Reunited

A soft whimper broke the silence of the night.

Dull, muffled clopping could be heard heading her direction.

The young girl placed one foot backward and then the other as she heard it coming close.

Just right, a hoof emerged from the darkness in the alleyway. It was illuminated by the light from the window of the room next to hers.

'An animal? Not a spirit beast, right?'

The animal's paw padded on the ground towards her until it revealed its face.

She gasped.

Although she had only seen its kind in the books, she recognized it instantly.

'This is the Qilin they were talking about?!'

Her heart beat loudly.

How could she fight a spirit beast? The ruckus it would make would alert those nearby.

She had to keep a low-profile for now.

She stopped backing away. 'I wonder if it could understand me..'

"Qilin. I mean no harm. I only want to go back to my room." Her voice was steady and reassuring.

"Even if you want to harm me, you're no match for me."

She jolted in surprise. 'It really spoke! And it even sounded young..'

"Alright then.. I'll be out of your way now.." With a leap, Song Jia landed on the roof just below her room. She opened the window and climbed in.

As she was closing the window, a shadow sneaked past inside.

"What the--"

Song Jia glanced at the door, checking if anybody heard.

She remembered the talisman to prevent outsiders from eavesdropping, it was still plastered on the door.

She sighed in relief.

"You.. What do you want?!" In a huff, she had placed her fists on her hips, her eyes glared at the beast.

"You…"

"Ack!" She was taken aback.

"You don't recognize me?"

"Huh? Yeah.. I do.."

The golden qilin's eyes widened, his mouth wide agape.

"You're a qilin. I heard of you somewhere.."

It's expression fell. It's head bowed in disappointment.

She felt her heart break for the little guy.

"Umm.. why don't you tell me your name?"

"Jin."

'Jin. That mean gold? So unoriginal.'

She looked at him with amusement, covering her grin with her fist.

"Ahemm.. Who named you?"

"You."

"Haaaa???"

Her mouth fell open, her eyes narrowed at him.

"You named me."

"What are you talking about? How could I have named you? We just met! I don't know who you are.." She was rapidly talking, waving her hands as she debated with him.

All of a sudden, the qilin leapt and bit her hand lightly, drawing blood, then unclasped his hold of her.

"Why did you bite me?!"

"Remember me!"

She took a step back, wary of him.

"Focus!"

'Jia! Close your eyes and feel it.' Crystal interrupted from the Spirit Artifact.

'Crystal, what's going on?!'

'Just do it, Jia. It will be fine.'

With that, her eyes closed as she cleared her mind.

In a flash, she found herself in a wide expanse of space.

Then all of a sudden, lights assaulted her head one after the other.

A million memories resurfaced inside her. She gasped.

"Little Jin.." Without warning, tears streamed down her face like waterfalls.

"You remember.." He whimpered.

She nodded. "Yes.

She gathered him in her arms and held tight. "I've missed you.."

With a thought, they both appeared inside the Spirit Artifact.

"Jia! You've changed!"

"Mn. I did."

"Let me show you." Song Jia twisted the ring, activating it. Her appearance changed into the young man, Shi Jin.

"Oh. Now you looked like when you and I first met!"

The qilin beamed at her. The top of his head rubbed against her chin.

"I've waited for a long time, Jia. But I still believed you would return." The young qilin was teary-eyed.

"Welcome back, Jin!" Crystal flew to them.

"Spirit!" His tail wagged.

"Hehe.. It's Crystal now."

"And you've shrunk.." He said in a mocking tone, pointing at her and covering his mouth as he snickered at her.

"Well, you're the same.."

He sighed. "Yeah, I did. After what happened."

"We'll turn back the way we were soon! Her progress is incredibly fast! Maybe even faster than back then.."

"Oh.. I see. But how did you find Jia first?" His head tilted, his paw rested on his jaw.

"Not sure. I was brought to another world together with a piece of his soul. Then when her soul returned to the void, it reunited with another piece.. And now we're here."

"You said HER.." His brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah.. The soul inhabited a female.. And now, as you can see.. It happened again."

Little Jin glanced at Song Jia, still unable to believe that his master had turned into a girl.

"What?"

Little Jin jumped down from Song Jia's embrace.

"Nothing. I'm just not used to seeing you as a girl."

Song Jia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can't believe you who was once a great general, admired by countless women, have turned into a girl.."

"So? A woman can still be a general.." She folded her arms and raised her chin at him. "Hmp!"

"Heh.. probably from whatever world you've travelled to.. Over here it is pretty much the same as last time.."

"Anyway, where have you been staying?"

"Me? I go everywhere. But I return to your grave every now and then." The golden qilin was reluctant to tell her about his experience. 'There's no need to worry her needlessly.'

"Hmm.. I wonder.. Why is it you're still alive when I died at that time?"

"Here's a theory. It could be because your soul was divided the moment you died." Crystal has thought about it. She was even taken to the other world at that time.

"Hmm.. Possibly.. These things are still a mystery to me.." She shrugged. She twisted the ring once more, reverting back to the young girl she was.

"Ah! What's that?" Little Jin's attention was piqued.

"Hmm? What's what?" Song Jia followed the direction of his gaze. 'Ah. The mansion.'

"It's where Jia's family in the other world used to live." Crystal walked beside Little Jin as he scrutinized the exterior of the mansion, peeking at the window.

"Ah.. It really looked like this? I've never seen a house like this before.." His eyes brightened in amazement.

"Who knows, maybe in another thousand years we'll get to see it here." Song Jia shrugged.

"Did all the houses look like this in the other world? They're ginormous!"

"Not all. It turns out my family was wealthy."

"Ah.. You must have lived like a queen!"

"Heh. Nope."

"Huh? Why not? With this house as big as a palace, you still say you didn't live like a queen?"

"Nope."

"Little Jin." Crystal spoke at the golden qilin with a warning.

"What? Is there something I said?" He looked between Song Jia and Crystal, awaiting an answer.

"It's nothing. I didn't grow up in this mansion. My family was exterminated and I was the only survivor. I have no memory of this place since I was taken when I was only an infant." Song Jia explained, flatly.

"Oh.." Tears welled up in his eyes. "How could such a thing happen to you?! With your prowess and sacrifice as a general, the heavens should have rewarded you!"

He stomped his hooves on the ground.

'How could his master, the General Song Jia, suffer so in the other world?! Heavens! You owe my master big time!"