Shui Yi paced back and forth, her fingers anxiously running through her hair, eyes darting to the window every few moments. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong.
"I think Long Fei is scared of me," she muttered, her chest tightening. "Did you see his reaction earlier? I never meant to scare him. But now he hasn't said a word."
Ling Yue lay sprawled across the bed with her hands behind her head and let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I'd be scared of you too. You can be pretty intimidating when you're sulking like that. But hey, don't stress it. Not everyone can keep up with someone as intense as you."
The mermaid glared at her. It only made the guardian grin wider. A sudden fluttering sound interrupted them. Feng, the hawk, swooped down through the open window, his beady eyes fixed on Ling Yue before he landed on the windowsill with a soft thud.
The guardian's eyes widened. Her hand reached for her slingshot.
"No!" the mermaid shot out a hand to stop her. "Don't kill him! Long Fei will hate us even more if you do!"
The guardian paused, her fingers gripped the smooth stone of the slingshot. She shifted her gaze from the hawk to her companion. "Oh, right. I forgot. He's not just any bird, is he? He's Master's messenger hawk." She rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. You're lucky it's not bird soup for dinner." She glared at Feng. He puffed his feathers at her.
Shui Yi felt her heart race. This message would either bring clarity or crush her. "Do you want to read it?" Her voice was soft, almost pleading.
Ling Yue nodded and hopped off the bed. She carefully removed the bamboo tube from Feng and unfurled the parchment. She scanned the note, her brows knitting together as she read aloud:
"Shui Yi, thank you for saving me. Ling Yue, please don't kill Feng. You are my favorite pet. I would like to recruit both of you to join my army. It's time we make new memories together."
The mermaid let out the breath she was holding.
The guardian stuck her tongue out at Feng and puffed up her chest. "You hear that, birdbrain? I'm his favorite pet."
Then she burst into excitement. "Wait, wait, wait," she reread the note, almost not believing it. "He's recruiting us into his army? Well, well." She smirked. "Looks like my dear master has big plans for us after all!"
"Join his army? After everything that's happened... he wants us to fight by his side?"
"Come on, this is my master we're talking about. He's not just a regular crown prince. He's a strategist. He needs warriors, and we're pretty awesome ones, if I do say so myself."
She leaned in, her finger resting on her chin, a devilish grin spread across her face. "Can you imagine the chaos we'll cause by his side? I can already tell it's going to be one epic adventure."
The mermaid's gaze softened as she looked down at the note again. "New memories," she repeated softly, daring to believe that Long Fei wasn't scared of her. Her chest tightened with tentative hope. Maybe this was what they needed, something to rebuild, something new.
Ling Yue jumped up, bouncing with excitement. "Hell yeah! Adventure time!" she cheered, spinning around in a wild circle before eying Feng. "And you're going to be my favorite pet from now on. Get used to it, buddy." She boldly scratched his chin. The hawk contently preened.
***
A few mortal days later.
There was a knock on the door. Ling Yue shot the mermaid a glance, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Come in," she called.
As the door creaked open, Long Fei entered, his presence commanding. He was dressed in the simple but authoritative garb of a soldier, his black cloak billowing behind him like a shadow, adding a masculine grace to his every step. His gaze swept over them, landing briefly on Shui Yi, a softness flickering in his eyes.
He held out two bundles of clothes, his hands steady. "These are for you," he said.
Shui Yi hesitated before reaching for the first bundle. The rough texture of the clothes felt alien beneath her fingertips. "What is this?" she asked.
"It's your new identity," he replied. "You can't afford to be recognized. We need to be careful now, especially with the Emperor knowing of your healing abilities. If we're going to stay safe, you need to disappear."
A new identity? Her heart sank. She hadn't prepared for this. Doubt churned inside her.
Ling Yue didn't even hesitate for a second. She eagerly unwrapped her bundle, and her eyes lit up when she pulled out a sleek black mask, along with a soldier's uniform and matching gloves.
"This is perfect," she exclaimed, slipping the mask over her face. It covered her entirely, leaving only slits for her eyes and a small gap at the mouth. The gloves fit snugly, concealing her azure-hued skin.
She twirled in front of the mirror, then placed her hands on her hips. "I'm unrecognizable. Let's do this!"
Shui Yi watched in awe and envy as her companion transformed before her. The confident, cheerful girl she knew was now hidden behind the black mask, and she marveled at how effortlessly she seemed to embrace her new role.
Long Fei's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his expression softening before he spoke again. "You don't have a choice," he said quietly. "The palace is no place for you, and only men are allowed in the army camp. If you want to survive, you'll have to become someone else for now."
She nodded, the unease swirling in her chest. She unwrapped her bundle slowly. Inside was a soldier's tunic, trousers, and boots; the clothes meant to conceal her femininity, to erase her true self. She held the tunic up, the fabric felt stiff and foreign in her hands. "Do I really have to wear this?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "It's the only way to avoid suspicion. You'll need to look and act like one of them."
She glanced at her masked companion, who was already adjusting her gloves, her gaze satisfied as she admired herself in the mirror. Ling Yue turned to her with a playful smile, her eyes sparkling behind the mask. "Tie your hair up. It'll make you look more convincing."
Long Fei stepped outside, leaving them to finish preparing.
With trembling fingers, Shui Yi gathered her hair into a tight bun. In her reflection, a stranger stared back at her.
The discomfort of the disguise gnawed at her, a reminder that she was no longer in control of her image. She exhaled slowly, steadying herself against the rising tide of doubt. There was no turning back now.
"We're ready," Ling Yue announced.
Long Fei reentered the hut, his sharp eyes appraising them. "Good. You both look different," he said.
The soldier's clothes hung loose on her, a disguise that concealed the only remnant of her identity. First she lost her tail, now her identity. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can be someone else."
He stepped closer, grinning as he reached up and carefully pressed something onto her upper lip and chin.
She froze, her heart pounding as she felt the soft sensation of something on her skin. Quickly glancing into the mirror, her face flushed red as she saw what he had done—he'd placed a thin black mustache on her upper lip and a beard on her chin. She gasped and grabbed at it, hands trembling. "What—what is this?" she sputtered, her face burning as her reflection seemed to mock her.
Ling Yue burst into laughter, unable to contain herself. "Oh, Shui Yi, this is priceless!" She gasped for air between peals of laughter. "You—you look so manly!"
Shui Yi swiftly turned her head away, covering her face in embarrassment. Long Fei gave her a small nod. "It suits you," he said. "No one will think twice now. It's a necessary detail."
Ling Yue wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Oh, are you going to call me 'General Ling' from now on? I like the sound of that." She snapped to attention and saluted him.
"From now on, you'll both address me as 'Your Highness'. You're my most trusted soldiers. Shui Yi, it's against protocol for you to address me by my name. You'll act as Lieutenant General Shui."
She nodded, still grappling with the weight of this new identity. "Yes, Your Highness," she murmured with lingering uncertainty.
With a nod, he turned and led them out of the hut. The two women, cloaked in their new identities, followed him into the unknown. They were leaving behind their old selves, and ahead of them lay only challenges and uncertainty.