49,800 years ago.
Bai Zhen was ready to go. He had been for hours, but Bai Qian was still declining to accompany him. She wasn't stupid, she knew full well he wanted her to find a husband, and dragging her to the annual Festival of Peaches on the pretense that she was accompanying him was a lie. They all knew of his preferences, so the idea that she would assist him in finding a wife was nothing short of a joke. One she had initially laughed at, but the more he insisted, the deeper she dug in her toes.
"Look, just come with me. There will be free wine and food, even if we don't meet anyone of interest, at least we can have a little fun away from the den." he coaxed her with a big grin on his face.
"There's free wine and food here Zhen Zhen." she retorted which earned her a snort of protest from Zhe Yan.
"Is that all I'm good for Xiao Wu? Free food and wine?" he asked clutching at his heart in mock indignation.
Quickly rushing forward, she threw an arm about his shoulder laughing. "Ahhh, but no one has better wine that yours Zhe Yan." she said knowing the compliment would still any niggle of anger, because if there was one thing they all knew, Zhe Yan took great pride in his wine making and the man thrived on compliments.
Releasing a soft scoff, the pleased look in his eyes and the small rise at the corners of his mouth had her knowing she had said the right thing. But he too wanted her to go, even if it was just to make friends. Because other than himself and her Water Sprite, she had no friends, she needed to be around girls her own age, so the festival was a perfect opportunity for her to meet the Realms Princesses, girls who would all have things to teach her.
But she was just not the kind of girl who liked to hang with other girls. She liked her solitude, she liked the quiet and she liked that no one would have knowledge of what went on her head. And that brought to mind her Water Sprite. She missed the long talks and endless laughter, the lessons she hadn't realized she had received until that moment and most of all, the kind gentle voice that advised her while listening to everything she had to say as if her views were the most important things he had ever heard. She missed him terribly, but after two hundred years of waiting for his return, she began to let him go, she had begun to think of her future and to move forward with her life.
That was until her ascension. That had been two weeks before, but she could still clearly remember the man sitting behind the cascade just before the ascension bolts hit. She had not seen his features but she did see the most darkest pair of eyes she had ever seen before everything went black. He had been on her mind the moment she awoke and she had immediately questioned Zhe Yan.
"I'm sorry Xiao Wu. But I do not have any water sprites in my Grove." he had said softly. It wasn't a complete lie, so he did not feel any guilt, and because he had kept his eyes on hers the entire time, she had believed him.
But as she thought about it, she wondered if perhaps Zhe Yan just didn't realize there was a Water Sprite in his Grove. It was possible, Water Sprites were rarely seen, and because they were water energies, those who were not, would not necessarily feel them.
The moment she had awoken from her trial she not only fled the hut, she had at once returned to the rock pool and jumped straight into the water to stand under the cascade in the hope of seeing him again. Calling out to him several times and getting no answer in return, she had immediately opened her new ascension magic and began to probe the rock wall behind the cascade to no avail.
Disappointed and disheartened, she had returned daily in the hope that he would be there, and the more she probed unsuccessfully at the rock wall, the angrier she became. He had been there the entire time before she ascended, yet he had said nothing to her and she wanted to know why. Thinking he had left because she had offended him in some way, or because of something she had done or said, she was prepared to apologize and even write him a letter, but he never showed himself again.
Instead, she had stood beneath the cascade and raged at him. She called him every bad word that she knew before bursting into tears.
"I'm going to the Festival of Peaches to find a husband, get married and have a thousand babies, and I will never come back to see you ever again!" she had yelled at the rock wall before turning and leaving the rock pool in the past where she decided it belonged. Though at the time, she hadn't really meant it, she had just been venting in the hope the Sprite would stop her, but of course he didn't, so she had kept right on walking.
Now standing at the window looking out at the Grove from the little hut, she once again became angry. She had shared her entire childhood and every secret she knew with that ungrateful sprite and the thought that he might be purposely hiding from her, which she now believed was the case, had her suddenly changing her mind about the Festival. If he wasn't going to talk to her anymore, then so be it.
"I don't need you anyway!" she thought sullenly to herself as she quickly prepared herself to leave.
Dressing herself in a beautiful flowing pastel blue dress, with soft pastel pink tassels that hung from the shoulders and flared down about her entire body, one Bai Zhen had bought her for the occasion, she looked beautiful. Then pinning up the sides of her hair with a pastel blue peony flower pin that Zhe Yan had purchased for her, and leaving the rest to fall freely about her body, she was ready to go.
Walking straight out of the hut towards her brother and Zhe Yan, their eyes lit up at not only her loveliness, but the fact that she was actually going. Thinking she had well and truly declined to go, Bai Zhen had already opened a bottle of wine, but the moment his eyes fell on the dress, he quickly pushed the bottle towards Zhe Yan and rose to his feet to leave, least she did changed mind.
"Xiao Wu, please be mindful of your position. You are representing Qing Qiu as it;s Princess, so be on your best behaviour." Zhe Yan said as he quickly snatched up the open bottle of wine.
"Zhe Yan, I'm grown up now, and besides, Zhen Zhen will be with me, what mischief could I possibly cause?" she asked giving him the exact look that prompted his little speech in the first place.
Sighing, he turned his face back to the Jade lake as Bai Zhen took hold of her arm and led her away laughing. Shaking his head, his mind went back to the night she had set off the Bell of Kunlun and the absolute mayhem that had followed. Many of the young Princesses attending the festival were children of the Leaders who had risen in the night to fly halfway across the world in a panic, so no doubt the young ones attending the Festival would know her by reputation. And knowing exactly how those from a more refined Realm were likely to view her, he wouldn't be at all surprised, if mischief erupted.
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Arriving at the Celestial Palace, Bai Zhen and Bai Qian were immediately escorted to the Lotus pond where the Festival was being held. Being the last to arrive, and not expecting them, the Celestial Palace organizers were in a state of panic by the time they hit the first lot of steps that led up towards the large opening where the Realms youth were already gathered.
Rushing towards them, the three organizers who were all young themselves and a part of the gathering, had no idea who the beautiful people were, but stopping them in their tracks in order to greet them properly, once it became known that the two youngest Bai children had arrived, the state of panic suddenly became even more frenzied.
Had they known Bai Zhen and Bai Qian were attending, special maids of honor would have been set aside just for them, because in their world the Bai family were their most elite, and that meant no effort was too much to ensure their comfort while they remained a guest of the Palace.
Grinning at her brother, Bai Qian looked straight ahead. They could just make out the guests who were already drinking and having fun. The laughter filled the Lotus area and feeling the gaiety in the air, she suddenly sprang forward which had the organizers moving swiftly to cut in ahead of her while a troop of maids brought up the rear.
Not really happy with the attention she knew the maids would cause and not wanting to offend her host, she looked back at Bai Zhen. Giving her a small shrug of his shoulders, she sighed softly, before continuing on. If he wasn't bothered by it, then nor would she be.
Arriving at the main platform that led to an even larger one that held the youth of the Realms, she was met with several of the world Leaders and having moved forward to stand beside her, they waited as the introductions were made.
The astonished looks they both got, was a little unsettling. Not only were the men looking at her as if she were main meal, Bai Zhen too was getting the same looks from the women. Finding it rather funny, they both kept their heads and bowed graciously at the adults who were moving closer to the both of them, only to have them all moving back again as a very tall man with long white hair moved forward.
Watching as the adults moved back to make way for him, Bai Qian knew who he was without the need for introductions. Curtsying low she greeted the Realms oldest God, Donghua Di Jun followed swiftly by Bai Zhen who already knew him. Giving her a thorough look over and a small smile that left her blushing and the men behind him sighing, she was finally free to meet her peers.
Immediately turning to dismiss the maids, Bai Zhen took her hand and led her up the small flight of stairs towards the young people who had all stopped to gape open mouthed at the both of them. Looking back at them shyly, Bai Qian clasped his hand tighter as they all suddenly moved to make way for their entrance. But expecting they would have to introduce themselves, they were both left red faced and embarrassed when one of the organizers took it upon himself to make too much of a fuss in introducing them instead.
And the moment their names were announced the gaping turned to gawking in a second. No sound could be heard as they all moved even further away, which only intensified her nervousness and embarrassment. Standing hand in hand in the centre of the main platform and being so openly gawked at as if they were the centre piece for some exclusive play, the sudden feeling of wanting to leave quickly overwhelmed her.
Not only were the young men looking as if they wanted to eat her, the women obviously were not happy with her presence, while fully taken by her brothers exceptionally good looks, who in turn was receiving dagger glares from every male there. It was really laughable, and she would have laughed, had Bai Zhen not seen a familiar face and left her standing all by herself in the center of them all to greet his friend.
Suddenly alone, and very afraid, she began to inch back towards the stairs with every intention of leaving. She was not comfortable and she certainly did not like the staring which had become exceptionally rude and having been left standing alone amid what was feeling more and more like a sprat among the sharks, she immediately turned on heels and ran for it.
Fleeing straight passed the adults, some of whom she pushed out of her way including Di Jun, her feet picked up speed very quickly as the winding pathway took her straight back to the corridors she remembered passing through.
Someone yelled out her name as she fled down the path leading back to the main entrance. She thought it may have been Bai Zhen, but the sudden uproar of voices as her feet took her straight out of the Lotus area and into a corridor scared her even more.
Running as if her life depended on it, she followed the corridor which led into another and then another. The long white walls of each corridor all looked the same, but she kept running until she was well and truly lost. Reaching the end of the last corridor, she found herself facing a solid pair of wooden doors and hearing footsteps and more yelling heading her way, she immediately pushed the big doors open and ran inside before slamming them shut, then sliding the bolt across for good measure, she turned around slowly.
Out of breath and panting hard, she pressed her back up against the doors to get her bearings while her eyes flew about the large chamber she had found herself in. The hearth was lit, and on a center table were books and a set of tea cups while several large plush seats lined one wall. It was a lovely room, very cozy and quiet, the kind she would have loved to have sat reading had she not been so scared and desperately wanting to go home.
Scanning the chamber for movement, she saw no one and as the door on the other side of the room was open, she quietly made her way towards it.
"Young Lady, it is rude to enter a mans home without first introducing yourself." a soft voice said just as she was about to pass through the doorway.