Disclaimer: If I were the lovely Mercedes Lackey I would have stopped while I was ahead. So there is no owning here.

Once upon a time in a land far, far-Oh, wait, this isn't a fairy tale. This is the story of how two souls came to be together in love.

There was once a man Vanyel, at this point they had been dead many years. He had, during his life, found love twice, Tylendel who had died with pain and Stefan who lived for years after Vanyel's death.

It was said that Tylendel and Stefan were the same soul, that Tylendel had come back to Vanyel as Stefan. But that was not true for those who had believed that had made a simple error. Stefan and Tylendel were not one in the same, but had twin souls.

So, when Vanyel and Stefan were having fun going to their lovely afterlife, they were quite surprised when Tylendel was there waiting for them.

Now anyone who knows Stefan and Tylendel might expect them to argue over who would have Vanyel. Now, they would have if it weren't for on incontrovertible, lovely fact. Although both of them had believed that they belonged with Vanyel it only took them one look at each other to be attracted.

But they were obsessed with Vanyel, so they decided they would share him. Vanyel had loved his 'Lendel, but he fallen for Stefan and spent generations watching over Valdemar. Now they were free and existence was a lot more complicated.

They had been given a choice, and for now they were safe from the difficulties of everyday life. It wouldn't last forever, but for now they could be together.

This situation worked out perfectly until someone began to feel a bit jealous. The lovely blond Tylendel, the handsome brunette Vanyel and the sexy red-head Stefan were having an issue. And yes, passive voice was necessary for this, the author says so.

So, Vanyel, in his typical whiny fashion, decided that Stefan and Tylendel had been spending too much time together. This made him sad. And kind of angry. Alas, he was right, the two lovers had become quite attached to each other, spending much more time with each other instead of with Vanyel.

They felt a bit guilty about it too. So one day they decided that it was time to move on, go back to life. This way, they would end up with whomever they were mean to in the next life. And Vanyel had been impossible to live with lately.

This way, there would be no hard feelings.

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They were reborn. Vanyel finally was allowed his dream of becoming a Bard, he was accepted into the Collegiums. Alas, he didn't know that in a past life he had been the Last Herald Mage, the protector of Valdemar, a powerful force of magic, raw inside, capable of great things. He was just an amazing Bard without some complicated, cursed destiny.

Stefan became a youngling who was Chosen to be a Herald and to share a great bond with his Companion Skife(no, that isn't a typographical error). He was to have a great destiny. This life occurs during the reign of Lyra's children. Kris was quite happy in his position as the Herald to the Lord Marshall. Lyra married a prince of Iftel, which had opened up within the years following the wars. Stefan became a young empath. A VERY CUTE ONE.

Tylendel, oh, Tylendel, was a Healer. Without the stresses of war, he was happy as a giver of life. He was free, but he didn't know that. His soul did though.

The three kind of crossed paths. Vanyel became involved with a girl! He always was so crazed, it isn't surprising. What you are in one life does not necessarily carry to another. Don't worry, that turned out to be a girl who thought that she should have been a guy. It worked out for them. They were very fond of each other.

Tylendel and Stefan, with different names, were drawn to each other. Life-bonded. Fate had entwined their souls, their lives were spent together. Tylendel healed many of the student injuries that Heralds seemed to just pick up. At the age of fourteen, they knew themselves. They became quite attached.

They met over banana splits. Banana splits were served one day, someone had dropped one, Stefan had tripped, fallen into Tylendel's arms, setting up an interesting trends.

Ah, young love! Life is like a stack of pancakes, Tylendel and Stefan were in for some burnt, some perfect. And some cinnamon flavored.

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It's so weird, I wrote it and then I felt as if there could be more. Should there be? This was just supposed to be a short thing explaining the "how" of Stefan and Tylendel. Then again, sometimes you get a waffle instead of a pancake. My favorite simile ever.