Past and Present

Chapter 30- Home

   "A-Yue," Xue Yang whispered, shaking the boy gently, "a-Yue wake up."
   "What is it?" Yue grumbled, hugging Changming tighter.
   Xue Yang chuckled, "We have to leave. Song Lan just sent us a very important letter that something happened back at Lunar Mansion."
   Yue sat up slowly and looked around, "Where am I?"
  "You're in your friend's room," Xue Yang said, "now go to the entrance and I'll meet you there. I need to wake up your brother."
  "Okay," Yue stood up and picked up his sword before walking slowly out of the door.
   Xue Yang smiled and went to Chenxing who was sleeping at the table. He shook him gently and almost immediately, the man's eyes shot open.
   "Baba, what is it?" Chenxing sat up and looked around, memories returning, "Baba, I'm sorry for drinking. I know you told me not to but I did it anyways."
    "It's fine, I'm sure your brother made you do it," Xue Yang chuckled, "but something happened back at home."
   "Good or bad?" Chenxing asked, standing up.
   "I don't know, Song Lan just said something big happened," Xue Yang said. The two walked out and rushed to the entrance where the disciples were. "Let's go."
   They all mounted their horses and began riding them away back to their home.

  They arrived around a week later and Xue Yang was the first to run inside the mansion. "Song Lan, what happened?" He froze and turned around, his mind filled with thoughts.
   "What is it a-Yang? Can't even greet me?" It was Xingchen.
    Xue Yang turned back around with teary eyes and ran over to the man, jumping on him. He wrapped his legs around the man's waist and hugged him close, "YueHua..."
   "Yes, a-Yang," Xingchen chuckled, he no longer had a white cloth covering his face, "YueHua is here."
   "How?" Xue Yang whispered.
   "Who are yo-Mama?!" Yue yelled. Xingchen held Xue Yang up with one hand and put another out to carry his son, who was running towards him.
    "A-Yue, you've grown up so much," Xingchen said sweetly, holding his lover and son close to him.
  Chenxing walked over with a smile on his face and bowed, "Mama, it's nice to finally see you in person."
   "Please don't bow angel," Xingchen said, "I'm your mother, not your teacher."
   "Alright," Chenxing watched the scene with fond eyes and walled up to his mother. Xingchen kneeled down and hugged them all, with a wide smile and pulled back.
   He turned to his lover and kissed him deeply, tasting the salty tears. Xue Yang smiled into the kiss and cupped Xingchen's face.
The two pulled back after a while, panting, "I missed you," Xingchen whispered.
"I missed you too YueHua," Xue Yang whispered back. Yue got in between the two and hugged his mother tightly, he was scared that he would leave any minute.
"Mama, how did you come back?" Chenxing asked.
"I don't know, I just woke up in a room," Xingchen said.
Chenxing nodded, "Maybe it was the Yin Iron, Baba used it a while ago."
Xingchen turned to Xue Yang with a glare, "You used the Yin Iron? I thought you said you wouldn't use it anymore!"
"I had to help the other clans," Xue Yang said, "I helped them."
Xingchen sighed, "Good, I'm proud of you a-Yang. And of you, my little angels," he touched the boys's heads gently, looking more at Yue.
Yue smiled widely, he knew that he would be his mother's favorite.
They all stood up and Xingchen smiled softly, "You look so tall."
"Chenxing's taller!" Yue said, "he's also really good at fighting."
"You both are," Xue Yang said, "you learned from the best."
"Who said you were the best?" A voice asked, it was Qingzhao. She was walking up to them with a wide smile, "I say Xingchen is better than you."
"Didn't I learn from him?" Xue Yang challenged.
"You did, but he's still better," the woman said, head high.
"Fine," Xue Yang chuckled, "YueHua is better, but I'm still good."
"Of course," Qingzhao said.
"A-Qing," Xingchen said softly, "or should I say, Lady Xue."
"You can call me a-Qing," she said, "I have plenty of people calling me that."
"Alright," Xingchen said, "what will I be known as? Clan Leader Xue?" He looked at his lover teasingly, who blushed.
"Madam Xue?" Yue playfully said, causing his mother to turn an bright pink.
"I'll just go by Clan Leader Xue," Xingchen said shyly, "I don't know about Madam."
"Alright, we should introduce you to everyone else then," Xue Yang said excitedly. He took Xingchen's hand and ran outside, "Song Lan, gather everyone!"
A while later all the disciples were gathered in front of the mansion.
"Everyone, I don't know how many of you know, but I used to have a lover," Xue Yang said, "I was happy with him for years, but he passed away. Now, he seems to have come back to life by the power of the Yin Iron, this is Xue Xingchen."
The disciples began murmuring between themselves. Xingchen stepped forward and bowed, "I hope you will accept me as your Clan Leader. I promise to do my best and help the clan in any way I can."
Chenxing stepped up, knowing that a lot of people respected him. "Mama's spirit has been with me and my family for years. You have been in his presence and he has accepted you all to be in our clan. Now it is your turn to accept him."
"Young Master Xue is right," a man called out, "maybe he told them to allow us to be in the clan."
Everyone agreed and Xingchen smiled, "Thank you, I promise to do my best."
"You will call him Clan Leader Xue as well, since he will be ruling next to me," Xue Yang said.
"Welcome Clan Leader Xue," the disciples said with a bow.
Xue Yang turned to his lover and smiled, "Welcome home YueHua."