When Twin Flames Unite

A Debt Repayed

The den had promptly fallen and crashed. Casting the patrons inside and out, they fled into the woods. Their hysteria and anger had carried them for some time—long enough for them to forget the aching in their bones. They favored the aching in their hearts. The mindless rampage fueled them, blinding them to anything but their lost potential.

It was enough to carry them to the jeweled forest, which held the fate of their lives in its light. It beckoned them. The curved shape of the jewels wanted to be touched. The sway of the branches wanted to be joined. The sap bubbling ached for release.

A pipe dream, a lifeline, a chance to never need again.

An overwhelming cry filled the place. The force of their desire so great that even the roots of the trees were shaken.

They clamored over one another. Stepping on hands, faces, and any surface too unfortunate to be in the way. A race to the top this joyful celebration way.

Fulfillment an arm's reach away. In the jewels, the humans' reflection never more beautiful.

The beauty in a mirror doesn't always last. One by one, the same crestfallen faces watched their hopes shrivel and dry. Lighter and brighter, life had returned to them. A victory they celebrated with shame. Their heads hung low until the forest was emptied.

It was not often one celebrates one's own death, but the forest felt the same. A new energy had taken residence.

Inside the shrunken trunks, beneath the dried and cracked ground, mixed in the crunchy deadened leaves, the forest sang the praised of its liberators. Returned to its former glory, nature was restored.

With the final whisper of the wind, the forest crumbled to dust. The desolation haunted the humans, and with a final glance, they left The Forest of Eternal Waiting.

Through the dust, someone made headway. Running down the sunlight, angels descended to examine the damage.

The Guardian of Discernment was a woman whose braids piled high on her head and was supported by the prideful tilt of her chin.

"This is what happens when you bet against a demon. Perhaps we should take a break from gambling?" Her head started to wobble. Her pride diminished with each word.

The Guardian of Conviction was a man who took careful steps to avoid dirtying his robes.

"My good friend, don't you want to be free one day? Or are you fine working for eternity?" He pulled tight on his robes, almost tripping over them.

They cast a mournful glance at the wreckage. A failed attempt at cultivating immortality on their own. The sorrow that filled their hearts spilled out. A eulogy for the loss of their dream.

"Living our days out free. Going late to bed. Money grows on trees. The best card players you ever met. The perfect life of a retiree. The happiest people you ever met." Her voice lacked certainty.

"Eternal employees. A life filled with dread. Dealing with bureaucracy. Waiting for it to end. Strict hierarchies. Will we ever feel rest again?" His voice filled with desperation.

A headache started to form. Their palms began to sweat. A report to the council would be due soon. A check-in to see how they have boosted the humans' morale.

"The council will not like this. They'll punish us," she said.

"Our pension." He stomped.

"Our time off." She held her head in her hands.

"Our breaks." His ankles weakened, and he fell.

"We'll have to work!" The weight of her braids pulled her down.

They lay there, paralyzed by their dread. The rolling clouds of heaven taunted them. Forcing them to assign blame.

"It was you that gambled away a piece of conviction."

"It was you who gambled away the humans' discernment."

But it was no use, this was the price for their immortality.

"Curse that Malacai. We are guardians for eternity."

"Immortality should be a gift, not compensation."

A thoughtful silence spread between them.

"We could quit," she said.

"And wither and die as the humans do?" he asked.

They shuddered at the thought.

"Perhaps we need a better scam."

***

The dragonfly pendant glowed in Ala's hand. Warm and bright, it did not disappear at her touch. A sort of giddiness wanted to rise within her. It was real; the faith of her last follower was true. But the excitement was quickly eclipsed by worry. Ala imagined the follower desperate and destitute without it. How much they must have clung to it in their time of need. Without it, how did they make it through? How much of their life had been given away? How quickly would they decide that Ala was the source of their pain? She carefully tucked the excitement underneath her resolve to find them. Though she supposed she would have to deal with Shen first.

Collapsed into a heap on the ground, Shen was still. Half his body was covered in frostbite that was rapidly spreading. The death rattle a frightening sound. When she touched him, steam rose along with a hiss. The heat of her body competed with his cold.

Panick started to fill her chest. She didn't know how phoenixes worked. Sure, myths said it rose from ashes and flame. But he contradicted everything else so far. For all she knew, this was a natural part of his life cycle. A simple solution would be to bring him to heaven right away. After all, it was her duty to deliver him, and they would know how to help him best.

Still, it felt wrong to bring him while he was vulnerable and defenseless. For he was in this state thanks to her. Had she done her job properly, he wouldn't have ended up this way. Besides, she was grateful - because of him, she had verified that the pendant was real. She would help him through this as a thank-you. Her debt to him would be repaid. And she could deliver him to heaven and gain her freedom guilt-free.

Ala assessed the situation. His long and heavy limbs mixed up with the grass. Too heavy to carry, too fragile to fly with. Besides, if the humans saw his figure in the sky, it would be a catastrophe. The simplest solution would be to swim down the river.

She bent down and grabbed him by the ankles. Digging her heels into the dirt, she pulled him with all her might. Slowly and careful to avoid any bumps, they made their way toward the river. A procession of beetles and ants scurried in their wake. Their trail the shape of a snake's slither. A thorny plant drew blood from her calf. From the crimson, a flower bloomed.

Quiet and empty, the soft and muddy riverbank greeted them. It was far enough from town that no human would venture here.

Like a crab, Ala scuttled sideways into the water. Her legs and core burned as she dragged Shen over her shoulder. His dead weight pushed her beneath the surface. But she emerged in her dragon form and held up under his weight.

A soft breeze pushed them along with the gentle flow of the water. Following the receding orange glow of the sun setting on the horizon. A murder of crows flew the same way, their caws a welcome to her familiar shape. Shen lay draped across her, a limp hand trailing in the water — unknown to them yet already being remembered.

The river gave way to a marsh. Together, they trickled through the crisp grass and bushy cattails. Over the pink lily pads and green moss. Right up to the beaver dam surrounded by the gnawed-on drowned trees. Settled on the other side was Ala's home.