Immortal Mortals

Last Days

Making their way to another coastal village, this time much further away Jie and Ai spent their last remaining week scouring the markets, taking in Mortal Realm Plays which Ai had missed terribly and making love.  It was slow, sensuous and full of passion, but each day left them feeling as if they had accomplished something, no matter what it was that they did.

They ate at the  finest establishments, stayed in the best Taverns reserved for the very wealthy and when they were not discovering new walking tracks that took them to hidden temples and beautiful waterfalls, they relaxed on golden shores under the starlight in each others arms.

And it was while they were under the stars that Ai reminded Jie of the day he had led her to the little hill to cry.  "Those days seem so far away Jie." she said softly as he too remembered a time when everything had seemed so right.  "I fell in love with you that day." she added whimsically and though their time had been brief, it seemed like a life time ago.

Thinking back, Jie tried to remember the day he fell for her, and he realized that he too had fallen for her at the same time.  He remembered her heartfelt confession of being engaged to marry a man she had yet to meet and did not want to.  Perhaps, if he had walked away that day, she may have lived her life among the Mortals in peace without the pain he was leaving her with, he thought to himself sadly.  "I'm sorry for putting you through so much Ai." he said just as softly which had her grasping his hand firmly.

"Jie, have no regrets.  What we did and said is an experience we can both cherish for the remainder of our days, because in the end, all we have is memories, and I choose to make mine happy." she whispered against him.  "We have both loved and there can be no greater reward for the effort we have given to our shared fate." she added as a single tear drop fell upon her cheek.

Then taking his silence as an opportunity to continue, she let go of his hand and wrapped it around his waist.  "We are old Jie, what is the point of dwelling on the past?  You have given me my best years and I do hope I have given you the same.  When it comes time for these two old bodies to leave this world, we can do so knowing we will leave behind two children who's hearts we have filled with love and in turn they will honor us by giving the same to their children." she said, before falling into silence against him as the stars above continued to flicker and dance.

Looking down at her face, Jie suddenly felt the tears well at the corners of his own eyes.  She never spoke that way, everything was either black or white, so to say something so profound or to show him a part of her heart that she had always kept separate from her Mortal Form showed just how deep she really was.  That she even had a mind that could not only speak her own truth, but to do so eloquently had him truly regretting his past actions.

"Indeed." he said softly as he reached down and wiped the tear from her cheek Then bending down above her, he kissed her lips gently.  It was feathery light and soft, but there was no need for it to go any further.   There was no need for physical pleasure when their hearts did all the talking.  For them both, it was more than enough, and when it came time to leave, they could do so without fear or even pain.

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The days went by quickly, and each minute he filled it with laughter and smiles, the two things he wanted her to forever remember of her Mortal husband.  He told jokes, which to him was funny, but having such different sense of humors, Ai would laugh at his ridiculous attempts, because his jokes were either so weak or not funny at all.  And it was while he doing his best to keep the smile on her face that the true realization of what Bai Zhen had said hit her.

He honestly did not have a sense of humor, or not one that anyone but himself could understand or appreciate.  And that thought had her laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.  That he had gone so far with a prank for reasons known only to him, had her admiring his perseverance and even his courage.  No one had ever broken their leg for her before, and certainly no one had ever Grand Kowtowed for the trouble, she couldn't help but laugh at the mans endurance, he was truly remarkable, she thought to herself.