more math puns.
Mei: Oh uh, Jade Palace is on tonight! Can’t miss that, right?
Ming: Now who’s the weakest link? Priya and Abby seem bright enough. But Miriam? I mean, she’s a nice girl, but she’s slowing you down.
Sora: That’s harsh, Mrs. Lee. Miriam’s a nice girl, why do you hate her?
Ming: I’ll explain once we get there.
Mei: Mom, you really don’t have to come…
Ming: Don’t be silly, we’re already on our way.
Mei: BUT WE DON’T WANT YOU TO COME! (covers her mouth)
Mei: …what?
Sora: Look Ming, we just need….(hears rattling)
The doors were shaking. They could hear chattering in the distance. The cats who were by the door bolted away. The lock came undone, the doors flying open and a blinding bright lights hits them. Stepping in were four full-grown women wearing sunglasses and carrying purses.
There was A tall woman with curly hair, horned glasses, emerald green scarf and tracksuit, white sneakers, earrings and a green panda ring.
A short stocky woman with a pixie cut, teal green shirt with floral print and a shiny panda brooch pinned on it, dark green pants, chunky sandals and white earrings.
One with her hair tied in a bun secured by a shiny panda hair pin, a dark green vest, shirt and pants and brown ugg boots.
And one with short hair, a dark green tracksuit with floral print, chunky sandals and panda earrings.
The group gasps. The women take off their sunglasses, and approached Mei, affectionately messing with her face and hair.
Mei: Aunties?
Sora: these are your aunts?
Mei: yeah. Well, two of them are my aunts while the other two are my cousins.
Donald: oh great, more relatives…
Mei: what are you all doing here?
Aunt Ping: We’re here for the ritual, silly.
Cousin Lily: She’s lost weight.
Aunt Chen: No, no, she gained weight.
Cousin Helen: She looks like her mother.
Aunt Chen: She looks like her father.
???: ladies.
The women part to the side to reveal what appears to be the leader of the group. An older woman in her early 70s by the looks of it. in a dark green jacket, pants, tennis shoes, floral print scarf, white earrings, a green bracelet with a red panda design, teal eyeshadow, but the most noticeable part of her was a scar on her right eyebrow. Though she wore sunglasses herself, she still gave an intimidating look. She stepped forward now in front of Ming and Mei.
Sora: and this must be?
Mei: wu, my grandma and mom’s mom.
Donald: easy to see where Ming gets it from.
Ming: Mother.
Mei: Hey grandma-
Wu: Poor thing, it must be so difficult keeping that unruly beast at bay. Your family is here now, Mei-Mei. And we will take care of everything.
Then they turned to Sora, Donald and Goofy.
Ping: Who are these fellows?
Mei: Just some friends.
Sora: I’m Sora, and this is Donald and Goofy.
Donald: Pleasure to meet you, ladies.
Chen: You didn’t tell us you were having friends over.
Lily: Ooh, he looks cute. (Pinches Sora’s cheek)
In no time the aunties swarmed him like they did with Mei.
Lily: You need a haircut.
Chen: He’s so tall.
Helen: You have such lovely eyes.
Ping: My goodness your arms are thin. You need to eat more.
Donald snickered before Helen grabs his beak.
Helen: These animals masks are so real, is this glued on or something?
Donald: Hey! Cut out that out!
Helen: Aah! They’re real?! You’re real-!
Goofy: Ma’am, calm down! Yes, we don’t look human, but we mean no harm!
Helen: well, I guess that’s alright. I mean, you’re not the weirdest thing we’ve seen on our way here. We’ve heard that there are these weird shadow creatures going around.
Sora: you mean heartless? Well don’t you worry, we’re on the job.
The aunties did feel better hearing that.
Wu: Enough of this, let’s get inside. (To Sora) Are you coming too?
Sora: I’d love to, but just realized we have somewhere to be right now, and you need to talk to mei alone about important things, so we’ll be on our way.
The guys head out the doors while the ladies head inside the houses Mei turns to Sora, who gives hand signals to mei, meaning “don’t take too long, meet us at Tyler’s place.”
——————
The three world travelers reach Tyler’s house, which was quite impressive. For a rotten brat, his family must be set for life if they can afford a nice house like this. Sora knocks on the door and a middle aged man, Tyler’s father, opens it.
Sora: excuse me, is this the Nguyen-baker residence?
Mr NB: yes, you must be one of Tyler’s important guests. Come right in, they’re in the living room.
The three head inside and there was Tyler, riku, Lea, Mei’s friends and many other kids sitting on couches or standing around and chatting.
Sora: Hey, uh, sorry we’re late.
Tyler: What took you so long?
Sora: We had to take care of some, important matters first.
Tyler: Where’s Mei?
Sora: She'll be here soon. In the meantime, let’s get this party started.
Goofy: (arms full of snacks) Who wants ding dongs?
Donald: And this is for you, birthday boy. (Gives Tyler a basketball with a bow on it) i didn’t have time to wrap it.
Lea: This is quite an amazing place you got here. Your family must be set for life.
Sora: Now all we gotta do is wait for Mei.
Half an hour later, the party was going in full swing…or not. Tyler and the party guests just sit on couches not saying a word. They were waiting for the four guests of honor to show up, but they were running late, due to recent events.
Tyler: Where the heck is she?
Sora: Uh, I’m sure she’ll be here soon.
Priya: Fashionably late.
Riku: Or got caught in a snag, who knows?
Lea: Whatever the reason, they better be here before this party ends up as dead as disco.
Miriam: Hey, I got an idea! Who’s up for Boggle?
Abby: Or some Doodle Dice?!
Donald: charades anyone?
Meanwhile back at Mei, she was still being coddled by her aunties, who feed her and give her little toiletry gifts. She, of course, was NOT liking it. After some talk like how her panda might be anything like her mom’s panda, Mei retreats to her room stating that she’s going to bed early. When, in reality, she needed to get to that party. Her cellular on her desk rings. She’s answers it and it’s Sora.
Mei: (whispers): Hello?
Sora: Mei, what’s taking so long? We’re already at the party!
Donald: Tyler’s getting impatient!
Goofy: We can’t keep stalling for much longer!
Mei: I’m sorry, guys, my aunts kept me in for a little bit. I’m on my way.
She hangs up, stuffs a bunch of plushies under her blanket, grabs her transit ID card and was about to climb out the window before her grandma comes in. Apparently she knew about Mei using her panda, because of a piece of fur she found. Mei tries to deny it, but Wu tells her that while it feels good to let the panda out, the more attached it will be to her, and that if you lose control of it, like how it happened to Ming when she gave her mother the scar. After that warning, Mei starts to contemplate her choices.
Back at the party, the guests were playing charades. It was Priya’s turn but no one could guess what she was trying to be.
Sora: A worm?
Abby: An octopus?
Miriam: Spaghetti?
Donald: A snake?
Riku: A squid?
Goofy: Ants in your pants?
Abby: KILLER ROBOT!
Goth girl: Mortality.
Priya: Mmm. Nice.
The Guests groan.
Lea: Well, this is not helping.
Sora hears a knock at the door.
Sora: Mei’s here! I’ll get it!
Kid: Panda girl!
Priya: thank Cthulhu.
But when he opened the door, he was greeted by not panda mei, but regular Mei in a cheesy, cardboard panda costume.
Mei: what up peeps?
Sora: what the?
Mei: Hey Tyler! Happy birthday!
Tyler: What are you wearing?
Riku: This isn’t a costume party, Mei.
Tyler: I’m paying for the red panda, not this fake garbage! Deal’s off!
Mei: Wait! Can garbage do this?
She does a weird dance move, known as 'Stir the porridge.'
Mei: Stir the porridge. Come on guys, stir the porridge!
Sora awkwardly does it with her.
Donald: This is exasperating…
Sora: Yeah... C'mon, Mei. We have something to say with you.
The group pulls her to the side.
Miriam: Are you feeling ok?
Mei: Trust me on this, I can’t panda anymore, I’m sorry!
Sora: Can’t panda anymore? Why?
Mei: Grandma told me that things would get worst, it’s complicated.
Miriam: Ok, ok, you don’t have to do it. We’ll just figure out-
Priya: I won’t go.
Mei: What? But Jesse’s your soulmate!
Abby: Then I’ll stay home.
Mei: No, I’ll stay home!
Miriam: Guys, if we can’t all go, then none of us should go right?
Sora: No... I'll stay.
Donald: Sora...
Riku: I’ll stay.
Goofy: No, me.
Lea: Maybe we should all stay.
Mei was sad to hear that. Her friends were willing to not go to the concert. She knows it’s risky, but she can’t let her friends down. She made her decision to use the panda one more time, not just for the party, but for her friends.
Mei: Just one last time….hey Tyler! You want the panda? You’re getting the panda! (Poofs into panda mode) Let’s hear it for the birthday boy!
Sora: Alright, Mei!
Donald: Lets get this party started!
Now the real fun began. First Mei and the gang got Tyler to show some dance moves, chanting all the way. But his moves were nothing compared to Sora who break danced and spun on his head.
Crowd: Go Sora! Go Sora! Go Sora!
Donald: check out these dance moves! The macho duck! (Dances disco-like)
Goofy: I call this one the perfect cast! (Tries to dance but slips on a basketball) WHOA-OHOHOH! (Crashes near the snack table, a bowl of dip falls on his head) mmm, onion dip.
The crowd laughs at that little scene. Priya was dancing with that goth girl while her friends cheer her on. Red Panda Mei gives thumbs up point, while looking at Miriam and Abby with funny-like looks. Riku and Lea just stood in the background out of sight until stacy and Tammy come up to them.
Stacy: Care to dance you two?
Riku: I’m not much of a dancer.
Lea: me neither.
Tammy: we don’t mind, now come on, have some fun!
The girls pull them to the dance floor and start dancing with them, even gyrating playfully to coax them. Riku felt a little unease seeing this girl dance so close to him but decided to give it a try. Riku hopped from one leg to another, kicking side to side while pumping his arms. To be honest, it was bad. Lea did a dance similar to Arabian dancing, which was a little better.
Mei: Wow, riku is a really bad dancer.
Sora: I know, but at least he’s trying.
Still, they cheered him on. Next, Mei and Tyler had a little soda drinking contest, chugging soda as the crowd cheered them on.
Crowd: Chug! Chug! Chug!
Tyler burped, but Mei belched so hard and loud that it knocked Tyler off his chair. Her friends hold up score cards.
Everyone was having a great time, even Red Panda Mei, also dancing.
Red Panda Mei: Yeah! (she swishes her tail)
Her friends cheer for her. Mei bursts through the back door as she ran around the backyard with Tyler on her back, who was having a great time riding. She then gave Sora and the others rides as well. The song ends as Mei and her riders leap in the air. This was, without a doubt, the best party ever, all thanks to mei.
———————-
Back at the Lee's family home. The aunties and Wu had left for the night, but not before Wu tells Ming something.
Wu: Ming, this is critical. Mei-Mei needs a strong hand. Don’t let her out of your sight.
Ming; I won’t, mother.
Wu: And that Sora person... He seems like a nice boy. Mei told me that he’s been helping her all the way. Next time I see him, I’ll be sure to give him a good word.
After wu leaves, ming goes to Mei's room. Seeing “Mei” in bed, smiling warmly, going over to tuck her in more, but hears glass cracking. Looking down, she accidentally stepped on a framed picture. Kneeling down to pick up the glass shards, but she stops when she pulls out a t-shirt from under Mei’s bed.
Ming: "Fur baby"?
Curious, Ming grabs a lamp and checks under the bed, but is shocked to see all the red panda merchandise, some school test sheets with grades Like As or lower that As, the poster of Tyler’s party and a locket with Sora's picture on the left. Now she was freaking out.
Ming: Huh? Wha? Wha?! Mei-Mei, what is this?! Huh?
Pulling back the blanket to reveal not Mei sleeping, but a decoy made up of her plushies. Ming gasps. If Mei wasn’t here, then that could mean one thing…she snuck out with Sora and his friends.
—————————
Back at the party, The group was hanging out on the roof of Tyler’s place, listening to music on the radio, enjoying some cake and watching the starry sky and the amazing view of the city.
Red Panda Mei: We did it! We are seeing 4Town!
Sora: Mission accomplished!
Goofy: Hooray for us!
Donald: Hard work payed off!
Tyler: hey has anyone seen Mei?
Peering over the roof they could see Tyler asking the other party guests where Mei was.
Priya: Oh, he is working you.
Abby: Ugh, what a diva!
Donald: The birthday boy may get what he wants, but not wanting to work you like a dog, or panda.
Red Panda Mei: It’ll all be worth it. (She sighs as she poofs into her human form.) Tomorrow, we are walking into that concert guys and girls and coming out men and women. Right…big brother?
Sora: You said it. Wait, what did you call me?
Mei: you heard me.
Big brother. Ever since we first met and during the time we’ve been through, like training, hustling the panda and teaming up to fight heartless, we’re like siblings.
Sora: now that you mention it, yeah. I can see what you mean. You do feel like a lil' sister to me.
Mei: And it’ll be even more awesome once we get to see 4Town.
Miriam: Literally goosebumps.
Donald: Wonder what that Jesse guy smells like?
Miriam: Milk chocolate and wet rocks.
Riku: Weird combo.
Abby: Mmmm!
Lea: Priya, right? What say you?
Priya: I agree with Miriam.
Mei's Tamagotchi is beeping.
Mei: It’s finally happening, Robaire Jr., you’re finally gonna meet your daddy!
Abby: And your hot uncles!
The group laughs. Sora, Donald and Goofy looks at Mei.
Sora: Mei, I just had a weird thought…What if you kept your panda?
Mei: What?
Miriam: I agree, what if you kept the panda? Look at you! You’re not the same feather-dusting, straight A goody goody…
Priya: That we never saw like ever.
Abby: Yeah!
Miriam: You’re such a rebel now!
Riku: You’ve become more independent without your mom’s approval or expectations and more comfortable with yourself and your powers.
Mei: Guys, I can’t be like this forever, my family would freak! Especially my mom. All her hopes and dreams are pinned on me.
Sora: We know, but you’ve really changed and we’re proud of it.
Miriam: Just don’t get rid of all of it.
Abby: Yeah, if it weren’t for you, none of this would be happening. You da bomb!
Priya: Word, you da bomb, Mei.
Mei: No, you da bomb.
Miriam: We all da bomb!
Sora: You da bomb!
Donald: Da bomb!
Goofy: We’re on fire!
Riku: We rule!
Lea: Rejoice!
But the celebration didn’t last long. On the radio, it was announced that the concert would be on the night of a red lunar eclipse. That was the same night as the ritual, on the 25th. The group froze in shock.
Sora: Oh, no...
Mei: Uh, Abby? You said the concert was on the 18th.
Abby: it is! He’s wrong! Look, may 18th, Toronto!
Priya: uh, this says “Toledo”.
Abby: what?!
The poster had various dates, and may 18th was when they would perform in Toledo Ohio, and the 25th was when they would come on the same night as the ritual. Furious, Abby tears up the poster and curses in Korean.
Abby: WHAT THE HECK IS TOLEDO?!
Miriam: oh no…
Mei: 4town’s the same night as the ritual? NOOO! (Goes panda) The same night?! The same night?!
Abby: (In korean): (How could this happen?!)
Goofy: Gawrsh, maybe we made a mistake.
Red Panda Mei: The same night?! The same night?!
Red Panda Mei hugs Sora, while crying.
Sora: Mei, it’s ok, we didn’t know.
Red Panda Mei: No, it’s not ok! I can’t miss 4Town! We worked so hard! But the ritual, I’ll let everyone down!
Tyler: Panda Girl?
Red Panda Mei’s eyes glowed bright red and growled turning to look down at Tyler.
Tyler: What are you doing? We want more rides!
Red Panda Mei: Buzz off, jerk face, I’m busy!
Sora: Yeah, Tyler, now's not the time right now!
Tyler: what about our deal?
Red panda Mei: forget your deal!
Tyler: You want your money? Then get your butt down here now!
Suddenly, a red panda-like Heartless appears right behind him. The other kids noticed and ran off screaming, but He thinks Mei finally came down.
Tyler: Well that was fast, so how about some-AAAAAH!!!
All the other kids ran off screaming and taking cover. Tyler’s parents came out to see what was all the commotion and saw for themselves, panicking and getting the kids inside the house.
Tyler: Another one of those Heartless things?! (The heartless grabs him in one of its tails) Let me go! Somebody Help me!
Mrs NB: Tyler my baby! Somebody stop that thing!
Sora and the others leap from the roof going into battle.
Sora: Girls, get the other kids to safety! Mei, let’s do this!
Red Panda Mei: I’m ready!
Miriam: On it!
Miriam, Priya and Abby ran to escort the rest of the guests to safety while the others stay behind ready to fight this boss Heartless called Beast of Fury.
(Boss music: the encounter)
Information: Defeat the boss Heartless.
Party members: Sora, Donald, goofy, riku, Lea and red panda Mei.
Sora hopped onto Mei’s back as she charges at the beast of fury, Sora hitting it with his keyblade and spells while Mei is slashing her claws. The beast of fury breathes fire but Sora counteracts with a blizzaga spell. Donald strikes a lightning spell while goofy hits it in the forehead. Riku leaps in the air and strike the heartless hard with a spinning attack, while Lea stabs it in the neck. The beast of fury roars in pain and tries to find itself, eventually it let’s go of Tyler who gets knocked out of its grasp, landing in Mei’s arms.
With one final blow and a light spell, the heartless was defeated. the battle. When the coast was clear, the party guests come out.
Red panda Mei: and that’s how you do it!
Sora: Is everyone alright?
Miriam: We’re ok.
Abby: that was as awesome as the first time! You were like Hiya! Whoo! Yah! That big heartless didn’t stand a chance’
Tyler was shaken up pretty bad. Mei puts him down.
Tyler: please don’t hurt me…
Sora: you’re alright now.
Tyler: It was terrifying! That thing could’ve hurt me!
Red panda mei: Well now you don’t have to worry about it now that we’ve saved lives. I suppose a thank you would be enough.
Tyler: yeah, uh, thanks for saving my life. Well, I think now’s the time I tell you all…why I hate mei. Well, there are a number of reasons. Here it goes…One, I was always jealous of her being smarter and better than me! Two, I’m doing this as a defense mechanism and to maintain my cool guy image so I don’t look weak, and three, she has more friends than me. Heck, I have to bribe and pay other kids to hang out with me!
The other kids heard this and were mad at him, it was true that he was doing all this just to be a so-called cool guy who bribes other kids to hang out with him and to look tougher in front of others to avoid looking weak. Looking back, he finally admitted that what he did was wrong.
Sora: So you finally admit that you’re a jerk. And that you’re a sad and lonely kid who bullies others as a defense mechanism. Well, it’s a good thing we stopped you right then and there, because if you kept this up, that heartless would’ve swallowed your heart and you would become a Heartless yourself.
Tyler tenses in fear, his heart would’ve been taken by Heartless if he didn’t see the error of his ways.
Tyler: You’re right. I really was a jerk, but I was too stupid and stubborn to admit it. Mei, I’m sorry.
Red Panda Mei: Are you... serious?!That’s why you hated Mei and why you were a jerk all this time? That’s why you were always such a jerk?! Just because you were jealous of me?! I wasn’t intentionally trying to make you jealous! And being a jerk doesn’t help you get stronger! It makes you weaker!
Tyler: hey I apologized didn’t I?
Red panda Mei: But it doesn’t excuse you for being a jerk!
Tyler: Fine! Be that way! Just go back to your creepy temple and psycho mom, you freak!
Red Panda Mei's eyes glowed red with rage. Without warning, she roars and leaps onto Tyler!
Red Panda Mei: You take that back! Don’t you dare talk about my family like that!
Sora: Mei! Stop!
Suddenly, they heard a voice...
Ming: What is going on here?!
Sora: Huh?!
Riku: Uh-oh... Please don't tell me who I think that is.
It was Ming, looking shocked and what she was seeing.
Sora: No! It's not what you think!
Riku: We can explain!
Yet Ming didn't care what they said. Mei snapped out of her rage and let go of Tyler, who was frightened from being nearly mauled. She realized her mistake. Minutes later, the party was over as the guests leave while Tyler was being comforted by his parents while Ming apologizes but they didn’t want to hear it. Sora and the group stood to the side as they listened on the conversation.
Mrs NB: I cannot believe you would let your daughter and those meddlers do this!
Mr NB: Do you understand what she and those guys did to my boy? First that giant shadow monster almost hurt him, now your daughter!
Ming: I am so sorry, she’s never done anything like this before.
Mei: I can’t believe I almost attacked Tyler, even after he told the whole truth about why he hated me in the first place…
But it wasn’t over yet. Ming approaches the group, mainly Mei’s friends.
Ming: I can’t believe you guys would use her like this!
Miriam: What?
Priya: But we didn’t…
Abby: No we’d never.
Sora: Ming…
Ming: I knew you were trouble, putting all these things into Mei-Mei’s head. Parading her round. Now she’s lying, sneaking out, she almost attacked a defenseless boy!
Sora: She wasn’t gonna attack him!
Donald: Yeah, we saved his life from a Heartless!
Goofy: And we found out the reason why he was a jerk to Mei. He was just a sad, lonely kid who was jealous of her and did bullying as a defense mechanism.
Lea: He told us all that after we saved him.
Sora: We didn’t mean to! We just wanted to see 4-Town with your daughter!
Ming: 4Town? You manipulated her for a bunch of tacky delinquents?!
Miriam: No, she wanted to…
Ming: Don’t you blame her! She’s a good girl, and you’ve taken adventure of her.
Sora couldn’t stand to watch Mei upset and Ming scold her friends, so he had to make a bold and desperate move.
Sora: Ming, it wasn’t them! It was…my fault. I’m the one who told Mei to do all of this.
Ming: What?!
Donald: Sora, what are-
Sora: I told Mei to hustle the panda, to sneak out and go to Tyler’s party. I knew how much the girls, my friends and I wanted to go to the concert, so I told them to raise money by using Mei’s panda.
There was a short pause before
Ming looks disappointed at Sora.
Ming: Then I’m afraid I’ll have to punish you when we get back.
Mei: Sora, why-
Sora: You heard her, I had to tell the truth.
Mei knew that Sora lied to save her from further trouble, but why?
Miriam: Tell her, Mei.
But Mei said nothing.
Riku: Sora... Tell them.
Sora didn’t say a word either.
Ming: And what's THIS (shows the locket to Mei) locket, Mei-Mei?
Mei: Sora gave it to me.
Ming: What?
Sora: You heard her, I gave her that.
She took the photo out.
Ming: Not anymore.
And she tears the photo in half, devastating the two.
Sora: (turns toward Mei's friends) I’m Sorry, guys...
Ming throws the locket to ground. No one said a word as Ming, Mei, Sora and his friends drove off, leaving the others behind. Mei's friends also see her Tamagotchi on the ground left behind. Miriam sighed sadly and clutched Robaire Jr. to her chest. Same with her locket as she gave it to Riku.
END OF CHAPTER 4
