History repeats itself (a Genshin Impact OC insert)

Chapter 31 - some catching up between mother and daughter

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"Don't over work yourself, Ganyu!", Lyra belittles her... former(?) daughter inside her office. "Apologies, Lyra- I mean mother...", Ganyu mumbles tiredly.

Lyra sighs. "No, no. It's alright. You can continue to call me Lyra. While I am- or rather was- your mother, I haven't been with you as your mother for thousands of years now. However... I thought I got that overworking habit of yours out of you as Azure...", Lyra trails off.

Ganyu looks at her. "I just have a lot to finish. I'll have a break soon, I promise."

Lyra sighs once more. "That won't do... stay here, I'll be back in just a moment."

Lyra walks out of Ganyu's office, leaving the secretary confused. Just a moment later, Lyra comes in again together with one of Ningguang's personal secretary.

"Now then. I arranged together with Ningguang that you will take leave for the next 2 days. Ningguang's secretaries will take over for now. Now. Let us spend some time together.", Lyra goes around Ganyu's table and pulls her up and out of the building.

"Ah, but Lyra!", Ganyu protests. "You are taking a break. No buts, no whatnots.", Lyra shuts her down.

Seeing no way to persuade the reincarnation of her mother, she just lets Lyra lead her to their destination.

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"Here we are.", Lyra says as they come to a stop.

Ganyu looks around, having zoned out for the entirety of the trip. "Where are we..?", she asks slowly, noting a mountain behind them and the lake before them. They stand close to a red-leafed tree.

"Hm? Oh, we're behind Mt. Aocang. I still remember when my abode was still here... anyway, I am not surprised you don't remember this place anymore. I used to take you here when you were merely a little baby...", Lyra reminisces. Ganyu watches as her reincarnated mother crouched down and picked a sweet flower.

"The sweet flowers that grow here have a slightly different fragrance than those elsewhere. Can you guess why?", Lyra asks Ganyu as she stands back up, handing her the flower.

"... is it because of something peculiar in this area?", Ganyu asks. Lyra nods.

"You guessed correctly. This place... as I said, it used to house my abode... my abode was a little island that floated slightly above this lake on my clouds. As you probably still remember, my clouds are purely made out of adeptal energy. This caused the surrounding area to be... different from everywhere else, as adeptal energy was overflowing and affecting everything. The flowers, especially sweet flowers were sweeter, the water was always pure and clean, having a slight taste of mint in it. The adeptal energy that was concentrated in this area also caused monsters to actively avoid this place. However, as time passed, having moved to the Guili Assembly and my abode being non-existent, the adeptal energy ceased to small amounts. There are a few monsters around now, but the flowers and the lake itself are still affected by the change all those years ago. After all, I had lived here for 3400 years... to think I was only around for the first 800 years of Rex's reign as an Archon back then...", Lyra mutters, then shakes her head.

"I shouldn't think of that. I brought you here to distract yourself from your work and just... spend time together after me not being able to be there for you for most of your life.", Lyra says, looking back at Ganyu, who looks back at her, wide-eyed and half eaten sweet flower in her mouth.

"Oh, you needn't worry. You did what you could back then... you protected us till your last breath, so I don't blame you for not being there... without your sacrifice all those years ago, Liyue would've had a much harder fight back then... to think you managed to defeat 6 gods all at once as an Adeptus... even though I did not know you as much as the other Adepti, I still looked up to you, even after your death. I... missed you... mother...", Ganyu admits.

Lyra's eyes soften as she smiles at her former daughter. "Don't put yourself short. Look at you now, a master archer and the trusty secretary of the Liyue Qixing. I couldn't be prouder of the woman you have become. Cloud Retainer and Xiao did a good job on training you." – "I... don't feel worthy of your compliments, Lyra..." Lyra sighs, then proceeds to sit down on the large rock beside the tree.

Then she looks back at Ganyu, patting the space beside her. Taking the hint, the half Qilin sits down beside her. Both just sit there in silence, looking out over the lake.

"This is... beautiful...", Ganyu says, breathless, after some time. "It truly is...", Lyra answers.

Then she looks over at Ganyu. "Is there anything you with to ask of me? I am certain you have questions."

Ganyu looks down for a moment, before turning her head away. "Indeed, I do... you said... that you were also Azure's reincarnation just one life prior. So why is it that you didn't seek any of us out back then?" – "Ah, I had a feeling you'd ask that.", Lyra chuckles.

"It is simple... while I have my powers of the past, I only gained the ability to change my appearance this life. I am uncertain of the criteria I had to reach for this to happen, since I cannot feel anything different from this mortal body than from any of my others. Then again... it could also just be because it is my fifteenth life. Regardless, I didn't have a reason to disclose my past identities as Azure. This life has just been different than others."

"different how?", Ganyu inquires. "I decided to be a Traveller this life, so I knew I'd meet many of my immortal friends and family again. Other than that... it is the first life I had to actively use my abilities and connections of the past to resolve the present. So I suppose having people know the truth now is something of benefit." Lyra then sighs.

"Though another reason is... fourteen lives behind me... some of which were that of immortal ones as well as mortal lives. You could say I got tired of the burden of not telling others the truth and showing my true knowledge. The opportunity I gained this life is what made me decide on telling others... had I not had this life as I have it now, I probably would've kept it a secret for the many lives to come, succumbing into my endless loneliness of rebirth..."

"... I see... my next question...", Ganyu diverts the topic.

"It's something I had on my mind for a while now... as a half Qilin, I don't feel like I belong into the city with mortals, but as a half human, I don't think I fit into the lifestyle of the adepti. I... what do you think? Where do I belong?", she asks.

"... where do you belong... let me give you an example of my own experiences and turn the question into another... having lived through many lifestyles now, I used to be uncertain of who I really was. Was I a protector of the nation I live in? Or was I a ruler who would bring prosperity to those around me? Am I bound to the role I have in that life, or am I free in what I can be? If you had asked me back then, I wouldn't be able to answer you... however, now... the easiest way to put this is, sometimes, the simplest answer or the first thought is the right one. And for me... the question of who I really am... well, I am everything I once was. Those lives I lived through shaped me to the person I am today. If you look at them individually, they wouldn't be connected, not in the slightest. But since I lived through each of them, I can tell you that each prior life has shaped my following lives in some way. For example, my will to be a protector of all came from my life as your mother and my will for justice has accumulated throughout most my lives. So, now my question for you... when thinking of your identities as a human and a Qilin, what is the first thought that comes to mind?", Lyra asks.

Ganyu thinks for a moment. "... well... I am a Qilin, a protector of this nation, but I am also a citizen, contributing to the nation's economy...", Ganyu answers, trailing off at the end.

"There you have it. You may not feel like you belong to one or the other, but that is because you don't solely belong to one or the other. You are both a Qilin and a human, find your middle."

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