One Second to Midnight

 

    He sat amongst the stones letting the stillness of the night sink into him. Small sounds from insects reached his ears and the lights of fireflies flittered around in the darkness, but with the gates locked for the night there was no anger and hatred to disturb him. He could almost sense his sister surrounded by the quietness of the souls that had moved on. He missed her and wished she was around more often.

               The clanking of metal being dragged across the ground announced her presence before the pale night light showed her coming from between two tall stone column monuments. The sword was heavy and chipped in many places, but the bent and battered scales seemed to hold her back even more. She swung them forward with a great effort and then stopped to prop herself on the hilt of the great sword.

               “Why must you hide in such places?” her voice breaking with the effort it cost her to project it. “This place does not stop them from making use of you anymore than it could stop them from beating me down regularly.”

               “I am exhausted with being their favorite toy,” he pulled himself up and made his way over to give her his arm. “Come sit awhile and rest. You may not be able to heal but for tonight at least, we can rest a bit.”

               “The clock is ticking, and it is nearly midnight, brother,” she allowed him to lead her to a bench sitting near a small stone carved with a lamb. “Our rest may soon be eternal, but you will have to be their instrument once more. Where is your sword and shield?”

               “I am always their instrument, and they no longer care if I have my sword or shield,” he growled. “They use me to fight everything. Even the things that are your natural enemy. My name is called upon to commit atrocities as much as ever but the blood they spill is everywhere and they see no wrong in what they do. You sit beside me beaten with your scales unable to balance and your sword so blunted, and yet you want me to go back to the tasks those monsters would give me.”

               “They aren’t all monsters!” a melodious voice called out as she stepped from between the same columns. Flowers grew as she stepped forward but quickly wilted and fell apart. “There are so many of them that want good and bright things for people. You cannot let the bad ones destroy you, dear brother.”

               “Little sister,” he came and towered over inhaling right next to her face. He leaned into her ear and whispered, “you may shower yourself with as many flowers and rainbows as you like, but you still reek of your own blood from those monsters constantly trying to kill you.’

               She stumbled back from him as blood blossomed on her side giving proof to his words. A bright light quickly surrounded it and flowers covered it before they too wilted away.

               “You are right that there are so many who wish to kill me,” a tear trickled down her face and she smiled despite the pain. “But so many believe in me that I heal and grow again and again. The clock is ticking closer to midnight and there are only seconds left for them but there are still those who want better for those around them. They are not all monsters and even those that use you sometimes only do so in defense of all they love and hold dear.”

               With a snort he turned away from his two sisters looking out at all the stones around them. The cycle had been going on for millennia but with one more tick of the clock this cycle would finally come to an end. No more being called on for the petty greed of men wanting to take from others and no more being used to prop up the lies of corruption and inhumanity. His sisters couldn’t yet see but one little wrong step by man and the clock would take its final tick.

               “You both been fighting this as long as I have, but there is little more to do,” he turned back to them revealing his sword was still at his side. “With a little push, they’ll let us end it and then maybe we’ll be able to find where they’ve stuffed our sister away.”

               “Brother, I don’t think you remember what happened after the last reset,” his sister wheezed out from where she sat on the bench. “Before She decided to create, she had to unleash Chaos. There was constant change and growth and movement, and we were shaped into the forms we have now. With this reset there is no telling what will come next.”

               “That’s true,” her sister skipped over scattering flowers in her wake to plop down on the bench. “The first creatures were rather boring and there was not much to do. These creatures may have many monsters amongst them, but they do so many interesting things. Remember when they used to gather round a fire and tell one another such wonderful stories and now they create entire moving worlds to watch. The ones before just lumbered around eating all the time. Come, brother, you must admit these haven’t been all bad.” 

               “Doesn’t matter whether they’ve been good or bad,” he came over to the bench and picked up his sister’s scales and sword. “It’s just time for us to be done with them. Whether or not we find our sister, what they’ve done to her makes your suffering seem like nothing. When the sun rises, your scales will collapse, and the world will know that I have consumed it once and for all.”

               He dropped the instruments on the ground and turned to step away. A soft breeze moved through the cemetery and carried on it was the laughter of a small child. He dropped to his knees on hearing this sound and wept with such force that his body shook. His sisters moved to kneel beside him as they felt the pressure of the clock lessen.

               “She is still out there and still fighting to stop you from becoming your worst brother,” his sister’s melodious voice eased him as she gently squeezed his hand. “Your final dawn may come but it is not today.”