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Lyney and Lynette were 10 years old when their parents both died. An illness had somehow spread throughout the house, bringing the whole family to the brink of death. The twins both laid in the same bed, cold sweat on their brows as their bodies fought long and hard to keep them breathing. They awoke from their feverish dreams holding hands, as now orphans.
They spent the next few years wandering the streets of Fontaine, hoping to find the crumbs of something, usually some sort of food from a dumpster of a cafe, but one day, Lyney came back to their little alleyway with some crumbs of hope.
He had seen a street performer across town performing some magic tricks for a group of kids. Lyney joined the crowd, eyes brimming with curiosity. The magician had a whole bag full of tricks in which she showed the kids. She pulled rabbits out of hats, she pulled out coins from ears, and at some point she had asked Lyney to pick a card.
He was amazed at her card tricks, being able to flip and shuffle them with ease. He was even more amazed when she picked his card not out of the deck, but from his own pocket! The audience clapped and cheered, while Lyney was sure he had stars in his eyes.
After the show, while the magician was packing up her things, Lyney walked up to her.
"Your show was amazing! How do you do that sort of stuff?" He questioned, rocking back and forth on his feet. The girl turned to face him.
"Hmm? Ah, it's you! You were a great audience member." She shuffled through her bag, looking for something.
"A magician never reveals her secrets. Although, if you want to truly learn, start here."
She handed him a pack of cards. Lyney looked down at the pack, examining it as if it was a precious gemstone. When he looked back up to thank the magician, she had magically already disappeared.
"Amazing…"
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For the next few weeks, Lyney practiced non-stop. He learned how to shuffle the cards, although mediocrely. He showed Lynette everything he was learning, and was teaching her everything he knew. Before they knew it, they knew a few basic card tricks, along with a few other small gags.
They were practicing on the side of the road one day, Lyney flipping his cards in his hands, when a child walked up to the two.
"Excuse me?" The twins looked up at the kid, who couldn't have been older than five.
"Are you magic-ans?" Lyney smiled at the kid's mispronunciation. Lynette looked towards him.
"Yes we are! Would you like to see a trick?" The kid enthusiastically nodded his head.
Lyney stood up, Lynette following him. He flipped his cards in his hand and turned them towards the child. "Pick a card! Any card!"
The kid picked his card, looked at it, and gave it back to Lyney. Lyney shuffled the cards, closed his eyes, and picked a card.
"Was…this your card?" The kid's face dropped.
"Noooo." He frowned.
Lyney feigned shock.
"Ah! Forgive me. I must have dropped it somewhere…" he patted his pockets.
"Lynette, can you be a dear and check your pockets, too?" She checked her pockets. Nothing.
"Ohhhh I know what happened!" Lyney finally stated, turning to the child. "Can you please check your pockets?" The kid looked confused, but checked his own pockets, only to find his card!
"Wow! That's my card! How did it get there?"
Lyney chuckled.
"A magician never reveals his secrets!"
Suddenly, a young woman ran up to the group. "Alexander! There you are!" She grabbed the boy's hand.
"I am so sorry! He ran off and I couldn't find him. I hope he didn't cause you any trouble."
"Maman! They're magic-ans!!" The boy, Alexander, cheered.
"Really?" She looked up at the pair. "That's fun!"
"I want to see them do another trick!!"
"Well, I'm sure if you asked them, they'd be happy to show you another one!"
Alexander turned to the twins, with big, curious eyes. "Please show us another trick!"
Lyney turned to Lynette and smiled. She nodded. "We'd love to."
As they showed off their tricks, a crowd started to form. People started throwing cash into Lyney's hat, a cheap top hat he'd found in a dumpster last night.
After they're performance, someone from the crowd spoke.
"Who are you two?"
The twins looked at each other, a quiet conversation within their minds. Lyney then spoke, loud and confident.
"We are the Fontaine twins! My name is Lyney, and this is my lovely assistant and sister, Lynette!"
That night, Lyney received a Pyro vision.
They also gained the attention of aristocrats. And then soon, they were living with "Father."
At first, it was great! Lyney started figuring out how to add Pyro to their shows. They finally had a room of their own again, opting to share a room since the separation incident. Lyney felt protective of Lynette for the first few days as they were settling in. Lynette added her own ideas, and helped him practice using his vision, even though she didn't have one of her own.
However, after those first few days, Lyney started to slow. His breath was heavier, and his skin grew hot.
One day, during their rehearsal, Lyney collapsed.
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"Father" was out of town. Lynette would find it was ironic, if not for the situation she's now put in.
She's 14, all alone, trying to care for her now sick brother. His fever runs higher every time she checks it.
She got him on to his bed, placing a wet cloth on his forehead. She could tell he was having dreams, mumbling in his sleep. She got up and went to find her shoes. Off to the library.
She quickly scanned the isles, looking for books to help with sickness. Anything she could find, she grabbed in a haste. On her way to the front desk, books stacked up to her chin, she found a section geared towards the knowledge and research of Visions. She set down her books, looking through the new section. She had assumed that Lyney's new Vision may be at play here, so she decided to look into it. She found a few books on how to wield visions, and general understanding on how they affect the human body. She picked up all her new books, and checked them out, the lady at the desk giving her a concerned glare.
She rushed home, carrying her books in the new bag a nice couple had given her on the way out. She ran up the stairs to their bedroom, dropping her books and rushing to the bed her brother laid still on. When she had left him less than half an hour ago, he was tucked in with a cloth on his head. Somehow while she was gone, he had kicked the blanket down to his feet and his shirt was now on the floor. He was curled up on his side, cuddled up next to his cat.
After reapplying the cloth to his forehead, Lynette pulled up a chair and got to reading. She wrote down anything she found useful, and started changing her setup to better help Lyney.
She pulled the covers off of his feet and folded up the blanket. She pulled off his shoes and stockings, too much in a panic to do so earlier. She wets the cloth again and lays it on his head, then grabs another one for his neck.
Once he’s situated again, She picks up the book about Visions. She found the chapter titled “Effects on The Human Body” and started reading.
She found out that while very rare, it isn’t unheard of for a person’s body to reject a Vision’s power. Depending on the element the vision holds effects how serious this is, and it can last anywhere from a week to a month before the body accepts the power.
The book continues to list things you can do to help someone going through this and how to get the body to accept the vision faster. Lynette takes mental notes on everything the book says about Pyro visions, which includes taking off the vision and keeping it away from the holder, as well as trying to keep the person cool.
She does her best to follow the instructions carefully.
The next few days are a haze, for both Lyney and Lynette. Lynette is spent. She’s barely gotten any sleep and the fur on her tail is matted. Lyney, of course, isn’t doing any better. The first two days were relatively quiet. On day three, he started waking up only to get sick all over.
The new set up after the third day involved a bucket, along with Lyney’s stuffed cat that he adores, but would (usually) never admit. Right now though, embarrassment eludes him in his sickness. Lyney was somewhat awake throughout the day now, which calmed Lynette's nerves, at least a bit. Lynette was able to take a shower and brush her hair before she could hear Lyney gagging from the bedroom.
By day five, Lyney was getting worse again.
Lynette had woken up to Lyney’s cries at four in the morning. She got out of bed quickly and made her way to Lyney, placing her hand on his forehead.
“Lyney, what's wrong?” her voice came out for the first time in days, all course and rough. She sounded monotone and uninterested, yet her eyes shone with worry. Usually, Lyney would know. He’s always known that no matter how uninterested or cold she may seem, she did truly care. She loved him just as much as he loved her. She hoped he still knew that now.
“Lyney…”
The boy groaned and cried out, gripping Lynette’s arms.
“..maman…”
Lynette’s eyes widened in shock, then confusion, then realization.
Oh…
“Lyney…I’m not Maman…”
He only cried, and she wasn’t sure if he heard her.
“Maman…”
Lynette always did look similar to their mother. She got her feline traits from her, while Lyney took more after their dad.
'His eyesight must be fuzzy. Poor Lyney.' Lynette thinks.
Lyney just continues to cry, grabbing towards his sister. She sighs and climbs into the bed with ease, holding him close as he cries.
"Shhh…it's okay, Lyney. It'll be okay…"
She really hoped so.
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"Lyney, I'm sorry but I need to cool you down!"
Lyney cried and struggled as Lynette picked him up and tried to get him in the bathtub. It was now day seven, and Lyney's health has fastened its decline, while his fever has quickly gotten worse. It's been up and down, points where he can sort of talk to Lynette to now, where it's at its worst.
Lynette needed to get his temperature down now. And fast.
Lyney was in a constant state of delirium, only sobbing and calling out to their parents. When Lynette placed him I'm the bath, clothes and all, he only sobbed louder.
"I know! I know I'm sorry!" Lynette felt tears prick her eyes. She let Lyney lay in the water for ten minutes before taking him out and helping him change.
She laid him on the bed and added more wash clothes to his forehead and neck.
His fever still wouldn't break. Lynette sat in the chair she had placed next to his bed and just looked at him.
This…wasn't her brother. Her brother was bold and confident and not this sick. Gods, he hasn't been this sick since…
She cried. She cried for her parents, cried for her brother, she cried to the archon themselves. She threw her head on his bed, arms used as cushions.
"Lyney, I'm sorry…" She sobbed.
"There's nothing else I can do."
When it comes to the Archons of Teyvat, people have different beliefs. Most people believe that all seven exist. Some people only worship the archon of their nation, some worship a select few, some worship none and some worship all.
Lyney and Lynette knew of all seven, and believed in all of them. They were of the opinion that all seven worked together, and so they prayed to the others as well.
Lynette prayed. She prayed to any archon that would listen. Kusanali, Morax, Raiden, anybody.
'Please help me. Please help my brother. I can't lose him, too. I lost my parents, I lost my home, I lost everything. I don't have the ambition Lyney has. I don't have his strength, his courage, his confidence. If he goes, I'll lose everything I have. I'll lose myself. If I lose him, I lose myself. Please I can't go through that heartbreak again. Not my brother. Not my partner. Please.'
She sobbed, collapsed on top of Lyney. It was probably not helping him cool down, but what did it matter? No matter what she did, he'd only get hotter, until his stupid vision finally started working, or he died.
Across Teyvat, someone had finally heard her cry. A young bard in the city of freedom had heard her prayer, and had a silent conversation with Celestia above.
As Lynette sobbed on top of her brother, he had suddenly lost the tension in his shoulders, and his sobbing had ceased.
For a moment, she had thought the worst. That was until she had realized her skin was giving off some sort of wind. Her whole body had cooled down, and her hands produced a nice, cool breeze onto Lyney.
Looking at her own body, she happened to notice the glow of something in her pocket. Picking it out of her pocket, almost like Lyney's magic trick, she found an Anemo Vision. She had half a mind to throw it across the room before it got her sick, another quarter of a mind to let it, and another quarter of a mind that realized what this means.
The Anemo Archon was watching over them. Anemo Visions are given to people who have experienced great loss. There were rumors of Barbatos losing someone during the war, and that's why he finds people who have lost people to help them.
He's helping her keep Lyney alive.
She keeps her hands on his forehead and chest for an hour. Unlike Lyney, the wind came to her naturally, fortunately. The coolness of her own skin was better than any cloth or bath could do.
Finally, finally, Lyney's fever broke. After seven and a half days, Lyney's fever was finally going down. It was still high, though, so Lynette got into the bed with Lyney. She placed her Vision in a spot where it was in contact with both Lynette and Lyney. She held him close, cooling him down throughout the night.
By day nine, Lyney walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and Lynette nearly cried.
She hugged him so tight, he squeaked before returning the gesture.
"You're okay."
"All thanks to my assistant."
She giggled.
"I was so scared."
"I was too."
"You were so out of it."
"I remember you taking care of me, bits and pieces."
"Father has been gone all week."
He held her closer at that statement.
"So…you've been all alone? All week?" He looked her in the eyes, his own shining with concern.
She only nodded, eyes downcast.
"Oh, Lynette…I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault you got sick."
"You took care of me all by your lonesome."
"It's not that big of a deal."
"Lynette!" He grabbed her arms, emphasizing.
"You haven't taken care of yourself all week. You've been too busy taking care of me. It's my turn to take care of you!"
Lynette shook her head. "No, you're still sick. I can't let you do that."
"Too bad. I'm taking care of you now. You're a mess."
She looked down at her appearance. Her hair hasn't been properly brushed, nor her tail. She's been wearing the same pajamas for four days. Then, she looked at her brother. He hadn't had a proper shower in over a week, his hairs all greasy and his body is still all sweaty.
"I think we're both a mess." Lynette smiled.
The two laughed, together again.
Lynette took a shower first, Lyney insisting. She finally changed into new clothes, grabbed her hairbrush, and then went to sit in the living room. Lyney sooner joined her, having showered and changed himself.
"How are you?" Lynette asked as he collapsed on the couch, all dramatically.
"Better. Still hot, though." He sighed.
Lynette brought the brush towards her tail, trying to sort through the tangles and matting.
"Here. Allow me." Lyney took the brush from Lynette, starting to brush through her fur.
"Thanks for saving my life."
"Thanks for not dying."
By day eleven the two were practicing their act again, with both fire, and the wind to sooth it.