Once More

Death sat in a field.

It was a field of nourished green with an abundance of flourishing flowers. A light breeze blew perfume across her nose and rustled the long strands of her hair. The wide brim of her hat protected her sensitive eyes from the sun’s blinding rays. In the distance before her, she saw a vision that made her stomach twist with anxiety and her throat tighten in longing. Her fingers curled into a fist and as she felt exhaustion wrack her carefully held composure, the flowers around her feet began to wither.

Another year.

Another cycle completed.

Yet, Death felt lonelier than ever.

It was nothing new.

Her soul’s mate had never been by her side. Death and Life were never truly meant to be together. It was the cruelest curse bestowed upon them by primordial Chaos. They were two sides of the same coin, bound to one another by their immortality but unable to spend time with one another, save for a single day a year. The irony made her want to laugh.

Though, that was not to say he did not try do his best year round.

Life always provided her with what she lacked, three hundred and sixty-four days of the human calendar year. Even today, he had created such a lovely scene for them to share. The garden of her dreams, stretched under an endless blue, summer sky. The table he was seated at was made of white iron, round, and just big enough to seat the two of them. Another breeze carried the scent of her favorite tea, oolong with cinnamon and vanilla. The soft sound of his voice fluttered to her in song, nonsensical words melding together in harmony.

Death took a breath and gathered her courage.

The grass was soft beneath her bare feet and as she drew closer, she took the time to study her counterpart. Life was seated at the table, flowers adorning the braids in his hair. The white strands were as long as he was tall and pooled on the ground around his seat. His bronze skin remained unblemished. Dressed lightly in soft blue and gold silks, Life presented a lovely vision and Death could not stop her heart from skipping a beat.

As she opened her mouth to call out to him, he was turning towards her with a bright smile and soft gaze. Her cheeks flushed and her mouth snapped shut as she nearly stumbled. He stood to greet her, swiftly enveloping her in his arms to sweep her off her feet.

“Thanatos, my heart, you have arrived.”

Despite herself, she felt some of her tension melt away. Sighing softly, she nestled in closer to him to return the gesture.

“....hello, Orcas.” when he kissed her cheek, she felt a laugh catch in her throat. “Please put me down. Our time today may feel eternal but the stroke of midnight will be upon us soon.” And she would be forced to return to her domain to continue her tasks.

Orcas set her down and gestured towards the table he had prepared. “Then let us sit.” respectfully he held her seat out for her but rather than immediately seating himself adjacent to her, Life chose to serve her instead. Pouring her cup of tea before his own and organizing an assortment of tea cakes and cookies before her.

“Tell me, Thanatos. Did the year serve you well?”

2021 had been an abundantly busy year for her house, still behind on the paperwork from the year prior. Humans thought death to be the end but she lived her life for them. When they died, she had to file away the cause of death and what their soul weighed. Then it was reincarnation, servitude or, in special cases, nothing at all. Her grim reapers helped with a small portion of those tasks. She even had the Horseman of the Apocalypse to move things along. Though they served in her name, the four entities had separate ideas on what goals should be achieved in the long run. In the end they desired an end to time. So, while she had busied herself with sorting the numerous deceased spirits crowding her domain, Pestilence created plagues. He poisoned many and while some were strong enough to survive, others were quite unfortunate. It was so busy that she had to outsource to the wretched Hierophant to assist in judgement, as it was not something she could be bothered with personally.

But she could see Orcas in every corner of her hall and there was a comfort in that. There was little to truly complain about when she put it into that perspective.

“I have enjoyed myself immensely.” Death held the tea cup to her nose. She inhaled the sweet aroma of heated spice and rich vanilla and could almost taste the hint of honey on her tongue. “I can feel your love when I am home.”

Life beamed at her as he took his seat. “That has always been the goal, my love. Do they serve you well?”

“Yes. Some of them, even the animals, have such radiant souls, beautifully cultivated by their trials and tribulations. While some have been tainted with darkness, I find others who cling to life and desire to repent. They are the ones that serve me well.” after taking a drink, Thanatos caught his eye. Her stomach twisted again as the weight of his attention settled. “Did you enjoy my gifts this year?”

Orcas created life with ease. His ingenuity allowed him to impart special characteristics upon his creations be they man, animal or something different. Yet, purposefully, he gave them a life cycle so that Death could take them as her own. As all things live, they must also come to an end. It was his way of taking care of her and mitigating her loneliness. He was quite mindful of her needs and desires. She tried to offer the same respect but her skill set was vastly different. She could only take life, not give it. To work around her shortcomings, Death began to organize. She categorized the nontraditional gifts given to her, transforming the spirit left behind into a material form. For the very unique souls, she made them books. For other’s, she made cards that enhanced the more prominent characteristics of a specific soul. When a child met an untimely demise, Death fashioned them into precious jewels that radiated with innocence. She would give these to Orcas over the years course, sending old and new servants to deliver them for her. He enjoyed when she utilized the life forms he made for her and she took pride in being able to match his gifts to his moods.

“I have quite the array of jewels now." Life announced, pride coloring the deep timbre of his voice. "I think I’ll divide them out among newlyweds in the new year, to help replenish what has been lost. My creations live such short lives cherished and sometimes taken for granted.”

“No more than the gods take their own lives for granted.”

“How very true.”

Life offered her tea cakes, to which Death quietly went to reach for her favorite only to have the sponge cake placed to her lips with a playful smile. How nice it was to be in each others presence. When she laughed, he felt his heart flutter. When he brushed her hand with his, she chased after his warmth with a gentle caress of her own.

Finally, they were at ease.

Time moves differently in the plane between their realms.

It feels like they talk for days recounting story after story.

It feels like they lay in each other's arms for an eternity, dozing in and out of sleep.

It feels like they have never been apart.

Yet the tug of their curse quick reaffirms their reality.

As the stroke of midnight drew close, Life was the first to move. From where they lay among the flowers, he gently drew Death closer. His arms wrapped around her slender waist, fingers bunching into the soft fabric of her dress. She sat against his hips, looking down at him. He could see the pain in her eyes, though her brows knit together in concern for him. Quietly he sighed, chest aching at the thought of leaving her once more.

“Oh, Thanatos.”

Gently Life pulled her to him. The bulk of her blonde hair fell around him like a shroud. He placed a kiss on her forehead, then her eyelids, her nose and finally a kiss to her black painted lips. Their breath intermingled and when they pulled apart both held on to the other for several long moments.

“Thanatos,” he whispered softly. “What would be your greatest desire for next years’ gift? Do you need help around your house?”

“Perhaps a scholar…” she could use help in the archives.

“So it shall be done, my love.”

“The most precious of jewels for you?”

“So long as they are made by your hand, I will cherish it.”

“Then it shall be done, my soul.”

A moment longer and it felt as wondrous as an eternity.

Once parted, she watched her life walk into the distance. The flowers rustled in the wind filling the air with a soft fragrance. It was unspoken between them: Do not look back. It always made it harder to leave when they lingered so she did not fault him for returning to his realm in a steadfast manner. Their time together was always bitter sweet but the loneliness that had plagued her upon arrival had abated at last.

She thought about the conversations had with her soul’s mate.

She remembered the way he smiled as he held her.

His warmth and his love were impressed into her being.

Death sat in a field.

For once, she was at peace.