Universe of Soulmates

"Ruby Red Phoenix"

Dear readers,

I would like to tell you a story about a bird.

Now, this isn't just any bird.

It's a phoenix. The mythical, legendary phoenix which rises up from the ashes which were the result of its fiery death. Its wings are the color of the darkest rubies, glowing amber, and shining gold, and its eyes the purest sapphire blue.

There's a legend that two people with matching tattoos of this phoenix will be the ones to find the phoenix, wherever it is hiding, and to rule the world. If they pass the test of honor, one almost no one could pass in their lifetime or the next, that is. The test of honor isn't something one could study for or do as a show for the public. If the person isn't of the purest heart and most honorable desires, they, too, shall fail.

Over the course of history, only six pairs have had these matching tattoos, and only the first passed the test of honor. And, it was so long ago that no one remembers much of their tale. Their names, however, are engraved in the history books forever.

I'm not here to talk about the past, though. I'm here to talk about the present. About two women who are the bearers of the phoenix tattoo. They are ordinary women, with nothing significant about their life outside of the fact that they have this tattoo.

I guess I should introduce them, shouldn't I?

The first, a single mother of two living in the plains of South Dakota. For this woman, the first time she noticed the tattoo on her body was on her thirteenth birthday. However, she didn't figure out that no one else could see it until a couple days later. Her grandmother, upon hearing that she had a tattoo of a phoenix, told her the legendary story of the mythical bird. How, when a person of true honor found them, provided they had the symbol branded on their skin, the phoenix declared them a world ruler with just a single note from its beak. From that moment, the woman, whose name is Maria, vowed to find the phoenix in her lifetime. She had two kids thanks to a dirtbag of a man who tossed her aside for a prettier and younger girl, but still loved them nonetheless.

The other woman, named Jessica, was the complete opposite of Maria in nearly every way. She only thought the legend of the phoenix was just that—a legend. When she saw the tattoo, Jessica was mesmerised by it, but thought nothing more of it. It also didn't show up on her body until her eighteenth birthday. The only thing Jessica knows about her tattoo twelve years later is that it's the key to finding her soulmate; just like everyone else. Plus, living in one of the biggest cities in the world, New York City, she still thinks she'll find her soulmate in the city that never sleeps. Unlike Maria, Jessica hadn't dated often, only dated women, and never had a child.

Now that we've introduced the two main characters, I guess it's time to move onto the reason why I picked those two women. Obviously, they both have the same tattoo. That much was explained. And, they're soulmates. But, thanks to a mysterious letter and a grounded flight, they're about to meet.

"Flight DL 1024 has been cancelled due to severe weather conditions in New York City. All tickets will be transferred to other flights once the storm has died down." Jessica, who had picked a random airline she'd barely heard of when she booked the ticket back home, is more than a little peeved to hear the news. She couldn't predict the weather, though. No one could do that. So, she did the next best thing and called a hotel to get a room for the night.

"Hello, I was hoping to get a room for the night. My flight was cancelled, unfortunately." In South Dakota, there weren't a whole lot of hotels. Three within a twenty minute drive of the airport. It wasn't exactly a large airport, and the necessity for more than three had never come up. "You have a room? Perfect. I'll be there as soon as I can." Jessica heads to where a line of taxis are ready to take the next paying customer ready to head to a hotel or other nearby destination.