A/N: I don't know what came over me. This just came out of nowhere! I know this is unusual for me to write in this genre but when my mind speaks, my fingers type.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: Stars began fading from the skies. Would doom befall them all or would a miracle save them from eternal darkness waiting to entice them with death?
Believe In Us
"Today, the star has fallen,"
I remembered when I dropped the pen onto my wooden floor, hearing its metallic shell roll toward a corner. Did… Did I hear that right? Our rising star has… fallen? A wave of silence consumed me as my heart did flips in its enclosure sending me into a vortex of questions; how? How could our star, our rising star suddenly…
"Die…" the word slipped out of my mouth.
Pushing away from my desk, I trotted over to my windowsill and gazed upon the blanket of diamonds sown into the sky. It was like this on every other night when the moon hung high in the sky shining down upon its subjects gracing us with its warmth. Today was no different. As I blinked, I noticed something was off with the stars; one star, the Northern Star vanished. An uneasy feeling washed over me as something told me to leave the sanctuary of my home; something unknown urged me to go into the town. Nodding, I quickly grabbed my viridian silk cloak off my bed and dashed down the wooden stairs, echoing every footstep. Quickly lacing on my leather sandals, I rushed off into the distance, running as fast as my feet could take me.
Arriving in town, everybody gathered in Central Square where a high priest stood tall in his brown robe. The expression etched on his face was unquestionable; previously he had visions of the falling star once in the past but never had he assumed it would come true. Adding to the grim thought, the Plague had already begun to infect the land decimating humans, animals and the land.
The crowd slowly died down, one voice at a time the moment the priest lifted up his hand. "My fellow townspeople," he began grimly. "We have witnessed a tragedy today: our patron goddess has fallen,"
Speaking those words stung his heart like thousands of venomous needles sinking deep forcing him to grunt. His four apprentices shuffled behind him feeling the townspeople's grief washing over them. Words mean nothing at this moment in time when evil inched closer with every passing second. Nobody was safe; not even the Gods.
"What should we do, Priest Balkov?"
The crowds split to two sides as I walked down the exposed cobblestone aisle, approaching the sacred figure. Bowing to him, I tossed my hood off my head.
"With all due respect sir, what can we do? Another one of our patron goddesses has fallen."
The priest's eyes gazed into mine hidden behind my thick brown bangs. I watched him shake his head hopelessly, "To be honest, child. I do not know. Over the years we lost many of our patron Gods and Goddesses to the point I lost count."
That was not the answer I wanted. "Our town is next and you know that," I said raising my voice. Anger bubbled inside me on the verge of explosion. Those Gods and Goddess in the sky were my friends; my friends that sacrificed themselves for peace to reign over this land for all eternity. I just couldn't believe all their efforts were going to be in vain!
Unfortunately, that was how things worked around here; when evil threatened our town, chosen individuals offer their lives to the abbey in hopes of becoming Gods to vanquish evil. No matter how many people sacrificed their lives, evil was never truly vanquished; it was only suppressed until the day it was strong enough to raise again out of the Underworld.
How many friends had I lost to evil? How many friends had I witnessed sacrificing their lives to become Gods? Hilary, my childhood friend was strong willed, head strong and outspoken woman. The day news of evil reached our town, her decision was made clear; she called upon the townspeople she was willing to be sacrificed in order to combat evil. As childhood friends, I did not approve of her choice but what could I do? I was a young scholar with a loud mouth but I had no guts to do any of the things I said! I was nothing more than a coward.
I remembered that day well watching Hilary from behind a stone pillar parade through town as the townspeople prayed for her safe journey toward the path of becoming a celestial being. Children climbed the rooftops throwing flower petals at her as if she was a returning hero. She would be a hero when she cast away her life in the abbey. Entering the abbey, the heavy wooden doors slammed shut; eerie hymns escaped though the abbey's hollow windows. The sounds of silence engulf the town for half a day. The abbey bells rang the moment the sun slipped into the earth. It was then, at that moment, various colors shot out of the abbey and into the sky. A large whirlwind formed and before everybody knew it, we saw Hilary, the Goddess of War standing tall on her ivory chariot.
I watched her battle alongside the boy she loved most, Tyson, one of my closest friends whom sacrificed himself six years ago. Everybody remembered the battle as colors pierced the darkness. Strings of evil splashed around like droplets in the sky but it was no match for the windstorms, rainstorms, firestorms and thunderstorms. Those were all my friends. All my friends became Gods, watching over us every night in the form of twinkling stars in the serene sky.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. Tilting my head up, I locked eyes with town elder. "The Music Goddess was the one who soothed souls," he said in a whisper. "Without her songs, the people in this town have lost all hope."
"I understand Stanley but in dire times such as this, even melodies could not combat evil I'm afraid,"
Priest Balkov looked over his shoulder, eyes scanning the darkened horizon knitted with threads of black and red. He watched black threads stab into the earth, piercing down to its every core, tainting it. Soon, the Plague would be upon them, followed by an eternity of madness and bloodshed.
"When stars fade, the Gods die," Priest Balkov spoke. "With the death of the Northern Star all hope seems…"
"Hope isn't lost!" I shouted. I was furious! My fists were clenched tight as all color drained out of my knuckles. "We just have to believe!"
Stanley looked at me like I was uttering nonsense. Maybe I was but what was there left to do other than to believe in the Gods? I've always been friends with the Goddess of Music even when she was human! Her melodies enchant me every night making me smile every day the moment I closed my eyes to her rhythmic hymns. Never in my life had I witnessed such peace.
"Please!" I yelled as loud as I could. "Isn't there anything we can do without sacrificing one of our own?"
My legs moved by themselves taking me away from this madness! I had no idea where my legs took me but as long as I was far away from the town, I knew I'd be safe regardless of the fiends lurking within the shadows. Hearing the grass crunching beneath my feet, I immediately stopped and caught my breath. Falling onto my knees, I realized I was on a cliff with the lone tree. Placing a hand on its grooved bark, I remembered all the good times I spent here with my friends.
I took a step forward staring at the heavens demanding answers. The wind picked up softly ruffling the grass around me. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me as I began to hear voices whispering my name.
"Kenny!"
A cold shiver slipped down my spine, paralyzing me. For one I did not like hearing voices manifest out of nowhere without it being accompanied by a living, breathing human. My fingers twitched. Now what was I supposed to do?
"Hey Chief!"
I recognize that voice anywhere! I quickly turned around and—
"T-Tyson?"
Yes, Tyson, my one of my other closest childhood friend stood before me. I began to notice above me, stars appeared one by one. In front of me my friends appeared too; from Tyson, Hilary, Kai, Rei and Max. These were my friends who sacrificed themselves to become Gods. Falling onto my knees, cold tears slipped out from the corners of my eyes. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.
"Man, your prayers are loud," Tyson said to me with a smile on his face, patting my shoulder. "They're so loud I can barely sleep at night!"
"Tyson!" Hilary hissed, smacking him on the back of his head. Hilary crouched before me lifting my face up. Wiping the tears away from my eyes, she smiled at me emitting a soft, ivory glow. "Hey,"
"Guys, what should I do?" I said. "I don't know what to do!"
"Believe in us," Rei stepped forward pulling me up to my feet. He gave me a reassuring smile.
"Yeah, what he said!" Max said brightly patting my back. Turning to Kai Max said, "Right?"
Kai nodded. "Believe in us. As your friends not as Gods." Then there was the distinct pause. "Keep believing in us and the stars will continue to shine,"
I was in the presence of greatness. I was with my friends. Tears stopped flowing from my eyes the moment I looked at each of them. I couldn't help but smile. All they ask me to do was believe and believe I shall. Turning away from them, I closed my eyes and tilted my head toward the heavens once more. The Gods stood behind me as their friend, not as their loyal subject. Making my final wish, the Gods glowed. One by one, they shot back into the sky forming stars, shining brightly than before.
I took a step forward until I heard a soft, melodic voice from behind.
"Will you come with me?" she asked. "Will you join me and become one of us?"
Opening my eyes, I allowed the wind to speak for me. Becoming a God did cross my mind once but I could not possibly leave my duties as a human. There were people waiting for me to return home and as much as I love her, I could not become a God. I couldn't. I knew if I became a God, eternal happiness was granted however, becoming a God came with responsibilities and warfare. I was not ready for such a huge step. But… I wanted, no, wished evil to be gone from this land so my friends and family could live in peace. What do I do? I've always wanted to do something but…
"KENNY!"
Everything happened so slowly; I watched as dark threads punctured through my flesh spreading droplets of red in every direction. The sound of screams echoed in my ears followed by the wind's howls. Has my time suddenly come to fall into the Underworld?
"Believe!" I shouted clutching my bleeding heart. "I BELIEVE!"
From the town, everybody witnessed strings of light explode from the western corner of the land. A wave of warmth washed over the town as a barrier erected, protecting the town in a golden sphere. The Gods appeared before the people; one by one they stood tall reminding them to believe. The people were reminded never to lose hope or faith for those who sacrificed themselves for this cause. The elements joined forces and together, a beam of light shot through the darkness, piercing it in its core. A loud, agonizing shriek echoed through the land as the townspeople covered their ears.
Soft melodies echoed through the entire town reassuring the townspeople they were safe from harm. For those were at the verge of breaking, the melodies soothed their souls, reminding them there was hope. A sudden blast shot from the east, sending vibrations through the land, forcing people to be knocked off their feet. The music silenced. Priest Balkov was the first one to move reaching out toward a figure of a young girl, cloaked in white and turquoise.
"Ming… Ming," he said. "Y-You're… alive…"
She didn't move. Her arms fell by her side. Turning around, a tear slipped down her beautifully sculpted face.
"He believed in us," she spoke warmly with a smile. "Kenny believed in us. He remembered to believe."
And just like that, her body glowed and shattered into a million fragments. The Northern Star… was forever gone. The townspeople slowly got back on their feet, scanning the area. The Gods saved them! They were saved! Cheers erupted through the crowds as people danced, round and round! Priest Balkov took a step forward and stared at the sky; stars began appearing one by one but most notably there was a new Northern Star shining brightly above them, looking down at them and for eternity, blessing them with its grace.
"Believe in us,"
Kenny spoke turning around rejoining his friends who laughed until the sun rose from its sleeping cradle blessing the humans with a new era of peace.