***
"Yes, Chung I, I will do as you say. I will go to America."
***
Mei Pieh sat next to her father's grave, tears blurring the scene. He loving father, taken from this world so violently. It was so unfair.
She finally stood. "Goodbye Father. I will do my best to avenge your death."
She went home and gathered up everything she thought she would need. It was painful, packing things up like this, as if she'd never return.
knock knock
Mei Pieh froze, keeping a tight grip on her satchel. The knocking continued.
"Chung I, are you home?"
Howin, a friend of her father. She'd met him before, in disguise, as she had many of her father's closest friends. Very few of them knew what she truly was, and Howin was not one of them. She considered just staying quiet until he left, but then the door started to open.
She quickly ran to the door and pushed it closed. She winced as she heard Howin stumble back and fall, and hoped he was all right.
"Howin," she said cautiously, keeping the door jammed shut.
"Mei Pieh, I must speak with your father, it is important."
Mei Pieh bit her bottom lip. "He's... passed away." She tried hard to keep herself from sobbing. On the other side of the door there was only silence.
"I'm sorry," Howin finally said. "When?"
"Last night." She lied, "in his sleep."
After a minute she heard Howin leaving. She sank to her knees and cried, letting out all the pain and anguish she felt. How am I supposed to do this? I've never been without my father. How on Earth am I supposed to stop the dragons all by myself?
Then she remembered. Her father had told her to go to America and find Splinter's students. They would help her. She thought of Splinter being trapped in the Realm of Dreams, of the innocent people that would be slaughtered if the dragons were freed. She realized she had no choice.
Mei Pieh stood up and wiped her eyes dry. She made up her mind. She was going to America. She had to at least try.
As soon as the entire task at hand sank in, Mei Pieh slumped down into a chair.
How am I going to get all the way to America?
***
Pulling her cloak tight, Mei Pieh made her way along the docks. She had come to the conclusion that traveling by boat was her best bet of getting to her destination at all. A plane would be faster, but much harder to sneak aboard.
"Now, to find a ship going to America," she muttered.
"Can I help you?"
Mei Pieh turned to see who had addressed her, hoping they had been speaking to someone else. No, no mistake, she came face to face with a beautiful Chinese girl about her age. Her smooth white skin stood out against her black dress. Her black hair shaded her eyes, and fell back in twin braids.
"Umm..." Might as well get some help if I can. "I'm looking for a boat to America. Manhattan if I can find one."
"That could take weeks, little girl. You don't have that kind of time."
"Well, I..." What?
The girl grabbed Mei Pieh's wrist and pulled her into a dark alleyway. She covered Mei Pieh's mouth with her hand and brought her face close.
"I can get you there much faster, Shinobi," she whispered.
Mei Pieh squirmed in the girl's strong grip. How could this girl know who she was? She tried to scream but it came out muffled.
The girl removed her hand but held Mei Pieh in place against the wall.
Mei Pieh took a deep breath. She wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. This girl was giving her a bad feeling, and wasting her time. Still...
"How?"
The girl smiled seductively. "I am Xin. I can take you right where you want to go." She ran her fingers along the edge of Mei Pieh's cloak. "If that's really where you wan to go?" She pushed aside her hair to reveal an eye of pure black. No white, just a black so dark it seemed to absorb all the light in the area.
Mei Pieh gasped, then gritted her teeth. "Demon...let me go!" She broke free of Xin's grasp and ran as fast as she could.
"If you want to get there in time to save them," Xin called out, "You'll need my help."
Mei Pieh stopped at the edge of the shadows. She could either run or stay. Running would get her away from the demon, but back to where she had started.
If she stayed, then she'd have to deal with Xin, one way or another. She could always destroy the demon, but that would leave her drained and defenseless and also back where she started. Stuck in Shanghai with no way to leave.
She turned to face Xin. "All right."
Xin let out a little giggle and beckoned Mei Pieh over to her. She grabbed the Shinobi by the shoulders. "Just close your eyes, little girl, this won't hurt."
Mei Pieh did as she was told, well aware the risks involved. Asking a demon for help was often more trouble than it was worth, but this was important. She felt a feather light pressure against her lips and was overcome with a wave of dizziness. She fell back and hit her shell against something.
She opened her eyes to see a complete change of scenery. Gone was the alleyway and docks of Shanghai. She was in a large structure, at the top of a flight of stairs. She looked behind her to see that she had backed into a metal ladder leading up.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
Xin appeared beside her, a little too close for comfort. "Where you wanted to be. At the home of Splinter and his sons."
Mei Pieh nodded, then asked the question she dreaded. "And in return?"
Xin smiled. "All in good time, little girl."
Then she was gone, leaving Mei Pieh with an uneasy feeling.
***
Chapter eight