Double Edge Sword

So much had happened within one night that Xiao actually felt exhausted. Song had informed her palace guards had stormed Lilitu's shop, forcing them to take refuge in an inn.

"What did you do?" Song had guessed the guards' appearance was Xiao doing the question was why.

Xiao lay back in the bronze tub, enjoying the aroma of the marigold-infused water, the fragrance reminding her of home, of the Land of Souls. Life had been much simpler in the Land of Souls, but Xiao had foolishly yearned to live amongst mortals. Now, look at the result. Xiao laughed as she closed her eyes and submerged herself into the aromatic water; all traces of blood had long gone.

Song, worried, reached into the water to pull Xiao up, only to be dragged under suddenly; they were no longer in the bronze tub but in a never-ending sea. Xiao smiled at Song as she pressed her body against his and pulled him upward. An Island greeted them; creatures that did not belong to their world circled the sky, and at the shore stood a Siren.

"Mother Empress," the Siren greeted with no emotion on her blueish gray face. The Siren's eyes seemed soulless.

"How are things going?" Xiao led Song towards the bone palace she had built for her puppet queen.

The Eternal Queen of Darkness followed behind her Mistress, "all is as you've instructed."

Xiao looked at her puppet Queen, a smile blossoming onto her pretty face, "I have a new task for you." Extending her hand, Xiao manifested the Naga Pearl. Xiao didn't just need the pearl to restore the Snake King's mind and temporarily break his curse. She also needed it to stir chaos in the world.

Song raised a brow but said nothing as Xiao split the pearl into fours. Since the others had not seen it, they had no way of knowing Xiao had initially retrieved the pearl intact. Song could already see the cogs turning as Xiao instructed the Siren on her next task.

The Naga Pearl pieces would scatter throughout the Realms, and only the core would remain on the Island safeguarded by the Eternal Queen's minions.

"If anyone asks, your name is Lina; you remember nothing else." Xiao placed a hand over the Siren placing a protective barrier around her mind. Should anyone attempt to read Lina's thoughts or dig beyond what Xiao had laid out, they would have a painful ending.

Xiao sent three of the pearl pieces out on the wind flying like shooting stars. The core she handed to Lina and the fourth piece she broke in half. Xiao only needed a tiny bit for the Snake King.

The remaining portion she crafted into a heart infused with her heart's blood; Xiao pressed it against an unsuspecting Song.

Song fell to his knees as pain shot through his chest and into his spine, momentarily crippling him. What was this familiar feeling? It couldn't be.

Xiao had restored Song's heart since they could not return home due to the broken time stone; Xiao had found another way to repay the favor she owed. Now they owed each other nothing. Whether or not they loved each other, they would have to wait and see.

Song hated the feeling of having his heart restored, for with it came many painful memories he had long buried deep within his subconscious. Some memories had awakened when Xiao burst out of her cocoon and others when she bit him. Yet many memories had remained dormant. Mostly the ones that showed him who he really was.

Not once had Song believed himself a good man but at no point during this lifetime had he thought of himself as a monster. How could Xiao stand before him without tearing him to pieces?

Xiao felt a flicker of pity as she watched Song's sublime face contort in pain. Song was not to blame for all that had happened to them, but Xiao was too prideful to tell him otherwise.

The sky darkened as clouds gathered, swirling around the Island. The wind howled as the heavens roared, making their presence known. From the swirl of clouds came a lightning bolt striking right where Song knelt.

"What is this?" Xiao tried to reach for Song but Lina held her back.

"It's his final tribulation," Lina's eyes were filled with the knowledge of the universe.

"Who are you?" Xiao broke free of Lina's hold.

Lina's sight did not waver from Song, "thank you." Not until her eyes returned to their empty state.

Xiao despised the gods the most, "Curse heavenly tribulations!" She tried to create a protective barrier around Song but found something, or rather someone was stifling her power.

Another bolt of lightning came spiraling towards Song. His heart had just been restored; how dare the gods send their tribulations now. Cursing herself, Xiao rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Song, her wings sprouting from her back to cover them from the third bolt of lightning.

The pain differed from when she had been struck in her previous life. This pain made her insides twist, causing her to convulse. Song and Xiao were still conscious when the fourth lightning bolt came for them, each strike worse than the last.

If he could withstand a little longer, Song would officially become a nine-tailed fox and have the power to take on his so-called father.

Xiao, on the other hand, would return to her original state of being. How ironic she would become what she hated the most.

Song's father might be a Celestial Immortal, but Xiao would return to being a full-on Deity walking amongst humanity. If Song couldn't end his father, she could, for even a Celestial Immortal was no match for a Divine Deity born of death and love.

Lina watched without a reaction until that final hit. Song and Xiao rose above her towards the clouds. A bright light emanated from Song as his ninth tailed appeared, and a wave of energy burst out, causing the waves to rise and the earth to shake.

On the shore, the townsfolk could be seen trying to grasp what was happening. Even the Celestial Immortals present could not believe their eyes. Next to the beam of light was another figure. When Xiao's wings opened, a gust of wind sent out energy waves, causing volcanos to erupt and tsunamis to follow in her wake.

The villagers wondered if two awakenings in one night could be a sign from the gods. Somehow their town had been spared from the chaos. It had to be a Divine Blessing.

"It's a Divine Blessing!" someone shouted, causing the townsfolk to fall to their knees and press their foreheads to the ground. Only the Celestial Immortals remained standing; their Master would not be happy with the turn of events.

"How can you call it a Divine Blessing," one of the Celestial Immortals asked, "did you not see it appear before that Island filled with negative energy."

At the disciple's words, the water rose, taking the form of a fox, and struck down where the Celestial Disciples stood.

"Mighty Deities, please spear us," the villagers pleaded as the water receded; no trace of the Celestial Immortals remained.

"You have nothing wrong," a melodic voice rang out, "why would you be harmed?"

"Let it be known the Celestial Immortals are no match for true Deities." A voice that held no mercy commanded.

Just as they had appeared, they vanished suddenly; the villagers felt no ill intent towards the Island that had clearly been blessed by the gods.

Soon after, rumors spread the actual Deities had returned. The people started to question the Celestial Immortals' true purpose, especially when their disciples had been swallowed up by the angry gods.

All the while, Song and Xiao had returned to the Silver Night Palace with a new plan at hand. If they could not go home, they would awaken the gods of old and claim this world as their own.