Ghost

Prayers and Hope

Lan Qiren is still standing where Sun Hua has left him. So many thoughts are going through his mind. He finally settles on, "I am the Clan leader of the Lan Clan, and his nephews are part of the Lan Clan. He has every right to go into Lan Zhan's jingshi. He deserves to know what is going on in there. No one has the right to stop him.

So, with determination, he opens the door. He stands frozen. What he sees, he cannot believe or understand. He wants to look away but cannot.

The healers and the child are hovering around Wanji. My God, what is he looking at right now? What he sees is what appears to be hundreds of black, squirming, slug-like creatures crawling all over Wangji's back and shoulders. Lan Zhan's eyes are closed, and he appears pale and, quite honestly, dead.

Lan Qiren dropped his sword, and he dropped to his knees. He begins to wail loudly. "Wanji, Wanji, the Yiling Patriarch has finally found a way to kill you!!"

Immediately, Lan Zhan snaps open his hard and dark amber eyes. He growls, "You are not qualified to speak his name."

Lan Xichen rushes over to grab his UUncle but isn't fast enough. Lan Qiren quickly stands up, but not before grabbing his sword. He raises to the throat of Sun Hua and draws blood.

"Did he send you here to kill Wangji?" He spits out. Meanwhile, no one has noticed that A-Yuan has come to stand in front of Lan Qiren. He then proceeds to kick Lan Qiren in his shins hard.

A-Yuan screams, "My Baba wouldn't hurt father!! You are a bad man."

Lan Xichen has placed a silencing spell on everyone and manages to strike the sword out of his UUncle's hand. Sun Hua grabs A-Yuan with his sword gone and swiftly places the child behind him.

"Please, for everyone's sake, please leave," said Sun Hua to Lan Qiren. "Lan Zhan being upset is not good for his health or child."

Lan Qiren sputters, "His child, are you serious? How is the Wen brat his child?"

Lan Xichen grabs his UUncle's arm and pushes him out of the jingshi. "Maybe tomorrow I will explain, but not now and not here."

Since treatment has been disrupted, Sun Hua collects the sponges while Lan Xichen prepares the bathwater for A-Yuan and Lan Zhan. Even though it doesn't show on his face, Lan Zhan is distraught and extremely angry. He hadn't seen his Uncle in almost two years, and nothing had changed. His Uncle still hates Wei Ying, and he still loves him.

Sun Hua increases the Lotus scent after the sponges have been removed. He gives Lan Zhan tea with a relaxer, then lays A-Yuan next to Lan Zhan so that they can comfort each other. Both finally fall asleep, and Sun Hua joins Lan Xichen outside. For a long while, no one spoke, each lost in their thoughts. Finally, Sun Hua speaks softly, "Will you allow your Uncle to come back here?"

"I don't know. He ordered the beating and ordered me to keep my brother and the child away from his sight. He has forgotten we are family, that he raised us since childhood. Our parents were not parents to us; he wasn't a parent to us either. We only had each other. Now that Wangji has the child, I'm sure he doesn't want my Uncle around him. Especially after what he said tonight."

Sun Hua shakes his head. These two have been through a lot for such young men. He then asks, "May I ask about the significance of the Lotus flower to your brother and his child?"

Lan Xichen gets a faraway look in his eyes, then sadly says, "Someone important to the both of them came from a Clan surrounded by Lotus ponds. That person loved everything related to the Lotus flower."  He doesn't want to say anymore. He bids Sun Hua goodnight and leaves. Sun Hua stays up longer, and he has much to think about before sleeping.

Everyone is still upset by Lan Qiren's actions and words the following day. Sun Hua decides to postpone treatment to try to bring a more peaceful atmosphere into the jingshi. He opens the windows and doors to let in the gentle breeze and then lights the Lotus incense but with a secret ingredient added. He places himself next to the incense burner. He wants to tell them more about his home, but his surprise and gift is that they can see and hear about it because of the secret ingredient. Once everyone is settled, he starts.

"I want to tell you about our Summer Solstice festival, the Full Moon festival. Our people prepare months in advance. It is the day we honor the heavens for choosing us to care for the Lotus flowers. We make candles, flower arrangements, oils, and medications using the Lotus. We make paper lanterns like the Lotuses and send them to the heavens. We also make paper flowers and put them in the Lotus Ponds. Each flower has a special message of hope and love to whoever finds it."

Sun Hua looks at A-Yuan and Lan Zhan and notices their shining eyes. "Do you want to hear more?" Both nod yes, and A-Yuan claps his tiny hands. He is so excited.

Sun Hua smiles, "On the night of the full moon, everyone gathers at the Lotus Ponds. The only lights in the villages are the candles and the full moon. The scents of the various Lotus fill the air. The women and children are wearing bracelets and flower rings in their hair. The men are wearing robes, the colors of the Lotus flowers they care for.

When the moon is at its highest, we all say a group prayer and add our own individual prayers. The lanterns are then sent with our prayers to the heavens. The children place the paper flowers in tiny boats in the pond, hoping the messages are found by those who need them most. When this is done, each village prepares a feast so that everyone can go village to village to see family, new and old friends, and possibly the love of their life.

It is truly a magical night filled with love and laughter. The next morning is usually a day of rest. No work of any kind is allowed.

As Sun Hua talks, the other three in the room can see everything he speaks of. It makes everyone yearn to be there. A-Yuan snuggles closer to Lan Zhan and whispers, "Maybe we can go there with Baba." Lan Zhan kisses his cheeks and says, "Mn."

In his mind, he relives the time Wei Ying and he did a similar thing in the past. But now he wants to go to this place with his Wei Ying. He wants them to be dressed in Red there. He wants to marry his beloved there, make love to him under the full moon and stars, and never let him go.

Wei Ying can feel his thoughts and cries while smiling. "I want this too, my love, so badly. He hugs himself and cries even harder.

"Not much longer, little one. I will set you free. Your lover will be strong enough to protect you and the child. I know you are strong, too, but he is your other half, your soulmate. Together, you are invincible. Forgive soon no one will be able to hurt you anymore. Lan Zhan and I will see to that..."