Seeing Through the Trauma

But Not For The Better (35)

They spent the rest of the day walking around carrying things for Chao-Xing and watching her buy clothes and ask questions about MK's powers. There was an air of discomfort the whole time, and Mei was glaring at the girl every time her back was turned, something MK noticed so he then spent the whole time trying to keep the peace and make sure they didn't argue. 

It was draining and it was exhausting and by the end of the afternoon when Chao-Xing admitted she was going home now and would see him again soon, MK had to fight back a delighted grin, instead wishing her farewell and feeling confused as she frowned. 

"What?" 

"Well, aren't you going to give me a lift home?" She asked, and there was something scolding in her tone that made MK's ears lower. 

"Oh. Sorry. Yeah um Mei will you-" 

"I meant you." She cut off his timid question, making him blink. 

"Me? But Mei's pretty fast too and-"

"Yes but her dragon thing makes me feel sick, and you're powerful now so this should be easy for you." Except MK usually travelled around using the shadows and his portals, and none of those were powers he could explain to her without explaining Macaque. 

"Monkey King has that cloud thing he travels with, can't you do that yet?" She asked, and MK shook his head, his tail coiling around his leg nervously. 

"Um no, sorry." 

"How long have you had his powers for again? You haven't mastered very many of them, have you?" She scoffed and MK shrank back under the accusation, realizing she was right. Wukong could do a lot more than MK could, why hadn't he learned more? Why had he never tried to make the Nimbus cloud, or the giant Kanju Macaque could, or even just shrink himself?

"Hey! MK's learned plenty of powers!" Mei, defensive as ever, hissed and Chao-Xing rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah? Name them all then, if he's so talented. There aren't as many as you think." She huffed and Mei glared harder, teeth bared while MK himself thought about her words. The list was longer than she thought but he couldn't say that because a bunch of them were powers inherited from Macaque. 

"I don't need to prove anything to you." Mei scowled, luckily not rising to the bait and MK was just glad she hadn't blurted out all his powers in anger. 

"Hhm, that's what I thought. You can't." Chao-Xing chuffed, obviously feeling like she'd won and MK watched Mei's face get darker, stepping between them. 

"I guess you're right, Chao-Xing. Maybe I'll ask B-Monkey King to teach me when I see him next, then I can take you home next time." He offered, a good solution that she stepped back and sighed at disappointedly. 

"If you can, that would be nice. Might as well make use of the powers you have. I wish I could get around that quick." She huffed, pouting and MK smiled encouragingly, suddenly coming up with an idea.

"Well if you close your eyes I can get you home pretty quick. Do you trust me?" He asked, holding out a hand, and part of him was expecting her to laugh and tell him no. Even if she'd said she'd changed he still expected this to be a step too far into being nice to him, so when she smiled and stepped closer, taking his hand and closing her eyes he blinked, surprised. 

"Of course I do. I knew you wouldn't let me down." She chirped, tone happy and MK smiled, gesturing Mei to come closer and then opening a shadow portal beneath their feet. He felt Chao-Xing's grip on his arms tighten, a gasp leaving her mouth as they fell and MK wondered briefly if he should have warned her about that beforehand.