Sean O' Cullen was playing basketball with some of his classmates on the school ball court. As he blocked a shot to the hoop, he noticed Mei Lee and their friends sitting on the bleachers, making red panda merchandise to sell. It was part of their plan to raise money to see 4Town, their favorite musical group, who were coming to Toronto next Saturday. While Sean was not personally a fan of 4Town, he didn't have an issue with the idea of raising money for tickets.

What he took issue with was the fact that Mei was lying to her parents. According to her, they thought she had joined the mathletes when that couldn't be further from the truth. As he chased the ball, swiped it, and shot a perfect 3-pointer, he heard Mei cheer him on.

"Are you a triangle, Seannie Boy? Cuz you're acute!"

Even though he was disappointed in his friend, Sean couldn't help but smile at Mei's compliment. He'd had a crush on her from the moment they'd met. And, yes, he would readily admit that Mei was a cute and cuddly panda. He would've paid money to get a panda hug were it not for the whole "Mei lying to her mom" bit.

As the game progressed, Sean saw Tyler slink behind the bleachers. Without a moment's hesitation, e followed the bully and overheard him discussing a deal. "I wanna throw a sick birthday party. If you're there, people will come."

Sean rolled his eyes. "What a loser."

Mei mulled it over. "I'll do it. But it'll cost you 1… no, 200 bucks!" Mei said.

"Okay." Tyler agreed. While Mei conferred with her friends, Tyler caught Sean watching him. He quickly raced over. "What, you don't trust me?"

"Why would I?" Sean challenged. "You're a jerk."

"Yeah, well, this jerk's been keeping his mouth shut as a favor, so she owes me," Tyler replied.

"Hey, dorkbag, I'll be there, but you'll only get the panda for an hour and we're not bringing any presents," Mei said.

"Deal." Tyler and Mei shook hands. As Tyler walked off, Sean glared at him. "I'll be watching you, hoser. One false move, one tear from the eye of any of my friends, this'll be the last birthday you enjoy with all bones intact."

Sean's eyes flashed green, but Tyler didn't back down. "Fine. You're invited."

—

Tyler's birthday party was a snore. Mei wasn't showing up. "Where is she?" Tyler demanded.

Sean, who was leaning against the far wall, smiled. Maybe Mei finally saw sense and decided to leave this hoser in the dust.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Tyler beamed. "Yes! Panda girl!" he opened the door to reveal, not Panda Mei, but Mei in a cheap cardboard panda suit.

"Yo! What up, peeps?" she said weakly.

Sean stifled a laugh. Maybe, just maybe, Mei was finally using her head. She tried to get the party going, but nothing doing. After a while, her friends pulled her aside. Sean watched as Mei explained that she couldn't panda anymore. To her friends' credit, they were supportive and came to the consensus that if one of them couldn't go, none of them would, even though it clearly broke their hearts.

Sean nodded. "That's real adulting. Making sacrifices for the greater–"

But to his chagrin, Mei decided to panda out one last time. Granted, it was more for her friends than for the money, but Sean was still a bit on edge. Something bad was going to happen, he was sure of it.

—

Mei spent the next hour or so giving rides, partying it up, and otherwise being a real party animal. After a while, she and the girls lounged on the roof, just enjoying the fact that they were set. "Tomorrow, we are walking into that concert girls and coming out women."

"Next up is 4Town! The boys are coming to Toronto on the 25th! So get your tickets now!" The radio DJ announced.

"Abby… you said the concert was on the 18th…" Mei said worriedly.

"It is! He's wrong," Abby took the flyer out. "Look, the 18th, Toronto!"

"That says Toledo." Priya corrected.

"No!" Mei panda'd out. "The same night? The same night?"

"Mei, chill," Miriam spoke softly. "It's alright."

Mei turned to her friends, her reddish-brown eyes flashing yellow like they did when she got worked up. "No, it isn't! I can't miss 4Town! We worked so hard!"

"Hey, Panda Girl!" Tyler called. "What're you doing? We want more rides!"

"Buzz off, jerkface! I'm busy!" Mei snapped.

Sean frowned. "Tyler, I'd back off. Something doesn't feel right here. This isn't how Mei usually acts."

Tyler ignored him. "You want your money? Then get your butt down here!"

"Forget your money and forget you!" Mei spat back.

Sean winced. His heart began to race from the stress, his pulse pounding in his ears like the beat of a bodhran. "Tyler, seriously, stand down."

Again, Tyler ignored him. "What about our deal?"

"Shove your deal!"

"Fine! Get out of here! Go back to your psycho mom and your weird temple, you freak!" Tyler shouted.

"TYLER, NO!" Sean shouted. Mei, fueled by anger, leaped at Tyler, intent on attacking. But at that moment, Sean finally let go. Adrenaline sailed through his body. His muscles expanded, his eyes glowing like emerald fireballs, his cheeks splitting open to reveal his teeth. He grew to about a head taller than Mei's panda form, his legs turning backyard at the knees.

The Hound had been unleashed.

Sean clashed with Mei in midair. He held her arms above her head, his feet dug deep into the ground. "Mei… this… isn't you… This isn't… the Mei… I love," He locked his glowing eyes with hers. "In your last e-mail… you sent me Xs and Os. I thought that meant… you loved me."

"I don't!" Mei broke the tussle and kicked at Sean's chest. As the behemoth stumbled and turned, Mei raked her claws across his back.

His scream of pain as he reverted to his human form snapped her out of it. She was frozen as Sean fell to the ground, three jagged tears bleeding through his coat. The other kids surrounded him, Tyler dropping to his knees and using his jersey to stop the bleeding. "Someone call 311!"

"Mei! Mei turned and saw her mother standing there, a look of shock on her face. "What… what is going on here!"

—

As Sean was lifted into an ambulance, his back heavily gauzed and plastered, he saw Mei and her mother watching him. He turned away.

"I… I didn't mean… I didn't want to…" Mei stammered.

But it wasn't Mei that Ming Lee directed her anger towards. It was her friends. "I can't believe you would use her like this! I knew you were trouble. Putting these thoughts into her head, parading her around. Now she's lying, sneaking out, and hurting the only friend she had who truly cared about her!"

"We… didn't mean to. We just… wanted to see 4-Town." Miriam stammered.

"You manipulated her for a bunch of tacky delinquents?" Ming snapped.

Miriam shook her head. "No, she wanted–"

"Don't you blame her," Ming spat. "She's a good girl and you've taken advantage of her!"

"Mei, tell her!" Miriam pleaded.

But Mei was scared. Scared of her mother's wrath. Scared that she could hurt someone again. Scared that in her anger, she lied about her feelings. So, she turned away.

—

"You're very lucky, m'boyo," Kellan O' Cullen, the newest registered nurse at Toronto Western said as he looked at the X-rays. "Aside from some scarrin', there won't be any lastin' damage. What did this to you?"

Sean hugged his knees. "A monster. One even mightier than the Hound."

Kellan turned to his son in shock. "You fell under the riastrad? Why?"

"To be a protector," Sean took a shaky breath. "But I'll never do it again. It was… too costly." Resting his forehead on his knees, Sean broke down. Kellan hugged him. "Shhh… buck up, boyo. Yer alright…" he soothed.

—

Sean stayed in the hospital for weeks as his scars healed. On the 25th, his friends (minus Mei) visited. Toque crawled into bed with Sean and nuzzled up to him. He was like a teddy bear.

Mikey patted Sean's hand. "The girls told me what happened."

"Now you know exactly what kind of monster I have within." Sean sighed.

"Hey, you saved Tyler from being hurt. That's brave." Miriam said gently.

Priya nodded. "You acted like your honorable ancestors, big guy."

Abby tried to a smile. "Want us to bring you something from the concert?"

Sean shook his head. "You go on. Have fun."

"Alright, bud. Toque, you gonna stay?" Mikey asked.

Toque nodded. He put his head on Sean's shoulder. Sean smiled. "Thanks, T. I need this."

As his friends left, Abby looked back at Sean. "You know… Mei was just angry when she said those things. She thinks the world of you."

"Tell that to the scars." Sean snarled. Toque patted his shoulder.

—

Later that night, Sean watched as the SkyDome lit up across the distance. He scoffed. "4Town…" he looked at Toque, fast asleep next to him. He was with Sean when he got that e-mail from Mei. She had been so excited to see him again. And now…

"I don't!"

Sean winced as the pain in his scars prickled up at the memory of his fight with Mei. But the weight on his heart hurt even worse. To hear that Mei didn't love him… crushed him.

Suddenly, he felt the world shake beneath him. Toque awoke with a start. He clung to Sean. "Hey, hey, it's alright, bud. It's probably an earthquake." Sean spoke softly. But he didn't believe that. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

Just then, a large shape lumbered past them. A large red shape. It looked like… a red panda.

"Mei?!" Sean leaped out of bed and looked at the beast. No, it wasn't Mei. It couldn't be. Mei's fur was messier than this one's… and the fur on its head reminded him of…

He gasped. "Begorra… Mrs. Lee!" he watched as Mrs. Lee made her way towards the SkyDome. But why would she be heading there? Unless…

"Oh, no… Mei!" Sean felt his pulse pounding in his ears again. He forced it down. "No. Never again. I'm not a monster."

Toque tugged on Sean's hand. Sean turned to him. Toque made monster claws with his hands, then shook his head.

"I'm not a monster?" Sean translated.

Toque nodded. He put his hand on Sean's chest, then struck a pose like a superhero.

"I'm a hero."

Toque pointed to himself.

"I'm your hero," Sean said.

Toque made circles with his hands and put them over his eyes."

Sean scoffed. "I'm not Mei's hero. She hates me."

Toque facepalmed. He pointed aggressively at Sean, then at the SkyDome.

Sean nodded. "Okay, you're right. That doesn't matter. People are in danger. I should help them." He looked at Toque and smiled. "You're the best lil' brother in the world, Toquester."

Toque hugged him tight, then stepped back.

Sean opened the window and took a deep breath. "I am not a beast. The Hound is not a curse. I am a protector. I am…" his eyes glowed green. "The Hound."

—

Mei and her friends (and Tyler, surprisingly), screamed and cheered as 4Town took the stage. They were there, right in front of them. This was real.

"Mei-Mei!"

Mei was shocked to see a towering red panda, taller than even the SkyDome, rip open the retractable roof. Mei bolted towards the exit but was intercepted by her family. "Mei, we have to do the ritual again!" Her father insisted.

Ming roared. "You are in big trouble, young lady! This isn't you!"

Mei glared defiantly at her mother as she panda'd out. "This is me! I'm not your little Mei-Mei anymore! I lied! It was my idea to hustle the panda! My idea to go to Tyler's party! I like 4Town! I like dancing! I LOVE SEAN!"

Abby smirked. "I knew it."

Ming was shocked for a moment, but then she roared again.

"Mei, we'll start the ritual. Keep her busy!" Her grandmother ordered.

"Oh, I'll keep her busy," Mei growled.

"Need a hand?" A hulking mass of muscle with wild hair and glowing green eyes swung down from the rafters.

"Sean?" Mei's eyes wandered to Sean's back, but there was no trace of her claw marks. "Seannie, I…"

"Later, Mei. Just tell me what we need to do." Sean said.

"Keep her in the circle!" Jin Lee exclaimed.

"Piece of cake." Sean cracked his knuckles and leaped at Ming, grabbing her paw and forcing her to the ground. "Mrs. Lee, I don't approve of your parenting style, but I respect your culture."

Ming struggled. "How are you so strong?"

"I have something to protect," Sean replied.

"So do I!" Ming flung Sean off. The Hound crashed into the nosebleed section.

"Sean!" Mei glared at her mother and leaped at her. "All I wanted was to go to a concert!" She exclaimed as she scrambled up her mother's body.

"I never went to concerts! I put my family first," Ming swatted, trying to take hold of her daughter. "I tried to be a good daughter."

"Well, sorry I'm not perfect! Sorry I'm not good enough! Sorry I'll never be like you!" Mei slammed her mother in the face, knocking her down.

The force of Ming's fall knocked everyone away. When Mei recovered, she tried desperately to pull her unconscious mother into the circle.

"Come on, Mom! Wake up!" Mei pleaded.

Sean leaped down from the nosebleed section. He tried to lift Ming. "I am the Hound. I am the protector." He grunted. He planted his feet and took a deep breath. "Saol na saol… Tús go deireadh…Tá muid beo, Go deo…"

"What… what are you saying?" Mei asked.

"I'm praying a prayer of strength. Translated, it means "life of lives, beginning to end, we are alive forever." It was said to be Setanta's last words. Now, c'mon, pull!" Sewn resumed the chant. "Saol na saol…Tús go deireadh… Tá muid beo, Go deo…"

Mei's grandmother and aunties saw the fight the two teens were putting up. Without hesitation, they destroyed their charms and panda'd out, helping the two youths. As they towed Ming into the circle, the women began to chant. The circle blazed with turquoise light. Sean continued his Irish chant. It blended in with the Cantonese chant. Mei smiled at Sean. As he chanted, he smiled back. Soon, the pandas were lifted into the air. Sean stepped back, reverting to his human form.

His friends came up behind him, mobbing him in a group hug. "Dude, you're awesome!" Abby exclaimed.

"Oh, please," Sean looked up. "I'm just protecting my loved ones."

— Time skip—

In the aftermath of what was dubbed "Pandapocalypse 2002", things returned to a new kind of normal. Mei decided to keep her panda form. It was part of her.

One afternoon, after she and her mother swept the temple courtyard, she saw Sean approaching the doors. She beamed. "Hey, you."

"Hey," Sean took a deep breath. "So… um, about that email you sent… you signed it "XOXO, Mei" Does that mean…?"

Ming shook her head. "Honestly, Sean, is it really that hard to figure out? It's not quadratics."

"Mom," Mei warned. She took Sean's hands. "The new Lord of the Rings movie is playing. Wanna go? I'll buy the tickets if you buy the popcorn."

Sean smiled. "Mei Lee, you've got a deal." the two shared a warm embrace.

Ming cleared her throat. "Sean, if I let you take my daughter to the movies, do you promise to have her home before dinner?" she smiled. "You're welcome to join us, of course. I know your parents are both working late tonight."

Sean nodded. "You have my word, Mrs. Lee. And an O' Cullen always keeps his word."

"Come on, Seannie. We gotta get there early to see the previews. Bye, Mom, see you for dinner!" Mei and Sean raced out of the temple courtyard. As they approached the trolley stop, Mei pulled the Irish-Canadian close. "By the way, this is what I meant by those Xs and Os." she kissed Sean passionately. Sean was taken by surprise. Against his will, he began to transform. Mei smiled as she too transformed, all the while not breaking the kiss.

Both teens were turning red.