I'm Sometimes a Red Panda [Turning Red]

Mii becomes a Red Panda

Mei followed her parents to the temple courtyard, which had been transformed for the ritual. The air was heavy with incense. Lanterns and hundreds of candles illuminated the evening.  Wu, her aunties, and Mr. Gao all waited for Mei to join them. Mei felt a pang of fear course through her body. Mii was the last to come around, now wearing her traditional ritual robe. Of course, Mii doesn't like to do rituals because it could be bad.

Mr. Gao stepped forward. "Just follow my directions," he said, "and breathe."

He led her down the steps to the center of the gathering. Mei kneeled as Mr. Gao drew a wide chalk circle around her. Mei took a deep breath. This was it.

"Now don't move from the circle, you understand?" he said, his voice low. "For as long as the red moon shines, the astral realm will be open. And this circle is the door."

Mr. Gao signaled to Chen, who struck an ancient chime bowl. The others each with their own traditional Chinese instrument, joined in the rhythm. They began to chant in Cantonese.

"What are they saying?" Mei asked.

"Are they speaking Chinese?" Mii added.

"The door will open only if we sing from our hearts. It doesn't matter what. I like Tony Bennett, but your grandma, she's from old school. Now, focus on their voices. Let them guide you."

Mei did as she was told and closed her eyes. Soon, the circle began to glow.

Mr. Gao carried a sword in one hand and raised his other arm to the sky. "Oh, Sun Yee," he intoned, "revered ancestor, hear us now!"

In the sky, the red lunar eclipse began.  Mii looked up as the red glowing light from the moon made her heart pound.

"Guide this girl through her inner storm," Mr. Gao said.

The crimson moon grew stronger bathing everything a red light. The wind swirled around them. The lanterns swung. Mei opened her eyes briefly as her body began to slowly rise from the floor and float. Mii shielded her eyes as the entire circle glowed brightly.

"Louder," Mr. Gao ordered. "Louder." Everyone did as they were told. "Return the red spirit from where it came!"

He held up his sword. A focused beam of red moonlight refracted off a gem on the hilt and landed on Mei. Her body was wretched in wisps of energy. Then the circle flashed with blinding light.

Mii nervously clutched her own hands as her family and Mr. Gao continued to chant. In the center of the glowing circle, Mei's body was still levitated. Her body began to writhe from the struggle.

Ming and Jin exchanged looks of concern as they chanted. Mii wondered if Mei would be strong enough to get through the ritual.

Mr. Gao held up a talisman that looked just like Ming's. The panda spirit roared as it came out of Mei and was pulled into the talisman.

"Mei Mei! You can do it. Keep going!" Ming called.

But Mei couldn't hear her mother. Mii looked at the Mei's red panda spirit, trying to be brave. It looked frightened and in pain. Images from all the incredible moments had experience as Mii began to remember those wonderful time. She realized that the panda was sometimes angry and out of control but it was also joyful, excited, kind and full of wonder. This was who Mei really was. If Mei becomes human again, she'll be brainwashed and honor her family. Mii couldn't take it anymore.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She ran into the circle and jumped to Mei, her beloved sister. The temple ground shook and filled with red and pink smoke. Everyone around the circle was thrown back. Through the smoke, two large forms emerged.

Mei looked at herself and she was a panda again. Her family was still disoriented from the smoke. Another large figure appeared. A giant female red panda, smaller than Mei's panda form was standing next to her. She was completely pink with stripes on her arms. Her paws are purple with tiny pink prints on her feet. Two tails stuck out of the form since it was true because all animals don't have a second tail. Her hair still had the bangs, and the eyes had turned into a graceful pink.  It was Mii.

"Mii?" Mei gasped at the sight of her sister. "Is that you?"

"It is me," Mii said. She can't believe she had turned into a panda. Mei began to smile as tears leak in her eyes. She began to hug her newly transformed sister with relief.

"What was that?" Helen asked. "Is everyone okay?"

"Oh, my goodness," gasped Lily.

The smoke began to clear, and Wu gasped at the two Pandas. The aunts are stunned, while Ming looked at her daughters in horror.

"Mii," Ming gasped at her second daughter. "You turned into a panda."

"Of course. I had to save Mei's life because her panda spirit is good," Mii said, determined.

Ming wanted to believe it but now they need to help Mii too.

"It's okay! We can do it again," cried Ming, reaching out to them. But Mii held Mei close and glared at her mother.

"Mii?"

"I'm keeping it," Mei decided. Mii felt the same thing too because she had become a red panda. 

Wu couldn't believe her eyes. "What did she say?" 

Everyone murmured their shock and disappointment. 

"We're keeping it!" Mei roared. She then turned ran with Mii coming along.

"Mei Mei! Mii!" Ming shouted.

"Stop them!" Wu commanded.

 Everyone rushed forward and grabbed Mei. Mii turned back and rushed over to help Mei.

Ming pleaded with her daughters, "What are you doing? No, Mei Mei."

"Let go!" Mei begged, struggling against her family.

"What's come over you?" Ming exclaimed.

Mei continued to resist as everyone tried to keep her within the temple gates.

"Mei Mei!" Wu shouted. "Listen to your mother!"

"NO!" Mii jerked away with all her might and everyone fell back, releasing Mei. Her powerful new twin tails had pushed them back. The talisman that hung from Ming's neck hit the ground and cracked!

"You don't understand anything!" Mii barked at her family. "You don't care about us and you don't care about the good within our panda. You only care about yourselves and your talismans!"

"Mii's right," Mei yelled, taking Mii's hand. "We're going to the concert!" And with that, they sprinted through the temple gates.

"Get back here!" Ming yelled, but she fell down.  They were gone. Ming clenched her firsts and heaved with fury.  

She could feel the blood rushing in her ears, her cracked talisman began to glow red. Is this what her life amounted to? Toiling day after day to raise a child who could throw it all away in a split second for a bunch of....of singing derelicts?

The other aunts, Wu, Jin and Gao get back up to their feet.

"This is a disaster," said Wu in disbelief. "Unbelievable, Ming! How could you let this happen? She's out of control! Ming, answer me! What are we going to do about Mei Mei and Mii? Their lives are ruined forever!"

Jin rushed to Ming's side. "Ming, it's okay."

Ming's talisman cracked slowly, bit by bit.

She rose to her feet. "How could she..... How could she do this to... her own mother?"

Wind whipped through the courtyard. The family looked on in shock as a bright light shot out of Ming's talisman. A vaporous red form emerged! The gargantuan spirit leaped to the top of the temple gates, looked down as Ming with glowing red eyes, and then hurled toward her. Ming fell to the ground, unconscious. Then her body levitated and began to glow.

"Ming?" Jin asked, worriedly.

Wu gasped, "Oh no."