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Lu Ten flipped the Open sign to Closed as the last patron exited, finally closing up the Jasmine Dragon for the day. With Mother’s Day weekend approaching, a steady stream of customers had come in for Iroh’s mystery tea to serve their moms breakfast in bed. Exhausted, Lu Ten slumped to the floor, letting out a long sigh.
“Hey, Dad? You okay?” came the voice of his sixteen-year-old son, Zuko, filled with concern.
Lu Ten glanced up at Zuko, forcing a weak smile. “I’m fine, just tired. I still have to do the books before we head home.”
“Can’t that wait until tomorrow?” Zuko suggested.
“Nope. We’ll be twice as busy with Mother’s Day. I need to get it done now. Why don’t you head to the family room and relax? I can tell you’re about to fall over from all the extra serving today.”
“You’re just like Grandpa Iroh, Dad. You notice everything. I wish Akira and Hideki could have worked today and tomorrow, but family comes first,” Zuko replied. “I’ll go to the back room; Akiko and Ember are waiting for me. We’ve been wanting to discuss the latest Disney Twisted Tale about Brave all week!”
“Well, now you can! I’ll be done in forty minutes at the most,” Lu Ten assured him.
“Thanks, Dad.” Zuko hugged his father before racing to the back room.
As he entered, his gorgeous jade-eyed girlfriend, Akiko, leaped up to kiss him. “Oh, Zuky! You’ve been working way too hard!”
“I agree, cousin! You hardly had time to read the book! Can we finally talk about it?” Ember, Zuko’s fourteen-year-old cousin, chimed in, her excitement evident.
“Absolutely!” Zuko grinned as they settled into their seats. Akiko poured some of Iroh’s mystery tea while Ember dug into their godmother’s Xiaoying mystery cookies. After a quick snack, they were ready to dive in.
“Honestly, I think this Twisted Tale is way better than the movie,” Akiko started, her enthusiasm palpable. “Why can’t these incredible books be the movies? Or at least have live-action versions of them!”
“Totally! All the novels we’ve read so far have been ten times better than the original source material,” Ember added, her eyes shining. “This is the second book based on a Pixar movie, and the first to involve time travel!”
“Exactly! These alternate universes are so much more entertaining. A few changes can really elevate the story beyond just following the canon,” Zuko replied, smiling at Ember.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page! I love that this book has alternating POVs—some chapters are from Merida’s perspective, and others from teenage Elinor’s. It’s a shame we didn’t get any from teenage Fergus, though. They’re key characters, so shouldn’t we have had all three viewpoints?” Ember mused.
“You raise a good point, Ember. The dramatic irony of how similar mother and daughter are is fascinating,” Akiko said. “But I don’t think the name Freya was the best choice for the witch.”
“Why’s that?” Zuko asked, confused.
“Well, Freya is a Norse goddess, and Brave takes place in medieval Scotland. So it’s unlikely they would know that name,” Akiko pointed out logically.
“True. But the other names were lovely, even if some were tricky to pronounce,” Ember added, blowing a strand of jet-black hair from her face. “And I think we can all agree that the book vividly depicts the locations where Merida finds herself in the past.”
“Yes! The descriptions weren’t overdone, so they painted a great picture. I appreciated how they stuck to the language of the time, making you feel like you were really in the Highlands,” Zuko said cheerfully, reaching for another cookie.
He took a bite before continuing, “But I wonder about the implications of time travel. You know how they talk about the ripple effect? What if history can’t actually be changed, even if someone travels back or forward? Isn’t it intriguing to think that if history is altered, shouldn’t the memories of those who changed it also shift to match the new timeline?”
“Wow, Zuky! I didn’t know you were such a deep thinker! You make some solid points. I guess that’s why time travel is only a thing in fiction and not reality,” Akiko replied, impressed.
“Time travel aside, Merida made sure her parents fell in love, even if it wasn’t the same way as in the original timeline. Maybe that’s how it was meant to be, and she just played her part to make it happen. In the end, everyone’s happier, and mother and daughter have a better relationship. Maybe she created a timeline that was meant to unfold by getting involved,” Ember suggested enthusiastically.
“That could be true! There were definitely parts of the original timeline that didn’t add up, especially the Highland games. I love that it’s not just a love story; it’s also a mystery!” Zuko remarked cheerfully.
“So we have a mix of fairy tales, fantasy, sci-fi with time travel, and a love story on top of a mystery? Wow! Who knew one story could blend so many genres so well?” Akiko exclaimed, her excitement contagious.
“You’re deep, too, Akiko. And at least the main themes of inner transformation and the physical bear curse remain,” Ember said with a yawn.
Zuko glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 7:45. “We should go check if my dad’s done with the books so we can head home for the night,” he suggested, noticing his cousin looking ready to crash.
“Good idea! Let’s go, and we can chat about another book next time!” Akiko replied as they left the private room. Lu Ten confirmed that it was time to go home, and the trio piled into Lu Ten’s car, disappearing into the night.