The girl's eyes flashed and she shook her head with a smile as she said gently "I'm Feng Xue'er." Cross chuckled and said "Sorry, you reminded me of someone else. I'm Cross." as he got out of the crater and stomped, the ground fixed itself and Feng Xue'er was stunned as she said "Waah! How did you do that?"
Cross smiled and said "Magic! I can do more, do you want to see?" Feng Xue'er nodded happily, Cross smiled and spread open his hands, showing nothing. He clapped his hands and pulled them apart to reveal a bunny made of snow.
Feng Xue'er gasped and said "A bunny?! Made of snow!? I've never seen snow before!" Cross tilted his head and twitched his ears as he said "You haven't?" Feng Xue'er shook her head and Cross smiled as he handed her the rabbit, saying mysteriously "Watch out, she doesn't like strangers."
Feng Xue'er tilted her head cutely and said "It's made of sno-" the bunny jumped out of her hands and hopped around her, leaving a trail of snow and ice. Cross smiled and threw a snowball in the air, it exploded and a small cloud started snowing above them.
The snowflakes fell on Feng Xue'er face and she sneezed with a cute expression, Cross smiled warmly and the snowflakes touched the ground before forming various animals made from ice and snow.
The sad and lonely bottom of the valley turned into a winter wonderland.
Feng Xue'er looked up and held out her hand with an excited expression. She could feel the coldness from the snowflakes, the wet tingling sensation on her hands.. It was real! It wasn't a dream! Her eyes shined with happiness as she hummed and started dancing.
Cross watched Feng Xue'er dance with a gentle smile, he felt strange. When he looked at her, he saw a younger Luna. A Luna with no worries. A Luna, who acted like she was a strange person simply because she wanted to. His heart throbbed for a moment before he suppressed it himself, he couldn't.
Cross' eyes flashed and dimmed slightly, he really couldn't. No matter what she reminded him of or how he felt. How would Luna feel? He knew she would feel awful and heartbroken, she the thought of her sad face twisted his heart and made him hurt on the inside. He ruthlessly crushed his feelings before they could grow and kept a calm smile on the outside, watching Feng Xue'er dance happily in the snow and listened to her beautiful hums.
Cross smiled softly, he couldn't have feelings towards her but that didn't mean he couldn't make her happy right? He reached into thin air and pulled out a blue feather, a tear, and a drop of blue blood. His eyes lit up a golden color and he forcefully merged the three pieces of Blue before adding his own blood and a sliver of the green crystalline liquid.
He chanted with a low voice and the materials combined into a small egg. Cross smiled and said "Feng Xue'er." she stopped and gave him a sweet smile as she replied "Yes, Big Brother Cross?" Cross' heart felt prickly and he grunted inwardly, crushing the feelings, as he handed the egg over and cutting her thumb, letting her blood drop on the egg.
Feng Xue'er strangely felt no pain and watched as she blood was sucked up with the egg that glowed blue before getting brighter and brighter until it cracked. Cross ran his finger tip over her cut wound and healed it as if it was never there, feeling her small and smooth hands that seemed to be boneless.
He took his hand away before his thoughts ran wild, Feng Xue'er looked at the little blue bird that hatched from the egg and chirped at her. She said "Wh-" Cross answered "An Ice Phoenix, since you love snow so much. You can have it whenever you want." and be happy he added in his mind before destroying the thought without hesitation, keeping a calm smile on his face.
Feng Xue'er turned her dream-like eyes to Cross with her mouth agape in shock, her beautiful eyes watered and she said softly "You're giving this to me? Why?" Cross smiled and said "You remind me of someone, that's all." Feng Xue'er looked into Cross' eyes and saw a flash of pain, but she didn't know why, she was about to ask, when Cross continued "Anyway, I have to leave. Please take care of yourself, Miss Feng. Perhaps one day we'll meet again."
Cross disappeared from the spot as fast as possible, Feng Xue'er felt like her heart hurt when she heard him call her 'Miss Feng', she didn't like it at all. She looked at the Blue bird and smiled softly as she said "You'll be Xiao Lan, we'll be friends in the future, okay?" Xiao Lan chirped and crawled to Feng Xue'er shoulder and let out a few breaths, as if it had just done something exhausting.
Feng Xue'er giggled and looked at the, still moving, ice animals as she mumbled "Cross... What kind of person are you..."
Cross teleported to the sky and flew away before landing on the ground and throwing up a mouthful of blood. Seems like forcefully cutting feelings isn't a viable option. He felt weak but more importantly, his heart hurt. He didn't like this feeling.
Cross stood back up and inhaled, sucking in the energy around him and healing his injuries before deciding that he would make an effort to never see her again. He had a wife and kids, he wasn't going to fool around with anybody else. What about his family? He shook his head and continued his journey.
Unbeknownst to Cross, there was someone else watching the exchange and she was hurting more than he was.
Cross continued his little journey, alone. He floated off the ground as he traveled around the Profound continent. After his interaction with Feng Xue'er, he started to think a lot. What was his goal? Why was he staying in this plane? Why wasn't he leaving? Should he leave?
A full year since Yun Che got sucked into the Sword formation.
Cross went back to his inner world occasionally, he sensed Luna was hiding something from him but he didn't push her. He knew she would tell him eventually when she was ready. He smiled softly and showered her in love and care whenever he was with her.
During his stays he would instruct Chu Yuechan and Ling Jie, he tasked them with only getting used to their weapons for 3 months, then cultivating for 3 months, the last 6 months they had to hunt for their food in the forbidden forest.
They really were little monsters, Ling Jie's sword intent was sharper than ever and Chu Yuechan's Rapier was beautiful but deadly. Good news, was Chu Yuechan gave birth! A cute little girl she named Yun Wuxin. Everybody celebrated and recently Cross gave Chu Yuechan a break to cultivate normally while taking care of Wuxin.
Ling Jie complained but Cross told him he would get a break when he was pregnant too. Ling Jie deflated, he definitely would never get pregnant.
Cross used a stick to spar with Ling Jie and analyzed his fighting style, before making a sword art for him. Cross named it 'Twin Dragon Swordplay' it complimented Ling Jie's style perfectly.
Cross also did the same for Chu Yuechan, naming hers 'Thunder Clap of Death' the whole point of the sword play was in the single clap of thunder the enemy would already be dead. It was extremely strenuous and required extreme speed and flexibility for all the tricky movements.
Cross had got Chu Yuechan a cultivation art, he created it himself of course, and named it 'Thunderbird Destroys the Heavens' It was an extremely arrogant name, but that's exactly what it did. It was a pair with the Thunder Clap of Death.
The cultivation art would condition her body to be more limber and flexible, along with strong Lightning arts. The art itself also made Chu Yuechan faster, by stimulating the nerves in her legs, now this would be extremely dangerous but Chu Yuechan's veins were made with Buckbeak's Lightning feather.
She could quite possibly be the only person in the world who this would work for.
Needless to say Chu Yuechan, if trained correctly, would be a demon who killed before you could even blink.
Ling Jie complained that he didn't get an Art that was so domineering and Cross explained that he didn't need one. The only thing he needed were his swords. Cross told him that swordsmen like him with sword hearts had to worry about one thing and one thing only. Their Sword.
Cross instructed Ling Jie to meditate with his swords on his lap, he told him to try and feel his sword's feelings. Ling Jie did as he was instructed and meditated with his swords like a good boy.
Currently
Cross was sitting on a beach, by himself. Despite looking for Tyrant profound beasts, he found none. He assumed they must be hiding somewhere as every forest, valley, cave, only had Sky or Emperor Realm Beasts. He was considering nurturing them to the Tyrant Realm before slaughtering them for their cores.
Cross looked out to the sea and thought about Jasmine and Feng Xue'er. He felt his heart tighten and he frowned, this wasn't the second time either. He was tired and didn't want to feel like this anymore, he felt horrible for what he did to Jasmine and conflicted on his thoughts towards Feng Xue'er.
Regarding Jasmine, it wasn't like with Hermione at all. If he was being honest with himself, he definitely had some sort of feelings for Jasmine. She was his friend, sparring partner, and he felt they were very similar in personalities. It was as if she and him were the same.
As for Feng Xue'er... He couldn't say anything other than she reminded him of Luna but different. A sweet innocence and silliness that couldn't be covered up. Perhaps she acted sometimes for others but she was truly the daydreaming version of Luna he met long ago.
Cross felt confused, were Jasmine and Feng Xue'er, he and Luna in this world? But why? What did that mean? How was he supposed to feel? Why did he feel an inexplicable comfort near Feng Xue'er that he only felt with Luna or after a while with Jasmine.
His blood boiled and he threw up blood again, he looked at the red sand that stuck out like a sore thumb against the white sand surrounding it and sighed. He was married, he shouldn't be feeling like this. What would Luna think?
Cross was jolted out of his thoughts by a voice "Do you want to know what I think?" he turned around to see Luna with red, watery eyes, holding her fingers in a circle over one of them and looking at him.
Cross felt like his heart was stabbed with a knife and he said "Luna, I-" Luna pressed on his lips and sat next to him. She hugged her knees and rested her head on his shoulder, looking out to the sea and watching the sun set, staring at the rippling reflection on the ocean's surface.
Cross hesitated to touch her hand, feeling like she was upset at him. Luna grabbed his hand and rubbed it with her own as she said softly "I've been watching you, honey. I'm the only one who can see out of the inner world. I saw everything."
Cross explained "Luna, I didn't do anything. I just want to stop feeling like this, I have you. I can't handle seeing you sad, it breaks my heart. It truly does." Luna held his hand to her cheek and kissed it as she said "Baby... Do you remember what you told me after you came out of the Heaven Basin Secret Realm?"
Cross looked out to the sea and nodded, Luna giggled as she said "You were so proud you came up with that saying. I even saw your book of sayings." Cross froze, Luna squeezed his hand and said "Sometimes you can be a really big hypocrite. You told Qingyue that she can't go through her life without feelings, but isn't crushing feelings the same?"
She looked at Cross' face and he shed tears as he whispered "I.. I can't lose you... Even if I have to crush all my emotions to make you happy I will do it..." Luna trembled and cried as her words got stuck in her throat, she swallowed and said with a shaky voice "Cross... Seeing you in pain like this doesn't make me happy. I.. I..."
Cross stopped her and said with a smiled "I'm not in pain, I have you. All I need i-" Luna cut him off and shook her head with tears as she said "I've been keeping something from you, but I have to say it, seeing you like this I just.. I just can't take it."
Cross was stunned and said "What is it, love." Luna cried and said with emotion "I'm sorry!" Cross was confused and Luna continued through sobs "I'm sorry I'm so selfish! I'm sorry I ask so much from you but don't give anything! I'm sorry I can't help you! I'm sorry I drag you down!" by the end of it Luna broke down in tears and cried loudly.
Cross was stunned and her tearful words rang in his head like bells... She's... Sorry? He was unable to respond, he didn't know how to feel. Luna cried and left, going back to the inner world by herself. Cross was once again left alone.
He looked out to the sea and silently dove down. He, as usual, had no problems seeing in the dark. He sank down to the bottom and walked on the bottom of the sea, alone with only his thoughts. What was he supposed to think? He didn't feel the need for Luna to apologize at all. He was the one at fault wasn't he?
His head felt muddled, he didn't know what to do. He felt alone.
He came up on a trench in the sea with a glow at the bottom. He sank down into the trench and touched the bottom, he walked towards the glow and the terrain started getting rocky as he continued.
He came into a little clearing to find a brown egg with a little brown marble next to it. There was a cave behind it as well. Cross walked to the egg and touched the marble, if he wasn't mistaken this was the Earth seed.
As soon as he picked up the Earth seed the egg started shaking before cracking open. Crooks looked at the little creature that came out of the egg. It looked like a blue shark except it had a shell with spikes on it's back, four webbed arms and legs that looked more like flippers, large manta ray like wings, and a long serpent like body.
Cross reach out his hand and the little creature gave a tender cry before rubbing it's head against Cross' hand. Cross smiled and said "Are you a Leviathan?" The little creature cried tenderly in confirmation and Cross smiled as he said "How about I call you Levi. Are you willing to come with me?"
Levi swam around Cross happily and Cross bit his finger before tapping Levi's head and establishing a contract. Levi cried happily and drilled into Cross' flowing hair. Cross smiled and sent the Earth Seed into his inner world before saying "Levi, go inside the lake inside. It's much better than the sea."
Levi peeked out of Cross' hair before swimming through the crack and diving into the Lake, that was more like a sea, in the inner world. Cross smiled and looked at the cave before walking into it.
Cross entered a black space, he looked up and saw 2 pairs of eyes looking at him. One pair looked to be from a snake and the other seemed to be a turtle's. Apparently they were one being and an aged voice spoke "Young challenger, you are the first person to ever walk into my trial since I was placed here."
Cross replied "Thanks." The voice spoke again "I am the Divine Era Tortoise God. Do you wish to participate in my trial?" Cross nodded and the Turtle spirit said "Very well. The trial is very simple, there is only one task." before it stopped.
Cross was confused and said "What is it?" The turtle replied "That is for you to come to understand, young challenger..."
Cross' surroundings changed and he was sitting in a field. He looked around and saw Luna playing with the kids, he smiled then he saw something else. He saw Feng Xue'er and Jasmine playing wither their own pointy eared children, they seemed to have felt his gaze and smiled gently towards him.
Cross trembled and looked away only to be forced to look at all the women and children. Cross watched them with a heavy heart full of pain, he felt guilty. He looked at Luna, she was his true love, there was no doubt but she was sad because he never asked anything of her, which led her to believe that she takes but never gives.
Then there was Jasmine, who kissed him but he pushed away and left to cry because of his guilt towards Luna. He lied to his own feelings because he felt guilty. He left her heartbroken in the Sky Poison Pearl and ran away from the problem.
Which led him to Feng Xue'er, he crushed his own feelings and went against his own beliefs because he couldn't bring himself to be true to himself in fear he would lose the love of his life. He lied to her face and said they would meet again, when he clearly wasn't coming back.
Cross cried and held his head, tucking it in his knees as he said "It's my fault! It's my fault!" he was shaking, his confident facade cracked and crumbled leaving him with how he truly felt. He heard his own voice "It is your fault. Look at what you did."
Cross looked up to see himself with slitted snake eyes and he saw Luna, Feng Xue'er, and Jasmine crying, shouting for him not to leave. Slowly, Feng Xue'er's cries died out and she slumped to the ground with tears flowing from her eyes and her heart gouged out, being held out to him in her own hand.
Jasmine was next but her lips were sewn shut and her eyes were cut to shreds, blood tears flowed as she laid on the ground on her side, dead.
Cross looked at Luna and cried as he whispered "Please don't leave me too.. I forgive you, just don't leave!" Luna coughed out blood and she stuck her hand into her head, pulling out her soul and kneeling on the ground, offering her soul to him with both hands.
Cross watched with blood tears and bloodshot eyes as her soul slowly dissipated saying softly "I'm sorry..." That was the last straw, he crawled over as his other self stabbed him in the legs with spikes, while a bloodthirsty grin was on his face.
But Cross was beyond crazy at the moment, he dug his hands into the ground and pulled, forcefully ripping his own legs off as he crawled towards Luna, Feng Xue'er, Jasmine, leaving a blood trail behind him.
The other Cross' expression flashed surprise, before he stabbed a spike into Cross' left hand.
Not even a wince, Cross snarled and bit his left wrist right off using his left elbow and right hand to continue, as if he felt no pain.
The other him stabbed into his left arm, Cross pulled forward with his right arm and roared as he tore his left arm right off, continuing even if he died it seemed.
The other him didn't play around anymore and stabbed right into Cross' right arm. Cross grinded his teeth and looked ahead of him, he was so close! He stretched out his neck and dug his chin into the dirt, pulling extremely hard and somehow tearing his right arm off as well.
He continued moving forward with only his chin, a spike came out of nowhere and tore his lower jaw right off. Cross continued with his teeth, they would have to kill him to stop him.
The other him stopped his stab as Cross touched the blanket with his teeth.
Cross continued moving forward and grunted, bringing Luna, Feng Xue'er, and Jasmine in front of him he managed to smile even without a lower jaw as he somehow said "I was such a fool before... At least we can die together..."
Cross fell to the ground and closed his eyes with a smile on his face.
Suddenly he blinked and was in the dark space again, the Turtle spirit sounded a lot more kind this time around and said "Elven Prince, congratulations. You have passed the trial!" Cross asked "What was that?" The Turtle Spirit replied patiently "That was the Heart-Demon trial. How do you feel now?"
Cross smiled and said "A lot better." The Turtle spirit nodded and said "That was the strangest way someone has ever defeated a heart demon. I have never seen someone kill their heart demon by dying along with it." Cross smiled and said "I guess I'm special."
The Turtle spirit responded mysteriously "More than you know, Elven Prince." Cross looked thoughtful at the reply but didn't ask, he knew this turtle would say something like 'You will find out in the future' or something.
Turtles always act mysterious!
The Turtle seemed to feel Cross' thoughts and coughed before saying "As a reward for passing the trial, I will reward you with 6 Drops of Xuanwu blood and a Snake scale. It will make your skin as hard as diamond!"
A black drop of blood shot into Cross along with a scale. The Turtle's eyes flashed a a ball of black shining blood appeared along with several long black spikes and a miniature Tortoise shell.
The tortoise shell sank into Cross and his skin got stronger at a crazy pace! The snake scale and the mini Tortoise shell were feeding off each other.
On Cross' back, at the top of the black circle a Black tortoise with a snake coiled around it appeared. It was just as life-like as the rest of his tattoos!
Cross opened his eyes, so far his blood was red with gold, azure, and black sparkles in it. It was very strange.
He looked in front of him and saw the blood along with the spikes, he was confused and the Turtle Spirit said "Well, the rest gave you extra. Why wouldn't I?" Cross chuckled and took the blood and the spikes, not knowing what use he would have for these in the future.
The Turtle spirit nodded and said "You have been here for three months, Prince. It's time for you to go." Cross shouted "WHAT?!" The Turtle spirit chuckled and sent him out saying "Good luck, prince..."
Cross rushed out of the water, catching a bunch of fish on the way, he killed the strong ones and threw them all in the lake to feed Levi.
He rushed out and landed on the beach, he was wearing his black hoodie, with a white shirt, black shorts and his pink fluffy bunny slippers. He was currently pacing back and forth mumbling to himself with a hesitating look in his eyes.
A crack opened in front of him and a haggard and skinny Luna walked out. Cross felt his entire being in pain as he looked at her, he blinked to her and hugged her tightly as he said "I'm sorry, Luna. It's my fault you felt that way. I accept your apology, but you have to know that I love you more than anything in the world."
He pulled his head back and kissed her lips deeply as he said "You're my true love. My baby, loony, honey, wife, psycho, partner, teammate, and lover." Luna was overwhelmed, she thought he was mad. She couldn't leave the inner world and she panicked, she couldn't sleep or eat for 3 months! But it seems that wasn't the case, she felt Cross had changed, if he was a moon before, now he was the sun, shining warmly and brightly.
Luna looked at Cross in a daze as he looked into her eyes with so much love and affection it should be illegal, Luna noticed there was no more fear, only love. Cross smiled lovingly as he said "Luna, my wife, I can't live without you. Will you promise to be with me till our souls expire?"
Luna trembled and stuttered "You mean?!" Cross nodded and said "Maybe, I will love others. Maybe, you will have to share me. Maybe, I'm being selfish. BUT, you! You mean so much more to me. You've been with me since I was the little elf from the streets, hiding my identity with layers of masks. My true personality hidden beneath them all..."
Cross held her hands and said "Luna Lovegood, will you bind your soul to mine for eternity? Only to love me in the next life, and every one after that, until our souls return to the earth and dissipate?" Luna burst into tears as she nodded "Forever." as she kissed him.
Cross hugged her tightly and their bodies flashed. Luna's soul had an elf imprint on it, where her heart should be and Cross had a 'LL' where his heart should be, but if you looked to the middle of his 'chest' there was a monkey imprint. Very Strange.
Cross jumped for joy and spun Luna around as he giggled like a little boy. Cross put her down and said seriously "I want another child." Luna slapped her forehead and said "You... Really... Right now?" Cross nodded and Luna said "How about we wait for a few years, until you're strong even in Jasmine's Realm, okay?"
Cross grunt and said "That's acc-" his eyes widened as he shouted "Jasmine!" he looked at Luna and kissed her lips as he said quickly "Baby, got back inside and eat, you look like a stick! Where are those cute love handles that I love to grab?!" Luna smacked him and shouted "WHAT LOVEHANDLES!? THOSE ARE MY HIPS!"
Cross chuckled and squeezed her ass and tits as he said "It's been a long time, I might just ravage you, when you're better~" Luna said quickly "En! Wow! I'm starving!" as she went into a crack, Cross shouted "Make sure, little Yueyue and little Jie are working hard!"
Luna's voice traveled over "I got this, babe!" Cross smiled and the crack disappeared. He jumped into the air and closed his eyes feeling where Cang Yue was, he took a step and executed 'Void Step' over and over again, he had to get to Jasmine as soon as possible, she was probably suffering alone in the Pearl.