Dongling

Uncle, or the spirit Yan observed as he lived in this floating tower with Yen Sid and the elderly fairy godmothers.

The godmothers were fairies who had lost their princess charge, Princess Aurora ten years ago no thanks to circumstances beyond their control. They had grieved as they were the ones who raised her to protect her from Maleficent's Curse. Ohhh she was saved afterward certainly, but what happened after, was far worse and she was never seen again.

It was a rather fairy tale like story, but it happened.

He learned that other worlds exist, and nobody knows they do as long as the knowledge was a tightly-kept secret.

He learned magic from the Fairies as he only knew his skills as a beast, and they sparred with him in magical battles for experience's sake. Having them as opponents, and conjuring Heartless dolls they colored white, not black. And he was to fight them off until he's used to fighting mindless swarms.

Because simply being touched by Heartless at your weakest moment...its all over.

To fight a horde of heartless, your heart must be strong and defiant. That you must wholeheartedly believe their touch won't kill you. That you must draw that belief from the light in your heart.

He frankly calls it 'optimism made magic'. Merryweather agrees, but it works.

But a moment of weakness in the heart is all it takes, and you're gone.

'What happens after we lose our hearts?' he asked as after magic, he also learns how to eat human food. He learned human manners through Beiyue and he learned manners befitting a royal princess, so he was taught proper manners of a male aristocrat instead as they have no idea how princes are raised. And how to use a spoon, fork and cutlery knife as they all wondered, 'Why use sticks to eat?' and that baffled the sorcerers when its meal times, that he and Beiyue use sticks to eat!

'While its normal in your world and your new family in the islands, learning what everyone else knows, will help conceal this dangerous secret and yes, eating this way is part of universal culture...unless you end up in a world similar to yours, yet a lot kinder than your original world in culture.' Yen Sid told them.

'Oh...'

There was no rice for breakfast, a fact Beiyue was used to long ago. Food in the islands were different, comprising of bread, bowls of soups or stews, and grilled or roasted meats.

Here, breakfast was bread with melted cheese, or a sandwich of ham and eggs with a bowl of shellfish soup. Lunch and Dinner were filling kinds, be it meat or vegetable.

To him who nourish through 'eating' beast cores of other beasts or through cultivation, eating food was for the sake of passing by as a person. But at this rate, he would starve as human food doesn't exactly give nourishment at all, nor calm his growling stomach. At least in his prison, he doesn't starve as his prison forces subconscious cultivation on Beiyue to both power his prison and for him to eat!

So Yen Sid chucks him to their original world to 'eat' and once he has his fill, magically appears back in this tower.

When Beiyue found out, she wondered how much time has passed and wondered for the welfare of her only friend back there, and asked Yen Sid and Yan for help about inquiry. She rarely made requests, and she still cares for what she truly has.

Given where she came from, she treasured people who cared for her, than her massive wealth she can't even enjoy.

So here he is now, in Linhua City in Nanyi Country, disguising his hair and eyes, but not his good looks. He also moonlighted as an Enchanter under the name Yan Xinglu.

For Beiyue's sake, he looked for Dongling and requested she be given 'a lot of stuff' that he effortlessly stole thanks to magic, as well as how strong he was.

Five years have passed yet here, only four. Looks like time in other worlds is faster by a year? Hmmm!

He looked, and found Dongling...working for Third Prince now. She is currently thirteen years old, just like her former lady. And he can show up in Third Prince's chambers, unhindered, startling the life out of them.

'Whoa?!'

'Greetings, Dongling.' he greeted.

'W-who are you? Why do you know me?' Dongling stammered out nervously.

'She worried for you for four years while I took her under my care from that funeral, but it seems you are well?' Yan inquired as this got Third Prince, Dongling and the Eunuchs choking.

'Princess is with you?! Where is she?!' Dongling sputtered out in frantic worry. 'I thought she was killed by those slimy little bastards!' she cried in anger.

'She is not safe here as you already know.' said Yan. 'What, with being surrounded by undeserved scorn and treachery for what was never her fault, yet she was unjustly blamed for.' he drawled wryly as he took out a pill and gave it to her. 'A starting present so you can cultivate up to developing Spiritual Foundation, so you can use a Space Ring soon. Work hard, and I'll let you see Beiyue soon. She asks what happened since she was gone and how were you doing...you were in her thoughts, worrying for you as she feared for your life...but I can only bring one person with me at the time...even now.'

Dongling burst into tears at his words.

'I knew my life will be hell when Princess was gone. My life no longer mattered anyway, so I broke every rule imaginable just to see his majesty even while he was crying in his office for losing both Princess Royal and Princess.' she sniffled. 'I told him what goes on in Xiao Estate whenever Princess Royal was away, and what I witnessed that night when Princess Royal sent Princess to stay here...it was the night Princess Royal was made to take poison and die given to her by Concubine Xue.' she choked out. 'From the words I overheard, its clearly politics at play, as there's no way that treacherous skank of an ex-maid can even lay a finger on Princess Royal's hair?! She's not even worth dog poo on the road!' she growled in anger as Yan subtly took a copy of that particular memory from Dongling.

Then from grief to a dark, vindictive smile.

'His majesty was so angry he had the Black Cavalry drag that bitch to the palace as indignantly and embarrassing as ever...and its very telling that, that no-good master was more concerned with his harlots than his legal wife...my memories of that night was shown, but for some reason, HER memories have protective enchantments.' Dongling scowled. 'Sooo pry her memory by force, who cares if she dies...and what we found out was horrifying. His majesty was furious with Grandqueen and Jing'an Clan, Prince Xiaoyao was horrified at what he was unwittingly made to do as he was lied to...he made the very poison Princess Royal drank when he was told its for a hi-profile criminal in the dungeons...even worse, Senior Master and Master knew through Grandqueen too.'

'What happened?'

'Grandqueen was blackmailed for years by Marquis Jing'an, using Nanyi Country on the line during war time.' said Third Prince with a heavy heart. 'That was years before even eldest royal brother was born.' he said. 'We won against Beiyao Country with heavy losses. And when war with Dongli began, the country barely has any forces left, except for Marquis Jing'an who never answered to summons to war...how could we have known, that he has something selfish in mind? That he exploited our country's desperation, to force royal father to marry current empress to gain power when he was my age?' he shuddered. 'This caused great anger in the Imperial Harem as they who fought hard for the right to be Empress, their efforts were for nothing as its stolen unfairly with no explanation whatsoever...until four years ago.'

'Marquis Jing'an envied Princess Royal...accomplished genius who excelled academically and as a warrior, that a woman was greater than he.' Third Prince sneered. 'It was out of envy and greed. He didn't stop at that blackmail marriage...he made Grandqueen make Princess Royal have a marriage unworthy of her in Xiao Yuancheng. A lot of suitors were furious that Grandqueen lost massive political support when War with Beiyao was over and we were just steps into War with Dongli.' he griped.

'When he got wind that when cousin was born when the second war ended and father ascended the throne, father granted Beiyue the Princess title and Qinghe, a 200 million county. She's even richer than Zhanye by ten million and Marquis got annoyed, so he complained. Unfortunately for him, father was no grandmother who was submissive to his demands and banished him to the borders...so eight years later...yeah, he demanded from Grandqueen her death, or his army outside the city will destroy Linhua. Treason but she had no choice as we have no way of retaliating now. He amassed a massive army.'

'When these truths came out, the whole palace was in shock.' Third Prince sighed. 'Father ordered Concubine Xue who clearly enjoyed getting to kill her former mistress was forced to choose which one of her children will she take with her. She chose Xiao Yun, her favorite daughter thinking they'll be banished together and her son Zhonglei was horrified at being abandoned callously by his mother...boy, was she wrong and little did Zhonglei know how lucky he was compared to his mother and sister. The whole Xiao Clan was forced to watch as Xiao Yun was force-fed a corrosive poison by the angry Emperor, supplied by a just-as-angry Prince Xiaoyao and she died a slow, painful death, horrifying that ambitious snake.' he chuckled darkly. 'Then Concubine Xue was killed afterwards by endless whipping of barbed metal whips until she died.'

'After that, I wasn't satisfied just yet.' said Dongling. 'I thought my death will be imminent even after revenge against Concubine Xue was granted...but for me its not over. I didn't get the chance to finish my dying wish to his majesty as he wanted a murder spree when I told him what happened that night...my other request was that he take back Qinghe and Miyang under his management, and protect all that belongs to my mistresses. Goodness knows Master will grant everything they owned to Concubine Qin and Xiao Rou next! I can't bear for that to happen.' she said, shaking her head vehemently.

'As reward for my loyalty, I was granted protection to serve under Third Prince...because after the execution, its Marquis Jing'an next. Emperor had the whole Mu Clan living in the city drugged with tea that sealed their Meridians, unable to use their cultivation by controlling the maids of the estate...as the next day, they were dragged to the palace by their hair tied to horses...and executed unto the third generation, sparing empress for some reason as everyone knows his majesty disliked her and when truth came out, outright despised her though he still cares for Crown Prince Zhanye and Princess Yingye. Then soon, the whole public knows the truth behind Princess Royal's death...the only mystery left was what happened to my lady...his majesty focused search efforts.' Dongling stated.

After I got revenge...life certainly became different.' she continued. 'I was known as the maid who knew true loyalty. I was rewarded by his majesty by granting me protection and killing me will ensure culprits are hunted down and all who knew them killed without mercy. Nobody here can harm me now, without fearing for their family's lives down to the last infant and they'll never enjoy victory for long.' she said wryly. 'So nobody dares to even try to bully me here with that kind of backing.'

'Because his majesty hopes that when she finds her way home, I'm still here so life certainly is peaceful. But as for friends...its a cutthroat world of maidhood here in the Palace I certainly have no friends here, jealous of my position. I'm a lot closer to the Eunuchs serving Third Prince.' she croaked out. 'But I admit to having feelings for a fellow manservant in the palace, but I want to be sure he truly cares for me, instead of pretending to like me so he can use me to rise in status here in regard to servant hierarchy.' she sure is cynical, Yan thought. 'The treachery of servants where we used to live made me that paranoid.' Dongling admitted warily. 'And unlike maids and manservants, I'm actually paid a monthly salary as I was granted civilian status, an upgrade from what I used to be even if I lived a privileged life for a slave under Princess Royal and my lady.' she said.

Dongling was indeed, very privileged for a former slave.

As a child, she was allowed to learn literacy, arithmetic, manners and etiquette, law and rules of society wealthy children learn, other than her chores and skills a woman worth her salt must know, and gained citizenship.

As far as slaves know, they know manners and etiquette of slaves, as well as rules of the household and their rights as well as what's not allowed. They cannot read, write or count very well. Heck, their literacy and arithmetic was very basic. Their names, names of products, how much they cost and how to avoid being swindled. They also learn from their slave parents how to get ahead of rivals to be favored by their masters. As for freedom, out of the question. Their masters raise them like livestock within the estate. From the day they walk, they learn how to work. That's it.

However, hours later...

Dongling dreamed in her sleep.

She dreamed that she was a spectator, as she was made to watch what happened to Beiyue after the funeral.

Her life in Destiny Islands, adjusting to a new culture and world...and getting used to the fact that people CAN be kind to her after her mother, Aunt Jianqiu and the other maids are gone.

She has friends, goes to school at a young age, and lives with a foster family.

And Dongling knows, that her lady has feelings for Riku but kept quiet, as she was aware that he has a crush on her 'older sister' and sees her as the baby of the bunch he would protect, much to her chagrin. It was also obvious to Beiyue that her sister likes Sora and Sora likes Kairi. Disaster in the making much?

She kept quiet for one year straight, when she learned what falling in love meant, and how she knew her feelings won't be returned. But she also didn't want to destroy what she has now, so kept her silence, and looks when he wasn't looking.

Dongling moaned in dismay as this was another...brand of suffering her lady is going through. Sometimes, being kind is a pain in the butt and annoyed with Riku. Can he not see the obvious?!

Then came the horror that destroyed the islands...and the life of a few months in the mysterious tower with her teacher, Yen Sid.

Dongling learned shocking secrets, and 13-years-old miss is finally getting training. Apparently, time in the other world is a bit faster that they're a year ahead of this one. Just that, why does the other worlds have their girls wear...such horrifying clothes, that the orange dress she wore upon visiting was a lot better?! What's with the other worlds?!

xxx

'So she's actually doing alright...and she has something to prove, even.' said Beiyue after dinner. 'It would be her own personal battle that's why she doesn't want to leave.' she said softly.

'Yes, because she stepped on a lot of toes in her wake, for her revenge.' said Yan. 'Lucky for her, Emperor killed them all off so she's alright. But there are still Xiao Clan survivors.'

Beiyue thought about that.

Her 'father and grandfather' were distraught with the loss of Xiao Yun. She could have helped make the clan great by bringing in wealth as Summoners are very powerful. But to avenge Princess Royal's poisoning, the Emperor made Xue feel the same loss and grief of having family murdered, before killing her with a slow death.

And thanks to Dongling, they were no longer an Imperial Family by telling the Emperor all that goes on in the Xiao Household. Their dirty laundry aired that got Emperor angry at them. Their entire slave stock were executed unto the Third Generation as punishment. That sadly, included Concubine Fang and Xiao Ling, her daughter even though Fang was innocent of everyone else's crimes. Xiao Ling was killed because she was a slave's daughter. Idiot Xiao Yuancheng forgot to make Fang a citizen despite his pleas to save her and his eldest daughter and the Black Cavalry laid that out for them. Ling may be born a Xiao but as long as mother is slave, she too, is slave through birth, even if she lived the life of a lady.

Thus by default, Concubine Qin became the family furen but it wasn't a victory for her as her husband and father-in-law were in a foul mood from the loss of Xiao Yun and their servant stock, they lost their Imperial Family status for what they've done to the princesses and she and her children and Xiao Zhonglei knew it. She was also forced to adopt Zhonglei as her second son. Who else would?!

However, they have no more servants.

Qin had begun household management while her husband went to procure family servants and times were hard as Dongling's revenge. She wouldn't let them manage her fiefs in 'her stead'. Hah, since when have they done anything for her anyway?!

Then again, they were never truly family to begin with!

With her determination, she poured all she had into her training, becoming powerful in her own right. Indeed, she has talent.

She was born with many elemental affinities, making it easy for her to learn magic. And with her own strength of will, mastery was very quick, as she mastered the art of gaining power from her heart. This, combined with visualization of effects and knowledge of how things work and how she wants it done...she became a natural disaster by herself.

Her training area?

None other than the forests in her old world!

She was armed with a cute magic wrist armor with a jewel ornament...so she can combine magic with martial arts, and can summon a sword anytime she wanted. It was a magic sword powered by her heart to test if she can be a future keyblade wielder one day. Her heart must not fail in feeling great resolve and determination...or it'll break if her heart wavers. Moreover if it does, there's a penalty before she can use the sword again!

It was a training tool designed for her by Yen Sid. As well as a magic mirror that becomes a small platform...with a mounted machine gun powered by her heart so she can kill Heartless in Lanes Between when traveling worlds.

So now she is in her own world, but in Fog Forest.

And battling a certain ice bird because she found it cute, and wants it as her Summon.

And their battle is causing chaos enough that people can see a large tower of ice spires outside Linhua City already, causing the Summoner Brigade to come out in hopes to do damage control, but by the time they got there, the fighting was over.

It was a young girl who was quite banged up, along with a just-as-banged bird.

'Hey hey, you gonna respect me now, right?' they heard the girl in a torn blue dress with white sleeves ask the defeated Bingluan. Her hair is clearly short, barely reaching her back and quite a mess, most likely from fighting. She also has injuries, with blood dripping down her fingers, and her bare back looking horrible from bleeding injury.

'Well, at least you're worth respecting.' said the Bingluan wryly, struggling to get up. 'You're powerful on your own right, instead of bonding just for cultivation ascension benefits. I will join you.'

'A Wuling, join a young girl?!' a summoner gasped in disbelief as 'the girl' formed a Contract with Bingluan, not a Life Contract. She used a variation of spells taught to her by Yen Sid, and not using magic of this world.

'Who are you?' Zhanye demanded. 'You fought too close to Linhua City!' he scolded.

'Ehhhh not my fault~' the girl still didn't face them. 'I got blown aaaaalll the way here when I was 800 meters away when I started fighting with Bingluan! Its not fun being blown away and crash into the ground and got scrubbed into the ground after that~!' she then cast green light magic on herself and her wounds healed and her clothes self-repaired to their astonishment. 'Let's go home!' she took Bing into her Summon Space, and caused Bing's wings to appear on her back and flew away.

Thus Linhua City learned that one of the five Wuling is in the hands of a young girl whose face nobody saw as she never looked at anyone to conceal her identity. She defeated it all by herself with horrible injuries on her person which she healed with Wind Magic and left afterward.

Who, is this mystery girl?

xxx

Mysterious Tower...

'I got one Uncle!' Beiyue glomped Yan. 'I got a really cute one!' she chimed excitedly upon getting back home.

'Hooo? The purpose is getting a strong partner, a high ranking one!' Yan bopped her on the head. 'What is it, even?'

'One of the Big Five, the Ice Phoenix Bird!' said Beiyue brightly. 'Both cute and strong! Nobody'd suspect a cute face to kick your butt while people will be wary if you're scary-looking and make assumptions and be on guard around you!'

Yan was rather stunned by her words. Is little host not innocent anymore?

'You're learning a little TOO well under the Godmothers.' Yan said wryly.

'Well, for female warriors, using their beauty is also a weapon.' Yen Sid coughed awkwardly. 'And Beiyue is a girl I've never seen in all my years.'

Beiyue remained fair. Though her skin was no longer lily-white, but pinkish-white now. She hardly stayed in the sun as she couldn't bear heat for long!

'Well, with Lotus Blossom Pill cooked up by Pharmacists, its easy to grow up beautiful, but its expensive.' said Beiyue. 'Upon swallowing it, it will bring out the beauty you are born with by force. And followed by Ice Jade Pill that makes our skin as white as snow as dark skin is a trait of commoners only.' she said. 'The results will show when you're twelve years old. Not only that, wealthy who have consumed this pill and married over generations, you can imagine that after a few centuries, there's not an ugly gene left in our bodies that the wealthy, aristocracy and royalty are born with incredible beauty born from generations of such practice.'

'Humm, I remember seeing you take in some pills as a child...that must be it.' Yan looked thoughtful.

'Yes, but I'm supposed to take it every year until my eleventh birthday...ah well.' Beiyue shook her head.

She gained some weight in the islands, but with magic, she knows what parts she must get rid of. She got back the slenderness and shapeliness of her arms and legs, trained her body to develop muscle the right way to emphasize her looks while having strong joints and core for balance and flexibility, and her waist and abdomen was as flat as it was when she was eight that her figure is clear for all to see. The beautiful silhouette she was born with.

'I'll ask Aunt Fauna to fix my hair. Fighting with Bing made my hair a lot messy and shorter!'

'Tomorrow is your big day, to start your journey to find your friends, so its best to sleep early.' Yen Sid reminded his two tenants.

'Yes.'

'Yes, master!'

xxx

Next day...

Beiyue left, equipped with an outfit the Fairies made for her. A very cute dress comprising of a black, form-fitting gothic dress with cap sleeves and white frills and trimmings, sheer black leggings and black stylish calf-length boots. Her shortened messy hair had to be trimmed from the damage she took, so now it's barely reaching her shoulders.

She made her journey by wearing a black hooded full body cloak when she puts on the hood, but when she takes it off, it shortens into a shoulder cape. Because she can't use a Keyblade and Yen Sid learned how his former student travels worlds, he and the fairies created these convenient protection pieces for Yan and Beiyue. They learned how to travel using Darkness Corridors.

Originally, Beiyue would have NO IMMUNITY whatsoever unless wearing a lot of protection. But for her who was host to a dark-element spirit beast with powers only enemies can dream of because she was born with dark-element spiritual affinity she inherited from her true father Wentian(Yan heard the name from Princess Royal calling out to him when they fought him), she has a great degree of immunity...but if her heart weakens, game over. Her protection was akin to a needle popping a balloon so she was trained and disciplined that in the past few months, her training was very, VERY strict, for her sake.

However, constant usage of this kind of darkness will soon give frequent users a particular 'stench'. The stench of darkness.

She is ready.

'This is easy when in the past few months, I could never do this.' she mused as she opened a Corridor of Darkness, imagining it to be the palace grounds in her world.

She would be the one to give Dongling the ring containing stolen goods.

Using her magic to locate Dongling in Third Prince's Residence, she found her old friend who finally has cultivation as well.

And right now, it's winter here.

'Winter...its starting to lightly snow here.' she mused as she took off her hood and cloak is out of the way.

She explored the palace, even places she wasn't allowed in before. Due to being cousin Third Prince's maid now, her duties were both to him and his mother, Able Consort.

She found Dongling training in her spare time. Using the very skills she saw from the implanted dreams.

'Hard at work I see.' Beiyue showed up, startling Dongling. 'Though sensing could use some work.'

'Miss?!' Dongling yelped, wide-eyed as she saw her...short-haired lady come inside her room.

'You're strong enough to have these now.' said Beiyue, giving her the space ring containing bottles of labeled pills. 'Take them one pill of your choice every six hours of the day, alright? These are beauty pills first.' she said. 'I have to give you the cultivation pills with a lot of witnesses at school. I'm aware Third Prince has a fiancee...who might get a little annoyed into thinking your cultivation is better than hers and thinking he's giving you and not her, his future wife.'

'That'd be a political mess...' Dongling sweatdropped. 'But...how does it feel aging too fast though...I mean you're thirteen, like me now.'

'I don't feel any different.' Beiyue said thoughtfully. 'Ah well, what's done is done. How should I know time moves differently in other worlds?' she said with a giggle. 'It'll be winter break soon, might as well stick around until the last day of school.'

'Oh...'