Rescue Me, My Love

Foxes will be Foxes

     Mo Yuan was turning in circles.  He was beside himself.  How was he going to train foxes?  How would he be able to control them?  He could barely keep Bai Qian in check!  How could he, revered God of War, admit defeat?  It was a dilemma he was going over in his mind daily since the twins were born.  Bai Zhi  had not been found yet.  They were traveling somewhere but Qian Qian needed them.  Back and forth he paced.  He was wearing a path in the floor with his incessant pacing.  He had worked himself into a state.  Ye Hua walked in and saw his brother standing looking out the window in abject misery.  "Da ge!  What's wrong?  Can I help you?  I need you today to help with the final details for my Coronation.  Da ge?"  Mo Yuan turned to look at Ye Hua.  He was haggard and looked like he hadn't slept since the twins were born.  "Didi, I...I...."  He hung his head to weep in his hand.  "Da ge!  Tell me!"  Ye Hua shook his brother to get some since out of him.  "Tell me!"  He led him to a chair to sit down.  "Now tell me, Da ge, what is wrong!"  "Don't you see?  Dragons I can deal with, but foxes?  I absolutely failed with the one fox who was given into my care, your JieJie.  How can I possibly raise them?  I've only had one failure in my life and that is sitting in Ruoshui River to remind me everyday.  I will be a total failure.  I need seclusion."  He stood and balled his fist.  "Tell Qian Qian I have gone into seclusion.  I need a week.  Tell her for me!"   He left in a puff of golden smoke.
     Mo Yuan ran through the great hall of Kunlun and into his isolation cave without speaking a word.  He threw up a barrier behind him.  Once he was inside, alone, he laid down and wept bitterly.  The little foxes had bonded to his dragon but he himself was having a hard time with it.  He raised himself up and went into the lotus position.  He felt drained and tired.  He closed his eyes and attempted to empty his mind.  His dragon growled loudly.  He tried to suppress him like he had in the old days but he resisted.  He had been living present in his consciousness for too long.  Sweat was beading on his forehead and he grunted with the effort.  "You fool!!  Don't suppress me!  Listen to me!  Those little foxes are ours!  They love me!  What will happen when we are not there for them?  Did you not call me forth for over two years to bond with them?  You are an utter raving fool.  If you do suppress me, I will go into hibernation.  I will not come out.  You will have no access to your dragon senses.  You will be weak and ill.  I swear it!  No access!  Think clearly before you do this!  If you insist, I will break out and force transformation on you until you are totally into a coma.  It could last for years.  Listen to me!"
     Ye Hua ran to his room.  He was in a panic.  How could he tell JieJie that his brother had fallen off the deep end?  He called Tian Shu in.  "Tian Shu!  Find Bai Xue and Mo JinDe now!  Don't come back until you find them!  Now go!"  He would wait here until they came.  In Mo Yuan's room there was utter chaos.  The foxes were upset.  Their Fuqin had left them!  They couldn't feel him anywhere!  Jinzi began to wail like a little baby fox lost in the forest.  Baohu was right behind him.  No amount of comfort seemed to quiet them.  Bai Qian was beside herself.  They didn't want her, they wanted the dragon!!  She, her maids and anybody who could tried in vain to quiet them.  Finally she sent a message to Ye Hua.
  Bai Xue and Mo JinDe arrived at the same time to Ye Hua's room.  "Shushu!  What's wrong?"  "I think Da ge has dropped over the deep end.  He left to go into seclusion.  He kept saying he is a total failure and that he can't deal with foxes.  I'm going to send for Zhe Yan before he leaves today.  We were trying to wait for your grandparents to come but I don't think we can.  If Da ge tries to suppress his dragon, I'm afraid he will be in that cave for years!  I can't leave right now.  You two will have to go find him.  I'll go and check on JieJie now." 
     Ye Hua walked into total chaos.  Bai Qian was crying and the maids were walking around trying to quiet wailing babies.  Ye Hua took Jinzi to hold him.  "Tell Shushu what's wrong, hmmm?  I will make it better."  Jinzi looked at Ye Hua but he knew he wasn't his Fuqin.  He wants Fuqin!  Now!  Where is Fuqin!!  He wailed so loud Ye Hua had to block the sound.  He cuddled the little boy close and promised him he would find him.  Baohu was no better, but he quieted a little when Ye Hua held him close.  He hoped Xue Xue and JinDe could bring their father to his senses and soon!!
     Bai Xue and Mo JinDe went straight to Kunlun.  They had figured out many millennia ago that their father retreated to figure things out.  This time was no different.  Die Feng came running when they entered the hall.  "Shifu is in his cave.  We can't get through to him.  We heard about the little fox twins!  We can't wait to see them!  What has happened?"  "We're not sure, but we'll find out!"  They went to the meditation cave and found the barrier up.  JinDe, being totally out of patience, banged on the barrier.  "Fuqin!  I've never disrespected you, but if you don't lower this barrier, I swear I will tear down this whole mountain to open it!  Now open it!"  We waited a minute.  Nothing!  With a grim determination, he stepped back and hit the barrier with everything he had.  Nothing!  "Xue Xue, together we try again!  One, two, three!!!  They hit it together.  Down it went!  They rushed in to find their father laying on his side, eyes wide open staring blankly at nothing.  " Fuqin!  Fuqin!!  Look at me!  Fuqin!". Xue Xue called his dragon forth.  His eyes were white as snow and he growled not in a nice way.  He spoke directly to his father's dragon.  "Come out!  Come out!"  He shook his father like a rag doll.  "Come out I say!  I know you're there!  What has happened?  Slowly the eyes changed to gold and a long sigh was heard.  "Talk!  What has happened?  Why are you so lethargic?"  "That fool tried to suppress me to the point of death.  I'm nearly done for.  I don't know if I can recover.  Plus we've been Foxed!  An enchanting spell, I think."  "JinDe!  Get Chang Shan and have him fire up the cauldron.  We need elixers fast.  Also send for Zhe Yan.  He can help us.  Fast!"  Chang Shan, being ever on top of things, had already fired up the cauldron and had one dragon elixer ready.  He brought it to Bai Xue.  "Give this to Shifu.  It will help his dragon essence."  He slipped the elixer under his father's tongue and cradled him in his arms.  He could feel the dragon trying to recover.  They needed more if his father was going to come out of this.  He hugged his father close to him and let the tears fall.  Tears fell on his father's face as he held him close.  What had brought him to this state?  What could his father possibly fear?  He had never known him to ever fear anything.  What had happened?  He reached out to his dragon again.  "Fuqin, I don't know what happened, but you have to come back.  My little fox brothers are very upset because you left.  Have you forgotten how you bonded with them while mother was pregnant with them?  What if you never wake up again?  What about us?  What about mother?  She loves you so much, she might just die!!  Wait, that's it!  You left her behind and the dragon tear is active!  You need mother!  As soon as JinDe gets back, I'll send him for mother.  Answer me dragon, is that why you are so weak?" "Yes, and fox enchantment.  Now you understand whether this fool does or not.  I had to put him in this state to save us from death.  Because he thinks he can't deal with foxes, I had to do this.  We can deal with them.  When the time comes for training Bai Zhen can teach them.  I love them so much!  Just like I love you and your brother.  I need more elixer until I can get back to your mother.  See to it.  I must rest now."  His eyes went back to honey brown and his eyes closed.  When JinDe returned with Zhe Yan, Bai Xue had a plan.  "Zhe Yan, I talked to father's dragon.  He told me he needed more dragon elixer to strengthen himself.  He said Fuqin tried to suppress him permanently.  He said he put Fuqin in a coma to stop him.  He said the little foxes enchanted him.  He also said because of the dragon tear, he needs to get back to mother soon.  We need to boost his dragon and move him back to the nine heavens.  If we don't, Fuqin will die, plain and simple."  Zhe Yan mumbled under his breath "stupid fool" and "scared of little foxes" and other not so nice things.  He had two elixers with him.  He gave him both of them.  Mo Yuan's eyes opened.  He was still being cradled by Bai Xue.  "Fuqin!  Can you hear me?"  JinDe took his hand.  "Fuqin!  Please answer us!  Can you hear us?"  His eyes changed to gold.  "He hears you.  He's being a stubborn fool."  "Fuqin, if you don't come out now, I swear on all of heaven, I will drop your lifeless body in a coffin and throw you into the Sea of innocence forever.  So you think we don't need you!  Fine!  I don't!  I don't ever want to lay my eyes on you again!"  JinDe threw down his hand and was rising when the hand grabbed him.  He looked up at his father.  He looked into his eyes.  "I need you."  Bai Xue pulled his father's face to his and JinDe let his head fall on his chest.  Mo Yuan rubbed the back of JinDe's head.  "I'm so sorry but you see, your brothers overwhelmed me with fox magic.  I went insane.  I need Bai Qian to tell me how to counteract it until I can explain it to them."  "We left mother in total chaos.  The foxes were crying for you and only you.  Even Shushu tried to comfort them but if they fox magicked you, what will they do to Shushu?"  Mo Yuan was weak from being separated from Bai Qian.  He tried to rise but he staggered.  The twins grabbed him on each side to steady him.  Zhe Yan laughed out loud.  "Foxed by your own children!  Who would have known?  Here's two more elixers for your dragon.  You nearly killed him.  He will be fine but don't try to suppress him again.  He's been free for too long.  Now return to the heavens before Xiwu Palace collapses from fox screams!"
     The twins carried their father into his room.  He staggered again and tried to steel himself for the onslaught.  "Bring them to me!"  Bai Xue grabbed Baohu and JinDe had Jinzi.  They brought them to their father.  "No you hold them in front of me.  They need to see what is happening."  He looked at them and his face was sad and tired.  "Jinzi!  Baohu!  Look at me!  You must stop whatever you're doing to me.  I'm going to die if you don't!"  A coughing spell struck him and he coughed up blood.  "I will die.  If I have to leave, I will die.  Is that what you require of me?  Why bond with me and then do this to me!  What of your brothers?  What of your mother?  Don't you know how much you mean to me?  Fuqin loves you so much!  Now please stop!"  JinDe turned Jinzi to look at him.  "Jinzi, why would you hurt mother like this!  You know she loves Fuqin dearly!  What about Bai Xue and I?  Do we mean nothing to you?"  He hugged him tight and handed him to his father.  Jinzi looked into his father's sad eyes.  The dragon came forth to talk.  The dragon said nothing but his heartbreak and sadness was ever present in his countenance.  Jinzi's lip trembled.  His little fox eyes turned gold.  He nuzzled his father's chin and got tickled by his beard.  He let out a long little whine and snuggled right into his fathers chest.  Bai Xue looked at Baohu.  "Well?  What about you?  Do you want Fuqin to hold you?"  He laid the little boy into his father's other arm.  Baohu felt responsible.  He didn't want Fuqin to die!  He whined softly.  He wanted a beard tickle too.  He reached his hand up to touch it.  Mo Yuan cuddled him close and beard tickled him.  They air seemed to clear and Mo Yuan sighed.  "Help me to the bed.  We're going to nap together now."  They helped him lay down on the bed.  They took pillows to prop his arms and then laid the foxes one on each side.  "See that we are not disturbed until they wake on their on.  Please tell Ye Hua I will be ok now and that I will talk to him when I wake up.  Is your mother resting?"  "Yes, Fuqin.  She's exhausted.  We won't wake her either." He closed his eyes and it wasn't long before three snores could be heard. Ye Hua was also napping when they got to his room.  Jia Yun told them that he had come back to his room highly agitated.  He had just fallen asleep a few minutes before.  They nodded and let Xiwu Palace settle into a peace it hadn't seen for days.
     Bai Qian awoke with a start.  It was quiet.  Too quiet.  She looked around the nursery but it was empty.  She went to her and Mo Yuan's room and found them.  There on their bed was the sweetest sight she had ever seen.  Mo Yuan was slightly snoring while Jinzi and Baohu each lay on there side clutching his robe, one in each arm.  They too were snoring lightly.  She backed out of the room and went back to her bed to rest while she could.