A Painful Ending (Prologue)

Like always, Lanling is glistening and shining from the sun above. Various clans are to soon arrive for a celebration. Despite everyone always having some sort of uneasiness towards the Jin Clan, they could not pass up the opportunity. Zewu Jun (Lan Xichen), Jiang Yanli who was holding her baby Jin Ling, Courtesy name, Jin Rulan, Jiang Cheng, and Hanguang Jun (Lan Wangji) were standing in the main hall waiting for Wei Ying to arrive. It was Jin Ling's one month celebration and because everything had been peaceful and Yanli missed her brother, they invited Wei Ying to attend. Hanguang Jun was pacing a little as he felt something was off. He could tell that something might happen. He watched disciples from various clans, including his own, leave Lanling with swords and bows. He had a panic deep inside that he felt that Wei Ying was in trouble.

Zewu Jun could feel his brother's worry radiating off of him. Before he could stop his little brother from pacing, Meng Yao had entered the hall. Hanguang Jun immediately went to him and questioned what was going on. He wanted to know why members of his sect had left without authorization from him or Zewu Jun.

"Some of our disciples left?" Zewu Jun asked his brother, "did you see how many?"

"At least thirty or forty," Wangji answered, "did you tell them anything or did they say anything?"

"No," Zewu Jun said.

"Er-Ge, I will try to find out what is going on and why they had left," Meng Yao told him.

Meng Yao turned to leave when a Jin Clan disciple ran into the hall in panic, "urgent news!"

"What is it?" Meng Yao asked.

"The Ghost General," he said catching his breath, "he lost control and killed Zixun and Zixuan!"

Jiang Yanli froze in her place and dropped the rattle she was holding. Jiang Wanyin immediately held onto her for support and made sure she didn't drop his nephew. Hanguang Jun stood there at a loss for words. He didn't understand what was happening. He turned to his brother to ask for permission to go speak with Wei Ying.

"Just be careful okay," Zewu Jun told him.

Wangji nodded and left taking flight on his sword Bichen. He wanted to catch up to Wei Ying. He needed to make sure he was okay, to know what exactly happened. On his way he spotted Wen Ning heading towards Lanling with his sister.

"What are you both doing?" Wangji asked desperately.

"T-t-turning ours-selves in and to pr-protect Master Wei," Wen Ning told him.

"What exactly happened?" Wangji asked another question.

"I heard another flute altering Chenqing's commands and I lost control. I killed Master Wei's brother-in-law and Jin Zixun."

Wangji nodded and took in the information, "why was he targeted?"

"Jin Zixun claimed Wei Wuxian had cast Hundred Holes curse on him and demanded to cure him or he'd kill him," Wen Qing answered.

"You two should not go," Wangji suggested.

"They demanded we come within three days or they will go to us at the Burial Mounds," Wen Qing told him, "we should have died long ago, but Wuxian gave us some time. We can't hide anymore."

Before they said anything else, Wen Ning pulled his sister onto his back and ran off with his insane speed. Wangji now had to choose, go to Wei Ying, or go back after Wen Ning. He had to go to Wei Ying, as it was no use into talking Wen Ning and Wen Qing out of their decision. So he went to him, it took him a whole day to get there, but the Burial Mounds were empty and Wei Ying was no where to be found. Before Wangji turned to leave he heard a little cough. Then he spotted him, a little boy who clung to his leg back in Yiling, a boy who smiled and was innocent of all this. Wangji could not leave him here. The boy was sick and he needed care immediately. Wangji made a quick stop to Cloud Recesses and brought the boy to the infirmary. He told the healer that he found the boy unconscious on the streets. He did not want to give this boy's identity away, he did not want anyone to know he was a Wen, for his protection.

Wangji left him in their care and immediately left for nightless city. When he got there, the clans were fighting against dark clouds of resentment. He could see the pain in Wei Ying's eye. He wanted to help him. So he had to try, but he could not. Lan Zhan watched the clans target his beloved Wei Ying. Yes he took an unorthodox path, and yes he was powerful. To Lan Zhan, he did not care about that anymore. He was scared for Wei Ying to get hurt and all he ever did was confuse Wei Ying more and that made him think that Lan Zhan hated him. He did not want him to misunderstand, he wanted to protect Wei Ying from those who would hurt him. The path no longer mattered to Lan Zhan anymore, because he saw his lover falling apart before him.

He watched his lover crumble and break, he watched him destroy the Yin Hu Fu (Stygian Tiger Amulet), and he watched as his last light leave Wei Ying's eyes before he flew over to the cliff. He begged Wei Ying to come back to him, he pleaded with all his heart but Wei Ying did not hear him. He fell back only to by caught by Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan refused to let go, no matter how much Wei Ying asked him. He could not do it. It was only when Jiang Wanyin (The current sect leader of Yunmeng Jiang sect and sworn brother to Wei Ying) approached and told him to go to hell. The sword stabbed the cliff side only to show that if it broke, Lan Zhan would fall with him. Wei Ying panicked and yanked his hand out of Lan Zhan's only to fall into the dark depths below.

Wangji dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach. People from various clans were berating Lan Wangji for trying to protect the "evil Yiling Patriarch." Zewu Jun on the other hand, could see that his brother was in so much pain, so much emotional pain. He knew that his little brother had feelings for Wei Wuxian, but he didn't know to what extent. Seeing his little brother now, he could see it was a lot more than he imagined. He managed to disperse the other clans and went to his brother. He pulled him into a tight hold. Wangji for the first time in a long time, accepted his brother's embrace and broke down. He screamed and cried into his brother's shoulder until he was too exhausted to cry anymore and cried himself to sleep in his brother's arms.

When Wangji woke, he was being carried by his brother and had just passed the gate entrance to Cloud Recesses. Wangji had no will to speak, and his heart weighed heavy in his chest. Zewu Jun saw his brother awake but he could tell that Wangji had no care for being put down. Xichen did not mind either, his brother was mourning and it was painful to see his little brother so broken. Lan Qiren heard of Wangji's doing and demanded he be brought to the elegance hall. Xichen knew where his uncle's head was at. He wanted to punish Wangji for protecting Wuxian. Xichen did as he was told but demanded his uncle to leave him be. He is already broken enough.

"Xichen, put him down now!" Qiren commanded.

Wangji struggled out of his brothers arms and knelt down to accept his punishment, "before you proceed, I dare ask uncle, who is right? Who is Wrong? What is black? And what is White!?" Wangji asked angrily.

"So, this is my prized nephew now," Qiren stated, "I am very disappointed in you! Beat him! Thirty-three whips!"

"Uncle!" Xichen yelled and was then frozen in place when he was hit in his acupuncture point, "why Uncle!?"

"He protected that demon! He attacked thirty-three of our people to protect him!" Qiren stated, "now do it!"

The disciples did as they were told and whipped him. Thirty-three times, Lan Wangji was struck. The first three hits stung the most but after that he felt nothing, his back went numb. He started to bleed, his back, his nose, his mouth, and the wound on his arm was still unattended from the battle in Nightless City. Xichen could only watch in horror and pain as he could not move. He tried to tell them to listen to him, he even yelled that he was the clan leader and demanded it. They turned a blind eye because they dare not disrespect Elder Qiren. They did not want to disrespect their clan leader either, but elders usually had more authority, even over clan leaders. Xichen hated it.

"If only I could go back and make things right, make him understand," Lan Zhan thought to himself as he was taking strike after strike, "I wish to go back and help him at Yunmeng, I wish to know what he went through to turn to the path he took."

Wangji passed out after the last strike of the discipline whipping. Xichen's acupuncture had been released and he immediately went to Wangji. He picked him up and told some disciples to get a healer from the infirmary and to meet him in the Jingshi (Silence Room).

Wangji remained unconscious for two weeks and still had no signs of waking. Xichen became worried and told his uncle. He even told his uncle that the punishment was a grave mistake. He said he would never forgive his uncle if something happened to Wangji. And he had every right to be angry. Wangji was getting weaker and his spiritual energy was declining. His heart was becoming weak from being broken. It went on for about two more weeks before Wangji's life was taken. He had no will, he was in pain, he lost his lover, he lost the will to keep fighting, and he lost the will to try and heal. So he let himself go, hoping to be with his Wei Ying again.

Fortunately, The heaven's heard Lan Zhan's final wish to go back and fix everything, follow him, guide him and be there. Not let his chance to show his love for Wei Ying slip away again. They also could not bare the pain of what they witnessed between the two lovers. Misunderstandings, pain, denial, hidden desire for the other, the worry of losing the other. The gods did not want to let these poor souls die the way that they did, unjustly. They deserves a second chance and to change the fate of the clans. So they granted Lan Zhan's wish. But for the wish to be fully fulfilled, they had to show Wangji as he asked, what Wei Ying went through, that had to show him his past to fully understand the truth behind Wei Ying's demise.

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Here it is, the start of Changing Fate. Another fan fiction about Wangxian. I know there are various stories of going back and fixing things, but I wanted to do something a little differently. Also, sorry for those who are criers (me being one of them) You might want tissues for the next few chapters (Just a warning for ahead of time)

Having Lan Wangji go back and only he remembers everything that happened. Wei Wuxian does not remember what happened, and he does not know what his future has in store for him. So Wangji has to think of a way to help him. So what will he do?

I will also still be working on my other WangXian Fan Fiction Entropy. So I will be going back and forth between the two. Let me know what you guys think though. Thanks for the support guys. 😊