On a backwater farming world, an old man sat on his porch, enjoying what was to be his last sunset. He didn't need a doctor to know it. It was funny in a way. He'd survived countless battlefields. Seen too many good people die. Lost too many friends. Hell, he could even count the number of times he'd seen his own life flash before his eyes as death passed him by less than a inch. And yet, despite all the odds, all the pain, everything, he'd lived to be an old man. Fate really was a bitch sometimes.
He'd lived a full life, some of it good, much of it bad. He had more then his share of regrets, and if he could there was a lot he would have tried to do differently. Yet he'd accepted that the past was in the past and there was no changin' that. The future was for the young to be who the chose to be, to hopefully learn from his example and those of countless others. For now, the old man sat and enjoyed the present as he could. It was looking to be a beautiful sunset and enjoying one last smoke. In the ways he'd seen death come, there were worse ways to go.
High above in orbit, she came. She had felt it through the stars and the void. She had felt the one she held most dear, above the endless numbers that ever surrounded her. She had felt him begin to fade. So she had come, to the sector of space she had left behind long ago and done her best to avoid ever since. She who was a part many, came only as herself. She had separated herself from them, so they would not feel what was to come as she went to see the one being in the universe that could truly hurt her.
Down onto the planet she alone descended. Unlike all the times before, she did not come as a dealer in death. She did not come to wage war or to destroy. This time, she came quietly. For a final meeting with the one she had hurt the most within the course of her violent existence.
In an empty desolate field she touched down gently, the wild grass blowing gently in the wind. She took a moment to observe the world the world that he had chosen. It was simple, quiet and peaceful. A suiting place for someone like him, she thought with a sad smile. He deserved this much at least. She could still remember every moment she had been with him, the good, the bad and the worse. She could already see the lonely house on the plains. She kept on walking. Though his presence was fading and only one of billions, it may as well of been the brightest star in the entire universe to her.
The old man blinked for a moment, his eyelids heavy and weary and there she stood. The cigarette fell from his mouth as his jaw dropped. Somehow, either her power or his failing eyes had allowed her to appear as she had when they'd first met. During simpler times, before the betrayal and everything that had followed after. His heart felt like it would give out right then and there. He let out a relaxing sigh. Here she was, after all this time, as if to grant his last request. A small gentle smile graced his lips. He had always wanted to see here, one last time.
"Been a long time Darlin."
She gave a sad smile. "Too long." She said quietly. The old man before had aged a great deal though time had been somewhat kind, but he still looked much like she remembered him. She herself was nearly as old, though she did not look it as her kind were immune to the ravages of time and sickness. At this moment, it was a bitter truth about her existence. The universe would go on, those she knew would wither and die while she and the many continued.
The old man broke the silence. "Here I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me Darlin. You never call or write." There was no bite in his words, as it was a stupid joke. He knew that she would as easily forget him as he would her and he could never forget her.
"Oh you know, most of my mail has a tendency to get eaten and don't get me started on the reception." She answered, dramatically rubbing her forehead, her current form's long hair flowing freely in the gentle breeze that carried the sent of the world's autumn. That brought a chuckle from the old man.
"Yea, I guess that would be a problem for you." He broke off in a small fit of coughing. She rushed forward to help him but he recovered as she put her hand on his shoulder. His rough wrinkled hand covered the smooth fair skin of her own gently. "It's good to see you again..." Her name was lost to the wind, but she smiled as she saw it form on his lips.
"You too..." She grabbed the single other empty chair on the porch and moved to so that she was sitting next to him.
"Do want a drink or something to eat?" He asked.
"I'm fine."
He shrugged, his voice holding some humor "Good, cause I just got comfy." They sat together and watched the horizon as the sun dipped downwards. Slowly the great ball of fire kissed the ground, the sky seeming to explode with a breathtaking passion. Only for moment, and then it was gone. The sun sank before them, rising on the other side of the planet, starting a young dawn while ending an aged dusk.
She'd seen much through the universe, enough that the sunset alone held no particular meaning, but she would hold every moment of it in her heart because she had seen it with him.
As if reading her mind. "I know it ain't the prettiest thing you've seen but it's sure something." Then he looked at her. "It doesn't compare to the most beautiful sight that I've seen today though."
"Aren't you getting old to go chasing girls?" She asked with a smile.
"Oh, I've still got a trick or two." He said with a sly grin spreading across his aged face. Her powers brought images from his mind into her own. Images that involved the two of them far more young and intimate.
Her face reddened as there was still a small form of shame left in her. "You pig!"
He let out a strong laugh at her mostly mock distress. Those had mostly been memories after all. Good memories. His lungs did not appreciate the humor of the moment as his laugh quickly turned into another coughing fit.
She moved to try and help him as she could, but for all her power, there was little she could do. She hated this feeling of helplessness. His fit subsided, but she saw him look at a small patch of red in his hand before he shook it away shallow wheeze.
"It's no surprise Darlin. I guess that's why you came."
"I had to see you." There had to be something she could do. Again the feeling of helplessness pressed in. She it wasn't the first time that she had felt its touch, but the previous times she'd been either far weaker or against the unimaginable. For the first time, it was merely reality itself that rendered her powerless.
He let out a more careful chuckle this time, either unaware of her inner turmoil or trying to take her mind off of it. "Yea, sorry but I don't think I'll be able to redo those memories with you. The spirit is more then willing Darlin, but you get the picture."
That brought out another faint smile on her face before she leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll try not to be too disappointed then."
'Oh, you are evil..."
As the stars began to fill the empty dark void left by the sun's setting, the two started to talk. The conversations were about simple things, things that seemed so trivial now. They talked about the all too few good memories memories they shared. She even asked him about what had happened to him after they had left each other. She was happy to hear that he'd found someone and even had a son and two grandchildren. As for his wife, he didn't say all that much, only that she'd been too good for him and that she'd passed away at child birth.
The stars twinkled gently in the black midnight sky as their conversation faded. Even while they'd talked, her mind had gone over anything she could possibly do. She was terrified of losing him. It had been painful enough just leaving him. There had to be something.
A possibility came to her mind, but there was no way that he'd accept. If anything it would make him hate her again but as she felt his life continue to slowly fade away, she had to ask, even if she already knew the answer.
He reacted better to the offer then she had expected. She'd half expected him to at least shout, or tell her to leave. There was a quiet anger in his eyes and his fists clenched. "No." He said firmly with the strength of his younger days making its way into his voice. "I get why you'd ask that, but there's no way in hell that will ever happen. Please..." There was a little bit of pain in his eyes now. "...don't ask me again."
"...I can't watch you-"
"I'm not asking you to. Please, just let me be."
"But there has to be something I can do!" There were tears beginning to form in her violet eyes as the desperation made her voice crack. He gently wiped them away.
"Don't cry Darlin, I've lived a long enough life. The fact that you're here, now, makes me the happiest man in the 'verse. So..." He softly placed his hand on her's, squeezing it lightly. "...Stay with me, until..." He left the last part unsaid.
She wrestled the tears struggling to break free. "...Until the end." She said, her voice was nearly a horse whisper in the wind but to her it sounded louder then a sounded.
For the first in what felt like forever, she felt her eye lids grow heavy. She felt he was still there, his hand warming her's. There was no one around but the two of them. She laid her head down on his broad shoulder, determined to rest her suddenly exhausted eyes just for a moment. She could hear feel this warmth through his shirt and could faintly hear his heart beat. Before she knew it sleep had claimed her.
He gazed at her sleeping on his shoulder, his eyes locked on her beautiful face unmarred by war disease or time. It was the first time that he'd ever seen such serenity on her face since before everything had truly gone to hell. With one hand clutching her's, he gently stroked her hair, savoring the feeling. It was incredible how much power she had at her fingertips, but that did not matter now, nor had it ever mattered to him. She was one of the people that made his life worth it, even if a lot of it had been bad. And now, with her by his side one last time at the end, he was happy. There were far worse ways for a man to die in this universe, hell, he had seen some and likely deserved a death worse then this. But if this was now his last hand was going to be dealt, then there was no way that he was going to ever complain.
He looked at her, listening to her gently breath in the cool night air. He was worried about her most of all. While he was sure that she would continue on, he hoped that maybe she would find something to make her happy after he passed, but there was nothing he could do now. Her offer had been selfish and bad, but he had been almost half tempted to take it. There was no telling what death would be like. Some said that a light came to take you to watch over your loved ones, some said that it was a gaping black hole, while others said it was merely the closing of one door and the opening of another. There were countless others but he'd never really paid much attention. Death was what it was, simple as that.
His heart continued to slow and his own eyes became weary. He took one last look at the face of the angel sleeping on his shoulder. With his last breath he whispered. "Thank you... for everything...Good Bye..."
And a good man was no more.
When she awoke, the wind had died. There was silence. Too much of it. Her eyes opened, blurry at first but everything began to focus. His hand was still there, over her's. She smiled that it wasn't a dream and blinked away the sleep that remained. It had been a good rest. As the fog began to clear from her mind she noticed that his hand felt cold, too cold.
No.
Fear began to creep on her senses as she got up and looked at him. His face looked like it belong to someone just taking a light sleep, but there no movement of any kind. There was only silence. His breathing, gone. His heartbeat, gone. His presence, gone.
No. NO...
He... Was gone.
"NO!" She screamed. She thought herself prepared, she though she could take it. She'd lost before, her whole life was either her losing everything or her choosing to give up what was left. But this loss she truly felt. She didn't know what was worse, the fact that he was dead or the fact that he'd simply died. Emotions screamed through her mind; anguish, anger, sorrow, despair and terror. At times like these she'd always relied on her hatred, but it wouldn't come. It couldn't, there was nothing for her to take vengeance on. Nothing had taken him from her and he hadn't left. He was just gone.
Gone...
She cried out his name repeatedly, shaking his shoulders, as if trying desperately to call him back. Tears began to fall from her eyes while her destroyed concentration released the power that was keeping her hidden and in her former form but she was beyond caring.
She stayed with his body, crying and calling his name, no longer to call him back but simply because she couldn't think. The sun rose, and the universe continued on as though nothing really mattered, just another day, but for her, a massive had black hole opened and was swallowing everything. She had lived knowing knowing the truth that despite everything, he was out there alive in the universe and that she would see him but now... That was longer true.
The sun continued its rise, the sky clear of clouds. It was near noon before the sound of an approaching vehicle drew her back to this cold and unforgiving universe.
She didn't know what made her hide and camouflage herself, even if the inhabitants could do anything to her she couldn't care. She felt numb, everything seemed insignificant to her. He would not of wanted her to morn him like this, but how could she not? She didn't know just what she would do so for now she watched as the vehicle pulled up in front of the house.
"Grandpa!" A pair of excited children, a girl and a boy burst out, followed by a wearied woman.
"Shhh, he's resting." That earned her disappointed 'awwws' and looks from the children, but they quickly found other ways to entertain themselves for the time being. The woman looked back to the vehicle to where a man was stepping out. The griever's breath vanished. The man almost looked exactly like the old man when he'd been younger, only with dirty blonde hair and in an official uniform.
"Your father looks like he's sleeping."
The man leaned against the vehicle, his hand against his forehead, the other clenched into a fist which he lightly hit on the vehicle's roof. "Yea... I had a feeling we wouldn't make it. Dammit."
"Wake up Grandpa!" Cried the children, the blessing of youth making them unaware of the cold reality of the uncaring universe, as they returned, think their grandfather had rested enough. The woman stepped forward, attempting to herd the kids away with a quiet grief in her voice.
"Come on back." The boy did as he was told, but the girl was defiant, she wanted stories, she was tired of being cooped up in the hot boring vehicle. So she ran to hide and wait for grandpa to wake up.
"Catch me if you can, mama!" She taunted, it would be no fun if no one searched for her. The woman sighed and started after the daughter but the father intervened.
"I'll get her, don't worry, you stay here and take a break and call funeral services as well." He went after his daughter.
The girl rounded the corner, running towards the still concealed griever. She was in a state of shock, struggling with the maelstrom of emotions within her. The grief and despair reigned supreme within the black hole of the storm's center, hand in hand: he was gone... Gone! Despite herself, she could feel Envy clawing in handholds: some other woman had taken him from her! Shame and regret battled against the green eyed monster: she had left him! Through all of that, a small flickering spark of light and warmth fought desperately to survive: he had lived his life, happy and raised a family, what more could she of asked for?
She was so distracted and distraught that she didn't notice the girl until she collided with the griever's leg. The girl fell back with a surprised cry, how had she hit nothing? The surprise only grew as the griever's cloak fell away, her power weakened in her instability. The girl and the griever stared at each other in a shocked silence, the griever's eyes filled with fear and despair, the girls filled with a curious wonder. Neither noticed the calls of the man.
"Now isn't the best time..." He rounded the corner, his voice fell low as he saw the two. "You..." Panic hit his numbed senses. Her! His daughter was less then a foot from her! However, as he saw the eyes of the griever, some of the panic slipped away. Some, but not all.
"Look Daddy, it's the Princess!" The girl simply stated, stunning everyone.
"What?" Said both the man and the griever at the same time, the griever's voice was hoarce from crying.
"Don't you listen to Grandpa's stories, Daddy? It's the Princess, the one Grandpa always follows and helps." She turned to the griever, about to ask her a question when the father managed to recover first, the last of the panic slipping away.
"Go to you mother..." Maintaining his mask of calm.
"But Daddy." She complained, getting to her feet.
"Please, I promise I'll get you whatever you want."
"Pinky promise?" She asked, holding out the mentioned digit.
"Promise." Shaking with his own. As the girl went to her mother he turned to the griever, who had begun to slowly walk away during the mans talk with daughter.
"Wait, please. I know that you got here long before we did. I need to know, how was he? Before..." There was some grief in his voice now, controlled but there.
She turned to look at him, the pain increasing from how much the son looked like the father, she desperately tried to fight back any more tears from escaping, it was a losing battle. It did not help that she'd been thrown off by what the child had innocently revealed. "He seemed at peace."
"Good to hear, I can't count the number of times I heard him scream in the night when I was younger." He said with a sad but relieved sigh.
"I"m sorry. He was a good man." She needed to leave, to be alone as she felt.
"He was my father and that's all I really needed."
There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Which he broke.
"I can't imagine what you've lost... and I hope I never feel something like it myself."
"But he was your father!" She said with a start.
"Yea, and I'll miss him but, if the stories he told about you are to be believed, you have it worse then me. I still have my family at the very least." It wasn't a boast or anything meant to hurt, merely a cold hard fact, and that made it hurt all the more.
A sparkling tear rolled down from her eye. Her arms hung limply, she felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut, gravity had yet to kick in. A single gust of wind could of brought her to her knees."What should I do?" She whispered to the center of her universe, now swallowed within a black hole. The man turning away heard her.
"Do me a favor and show me some of that vaunted strength my old man always went on about. He would of wanted you to live your life, so do it. Find away move on. For his sake at least." With that, he turned his back to her completely and walked away. Before she left he stopped and looked over his shoulder to the griever.
"By the way... He never stopped loving you." With that he went to rejoin his family.
His words hit like a dagger deep into her heart. She had no idea what to do now, but she knew that the man was right, even if it meant without her center. She lifted off the ground and looked at the family. Perhaps in another life or another time, she might of known that joy. A few more tears escaped her before she left the world.
The boy saw the light of the griever leaving. "Daddy, what's that?"
The man looked. "Just a lost ghost of your gramp's past." He said, ruffling his son's hair lovingly.
"Is grandpa going to wake up soon? I want to hear more stories."
"Sorry kiddo. It looks like he's going to sleep for a long time."
"Is he ever going to wake up?"
"No."
"But what about his stories?"
"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be safe in your head. Take good care of them."
"What about sister, are they in her head too?
"Yes, now go fetch her and go to your mom, we're not going to stay much longer."
"Awww, Okay." The boy said, disappointed. The man watched his son run then walked into the house. Everything had been put in order, the fridge emptied and most of the old man's stuff put into boxes. The man let out a amused sigh. His father rarely liked to leave lose ends. He spotted an old picture out of place on the mantle place. An old fashioned paper photo among the holo-photos of family and friends, most dead and some living. Tenderly he grabbed it and walked back to his father's body.
"Well, you got your wish after all." Was all that he said as he put the picture in the old man's pocket, just above his silent heart. It was a picture of a beautiful smiling red haired woman.
"Sweet dreams, I hope you find her. Dad."
Author's bit: Hi I'm AC-107, I hope you enjoyed this. It's not really part of anything in particular, it's just a short story that's been on my mind. Anyways, thanks for reading. Don't know what else to say really beyond, keep going, no matter how crappy it's been.
See ya around.
AC-107
Edit: Anyone who's already read this story will notice that I've almost completely redone the meeting between the griever and the son. izwan was good enough to point it out that it didn't work, and I went over it myself and thought the same. Hopefully this fits a little better. Anyways, a big thank you to the review and all the views. I'm glad that so many people decide to check this story out. Have a great day.
- AC-107