Lunar New Year by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters and transformative content. You have been warned.
Xinnian Hao or so the old pinyin saying goes. A saying that when translated, goes back thousands of years back to the Shang Dynasty. An era long lost to history and yet the practices of the holiday have only changed so much. China and its people have changed their practices as time has passed on but many of its traditions remain unaltered as its people still seek to preserve some elements of the historical culture.
Chinese New Year in one version or another is as old as the zodiac itself. Each year, those that trace their lineage back to Asia often partake in the celebrations that come with the event. The colloquial understandings of the holiday have been passed down through the generations. Even those far removed from China and its neighbors, continue to celebrate it when the holiday rolls around each year.
Chunije or the Spring Festival as it is known throughout the world is not exclusive to those of Asian heritage. Foreigners are not forbidden from sharing in the joys that come from the festivities. In each corner of the world, small pockets of Asian communities share their cultures with everyone who wishes to join them. The so-called "China Towns" of the West have become a hotbed for these events to take place.
Nait was a young boy who lived in Mexico City. A city that was well known for its culture and food. At 10 years of age, Nait had only grown up knowing the city life of the place. He hadn't traveled much and knew very little of the world outside of Mexico. The boy attended a local primary school where he had a small group of friends. Nait's social circle was mostly homogenous, local kids as immigrants were not super common where he lived.
It was early in the year and Nait had been learning about world cultures in his social studies class. It was something entirely new to him and excited him to know of some of the differences around the world. They were just beginning to learn of the Asian side of things when they began discussing China and the idea of the Lunar New Year. The idea of people dressing up and roaming around in dragon costumes appealed to him. He began to grow more curious about it and ask his parents about it, yet they did not know much.
One day at school, a new kid showed up to the class. Nait and his friends were busy learning math when there was a knock at the door. The vice principal soon showed up guiding a small red panda child into the room. She began speaking in Spanish to the class.
"Good morning, everyone. This is Hailun. He is from Shanghai. He just moved here from China and could use someone to show him around. His Spanish isn't great so be patient with him…Any volunteers?" The tall woman looked out around the classroom of students.
Nait didn't hesitate to raise his hand, he had never seen a fur before but he heard they were something that existed in isolated communities.
"Very well. Thank you. I will leave him in your hands. Feel free to take him around now. I will grant you a pass, but it will only be good for 15 minutes." The woman held out a small piece of paper to Nait, waiting for him to take it.
The boy burst out of his chair, not wasting any time snatching the pass. The idea of getting out of class very much appealed to him.
"Hola, I'm Nait." The human boy held his hand out in a gesture of greeting to the fur.
The red panda looked up and down at the human. "Ni Hao."
"Ni Hao. Would you like me to show you around?" The smaller boy was certain he would understand.
Hailun seemed confused as he stood there idly. "What?"
"Come." The smaller boy took the cub by the hand and began leading him into the hall.
Hailun didn't have a chance to protest as he was whisked into the hall. Nait began leading him to the cafeteria. Already in his head, he was working out a way to explain the layout of the school to the other boy.
"This is where we get lunch." The human said to the cub while standing at the entrance to the cafeteria.
"Lunch? Okay." The red panda began walking forward into the cafeteria as if expecting to be served food.
Nait reached forward to stop him. "Wait…not yet."
Hailun turned around, confused again. "What?"
"Come…here." Nait wondered if the language department would have something to help them out.
The human once again began leading into the hall. He wasn't sure how to help the other boy with the obvious language barrier between them. Nait hoped that the school would have something that could help them ease the process. Once they arrived at the language department at the school. He took Hailun into one of the offices and showed off his pass once he entered.
"This is Hailun. He's from China and doesn't speak Spanish very well. Do we have something that can help with this?" He said looking up at the young woman sitting at the desk.
She hummed a moment and reached into one of the drawers. She pulled out two plastic devices that resembled a smartphone.
"All you need to do is set it to Chinese and Spanish for both. This should help you two communicate." The woman then handed them over to the two boys.
Nait looked at it and toyed with it before giving one to Hailun.
"Do you understand me now? You can speak in Chinese." The machine put out text for the red panda to read.
Hailun nodded now speaking in Mandarin. "Yes, I understand."
Just as the machine translated for the human, it did for the cub as well.
"Thanks, ma'am." Nait smiled widely at the woman behind the desk.
She nodded at them and went back to doing what she was working on.
"Okay, I'm going to show you around the school." Nait held the machine up fully relying on it to do the work for him.
Hailun smiled at the other boy and bowed, trying his best to communicate in Spanish. "Thank you."
They made their way back to the cafeteria and Nait repeated showing the room again to make sure he knew what it was there for.
"This is where we go for Breakfast and Lunch. Lunch won't be for a while." The human continued to speak into the device.
Hailun read the transcription and responded. "I understand."
Nait nudged him back into the hall and they began walking toward the gym. The human knew he was running out of time since he had to detour, so he picked up the pace. When they arrived at the gym, Nait took Hailun back to the locker rooms.
"This is where we have PE class and where the school hosts sporting games. Do you like any sports?" Nait wanted to learn more about the cub.
Hailun took a second to read the device and answered. "I like Kendo and Martial Arts."
"Oh? What kind of Martial Arts do you practice?" Nait was glad the devices were working so well, even if it took longer to communicate.
The red panda showed off the three stances of Wing Chun. "I learned Wing Chun in school."
"That's cool. You'll have to show me sometime." The human tugged on him to follow him again.
They proceeded to the front office since Nait figured Hailun would need to know where that was in case he had any problems. Again he had to show off his pass to the staff who questioned his presence.
"This is the front office. If you ever need to go home early or feel sick, this is where you would come." The smaller boy showed him into the clinic and introduced him to one of the nurses.
Hailun introduced himself to the older man and bowed deeply. He had been taught to show deference to his elders. Nait couldn't help but eye him as he did it as it wasn't something he saw daily.
"One more place to go, then we'll go back to class." Nait again took the lead as he lead towards the rear portion of the school and headed outside.
Nait proceeded to show him around the courtyard which was empty of people at the moment.
"This is our last stop. This is where we have recess and PE class when it goes outside." The human proceeded to show off some of the playsets that had been arranged in the open area.
Hailun looked at the device, seeming lost. "What is recess?"
"You know like break time…a time to relax away from class." Nait wasn't sure what to make of Hailun not being familiar with the idea.
The red panda scratched his chin. "We did not have recess in China."
"When did you guys get a chance to go on breaks?" The human felt a little bad that the cub hadn't experienced it before.
Hailun shrugged. "We did not get breaks. We were expected to dedicate ourselves to our studies."
"I see, well. You will have fun here today then." Nait stuck his tongue out at the cub playfully.
They made their way back to class, a little bit late but the instructor said nothing. Hailun continued to follow Nait as he was the only one he knew now. Holding his chair out for him to sit in once they were close enough to sit back down.
"Thanks." The human was caught off guard by the act but didn't think much of it.
The teacher continued going on with their lesson. Hailun had to rely entirely on the device to do his work. He wasn't sure if it was alright to write in Mandarin or not but tried writing a few sentences in the local tongue. When he turned it in, the teacher simply looked at it and said nothing as they weren't sure the cub would understand.
Hailun and Nait made their way down the hall. The next class to be had was world cultures. Coincidentally enough they were learning about Asian cultures and specifically China. They made their way into the class. The classroom had been decorated with red lanterns, fish kites, and a large costumed dragon head in the corner. The Chinese Lunar Festival was fast approaching and so the teacher had begun preparing so the kids could enjoy the festivities that came with the holiday.
When they entered the classroom, Hailun couldn't help but look around.
"What's going on? Why do you all have decorations up for the Spring Festival?" The red panda continued to speak into the device.
Nait shrugged. "It was our teacher's idea. I hope it doesn't bother you."
"Well, no. I just wasn't expecting to see
decorations up. They seem to have forgotten the sign of the rabbit." They continued to make their way to a desk.
On the desk in front of them were some craft materials. Red and Gold Construction paper with scissors and a reference paper of a rabbit with some flower designs on it. Hailun looked at the thing awkwardly, not sure what to make of it.
"Today we will be making signs to celebrate the Chinese New Year. It seems the new student is from China, perhaps he would like to share the Holidays' true meaning with the class?" The teacher had received information about Hailun before he arrived.
Nait raised his hand and waited to be recognized. "He doesn't speak Spanish very well."
"Right then…never mind." The man blushed as he realized his naïve error.
"Anyways…go ahead and follow the design in front of you. Artistic freedom is permitted but the animal must be the rabbit." The man began passing along ribbons and glue to each of the tables.
Hailun looked at the makeshift decoration. It wasn't something he did in his native country so he was a little confused by it. Nait looked over to see him examining the craft project and began drawing to show the other boy what he was supposed to do. The boy was a pretty good artist, even at his young age. He was able to replicate the rabbit without much of an issue, putting his unique spin on the critter.
When he was done, he showed it off to the other boy. Hailun smiled at it and nodded before beginning to undertake the craft himself. Instead of drawing he took up a pair of scissors and started cutting up the paper. He didn't want to copy the other boy and had an idea he had learned a different sort of idea back at home. Before long he had crafted a circular lantern with cutouts that resembled rabbits.
Hailun showed the thing off to Nait and the other boy smiled. Spinning the thing around, lightly filtered out of it causing a speckling of light to poke out of it, despite there being no source of it coming from the inside. The boy patted the bigger boy on the back, glad to see he had joined in on the activity since it was all in good fun. Once they were done Nait took Hailun around the class to show him some of the imported decorations that had been bought for the room.
When they came up to the dragon costume, they looked at it for a second. It was blue and yellow and had an oversized head with flared nostrils. Golden frills hung off the costume making the thing look as if it had fur with its eyes bulging out with red inlays. Hailun reached up to grab the thing. Nait reached over to stop him but by the time he had acted, the costume was already in the other boy's hand.
"Wait, let's see what he does with it." The teacher had seen the red panda take the costume off its wooden peg.
Hailun lifted the large dragon's head over his own, fastening it on his ears. The costume was designed for two people so the lower portion of the costume dragged behind him.
"Come under with me, Nait." Hailun spoke, still holding the translation machine.
Nait hesitated a second before lifting the back end of the costume so he could get underneath it. Sure enough, there was another hump in the costume where he could put his head under, securing it within.
"Follow my lead." Hailun suggested as he took slow methodical steps forward.
The class watched as the costume came to life. The scaled frills sparkled against the light of the classroom as they bucked up and down. Hailun shifted the head back and forth, making the thing appear as if it were alive. The eyes inside of it open and close as the costume was designed to do. The red panda hopped back and forth with his new friend just tagging along with none of the motions, but still going along with it all the same.
The class clapped and the teacher smiled at the act, glad to see the costume had some use for a change rather than just sitting in the corner. Before long the show came to a close. Hailun popped up the head and helped Nait to do the same. The bigger boy takes the thing to the back before retiring it to its rafter. The class continued to applaud them, both boys taking a bow seeming content with themselves.
The rest of school went by pretty quickly. Nait had gotten the idea of taking Hailun to the part of town that was considered "Little Bejing". It was a part of Mexico city that had become a culture of its own. The Asian immigrants of the city had made the place their own and put their spin on what they remembered from home. Once school was over, Nait decided to see what Hailun was doing to see if he wanted to check the place out.
Nait waited outside in front of the school to see if he could see the cub come out. Sure enough, he was shown outside by one of the staff members of the school. The boy figured he had to act fast or Hailun might be taken to the busses. He walked over to them and approached both Hailun and the guide.
"Hiya, Hailun. Wanna hang out after school? I was thinking we could go to Little Bejing." Nait was certain the guide would have no issue with it since it would relieve them of their duties.
Hailun looked at his translation device and spoke. "Little Bejing? But Bejing is back in China…"
"Well, yes but we have our version of it. Would you like to go check it out?" The smaller boy was certain the cub would like it.
Hailun shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not. Thank you, ma'am. I will go with Nait. Can you show me how after?"
"Yep, I know my way around pretty well so it's not a problem." The smaller boy didn't think it would be an issue finding his way to the cub's house.
The guide allowed Hailun to go with Nait. The two began walking together away from the school and out towards the main streets. Traffic was pretty heavy at this time of day for the school since some parents picked up their kids after school. Both of the boys kept to the sidewalk to avoid congestion going through the street. Once they were outside the school property the traffic became much less of an issue.
They crossed the street, making their way to the offside of the town. As they got closer to "Little Bejing" the buildings they were passing changed. Now taking on more angular roofing with glazed tiles that curved on each side. On the corner of each of the buildings, it jutted out and curled upward toward the sky. At the center of it, the rooves were over spiked and many of them had several points denoting the top of the building.
Eventually, they passed by a sign written in traditional Chinese script.
"What does it say?" Nait couldn't help but be curious, forgetting he could use the device he had been carrying the entire day.
Hailun looked at the sign and read it aloud. "Welcome to Bejing."
"Looks like we're here, then." The human boy announced the obvious.
The traffic in this area was nonexistent. People instead rode bikes and small carriages that resembled rickshaws. A few motorized trains passed through the area, driven on along by a thin black wire and some railings that guided them. They shook and rumbled as they churned through the area, occasionally making sharp chiming noises to warn people they were about to go through traffic. The whole system was wholly unorganized and yet it worked.
Hailun looked overhead and saw some ribbed ropes extending between the buildings. Ribbons curled down from them spinning around as the wind blew past them. Traditional colors of red and gold mixed with green, orange, and pink. Small tassels bundled up with crimson rouge fluttered along with the wind. Fireworks could be overheard occasionally but nothing could be seen since it was still early in the day.
"So what do you think?" Nait figured the other boy might feel more at home here than he did elsewhere in town.
Hailun returned his gaze forward. "It looks a lot like home. The buildings aren't as big but it looks more like China than I thought."
"That's good. Come check this out." The smaller boy again took the lead, making his way through into smaller street corridors.
Hailun and Nait had to contend with much more foot traffic than before. Most of the people around them were Asian, though a few Mexicans were wandering around. Nait had been to the place enough times that he didn't feel out of place. After all the city was designed to be a melting pot of culture and lifestyles, which was made further evident by the small subcultures within Mexico City itself.
Nait lead to an open area of the town. Street performers could be seen putting various sorts of shows in front of them. Both boys couldn't help but look around, the clamor and noise in the area were somewhat loud. Nait recognized one of the people had donned the familiar dragon costume from back and class. It seemed they were getting ready to put on a show. He tugged on Hailun hurrying him along.
Once they were close enough to the sight of the performance, they saw that there were a lot of people around it. Both boys pushed their way through the crowd since they were too small to see through the thick of the people. Now in front of the audience, they could see some wooden pegs had been set up with circular platforms on top of it. Two people, one wearing a red dragon costume and the other wearing a yellow costume stood at each side of the roped-off area.
On the sidelines of it, people began banging drums and slamming symbols together. Once the two performers began moving, the musicians began slapping some of the wooden sticks together to make more noise. The clamor seemed to stir them into action. As soon as it did, they began popping the heads of the costume up and down, extending the neck causing the frills to flay out.
Both performers did the same thing in tandem as they kicked their feet forward and then back to throw the tail into an opposing motion. They began spinning around the head, the costume maintaining its opposable shape despite the fluid motion. Eventually, they
neared the pegs and positioned themselves right next to them. Soon jumping up and galloped across it, causing the costume to flow behind them.
Each performer passed by the other, they stopped at the center and faced opposite ways to both sides of the crowd. The audience spurred them on with applause, the musicians chanting and beckoning them to carry forward. The performers rotate and face each other before switching positions. The crowd roared and cheered ever louder as the two continued to piston and pump back and forth over the top of the pegs.
Eventually, the music slowed down and the performers followed in kind. They returned to their original position, showing off their costume to the crowd. Finally, they hopped off the pegs, both at the same time. The audience clapped further and both of the performers joined at the center in front of the pegs. Throwing up the costumes, as they were caught by some nearby aids. The two of them took a bow as the performance came to a close and the music died down.
Nait thought about it a second, the performance seemed to resemble what Hailun had done with the costume in the classroom.
"What did you think?" Nait asked the other boy.
Hailun looked over and smiled at the human. "It was a good performance of the lion dance."
"Is that what it's called?" The smaller boy asked as he was curious.
The red panda nodded. "Yep."
The crowd around them had dissipated, allowing them more movement than they were able to during the performance. Nait wasn't hungry but an idea occurred to him to show his new friend to one of the Chinese eateries.
"Want to try some good food?" Nait liked the idea of mixing Asian and Mexican cuisine.
Hailun shrugged. "I'm not hungry."
"But they have the best treats. I'll even buy it for you." The smaller boy just wanted him to try it.
The cub nodded. "Alright, we can split something."
They walked out of the main square of Little Bejing. Most of the performers were gone now that it was getting later and so it was easier to move around than before. They made their way into a back alley that had an open-air market with some stalls of various sizes throughout. The smell in the area was nothing short of intense, a mixture of fish and fowl that was strung up on hooks for people to look at and possibly purchase.
Nait and Hailun made their way back through the small corridor until they reached a closed shop. A cloth rug had been rolled out from the store welcoming visitors to check out its offering. Entering the inside, the two could smell all sorts of steamed, baked, and fried treats. The place was a restaurant but had a confectionary off to the side for the people who only wanted to partake in the sweeter selections the place had to offer.
Once inside it was much warmer as the steam pouring out from various pots was permeating through the small space in front of the restaurant. Two furs were taking care of the matters at the front of the store. Nait had never seen them before and figured they must be new employees but they seemed nice enough from the interactions they were having with the people in front of them. It didn't take them long before they got to the two boys.
Nait reached into his pocket and pulled out an assortment of coins from within. He looked over at Hailun and figured he would know the selections better than he would.
"Go ahead and pick something you think would be good. I'm game to try whatever." The smaller boy continued to look through the glass at all the options.
Hailun looked at the treats within once they were close enough. The dragon from across the counter began speaking in Spanish to him, assuming he spoke the language.
"What can I do for you?" The burly female dragon spoke with a deep voice.
The red panda responded in Mandarin. "Do you speak Chinese?"
"Oh, yes. Most certainly. I wasn't expecting you to know Chinese, sorry." The dragon pushed back the netted bonnet on her head out of her eyes.
Hailun nodded. "We would like two Nian Gan mini cakes."
"A fine choice. That will be 10 pesos." The dragon put one of her hands into the glass container and pulled out two rabbit-shaped treats in a paper doily wrapping that was glittered in fake gold.
Nait handed over a 10 peso coin to the dragon, reaching up to so since the counter was somewhat high for him to top. Once the woman had taken the coin from him, she handed over the two small treats to the red panda cub.
"Thank you for your patronage." She bowed enough that the top of her head could still be seen over the counter.
Hailun bowed as well and took the small cakes from her before handing one to his friend. The two boys walked away from the counter and back out of the store. Once back outside, they realized things were dying down and the street lights were now turned on. The sun was beginning to set and it was evident they needed to go home sooner rather than later.
Hailun took the lead for the first time, reaching back and grabbing the smaller boy's hand. The red panda had seen what he believed to be a Buddhist temple and was certain a Zen garden would be behind it. Nait had no idea where he was being taken but put up no form of protest to show his uncertainty. They walked past a temple and some of the monks eyed them as they made their way past its bamboo-laden walls.
On the other side of it, there was a small lake. A bridge leading to a crimson red pavilion with the same thatched tile roof. Before it, some gravel was neatly raked in a circular fashion around some bigger stones. No benches seem to be arranged at the place for people to sit and yet Hailun made his way there even despite it. Once they were under the pavilion, Hailun kneeled to sit on his knees seizu position.
"Come and relax. Be still and allow your mind to calm." The red panda patted the floor next to him.
Hailun began nibbling on the small treat as some crumbs fell from where he was clutching it.
Nait didn't hesitate long before he sat down next to the cub, crossing his legs. The moment he took a bite of the morsel he couldn't help but savor it.
"Wow, this tastes good." Looking at the small treat closer the thing looked as if it resembled a rabbit.
The bigger boy nodded and closed his eyes. "Close your eyes and relax. The mind must be as still was water so that everything may become clear."
"Uh…okay?" Nait wasn't sure what he was getting at but his mouth felt warm and was tingling for what seemed no reason.
The red panda began to hum, the machine continuing to translate for him. "The mind is everything. What you think, you become…"
Nait stammered a bit as his body shifted forward, he was confused as to what the other boy was getting at. Yet he did not disrupt him.
"Still as water, running as wind. Fluid and forever running, yet one can still see their reflection." Hailun continued to hum and take deep audible breaths.
Nait's mind was beginning to wash over, he could see what Hailun was suggesting to him.
"A field of green, a valley of open scapes. Brazing winds both chilled and warm blow across yonder form. Cascading ever forward as you frolic through the meadows without a care. A voice calls to you in undiscernible tones." The boy continued chanting in a murmured tone.
The cub's words almost seemed therapeutic to him. His body was entirely relaxed, had he not felt an innate sense of itching that he felt no desire to itch.
"Skies of blue and white clouds overhead. Shining light to illuminate your way overhead. A singular thought in your mind. To wander and graze forevermore. Echoes of the same tune ring in your ears as they become ever louder, almost audible." Hailun Om'ed allowed as his trance of meditation continued.
Nait could feel himself getting sleepy and yet he still felt energetic. His body did not sway, remaining upright and firm in his posture. His thoughts are occupied only by the images conveyed to him by his friend. The itching sensation became more prominent in his form as he sat there idly.
"A mountainous valley of white and gray stands before you. Pillowed mounds of white snow roll with the wind. Hollowed echoes of voices in the distance, beckon to you. Call to you, a name is long forgotten. Yet true all the same." Hailun was completely lost in his trance, yet remained in control of his train of thought.
Nait felt a sense of aching and throbbing throughout his body. First his fingers, then the entirety of his hands. Then his teeth began to ache and he found he could not act to soothe the discomfort.
"Open yourself to the true notion of the call of the wild. A spirit as untamed as the heart would allow. Search within yourself for that calling for which now rings forevermore. Allow your instincts to roar forward and become the same as your true calling. Become the name and deny it not." Hailun stopped talking but continued to chant "Om".
Nait's eyes broke open as if something had snapped him out of them. His body was tremoring and shaking but unable to move. His body was still itching. Looking at it he could see a light brown fuzz had grown from one of his arms. Looking at the other, it seemed much the same. Concern began to rise within his person as he wasn't sure what was going on. He wanted to call out to Hailun and yet when he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out.
His body felt achy and sore as he sat there. His mouth clamped down as he bit his lip. Touching the upper portion of his mouth, he found his front incisors to be sticking out as if they were buck teeth. The sudden pain sent a shock through his body as he began to itch uncontrollably. Each place he scratched, sprouting an even darker patch of what appeared to be body hair. Before long even his ears began to feel strange.
Nait tried moving and found the rest of his body would still not cooperate. His eyes had blurred a bit and he couldn't see straight. His feet felt rather cramped up in his
shoes which seemed to grow increasingly less uncomfortable with each passing second. Before long he heard fabric tearing and looked in front of him to see the opaque view of furry digits protruding from the front, making it apparent his shoes no longer fit him.
His pants were feeling somewhat tighter but hadn't shown any signs of distress other than feeling somewhat uncomfortable around his waist and at his rear. A sharp sense in his ears sparked forth but ended soon after it had begun. His whole body felt warmer as if he were wearing a thick coat. A strange sense of warmth he only felt when wrapped up in a blanket or when hugged by a member of his family. Blinking a few times, he tried to get rid of the blurred vision in his eyes.
The sensation was finally beginning to die down. The itching slowed down before coming to a close. Hailun had silenced himself and stood up. He bowed deeply and then stood back up erect. Looking down at his friend, it didn't surprise him to see that Nait looked different than before. It took a few more seconds for him to come around. When he finally did his vision returned to its normal state.
Extending his hand forward, Nait could see much more brown hair present. The entirety of his limb was covered in it. It resembled fur more than body hair, though that thought didn't occur to him. Hailun helped him up to an upright position. He wobbled for a moment before regaining his footing. Nait's body was still a bit achy and sore but it was nowhere near as bad as before. The red panda reached around him and offered himself as a sort of aid until he regained his footing.
They walked together to the side of the pavilion. A small red railing stood as a barrier between them and a large koi pond. Fish could be seen inside swimming around with their scales glittering against what showed from the moon that was beginning to show its gaze. Looking into the water, Nait could see his reflection waver. A furry rabbit boy looked back at him and yet the sight did not alarm him.
"Trust in yourself. Love the true soul of eternity that burns within. Find sanctuary within that image and cherish it. Only then can you truly live in peace with what you already have."
The machine did not translate and yet Nait understood the Mandarin tongue as if it was one he had learned in school as a second language. Nait looked up to the sky. It was darkening, clouds had gathered to make what light that was showing sputter through it. He thought to himself, not doubting what he had seen or of his future but instead embracing it with hope and enthusiasm.
A singular star jutted across the sky, streaking a thin light against the darkness. Nait wondered if anyone might make a wish on the thing. In his mind making thoughts about his family and friends. The star sparked a brighter burning bastion as it exploded in illumination. He couldn't help but feel a sense of joy as stargazing often brought him happiness. Eventually, he returned his gaze forward.
Hailun guided Nait away from the water and they began to exit from Little Bejing. Nait had regained his composure, though his voice remained still. Contemplating within himself all that had happened that day, even if had seemed real to him part of him couldn't believe it. He eventually took the lead again as the other cub had allowed him to do before since Hailun did not know the way to lack experience.
Nait dropped off Hailun at his home. The two shared a parting farewell before promising to see each other the following day. Upon returning home, he was greeted by his parents who hugged him. The two humans didn't seem at all bothered by the fact he was a fur and they were not. The magic that night remained a mystery to all except Hailun. Of course, he didn't understand the full workings of what had happened.
Hailun understood that the night held special significance to those who found solace in its festivities. In his heart, he had only wanted not only friendship but a person he could relate to. It seemed that the spirits of the lunar festival had granted his desire, even if he had not intended it to happen that way. Though he couldn't help but be happy. After all, it's hard for kids to relate especially after moving away from their homes.
As for Nait, it was as if nothing had even happened. The school remained much the same. No one was alarmed by the fact he had changed. His second tongue was only shared with Hailun, and the two still using the machine outside of that circle. The two became much closer, even some finding them to be best friends even if that might not have been the case. After all, boys will be boys and friendship always finds a way.
"All that we are is a result of everything we have thought. The mind is everything we think. We become."
-Buddha
