Love, Spirit, and the Ghost General

Chapter Two: Restlessly Resting

Spirit was unsettled. She was suddenly by herself,  for the first time as far back as her memory served her. She had quickly, solidly, and  (as far as she could see), irrevocably set them free. Without a qualm,  she had turned to the task of seeking a life with her soulmate. It had taken so many lifetimes and hundreds of years as an immortal to find him. Not only would she not give up Wen Ning, she was determined to secure him in this one last lifetime and live it to its fullest. But this sudden alone time was overwhelming. The comfortable cacophony had always followed her and the company made her chosen path bearable. She missed them. She missed Wen Ning as he was preparing for this new life ahead.

So, one day, she played hooky. She woke very early, while the gods slept, and began to walk, searching everywhere. Dozing households and palaces. Gardens and gazebos. Purple fields and golden streams. She walked the glorious beach and finally climbed the white bluffs that rose further above the shoreline. Tired, she lay on her back near the edge of an outcropping. Lazily, she rolled over onto her stomach and looked straight down onto the beach. And there he was.

He was practicing his swordplay, shirt tossed to the ground, sweat shining like armor. His gentle demeanor was replaced with a new determination, and she watched in amazed silence as hidden muscles played under the ivory skin. Her heart was pounding, and she found herself thinking some very unladylike thoughts. 

A whisper made her jump. "Scorching, isn't he?:

She snapped her head to her left and there lay The Childe of Eternal Passings, smiling mischievously at her.  "What do you think you are doing?"

"I could not sleep, so I decided to take a walk. I thought I was alone, then he appeared...as did you. What are you doing here?"

"Same. Could not sleep. Saw you skulking about. Followed you."

I do not skulk."

"Oh yes, you do, and you are awful at it. Take it from a professional skulker!"

"Shhhh! Will you at least be quiet and let me be, just a little bit? He and I have not met here, so no harm, no foul." 

With his softness of heart and gentle soul, it was sometimes easy to forget what a warrior Wen Ning really was. Right now, that was on full display and all she wanted to do was run to him. But a bargain is a bargain. After a few more moments, he took a step toward the bluff and laid down his sword. The Childe chose that time to walk away, back turned toward Spirit. Wen Ning raised his cacao eyes to meet her rose-colored ones, shining with hope and desire. He smiled and bowed to her.

Spirit's heart almost exploded. She held her palm to her mouth and whispered into it.

"I love you. Until the next life." Then she kissed her palm, gently flicked her fingers outward, and sent the message to him. He reeled as he received it, and he raised his large hand to his heart, turned, and dived into the surf. He rose to the surface and stood to look at her once more, and that was when the soft sound of The Childe clearing his throat, jolted her back into reality.

"Our King knew you both needed this meeting. Something to carry you through. But do not try his patience, He has been more than generous."

"You mean he allowed this?"

"Yes."

"I will remember to thank him."

"Thank him, with playing by the rules and preparing hard for the next life. He wants you both to succeed, but ultimately, it will be up to each of you."

************

Wen Ning waited until Spirit and The Child disappeared from view before leaving the protection of the ocean. He used it as a barrier, on impulse, needing the illusion of a wall between them. It was the only way to keep himself from rushing to Spirit's side. 

Next life. His chance to live a full and completed one. His diminished capacities after his encounter with the Dancing Goddess and later after his death and bizarre resurrection, the terror that followed every day that he was Wen Rouhan's hostage...these had left him lacking so many of life's normal experiences. He now was able to set normal priorities, like all men usually do. This would be his time for making friends and not seeing them burdened by pity or guilt because of his misfortunes. Getting a good education and job. Finding his Spirit and wedding her. Having children. He wanted it all. Intensely.

But most of all, he prayed for people to be able to see him. He never wanted that instantaneous spark of fear always aimed at him, just because the Ghost General was what everyone in the past had seen first, in every encounter he had. He desired simple conversations about the weather, not eyes averted in revulsion or parents shoving their children behind when he approached. Those thousands of cuts to his heart were now counted among the reasons he wanted this one chance to be normal.

He missed his friends as well. Wei Ying, The Jades, A'Yuan, his murdered clan, and his beloved sister. He hoped to see them again, someday. All in all, he was extremely excited, except for the memory loss he would need to endure. He did not doubt that he and Spirit would reconnect, but how long would it take? 

He threw his shirt on and headed back to his Master's cottage, refreshed and ready for his next day of instruction. Wen Ning was finding learning to be a pleasure now. Today, he would tackle becoming more assertive. The last lesson had been hard, the methods of dispelling old fears and negativity. His soul, he was finding out, was a resilient thing and if retrained well, it would be able to face adversity better and with a more positive result. Though chains no longer fettered him down, he could still feel them. But with each lesson taught to him and with constant practice, he was feeling them fall away and their weight easing day by day. Freedom for the Ghost General was on the horizon.