During cooking class, Vada was learning how to make a noodle machine when she got a text from Ms. Benjamin. Knowing that they don't allow personal texts during texts. She decided to wait until after class to get it.
By one desk, two students were talking about last week's "Kidsland Music Festival"; KMF was the hit reality show where children perform in front of an audience to compete for cash and prizes. This season, their filming in Kansas. While the students were talking about KMF, Vada began to wonder if she could go onto the show to help the children with the craft service tents.
After class, she looked at her text.
Dear Vada.
Meet me at WIKNS television studio after school.
I have a relative visiting me and she's letting her daughter compete on a popular reality show.
Also, they are both dying to meet you and try some of your dishes.
Sincerely, Ms. Benjamin.
This was exciting for Vada, but a little disappointing. She knew that she's not allowed to have a fridge unless it's for medical reasons. Instead of that, she decided to share the noodle dish she made.
XxoxX
Later at WIKNS, she met Ms. Benjamin, a dirty blond Asian woman, and a little girl in Chinese monkey apparel.
"This is my little sister Heidi," explained Kiki, "and my niece Rika."
"I'm Vada Kesley," greeted Vada as she gave the little girl a noodle dish. "I'm one of Ms. Benjamin's students. Are you here to compete on 'Kidsland Music Festival'?"
Instead of speaking, Rika nodded her head.
"Did you like our Kesley soups?" asked Heidi.
"Shì de māmā (Yes, Mother.)," replied Rika.
Astonished, Vada realized that Rika could only speak Chinese. She remembered a Chinese pot shop where she learned a little bit of Chinese.
"Where are the others?" Ms. Benjamin asked.
"Well," Vada replied, "Chanel and Saatvika have to study for their history tests, Carla, Julianna, and Honey have to meet up with Curtis at the roller rink, Danna is volunteering at the pet shelter, and Presley Beth is meeting up with Mavis at a library lecture on Tennessee history."
XxoxX
Meanwhile, Elthunt was sneaking around the television studio, disguised as a janitor. Looking for an animal to turn into a monster, he spots a meadowlark trainer and decided to turn the meadowlark into a monster. With one throw of a bar of soap, the meadowlark trainer followed it to a trashcan. This gave the McCart Bug a chance to bite the meadowlark and turn it into a monster.
XxoxX
Elsewhere at WIKNS, Vada was going around the TV studio admiring the delicious craft service's tent. "Look at the craft service's table" she wowed. "I could master any of these foods!" She found a chocolate cupcake with white frosting, silver sprinkles and snowflake patterns wrapping and ate it.
"And these cupcakes are delicious," she continued.
Just as she was about to eat an apple, she spotted Rika being bullied by a bunch of contestants for her inability to speak English. "Haven't you ever heard of the word 'practice'?"
But Rika was too weak and too sensitive to reply. Thinking back, this reminded Vada of how she rescued an arctic fox from a mean host of "Survival Scariness." While the bullies were teasing her more, Vada came up to them.
"That's enough," she replied. "I know practice makes perfect, but no one is cut out for everything. I have a feeling that Rika here is not cut out for speaking English."
"Shì de, wǎ dá (That's right, Vada)," replied Rika.
But they didn't listen; instead they continued teasing her. Just then a loud rumble came from one part of the TV studio. The meadowlark came out as McCart Meadowlark. The bullies run and hid while Vada stood up to the beast.
Mew Mew Vanilla, Metamorphosis.
Mew Mew Vanilla took down the monster with her Freezing Flute. Seeing her aunt's friend as a Mew Mew, she joined in with her flute solo. McCart Meadowlark heard the music and was distracted by her music. While the monster was still distracted by Rika's music, this was Mew Mew Vanilla's chance to stop the monster.
Mew Mew Style
Mew Mew Grace
Mew Mew Style
In Your Face
In a flash, McCart Meadowlark turned back to a meadowlark.
"Melodic!" shouted the meadowlark trainer. "Where were you? I was so worried."
After the meadowlark trainer left, Kiki and Heidi came in to check on Vada and Rika.
"Nicely done, Vada," commented Ms. Benjamin. "Rika and I saw the whole thing."
Hearing this, Vada wondered if Rika knows that her sister was a Mew Mew.
"Of course." replied Heidi. "So do our brothers. She told us a year after their final mission against Cyniclons. She figured that she needed us safe as the eldest child. Last year, I told Little Rika about Aunt Kiki's secret and took it well. Sadly, my husband doesn't know the truth because he was a bully as a child and I don't want him to go back. It's amazing what six months of dance lessons from Kiki can do."
(Māmā, wǒ yīn wéi wúfǎ shuō yīngyǔ ér bèi shìtīng yuán cháoxiào (Mother, I was teased by the auditioners for my inability to speak English)," Rika said to her mother. "Dànshì wǒ réngrán yào qù cānjiā Vada de shìjìng. Tā zhēn yǒnggǎn (But I'm still going to audition for Vada. She is so brave)."
"I know how you feel about being picked on," Vada agreed. "My sisters did this to me all the time. Kanda use to make me do her chores while she does her nails and Kanya steals some of my clothes so she can look thin."
"Bullying isn't a good thing," replied Kiki. "Bridget delt with that when we first met her. Also, Heidi was also teased for not having a mother."
"I was only a toddler when we lost her," explained Heidi. "I won't remember Mom much, but Kiki will."
XxoxX
An hour later, when the set was fixed up, they did the recordings for "Kidsland Music Festival." Heidi did an amazing flute solo of Chóng ér fēi. In Chinese, that meant "Flying Fireflies." To support her niece, Ms. Benjamin got out a bunch of fireflies from her bag and spread them out. The judges knew it could be cheating, but they allow it because they believed that Rika has a cool aunt. In the end, the first place went to Violet and her Melodic Meadowlark for their xylophone-chirping duet of "The 1812 Overture." Remembering her aunt's advice that winning isn't important, Rika decided to let her go and let Violet continue on "Kidsland Music Festival." On the bright side, she got the second place prize of a year supply of Sugar Rush Millennium Muffins in banana nut, blueberry, poppyseed, and chocolate.
"Those things never go stale," recalled Vada. "Looks like we're going to have our own snacks at the ACS, huh?"
"You got that right," replied Kiki as she took a bite out of a banana nut muffin.
XxoxX
At the next ACS meeting, they were having an all you can eat muffin and Chinese buffet. Heidi and Rika were also there because their flight doesn't come til tonight.
"Zhè bǐ zài fēijī shàng chī wǎnfàn gèng hǎo (This is better than having dinner on the airplane)," admitted Rika.
"It's a good thing we ate at Velossi's at the Salt Lake City International Airport," replied Heidi. "Otherwise its 4 1/2 hours of peanuts, chicken, and fish."
"A Chinese Thanksgiving with muffins for dessert," Presley Beth. "To bad y'all don't have it in your countries."
"Actually," Vada corrected, "my father taught me about Thanksgiving when I was five. He was putting up some small pumpkins on our soup shop's table and artificial turkey feathers around the place. When he explained to me about Thanksgiving, I was psyched to learn stuffing, turkey and pumpkin pie."
"Impressive, Vada," replied Julianna. "Y'all really know your American cooking."
"Hey," Vada replied back. "I'm biracial."
Mrs. Georgeson came in and saw the buffet. Ms. Benjamin and The ACS were petrified that they were going get in trouble, but Mrs. Georgeson smiled. "I'm in need of some muffins," she explained. "I'm tired of waiting at the bakery for one simple poppyseed muffin."
Ms. Benjamin swallowed her banana nut muffin and said, "Well, if you can't beat them, join them!"
And she did.
The End.
Note: after voice actress and theme song singer, Rika Komatsu.
