They had to stay another six months in the caves before Donghua could cultivate enough to bring them both out. Xiao Bai had also lost almost all of her cultivation after she cut off her tail. They tried using the Orb's power initially to try to open a portal back to Bihai Cangling but it seems that the Orb's power has now petered out, or maybe like them it needed to recharge its energy also. As incongruous as it sounded, in the future, they would both appreciate this time that they were unable to leave the caves because they lack the requisite strength for they were together, just the two of them, just like how it should always be.
They missed and worried over their children, of course, but Xiao Bai worried less because she knew that their children were safe under the care of her family for the Bais took care of their own. When she had entered the portal, she knew that it was all right to leave them for awhile to look for Donghua as Gugu and High God Zhe Yan were in the fox cavern with them, having stayed to help her as she worried for her husband. Donghua also tried his best to fight his instincts to worry when it comes to the safety of Xiao Bai and his children. He had been around the Bais now for thousands of years and he knew that there was nothing that they wouldn't do to protect the children and keep them safe. As loud as they were and however much they liked to tease him whenever they had a chance, Donghua knew how fortunate his children were to belong to this close knit family. That was one of the few things that made him feel better when he thought he was dying and leaving them, that his children would grow up always surrounded by family. He'd never had family before Xiao Bai, so he was glad that his children had a big one from the moment they were born. Donghua also comforted himself with the knowledge that he had warded them personally before he had left and they had his aural block within their primordial spirits to always protect them, the way it protected him before. In addition, before Xiao Bai had entered the portal, she had known from the daily reports given to her that the war was almost won given that the forces of the other side was in disarray, so at least, that was one less thing that Donghua needed to think about.
For the first time, Donghua and Xiao Bai were completely free of any restrictions that their respective responsibilities in the Immortal Realms often burdened them with. This has never happened before especially for Donghua who always had to deal with everything major that was happening in the Realms even if he was ostensibly retired as the Sky Kingdom Emperor. Even when he was in seclusion and cultivating, he did it for the benefit of the Universe, always mindful of his burdens and his responsibilities. But now, they were both free to just be with each other all the time with no other demands on their time, a second honeymoon if you will. Xiao Bai decided to consider it a reward for Donghua's sacrifices for the Universe. Because they had to curtail the use of their magic in order reserve it, they were forced to live like the ordinary mortals would for that short period doing away with the comforts of a ready kitchen and a soft bed, but neither of them truly minded, as always they were just happy that they were together.
In the mornings, they would go out exploring the mountain side to find herbs and vegetables that Xiao Bai would cook for them to eat, sometimes Donghua will capture a rabbit with a spear he carved from wood for their noon meal. However, the truth was, they spent the better part of the morning often stopping what they were doing only to kiss and cuddle anytime they felt like it which was most of the time.
In the afternoons, after a few hours of cultivation to get their powers back in these most holy of location, they would frolic in the small pond near the back of the caves, spending their time swimming, laughing and talking about their children whom they missed very much. Donghua had insisted that they needed to wash their clothes every day and hang them dry, she declared him shameless because she knew that he just wanted to see her in all her blushing, naked glory. But she did not object, as she wanted to see him also. Inevitably, without fail, he would be so overcome with desire that they would end up doing their favorite thing in the Universe, which was making love to each other, trying to get as close to each other as possible.
And in the evenings, after lighting a fire to ward off the cold, Donghua would take Xiao Bai in his embrace as they lay on the grassy hills outside the caves to look up at the moon and the stars as they whispered their love for each other and their gratitude for the existence of the other in their lives. It was truly a magical, romantic time for them, a time to heal their bodies, their cultivation but more importantly, a time to further grow their love, to further reinforce their devotion to one another.
"Do you think Fate and the Heavens would leave us alone for awhile now, husband?" Xiao Bai asked one night as they lay on the ground, their bodies turned toward each other. Xiao Bai would sometimes still worry about that. The couple not knowing yet that the Heavens have finally permitted a change in their Fate. Donghua just shrugged, playing with Xiao Bai's hair.
"It doesn't matter. I think we've proven enough that nothing they can do can keep us apart. So whatever else they throw at us next time, we'll just overcome them." he said, in his usual matter of fact way, an edge of coldness in his voice, as if whatever else the Heavens willed could easily be dealt with. "Don't worry about it my Xiao Bai! Whatever it is they do next time, we'll find a way to save each other. Haven't we proved to them so far that they couldn't do anything to separate us from each other? We're two parts of a whole so we're bound to be together forever." he said more gently now wanting to alleviate her worry as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, smoothing out her hair. Xiao Bai nodded pondering on all that they've been through, all the tests thrown their way and yet, against all odds, here they were, still together, stronger now than before.
"I won't worry about it anymore my Donghua! You're right. We'll be together forever." she said fiercely giving him a tight hug. "I love you Donghua. There's nothing I would not do to keep you with me." Donghua heard the vow in her voice, knew that they were not just words to her. He thought of how she always sacrifice for him even going to such extent as to cut off her tails without any hesitation for him. The memory of that still made him wince. Even having lived with Xiao Bai for thousands of years, he still could never fully get used to how love could be like this, how their love for each other could feel like this. His millions of years of existence could not have prepared him for his Xiao Bai, the way she could love and love him the way she did, the way she always did. He knew that he would do everything in his power to let her feel his love also, to let her know that he loves her as much as she loves him, if she didn't know it already.
"And I you, my wife. I love you Xiao Bai. Thank you for coming into my life and insisting on staying in it. I cannot imagine a life without you." Donghua said, truly grateful that she was the other half of his heart, the other half of his soul, created solely for him, to love him and to be loved by him.
"How much do you love me my Donghua?" Xiao Bai asked playfully to lighten the mood, to ease the tension of the somewhat heavy conversation. Her hands caressing his face as she smiled her special smile, the one that always felt to him like sunshine in the middle of a rainstorm.
"More now than yesterday but a little less than tomorrow and the days after." He answered seriously as his lips close over hers, his hands reverently touching her body as he deftly untied the sash of her gown. Before Xiao Bai could lose herself yet again to the height of conjugal bliss that he frequently brought her to, she thought how much better he was now at saying nifty words to her. How fortunate she was to have his love.
It was a bittersweet moment when Donghua finally declared that enough of his cultivation has come back that he would be able to phase them back to the where the children were waiting for them. Both of them have missed the children so much and were eager to go back. Even as much as they did not want to worry about them, they still did being away for so long. However, they knew that they were going to miss this place, miss these stolen moments when it was just the two of them. For the rest of their lives, Donghua and Xiao Bai would always consider the six months they had to stay there one of the high points of their very, very long marriage life. When asked later on by their children about this adventure of theirs, they would never talk about him nearly dying, never talk about her cutting off her tails, but will only talk about their days in the caves as they recuperated and healed choosing ultimately to think of the past only as it gave them pleasure.
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Tears of Fate - Eternal Love of Dreams Fan Fiction
FanfictionWhat happens after Dong Hua and Xiao Bai get out from the chasm. This is a variation of the story in the 2nd book "The Pillow Book" in the Three Lives, Three Worlds Series of Tangqi Gongzi. In this variation, there is no Bai Gun Gun yet at the sta...
