Mother Earth.

Chapter 17: Good Night Girl.

Lydia Armageddon.

Ruins of Tula,

The year 2173.

High sun beaming down on the dry, frigid ground. The sound of boots stepping across the desolate ground was all she could hear as she walked forward across the plane of dead trees, and abandoned, destroyed buildings; and homes of those who came before.
"It's a beautiful day today."
With a massive backpack slung over her shoulders, Lydia adjusted the left strap with her cybernetic hand, causing the shawl wrapped around her loosely to fall slightly off of her shoulders. She caught it swiftly, feeling the soft fabric in her right hand. This brown shawl is one of the few things keeping her warm.
"..." She paused, standing stationary for a moment
"I want this to last forever. I never want this to go away, I want to stay happy, just like this."

Recalling a fading thought, one she had the night at Saffi's. Her eyes with bags underneath them in a pale purple looking downward. She clenched the brown fabric in her hand, flinching at her thoughts, sighing shallowly. Her eyes were heavy with her tired body, the years piling up on her shoulders like boulders.
"... Dad."

Lydia sat down on a nearby rusted, decrepit bench, setting her backpack down at her side. She wrapped Svivla's shawl around her securely. As she did, she reached into her pocket, feeling a small leather-bound notebook against her fingertips, taking it out of her pocket. She opened the notebook to a random page within, bookmarked by herself. Taped onto these pages, and the ones beyond, there were photographs of the world of old. The world was breathing green, fresh, beautiful life blooming across the entire planet. Trees sprouted leaves in lush forests, fields of grass with beds of vibrant flowers, and behind a young Svivla with Ingrid latched onto him was the sunset painting the clouds above. In these faded, ripping, fragile photos, there was a dream that was forming.

"Such effortless beauty in everything captured in these photographs... it's hard to imagine this being real, let alone a fact of the past." Lydia thought to herself, she sighed deeply.
"That's something we will never get back, not ever."

She closed the book in her hand and looked up to the decimated homes, the sea of dead, leafless trees. Instead of seeing the world for what it is, Lydia could see vividly what it used to be.
"I want to create a better world where no one hurts each other; to foster a place where love doesn't have to make hate, where no one hurts or kills anybody." Svivla's wishes rang out in her ears-
"-A world where I don't have to hurt anybody, not anymore," Lydia mumbled to herself as a gentle breeze rushed through, blowing past her and causing her shawl to dance in the wind.

A cry in the distance.

"Dad?! Dad...?!" A child cried, and Lydia's head snapped to the right with wide eyes.
"Where are you?!" The child continued sobbing, and Lydia shot up to stand, pocketing the notebook, grabbing the backpack straps and throwing it over her shoulders. Below her gathered a brewing gust of wind, and-
FWOOSH!
-She took flight.

Soaring through the air, wind rushing past her just over the top of the roads and the small houses, she surveyed the area for the cries she heard.
"It couldn't have been far if I could hear them, they are here somewhere." Lydia thought to herself, and then she heard it again.
"DAD!"

Lydia pinpointed the noise.
"There."

She turned sharply and descended swiftly to a scorched house with no roof, and the backyard fences toppled, with a small child standing outside with tears in her eyes.
Th-Thump.
Lydia's boots thumped against the ground as she landed just outside of the toppled wooden fence, and the child screamed as she landed.
"Hey! Hey, kid! It's okay!"
"NO! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"

The child sprinted away, jumping over the toppled fence, and around to the side of the house.
"No don't!-" Lydia began to shout, then swiftly stopped herself.
"Dammit." She said to herself quietly, and she began to run after her, following her path.
"Hey, kid! Where'd you go?! I just-"

As Lydia rounded the corner, she stopped, seeing the child huddled into a ball against the charred wooden wall, sobbing. Her leg was bleeding from a massive wound, and she was trying to cover it with her hands.
"Please... don't hurt me..." The child pleaded, and Lydia frowned ever so slightly.
"I won't. I promise I won't, I came to help you." She said calmly, and softly.

Lydia dropped her backpack onto the ground and approached her slowly.
"I heard you calling for your Dad, where is he?" Lydia asked, sitting down in front of her. The girl's hair was short and unwashed. Like her clothes, she was covered in filth. She had on a dirt-covered blue shirt and black basketball shorts with blown-out shoes with the soles barely holding on.
"My name is Lydia, what's your name?"
"... Alina."
"It's nice to meet you, Alina. You have a wonderful name."

Alina's face was pouty still. With one hand she wiped her tears away, now looking Lydia in the eye. She tilted her head slightly at Alina.
"Are you okay, Alina?" Lydia asked in a calm voice with genuine concern, reluctantly, Alina answered.
"N-No. My leg hurts really, really bad."
"What happened to your leg?"
"Bad people hurt me. Now my Dad has to get medicine, or he says I will get sick..."
"Is that where he is now?"

She looked down at her injured leg and nodded her head.
"He was supposed to be back this morning... but..." Alina stopped, and the tears began again.
"Are you scared?"
"... I am."

Lydia sat up straight fully and held her legs as she sat up, resting her chin on her knees.
"Do you want to go find him with me?" She asked, and Alina slumped back away from her.
"Why would you help, huh?"

At that moment, Lydia grabbed her shawl, and she smiled if only slightly.
"Well, I know what it's like to be apart from my Dad, I'd never want anyone to feel like I do," Lydia answered. Alina then had a new look in her eyes, noticing something in Lydia.
"Are you sad too?" Alina asked her, taking her by surprise visibly. Lydia nodded her head slowly, her small smile fading away.
"Yeah, I am. I am sad, but that's okay."

She paused for a moment.
"I am really sad."

Alina let go of her leg, stood up, and hugged Lydia tightly. In response, she gently wrapped her arms around the small child too, with one hand over the back of her head. Lydia felt that familiar lump in her throat, the one you get when you choke back your tears. She inhaled and exhaled, patting Alina on the back softly.
"You want to come help me find your dad?"

She let go, and Alina did the same. The young one now had a smile on her face.
"Yeah!"
"Then let's go, kiddo."

Lydia stood up, Alina standing just above her hips in height. She picked up her backpack, throwing it over her shoulders. Then she put out her hand for hers, and Alina grabbed on.
"I get to choose who I am, I get to choose where I go now."

The two of them began to walk away from the burnt house, and out onto the empty streets hand in hand.
"What's your favourite food, little one?" Lydia asked.
"Oooh... I think jam on bread for sure, it's really yummy."
"That is a good one! You have good taste!" She praised, and Alina smiled proudly.
"What's yours, Lydia?"

"I choose what kind of life I want to live now."

"Hmm... Banana chocolate chip muffins."

"I get to choose where I go-"