~•~•~
Once the tavern closes, Aether and Paimon return. "you're here.", Lyra comments. They all turn to the door.
"...master Jean?", Paimon asks carefully. "she came here as 'Jean' herself, not as the acting grand master. A Jean you would never see, even as an honorary knight.", Diluc states.
After that, Jean takes the initiative. "Diluc told me about the details. Now that everyone is here, let us discuss the plan. So, the sound of the holy lyre can purify Stormterror and return him to normal... is that true?" Venti nods. "that's right! The honorary knights are putting themselves on the front line to try and resolve this Stormterror issue. Now, that's the hotshot of the knights of Favonius I'm talking about."
"Feels like we're breaking the law though...", Paimon mumbles. Diluc sighs and turns to Paimon. "I understand this kind of absurd explanation is hard to believe. But, we can ask the bard to play the song again to try to persuade-"
He gets cut off by Jean. "I believe you." – "to persuade our stubborn command- wait what?" he looks at Jean. "I can't think of any reason for Dvalin's betrayal, given it was once one of the four winds. However, if it was poisoned in the battle over Mondstadt all those years ago and then corrupted by the abyss mage after it woke up – we can't really blame it. But as acting grand master I obviously cannot make such a statement publicly. Diplomatic pressure from the fatui makes it hard for us to seek a peaceful resolution to the Stormterror issue. People would think I've lost grip on the gravity of the situation. That's why I can only do this in private.", Jean explains.
Diluc scoffs. "that's one of the reasons I don't like the knights of Favonius. What surprises me is that you would believe an outlander so easily..." Jean shakes her head. "my cautious and meticulous superior, even you trust her. Don't you, sir?" he scoffs once more. "I already told you not to call me sir... never mind. We don't often get to work together after all."
The trio looks between the two confused. "sir?", Aether questions. Jean and Diluc stay silent for a moment. "Doesn't matter right now. Though i want to ask... why are the Fatui so keen on handling the Stormterror threat themselves", Lyra inquires.
"I am uncertain myself, but if I had to guess... they want to try and gain Dvalin's power for the Cryo archon.", Jean answers. "anyways... Lyra, there was something you wanted to tell us once Aether and Paimon also are here. What is it?", Diluc diverts the topic.
The two travellers look at Lyra confused. "huh? What are you talking about?", Paimon questions. Jean turns to them. "while you weren't here yet and the tavern was still open, I asked her how she knows more about Mondstadt's history than all of the people of Mondstadt. She said she would answer once you two were also present.", she explains.
Lyra nods affirmative. "now, before I start explaining, I trust all of you keep this a secret. I have never told this to anyone in the past up until now when I told Venti a few hours ago." They nod at her, while Diluc looks at her a little sceptical. "...alright. I shall trust you on this one.", Diluc gives in reluctantly.
Lyra takes a deep breath. "this is not my first life. It is my fifteenth life actually. My first life was 7000 years ago. I got cursed with reincarnation by the creator of this curse. I remember everything that happened in the past and I can also use my powers and abilities of the past. When I said eleventh earlier, I was talking about my eleventh life. In that life, I was a spiritual dualist known as Yui."
Lyra continues, "The reason I know about Mondstadt so much is because my fourth and twelfth life lived here. My fourth life was called Willow, he is now known as the nameless bard who saved old Mondstadt from the old tyrannical anemo god, Decarabian, 2600 years ago. I died during the revolution. My twelfth life is actually an ancestor of you, Jean. Lynda Grunnhildr. As that life, I was the grand master of the knights of Favonius and also held the title you have today: dandelion knight.", Lyra finishes explaining.
They look at her shocked. "I-is this true? You have been reincarnated before?", Jean asks. "Yes... if you want to, I could call upon one of my lives' form." – "you can do that?!", Paimon says.
"yeah... though anything to do with my past lives form or powers... I don't really use them unless it is absolutely necessary. Though I suppose it is alright for me to just demonstrate it." Lyra takes a deep breath. "I call upon Lynda, the twelfth." She starts shifting to her past appearance when she was Lynda.
Name: Lynda
Vision: Anemo
Affiliation: Knights of Favonius
Constellation: protector ventis (protector of the winds)
"Wow! The similarities are there!", Paimon exclaims. The others are stunned into silence. "You really look like Lynda...", Venti mutters, only audible to Lyra who stands directly beside him.
"to only use the powers of my past lives, I only have to say the same thing inside my head. But, Jean... I don't know if your parents or anyone of your family maybe has a picture of me from the past. I can understand if they don't.", Lyra says, looking at Jean. Jean shakes her head. "no, I do recognise you. My parents told me about you and even showed me an old photo of yours... though this whole reincarnation thing... you never told anyone about it?", Jean inquires.
"no. I never dared to tell anyone... who would've believed me anyway? I just got this ability to shift into my past lives in this life.", Lyra answers, shaking her head. "can you tell us more about your first life?", Paimon asks. Lyra thinks for a moment. "if I may do it in song form, then yes."
None of the others protest, so Lyra changes into the form of a small child.
Name: Lily
Vision: Dendro
Affiliation: Everglow royal house
Constellation: coronatus fatum (crowned fate)
"Aww, you used to looks so cute!", Paimon squeals. "A crown? So you used to be of royal descent?", Diluc asks. Lyra nods. "Yes. In this life, i was know as Lily, crown princess of Everglow. Everglow used to be an old kingdom in the region of Fontaine.", she shakes her head. "Anyway... to the song..." [Lily by Alan Walker]
"lily was a little girl~
Afraid of the big, wide world~
She grew up within her castle walls~
Now and then she tried to run~
And then on the night with the setting sun~
She went in the woods away~
So afraid~, All alone~
They warned her~
'don't go there~,
There's creatures who are hiding in the dark~'
Then something~
Came creeping~
It told her~
'don't you worry just~
Follow everywhere I go~
Top over the mountains or valley low~
Give you everything you've been dreaming of~
Just let me in~ ooh~
Everything you wantin'~
gonna be the magic story you've been told~
and you'll be safe under my control~
just let me in~ ooh~'"
"your name in that life was lily? And you got controlled by a person in some kind of woods?", Diluc asks. Lyra nods, looking up.
"'just let me in~ ooh~'
She knew she was hypnotised~
And walking on cold thin ice~
Then it broke, and she awoke again~
Then she ran~
Faster and~
Start screaming~
'is there someone out there~?
Please help me~
Come get me~'
Behind her~
She could hear it say~
'follow everywhere I go~
Top over the mountains or valley low~
Give you everything you've been dreaming of~
Just let me in~ ooh~
Everything you wantin'~
gonna be the magic story you've been told~
and you'll be safe under my control~
just let me in~ ooh~'
just let me in~ ooh~"
"oh my...", Jean says, too stunned to say anything else. Lyra stars crying, hiding her face within her hands. Venti himself was already crying silent tears.
"'Everything you wantin'~
gonna be the magic story you've been told~
and you'll be safe under my control~
just let me in~ ooh~
follow everywhere I go~
Top over the mountains or valley low~
Give you everything you've been dreaming of~
Just let me in~ ooh~'
Then I ran~
Faster and~
Start screaming~
'is there someone out there~?
Please help me~'
'Just let me in~ ooh~'"
"... I can't imagine what kind of trauma you had after that...", Jean says after a moment of silence.
"... that person gave me this curse... well, it is mostly a curse, but then again... it is a blessing. If I didn't have this, then I wouldn't have met all these amazing people I met over my lives. I learned to love and cherish the ones close to me, even though I knew that they were only limited...", Lyra says, reminiscing the past.
"so... to put this short you are my... ancestor... which was your twelfth life and now you are on your fifteenth life.", Jean asks, just to be sure. Lyra nods.
"yes... though please. Any of my other lives don't have anything to do with each other. I have never been born into the same family line. So don't treat me that way. Also, all of my lives have a somewhat different personality, even if they are just slight changes or very big ones. As I said, none of my lives are directly linked to each other except for the fact that they are my past lives. Anyway... I also died quite young after getting this ability. I believe it was a year after I got cursed when I died. A neighbouring kingdom attacked ours and our kingdom was destroyed to smithereens. But that is enough of my past."
Lyra wipes away her tears, as she turns back to her current self. "we have a bigger problem to solve. Dvalin."
~•~•~