In Every Lifetime

Chapter Twenty Five

Arthit opened his eyes, and looked around the room that held so many memories for him for the last time, both alive and dead. This was the room that he had shared with Kongpob too, that asshole. He still grumbled under his breath, scolding him for what he had done, despite it being such a long time ago.

He was a dead old man now, but he had never once let Kongpob go from his heart. He had never once let anyone in either, he didn't know how to anymore actually. When Kongpob left, he had left a permanent hole in his heart and the ring he wore on his necklace - a constant memory of the love he once had.

He was alive but he was constantly lonely. He knew, he understood, that the younger one had to be reincarnated - he was never going to stop him. Now that he was back here, all his memories and feelings back then came flooding back, stronger and clearer than they had ever been. He just wished that Kongpob had not decided to walk away from him without a word.

Souls could stay in the dimension for however long they had wanted to, it was after all the place to prepare for your next life. In his own time here, Arthit had met many others. Some of them had been in this state for years even, because they weren't ready. So why did Kongpob leave, without saying goodbye no less?

Arthit couldn't bring himself to understand him right now, he simply couldn't. They could have spent years together. He knew the other was worried about his health but that would have been something he would have learnt to deal with eventually. However, there was no use crying over spilt milk at this point. Kongpob had been gone for years. Many, many years. He wondered if the boy had been assigned a new good life, hopefully one with a longer life span since he never got to fully enjoy this one.

Sighing, he picked himself off the bed and walked out of the house. He followed the path that all of them knew, somehow, where to go, till he had reached the Bridge of Naihe. He stared at it from afar, before taking a deep breath and stepping towards Mengpo who was giving out the Soup of Forgetfulness.

"Child, you're going to have to drink this before you step onto the bridge."

Arthit looked at the bowl she held out to him.

"What if.." He started but was immediately cut off by the guardian.

"Everyone has to drink this soup before they go onto the bridge. If you don't, you will not be able to be reincarnated. That is the rule."

"But why?" Arthit asked, slowly as he took the bowl from the lady.

"Bringing memories from the past can be dangerous. There have been people who have been driven mad by their memories. They aren't able to live their present lives properly because they cling onto the past. So everyone starts their lives afresh now, with no memories."

Arthit nodded, a tear of his dropping into his soup. He could see the logic behind it but it didn't make it any easier to accept. Had Kongpob already forgotten about him? Was he going to just lose all the memories he had over this life just like that?

"Drink up my dear, there is no point fighting it. It is everyone's destiny. So drink and move on, and let's see where your fate takes you." Mengpo said kindly, squeezing his arm gently.

Arthit brushed his tears away with his sleeve and nodded again. Taking a deep breath, he downed the soup in one go.

"Thank you," he said, returning the bowl to Mengpo.

"Now go, onto your next destiny," the old lady said, ushering him onto the bridge.

Arthit looked at the bricked path of the bridge and took yet another deep breath. Stepping gingerly onto the walkway, he walked alone into the unknown.

From afar a young boy watched, only stepping out from where he had hidden when Arthit had completely disappeared behind the misty fog at the other end of the bridge.

Making his own way towards the bridge, he was shocked when Mengpo called out his name.

"Kongpob Sutthiluck, it's about time you turned up."

Kongpob grinned sheepishly at her. "How do you know me?"

"I've been waiting for you to turn up at this bridge for ages, child." She sighed as she looked him dead in the eye.

Kongpob rubbed his neck, and kept his head down in shame.

"So hurry up and cross the bridge now. The person you'd been waiting for all these years has already left too." She grumbled, shooing him with her hands onto the bridge.

"But what about.." Kongpob started.

"You were never planning to drink it in the first place. What are you even asking for?" She grumbled, waving her arm.

"You knew?"

"I know everything to do with this realm, child. I even know that you've been plotting for ages to run past me so that you wouldn't have to drink the soup."

"Heh.." Kongpob didn't know how to reply, it was naive to think he could defy the guardian. But it didn't stop him plotting ever since he had found out about the Soup of Forgetfulness from Deer.

"So stop wasting time and just cross the bridge." Mango repeated again, glaring at him.

"But.."

"Would you rather I make you drink it then?" She barked, annoyed at the boy in front of her.

Kongpob shook his head furiously, gave a quick wai before scuttling his way down the bridge. It was strange. In his many years of observation, not once had Mengpo allowed a soul to cross the bridge without drinking the soup. And yet, here he was, walking with full memories intact.

Unsure with what fate had in store for him in his next lifetime, he prayed to whoever was listening to his pleas, to allow him to spend his next life with Arthit. Taking a deep breath, he too gathered his wits and walked into the fog, straight into his next destiny.

Mengpo remained on her end of the bridge, shaking her head. Another presence was felt behind her as she turned to face the other guardian who had arrived in her realm.

"Siming, what exactly do you have in store for those two? If it wasn't for you, I would never have allowed Kongpob to cross without drinking the soup. It is against the rules!"

The younger deity smiled, flipping the book he held in his hands. "It was necessary for him to not drink it. He has to remember or their original written fates would not come true."

Facing the elderly lady who was still glaring at him, he chuckled. "Don't worry Mengpo, I assure you this is exactly how their fates are supposed to pan out. I've never had a pair of fates so intricately intertwined. I probably couldn't separate them even if I tried to rewrite it. I guess this is what the humans call 'a match made in heaven.'"

Mengpo stared out at the bridge in the direction the two had just disappeared in.

"Indeed, destinies that were meant to be could not be torn apart - not even by the writer of fates himself."

Siming shrugged, nodding in agreement. In all his eternity as the Keeper of Fates, he had truly never seen a bond this strong between two people. He wished them luck, in being able to see all their lifetimes through. It wasn't going to be easy.

~***~

Author's  Note:

And there we have it! IT'S A WRAP FOR THE FIRST LIFETIME! I hope this ending has left you guys with things to wonder about hehe.

P.S. I had always known how I wanted this life to end so I had this chapter written way before the others so it really is exciting for me to post it now! Also, for those who don't know, Mengpo and Siming are from Chinese folklore!

Thanks to those who have stuck around thus far and I hope you join me on the second round of craziness :D

-PW.