Another Life

Epilogue

Like a thousand-year flower, Mo Yuan emerged slowly from his sleep with the heavy and languorous feeling of crawling out from a cocoon to which he had been sealed for an eternity.

For a few moments he merely stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, overcome with emotion. His eye were wet. His fingers twitched and vividly he could still feel the touch of Seventeen's skin, smell the scent of her hair, hear her voice in his ear. It felt like only a moment ago that she was right there...

It was a long time before he could rise and make his way outside into the morning sunlight.

There were several other rooms facing the same square courtyard. From one of these he saw the pink-robed figure of Bai Feng Jiu emerge. She looked as devastated as Mo Yuan felt.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"I had a dream.." She shook her head. "But was it a dream? It felt so real!"

A dream? Mo Yuan stared at her, not knowing what to say. In the silence Feng Jiu's eyes filled with tears. "I have to go... I have to look for Donghua Dijun, maybe he's had the same dream as I. If he did then maybe it wasn't a dream after all. It can't be all just a dream!"

She ran off. Mo Yuan stared after her and then looked down at his hands. The sensation of Seventeen's skin was fading. But still his memories they were so vivid... but they were not really memories were they?

A dream, he told himself. Just a dream. Could a dream really be so vivid? A dream that felt as though it had gone on for a hundred years? A thousand years? An entire lifetime?

Other people were emerging from the rooms now. Important Gods, Immortals, Zhe Yan's friends. Most looked frazzled, some were openly crying.

Zhe Yan, Mo Yuan thought with growing anger. What have you done? This... this is too much.

He couldn't tolerate being in this place any longer. He needed to go back to Kunlunxu, to gather himself, to think. His emotions were all over the place, it felt like there was an explosion about to happen in his head and in his heart..

He walked outside, intending to disappear, then only belatedly realized how rude it would be to disappear without asking leave from the current Heaven Emperor. His very being rebelled against it but he steeled himself. He was nothing if not a master of self control.

When he approached the gate of Xiwu Gong he saw a line of other immortals outside, doing the same.

"The Heaven Emperor is still sleeping." The guard told each and every one. "But I will convey your words to him."

Mo Yuan was relieved. He had no desire to see Ye Hua at this moment and in his current state. He was the last one in line and when he reached the guard, a white robed Immortal that he vaguely remembered was called Tian Shu, he asked him to convey his thanks to the Heaven Emperor and Empress for inviting him to the party.

"High God," Tian Shu looked humbled. "I will be sure to convey your words. But tarry a while, I am sure the Heaven Empress would love to speak to you when she wakes. She often speaks about you."

The words twisted his heart. "I... not this time."

Tian Shu nodded, raising his clasped hands and bowed in a gesture of respect and farewell but before he could turn away, the door opened. The Heaven Emperor stood there, blinking at him in surprise. "High God Mo Yuan." He raised his hands and Mo Yuan returned the gesture. "Are you leaving so soon? We thought you would stay awhile. Qian Qian will be disappointed as to not be able to speak to you more."

"I have some affairs to look over." Mo Yuan said hurriedly.

Ye Hua nodded. Although to other people they may look exactly the same, to Mo Yuan it was not the case at all. Ye Hua's face was younger but at the same time, very serious. He often frowned and rarely smiled, except of course when he was looking at his wife. "I won't keep you then. Farewell."

Mo Yuan began to turn away but then stopped. Slowly, almost unwillingly, he turned back. "Heaven Emperor, did you have any of Zhe Yan's wine last night?"

Ye Hua looked surprised. "Zhe Yan... well yes. I recall him coming over with the jug. I did not want to drink but he insisted."

"And did you have any unusual dreams?"

The surprise on Ye Hua's face grew - along with a color that Mo Yuan had never before seen on his usually solemn face. "Dreams..." He spluttered, his cheeks red. "Well I did dream certainly, but no... nothing unusual."

Nothing unusual.

The words were like a knife in his heart. Mo Yuan nodded. He bowed and turned away, disappearing from the Nine Heavens.

For him, for most of them, all had been a strange and wondrous dream, an illusion born of magic and regret, the road not taken, what might have been.

But for some like Ye Hua his dreams were nothing special. After all his dream had already come to life.

***

Thank you for reading! 

This was really born from just a vague idea that formed in my mind when I was watching the final episodes of the show. It was initially intended to just be a short 1-2 part story but somehow grew wings and got away from me. 

I'm really glad others out there enjoyed my daydreams. I have plenty more but it's quite different from imagining it and playing it out on my head to translating it onto the page.

Please leave me any comments!

Meanwhile if there are any other Three Lives Three Worlds fanfiction writers out there I'd love to hear from you so I can read your works!

I've been contacted by the lovely Wendy: https://www.wattpad.com/user/wendy_shoonlei :) She has written a modern story featuring some of the cast from Three Lives. If you have a chance please check it out!

ALSO (update 15/7/18), just a small plug for my original xianxia romance novel. Not "Three Worlds" related at all but also about a dragon prince and a fox spirit. If you have a chance please check it out here:  https://www.wattpad.com/story/155262992-blood-of-the-fox. Thanks for reading!!