What If...I Remember?

Epilogue

"Jing'er!"

Bai Qian staggered through the woods, her legs barely able to support her heavy weight in front of her, and Zhe Yan watched her with great amusement. "I wouldn't bother searching here, Xiao Wu." Zhe Yan commented, "Mi Gu just brought in fresh charcoal today." "Dear goodness." Bai Qian sighed at Zhe Yan's words, leaning against a tree to rest, "My back is killing me." "I don't even know how Ye Hua did it. Twins are so rare, Xiao Wu. The only known immortal twins are Ye Hua and Mo Yuan, and Ye Hua barely made it." Zhe Yan shrugged, only to receive a glare from Bai Qian, "Don't say that."

"Why didn't you send them to Mo Yuan, anyway? I'm talking about A-Li and Bai Jing." Zhe Yan struck the conversation casually, and Bai Qian glanced at the sun that began to move to the western sky, "I thought...I'd give Shifu a break, I guess. I'm afraid, I suppose, that it might bring up his thoughts and his sadness again. Anyway, they can go when they're older. I managed to convince Ye Hua into letting them study only after a thousand years of age or so."

"You decide to not trouble your Shifu, but I think your husband will come to trouble me and Zhen Zhen in due time." Zhe Yan snorted, already preparing himself for the havoc that would befall his poor peach blossom grove when Ye Hua finally grew tired of having his kids around. "A-Li is fine...it's just Jing'er who isn't a gas saving lamp." Bai Qian muttered, squinting at the trees in hope of searching for her daughter, but Zhe yan merely gave a laugh as he shook his head. "Hmm. I do agree. Have you found her yet?" Zhe Yan sipped his tea as Bai Qian lifted her hand a second time to perform a searching spell, and the Heavenly Lady didn't reply; but within minutes, there was a flurry of robes, and then Bai Qian's loud exclamation of "Oh my goodness! BAI JING!!!"

The High Goddess returned back to the ground, and in her grip was a small fox struggling to break free. "Honestly, Jing'er!" Bai Qian chided the originally black fox, "Painting yourself pink?!" "Mother...let go of me..." Bai Jing whined, shifting slightly into her deity form, and Bai Qian nearly had a heart attack at sight of the pink skirt that had formerly been blue, "Jing'er, did I or did I not just have Nai Nai retrieve this custom made dress for you?"

"You did..." Bai Jing bowed her head ashamedly, although a grin still spread on her face, and Bai Qian couldn't decide if she should let the situation pass or if Bai Jing had a good scolding. "Ah-!" Bai Qian was forced to a single choice when something from inside her abdomen jabbed at her skin harshly, and with a slight glare, Bai Qian finally lowered the young kit back onto the ground, "If there's a next time, Jing'er...no cakes for a month. And I'll have Nai Nai supervise your every move."

"You should be more lenient. After all, your Si Ge and I didn't even do anything even after you plucked all of Bi Fang's feathers that one time and left the poor guy without flight for one year." Zhe Yan remarked as Bai Qian sat down opposite him, hoisting Bai Jing onto her lap, but Bai Qian only snorted with laughter, "I may not have been the brightest out of us five, but it was very evident that I was only not punished because even though Si Ge was displeased about it, I couldn't say the same about you, Old Phoenix."

"Oh, shut up, you." Zhe Yan rolled his eyes at her as she tried to rub out the pink from her daughter's cheeks, "Must I remind you how awkward it was when you had to ask him for help to look for Bai Jing that other day? You turned him from a mighty mount into a miserable child chaser." "That was quite memorable." Bai Qian replied snarkily, before she threw the sad handkerchief on the table and gave her daughter a warning glare, "Last time was coal, this time was paint. If there's a next time, Jing'er..."

"What did Jing'er do again?" A-Li suddenly appeared, and Bai Jing brought out her puppy eyes, "I won't do it again, Mother..." "Just let her off the hook, Xiao Wu." Zhe Yan succumbed to the puppy eyes within moments, "Let her have her fun. That's how you grew up too." "But she'll be too unruly." Bai Qian had been about to agree when a second voice interjected, and Bai Jing pouted her lips in an expression that seemed as though she was about to cry, "Father, you don't love Jing'er!"