The Ghost General glided into the clearing, his chains announcing his arrival. He walked up the five steps that led to a cottage. It was remote, further back than the Lan Hunting Lodge. When the Temple Battle had ceased, he and Sizhui had discovered it, The teen had decided it needed rescuing and they visited it, renovating and bringing it back to its homey perfection. His nephew kept calling it their "vacation home" but the Ghost had seen through the ploy. Sizhui knew his own destiny lay back home in Cloud Recesses and the kid wanted his uncle to have a place to be happy in. Honestly, the Ghost General would have been equally comfortable sitting under a tree. Sleep had gone, as had food, the moment his corporeal body had died. Upon revival, all those necessities had stopped. It had simplified his strange existence tremendously. The only thing he had never experienced, because he had matured so slowly, was sex. He had died a virgin and in his still, non-beating heart, he wished that he had had the chance to know a woman in that way His wait for a next life was going to be a long one, because who knew how long this hard-to-kill body he currently inhabited would last.
It was a subject that he pondered more, now that Spirit had entered his life. He was regretful that this day had come and that he had to tell his love that war was indeed coming and he would need to leave after all. Their unusual romance would need to pause as he joined the fray.
******
The Ghost General had stopped one day, not long after he had made the Cottage his refuge, and sat to rest this body of his under a tree, near a riverbank. His mind settled and he was beginning to relax when he heard a tinkling voice singing a little song by the water. He slowly stretched up and beheld a figure, so clear and translucent, he could see right through it. He was dumbfounded. The person was beautiful. Exquisite features, pure white hair that hung to the knees. Try as he might, he could not distinguish the figure's gender. He was enchanted at first sight.
Whoever this creature was, one thing was certain, it had, at one point, resurrected as he had and returned as he did. This diaphanous being was marked as he was, only the cracks, consistent with the ethereal state of its body, had faded to a delicate rose-pink. The eyes were also a lovely rose color.
"Hello! Stop hiding and come greet me! I won't bite."
The Ghost General, fierce and frightening to all, cowered back a little, wary of making this thing afraid.
"I already saw you fly in my grove. Come out. I am not afraid of you!!"
The Ghost General was hesitant but slowly stood up and made his way to the water's edge, trying not to stare. He could think of nothing, except bowing nervously in front of her... Him? Both? Either? Neither?
"All." The figure said.
"Pardon?"
"All. You are wondering what to call me. Call me All."
"All?"
"That's what I am. I am all that I have ever been. All will do for now."
"For now?"
All laughed. "You repeat a lot don't you?"
He bowed in defeat "Hello, All. Do you live around here?"
Yes. For now,"
"You say for now a lot, don't you?"
All's laugh reminded him of a wind chime. "You are very adorable and you are funny, too."
"I am sorry, but I just don't see it. People usually scream and run."
"I was 'people' many more times than once, but I was also like you, at one time, you not so 'fierce corpse! I can put myself in both pairs of shoes. But right now, since I turned down Heaven's offer after I attained immortality, when I had experienced my final death, I just decided not to leave here until am comfortable with the idea."
"So, I suppose I could call you a Spirit.""
"Sound like as good a thing as any."
What did the gods want?"
"For me to become one of them. Not the right time for me."
"How long ago was that?"
"Five...no...six hundred years ago."
"Hmn, so you have been wandering as a Spirit that long?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"Why not say yes?"
"Not sure. I think I felt something was missing."
"Have you found it yet?"
"I may have. I am not quite sure."
The next morning he woke at dawn. All was sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing a necklace made of water lilies. Wen Ning stared with his perpetually dazed eyes.
She chimed with amusement.
"I think I found it!" She giggled.
His Spirit never left. They had a wonderful year together until Meng Shi began to move North.
He kept the secret of All to himself. He had little compulsion to share such happiness, this warm, sweet happiness that filled his empty spaces. This was something just for him, nobody else. He did not doubt that he had fallen in love with him...her...them...All. All loved him. He had no answer as to why, but loved him, yes. It was plain to see. They seemed perfect for one another, once you adjusted to his being a Ghost General and All being a Spirit, running from godhood and seeking a forever person.
He was honest about his sense of duty to Wei Ying, Qing, and the Lan Sect. His determination to join the fight was part of why she loved him. He was the most transparent, honest person she had ever met. This was her soulmate and only she could have waited until this in-between-time in her existence to meet him. Her timing was, well, very strange. Two souls so incredibly different and with an outcome impossible to predict...only All could have chosen this ridiculous situation.
"I may not come back." He looked so sad at the thought.
"Then I will beg the gods one favor before I join them. To allow me one more life to spend with you. If we can have one normal life together, I can wait patiently up there, looking for you to spend your final lifetime and join me."
"You are very persuasive. I believe they will allow that. If I am not killed, spend the rest of my strange life with me. Then I can be patient, going through whatever Karma grants in in my other lifetimes until I can join you again."
Do you mean...?"
"Marry me."
"When?"
"Now. Let's return to the river bank, bow three times, and marry forever." His finger, held an inch above Spirit's see-though form, traced the longest and his favorite, fierce corpse marking, a pink fissure that swept from the bottom of the delicate chin down past the gentle clavicle.
"We have to wait until the next lifetime to consummate it!" All said, a little disappointed.
"That is not unusual for me...I have always been the last to catch on to things. And I have heard that it is worth waiting for."
He rose to tower above her.
"Let's go, my Spirit. Let's make our bows."
"Of course, my Ghost!"
This story is dedicated to one of my newest readers, Skallen05. She just read the above chapter and loved it so much, she asked if I could continue Wen Ning and Spirit's story...so read on and enjoy the Reincarnation story of Ning and Spirit.
Thank you, Skallen for the inspiration and a long needed nudge!
Nana
'
YOU ARE READING
Love, Spirit, and the Ghost General
FanfictionGhost General joins in a Night Hunt and is mortally wounded and his mate, known as Spirit or All, depending on their mood, is in despair. The Heavenly Realm offers her(he, them) a deal and despite their mourning, they agree to accept. Anything to be...
