Once upon a lifetime

Revelations - Part two

Revised 03/11/23

Here's a long chapter to compensate for the long wait, so sorry!

***

When Wei Wuxian awoke, it was to a sensation as though he had just experienced a very long dream. There was a soft tickle on his cheek, wet and cold as it manoeuvred its way down his face, and he opened his eyes to a small pink nose nuzzling against his face, wiping away old tears.

He was lying down on a colossal block of misty, hard ice, and was surrounded by a field of snow white rabbits. Just as he moved, however, they immediately jerked away, leaping off him and all scattering towards the same area, where Lan Yi was sitting, gently stroking the back of one as it leapt into her lap.

"Lan... Lan Yi?" said Wei Wuxian blearily, widely yawning. "You, what are you doing here?"

Lan Yi laughed, to which Wei Wuxian finally glanced around at the frigid cave. Moments later, the previous memories of the day thrusted back into the forefront of his mind, and he immediately jerked his head up.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, he—" he spoke, quickly looking left and right for the man. "Where is he? Is he okay?!"

Lan Wangji in question was still unconscious on the cold ice, a few of the same pale rabbits leaping over him and snuggling to his chest. Wei Wuxian suddenly felt as though he had just tasted bitter vinegar, and had the abrupt realisation that Lan Wangji must be very warm for them to gather on him so closely.

He violently shuddered and brought his arms close to his chest, suddenly cognisant of the frigid air.

"They're cleansing the resentful energy," said Lan Yi softly.

"I see," said Wei Wuxian automatically, before quickly back-tracking. "Sorry, what— Resentful what? You mean— Lan Zhan is—" he suddenly felt the beginnings of a headache. "Lan Zhan is being cleansed of what?!"

"I'm sure you're very familiar with it," she said calmly, and she looked Wei Wuxian dead in the eye as she continued, "Yiling Patriarch."

"Yes— er, sorry, I thought you were talking about Lan Zhan being involved with, er, Resentful energy," Wei Wuxian laughed loudly, and he quickly stopped when she didn't laugh with him. "I'm... er, I did hear you wrong, didn't I?"

Lan Yi gently picked up the rabbit on her lap and placed it to the side. "Ah, I'm sure it hasn't yet been noticed. Lan Wangji's — or should I say Hanguang-Jun's — sect specialises in recognising Resentful Energy, as you're aware. Now, I'm not sure who is running the sect these days, considering no one has even noticed it, but—" she added vehemently, when she saw Wei Wuxian open his mouth. "From the moment of your arrival, and even when I first saw you, you were both smothered in it. That's how I knew."

"Er," said Wei Wuxian eloquently, idly scratching the hair behind his ear. "I don't understand," he laughed. "Lan Zhan? You've got to be mistaken, I mean—" He looked at the unconscious Lan Wangji, and then down at himself, and made a curious hum. "That's strange. There's no resentful energy on me."

"That's because," said Lan Yi, looking at the unconscious Lan Wangji deeply. "When you jumped down that cliff, you condemned your soul to a terrible fate — a fate of wandering the abyss for years, perhaps decades — and that's if you're lucky enough to be summoned back to the world. Young Master Lan here, when he jumped with you, you see — his soul must have latched onto the only other 'pure' thing swimming in that sea of resentful energy — you."

"Wait, wait, wait," said Wei Wuxian, holding up his hands. "You've lost me. So... Lan Zhan's soul and mine are connected? What's that supposed to mean?"