Orphan

I will be writing in Lan Wangji's POV a lot in this Fan Fiction, I just thought I should make it clear. I will, of course, let you know if the POV changes. I will also let you know if there are Mature scenes or content within the chapters as well. It might be a while though before the mature stuff but we will see. I haven't thought that far ahead...A lot of times I just write as I go. :) 

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~*Flashback*~

I was standing on a dirt road. On the left side there was an open field of tall grass and a view of a mountain range. On the right, there was a forested area. It looked to be mid -to-late day as the sun had just past it's hight point in the sky. I was a hot day, I assume it was summer, or maybe summer was close to ending, as some of the tree's were starting to lose their green color. I wondered why I was in the middle of no-where. I thought I was to follow Wei Ying and his past, and how far back in the past am I going. I decided to walk a little bit to see if I could find a hint of where I was or where I should go. Before I took a step forward, I heard a child laughing from behind me. I slowly turned and saw a young couple, a donkey, and a child. 

"Wei Ying?" I questioned out lout. 

They could not hear me any way. I walked towards them and saw that is was actually Wei Ying and his parents. Cangse Sanran and Wei Changze. His father, Wei gongzi, stood on the right hand side of the donkey, and was wearing black robes with a purple under robe. He was also carrying a sword and had a Yunmeng Jiang Clan clarity bell on his waist. I remember him being the head disciple of yunmeng before finding Cangse. Cangse, on the left side, she was wearing a red under robe and a black robe over it, as well as a black shall. Wei Ying was in the center, riding the donkey and laughing at something his parents had said. I found myself smiling at such a tender moment. But I knew his parent died when he was young, and I already felt a small uneasy feeling in my stomach.

I followed them as they traveled only to see them approach a cozy little cabin. It was very quiet in the area and it was also starting to get dark. Wei Ying's parents made a meal for him before they started to prepare some things. Like they were going to head out. 

"A'Ying," I heard his mother say and knelt down beside him, "Your father and I will be going out for a little while. I want you to promise me you will stay here."

"Why can't I come?" Wei Ying asked.

"Because it is dangerous for a child your age," His father spoke and knelt down on the other side of him, "Promise us you will stay put? We have meals prepared for you in the mean time and we should be back in a couple days."

Wei Ying sighed, "And if you are not back in a couple days?"

"There is a town five kilometers southeast from here," his mother pointing at a direction, "If we are not back in three days, you will take this money we left you and stay at the first inn when you enter town."

"Why do you have to go?" Wei Ying asked as a tear left his eye and rolled down his cheek. 

I had not seen Wei Ying since that day at nightless city. Seeing him cry as a small child, hurt just as bad. Why leave him alone?

"Can you promise me something?" his mother asked wiping the tears away.

"What?"

"Promise me you won't cry in front of anyone who is not family," his mother stated. I stood there in shock. How can you ask something like that from a child?

"Okay, I promise," He said.

"Now, get some sleep, and we should see you in a couple days," His father said. 

Wei Ying nodded and went over to his bed. I watched as he fell asleep and his parents walked out the door. I did not know how to process such information. His parents just left him alone. I knew Wei Ying lost his parents, but I never knew the entire story. I stayed with him as the days past and his parents had not returned. Wei Ying managed to extend the food that he had for about a week before he ran out. 

He was alone for a week, and his parents never showed. Wei Ying took the little money pouch and left the house as his parents instructed. I followed him. As a spirit, I could not speak to him, or help him. I could only watch him as he wandered alone.  Once the town came into view, he pulled a smile. How can he smile when he was hurting on the inside? He did as his parents told him and requested a room. He only had enough for three days, with meals, clothes, and baths included. After that he had to leave. 

The timed seemed to skip forward a couple years and his time at the inn were done. He also looked a bit thinner, his clothes were tattered, and he had wounds and bite marks over his arms and legs. I did not want to know what those bite were from but I had a feeling I was to find out soon. I stood there and watched him roam the streets. He was an orphan and was begging for food. He looked so alone but all he could do was keep moving forward. I even saw him rummaging through scraps from workers at restaurants and side carts who were selling food. They all turned a blind eye to a starving young boy. I wanted to yell and scream at them all, but I knew it would be of no use. 

I was standing in an alley beside little Wei Ying as he had a smile on his face for finding a piece of stale bread that he could eat. I closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling. I can now see why Nuwa said this was going to be hard to get through. This is just his youth days, I can't image what I will see when he starts living in Lotus Pier or to see why he used Demonic Cultivation over his sword. I all-of-a-sudden heard growling to my right. There were three dogs standing there looking the the piece of bread in Wei Ying's hand. 

"This is not good," I said out loud. 

"Go away!" Wei Ying yelled as he was slowly backed into a corner. The dogs did not back off. Forgetting I can't interfere I stood in front of Wei Ying hoping to stop the dogs but they just walked through me. I began to panic as I saw the dogs closing in on Wei Ying, "Go away! I found it first!"

He could no longer back away any further as he was now cornered completely. The dogs did not back of and one of them lunged forward and took him by the arm. I had to look away. His screams were too much and I could feel tears falling down my face. I could not do ANYTHING. I was warned that it was not going to be a nice past to go through, but I did not realize it was start this bad right from the start. Out of nowhere I heard a dog whimper. I turned and saw a man wearing dark purple robes and had the Yunmeng Jiang Clan Logo on his shoulder and a clarity bell on his waist. 

"Jiang Fengmian," I said putting my hand on my chest and over my heart as it was beating so fast that it felt as if it would come out of my chest, "thank goodness."

"It's alright young one," He said and knelt down to him. Wei Ying was terrified but as soon as he laid eyes on Clan Leader Jiang, he had a smile on his face.

"Thank you," He told him.

"What is your name?" Jiang Fengmian asked.

"Wei Ying," he answered.

The man smiled at the young boy, "I am Jiang Fengmian, I am a friend of your parents. I have been looking for you since I heard your parents have passed away," He said and held out a piece of melon to Wei Ying. Wei Ying looked at it for a moment and then took it. He ate it fairly quickly, as I am sure he was starving, as he was living on the streets, "A'Ying, slow down."

Wei Ying smiled a little and slowed down, "Would you like to come back to Lotus Pier with me? You will have other children your age to play with, including mine. They would be happy to meet you," Clan Leader Jiang stated. Wei Ying nodded and was picked up by the man. He then hoped on his sword and flew off. 

I sighed as I was relieved that he was no longer on the streets, but I did not know what was in store for him at Lotus Pier. Mostly because I have heard some rumors of Jiang Fengmian's wife, Yu Ziyuan, for being nothing but terrible to him. But all I could do was watch.

~*End Flash Back*~

The world switched and I was back in Nuwa's Palace. 

"Hello again, Wangji," Nuwa greeted.

"Hello, Nuwa," I greeted her again with a bow.

"Someone you may know has been calling you through Inquiry," She said, "Would you like to speak to them?"

"May I ask who?"

"It is you Brother Xichen," She said, "If I do this, You can tell him what you have been seeing in Wei Ying's past so far and then he can accompany you through the rest of the memories. He will have knowledge of it when you go back to the past yourself and try to change it. I managed to convince the other gods of this so you would not be alone."

"How will he accompany me? Will he have to die to do that?" I asked.

"No, I will have him in a comatose state. He will be here and his body will be fine. It may worry others from your clan, but since you both will be in the past, it will only be temporary for them to worry and panic...plus let them panic, they caused a lot of damage."

I nodded and could help but smile a bit at her comments. I wanted to make sure my brother was okay and I would love to have him help me through this. It was hard with seeing him as an orphan. I would like to have some sort of comfort for the rest of it.

"Wangji, are you there?" Xiongzhang (Formal for Older Brother) called out. I appeared in his place, Hanshi, and he had a smile on his face as he could see me, "There you are."

"Xiongzhang, I am sorry I left you," I told him. 

"As long as I can reach you like this, I believe I can get through this," He said.

"I have something important to discuss with you, and I am wondering if you are willing to listen," I told him.

"Of course," He said, "Talk to me about anything and everything."

I nodded and sat down across from him, "This was going to be a discussion that is going to take some time to talk about," I told him.

"I have time, and It is just past dinner hours," Xichen stated. 

I nodded and took in a deep breath as I was going to tell him so many things.

"Xiongzhang, when I woke I ended up in a place known as Nuwa's Palace," I Explained, "She told me that she is willing to help Wei Ying and me get a second chance."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I go through Wei Ying's past memories and then I go back to the past to change the course of fate," I told him, "She told me that she gained permission from others for me to share this information with you about what I witnessed so far and then allow you to accompany me through the rest. So when I go back to the past, you will also have this knowledge. As I would be the only one to remember and Wei Ying won't remember any of it. The Sunshot Campaign, the Wens, The deaths of the Jiangs, and Nightless city, none if it."

I let Xiongzhang take a few minutes process everything and he then finally spoke, "So when time rewinds back to the past, I will remember everything that happened, as well as the information you about Wei Gongzi's past?"

I nodded, "You could probably call him Wuxian, I am sure he would not mind," I told him and looked at my hands, "He is not here with me either, I don't know where he is. I can only see him through his memories."

"Wangji," Brother said making me look at him, "I will help you through this, both of you."

I nodded, "thank you. And I miss you, Huan Ge," I have not called him that since I was a young child.

My brother smiled at me, "What will happen to me when I meet up with you? And what did you see so far in Wuxian's memories?"

"Nuwa said she would put you in a comatose state, and your body would be fine. Others may panic and worry but you would be fine. She said it would be kind of funny to see them panic for hurting two important cultivators of our clan," I told him.

He just laughed and then spoke, "Well, it would be a sight to see."

I nodded, "In the memories I saw, it was seeing Wei Ying as an orphan. His parents left him at a cabin and told him to say there and they would return soon. They told him if they did not, they left some money for him to go to an inn at the closest town. His mother also had him promise not to cry in front of anyone who is not family," I explained, "Following him through the streets, people just turned a blind eye to a malnourished and homeless young child. I had to watch him dig through trash for food. He was even attacked by dogs just for the little food that he could find. It was so hard to watch as I could not interfer, speak, or anything. I am just a spirit just watching everything. It's so difficult just standing there doing nothing."

My brother listened carefully and took everything in. He was shocked about what I had witnessed so far, "I wish I was there from the start to help you through it. I will be there for the rest of it. I have a feeling it is not going to get any better or any easier," He told me.

"No, before I left the memory, Jiang Fengmian had just found Wei Ying and was taking him to Lotus Pier. So I am guessing we will be seeing his first days in Lotus Pier next," I explained.

He took in a deep breath and Nuwa had appeared, "You must be Nuwa."

She nodded, "It is nice to meet you Lan Xichen, are you ready to come and join your brother for the quest of Wei Wuxian's Past?"

"I am," Xiongzhang said and laid on his bed.

He fell asleep calmly and was soon with me at Nuwa's Palace.