The Two Kings

Date Night!

The TEA traversed through the grassy fields of China at high speeds. With Sandy at the wheel, Pigsy peacefully snoring like a noise machine in the passengers seat, and everyone else minding their own business in the back, everyone was keeping their minds sharp and ready as they prepared to enter the Lantern City in a couple hours.

Especially, MK and Parker who, - bless their souls- had been equally stressing themselves out on how to go about make tonight the perfect date.

"Okay, so, should we do food AND THEN festival watching? Or vice versa?" Parker asked MK. In his hands, the General held a a few scribbled down notes with random doodles of lanterns and hearts all around the page.

"I want to do the dumpling eating contests! And face painting!" MK exclaimed as he laid on his stomach, sketching and drawing with his crayons. He rested his cheek against his open palm, listening to Parker ramble on about their plan's for tonight.

"But save room for snatching up the third ring, definitely gonna need that." MK said with a finger waving in the air.

Parker nodded, scribbling down doodles onto the page. "Got it, so, if we can cram everything into 30 minute sessions, we'll have just enough time to search for the ring and leave."

Mei peaked over both her friend's shoulders, curious, as she scanned over the drawings and scribbles. "hmm... what'cha doing there, guys?"

Wukong, who had been lying flat on his back on his nimbus cloud, chuckles as he too looks over at his student's works. "Pretty sure they're getting ready for their special date night, or whatever."

Parker glared up at Wukong and promptly threw a red crayon at him, "Hey! I have the crayon' I do the sayin'!"

"Ow!"

Mei laughed outwardly, handing MK one of the scribbles back, "You know, you guys could always just leave US to find the third ring, right? Which leaves you two," she gestured to MK and Parker with a dramatic flick of her wrist, "Time to get all lovey dovey!"

Parker and MK shared a unanimous blush, their face's coated in a light shade of pink that made both of them snap their heads away. "Well, uh-!" Parker coughed awkwardly, "We can still search for the ring and stuff AFTER, right?"

"Nope! If this is gonna be a date, it's gotta be a great one!" Mei exclaimed as Wukong nodded seriously behind her, "The rest of us will do all the boring adventuring stuff, while you two can just sit back and do whatever boyfriends do!"

"Besides!" Tang quickly cut in, closing his diary journal with a small snap, "You two deserve it. What's the harm in one date night before we go save the world. Again."

MK hummed, sharing a look with Parker who nodded after a moment of hesitation, "That can work! We won't need to rush! Thanks guys!"

"No problem, kid," Pigsy, who had just woken up a few moments ago, had wiped the sleep from his eyes to look back at the group. "Oh, and Parker?"

"Yeah, Uncle Pigsy?"

"If you hurt MK in any way, shape, or form, I will have you disappear under mysterious circumstances, never to be seen again." The pig man threatened with the protective fury of a thousand burning suns, eyes burning with fire. Parker deadpanned and quickly scurried into his bunk, hiding from Pigsy like a scared cat.

"Got it!" He squeaked out from underneath the sheets as Wukong laughed at him.

"Hey, guys!" Sandy cut through the tension with his usual cheerfulness. Outside, the TEA had finally managed to make their way to the Lantern City. The wide village was surrounded by snowy peaks, bathed in a warm, near fiery glow that had the whole city bathed in a bright orange and yellow hue. "Land ho!