Spring Bunny

It's the very beginning of Spring. It is not warm or cold but a mixture of both. Spring is the time of year when the Chinese people worship the God of Spring, Gou Mang. Gou Mang is said to have a bird's body and a human's face.

The people pray for a good harvest and celebrate the signs of hope and renewal. Gou Mang is said to reside in the east, so when praying to him, you must face the east for him to hear your prayers.

Today, during this season, there is much commotion in the jingshi of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. The activity is unusual even by Wei Ying's standards. 

Lan Zhan is very anxious and troubled to the point that he has stopped all Clan duties and sometimes forgotten to eat or sleep. Wei Ying, on the other hand, is excited but cannot, in truth, understand his husband's state of mind.

Though he cannot understand, he has been nothing but supportive of his Lan Zhan. To ensure Lan Zhan does not fall ill, he has found and brought the "problem" home. This way, Lan Zhan and the "problem" are well cared for.

One of Lan Zhan's many bunnies living in the meadow near them is pregnant, and he has felt a great urge to protect and nurture this particular bunny if you ask Lan Zhan why, he is at a loss to explain. He can only follow what his heart is telling him to do.

A bunny's gestation period is thirty-one to thirty-three days. A mother bunny can produce up to twelve babies, yet three to five is the norm. Most bunny mothers become aggressive during pregnancy, so Lan Zhan's white bunny, Ling, and Wei Ying's black bunny, Jing, help to keep the mother calm by staying close to her.

Wei Ying has tried many times to explain that many, and I mean many, bunnies have given birth without Lan Zhan's assistance, but he won't hear a word about it. All the care and doting Lan Zhan is giving to the mother bunny makes Wei Ying jealous and wistful.

Wei Ying thinks, "How would you behave towards me if I suddenly became with child, our child?"

He looks to the universe, "If you can hear me,  universe, I am more than willing to bear a child to my love, Lan Zhan. I wish this more than I care to admit. I would give him all the children you wish to bestow upon us. It would give meaning to our love, coming full circle with children born from our passion for each other. Our children to love and cherish would be an extension of ourselves and our feelings for each other."

Wei Ying brushes aside a tear threatening to escape his eye and goes to give Lan Zhan relief so that he may eat and rest. Several days go by, and all are sleeping near the pregnant bunny when suddenly she begins to whine, waking Ling and Jing, who in turn wake up their owners. The birthing process has begun.

When it was completed, six tiny duplicates of the mother were delivered. Being both black and white, the mother had babies who looked like her save two. All were healthy and safe. After deeply kissing Wei Ying, Lan Zhan left for the kitchen to prepare food for all, leaving Wei Ying in charge until his return.

After the mother had cleaned her babies, Wei Ying noticed something different about two of the tiny furballs. One tiny bunny was white with a black star on its forehead, and the other was black with a white star on its forehead. With the mother eyeing him closely, Wei Ying smiles and picks up the two bunnies.

He kisses and snuggles the incredibly small little beings and looks closely at them. He feels something strange and magical coming from these little creatures. He kisses the white bunny with the black star and says, "I will call you Ye Xing (Night Star)." Then he kisses the black bunny with the white star. "You, I will call Baixing (White Star)." You will stay with us and become part of our family.

No sooner had Wei Ying spoken these words than he was bathed in a silvery light, covering him from head to toe. After placing the babies back with their mother, he passed out and remained on the floor until Lan Zhan returned.

Wei Ying could neither explain nor remember what happened to him. It was his turn to be babied by his husband, and he reveled in it.

That very evening, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying finally had time to themselves and made love until dawn, leaving an exhausted Wei Ying still asleep in bed. Lan Zhan knew Wei Ying would sleep late, so he had plenty of time to prepare his love's favorite spicy food.

Upon finally waking up, he slowly opened his eyes and stretched, languishing in bed. As he started to rise from the bed, he stumbled. Had Lan Zhan been a moment later, Wei Ying would have fallen to the floor.

"What happened, Wei Ying?"

"I don't know, I feel a little strange."

After helping Wei Ying wash up and eat, Lan Zhan returns Wei Ying to bed and tucks him in. He thinks, "Maybe I overdid with Wei Ying. It had been many days without every day means every day." He makes Wei Ying promise to rest while he takes care of the bunnies and some long-overdue Clan business.

Lan Zhan comes home to find Wei Ying sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling and crying. He rushes over and takes his beloved in his arms. Finally, Wei Ying giggles, "I am alright, Lan Zhan, truly."

Wei Ying pulls back and looks deeply into the amber eyes he loves so much. He takes his husband's hand and places it over his belly. After a moment, Lan Zhan feels a soft core within, but that's impossible; Wei Ying no longer has a core. He looks askance at Wei Ying.

"Feel again, my love, and concentrate."

Lan Zhan does as Wei Ying bids, and a loud gasp bursts from his lips. The core, is no ordinary core, it has the essence of himself and Wei Ying. How is this possible?

Wei Ying cups his shocked husband's face and gently smiles, "My husband, I am with your child, our child. The spirit of our love for each other is in my belly. You will be a father to our child, my heart."

Lan Zhan is visibly shaken, "How, when, is this for real?" sputtered a very non-dignified Lan Zhan.

Wei Ying laughs, feeling pity for his husband: "I was jealous of the care and doting received by the mother bunny, and I wondered how you would treat me if I were with a child. So I asked the universe for a child."

"Um, how many did you ask for?"

"No specific number, but hopefully more than one."

After crushing Wei Ying to his chest, Lan Zhan carries Wei Ying in his arms to the outside of their porch. With Wei Ying still in his arms, he takes a bow to the east and thanks Gou Mang for their unexpected harvest. One that they will cherish and love. Both had secretly desired children from their bodies and now it was becoming a reality. They will never stop loving the children they have chosen for their family; it will only become more extensive and full of happiness and love. A family of chosen ones and given ones. All to receive and give love and become a strong family unit.

Spring is a time of hope and renewal, of love and of family. May all here have a wonderful Easter and a wonderful spring filled with joy and happiness. 

Happy Easter from me to you, my lovely readers, both old and new. I love you all.