Galia: Tale Of The End

Chapter 15: Chatter

From the dirt path atop the ocean cliffs and in the distance, Rose could see Opus. She was not expecting anything grand since, to her knowledge, it was a city of dust. It appeared that a few lucky buildings were left to die another day. The path that led to the city was dense with thickets and shrubbery. This was no problem for Rose, who parted the plants easily.

"I can't believe Daisy is doing this." Rose said in despair.

"That iß not Daisy. That'ß DD. Daisy'ß body iß merely a puppet for the great evil." The Moon replied in a hushed voice.

"A puppet? But Daisy is a strong person! Why can't she kick it out of her?"

"It may be hard for a human being, creatureß who are far from perfect, to expel the darkeßt being in our univerße."

"Could you get rid of her if your places were switched?"

The Moon took no time to give a reply. "No. I too am a dark being. I depend on other being'ß light to be animated. You can only ßee me when the ßun reflects off of my ßurface."

"But you yourself are not a terrible being. I think you are very nice."

"That iß appreciated human Roße, but I am what I am. I am only a game piece."

"That's very harsh to say! Everybody can be who they want to be."

"Maybe, but they mußt comply to the evil mistreßß that iß deßtiny."

"A being has the freedom to choose their destiny and mold it into their desires."

"No. They have the choice to make their own decißionß, but it alwayß feedß into the ßame ending. Their deßtiny."

"That's dark."

"Did I not ßay that I am a dark being."

"Perhaps dark minded, but not evil."

"One'ß perception of good and evil, differß from anotherß. Humanß often make good and evil black and white, but in reality they are one and the ßame. Grey. Dark may not neceßßarily be evil and light may not be good."

"I find it so fascinating talking with you and the Flora. Your views on the world are so interesting."

"They are the viewß of the helpleßß."

"Humans were helpless too. Obviously they all died off."

"And that iß what I mean by deßtiny. A human can chooße their own path, but in the end, their race was alwayß doomed."

"Yes, but humans always pulled through.

"The amazing thing about humanß iß that they pretend they aren't helpleßß. They ßtay 'poßitive' and think that bad timeß will end, but moßt of the time they won't. Being poßitive doeßn't change the ßituation, it only prolongß it and blindß the perßon."

"But positivity makes a helpless person happy."

"Falße happineßß."

"Perhaps."

Their speech silenced and was replaced by leaves and branches pulling back around the two. Rose was not sure what to say. It seemed as though the Moon had a higher way of thinking. Arguing with her made Rose feel stupid. Her thought process was based on 17 years of life experience with and affluent family, romance novels, and copious amounts of hormones. The Moon was billions of years old and could see all possible pasts that have occurred in different variations of this specific universe. Rose looked up to the Moon as an intelligent role model.

"So if we aren't perfect creatures, how are we going to stop DD?"

"With your human poßitivity."

"I feel like that was sarcasm."

"Only ßlightly."

The Moon was very smart, but their conversations would never match the elegance and grace of a true literary genius because the scribe could never write the words down in the correct manner. It would convey the general idea, but the thought could not be translated onto paper. The reader may not see the message. Perhaps it would be the scribe who learns the most.

At the end of the forest path, the distorted gates of Opus cast long shadows across the ground. The iron bars wilted as if they had been peeled back with great force. Cobblestone streets lined cracked sidewalks were littered with trees that had been snapped in half. Buildings had toppled over and some appeared to have been moved into the middle of the street. The few that still stood were riddled with cracks and on the verge of collapsing.

"What a dreary place. Everything is covered in dust." Rose commented as her head swiveled so she could scrutinize every inch of monochrome city. The Moon only nodded. Horror flashed across her face for a split second, yet long enough for Rose to notice. "You are afraid."

"Not of what you think."

"You aren't afraid of DD?"

"No."

"What causes my Suunian friend to feel worry?"

"Roße, I want you to know that I appreciate your company. Your preßence was pleaßurable. You are inquißitive and I throughly enjoyed converßing with you."

"Thank you." Rose was utterly flattered. Her skin flushed and she continued to eye the ground. "Are you afraid that we are going to die, Miss Moon?"

"I am not afraid that we are going to die. Our death iß imminent and inevitable."

"Hmm. Will you ever speak your troubles?"

"You will not underßtand, human. Perhapß in the future, but the future iß not what I ßee."

"Why do you think I won't understand you? We are friends. You have helped me so much. It is my duty as your friend to understand you."

"No it iß not. Let uß not bicker, dear Roße." The Moon began to stutter. An act Rose had never seen or thought she would see in such a powerful figure. "I wißh to ßee thiß paßt in warmth and clarity."

Rose was suddenly compelled to comfort her celestial friend. She was not entirely sure she was capable of expressing her feelings off paper. "Would you like a hug, Miss Moon?"

The Moon was startled. Never had anybody, not even her brother, offered her a hug. The gesture was alien to her. No Rose in any past had given her a hug. "That would be lovely." The two embraced for a while. The Moon was more scared then she was before to be ripped away from her precious Rose, but it was an inevitable tragedy.

A cloud of dust and the horrendous sound of shattering glass ripped through the alley. It flung the two apart onto opposite sides of the street. Rose recovered the quickest and saw the whirl wind in the center circle of the city. She bolted towards it with protest from her disoriented friend.