Work Text:
Da-bao, Er-bao, San-bao, and Si-bao all laughed as they ran circles around their fathers. It had been almost seven years exactly since their human 'birth' and needless to say, the four of them were more than a little excited to finally regain their natural forms.
From where she stood next to Li Yu, Snow bao laughed at her brothers antics. Unlike them, she had never had a fish form, and was still a ways off from being able to earn one of her own, but the stories her brothers would tell of it, meant that she was also quietly eager for the chance to transform.
Li Yu laughed as San-bao tried his best to do a cartwheel in the sand and face planted directly into it instead.
The royal family had decided to take a trip to the seaside for the princes seventh birthday, though it had taken more than a little convincing from Li Yu to Mu Tianchi that nothing would happen.
After letting them run off most of the energy that they'd accumulated from the carriage ride, Li Yu gathered the boys around him, just at the edge of the water. There, he had them close their eyes and concentrate within themselves.
One by one the four boys slowly fell into a sleep-like meditation that was similar to when Li Yu would converse with the System.
Da-bao was the first to wake. When he did he smiled at his parents and little sister before running as fast as his little legs would carry him into the ocean. With a large splash he vanished from sight and it wasn't long until a set of robes was floating on the surface of the water.
Mu Tianchi and Snow bao made a game out of collecting them.
Er-bao and San-bao stirred at the same time and all but wrestled each other underwater. Their robes quickly joined their brothers.
Si-bao was the last to wake, with a small furrow on his little brow. Slowly he looked up at Li Yu and asked, "Baba, will you help me?"
Li Yu felt like his heart was being squeezed in a hundred different directions as he nodded and led his son into the water.
Once they were deep enough, Si-bao let go of his father's hand and let his feet leave the ocean floor as he tipped forwards to land face first in the water. There he saw three little fish bobbing, weaving, tumbling, and flipping, as if trying to entice him in further. Si-bao let out a laugh at his brothers antics and felt the water flood his mouth. On instinct he swallowed a mouthful, but before he had time to panic there was an odd popping feeling and suddenly there were four little fish swimming around.
From above, Li Yu watched his children with a fondness in his heart he had honestly never expected to feel before he'd transmigrated. He turned to Mu Tianchi, who had just finished helping Snow bao collect the last of the robes and felt his smile grow bigger, there was honestly nothing he would change.
"Tianchi!" Li Yu called. Mu Tianchi looked up immediately, and saw his husband stripping. With a laugh and a splash, Li Yu disappeared leaving only the emperor of the nation and his only daughter standing in the water.
Snow bao stared at where he father had vanished, "A-die. Will Snow bao really get to change too? Wasn't a fishy to start with."
Mu Tianchi hugged his daughter to his side as he thought about how to say it, "You are... tied to the water... like your brothers... and baba... when the time comes... you will change."