Rescue Me, My Love

War, What is it Good For?

     Mo Yuan read over Baohu's plan one more time.  He could see no reason not to use it.  He called for Bai Xue, Baohu and JinDe.  An hour later they were all in his office.  "I had planned to attack the snake realm a week ago, but due to unforseen problems, the war was postponed.  Xue, I need all of your intelligence now, please."  "Baohu, the report please."  He placed it on his father's desk.  Mo Yuan read through it carefully.  "According to this report, they have been allowed to fortify their defenses.  Can your battle plan still stand, Baohu?"  "Fuqin, only one thing concerns me.  Flooding their tunnels would cause a great loss of life.  I'm reluctant to do that.  Also if we do have to go to the ground, we are at a great disadvantage.  Our loses would be high.  I would suggest a covert operation.  More information from our spies before we proceed."  "Another good plan."  Tian Shu knocked on the door.  "High God Mo Yuan, Tianjun Ye Hua sent me to have you come to the throne room.  The new snake queen is asking for an audience."  "Tell him I'm on my way.  You boys are with me!"  Mo Yuan walked into the throne room with three sons behind him.  They all took their seats across from Donghua Dijun.  Ye Hua nodded and smiled.  "Bring the snake Queen in please."  Mo Yuan watched her carefully.  Bai Xue and JinDe both had their dragons out and Baohu had his fox eyes.  " Tianjun Ye Hua, I have come to ask your forgiveness and beg you not to wage war on us.  My realm is small and recent events have left us in disarray.  I mean no harm.  I only want peace."  "How can you reassure me as to your intentions?  Two queens from your realm have come to this very throne room to cause mayhem.  I don't trust you or your people."  "All I ask is for peace.  Please don't attack us.  We are weak and unable to properly defend ourselves."  "My intelligence tells me otherwise.  I have reports that say you have been strengthening your defenses.  What say you to that, oh Queen?"  "I will not lie.  We have tried to increase our defenses.  We were afraid.  I wish to open talks to avoid a war.  Is there any chance we can do that?"  "At this point in time, no.  Come back in two months time.  All people from your realm will be expelled from the nine heavens for now.  Let's cool our tempers and come back to the table to negotiate at a later time."  "It will be as you say."  She bowed and left.  Mo Yuan turned to Baohu.  "Did you read her mind?"  "Fuqin, she lied.  She has no intention to work for peace.  She is stalling.  She came here to seek information.  What, I don't know."
     She Mei Rong was furious.  That Ye Hua was devious and more powerful than she thought.  And that God of War!!  He oozes self confidence and power!  Those sons of his had to be weak points for him.  She would do a little spying of her own.  Fenli and Ali were terrified.  They smelled the scent of a snake.  That wanted their Fuqin, but he was too far away!  They talked to each other.  They decided to go to the garden.  Since Zufu had planted the flowers there, it would be safe there.  They fled to the garden.  The maid came to get them for dinner but they were gone.  She panicked and had the whole household turned upside down.  Not finding the boys anywhere, she went to Shangdi Zhanzheng to get their Zumu.  Bai Qian jumped straight to the doors of Xue's palace.  She sent the maid to get Xue while she searched.  She came up empty.  Her instincts were telling her something was wrong.  She called her fan and stepped out the door.  Her fox senses alerted her and she jumped to the garden gate.  The snake struck at her just as she jumped.   She shifted to her fox form and ran into the garden.  The snake had been waiting for her but that wiley fox eluded her strike.  She followed her to the garden, but she was stopped cold.  Those flowers!!  She decided she better retreat before that war god showed up!!  She left quickly. 
     Once she was in the garden, she knew she was safe.  She called to the boys to come to her.  "Fenli!  Ali!  Come to Zumu!  We are safe here now!  The snake has left!  Come out now!"  She kept walking to the pool.  They came crawling out from under one of the flowers planted by their zufu.  She hugged them to herself and raised her hand to the dragon tear.  She sent a pulse into it and waited.  The maid was asking to see Bai Xue when Mo Yuan felt his heart and stood.  He looked at Baohu as he jumped.  "Follow me to Xue's palace!"  He was gone and his dragon roared once he was outside.  Baohu jumped up and grabbed Xue and JinDe.  He jumped them outside.  They took off after their Fuqin.  "Shushu, the snake!  She's at Xue's palace!  Hurry!"  Ye Hua jumped to Baohu, transformed and carried the fox with him.  Mo Yuan landed at the garden gate in time to see Bai Qian walking with Fenli and Ali.  He ran to her.  "Qian'er, are you ok?"  Jinlong was sniffing the air hard.  His head jerked around.  Ah!  He had the trail!!  "I'm going after her!  Wait for Xue!"  He took to the skies.  Bai Xue and Mo JinDe landed about the time he took off.  They both spoke at the same time.  "Mother!  Are you ok?"  "I'm fine!  These little ones were terrified though.  Your Fuqin smelled her trail."  Fenli and Ali jumped down from Bai Qian's arms straight to their Fuqin.  "Fuqin!  Snake tried to get us!  It try to get Zumu!  We scared!"  Xue held them tightly to his chest.  "Fuqin is here now.  Fuqin is here!"  They snuggled under his neck and he held them close.  JinDe sniffed the air.  "That snake has left the nine heavens.   War is upon us.  Xue, when Fuqin gets back, tell him I'm at the camp getting the army ready!"  He was about to jump when Ye Hua landed with Baohu.  "Xue!  Are they ok?  JieJie?"  "Shushu, I sense that the snake has left the nine heavens.  I was about to go to the camp and muster the army.  Fuqin should be here any second." 
     Mo Yuan could smell that filthy snake!  He followed her scent but realized she had very quickly left the nine heavens.  He turned and headed back to Xue's palace.  He transformed and landed right by Ye Hua.  "Prepare the armies!  We march in the morning!  Ye Hua, you, me and JinDe will take on our dragon forms.  Baohu, it's time for you to be with me.  You will ride on my back and be ready to use those tails!  Your ability to call lightning is really beyond compare.  We will use Baohu's plan.  Any questions?"  Ye Hua grinned.  "The God of War has spoken!"  "What about me, Fuqin?"  "I would rather you sit this one out, Xue.  You were badly injured."  "If you insist."  "I do insist." Mo Yuan, JinDe and Baohu immediately went to the camp and called all the generals to the command tent.  When they were all there, he announced his plans.  "First things first.  We have a new general among us.  He formulated this plan and made all the adjustments."  He waited a moment for them to look over the plan and comment.  "High God Mo Yuan, who is this general?"  "Meet your new commander and aide to Mo JinDe, Bai Baohu Zhe, my son."  "But, he's still just a boy!  You can't be serious!"  "I am very serious.  Baohu, explain yourself to them."  He respectfully bowed to them.  "Please let me explain.  I have been trained as a disciple of Kunlun since I was very young.  My Zufu, Bai Zhi, trained me as a fox and all of their magic.  My Fuqin, High God Mo Yuan trained me in dragon power.  I can use the two combined."  The next sentence he spoke into their minds.  "Plus I can communicate like this.  I see you all heard me!"  He spoke out loud again.  "I promise you, I am capable.  I will fight in this battle and I won't be afraid."  They were talking among themselves now.  "High God Mo Yuan, did you train this young man?"  "I have and I will continue to.  He is capable I assure you.  He actually managed to singe the hair on my dragon over a week ago using his tails.  Now enough discussion.  We march in the morning!"
     Meili's grave was literally covered in the snake blooms.  The aroma of them was strong, very strong, and the wind carried the scent straight through the flower kingdom.  Qingyuan knew something was up.  He had never smelled those flowers so strong before.  He decided to take a little walk down to Meili's grave.  He couldn't stop shaking.  There she was, sitting on the grave, dirt covering her clothes and hair.  She had dug herself out.  When she saw him, she smiled.  "Fuqin, why did you bury me?  Didn't you know it was but a trial?"  "My sweet Meili!  How your sons have longed to know you!  How heartbroken your mate has been!  Come, let us go to the palace where you can get clean and tell me of this trial!"  "What sons?  What mate?  Am I dreaming?  I smell that snake queen on me!  She did this to me!  But why?"  "I will explain after you are clean and have eaten.  Come now.  We have a lot to discuss."  He held her around her waist and jumped her to his palace.  After she had a bath, she rested for a while.  Strange dreams were in her mind.  She kept seeing the face of a very handsome young man who looked a lot like High God Mo Yuan.  She was positive she knew him in some way.  She was dreaming of being in childbirth and that man was their Fuqin.  The white dragon!  Yes, the white dragon!  In her dreams she smelled the snake smell.  Some kind of ancient spell.  She could hear the man screaming her name.  She could hear the roar of anquish and sorrow.  In her dream, she could feel her life ebbing away, but she had protected herself.  That roar.  That....roar.....She sat up screaming Bai Xue's name.  She remembered!  She remembered!  Her Fuqin came running into her room.  "Meili!  What's wrong?  Tell me!"  "Fuqin!  I remember!  That snake Queen wanted Bai Xue for herself.  She was sending dreams into my head every night.  I couldn't tell Xue because a silence spell was cast in the dream.  She tried to kill me and if I hadn't cast the sleep spell on myself, I would have died.  I need to see Bai Xue right away!  She has to be stopped!  Please Fuqin take me there right away!  I'm too weak to take myself!"  "Let me send a message to High God Mo Yuan.  He will handle everything.  I was told just this morning they are marching on the snake kingdom tomorrow.  Wait here, I'll be right back!"  Qingyuan sent the message directly to Shangdi Zhanzheng. 
     Mo Yuan had just finished going through his messages when the scroll appeared on his desk.  He read it in total, absolute disbelief.  He read it again to make sure.  He sent a message back requesting them to come straight to his palace, now.  He patiently waited for an answer.  Instead Qingyuan and Meili were standing in his study.  Mo Yuan stood and hugged her.  "Sweet Xiao Hua!  You don't know what this means to see you!!  Sit here and let me tell you what has happened in your absence."  He told her about her death in childbirth, Xue's grief and rejection of their sons, the pursuit of the snake Queen after him, her wounding him and the events leading up to the present.  "There is one thing you don't know, Yuefu, that Queen has multiple bodies and can come back after each death.  She has ruled for millennia this way.  She is as old as you.  I have a way to aide you in this war.  The aroma of my snake flowers can help.  I can cast a spell to have that smell go down their tunnels and drive them out.  I just need wind behind me.  Can I help you?"  He thought hard for a minute.  "Yes, but you fly with the white dragon.  Let me call him now."  Bai Qian walked into the office and nearly fainted.  "Meili!!  Oh my, it's Meili!!  Oh child, I'm so glad you're here!!"  She sat down beside her and hugged her.  A knock came at the door.  "Enter."   Bai Xue walked in the door and wavered like he was going to pass out.  He fell down in front of Meili and grabbed her around the waist.  He was sobbing into her lap.  "Meili!  Meili.  How can this be!  Fuqin, how can this be!!"  He raised his head to look at her.  She reached her hands up and cupped his face.  Her thumbs wiped his tears.  "Xue, my white dragon, I have come back to you!"  Mo Yuan sent a message to the maid to bring their sons.  Bai Xue was staring at his wife like the world had stopped and she was there.  A knock came at the door.  "Enter."  The maid brought Fenli and Ali into the room.  She put them down and they ran to her.  "Mother!  Mother!  You came back to us!!"  Bai Xue looked at them and asked, "how do know this is your mother?"  "She smell like Mother.  She sound like Mother!  She Mother!!"  Xue picked them up and placed them in her lap.  "This boy here is Bai Fenli Hua because of the lotus on his forehead.  This one is Bai Ali Huawang because of the peony on his forehead.  Fenli and Ali, this is your Mother!!"  Fenli was patting her face.  Ali was patting her arm.  "My boys, so like your Fuqin!!  Xue, look at them!!  Mother loves you so!!"  "Xue, I've changed my mind about you going to war with us.  Meili has a plan to accentuate Baohu's plan.  She would need to fly with you.  Are you up to it?"  "Yes, I am!  What is the plan?" 
     They discussed the plan for an hour.  Mo Yuan sent for Baohu and JinDe.  When they walked in the door, JinDe nearly fell over and Baohu ran to her.  "Meili! Meili!  You came back!!  Baohu is so happy for Da ge!!"  He hugged Xue and kissed him.  "Fuqin! Isn't it wonderful?  Meili is back!!"  "Yes, Baohu!  Now we have amended your battle plan.  We are here to discuss it."  They went over every facet of the plan and made their decisions.  They would leave in the morning.  The decision was made that the army would stay behind.  Only Mo Yuan, Ye Hua, Mo JinDe, Bai Xue, Baohu and Meili would go.  Mo Yuan was confident their plan would work.  He was finding out very quickly that Meili wasn't a delicate little flower, but a force to be reckoned with on her own.  He smiled the war god grin.  Xue, in all his gentleness and quietness of spirit had chosen his perfect mate.  Deciding he better rest, he left his office and went to his room only to find Bai Qian gone.  Putting out feelers of energy, he searched the palace.  He went to the garden.  There she was, in the pool, beckoning him with her tails and the soft look in her eyes.  He threw up a barrier and joined her there.  He made love to her gently, carefully, softly with his dragon ever mindful of what an utter wretch he had been.  His growl was soft and he moaned his love for her.  His hands sent out waves of dragon essence to heal and caress.  His lips were warm and his body was hot.  His essence was coming off of him in waves of gold as he held her.  His dragon spoke to her with his voice soft for once.  "Qian'er, I hurt you.  I can never make it up to you, but I vow to keep myself under control.  War is where I should rage, not on the practice field, even if you did charm me.  I now realize why Fuqin had me training my dragon.  He taught me to rage like that.  He wanted me to be aggressive.  I can be aggressive, but I now realize I can be tender too.  Only for you, Qian'er, only for you."  He kissed her tenderly, his hands were soft and his body hot.  They joined together in a dance of pure love and devotion.  Her fox and his dragon.  They awoke the next morning refreshed and in love.
     Mo Junjie was tired of being kept in the dark.  He had a few tricks up his sleeve that even his Fuqin didn't know about!  He threw up an invisibility barrier and went to the command tent at the training grounds.  Pay dirt!  Everyone was there.  Afraid to stand out in the open for fear of being seen, he hid himself so he could listen to the plan.  Mo Yuan was finalising it.  "Xue, when we get to the snake realm, you come forward with Meili.  Meili, you bring forth the flower smell as strong as you can conjure it.  Ye Hua and I will concentrate the wind you need to carry it all over their realm.  That flower makes them rather ill and lethargic.  It makes the queen sneeze a lot.  JinDe, you be our defense.  You and Baohu.  Baohu, don't be afraid to use those tails!!  You can do it!  Are we ready?"  Nods all around.  "Then let's fly!"  Baohu jumped up onto JinDe to grab a tuft of hair on his head.  He could have sworn someone else was there too but he shrugged his shoulders.  Junjie knew that his Fuqin wouldn't send him back if he could stay hidden until they got there.  He sat quietly as he held on and hoped Baohu wouldn't out his presence.  Baohu read the barrier and he knew it was Junjie.  He decided to stay quiet and just hope he wouldn't do anything stupid.  When they arrived at the snake realm, everything was quiet.  Too quiet.  Barriers were thrown up quickly.  Bai Xue brought Meili forth and she cast her spell.  A mist of a strong aroma filled the air.  Mo Yuan and Ye Hua called a wind storm to drive the mist to the ground and into any tunnels.  It only took a few moments for snakes to leave the tunnels gasping for clean air.  They searched through them for any official or member of court.  So far nothing.  They kept moving inward.  Slowly but surely they were covering the desert land with the flower mist.  Mo JinDe was carefully scanning the area for enemy attack.  He didn't see the snake coming from behind, but Junjie did.  He lowered his barrier transformed and flew toward her.  He called lightning as fast as he could.  Lightning was striking all around her.  Baohu pulled JinDe around.  "JinDe!! Behind us!  Look, it's Junjie!"  JinDe turned around in time to see the snake Queen rear up to strike at Junjie.  Before she could move forward, Junjie's tail whipped toward her and he shot a very strong beam of lightning right at her head.  She couldn't dodge it fast enough.  His strike caught her square on and stunned, she fell to the ground. 
      Baohu jumped from JinDe as he turned around.  He flew to the ground and came out with his tails blazing.  He was hitting targets all around him.  JinDe transformed and landed beside Baohu.  The plan had been to remain airborne until the mists of Meili's flower smell had somewhat dissipated.  With the attack by the snake Queen, they had to change plans.  Junjie was still calling lightning to his tail.  He struck the queen every time he did.  JinDe powered up Bei Bing and flew into the air.  He came down with both hands on the hilt and stabbed the queen in the head, sending ice into her body.  Being frozen hampered her.  She was already lethargic now that she was on the ground.  Junjie transformed and drew his dagger.  It roared as he threw it right into her eye.  JinDe, Baohu and Junjie relentlessly attacked her until her body was still and she moved no more.  Anyone that came near to aide her was immediately killed by JinDe and his blade.  Mo Yuan sensed the battle behind him and signaled Ye Hua.  Ye Hua stayed by Xue while he kept moving forward with Meili.  Mo Yuan was stunned at what he saw.  JinDe was mowing down snakes left and right.  Baohu was using his tails to strike at them and Junjie was using his dagger to kill any who got close to him.  Mo Yuan transformed and landed beside him.  When Junjie saw his Fuqin he knew he was in trouble, but he said nothing and kept fighting.  Mo Yuan swung Xuan Yuan with force and killed every snake that dared to come his way.  In no time the battle was over.  Mo Yuan called them to himself and he cast fire to burn the bodies to ash.  He called a cloud and they watched from the sky as the snake bodies burned.  Meili's mist had driven them out of their caves into the battle.  None of any authority survived.  Only the defenseless were rounded up.  Ye Hua called for anyone of standing to come forward.  One old man stepped forward.  "Great Dragon of the nine heavens.  Today you have rid us of the scourge of a ruler who was ruthless and cruel.  None dared to go against her, for if you did, you died.  In the heart of our kingdom, under the throne room, there is a room full of eggs laid by her millennia ago.  Each time she is killed, her spirit goes into one of the eggs and she is reborn.  She is ancient and evil.  We wish to be free of her rule.  That is all we ask."  He bowed low to the ground.  "I need someone to lead me to this room.  I will destroy them."  The old man transformed into a snake and led the way.