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Chapter Text

Jin Ling doesn't know what possessed him to do this, but he couldn't turn back now. As he stands in front of the doors, he takes a deep breath, before letting it out. He squares his shoulders, trying to look like he doesn't want to run, and knocks on the door.

This morning, Jin Ling had woken up feeling like something was missing, but he didn't know what it was. As he tried to figure out what it could be, a thought struck him. He brushed the thought off, not thinking it was important, and just something he'd only be curious about for a few moments.

But as the day had gone by, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Which is why he finds himself standing here, waiting for the doors to open. When the doors did, in fact, open, he mentally prepared himself for whatever would happen.

"Sect Leader Jin?" The Nie disciple said, confusion lacing her voice. Jin Ling took a deep breath again, and let it out. "I need to speak to Sect Leader Nie." He said. the Nie disciple was still confused, but nodded. "A moment, please. I will tell Sect Leader Nie of your visit." She said, then left. Jin Ling wouldn't blame Sect Leader Nie if he couldn't see him today.

He did come on such short notice, after all.

The Nie disciple came back, opening the door more. "Sect Leader Nie is available." She said, leading him to Sect Leader Nie. He followed her silently, still thinking about what he wanted to ask Sect Leader Nie. He knew what he wanted to ask would be a risky, possibly even touchy, subject. But his curiosity wouldn't let him think of anything else.

When they arrived in the garden where Sect Leader Nie tending to his birds, Jin Ling bowed respectfully, watching as Sect Leader Nie did the same. "Sect Leader Jin, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" Nie Huaisang asked, as he straightened back up. Jin Ling did the same, fists clenched and shoulders squared. "I apologize for my unexpected visit, but I have a request." He said.

Nie Huaisang tilted his head curiously, fan low enough so his whole face was seen. "What is it?" He asked, sounding just as curious as he looked. Jin Ling bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly. "I want to learn how to wield a saber, so please teach me, or have someone else teach me!" He said quickly. When he was met with silence, he opened his eyes and looked at Nie Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang was staring at him, eyes wide with shock. "You do realize how risky wielding one of our sabers is, don't you?" He asked. Jin Ling nodded. "I do, but...Is there any way I can wield one without risk?" He asked. Nie Huaisang moved his fan to cover the lower part of his face. He was thinking, Jin Ling could tell. "There is...one way. There is a saber, our ancestors found it, and we still have it." Nie Huaisang said.

The Nie disciple's eyes went wide. "Sect Leader Nie, surely you don't mean..." She said, and Nie Huaisang nodded. Jin Ling started to get anxious. "What? What's the big deal?" He asked.

Nie Huaisang gestured for him to follow, so he did. "This particular saber has no master, and is completely clean of resentful energy. It also won't allow anyone to wield it." He tells him. Jin Ling's jaw drops. "And you expect ME to be able to use it?!" He asked. Nie Huaisang shrugged. "We'll find out, won't we?" He said.

As they stepped into a new room, Jin Ling saw the saber that was displayed. The saber had a long blade that was slightly curved, and a handle for both hands. Jin Ling felt as if he's seen this weapon before. "The saber hasn't allowed anyone to touch it, so we should be prepared if-" Nie Huaisang says, but his words die in his throat when he sees Jin Ling standing right in front of the saber. "Ah, wait, don't touch it yet!" He said.

But it was too late. Before Jin Ling could think twice, he picked the saber up. It should've felt too heavy in his hands, but he felt as if it weighed nothing at all. He stared at the blade, stared at his reflection in the blade. The weight of the saber felt familiar in his hands, and he felt the strange sense of déjà vu.

His reflection changed from his own, to a man with long black hair, pale skin, and obsidian black eyes. Jin Ling gasped, but he didn't let go of the saber. He shook his head and looked at his reflection once more, seeing it back to normal. "I don't believe it..." He heard Nie Huaisang say behind him. He turned around and looked at Sect Leader Nie.

Nie Huaisang looked stunned, his fan lowered enough so his expression was on full display. "It's letting you hold it..." He said. Jin Ling looked at the saber once more. "It almost feels...familiar to wield." He admitted.

The rest of his day was spent training with the saber. Jin Ling didn't expect to learn so much so fast, but as he pins the Nie disciple he was training with, he finds himself thinking wielding a saber is easy. "I'm surprised you learned so quick." The Nie who was teaching him said. Jin Ling looked at him, frowning. "What do you mean?" He asked.

The Nie teacher held his hands up defensively. "It is not easy to learn the way of the saber, yet you wield it as if you've known how for years." He said. Jin Ling rolled his eyes. "Of course I have." He said, but froze at his words as the Nie teacher raised his eyebrow.

It was a well known fact that Jin Ling never once wielded a saber until now. So this statement should've been a complete lie. But he said it with honesty that not even the Nie teacher could deny, despite knowing Jin Ling, until today, never wielded a saber before in his life. Jin Ling has no idea why he said that, and he has a feeling that something is going to happen. Something bad.

He sheathed the saber and ran off without another word, unable to fight this sudden urge he was feeling. He had taken the saber with him, ignoring the shouts he heard behind him. He had to leave. He had to see them, and he had to see them NOW!

He had to see his friends.

Chapter Text

Many years ago, when he was a child, Lan Jingyi had once watched the older disciples practicing archery. He had watched with wonder and amazement in his eyes, and he had always wanted to learn archery. But as time passed, he got older, and completely forgot about his fascination with archery.

Until today, that is.

Jingyi still doesn't know how it got there, but when he woke up this morning, there was a bow sitting on the ground outside his dorm room. The bow was long and black, and had a silver bowstring. He found it odd that there were no arrows, but he knew where to get some. He debated going to Jin Ling to ask him to teach archery, but he quickly shut that down.

Jin Ling is a sect leader, and he knew he had to have been busy. Going to Sect Leader Jiang would be out of the question too. So, that left Wei Wuxian. Jingyi stroked the long bow for a moment, deciding stare at it before going to Wei Wuxian. The bow's weight felt familiar in his hands, and he didn't know why.

Eventually, he left his room to find Wei Wuxian. When he did, Wei Wuxian greeted him with a smile. "Jingyi, good morning! Oh, is that a new bow?" He asked. Jingyi nodded, letting Wei Wuxian look at the bow. "I found it outside my dorm room." He said. Wei Wuxian looked at Jingyi. "Really? Maybe a secret admirer left it for you?~" He teased.

Jingyi rolled his eyes. "Not likely." He said. He looked at Wei Wuxian, holding onto the bow tightly. "I have a favor to ask..." He said. When Wei Wuxian gave him silent permission to continue, Jingyi bit his lip. "Will you please teach me how to use a bow and arrow?" He asked. It was almost funny seeing Wei Wuxian's shocked expression.

"You're not going to ask A-Ling?" Wei Wuxian asked. Jingyi shook his head. "No. I wanna learn from you. Besides, it'll be funny seeing his face when I win if we have an archery contest." He said, grinning.

That really wasn't the biggest reason why he wanted to learn, but it would be a nice bonus. "Well, alright! I'll teach you!" Wei Wuxian said, making Jingyi grin widely. He couldn't wait to learn archery!

Lan Wangji had tagged along (Wei Wuxian insisted) to watch them, and Jingyi was surprised he wasn't nervous. He listened carefully to what his Senior Wei said, making mental note of every important word. When Wei Wuxian demonstrated how to use a bow and arrow, Jingyi's jaw dropped when Senior Wei hit a bullseye.

"Alright Jingyi, it's your turn! Lets see what you got!" Wei Wuxian said, grinning.

Jingyi took a deep breath, before walking over and turning towards the target. He held up his bow, just like Wei Wuxian taught him. He went to grab an arrow from the quiver behind his back, but he froze. For some reason, he felt like he didn't need to grab one. It was stupid, of course he needed to. How was he going to shoot an arrow with no arrow? "Jingyi?" Wei Wuxian said, sounding curious and concerned.

Before Jingyi could think better of it, he drew the bowstring back, without grabbing an arrow. When he pulled it as far as he could, an arrow materialized out of thin air. He heard Wei Wuxian gasp, but his focus was on the target. He shot the arrow, and it landed dead center. He made the shot! Jingyi grinned. "I DID IT! DID YOU SEE THAT SENIOR WEI?!" He asked, turning to Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian was stunned. "How did you do that?" He asked. Jingyi blinked, confused. "Do what? I did what you taught me." He said. Wei Wuxian shook his head. "Yes, but you didn't grab an arrow. An arrow materialized out of nowhere. How did you do that?" He asked. Jingyi looked at the bow, trying to think of an answer.

The truth was, he didn't know how he did it. Well, he did, but he didn't know why he did it. He just felt like it was the right way to use this bow. "I don't know..." Jingyi answered honestly, and noticed how Hanguang-Jun looked as if he had something to say, but decided against it.

Jingyi had made an arrow appear using his spiritual energy, but how could he explain that? Sure there were things that could be done using spiritual energy, but making arrows like that appear? Wouldn't that take a LOT of spiritual energy? He should feel drained right now, yet he felt perfectly fine.

Jingyi suddenly felt the need to find his friends. "Do you know where Sizhui is?" He asked. Wei Wuxian blinked, but nodded. "He's with the bunnies. Why? Is something wrong?" He asked, but Jingyi didn't wait for him to finish talking. He took off running right then and there.

Suddenly, nothing mattered. He needed to grab Sizhui so they could go find Jin Ling and Zizhen. He had to see them all, together, in one place. He HAD to! Yet he didn't know why. He ran all the way to the field where the bunnies were. He stopped as soon as he saw Sizhui, but he wasn't alone.

Zizhen was there as well. He was on his knees in front of Sizhui, tears falling from his eyes, and Sizhui was there. Wiping away Zizhen's tears, or kissing them away. He couldn't hear them, but he saw how Sizhui was whispering to Zizhen. He also saw the way Zizhen burst into tears and clung onto Sizhui.

Jingyi swallowed, as he slowly began to walk towards them. All that was missing was Jin Ling. "Sizhui...? Zizhen...?" He called out quietly. The two looked at Jingyi, and he could now see the tears in Sizhui's eyes as well. Zizhen's eyes held a mix of emotions, ones he couldn't name. He only had two questions in mind.

Where is Jin Ling, and what in the world happened to leave his two friends in such a state?

Chapter Text

Three weeks.

Three weeks now, Sizhui has been having the same, strange dreams. Three weeks now, he hasn't been able to get them out of his head. Three weeks now, he feels like something is missing. Something so dear to him. Something he longs to have again. He thinks about those dreams, every waking hour.

In one dream, he sees a beautiful, silver butterfly, and follows it to find many, many lanterns lighting the night sky. In another dream, there are people lining up to stab him, the pain so great he faintly felt it even as he woke up in cold sweat. In another dream, a boy with a smiling mask is overtaken with resentful energy, which ends with him waking up screaming for someone named Wu Ming.

And in one dream, one that is more insistent than most, is seeing many of those silver butterflies dispersing and flying away. That dream is the worse, and always ends with him waking up with tears in his eyes, and his heart feeling as if it is grieving for someone he loves.

Sizhui doesn't know what to do to stop these dreams from happening. He knows his fathers are concerned for him, and he's seen how his friends noticed his lack of sleep (especially Zizhen but Sizhui doesn't have time to unpack those feelings yet). He spends a lot of time reading books about dreams, hoping to find if there is a reason for them.

He doesn't find anything useful, which frustrates him, but he has to move on. He can't let himself get hung up on this. When he finally becomes less hung up on his dreams, he notices something about his friends.

Jin Ling seemed to take an interest in sabers, if how he watches some of the Nie disciples train with their sabers says anything. Lan Jingyi often seems to try and reach for something that's not there rather than his own sword. And Zizhen? Well...

He has seen Zizhen staring at himself on any reflective surface. By an outsider's view, one would think he's admiring himself in his reflection. But Sizhui sees that Zizhen doesn't look too happy. He looks more confused, and Sizhui really wishes he knew what Zizhen was thinking. Unfortunately, he couldn't ask.

Today, he didn't have his friends with him. Jin Ling had said he had to go somewhere (he suspected Qinghe), and Jingyi had told him earlier he was going to do some training (not surprising, but he he had a bow instead of his sword), and Zizhen was still in Baling.

Sizhui, not really having anything to do, and already feeling pretty awful due to a headache, decided to take a small nap. One little nap wouldn't be so bad, right? He laid down in bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

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Sizhui had been riding in the back of a wagon with a boy in red robes. The boy smiled, and turned towards him. "What is it you'd like to know?" He asked him. Sizhui truely didn't know what was happening, or what to say, but he automatically said. "The by name Crimson Rain Sought Flower is unique, what's it's origin?" He asked.

Sizhui noticed his voice sounded different, and he noticed he said this as if this was a past conversation. "A silly story." The boy in red said. "After destroying an entire ghost's dwelling, he took notice of a flower getting drenched in the bloody rainfall. Showing sympathy for the delicate flora, he took his umbrella, and spared it from the gruesome aftermath." He said.

Sizhui grew curious. "Does that mean he gets into fights a lot?" He asked. The boy tilted his head. "Depends on his mood for the day." He answered. "What was he like as a human?" Sizhui asked. "Not pleasant, that's for sure." The boy said. "What does he look like?" Sizhui asked.

The boy smiled, and moved closer to Sizhui, and Sizhui instinctively moved back, but not much. "What would be ideal?" The boy asked, staring at Sizhui, all with a smile on his face. Sizhui felt slight butterflies in his stomach. "Considering he's a ghost king, he may have many forms. So i'm unsure." He admitted.

The boy sat back, arms behind his head. "He'd still want to show his true form sometimes." He said. Sizhui faintly thought this to be true. "In that case I get the impression he must be a young man, much like yourself." He said. The boy moved to a different position, one arm on one leg. "Why is that?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Sizhui found himself smiling. "It was just a hunch, I suppose." He said. The boy laughed, and Sizhui couldn't help thinking it was cute. "You think so? Oh yeah, one of his eyes? Blind." He said, pointing to his right eye. Sizhui couldn't help the sadness and concern in his heart, and it must have shown on his face, he's sure. "What happened to him?" He asked.

"A fine question, one that few know the answer to it would seem. If rumors can be believed, he had a bout of insanity, and gouged it out himself." The boy said. Sizhui gasped quietly. "Does he have any known weaknesses?" He asked.

The boy's reply was quick. "His ashes." He said. "Destroy the remains, you slay the ghost. It's that simple. Perhaps he left them with a loved one." He said. Sizhui grew thoughtful. "I couldn't imagine who..." He said. "A puzzle. But who knows? Maybe he hasn't met the right person." The boy said. The dream faded into black.

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Sizhui woke up, gasping and sitting up. "San Lang?" He called out on instinct. It took a few minutes for him to realize what he said, and he blinked. "Wait...Who's...?" He mumbled, when a knock at his door made him jump.

He went and answered the door, and when he did, he saw Grandmaster Lan. "Your Ouyang friend is here to see you." He informed Sizhui. Sizhui already knew where he could find Zizhen. The bunny field. He quickly made his way there, happy to see his friend. But when he gets there, he sees Zizhen looking at him and clearly holding back tears. He knew that look, and he didn't like it. It meant only one thing.

Zizhen was trying to be strong, when he wanted so bad to cry out.

Chapter Text

Something feels...wrong.

As Ouyang Zizhen stares at his reflection in the mirror in his room, he thinks that something is wrong. He hasn't felt this way until a few weeks ago, when he met a man he didn't recognize. The man had been wearing black robes, looking particularly bored as he was dragged around by another man, who was more cheery. He thinks back on that day.

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Zizhen had been visiting the market in Caiyi Town. He was looking for a few snacks to bring for the upcoming night hunt with his friends, when he bumped into the someone. "I-I'm so sorry!" He stuttered.

The man just stared at him for a few moments, before his eyes widened a fraction. "It's you..." He said, so quiet Zizhen thinks he wasn't supposed to hear. He couldn't help but notice how the man would sometimes glance at his right eye.

"He-Xiong, there you are! I've been looking all over for-" Another man, dressed in white and green robes, shouted as he bounded over to the man in black. As soon as he saw Zizhen though, he stopped, and blinked. Zizhen didn't like being stared at so much. The cheery man gasped. "Oh my-" He said in surprised, but was cut off by the man in black covering his mouth.

"We must get going." The man in black said, as he dragged away his companion . Zizhen stood there, blinking in confusion. He couldn't stop thinking about how the man in black kept looking at his right eye, like he was expecting it to change. Zizhen put his hand on his face, near his right eye, as his friends caught up to him. "There you are Zizhen!" Jin Ling said, crossing his arms.

Zizhen didn't say a word, but his view was soon filled with the beautiful boy that was Lan Sizhui. He had a soft smile on his face, but he could see the concern in his eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. Zizhen instantly relaxed, and slowly let his hand fall to his side. "Yeah, i'm okay." He said, smiling at Sizhui. He felt giddy seeing the faint blush on Sizhui's cheeks.

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Ever since that day, Zizhen feels like something is wrong with his appearance. He stares at his reflection a lot nowadays, but can't figure out what's wrong. Today, he glares at himself in the mirror. "Why did he keep staring at my eye...?" He mumbled. Suddenly, he had a thought, and slowly covered his right eye with his hand.

He thought it would be a weird feeling, seeing through one eye. But it almost felt...natural. Like he had seen through one eye for years. His thoughts suddenly turned...dark. 'What if I just-' He thought, but immediately stopped that train of thought when he realized where that train of thought was heading. He shook his head. "Stop it! That's crazy! Why would I even THINK about it?!" He asked himself.

Suddenly, a silver butterfly landed on his desk, which he saw because his desk was in the mirror's reflection. "Hm?" He hummed, turning to look at the butterfly. He carefully walked over, not wanting to scare the butterfly away. "You're beautiful...Yet so familiar..." He said. He gasped when the butterfly began to show him something.

It showed him Sizhui, laying in bed, probably taking a nap. "Wha- Wait- How?! Sizhui?" He said. Sizhui didn't seem to hear him, so he guesses that he can only see Sizhui, not talk to him. "How is this happening...?" He asked. He saw that Sizhui had a content smile in his sleep, and blushed lightly.

He always looked so beautiful.

Suddenly, Sizhui was talking in his sleep. "The by name Crimson Rain Sought Flower is unique, what's it's origin...?" He said in his sleep. Zizhen blinked. "Crimson Rain Sought Flower...?" He asked. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head, and grunted in pain, holding his head tightly. For reasons he didn't understand, tears fell from his eyes, and he suddenly HAD to see Sizhui.

One silver butterfly turned into what seemed like hundreds, and all of the sudden, he found himself in Cloud Recesses. When he saw Grandmaster Lan, he quickly wiped his tears and asked him to please tell Sizhui that he needed to speak to him.

When Grandmaster Lan left to do as Zizhen asked (probably because he was shocked to see him), Zizhen waited for Sizhui in the bunny field. His head was still throbbing with pain, and his tears returned full force. As soon as he heard footsteps though, he quickly wiped them away and turned to face Sizhui. He saw how Sizhui's eyes instantly became concerned.

"Zizhen? What's wrong? Are you alright? What happened?" Sizhui asked, immediately standing in front of him. Just like that, the pain in his head soon became unbearable. He started swaying on his feet. "Ge...ge..." He called out weakly, as he began to fall towards the ground.

The last thing he saw, was Sizhui's panicked face, and he heard the faint call of 'San Lang!' before he passed out.

Chapter Text

Sizhui is holding Zizhen in his arms, tears in his eyes as he tries desperately to wake him up. He ignores the pain in his head, ignores the question of why he called him San Lang, or why Zizhen called him Gege. All that mattered was making sure Zizhen was okay. "San- Zizhen, wake up, please!" He begged, holding him close. All he could do was wait.

Meanwhile, the memories flooded into Zizhen's mind as he slept. He remembered who he was in his past life. A ghost king, a calamity. He remembered his old name, his old title, the name he asked his beloved Xie Lian to call him. He remembered it all. He also remembered the last thing that happened to him, before he woke up in a new life, with no memories of his previous one.

Slowly, Zizhen groaned and opened his eyes. When he did, he met Sizhui's teary, worried eyes. Sizhui laughed breathlessly, relieved, and held him close while hiding his face. "T-thank goodness you're awake..." He stuttered. Zizhen looked at Sizhui, and knew exactly who he was. Or, who he used to be.

"Gege...I'm here..." Zizhen said, moving so he was sitting up, and held the now crying boy in his arms. Now that Zizhen knew his life before, he knew it was only a matter of time before Sizhui remembered his past.

Sure enough, Sizhui went limp in his hold, and Zizhen held him, stroking his hair gently. When he eventually felt tears dripping onto him, he held him closer. "I'm here, Gege. I'm here..." He whispered.

When Sizhui finally woke up, he moved to sit on his knees in front of Zizhen, looked at him, eyes full of tears and hope, with a hint of sadness. "S-San Lang...?" He asked. Zizhen smiled softly, the same soft smile that was reserved for his beloved, and Sizhui smiled that loving smile of his, kissing Zizhen's face repeatedly. "San Lang, my San Lang, you're here!" He said, as if he was so happy to be with him.

Zizhen couldn't help the sob that escaped past his lips. With all the memories he got back, he remembered just how good his lover was to him, despite everything flawed about him. Sizhui kissed his tears away, occasionally wiping his tears away with his thumb. A voice brought him out of his crying. "Sizhui...? Zizhen...?" He heard someone call out to them quietly.

Both Sizhui and Zizhen looked, and saw Jingyi, standing a few feet away from them. Zizhen had a mix of emotions running through him. Of course he knew who Jingyi was in his past life, just as he now know who Jin Ling was in his past life. On one hand, there were still remnants of, well, not quite hate anymore, but dislike.

But on the other hand, Jingyi and Jin Ling, or Feng Xin and Mu Qing, had become two of his closest friends in this new life. He was almost afraid to lose this new friendship with the two idiots he couldn't stand in his past life.

"What happened? Are you two okay? Why are you crying?!" Jingyi asked, rushing over to them. Sizhui laughed a little, and Zizhen huffed. "We're alright Jingyi, we just-" Sizhui started, but stopped mid sentence. Zizhen noticed that his beloved was staring at something, and he looked to see that his beloved was staring at Fengshen. Feng Xin's weapon.

Zizhen saw the recognition flash in Sizhui's eyes. "Where did you get that...?" Sizhui asked Jingyi. Jingyi blinked, then looked at Fengshen. "Oh, this? It was outside my room. I uh, actually asked Senior Wei to teach me archery, but, when I actually shot an arrow, which appeared out of nowhere by the way, I felt...like I'd done it before." He said. He continued speaking, but Sizhui wasn't listening.

Sizhui's eyes widened, and he moved closer to Jingyi, but held Zizhen's hand. "And then I suddenly felt like I had to find you guys, and Jin Ling. But, then I saw you two crying and-" Jingyi rambled, but stopped when Sizhui spoke. "Feng Xin...?" He asked, hope in his eyes. Jingyi tilted his head in confusion, but the look in his eyes told Sizhui that he thought the name was familiar. "Who's-" Jingyi said, but was interrupted.

"Jingyi, Sizhui, Zizhen!" Jin Ling shouted, running towards them and dropping to his knees next to them, panting and out of breath. "Finally, I found you!" He said. Jingyi looked at Jin Ling, and frowned slightly. "Did you run all the way here?" He asked. Jin Ling rolled his eyes and glared at him, and Jingyi felt a sense of déjà vu. "I only ran when I got to Cloud Recesses. I was looking all over for you three!" He said.

Sizhui looked at Zizhen. "San Lang, we know what happened to Feng Xin, but...what about Mu Qing...?" He asked through the communication array, completely blocking out Jingyi and Jin Ling's bickering. Zizhen looked at Jin Ling, and saw the saber he had with him. "Gege, look at Jin Ling's weapon." Zizhen said through the communication array.

Sizhui looked, and couldn't help but gasp when he saw the saber, which gained both of his friends attention. "What is it? What's wrong?" Jin Ling asked. Sizhui reached out, but stopped himself from touching the saber. There was no denying it. That was Zhanmadao. Jin Ling and Jingyi followed his gaze. "A saber? Why do you have a saber?" Jingyi asked, though he couldn't help but think it looked familiar.

Jin Ling took out the saber and held it, showing it to his friends. "Sect Leader Nie had it. I went to him and asked if he could have someone teach me how to wield a saber...Apparently this saber has no resentful energy at all." He said. "It looks kinda heavy." Jingyi said. Jin Ling shrugged, holding it higher like it weighed nothing. "Not really." He said.

Sizhui's laughter brought their attention back to their friend. Sizhui was laughing, tears of relief falling down his face, as Zizhen held him in his arms. "Sizhui?!" Jingyi and Jin Ling shouted in alarm, moving closer to their friend. "What's wrong?" Jin Ling asked. "Why are you crying?" Jingyi asked. Before they could ask more questions, Sizhui tackled them both in a hug.

"Feng Xin, Mu Qing, you're here!" Sizhui shouted with joy, still crying tears of relief, but he was smiling, so happy. Jingyi and Jin Ling looked confused, and a sharp pain began to make itself known in their head.  Noticing this, Sizhui moved them to a more comfortable position just as they passed out. "I'm so glad we're all together again..." Sizhui said.

Zizhen moved closer and kissed his cheek. "I missed you, Gege..." He said. Sizhui blushed, but smiled lovingly at him. "I missed you too, San Lang." Sizhui said, and kissed him, Zizhen quickly kissing him back.

All that was left to do was wait for Jingyi and Jin Ling to wake up.

Chapter Text

It was Jingyi who woke up first. When he did, he looked at Sizhui and Zizhen with wide eyes. "Your highness...?" He whispered. Sizhui smiled softly, and put his hand on his shoulder once Jingyi sat up. "I'm not a prince anymore." He reminded him. That statement was very much true now. In this life, Xie Lian, or Sizhui, wasn't born royalty.

Jingyi looked at Zizhen, feeling a little bit uneasy. "You're not going to make our lives miserable again are you?" He asked, mostly teasingly. Zizhen huffed and crossed his arms. "You and idiot #2 did better this time around...I suppose we can still be friends in this life." He said quietly. It was a surprise to hear, but Jingyi found he didn't mind.

But that's when he remembered. "Wait, what about-" He started to say, but stopped when he heard Jin Ling groan beside him. His gaze snapped to him just as Jin Ling sat up, rubbing his head. "You're all so loud..." He said. Once he looked at Sizhui and Zizhen, he immediately looked away. Sizhui laughed softly. "Are you alright, Mu Qing?" He asked. Jin Ling relaxed a fraction, and nodded.

Jingyi couldn't stop staring at Jin Ling. "Mu Qing..." He said, hopeful. Jin Ling looked at him, a small frown on his face, emotions guarded. But he saw the hope in his eyes. "Feng Xin...?" Jin Ling asked.

Jingyi grinned, and pulled his friends into a hug. "We're all together again! Weird that Crimson Rain is our friend now, but we'll get used to it!" He said, laughing. Sizhui laughed along with him, while Jin Ling rolled his eyes, and Zizhen pretended he didn't care (spoiler he failed).

"There's one thing I still don't remember." Jin Ling said, gaining everyone's attention. "How did we all die?" He asked. At that, everyone froze. They couldn't remember what happened to make them reincarnate in this new life. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to try and figure it out, because a mysterious ghost of a woman in a beautiful soft pink mask appeared in front of them.

"Great Martial Gods, and Supreme Ghost King, I come to warn you. Danger is coming, he has returned...His new servant has arrived, and your loved ones are fighting him as we speak. Beware the man in yellow, he is more dangerous with his newfound power...Beware, for his new servant, the Golden Mask, has come to end you..." She said, and slowly faded away.

They all scrambled to get up, and immediately ran to find the man. If their loved ones were in danger, they were going to help them! When they arrived, they saw Lan Wangji fighting someone, while Wei Wuxian urged a Lan woman to run for cover. When Wei Wuxian saw them, however, his eyes went wide. "RUN!" He shouted. Unfortunately, that caught the attention of the man Lan Wangji was fighting against.

The man had Jin robes, and wore a golden mask completely covering his face. The man managed to knock Lan Wangji back far enough to get a good distance between them. "You're coming with me, Xianle!" The man shouted, and charged at them.

Before the man could land a hit, Zizhen stepped in front of Sizhui, and a swarm of silver butterflies surrounded the man. The man stopped, swatting the butterflies away. "Stay away from him!" Zizhen shouted, and held out his hand. Almost out of nowhere, a familiar scimitar flew towards him, and Zizhen caught it by the handle with ease.

Immediately, Jingyi aimed his bow at the man, and Jin Ling readied his saber. Sizhui was frozen, unable to respond at all. He couldn't focus on the fight going on in front of him. He could only focus on what the man called him. Only one person ever called him Xianle.

"A-Yuan? A-Yuan!" He heard someone shout, and he gasped as he snapped his gaze to the person calling him. Wei Wuxian looked at him worriedly. "He's gone, it's okay." He said, then frowned in confusion and looked at Lan Wangji. "We need to figure out who that man was, and why he called our son Xianle." He said. Lan Wangji hummed in agreement.

Zizhen, Jingyi, and Jin Ling ran to Sizhui. "You don't think that was-" Jingyi started. "Of course not! He sounded nothing like him, and his clothes and mask were different! He did sound familiar though." Jing Ling said. "Okay, well he's still working with someone, right? Who the fuck do we know who calls his highness Xianle?!" Jingyi asked.

"Bai Wuxiang..." Sizhui whispered quietly. Zizhen held his hand. "We defeated him once, we can do it again." He whispered to Sizhui. Sizhui sighed and nodded, moving closer to his beloved. "Uhhh, Jingyi, did you just refer to A-Yuan as royalty?" Wei Wuxian asked.

Jin Ling smacked the back of Jingyi's head. "Way to go dumbass." He said. Jingyi glared at him, rubbing the back of his head. "Shut up, I forgot they were there!" He said, making Jin Ling roll his eyes. Sizhui laughed nervously. "Oh boy...I didn't think about how to explain everything..." He said. Wei Wuxian crossed his arms. "Explain what?" He asked. Sizhui sighed, as he realized.

This was going to be a LONG story.

Chapter Text

POV: Wei Wuxian

"Wait wait wait wait, hold on, back that up!" Wei Wuxian said frantically, confused as heck. "You three-" He gestures to his precious A-Yuan, his beloved nephew, A-Ling, and his favorite Lan junior aside from his own son, Jingyi. "were gods in your past lives? And you-" He gestures to Zizhen. "were a ghost king?!" He asked.

Sizhui laughed nervously. "I know it's hard to believe, but we're telling the truth." He said. Jingyi nodded. "Yeah, we can even prove it!" He said. Jin Ling glared at him. "We have no proof dumbass!" He shouted.

Zizhen smirked. "Well, I do. And there's no way they wouldn't believe gege." He said. As he said that, he made one of his silver butterflies appear. "Strange how I can still control and make them, despite being alive this time." He said absentmindedly. Wei Wuxian gapped at the silver butterfly, as it landed on Sizhui's hand.

Wei Wuxian had heard the names his son and his friends told them, and he knew about the three gods and the calamity ghost from a kind women he once met on his travels.

Xie Lian, possibly one of, if not the strongest, Martial God. He was once a prince of a thriving kingdom called Xianle, who was once beloved by many. The woman had spoken so highly of him, as if she knew him personally.

Hua Cheng, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, a Calamity Ghost King, with the power to control silver butterflies. The butterflies were dangerous, and could spy for Hua Cheng at any time. The woman had sounded as if she approved of him for one reason or another.

Feng Xin, General Nan Yang, Martial God of the Southeast. A god who wielded an impressive bow, with the power to conjure up arrows (he thinks of his archery lessons with Jingyi). He was once a loyal guard to his highness, the prince of Xianle. The woman spoke as if she admired his loyalty to his prince.

And finally, Mu Qing, General Xuan Zhen, Martial God of the Southwest. A god who wielded a long saber as if it weighed nothing (he thinks of right now, watching his nephew hold the long saber so effortlessly). He was once a servant to the royal family of Xianle, and was known for being incredibly smart and hard working. The woman spoke as if admired his hard work, despite his past living conditions.

Wei Wuxian looked at his husband. "I believe them." He told him. From the corner of his eye, he could see the juniors perk up with hope. He smiled slightly. Gods, ghosts, mortals, doesn't matter. He'll stand by his ducklings, even if their souls are technically hundreds, if not thousands of years older than his own.

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POV: Lan Wangji

Lan Wangji had been silent after seeing Zizhen's silver butterfly. He was shocked, but his face remained as natural as ever. The story the juniors had told them seemed unbelievable. Yet, he knew they weren't lying. He recalled meeting someone a few months ago, during a night hunt with a particularly strange creature. The creature had been easy to defeat. But the man he met afterwards had been strange.

The man wore black robes, and smelt faintly like the ocean, more specifically, fish. The man had told him, that it would be important for him to learn about three gods, and a ghost. Lan Wangji normally would have ignored him, but for some reason, he listened.

He listened, as the man told him about a Martial God, who used to be a respected Prince to a kingdom called Xianle. Apparently he had been one of the most powerful Martial Gods, if not the most powerful. He was also apparently kind-hearted, and that instantly made him think of his beloved husband, and his amazing son.

He listened, as the man told him about Calamity Ghost King, who was once feared by all, including the gods themselves. The Ghost King could control silver butterflies, which were more dangerous than they appeared. The butterflies could also spy on others, leaving Lan Wangji feeling unsettled for a moment.

He listened, as the man told him about a Martial God of the Southeast, how his skills with the bow and arrow were incredibly on point, and his aim was near perfection. He almost never missed. The Southeastern God was once a loyal guard to the Prince of Xianle, and had a strange fear of women for some reason.

He listened, as the man told him about a Martial God of the Southwest, how his skills with the saber rivaled the entire Nie Clan. He was stronger than he appeared, once served as a servant to the royal family of Xianle. Lan Wangji felt bad for him, knowing that if he was once a servant, that meant his living conditions were poor.

He still remembers the words that were said to him by that man. "When you meet them, they won't look as they used to, and that Crimson Bastard will be alive this time. When you see HIM, tell him he owes me for finding a way for him to keep his ghostly powers." The Man said, before disappearing into the night.

Lan Wangji didn't think he'd meet the gods and ghost that were described to him. But here they are, right in front of them. Life truely was strange, wasn't it? Never a dull moment.

"I believe them." He heard his beloved Wei Ying say. He looked at his husband, and nodded. "Mm. Me too." He said. This made not only his beloved Wei Ying smile, but also the four juniors behind him.

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POV: Normal

"Fuck yeah!" Jingyi cheered. He immediately slapped a hand over his mouth, covering it while Jin Ling scoffed (it almost sounded playful). "Still can't watch your language." He said. Jingyi glared at him and said something that sounded much like a fuck you, but it was muffled behind his hand. This made Jin Ling laugh, causing Jingyi to look at him with a look Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian knew all too well.

Speaking of looks they knew too well, the two noticed that Zizhen and Sizhui couldn't stop looking at each other, with the happiest smiles on their faces. It's the look in their eyes, however, that melts Wei Wuxian's heart, and makes Lan Wangji soften, a small smile adorning his face.

Sizhui, their beloved son, was looking at Zizhen with so much love and happiness in his eyes. His eyes betraying just how much he loved the boy in front of him, and there was a note of relief in them. The kind of relief you feel when you're happy someone is there.

Zizhen, their son's newly (but not so newly) acquired lover, was looking at Sizhui as if he was the only person in the world. The only one who mattered. A look of love and devotion in his eyes, as he gave the softest smile they had ever seen on him.

They couldn't be happier for them.

They both then turn their attention to the two currently bickering with each other. Their insults were less heated, and both of them could see the spark of happiness in their eyes. Jin Ling looked as if he was happy to have Jingyi's attention on him, even if it was through yelling.

Jingyi looked as if he was happy to see Jin Ling was here, alive and well. A look Wei Wuxian knows all too well, because his beloved Lan Zhan still looks at him like that. With that in mind, he wonders if something happened to make Jingyi this relieved to see him.

"Alright, that's enough." Sizhui said, holding back a laugh. Jingyi and Jin Ling both stopped arguing, and looked down in shame. "Sorry Dianxia..." They said. Which made Wei Wuxian burst out laughing. It was strange to hear them refer to his son this way, but in a strange way, it fit. "You're not much different now that you remember your pasts, are you?" He asked.

Sizhui smiled and shook his head. "Not much." He said. Jin Ling scoffed. "Speak for yourself, Dianxia. Zizhen will most likely go back to being his annoying sarcastic, trouble-making self." He said. When Sizhui looked at Zizhen, Zizhen looked entirely innocent, it was obvious he wasn't. "I don't know  what he's talking about Gege." He said, making Sizhui laugh softly.

"There's something I still can't remember though." Jingyi said, all eyes on him now. "We would have had to die to be reincarnated, so how did that happen? How did we die?" He asked. Everyone froze, as the realization dawned on them, and one look at Sizhui, Zizhen, and Jin Ling, told Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji that they also could not remember.

Jingyi had a point.

"I...I don't remember..." Sizhui said, frowning slightly. "I think...we were fighting someone...?" He said, unsure. Jin Ling looked thoughtful. "I remember seeing white, so maybe...White No Face...?" He suggested. Zizhen frowned. "Could have been." He said. "We will figure it out." Lan Wangji said. Wei Wuxian nodded, grinning.

They would figure it out together.