This is one of my first serious attempts at a fic, for my (current) obsession, Hyouka!
Posted this earlier, but deleted it to fix many, many mistakes.
Enjoy!
It's been a long time since they first met. They had countless lives together before this one, each one taking place in a different nation and era, and had been called thousands, perhaps even millions, of different names. Met countless people, developing relationships with each and every one of them.
[When the pair attends school, there was nothing they didn't know. The Man had CAUSED some of these events and wars, discovered some of the theorems they studied. The Woman was, very often,
associated with him in the history books, and had accumulated many achievements of her own, has her face (at least a few of her previous ones) known to the world.]
At one point, the two of them aren't exactly sure why it happens, but they know it is inevitable. One day, perhaps far into the future (or perhaps tomorrow), one (or both) of them will die. And when they died, they were reincarnated (for lack of a better word) into their next life.
Always together. It seemed to be fate that they should end up together, in a relationship, for that's simply what will ALWAYS happen.
Perhaps "God"* is punishing them in some way and the Man remembers his 'first' life (at least, the earliest life he can remember clearly), and he's pretty sure the Woman remembers this life too. He was "Adam", and she was "Eve". "Adam" decides that if their reincarnation is really a punishment from "God", it must be because of "Eve's" curiosity. She was curious (even then!) about that apple, and then that damn snake had-
No.
He couldn't let himself be absorbed by the past. It was in the 2000s now, and the time when he was "Adam", and she was "Eve" had long since passed and was now regarded as a 'story' and a 'myth'. Those times are irrelevant... right?
It's funny (really!) that the times when the Man is absorbed in the memories and experiences of the past, the Woman is never nearby. He often wonders what she thinks about when she's back with her (current) family, and away from each other.
He'd ask her, and the Woman would, at times, avoid answering. During times such as these, she'd think back to the lives where their fates together just would not, did not, work, and wonder if all this was worth them being together.
The time of "Cleopatra" and "Marc Antony" would be a prime example. During this time, she had finally found the Man (it's not like they were always reincarnated near each other; much of the time, they had to search for one-another), only to find the complicated politics of their two nations. In the end, "Octavian" had interfered, and, as they say, that was that.
She rather enjoyed this period (aside from the war and such) and enjoyed the appearance she had , but the Woman isn't complaining, for she thinks the childish appearance she currently has is a nice change from being "Cleopatra" and "Mulan" (this was a fun lifetime as well). She also (very slightly) missed the Man's visage of the time, but she liked the face he held now. It was refreshing to see one less... Scarred and molded by war and death.
Occasionally, the pair would meet (in secret, of course) with the intention of finding out WHY. Why this happened, discover if "God was toying with them, punishing them, or had some other motive. But of course, with them being the only pair in the world (they believe) to be constantly reincarnated, their information was little to none.
During the lives that weren't as calm as their current one, there was almost always a person or two who was an obstacle or barrier meant to keep the Man and the Woman apart. Curretly, the Man and the Woman found the Magician to be suspicious. The Justice placed a close second on their suspect list.
The Magician and the Justice felt FAMILIAR to the Man and the Woman. The man is almost certain that the Magician was "Octavian", "Moriarty", and "Aristaeus". The Justice was almost certainly by the Magician's side, plotting with him. The only concrete documentation they could find of her was during her time as "Moran".
Of course, the Man and the Woman had not ruled out that both of their foes could have also been their close companions at one point in their lives. Upon closer inspection, it was highly likely that, during their time as "Romeo" and "Juliet", the Magician was "Mercutio" and the Justice was "Tybalt". "Mercutio's" and "Tybalt's" deaths had caused a further rift between their families, eventually causing their separation through death. So regardless of their positions and status, the purpose of the Magician and the Justice was still to keep them apart.
[Sometimes, the Man and the Woman felt that authors were given too much credit for their 'original' stories. Shakespeare and A.C. Doyle needed inspiration for their stories, right?]
But, of course, they had no proof, and the years continued on and on and on.
The Man and the Woman (during their new life in Kamiyama) had not yet met each other. It was only when they were in their teens, almost adults, that they had FINALLY met again. And (surprise!) the Magician and the Justice were right along side them, born again, this time, as his longtime 'friends'. (Of course, who knew what would happen in the future? This could all be a farce, a ploy to somehow separate them in the future, when they least expected it.)
It was only when the four of them entered their last year of high school did the Man and the Woman ask the Magician and the Justice about their "identities".
[Sometimes, the Man and the Woman felt a urge to affirm that they were indeed just normal high school students. They have lived for ETERNITY (at least it felt like it), experienced World Wars, technological breakthroughs.
Sometimes, they had trouble REMEMBERING who they currently were. Their lives sometimes blended together, turning them (at times) into a person with contradictory personalities and preferences.]
But, surprisingly, they got answers (if you could call them that).
[The Magician claimed that the Man and the Woman weren't being punished. "God" was BORED, so he created not only "Adam" and "Eve", but also the "Snake" and "Temptation"*, in an effort to see what would happen and if it would be interesting. It was interesting, far beyond every expectation "God" had, so he decided to continue with the Game.
The Justice had cut in at this point, reminding her accomplice that they were not permitted to tell the "pieces" everything. The Magician pointed out that they themselves were (most likely) also pawns in "God's" Game, and that the information they had was just a fragment of the truth.
So in the end, both sides had only partial answers to their questions.]
He had never told the Woman about this, but he had the suspicion that "God" was closer than anyone expected. His 'sister' might be "God".
Who else had manipulated his actions since childhood? Who had forced him into enrolling into Kamiyama High School, who told him to join the Classics Club, where the Woman was? Who else in their confusing lives, past and present, had so much influence and knowledge (besides themselves, of course)? She was the "Game Master", always one step ahead of them; so close, yet so far, always manipulating them from afar, where she couldn't be traced.
You would expect that, for one as dedicated as he was to her, searching for her countless times in the past, he would have told the Woman about the "Game Master". He himself finds it strange that he hasn't confronted the "Game Master" about his revelation. (He suspects that she already knows he knows, and is amused by it).
Perhaps the reason for this is that he's enjoying "God's" game, finally, after thousands of lifetimes. Or perhaps the Man has resigned himself to his fate; one where his soul cannot die and his lives will never end, never knowing when he'll be thrust into a life like the one he had when he was "Marc Antony", a life full of betrayal, violence and death.
[Had "God" planned it this way? For them to meet, love, die, and reincarnate until the end of time?]
It might have mattered to the Man and the Woman in the past, when they were still 'young' and 'inexperienced', countless lives ago, but not now.
Right now, the Man is enjoying his life, living with the "Game Master" and "God", "Oreki Tomoe". He's enjoying the time he spends with the Magician, "Fukube Satoshi", and the Justice, "Ibara Mayaka", even if he feels like he wants to kill them at times.
Lastly, he's enjoying his calm life with the Woman, "Chitanda Eru", the one he will ALWAYS be with, even after this game ends (That's assuming "God" will end it).
Presently, the Man is "Oreki Houtarou", friend of "Fukube Satoshi" and "Ibara Mayaka", brother of "Oreki Tomoe", and soul mate of "Chintada Eru".
This wasn't the most exciting life he has experienced, but it was one of the best fucking lives he's had so far.
:THE END:
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! I got this idea when I was watching a documentary about reincarnation... After watching Hyouka ep. 22, this fic was born! I don't know if I'll write another fic this year, but R&R anyway! :)
And the order of events in this fic is intentional, sorry if it's a bit confusing (but I'm sure you'll get it!). While I'm at it, sorry (in advance) for the shifts in past/present tense. It's 2AM right now.
Story Notes:
*"God": the quotation marks around God are not meant to be seen as a sign of sarcasm or offend God and religion. Quotation marks are used for "Names", and God is a character in this fic.
*"Snake" and "Temptation": Never said that their appearances were limited to people. Mayaka and Satoshi's characters are meant to play an antagonistic-ish role against Chitanda and Oreki. (Think Mayaka (Temptation) vs. Chitanda (Curiosity), and Oreki vs. Satoshi.