LIFE AND DEATH CONT'D

After stepping through the opening she had created, he saw he had followed her into her realm, a world he hadn’t be to in a long time. The opening had led them to the top of one of the numerous mountains of the realm, all the great mountains stood tall and proud, many thousands of feet above the ground.

The view of this biosphere from where he stood was magnificent, birds of unknown origin flew across the violet, cloudy sky, momentarily grabbing the attention of the animals that moved below. With its many diverse fauna and flora, this world had a way of making its beholder feel trivial and small, but at the same time it gave you a soothing feeling, one of calm and comfort.

Turning over, he spotted her standing close to the edge of the mountain, looking over her domain as her vibrant hair blew in the wind. He silently walked over to her and stood by her side, waiting for her to speak.

She finally let out a sigh and turned to him, “I could say watch this view forever.”

“This place has always had that effect, hasn’t it?” Zae nodded. “It’s even more beautiful than I remember.”

She looked away from him with a frown. “Ah, yes, it has been some time since you’ve last been here.”

“It has.”

"Would say it has changed?” she asked.

“I think there’s a maturity to it now, everything was simpler back then.”

“Really?” she pouted. “It doesn’t seem like that much of a difference to me.”

“Of course, it doesn’t, you’re always here.” He responded. “Just look at the animals, the flowers, even the sky. It wasn’t always this colour, or had that many suns and moons.”

“I guess it did become a bit complex over time.” She observed.

“I like the change,” he shrugged. “It suits it. It suits you.”

They fell into another moment of silence, he gazed down at the crystal-clear water as it broke out from one of the highlands ahead of them, pouring down into one of the rivers. The water replenished all the green life that surrounded it, and it was believed that they held healing powers, but he had never had any need to find out. Back then, he only ever swam in them recreationally.

“Come sit with me.” She called out.

He swung around and saw she had walked off and sat on the bench that was beneath the tree at the very edge of the mountain’s peak, he went over to her and sat next to her.

“Was there a reason you wanted me to come with you?” he asked quietly.

"Nothing serious,” she responded. “Just wanted to see you.”

“And why now?”

"I don't know." The crack in her voice betrayed the guilt she felt. “I-I just thought we had been apart long enough.”

“Oh, I see.” He uttered, as he uncomfortably ruffled the grass by his feet.

“Actually,” she went on, as she cleared her throat. “When I was making the usually rounds through the human world, I saw a book about us. That’s what made come see you."

"About us? Like a fantasy book?”

“It seemed like one.” She replied.

“Well, it’s not like it’s the first they’ve written about us.”

“We’ve definitely seen a lot of ridiculous ones over the years.” She laughed.

“Like the one where I’m a crafty seductress.” He smirked.

“Yes! That was my favourite one yet!” She slapped his shoulder as she bent over in laughter. “And it had pictures! You made a very pretty girl, I might add.”

He smiled. “Remember the movie that said we feed on the souls of people?”

Covering her face with her hands, she let out a heartly laugh. “That was the craziest one!”

"Humans have always had the wildest imagination."

"They do, don't they?" She chuckled.

“So, what’s special about this one?” he asked.

“That you came all the way to tell me about.”

“Honesty it isn’t that crazy, I just it would be something good to poke fun at.”

“Alright, and you said it’s a book?”

“Yes, it is, but it’s a poem in the book that stuck out to me, it pretty much gives you the idea of whole book.”

“Really? What does it say?”

She cleared her throat and begun;

Life and death have been lovers since the beginn-

“Woah, woah!” he exclaimed. “That’s painfully inaccurate.”

“Can I just finish, please?” she laughed.

“Alright, go on.”

Life and death have been lovers since the beginning of time,

Bound together by a love that seemed sublime.some

Their love could to gleam and glow,

But in truth it was mostly sombre and hollow.

It was known that they were never to be together,

Ignoring this, they held each other as they walked wherever.

“I guess the fact that our love is ill-fated is ideal.” He interrupted.

Ignoring him, she continued;

Didn’t she know, as she longed for him so unyieldingly,

He had caused so much hurt and pain to humanity?

A love like that could not be perfect or beautiful,

It took too much, and gave back only a little.

So, they ran with the wind to be free from their sorrows.

They danced a dance that shook the cosmos.

When they clashed, they burnt and destroyed everything in their reaching.

As she stares into the flames, she’ll see why it was shunned against from the beginning.

And yet, I know if they could it all again, they’d do it the same.

Maybe that’s why they long for each other, cause they’re really just insane.

As she finished, she turned to him with a raised eyebrow, expectant of his reaction.

“And why did you want me to hear this poem?” he asked drily.

“We used to laugh at the theories they brought up about us.” She responded sheepishly. “So, when I saw this one, I thought you’d like to hear it.”

He gave a small smile, “This one was pretty bad, it’s like they get more inaccurate each time.”

"It seems that way."

"Well, they all have one thing in common." He noted.

"What's that?"

"They always see me as the villain."

"Well, sometimes." She said after a pause.

"Sometimes?" He snorted. "In literally every one we've ever watched or read about us has the plot where I'm some devilish, sneaky crook."

"They don't understand what we do," she muttered under her breath. "You can't blame them."

"Well, over time it gets irritating to see yourself constantly perceived as something you're not."

She gently shut the book with her hoary hands, and sat back in silence. He looked up at the sky after a raindrop fell at his feet, several more began o trickle around them.. He turned to look at her, and felt a tinge of guilt as he saw the sadden expression on her face.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," he whispered. "I know we used to joke about these things before. I guess I'm just not in a jovial mood."

"You know, there's a positive to the way they see you."

"And what's that?

"There's no way to go but up, since they think you're the absolute worst thing in the world, you could only get better in their eyes."

"Where."

"What?"

"The saying you're thinking of is, "there's nowhere to go but up". Not way."

"That's what you got from all that? Really?" He grinned sheepishly as she frowned at him.

"Alright, I guess that's a positive," he said. "If they knew I wasn't the cause of their death, maybe they wouldn't despise me as much."

"Does it really bother you, Zae? How they see you?"

He was silent for a moment before answering, "Not initially, but after sometime of hearing terrible myths and stories about yourself, even you start to believe it."

"Even though they're lies?"

"Even though they're lies."

The rain stopped and two of the suns shown down brightly through the parting clouds. He stared down at them with displeasure at the now wet ground that had stained his formally clean shoes.

"Can't you create a world where mud is non existent?"

She smiled, "If I did that, how would my plants grow?"

"Ahh yes, I guess it's a necessary evil."

"It is, and you should probably get going before your father notices your absence."

"I'm sure he's noticed, a few minutes of my absence wouldn't kill anyone."

He rose from the seat, and started to walk over to where she had created their entrance to this world. She followed after him, as he wouldn't be able to leave without her.

"You're not the only one they've told lies about you know? She called out "They believe I create their human life, that's a lot of hope to have in someone."

He stopped and looked back at her with furrowed brows.

"How disappointed do you think they'll be if they found out?" She went on. "With all the expectations they have of me, I guess for me the only way to go it down."

"I never thought of that."

"Of course you didn't," she said as walked past him. "You're always too busy being depressed."

"Hey! With good reason!"

Ignoring him, she opened another pathway with the wave of a hand. They stood side by side, staring into it in silence.

"We should do this again soon."

"See you in a couple hundred years?" He smirked.

"Couple decades?"

"I'll clear up my schedule."

He stepped up to the portal, and stared at it for a moment then turned back at her.

"Goodbye mom." And stepped through.

"Goodbye Zae."