Mdzs Oneshots

Wei Ying? (Insanity 6)

-----Lan Zhan-----

I'd be lying if I told you Jiang Wanyin's words didn't shake me to the core. His words upended me for a moment, and chilled me. How can a man be so vile? One raised by the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, nonetheless. How did Wei Ying live with this buffoon? I have no idea. But as I wrestle my sword from his guts, only one answer comes out. Envy. I know Uncle will kill me for this, but I couldn't care less. More important things beckon me, waiting.

Wei Ying.

Summoning the last remnants of my energy, I cast the last talisman I own, shutting my eyes, imagining a cave, buried in the dark, near the mounds.
Nothing could ever compare to him.

Stepping gingerly into the mounds, to the drafts of debris with cold slapping my face, I turn around to look. The sulfuric tang of burning is unmistakable, and ashes fall around me, surrounding me. Shit. Am I too late? Exactly how much has changed since I've been here? The last time I was here, this place was bustling with life, with Wei Ying and A-Yuan's laughter, with the joy of the Wen Remnants. The exact opposite of what it was said to be. Monsters. Dread filled a pit in my stomach, nauseating, and my throat constricts. In some faraway land, I blankly hear A-Yuan's laughter, Wei Ying's voice, and their gremlin smiles, overflowing with love and affection. But...

All that surrounds me is a wasteland. The ash swirling beneath my feet- something burned here not too long ago. And I am not sure if I wish to know what.

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The sulfuric tang of burned flesh infiltrated his senses, blurring his mind as he set foot into the wasted mounds. His eyes watered, both from the smell and the possibility-
That he was gone.

Still, his frantic footfalls sent ash swirling, stinging his eyes, his throat. He stepped both carefully and recklessly, oscillating between patience and madness. But he was a Lan. And Lans were nothing if not determined. So he threaded through Burial Mounds, swallowing as he saw pile upon piles of charred corpses, eyes darting back and forth, seeking, no, hoping that at least one soul would be spared. As selfish as it sounded. Two, actually. A-Ying and A-Yuan. 

Every step brought him closer to the cave, and ice grappled his stomach. Acid lined his throat, rendering it dry. He closed his eyes, stepping ever closer.  One. More. Step.

If possible, his throat grew even dryer as he moved closer. That was, until he heard the familiar crinkle of fabric. Gathering his now-bloodstained robes, he abandoned all proprietary, rushing forward, nimbly avoiding the corpses, ignoring the bones and debris that crumbled under his wake, his mind repeating only one name. Wei Ying, Wei Ying, Wei Ying. 

Entering the familiar cave, he couldn't help but feel entranced. His footsteps skidded to a halt.  After all, this was where his heart, his half-soul had endured the cruelty, the pain and the injustice. He could sense him, but the deeper he went, the more suffocating the air seemed. It settled over him like a thick fog, not unlike those in Gusu, but there was a bitter tinge to it, and he knew. 

"Wei Ying! " Ignoring his blurring eyes, he lunged forward, his heart beating , pounding against his being, threatening to leap out. "Wei Ying-" 

Then he saw him. As lovely as he'd once been, he saw no remnant of the boy he'd so loved, so craved- instead what he saw was the husk of a man, cradling what looked like a bundle of rags- delicately, so carefully, that- 

Then it crashed over him. 

A- Yuan.

That's why. 

Wei Ying's shoulders were shaking, trembling, and he knew that this time, his soulmate, his lover, wasn't doing this because of ants. He could feel it, and understood his heightened anxiety earlier- Because A-Yuan, that cheerful, brilliant little boy, was gone. 

The feeling of impeding doom crashed over Lan Zhan, and he watched helplessly as Wei Ying lifted the boy- Now a corpse, gingerly up, tenderly kissing it. " A-Yuan," he whispered, and as if he'd grown aware of the Second Jade's presence behind him, "Lan Zhan." 

At the mention of his name, he imperceptibly inched forward. The other tensed, warily twisting his neck. His eyes seemed to be full of cobwebs, red-rimmed and bloodshot. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak- 

"Wei Ying? " 

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A/N: 750 words! Hey guys, I'm finally back- and I don't think I've had the chance to say this before, but thank you so much for 3K! It means a lot to me as a rookie writer! Sorry I haven't updated lately, but I was on hiatus because of exams, and sorry for the short chapter, I hope you guys enjoy it!