Chapter 87

In the end

You always go back

to the people

that were there in the beginning.

~ Dawson’s Creek (a show)

"Okay, you will need to lay down for this. Keep all of your body parts pin straight, and stiff. Do not move or flinch or breathe. Also, you must have your eyes clothes at all times, lest you want to blinded." I nod my head compliantly, carrying out his orders.

I trust the Emperor. Of course I do, humph, real gold is not afraid of the melting pot. [1]

As I lay down in the jaded grass, I can feel their soft leaves ċȧrėssing my arms. My lips twitch as I suppress a smile.

Remember Melia, you do not want to be blind. You want to see. If you are blind you cannot see food, and if you cannot see food then you won't be able to put the food in your mouth, an if you cannot put food in your mouth, then what's the point of living. Woo woo.

Sniff, sniff, sniff...I am ready.

"Ready!?" The Jade emperor asks.

"R-

As I was about to respond, that is when he begins. My body goes rigid as I feel this great force come over me, I can't really explain it well other than the fact that I was scared shitless. My head is under so much pressure that it is being pressed further into the soil. Is this how ants feel when they get stepped on?

My surroundings begin to turn gold, with specks of red. These are the only colors I can see, It has my head spinning in confusion. Nothing else is in my vision. After a while I see spots blinking madly between the two vibrant summer hues. Then the temperature around me starts to rise. I can feel droplets of perspiration dripping from my chin onto my arm. It's like I'm inside a medicine furnace.

Soon, a thread of cultivation energy mixed with an elemental aura oozes out of my pores. Then, the pain comes. My meridians all break down one after the other. I scream aloud, It's EXCRUCIATING. My body is literally tearing itself apart from the inside. My screaming only stops once my throat is so sore that it tears, after that my ċhėst heaves up and down because the blood is causing me to choke. I try my hardest to control my urge to grab my throat and turn over so that I can gasp for air.

All of a sudden, a deafening sound rings through my ears, like an explosion, I go stiff from the pressure. The colors in front of me get brighter and brighter until they merge together; My eyes burning from the intensity of it all.

My body parts go limp, and i can feel my breath get more and more shallow, until I black out. The raging inferno engulfing me picking up in temperature, is the last thing I notice before my awareness gives out.

Droplets of an unknown liquid fall onto my face one after the other. I move my hand to slap away the irritating substance that ruined my sleep, when I feel my palm touch a feather object and then a high pitch squeal.

"Ahh Master!" The voice sounds eerily similar to Baozi's.

No! It can't be...can it? My closed eyes scrunch up as I try my hardest not to get emotional. Willing myself with a healthy amount of determination I open my eyes to face this 'imposter Baozi'.

I carefully scrutinize the baby on the ground. Where did Baozi go? Isn't he supposed to be a bird!? The baby who's buŧŧ his sticking up in the air, while his face is stuck in the ground, makes a lot of squirming noises trying to get out. My lips quirk up at the comical sight and I feel a tinge of guilt worm its way into my heart. Why am I laughing at the little baby, I should be helping it.

And that's what I do. Grabbing the baby by its tiny waist I gently grip its head and start to pull. Its skin is so soft and a waft of a milky fragrance could be smelt. Feeling foreign hands around its body the baby starts to squirm even more and I can hear tiny screams escaping its mouth along with a string of...curses?

Babies can curse!?

Because it moved around so much I unconsciously used a lot more strength that I had intended to, so we both go tumbling into the grass. With a fistful of weeds in its mouth I can hear the baby spitting out them, spewing out more curses in anger. As I get a more clearer view of the bany's facial feature I can determine that its a male.

His pudgy hands scrub away at his face, ridding himself of stray pieces of grass, and specks of dirt. When he’s done doing an extra swipe his big doe eyes open and look at me.

His body all of a sudden freezes, big pretty eyes filling to the brim with unshed tears. In a matter of seconds tho everything unpauses and he screams at the top of his lungs at me.

..........Huh?

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[1] If you are telling the truth, if you are honest in your ways, a test to see if you are honest shouldn’t scare you.