Don't Let this Miracle End in Tragedy
Chapter 1
"Do you remember the day we met?" J'onzz Chang Fei Yen asked her husband in a dreamy sort of pleasant voice. Not even the cheery chirping of birds could rival the pleasantry of her tone. Out of respect for her former husband, and her children born to him, she retained his surname; Chang, and absolved herself completely of her family name when she took on J'onn's name too. She was a thoughtful sort, often easily lost in sky gazing or the aroma of whatever particular flower she seemed to pass by. But in that, she was sacrificing as she constantly looked for ways to please those she loved to which her happiness would also be obtained. Her question was just as far off as her often breezy demeanor. J'onn learned early that she was the sort to easily get her heart crushed for her innocent naivety, which was normally reserved for children, extended well beyond her presence of mind to let the cruelties of those around her, even natural - like the death of her first husband - influence her. It was, initially, what drew him to her.
As J'onn tried to find his way through the dregs of society, the parts that made him want to fight for a better earth, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He often questioned his decision to leave the league, but never with such power that he considered returning until he'd done his very best to wade through the plethora of atrophied culture and wasted civilization. His mission was to find the diamond in the rough - the thing that made this planet so worth working for, maybe even dying for. He was not nearly ready to give up when he found her, therefore her question echoed in his mind and in his throat was a resounding, "Yes."
His response was not nearly as powerful as the automatic instinct to bellow it at her; as that was how swiftly his heart and head meant to retort. She was the not the first miracle he'd found in the dreadful spirits of the less self-sacrificing and selfish, greedy individuals she shared the world with. J'onn, though knowing the politics of humanity and the globe, could never fully understand why mankind was as divided as it was. Interpreting the people and their whims was difficult enough, combining the inherent voracity and desire to promote only one's self lead to government; which was counterintuitive as the institution of government often claimed to strive for the betterment of society. All at the expense of the society it governed and that was where J'onn found his biggest obstacle to interpret - how people truly defined lines of separation geographically, racially and socially. It was a thing he grappled with regularly, but left only for his own mental playground.
Fei Yen had been one of the few pure spirits he met on his pilgrimage. It was Shen, however, that sealed his curiosity and drew him to them. Two souls with less malice than even some of his friends, his family, in the Justice League. It was a purity he had not seen since his days on Mars, and even then it was rare to find such beings full of compassion and optimism in the world. They weren't heroes, they had no intention on saving human-kind from all the villainy of the world. Fei Yen and her son, at market that spring day, were like the sensation of clarity in J'onn's head. They exemplified that which brought him ease and serenity. Amis the myriad of hustle and bustle, me-driven personalities simply trying to get that last bit of seasoning for dinner or pound of rice, they were quiet in his mind, calm and nearly weightless on his burdened head.
"It was right here." She said, her eyes drifting to the dirt packed road below their feet. They often returned to that same market every few weeks as it was a chore for Fei Yen and J'onn enjoyed just simply spending time with the soft woman. She was truly taken with it, her mind seemingly distracted by her own words and with it, J'onn smiled happily for her easy comfort. She was often considered slow by others, daft even, but what they saw as weaknesses, J'onn saw as strengths. She had a way of pulling him in with her virtue as he could take a minute to see the components of life that made up the complexities he so often got caught up in. She wasn't capable of calculating the force and mass of the planet and how it might collide with some other celestial body. She wasn't aware of the most recent diplomatic agenda for the United Nations. She didn't have aspirations to be the most well known Chinese woman in history, both modern and in ancient times. However, she was driven to be the most knowledgeable person about her family's day-to-day lives, to provide them with the most fulfilling life while teaching them how to offer the same to those around them. She strove for sharing her very person with them as best she could. Fei Yen, if asked her biggest wish, would say that she hoped her loved ones remembered her when she was gone from them.
He had come to China in pursuit of the monastery that was said to be nestled in the nearby mountains. At the time, he'd gotten distracted from this initial goal, completely lost in rapture with the woman who's soul was one of the few lucid individuals he'd found in all his years on Earth. It was sad to him that purity was so rare among humans. Many showed signs of altruism and lack of vanity, but not so inherently that it outweighed the greed and indulgence. However, he had found, that among humanity, the most moral of people came from those most simple. Arrogance came hand-in-hand with knowing one had something to lose. Over confidence was tied to the idea that there were greater qualities in one over another. It was those superior attributes that made an arrogant man believe he could defeat loss and sadness, that he was above such emotions. J'onn's stout little wife was the sort who, instead, felt everything fully and didn't possess such arrogant disregard for others. Her most valued possession was not her pride, but her people; Shen, Rui and certainly J'onn.
Author's Note :: My apologies about the short chapter. We have had this complete for many weeks. However this is not the whole of the chapter but as, for the moment, this piece is on hold I figured it was only fair to post it and give a fair warning for the nature of our intentions. We got distracted, again, we also had a bit of a complex discussion in regard to the Justice League and J'onn's character which caused us to halt our current endeavor. We will, hopefully, come back to this piece. It's owed justice. Please don't give up on us.
To our loyal and new readers - you are wonderful. Sir Loki, I know we responded to your review but you are so kind to us an always have been. I can convey my gratitude enough to you for all you have offered us in critique and encouragement. You are truly fantastic. Thank you so much Amanthya for giving us a shot. When we get around to writing more we do hope you'll still be interested and will not be disappointed. Sorahart...dear Sorahart, you were our first inspiration. Our first reviewer, for it you always hold a special place in our heart. I also hope you will read future pieces to this story when they come around. And finally to Anahnee...it was such a bright and beautiful thing to see you check out this piece too. Your words are always fabulous and always encouraging as well as your helpful advice. You were one of our most dependable sources of encouragement while we visited the Justice League for the first time and this time we felt the same excitement when we saw your review. Thank you so much for reading. All of you. You are amazing.
V/R - Mandy and Jackie