First Time Meeting
Rich laughter echoed through the streets as Mk reenacted the fight between him and DBK with Mei. As the rest of their friends, Pigsy, Tang, Sandy and Mo, watched the two perform their skit - emphasizing some parts in a hilarious manner. Going as far as to mention a party.
“You know what your victory needs! A party!” Mei exclaimed with Mk gasping as he agreed.
“You are right, Mei! We should celebrate with a party.”
Then the pair began bouncing around the place, chanting the word: party. Before they were forced to composure themselves by Tang’s gentle cough. The scholar pushed up his glasses as he looked at the giddy duo with a smile, saying.
“Indeed, this needs a party. How about celebrating it at Pigsy’s place? Food’s on me.”
Unfortunately, this triggered Pigsy who realized that the man was trying to get more free food without paying. Prompting Sandy to hold back the raging pig demon who tried to lunge at Tang who hid behind Mk and Mei. As he shouted, struggling in the blue giant’s hold.
“Oh no, you don’t! Damn, you freeloader! Trying to get free food and still not paying your tab!”
“Pigsy, you are going to blow a blood vessel. Calm down, take deep breaths.” Poor Sandy tried to reassure his angry friend as he prevented the chef from committing possible murder.
Mk watched the sight of adopted father cursing as he rubbed the back of his head. While Mei recorded the moment on her phone with a wide smile on her face - for potential blackmail. And the target of that rage was nervously laughing, hiding behind the duo. Until someone called out.
“Pigsy?”
The sudden sound of a soft, feminine voice speaking caused the group to freeze in place. Slowly they turned their heads to see a woman standing nearby. With lightly brown skin, and long fluffy white hair while wearing a large baggy, white sweater over a gray shirt and dark thigh high boots - she looked at them through the black sunglasses on her face. A beautiful stranger to most, but one who was instantly recognized by Pigsy as his jaw dropped open.
“A-Aurora!”
Aurora smiled, beaming at the restrained pigman as she nodded. While Mk, Mei, Tang and Sandy looked between the two in confusion. Then Mei decided to comment with a suspicious devious tone.
“Soooo, do you two know each other or something~ Are you two dating, Pigsy~”
Her question was immediately met with exclamations from both Mk and Pigsy.
“Mei! Really?!”
“Dating?! What?! NO!”
Mei just shrugged at the incredulous looks that she was getting by her friends, commenting.
“Look, I was just saying~”
“I am not dating Aurora. Or anyone for your information.”, Pigsy stated when Sandy released him before turning to the woman who looked like she was stopping herself from bursting out in laughter. As he walked over to hold the woman’s hands with his - looking directly into her smiling eyes.
“This is Aurora. She is a very dear friend of mine.”
The confession increased the group’s knowledge about Aurora as they stared at the woman and Pigsy. Before Pigsy introduced them to her, pointing at each individual.
“Aurora, these are my friends.” Gesturing to the blue giant and shoulder cat, “Sandy and his pet cat Mo.”, Then at the man with glasses, “Tang, the cheapskate.” Ignoring the protest from the scholar as he fondly looked at the boy with his store’s delivery clothing, “Mk, my adopted son.” Before introducing the girl with green edges in her hair, “And Mei, a childhood friend of Mk.”
While Aurora looked at her friend, and then at each person in the group - eyes lingering on Mk for a bit. Causing the boy to rub the back of his head, looking down shyly as he felt her gaze behind the shades. Until her attention was drawn away by Pigsy when he spoke once more.
“What are you doing here, by the way?”
Aurora looked at Mk once more with her eyes before looking back at the pig demon as she leaned forward with a mischievous smile. Clenching his hands within hers.
“Well, someone was late in delivering my noodles~”, she purred, causing a blush to appear on Pigsy’s face, “So I decided to brave a trip down to your little shop. Only to find that it was closed~”
“Oh…”, the pigman meekly commented.
“Yes, oh.”
Then Mk chimed in, realizing something from her words.
“Wait, you came to the store! While the city was literally being attacked?!”
Which earned her shocked looks from the rest, especially from Pigsy, making her nervously laugh.
“Maybe…”, Aurora confessed before noticing how Pigsy was about to speak and cut him off, “Look, I was worried when you didn’t show up. And very hungry. I am sorry for heading straight into danger, especially you know, Pigsy.”
The chef huffed in annoyance, half mad that she put herself in danger and half relieved that she was alright. So he could only pat the girl’s head as he firmly stated.
“Just call next time and don’t head straight into danger again. Someone could have seriously hurt you and you wouldn’t be able to fight back.”
The corner of Aurora’s lips twitched at his words, remembering her destroying some bull minions - a scene that would say otherwise. Before she nodded in agreement to appease his worry of her. As she mentally commented in her mind while smiling at the pigman.
‘Let’s not tell Pigsy about the pile of robotic bodies in the alleyway near his store.’
Speaking of his store, Aurora’s stomach decided to growl once more. Startling her, Pigsy and the rest - prompting a blush to appear across her face. While the chef let out a gruff laugh.
“Since you don’t get your delivery and are already here, I will make you a meal. Free of charge.”
This earned him incredulous looks from his friends. As they exploded in chatter.
“I don’t mind paying for the meal, Pigsy.”, Aurora tried to persuade the pig demon who made up his mind as he insisted “No, it’s my treat.”
“What?! You are giving her a free meal and not me! Just like that!” Tang exclaimed as Pigsy huffed “It’s my shop and my choice to make”. While Mk had an existential crisis on the side as he held his head in his hands, mumbling “Is she really a friend?! Am I getting a mom now?!”
“Yeah, you tell him, Mr. Tang!” Mei cheerfully said, recording the chaos on her phone as Sandy stood there, very confused with Mo on his shoulder.
‘Well, that was a nice first meeting…’
Mentally commenting as I sat in my seat. After trying to persuade Pigsy to not give me a free meal, he decided to push everyone into his shop after opening it - declaring that he will cook for everyone to make it fair. Which pleased the one named Tang greatly. Now each of us sat at the countertop, waiting for Pigsy’s homemade cuisine.
So while waiting for my long awaited meal, I looked around for a bit. Despite not being able to see anything, the feeling of comfort and warmth radiates from the walls of the shop. My ears twitched, hearing the clacks of pans and shuffling coming from the kitchen. As the smell of food cooking filled my nostrils, making my mouth water in anticipation. Before a sudden thud from the seat by my side startled me enough to jump in my chair. Slightly looking to my left, I saw that the little star decided to sit next to me.
“Soooo, how do you know Pigsy?” Mk confidently asked while I watched his spirit rub the back of his head - indicating that he was very nervous under that veil of confidence.
My lips curled up in a smile, turning my body to him in order to face him properly. I don’t have to move in order to talk directly to him, but I don’t know if Pigsy told the little star about my condition. So to be polite and not to seem weird, my gaze was directed straight at him. Hopefully, at his face as I spoke.
“I am an investor of his. His first and number one.”
I could see the little star’s jaw drop before he recovered, his body leaning forward to me in his seat. As he excitedly exclaimed, “Wait, you helped Pigsy build his restaurant!”
“Indeed, she did. Met her right after I visited this fortune teller whom everyone was raving about.”, Pigsy answered, drawing my attention.
As I watched a pig-shaped pink aura placed down something that smelled absolutely delicious. My mouth watered again, turning in my seat to face the plate of warm food which was almost in front of me. No longer paying attention to my surroundings when Mei stood up in her seat as she questioned.
“You saw a seer?!”
Pigsy hummed, nodding as he reached under the counter. Before pulling out a pair of unbroken chopsticks. As the pig demon broke them in two and handed them to me. Fondly watching over me while I began to eat.
“Well, yeah. I was skeptical at first, and thought that they were fake. But everyone kept on saying that this one was legit and were pushing me to go.” Pigsy confessed, placing more plates of food in front of the rest, “It was the best thing that I ever did because the seer predicted that I will have my restaurant and will receive some help in achieving that. And then I met Aurora who heard about me asking for investments.”
As I ate, I couldn't help but let a smile spread across my lips. Being a fortune teller was the best way to use my powers of foresight safely without anyone discovering who I was. For too long, I have seen many seers to be mistreated and used for their powers. I was lucky to be aware of the danger of not only being a celestial primate, but a seer as well. Despite the secrecy, I am proud of all I have done to help those in need like Pigsy with my visions. And money as well - I have too much of it…
“Whoa~”, Mk and Mei echoed in amazement while Tang pushed up his glasses, speaking up around some noodles, “Sounds a bit weird that you met this seer and then you met an investor right after.”
And it doesn't surprise me that the descendant of the great monk Tang Sanzang managed to pinpoint a suspicious detail like that. But~
“What are you talking about? I met Aurora two months after I saw the fortune teller.” Pigsy huffed out, crossing his arms, “I was going through the bank, asking for investments and got rejected multiple times before she showed up and offered to help.”
I always cover my tracks perfectly~ I saw that the banks would reject Pigsy’s request for a loan in order to start his restaurant. And also saw that he would have gone to one very dangerous loan shark to achieve his dream. So I decided to step in before he became desperate enough to visit that monster. Now he is the proud owner of the very unique and well-known shop and my dear friend to boot.
My eyes drifted over to the golden cicada as he deflated in his seat, sipping his noodle soup in embarrassment. Satisfied in seeing that he wasn't going to argue or try to draw a connection between me and the seer. While my eyes slowly turned back to my food, I noticed something coming at me as my hand with the chopsticks shot up. Without hesitation, I grabbed someone’s wrist between the wooden sticks, hearing two shouts from Pigsy and Mei.
“Mei! What are you doing?! Are you stealing Aurora’s shades?!”
“Oh, come on, Pigman~ Look at them, they look so cool~ I just want to try them on~”
Before Pigsy angrily scolded her more, Sandy chimed in, “Mei, it is rude to take people’s things without asking. You should have spoken to Aurora if you could try on her glasses. Instead of trying to take them from her.”
Despite the fact Sandy was not scolding her, Mei backed down at the disappointment in his voice. Then I felt the girl pulling away, so I released her wrist. My ears caught the sound of mumbling apologies from her before Sandy spoke up again.
“It's not me that you should be apologizing to, Mei. You troubled Aurora, so you need to apologize to her.”
“Yeah, you did try to steal from her…” Mk added, sheepishly.
At the sound of my name, my body straightened up and turned to the rest who sat at the countertop with me. My eyes skipped over the little star next to me and looked at the little green dragon with something red in the middle of their chest. As Mei stood up and bowed a full ninety-degree angle at me, apologetically speaking.
“I am sorry for trying to grab your glasses. It was wrong of me to do so. I should have asked…”
My eyes blinked curiously, seeing a beating red core laying dormant in Mei’s aura. Before looking away as I nodded.
“It's alright. I will admit that it did catch me off-guard.” I softly spoke, letting Mei to straighten up, “But please do ask next time before deciding to act on impulse.”
Mei nodded before she stepped forward and politely asked.
“Can I try on your glasses?”
My lips curled up in a smile as the little dragon beamed up at me with excitement. I was still curious about what that red core was, but it looks like it wasn’t hurting her. So I decided to not process it further as my hands reached up to my shades. Pulling them off, the sounds of gasps echoed through the shop, had made me realize that I overlooked something.
‘Oh yeah… I forgot about my eyes…’
Mei stepped back in shock while Mk stood up - both staring directly into Aurora’s pure white eyes. Even Sandy, Tang, and Mo were surprised by the revealed feature of their friend’s friend. Only Pigsy wasn't bothered by it as he slapped his forehead when he noticed how Aurora looked over to him with a sheepish expression. So he asked.
“Did you forget about the appearance of your eyes again?”
Which had Aurora slowly nodding as he sighed and looked at his speechless friends and adopted son. The shock lasted for a minute before Tang spoke up with a trembling voice.
“Y-your eyes… They are…”
“Blank! Empty! Complete voids of nothingness!”
Mei exclaimed, pointing at Aurora who immediately placed back on her glasses. Before Pigsy shouted, making her apologize once more, “Mei!”
“Sorry…”
Then Sandy stood up, startling everyone as the blue giant walked over to Aurora, placing Mo on her lap. Aurora looked at the blue cat who meowed, nuzzling her stomach before reaching up to run her fingers through its fur. While the gentle giant softly asked.
“Are you blind?”
The group watched Aurora pause in her petting of Mo before the woman shook her head negatively, speaking.
“Yes”, the dark-skinned woman honestly said, “I apologize for scaring you guys. I tend to forget that my eyes are pure white which seems unnatural and unnerving to people.”
“So that’s why you are wearing shades.” Tang commented, prompting a nod from Aurora.
“Yeah… It’s bad enough that my eyes drive home that I am physically blind.”, Aurora mumbled before softly answering, “So, I used sunglasses to stop most of the questions. Oh, and my walking stick too. Which I lost during the chaos…”
Her voice grew softer to a whisper when the dark-skinned woman realized what she just confessed. Because Pigsy snapped his head so fast, turning to her that she flinched - hearing the sharp crack of his neck. Before the pig demon exclaimed.
“You lost your walking stick!”
Aurora held up her hands in defense as she panicky explained, “I-I mean, maybe… The city was being attacked, people were running and screaming… I almost got knocked over in panic… Ah!”
Her hands were grabbed by Pigsy who examined the bandages covering them as he exclaimed once more.
“You were hurt! That’s it! First, you travel into danger, then you lose your walking stick and now you have gotten hurt! You need to get a caretaker, Aurora, and that is final!”
Tang, Mei, Mk and Sandy watched Aurora pull her bandaged hands as she huffed in annoyance. The look on her face as well as Pigsy’s told them that this has been a very long debate between the two. As the two stared each other down, not letting up their stance.
“Pigsy… We have been over this a dozen times…”, Aurora emphasized as she gently massaged between her eyes, “ I don’t need a caretaker. I can take care of myself. End of story.”
“And look how that got you, huh~ You are here in my place with no walking stick and injuries on your hands…”, Pigsy countered as he gestured to her and then pointed at outside where citizens were running around, “Plus how are you going to get home. The streets still have panicking people who would knock you over with no warning.”
Which sadly had his other friends agreeing with him for they too felt that Aurora needed help. Despite just meeting the woman for the first time and discovering that she was blind as well. However Aurora wasn’t backing down as she stood up, slamming her hands down on the table while Mo leaped from her lap to the table with a meow. The group watched her lean forward with lips pulled back in a snarl and eyes widen in rage, hissing like a dangerous, cornered animal.
“I. Don’t. Need. A. Caretaker. I don’t need one! Never had one and never will… Stop trying to persuade me to get one, Pigsy!”
Pigsy was going to argue back before Tang chimed in to diffuse the tense situation, softly coughing in his hand.
“Well, it seems Miss huh-”
“Aminus.”, Aurora helpfully commented while glaring daggers at Pigsy who glared back.
“Oooh, Dawn Spirit~ Classic Latin~ Yes, Miss Aminus seems to be able to take care of herself just fine. After all, she survived long enough to meet you, Pigsy.”, Tang explained, which made Pigsy lower his protective worrier stance, “It would be unfair of us to pressure her into getting a caretaker. Especially when she clearly doesn't want one.”
Pigsy tried to explain herself, “I just-”
But Sandy knocked on the wooden table, cutting him off as the blue giant fixed his old friend with a firm look in his eyes.
“We know that you are worried about her, but she is a full-functionable adult.”, the water demon said, looking at Aurora briefly as he continued, “Mostly functionable, but capable enough to take care of herself properly.”
“But she still lost her walking stick and wouldn’t be able to get home without it…”
The pig demon softly stated, still looking unconvinced to let the matter go until Mei popped out a suggestion. One that would add Aurora into fate’s plan. One that could change Destiny’s path for all of them.
“If you are really that worried, how about you and Mk here take her home?”
“Huh?”, Mk questioned with a puzzled expression, looking at his friend.
“Actually that is not a bad suggestion, Mei.” Tang commented, pushing up his glasses - a gleam overcasting them.
“Huh?!”, Mk exclaimed, looking at the scholar.
Sandy smiled, petting Mo as he too agreed, saying “Yeah! Mk is a hero now and has Monkey King’s staff, so he would be able to stop people from hurting Aurora on her way home.”
“HUH?!”, now the little hero looked at his blue giant friend.
“Then it’s settled. Mk, you and I are taking Aurora home.” Pigsy stated in a gruff, firm tone.
“H-hey, don’t I get a say in this…”, Mk tried to convince his friends.
Honestly not because he was later seen walking down the street with Aurora and Pigsy by his side. Tightly gripping Monkey King’s staff in his hands, looking around for trouble. While Pigsy guided a sulking Aurora by hand. The trio encountered no danger as they stood by the large secured doors of a large apartment building which made Mk look up in awe. As Aurora buzzed in with a keycard, unlocking the doors for her before looking at her two helpers.
“Well, this is my stop. While I didn’t need it, I still want to thank you both for helping me home.”, the dark-skinned woman said, smiling at the two.
“No problem, miss. A hero’s work is never done.” Mk stated, leaning the staff against his shoulder as he proudly puffed out his chest with a beaming smile.
Pigsy just shook his head at his adopted son before looking back at Aurora. As he released her hand from his, he gruffly stated.
“Now, go on inside. It was nice to see you again, Aurora.”
“Indeed. Also it was good to be finally introduced to your adopted son and friends, whom you told me all about~ Bye bye, Pigsy and little star~”
Aurora purred, smirking before slipping into the building. As she giggled, hearing the pig demon shout in embarrassment as well as Mk exclaiming.
“So you do care!”
This concludes a meeting not designed in fate’s plan, but destiny spares no one as it continues on…