A Gentle Torment

Reunited; Torn Apart

"Watch your step," Hua Ye murmurs protectively as he helps Bai Qian find the railing to the stairs.

Her other hand is on her stomach, and he doesn't dare pull it away to hold it.

"I know, I know..." Bai Qian grumbles grumpily as she continues up the steps carefully, relieved to find all of the steps to be the same height. She doesn't mean to appear ornery, but ever since she's woken up this morning, she's been unable to shake the sudden feeling of an impending calamity. And, to make matters worse, her stomach finally felt as if it had grown too big.

Hua Ye had tried to discourage her from coming, telling her that she'd be better off waiting until they could come to their home. Bai Qian wouldn't even entertain the thought. She'd been dealing with increasingly painful cramps all day, unbeknownst to him, and wanted nothing more than to see Yan Zhi.

When he insisted on carrying her for a majority of the trip in order to further discourage her from coming, she cheekily allowed it. Even though people had no doubt stared, she couldn't bother herself enough to actually care in comparison to seeing her sworn sister.

When she reaches the top of the stairs, she's greeted with the sound of a door, quickly and quietly, opening only to close half a second later. Glancing over to it, she turns to face the noise only to be greeted by a pair of arms wrapping around her.

Unable to hold back a relieved smile, Bai Qian happily wraps her arms around the Ghost Princess, breathing in the familiar scent of jasmine and the forest from outside of the city instinctively, "Mei-mei..."

Yan Zhi pulls away, quickly wiping her eyes before smiling brightly, "I've missed you, jie-jie."

o~O~o~O~o

Inside of Hua Ye's home, the silence could easily be considered unnerving.

Guan Yin paces the small chamber she's kept to herself restlessly. She sent the staff away on instinct, stating that they deserve a break before the child arrives. The only ones allowed to remain were the figurines hidden within her staff, Qing'er and her older brother, who continues to quietly gather supplies to wait out the next week of rainstorms.

She can't help her own anxiety. The child is coming, she can feel it in her bones. But more worrying, was the knowledge one of her doves sent her that Hao De would be making his move.

And most importantly, for one reason or another, Hao De had come into possession of a demon blade. He could kill any of them and they wouldn't live past their mortal trial to tell the tale.

Hearing the sound of one of her beloved doves landing on the open windowsill, she walks over to it quickly, "Any news from her Majesty?"

Taking the letter in its beak, she opens it only for her features to set into a hard frown at the sight of her own handwriting.

She can't reach her.

She also can't leave, not until the barrier breaks. For better or for worse, she must remain.

o~O~o~O~o

Mo Yuan lands on the cloud his mother was using just in time to see her coughing up blood and stumbling into the Lord of Numinous Treasures' arms. Quick to move to her side, he helps her up, watching her with eyes filled with concern, "Mother.."

"Ghost Realm... Go to the Ghost Realm, quickly. Qing Cang is using a power vessel."

Turning to his other elder, he's met with a terse nod.

"Go, High God Mo Yuan, I'll make sure she gets back to the Celestial Palace safely."

o~O~o~O~o