Princess of Faerl
29. The Truth of Yin and Yang

*Third Person*

They gave way to sleep, a deep sleep, each within their own room. The open zone was the same for both hosts. Meadows, cliffs, waterfalls, forest all included in identical patterns. The two circles sat mirroring one another. The masculine and feminine in perfect balance. At first it seems like they didn’t see one another until their circles merged. A perfect balance of yin and yang, creating a center point for energy, connecting the two hosts as they should have been since birth. Deities and beats souls operating together to cleanse darkness, purge negativity, Elentari and Aranelda becoming one with the four souls each held within, the five merging to create one spirit for each host. A brilliant silver mist pulled Arashi, Lucinda, Silk, and Serenity into Elentari’s image. A black sparkly mist pulled Ambrogio, Lucius, Falx, and Puck did the same, merging into Aranelda. They didn’t disappear, but created a perfect union to create Spirit. The best of all elements and all beings, the power to conquer all that threatened to destabilize their world.

Selene and Helios remained separate. They had to. This was the way of their reincarnations. There is only so much power a single mortal vessel can contain. If the body deteriorated before the war could be won it was all for naught. It would take too long for another to be born, if another ever was. The line was dwindling. The only hope for the future is that Elentari would have a lot of girls whenever she found her fated. Selene and Helios hoped this would go quickly and they could allow these two to live their lives as normally as possible. Too much had been taken from them already. The twins stood, females side by side across from the males. They created an energy circle around their souls, protecting them and binding them. All four of them in one large energy shield and then the deities placed one around the mortal twins. No matter what happened, they would be protected.

Selene and Helios looked at each other, a strange smile on their faces. They would do this. They will be successful this time. Nothing would stop them. Chaos would be either destroyed or imprisoned and Aphrodite would pay. Their voices, clear and strong cry out in this sacred space between the worlds,

“Mitéra Théa, ákou ta paidiá sou. Baínoume sti máchi gia na prostatépsoume óla ósa agapáme, ósa agapáte. To cháos den boreí na kerdísei. O ílios kai i selíni syndyázontai gia na katastrépsoun ton Protarchikó patéra sózontas ta thnitá paidiá.”

At that very moment, a silver triple moon marked Elentari’s back while a large blazing sun in shimmering gold adorned Aranelda’s back. Thea marked the mortals with the signs of her children as a sign of her love and protection. She never wished harm to her children. She only ever had three. She wasn’t like the others that wished for armies of children to rule the world. She wished for clear skies, prosperity, and love to rule the planes of existence.

Although they had not prayed to him, Hyperion was not to be out done. His blinding heavenly light surrounded the physical bodies and coated their aura giving them his protection. Selene and Helios took a deep breath, soaking in the essence of their parents, letting it heal their fears as much as it was healing the souls of their hosts. Today was the beginning of their battle.

The four souls within the zone held hands in sleep meditation for the next few hours while the waking world passed by them. The mortals bustling around keeping guard, worried, scared. They did not know what was going on with each change in breathing patterns, each time a pulse rose, the strange calm between. The souls were healing, learning, thirteen long years to make up for.

Elentari and Aranelda opened their eyes at the same time, a gasp of breath standing up in their rooms. The castle seemed to give a happy grumble, like an elderly person waking from a nap stretching to prepare to play with their favorite grandchild, even though their body wasn’t quite built for it. The twins ran from where they slept, which was a much farther run for Aranelda. Elentari looked at the door with her name on it, realizing next to it was another door that looked charred, as if it had been burned long ago and forgotten. The pair looked at one another and placed their hands on the doors.

The door before Aranelda transformed gloriously to mirror Elentari’s. Each took a step into their prospective places and then stepped backwards out the door, looking at one another again, mouths agape. This repeated a couple times before they fully walked in realizing their room looked exactly like their zone. They could also walk freely between the two rooms without any barrier. It almost seemed as if there was a vortex of sorts between the two that created a combined space. Everything felt so much stronger here. Selene and Helios knew this creation, but they’d rather let their counterparts discover some things for themselves.

“Welcome, children. We have heard the prayers, and we will lend our aid when the time is right. We have marked your mortal bodies with our immortal symbols and auras to strengthen you and heal you. When you need us, come to this space, and we will do what we can.” Thea and Hyperion flooded the vortex with their voices. This battle was no longer feeling so much like a long shot any more. They could do this. Protect the mortal plane. Save a goddess in distress. Wake her… undead lover… Piece of cake, right? Right.

At this point it was time to start training in earnest. Learning to unlock the spirit element within, let the yin and yang work its magic and become stronger. Elentari and Aranelda nodded to each other with serious expressions, eyes filled with determination. There was no time to waste. The space between transformed to an almost gym-like space. No time better than the present.

A tall dark haired woman appeared, swords in hand. “You have decided to train in the arts of war. I am to be your guide. I am Alke, daughter of Cybele, grandchild of Zeus and Gaia. I will be your guide and trainer from this point forward.” Her wings spread as she floated above the ground. The twins nodded towards her. The walls were lined with training weapons.

“Pick what your eye draws to and we’ll begin. You are going to need to tap into the Deities within and learn to coexist moving as one. Selene and Helios, you will need to let your hosts learn your abilities and letting them learn how to flow with you. You cannot control the body for too long or they will lose all their strength. You are together to work as one and guide, not to control. Also, this will not be like your past reincarnations. You will not return to the source when this body decays. Once your purpose is served you will depart the mortal host and Elentari and Aranelda will live their lives as your avatars instead of your reincarnations, able to summon you when you’re needed but you’ll have your own body to use and control. That is why it is imperative you do not make them reliant on you in battle or otherwise. Is this understood?”

All four voices replied in the affirmative, Helios and Selene surprised by this revelation. This time on the mortal plane will be different from any other time in history for them. Now to pick weapons.