Sunday, January 22, 2023

everything happens for a reason



 Qing felt stuck. She had no answers for everyone. It hurt even more that everyone was so angry. As if it was all her fault for all that had happened. Still, no one was there to help her figure this out.

Maybe, whoever she was now had to have something to do with the guard. Maybe the guard knew who she was.

"How did you come up with that?" Naturally, Cheng was a smart mouth about it. She couldn't decide if he was playing with her or just plain rude.

"I dunno," Qing sighed. She did confess she'd had strange dreams. Dreams about the guard.

"Oh really?" Cheng was ever so close as he sat next to her while she was in her bed as if he already knew her secrets. "Enlighten me?" That smirk of his only made her dislike him more. She wanted to slap him silly.

"I don't know," bitter tears emerged. "It's like I'm drunk or something. I can't understand it. I want to." She shivered, worried she'd changed into someone else, but of course, she hadn't.

"I just didn't know having this skill would be such a disease," he squinted as if he wanted to understand her plight. "I mean, I had an aunt who was always messing with people. She could stir up trouble when least expected. She always had everyone at each other's throat, but she was the kind who could just leave and we wouldn't hear from her for years, and then she'd show up and we'd wonder if she was..you know, who she said she was." Chen shrugged. He took her hand and clasped his fingers through hers. "I want to give you a new name, you know." He smiled. "I really think you are so lovely..I mean, you're just cute at the moment, but you know what I mean."

She would try. Was he saying that he thought more of her than what he saw on the outside? Still, she knew how he was. He was someone just to toy with her. Perhaps.

"Do you think your appetite has changed or anything?" He then asked. She shook her head, no. She was still on bed rest, but she was restless.

"I'd ask if you'll like to fly with me, but I know they'd be angry if we did that," Cheng sighed. He kissed her then as if that alone would suffice. And she kissed him back as if her world might change. However, her body didn't.

It was only a distant thought of who she'd been, maybe he liked this new face and body better than he imagined. Still, she didn't care. It was enough that he was here and they were together. In her room. Alone.

Sunday, January 8, 2023

Where your fear is, there your task is


 

"Who in the hell is this!" Milo couldn't control his temper. They'd traveled all this way with the fake guard hidden under covers back to Qing's place above her boutique. Somehow, he thought they could make sense of this if they got her home and she was in familiar surroundings. But instead, they got an entirely new person. This time a little twig of a girl. 

Milo winced hard as he gasped. For a moment they had so many good intentions of taking over the Bagger's sect, but now. He sighed, this would not do. He shook his head.

"Let me see," of course, fierce Cheng pushed him aside to see just what he was talking about. He glared at the girl on the bed. He didn't look much happier than Milo. He called for ChaCha to take a look. She was speechless.

Then War came for a look. 

"Whatever you do, stop changing," he ordered Qing. ChaCha went to get a mirror. Maybe it would help Qing figure out who she'd conjured up this time.

Qing only gasped. She said she didn't know.

"Maybe someone from when you were young. Like a cousin or a friend," ChaCha said. Qing pressed her lips tight. She recalled no one.

"Maybe this is best," Cheng decided. "We..we just couldn't let you go like the guard to that sect. I don't know if..if I could protect you."

Milo laughed at that.

"What?" Cheng glared at him as if he was ready for hand-to-hand combat. Milo smirked.

"I don't see you running in to do anything, Mr. Know-it-all who spent months in a cave learning crap, I bet." Cheng snapped.

Milo only batted his eyelashes as if it might be a dare.

"Let's just see what you got," Milo practically snarled. Cheng was becoming a real prick in his book.

Of course, ChaCha jumped in before they could get into a match of any kind.

"You fools, this is no time to start being children. Stop it!" She told them and War agreed with her. He told them he had a fire started. Now if they could get some help peeling onions, carrots, and potatoes. He's already killed a couple of rabbits on their journey here.

"She needs to eat," War pointed to Milo and Cheng. "You two need to simmer down."

Sunday, December 18, 2022

And all I ever knew, only you

 


Qing woke up looking like Cheng with a bad cough.

"Am I OK?" She looked to ChaCha who shook her head, no. She suspected it would be so.

"If I only had a mirror," Qing looked at her blankly.

"Didn't bring one," ChaCha shrugged. She said they were in a hurry. "We thought we might never see you two again.

Qing nodded as  if she understood her dilemma. She closed her eyes and thought of her brother.

"Did I change?" Qing wanted to know when she opened her eyes.

"No," ChaCha told her she was still Cheng. "How does this work?" All along ChaCha thought it had to do with makeup and changing one's voice.

"It's the imagination," Qing explained while she took the warm sweet potato porridge that ChaCha brought her from the fire where steam buns were cooking and a rabbit stew was simmering. 

"It's a lot like a great recipe, I guess," Qing told her. "I just have to remember all the ingredients, but I just can't at the moment."

ChaCha told her she needed to get her strength back.

"If only I wouldn't think of Cheng so much," Qing had only ever let herself think of her brother, and she hadn't seen him in ages. Who could she focus on now? Why had she let herself become Cheng? Of course, there was no one to converse with about the matters. She was on her own now. She couldn't even think of what her late grandmother told her about this skill. It was a skill after all. It was to be used when necessary. Otherwise, she needed to leave it alone.

Even now, she tried to remember what her grandmother looked like. It was best to be old and wise, she thought. But that didn't happen either.

"You just need to rest." ChaCha consoled her. Oh, Qing knew what Milo would think if he found ChaCha hugging Cheng.

"It'll be fine," Qing pushed her away. Funny, the only person she really truly remember was the guard. And she didn't even know his name, but it didn't stop her from changing her whole body makeup from Cheng to the martial artist they'd fought together only yesterday.