A/N: I don't own anything. Nope. But neither does Hi-rez when you think about it. You can't claim ownership of mythology. But the concept. Mmmm. Dat concept.
The City of Xian. It wasn't the capital of China, yet it stood as one of the nation's greatest strongholds. The citizens used to live a peaceful life, but when the heavenly war came to their doorsteps, most were prepared to give their lives up to their benevolent Gods. As such, normal mortals were to allowed to battle with the more powerful beings in the pantheon.
The Red Palace towered over the rest of the city, a majestic building to behold. Eastern Dragons circled the sky to give the people comfort and security, accompanied by the occasional flock of birds that bypassed them. The residents silently went about their day, thanking their Gods for the protection and benefits. In the dark-lit alleyways, shady deals transpired in secret.
Crimson walls surrounded the quiet infirmary. A painting of a once great empire hung on a wall, above lotus flowers that floated on a small plate. The sound of a waterfall echoed nearby. In all honesty, it wasn't much of an infirmary, as there was only two ornate beds, but that was to be expected as it was the Chinese pantheon's private medical area. The area for humans was much more crowded, with more injured soldiers that required more attention.
Her untied hair drifted on the bed's edges. Chang'e gripped the soft fabric of the sheets underneath her as Yue Tu slept next to her. She held as a neutral face as she stared at the ceiling, the herbal aroma in the air doing little to heal her injuries. She had her mind on the battle with Kukulkan. The explosion had injured most of her body, but she knew that she also injured the serpent as much as she him slither away with hissed remarks. She hated that she couldn't have done better, but she was content that it was an Elysian victory.
She knew that with each victory, she would be closer to finding her missing husband.
In the past, Hou Yi and Chang'e loved each other to death, and although some fights caused tensions in the relationship, the amendments afterwards only served to strengthen their love. Floating the moon had only made her melancholy worse, but it was alleviated by a rather cheerful bunch of moon gods. She was close to reuniting with him permanently during the beginning of the war, but from she had heard, he was across the world from her, held captive in some obscure location by the Old Order as leverage.
She hoped he was okay.
She turned over to stare at the sleeping Yue Tu, whose whiskers twitched. Was he having a dream? She considered him adorable when he wasn't blabbering his mouth off.
The door slowly creaked open.
The figure wore long red robes with floral designs that were etched on the surface. He appeared to be a rather large man, similar to Zhong Kui, but held a much more pleasant aura. He carried with him a small glowing lotus flower similar to the one below the painting.
She knew him as Baosheng Dadi, God of Medicine, and possibly one of the best healers in the world.
He said nothing as he simply put the lotus flower on a small pot located at the small stand next to her bed. The lotus stopped shining, and it shined a warm light near Chang'e's body. She felt her health regenerate much faster.
"Please rest, Moon Goddess." Baosheng's voice had a sort of kind commanding voice to it, but nonetheless still had the respectful intonation. "Tomorrow you will be better. Empress Nu Wa has also summoned you to meet her once the full moon rises in the sky."
With a slight bow, he said nothing as he left the room.
Chang'e considered it strange that Nu Wa had temporarily abandoned her title of "Guardian of Heaven," but perhaps with good reason. Nobody could claim ownership of the heavens anymore, as it was now a battleground for contending pantheons.
She closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep. She dreamed of sun-tipped arrows.
The Red Palace royal hall was enormous, able to house various Chinese Gods. The pantheon flag hung from the ceiling, and tapestries depicted ancient mortal wars long since past. Those were irrelevant now. There was the large throne on which Nu Wa sat, toying with her crystals, and the long ornate table below where the rest of the pantheon sat. Guan Yu sat closest to Nu Wa, across Zhong Kui. Chang'e followed sat next, across from Ne Zha who tried to hold a straight face, but ultimately giggled at his universe ring's antics. He Bo was nowhere to be seen.
"He Bo is out patrolling the North China Sea," Nu Wa began as she surveyed her fellow Gods. She sighed at the minuscule number. "Our numbers have dwindled. Some of us have sided with the old order..."
Sun Wukong. Ao Kuang.
"And others have refrained from participating in the war in general. If this continues, I believe the Elysian Uprising will be put at a disadvantage."
The hall stood silent, with the exception of Zhong Kui writing in his death scrolls. Even in the midst of war, many things still died each day. He was a busy man.
"Guan Yu. A report on the battle."
"Yes, your highness."
The general stood up, his voice booming with powerful authority. "It is a glorious day for the Chinese Gods. The North China Plains have successfully been defended. Causalities are minimal due to her highness's clay soldiers. However, He Bo reported that he felt a strange being in the Yellow River. He could not identify it as there were too many enemies on the front." He continued with the summary of the battle. Chang'e paid little attention until he heard him mention Hou Yi.
"Our intelligence reports that Hou Yi is now fighting for the Old Order."
The moon goddess's eyes widened at the statement.
"However," Guan Yu continued, "it is against his free will. There appears to be something that the Old Order is using to influence the mind of individual Gods. We do not know what it is yet, but Gods from other pantheons not participating in the war have been affected as well. Their numbers continue to grow." With the end of the report, he sat back down.
Hou Yi. Him? Controlled? Chang'e's face didn't show it, but on the inside, she felt sick to core. She knew the Old Order was composed of powerful Gods, and although she never underestimated their power, the ability to control the will of another God was something she never heard of.
Nu Wa immediately stood up after the report, a small grin present on her face. However, she had her gaze set on Chang'e.
"I have a mission for you...how would you like to save your husband?"