[MDZS] My Dark Angel

Monster

It sat right there. No had seen it. No one had heard it. Yet it was there from the very beginning. No one had sensed it entering Cloud Recesses. No one even sensed it following them. It seemed harmless, but was it really? It slithered through the brush. It hid in the shadows of the trees. It remained invisible - that is - until the day the child was born. It made its home inside the Jingshi. Not even the couple living there knew of its existence. There it stayed, waiting patiently for the right moment.

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Wei Ying: "I'll be back in a bit, Lan Zhan. I'm going to get the baby's milk." Lan Zhan nodded, watching his son. Wei Ying smiled, then left to get the milk.

Minutes passed. Lan Zhan continued watching his son, who was laying on his front. Lan Xue began to cry, tiny sobs leaving his closed mouth. Lan Zhan felt bad, so he lifted him up and held him high in the air. Lan Xue laughed. The baby grabbed for his Father's forehead ribbon. It took a couple of tries, but his tiny fingers soon latched onto the white fabric. He pulled on it, pulling it down so it covered his father's eyes. He pulled it off completely, biting and chewing on it.

Wei Ying had just returned with the bottle of milk. Seeing the sight made him smile and laugh. He approached the two, setting the tray on the floor. "Come here, you. Quit making trouble for your father," he said, taking the infant in his arms and cradling him. Wei Ying fed him. His son grabbed the bottle with his tiny hands, helping his papa/mother hold it. Lan Zhan couldn't help the smile which caressed his face.

Wei Ying: "Say, Lan Zhan, since I gave birth to him, does it make me a mother?" he asked out of the blue. "I mean, because I'm a male and all, wouldn't I really be a papa?"

Lan Zhan sipped his tea. "Wei Ying would be the mother." That made Wei Ying blush hard.

Wei Ying: "But...but I'm a male!"

Lan Zhan sat quietly, sipping his tea. "Why did Wei Ying not wonder about it before?" he asked indifferently.

Wei Ying: "I did. I wondered about it at our wedding as well. I didn't know what to write down on the certificate, so I just put both husband and wife." Lan Xue giggled. "Oh, you think it's funny huh?" he teased his son, narrowing his eyes in a playful manner. He tickled the infant's belly, making the little one laugh even more. "I'll teach you, you silly boy."

There was a bang from somewhere outside. Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying startled, turning to the direction the sound came from. Lan Xue cried out suddenly, fat tears rolling down his plump cheeks. Something had frightened the poor babe. Wei Ying held him closer in a protective manner. Lan Xue wouldn't stop crying no matter how much Wei Ying tried to hush him, bouncing him in his arms. Lan Zhan had Bichen drawn, ready to fight whatever it was.

However, it was useless. The thing was invisible from the very beginning. Only poor Lan Xue could see it. Wei Ying at that moment was panicking. Little Lan Xue wouldn't stop crying, and Wei Ying didn't know what to do. Lan Zhan motioned for their son to be handed to him. Wei Ying was reluctant, but handed him over anyway. Sure enough, Lan Xue stopped crying, his cries turning into sobs and whimpers. Wei Ying was baffled. He started thinking Lan Xue was just a daddy's boy, but then a chill ran up and down his spine.

Wei Ying turned to look behind him. When he did, he saw a pair of giant, green, snake-like orbs staring at him. Lan Zhan could do nothing as he held Lan Xue, Bichen still drawn, ready to protect his family. "L-L-Lan Zhan! Help!" The cry escaped Wei Ying's mouth as more of an agonized whisper. As he didn't have Suibian at the moment, he was defenseless. Suibian was in the room just beyond the invisible monster.

If Lan Zhan went to fetch the sword for his husband, then they would be exposed - without protection. He quickly handed Lan Xue back to Wei Ying, pushing the two behind himself, his sword raised. As soon as he did so, the monster shut its eyes, disappearing completely. Another shrill cry escaped the infant's mouth. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying turned around to find it had moved behind them.