[F&R] The Disillusioned Messiah, Part 2.

Their kiss lasted for a few moments, but in his mind, over two thousand years of emotions rushed through him. His body tingled with energy, and as their lips parted, they both simple looked into each others eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that", he said, "because now I want to yield to my flesh. I want you, badly, woman."

"That is my mission, you know."

He looked at her quizzically, pondering, then understood. "You are trying to seduce me into submission. I won't do the job on my own, without love, so they sent you back to try to coerce me into action."

"Isn't that what you want? The love? Hasn't that been your demand since the beginning?" She leaned in and kissed him again, and he didn't resist. For a few moments, time no longer existed, and they were lost to reality. She pulled back from the connection.

"This helps me", he said, "but not anyone else. My own desires denied for eons doesn't solve the problem I'm supposed to solve."

"True", she said, brushing her lips against his briefly, "but we need you fixed in order to fix the rest. We are at a stand still because of your lack of influence. The rest of the world has gone mad, with no direction, and there is literally no way to sort it out. We need you, Yeshua bar Josef."

He stiffened, and sat back in his chair, glaring at her. He was stunned that she would use his birthname. Between his denial and lust, he was torn. She sensed he was withdrawing, and set in to move him with her words.

"Yes, Yeshua, I have you now. Pinned between your carnal lust for me, and your forlorn past. I know you hate it when people call you Jesus, and how they've mistranslated your name over the years. You were born into this world as "Joshua, son of Joseph", and they twisted the translation to something you abhor. I can't do anything about that, that is the history humankind has laid into their collective memory, a latent meme that still survives. They call on the name of Jesus, but it has no effect in unleashing your power. They use the wrong name, and they fail. They are insolvent in their ability to create change."

He glared at her, his passion foaming, and his anger, long since lost, re-kindled. He knew how to turn his anger into love. He softened his demeanor.

"You sting me, woman. You speak the truth. I can't deny that. I gave them my love once", and he was interrupted by the blaring announcement of last call. He looked at her. It was time to leave, and she nodded.

"So you want to go someplace to talk?"

"Sure", she said, "that is why I am here, and I have nothing left within me except talk. Since you've been gone, all the powers that the heavens used to hold have long since diminished. There is little love left on the earth, and nothing from which we can draw strength from."

He looked back at her, as they held hands and walked out of the bar, tears forming in the corner of his eyes, the tears finding their way slowly down his cheek. He realized her situation, then, that she had volunteered to come back to save him, but with no means by which to return. He knew that archangels were formed from love, and had great power, but with her words, he knew that she was stranded here in her current form, as a mortal. He pondered her sacrifice, as well as his own. They walked together silently, for a while, holding hands, simply walking to a point in future.

The evening was warm, as they walked along, and they found a park with benches in it, and meandered in the dimly lit gibbous moon. They sat down, close to one another, with Gabby leaning into Josh, their bodies touching. He could tell she needed his strength, yet he felt he had none to give. He wrapped his arm around her, and she sighed.

They sat there silently, holding each other, and Josh began to feel love again. He didn't want one of his best friends to be stranded here, and he had no choice but to feel the love that she radiated. The two sat quietly, for a while, until Josh finally spoke.

"They killed me."

"I know", she whispered softly, "that had to be the worst experience ever."

He didn't reply.

"You did it because of love."

"I can't forgive them for that."

She paused, a slight sigh crossing her breath. "You can't?", she asked rhetorically.

"They didn't get it. They still don't. I harbored no malice, I just wanted to guide them. They wound up twisting everything I said."

She hugged him, and sitting on the park bench, there on that simple night, she placed her hand against his cheek, drew his head closer to her lips, and she kissed him again, softly at first, then fully.

After endless moments of remembering, Josh leaned back to look at Gabby. There were tears running down her cheeks, dripping down to the ground.

"I can't do it again."

"You have to try", she replied, "or else ALL is lost."

"Love given freely", he replied softly, "Is a gift. It's supposed to be cherished, honored, and revered. Dad sent me the first time to show them that, but they didn't listen. Things are even worse now, I've been watching since they first disposed of me, and with the advent of the internet, it's become a cacophony of religious beliefs, no unity anywhere, and no desire to change. The whole world is beyond hope, beyond understanding the true meaning of love. I can't do anything to change that. I'm sorry."

They held each other, and they both wept with John 11:35.

"So there's no solution then, to this puzzle?" Her words were whispered quietly to him.

"Nope."

"Yeshua, really? You'd give up that easily?"

He went silent, his mind renewed with thought. Negativity had no place in his nature, yet the past remained haunting in his thoughts.

"I never give up. I can't. The problems of today last for an eternity. I'm simply not willing to repeat past mistakes. I know the solution, but it requires humankind to be involved with a change in their attitudes towards others, and I don't see that happening."

The archangel gave a long sigh, and was quiet for a while. When dawn began to break, she sighed once again, and said, "then I guess I will die here, with you, and continue loving you being a mortal until age overwhelms me. If that is my fate, I will be happy with it, because love is the only thing I know. I don't have the choice. I will love you, Yeshua bar Josef, until the end of my days." She nestled into him, her arms wrapped around him, and she nuzzled her head against his chest, giving the last bit of love that she possessed to him. She started to fade away with the morning light.

He held her as she faded, tears flowing for her demise. She had been his best friend for eons, he didn't want her to go, but torn between his past mistakes and the love he held reserved, he felt helpless. For a moment.

A moment is eons in eternity. He knew that, and with a final resolve, purchased by love, he gave her once again the love she needed, and she resolved back into consistency within the morning light. They kissed, and his energy flowed into her, and hers back into his. They both smiled.

"So you think it'll work this time around, Yeshua?"

"I can only try. Once more."

"That's all we can ask. Your task is to give love. Ours is to see it spread. We'll do our best with what you give us, and what you give is pure. The task at hand is not easy, by any means."

"It never was easy, until it's understood. I'll let the understanding be my guide."

"You are loved, Yeshua, my friend Joshua. We'll give you the strength you need. Draw on us when you need to, because on this day, you have made us alive again.

Love is more powerful than any words."

As her words drifted off into the morning light, she shimmered, glowing ever brighter, and with a final kiss, she stepped away from him, unfolded her wings, and with the wind of her mighty wings beating, she took flight into the air, disappearing from his view as she flew heavenwards. She was beautiful to him, and he smiled.

His hope was renewed, and even if it meant dying again, he knew he'd try once more.

Simply because he wanted to express his love.

Synopsis:

A bit of background for this story can be found Here. I found the link after I wrote the story, sorry for the misspelling of Yeshua bar Yosef. The story stands as is, as I peruse that link a bit more. The name I used comes from earlier research I had done.

Druid...I'm glad you wrote Part2 to this story. I love the resolution. It brought it all together for me.

You done good Druid....again.

Des