After depositing herself in Shanghai and covering her blue antlers with a towel, Yǔfēi explained her disappearance by being swept away by the currents, where she happened to catch the eye of a mysterious azure dragon who thankfully dropped her off in the outskirts of the city. She was using the towel so that her hair didn't become soaking wet and there was nothing underneath them. The tail was much easier to hide underneath the hanfu. The hanfu was stolen from a specialty shop after her clothes were soaked. It was definitely free and was not the result of magic.
Everyone somehow believed her. Even Ménmén.
The quick but thorough shower cleared her mind. Were these creatures the origin of Calamities she was looking for? There have been teams sent into the hearts of storms, but none have reported anything close to what she witnessed today. Did they come from Calamities? Not entirely implausible, though when she sealed it, the Calamity stopped. Maybe it was a feedback loop, the creatures generating the Calamity and the Calamity generating the creature. Do all Calamities have hidden monsters inside? She still needed to file her report on this latest Calamity. The government must be informed of this. The more the world knows, the better prepared they will be and the less casualties too.
There is another way.
Yǔfēi looked up.
What you now possess is incredible. The power over weather, and to transform into the elements, and more besides. I'm sure you have seen the crystals.
Oh yes. They are currently crowded around her and lodging themselves in her dark blue hair.
They are...clingy. There is an artefact more powerful than them though. When you look at your ink paintings, what else is depicted alongside dragons?
"A pearl?" Usually, it was on fire. This beggared her disbelief when she was younger.
That is the Key. Unfortunately, its whereabouts are unknown. The only known fact is that it's in one of the oceans of the world in the lands born of words and order.
"You mentioned keys alongside doors and the Fifth Gate. What is the Fifth Gate?"
The Fifth Gate is a wondrous city, full of colour and magnificence. It is a seat of power and connected with the First House. All Gates are connected to Houses.
"And a Door? First House?"
A Door is what the Keys unlock. Something about not wanting intruders entering without permission. The First House is ruled by Aries. I have never been there myself, since it's too hot for my liking.
"That makes sense. There's the Western zodiac too? Do you know where everyone is then?" Aries, Aries...she's drawing a blank there.
Unfortunately no.
"Who are you? Are you the amulet?"
No! I would never want to be an inanimate object! I'm afraid I can't tell you.
"Well, as my bàba always said, never underestimate a Huá when they want to know something."
If you want to save the world, find the Fifth Gate. You'll find your answers there.
The next day, Yǔfēi was sipping tea with Ménmén watching from his pond. He jumped up and splashed her as she retold her story to him.
"Now I have blue eyes and hair! I look like the Azure Dragon when I'm a dragon. Hmm, I wonder if you can become a dragon as well."
Ménmén stared blankly.
"You know, they say that carp can become dragons through perseverance. If I can-huh?"
Someone was knocking...on her balcony door? The only stairwell from her apartment was through the lobby. If it was those graffiters who spray painted her roof, Yǔfēi would not mind giving them an earful about how they needed to stop vandalising people's properties or their parents would be dutifully notified about their children's illegal activities. She liked helping people...unless they abused her hospitality. Nevertheless, it might be someone from yesterday looking for something they left behind, but the balcony wasn't connected to the ground...
"I'm coming!" She walked briskly, hastily wrapping her blue antlers in a towel. "I'm opening the door!" Taking out her keys, she unlocked it and opened it.
She was not what Yǔfēi was expecting. Standing on the balcony was a child about fifteen or sixteen years old with oversized glasses and a white dress with a metal belt. The hair was in two colours, but what grabbed her attention were the massive wings that nearly dwarfed the young girl in size.
"Doko desu ka?" The girl asked.
Yǔfēi only knew a few phrases in Japanese. Thankfully, 'doko desu ka' was one of them. "I don't speak Japanese, and I'm Chinese. You're in Shanghai, and this is my balcony. Do you want to come in and have some tea?" Her towel slowly fell off onto the floor.
The girl kept staring. "You're pretty."
She spoke Chinese? That's new. "Thanks? My name is Huá Yǔfēi."
"Oh! Nice to meet you Hua-san, I'm Tenhou Mihira. I flew here!" For the first time, Mihira took note of Yǔfēi's antlers. "Those are nice! Did you make those yourself? My friend likes to cosplay as animals a lot."
"Those are real. The wings you have, how do you have them?"
Mihira dug into her dress, pulling out a copper amulet. "I got it from this amulet, or the magic that empowers it. It's the same reason I understand what you are saying! Do you know any lands where it fights the sea?"
Yǔfēi thought about it. "No, not really. I have an amulet just like yours." She pulled out her own pearlescent amulet.
Mihira studied it. "You're the Dragon? That explains the antlers. I'm Libra." She pointed to her wings. "That's why I have wings, and I would like some tea, thank you very much for offering."
Yǔfēi nodded, gesturing inside. "Why don't we talk this over? Tell me everything."