Author's Note: This is one of those ideas that has been gnawing at me for years, and I'm finally putting it down on paper. This is a slash story; that means love and romance between two men. If you have problems with that, the back button is at the top of the screen. Flames will not be tolerated.

Disclaimer: Do not own; not mine. Under ML's Creative Commons disclaimer.

With Life Abounding

Prologue

Karal frowned as he thought about what Florian had told him.

"What of Vanyel, and Stefan, and Yfandes?" he asked, remembering how the spirits had given everything they had to protect the living.

Florian smiled. "They've made decisions about their destinations, and they didn't have a lot of time to make sure they were properly placed, so they've already gone on. I can't tell you what they've decided, but it's going to be fine."

"In fact," he added, as his smile grew brighter. "It's going to be glorious."

Limbo, Vanyel realized, looked a lot like the grove in Companion's Field. His and 'Lendel's tree was even there, when he distinctly remembered it being destroyed by his lover's mage-fit after his brother's death.

Across the grove, he could see Stefan and 'Fandes, the former no longer shifting between appearances, like he'd tended to do after his death. Noticing his scrutiny, Stefan came over to him, reaching out and taking his hand.

"Are you ready?" Stefan asked, nodding at the Portal that was at the entrance to the grove.

Vanyel gave his life partner a wry look. "After being confined to the Forest of Sorrows for a few hundred years, I should hope I'm ready to move on."

"I meant," Stefan elaborated, with an affectionate sigh, "are you ready for what might happen? What we're going into, we might not find each other, again."

"We will," Vanyel told him, emphatically. "We will be together in the next life. All of us," he added, when Yfandes nudged his shoulder, impatiently.

Stefan nodded, and they stood in silence for a long time, facing the Portal that would take them to their next destination.

"I'm afraid," he admitted, finally. "I'm afraid of what's on the other side, and I'm afraid of you not being there. I guess I've gotten used to you always being by my side."

"I love you," Vanyel told him, reassuringly, "and I will find you if I have to tear the world asunder to do it."

"Such a romantic," Stefan teased him. "And here I thought I was the one who had a way with words."

"You never know," Vanyel retorted. "Maybe in this next life, I'll be a bard, and you a mage."

"That would be nice," Stefan said. At Vanyel's curious look, he added, "You don't sing enough. You have a nice voice."

"There never seemed to be much to sing about," Vanyel said.

"Maybe this time there will be," Stefan replied.

Then, he kissed Vanyel before touching their foreheads together.

"I love you," he murmured. "I don't want to leave you."

"It's not forever," Vanyel assured him. "We will find each other again."

Stefan nodded, wordlessly, and, draping their joined hands over Yfandes' back, the trio strode determinedly into the light leading them to the next life.