The Death of Fate

Describe the final encounter between two powerful people, but don’t tell us who is “good” and who is “evil” -writing prompt

It's been years... So many years that I've finally lost count. But I remember that battle between them, fighting for the fate of mankind, likening only happened yesterday. One to free us. The other to make life as it was more permanent.

It was a windy day on the rolling green hills of that unnamed ruins of a city in the middle of the dessert. How there were lush green hills in the dessert could only be explained by their mere presence. Two souls picked by fate, destined to always be the emissaries of life and death. Destined to now be at war. Destined to be the best of friends as children. Destined.... To be lovers.

They met in the center where what looked like a grand worshipping building once stood. No armies. They had no need for such paltry tactics. The armies would have sat back in awe of the majesty before them, or just get in the way.

Instead, it was these two. Simple people at a glance. Well built for their size and shape. No names. They discarded those when they realized their entwined destinies. Their clothes were simple yet elegant. Remnants of their time in the eastern regions. One orange, the other green. Their haircuts were both short and military in nature. Though one had managed beads from the tribe they stayed with into their short but scrappy hair. The other was simple and plain. Neither of them looked formidable.

Their meeting was short and and sweet. They exchanged pleasantries. Barely audible from where I sat a few city blocks worth of ruins away from the third floor window. They hugged and exchanged a quick kiss as lovers often do. Then, after one final plea from both parties to give up this foolish crusade that fell on deaf ears, they stepped back about twenty or so paces. They bowed, then took their individual stances. Met each others gazes, then seemingly disappeared.

No, they didn't disappear. They were moving at such a speed that it was impossible to believe. It was like out of one of those anime we all saw at least once. The characters moving so fast that if we do see them on screen, it's an after image. This was nothing like that in regards to the after image and seeing only blurs where they were. There was only speed, agility, and raw, disciplined, destructive power.

Their appearance only showed in the devastation left behind an attack. Wether it connected or missed was impossible to say. However, the destruction to the already destroyed ruins was visible for what seemed like miles.

A building fell nearby. Too close for comfort, but I was too scared to move for fear of being used as a hostage between them. Their exchange in blows became almost a discernible pattern after the sun had set. When one of them struck, their clothes shone brighter at the almost metallic impact. Like a colored mirror reflecting the lightning passing in front of it.

Soon after I was able to tell when a hit connected or was at least blocked. That didn't matter though, as the destruction mounted up leaving naught but rubble to surround them. Almost like the destruction was drawn into their battle and came from eons around to watch this show down of megalithic proportions. Soon, my little dwelling would fall.

The sun rose on the next day as they continued their fight. Or was it later than that? It seemed like time had slowed down or sped up. I wasn't sure of which at this point. None of my electronics worked, leaving me unable to tell the day, let alone the time. I so wished their holy bodies weren't so effective. I could have at least tried to record this. Anything. Maybe it could have been slowed down. Maybe they were kissing amongst their blows? Or there were weapons? Though I doubt these two sacred warriors would dishonor themselves, even to beat the other.

I sat and watched their fight roil on for what felt like days, maybe weeks. I never slept though. Fear of being destroyed kept me on edge. During all that time, no sign ever came that one was losing or that they'd be stopping any time soon. Becoming more worried that the next building destroyed would have me in it, I started packing my things and plotted a course to a heap of rubble closer to their starting point but far from where they were now.

Standing, I turned my back on the window to run for the stairs leading down and outside. It was only a moment. A millisecond. That one millisecond felt like ages after one of them flew through the roof, bringing the whole place down around us. That wasn't so bad, believe it or not. Being on the third floor, I had much less fall on me. What hurt was when the second combatant flew in landing mere inches from me, bringing a rain of more rubble and force then ever before. No, not force. The gravity had gotten heavier. I felt like the world sat on my back playfully eating my life and stealing my breath.

My life be damned! The next few seconds mattered the most at this point. There the two of them were, inches from me. Could you imagine my excitement, despite the impending doom wrought by their combined presences? Neither could I. I was terrified. Mortified. Awestruck. I knew that my life lead to this moment and nothing else had meaning. What happened was the end...

They were bare as the day they were born. Their magnificent bodies glowing, even through the bloody wounds and terrible, if not fatal, injuries. The second combatant moved closer to the first who still lay on the floor. Not unconscious, just unconcerned. Either was breathing heavy. They were both cool and collected. The image of perfection in battle.

The walls were still falling around us, but moved as if in slow motion. Maybe it was my adrenaline. Or the fact that I was dying. Whatever the cause, I saw everything in perfect detail. From the floor, combatant one sprang to their feet, but in an arc kind of motion that seemed to aim for power in a stomp. An attempt to crush the Second of course. The Second moved with deft speed and caught the First by their heel and threw them against the already crumbling wall. The First threw their hands out to catch themselves and spring back from the wall, kicking through the air at the Second. The Second dodge, but barely. The First followed up with a flurry of rapid punches from all angles leading to the torso and head leading to a feint proceeding by a swirling kick to the left temple. The Second ate this attack with a grin. With that, they gained the advantage and struck the First in the diaphragm. They followed with attacks of their own furious kicks and punches. Back and forth they would attack and defend, hardly letting up time to move away before the next barrage of counter happened.

This continued long and with much veracity. It was only when I tried to breathe that I realized the world was going black at the edges of my vision. I was suffocating with each attempt. I was going to die there under their magnificence and I don't think I actually cared. This was worth dying to see. These two beings, the epitome of life and death, of god, of the universe's first tools of creation, they were in front of me. They had fought hard. I didn't care who won at this point. I had lived a long life. This was my purpose. To see this fight. And it was fulfilled. I let the darkness take me. I was ready to die happy.

.... Or so I thought.

When I came to, I was at the center of where the battle had first started. I was laid out on the remnants of clothing the two combatants wore. Though bloody as they were, I still treasure them as artifacts of what transpired there that age.

There was food and drink around me. Enough to last me weeks if I so desired. It was a wonderful bounty after not having ate since days before my near demise.

As I ate ferociously, I happened upon a single sheet of paper. On it, there was new hope. A new reason to live. A purpose worthy of my talents.

There was a message.

"Little bird, little bird.

Oh what you must've seen.

So brave you were to stay so long,

Your eyesight must be keen.

You may have seen the victor, you may now know the end.

So what I want you to do,

Is tell it all again.

Write of what you saw here now,

And pass it far and wide.

Let the whole world know today,

That fate has finally died.

-Your friend"

My eyes scanned this one paper over and over again. Each time searching for clues as to whom won. How I was spared. And why they wanted the world to know such an obscure message.

Before long, I didn't have any more clues than what I started with. So I did what came natural. I checked to see if any of my devices worked now. Surprisingly, they not only worked, but we're all charged.

The time and date told me only hours had passed. But it still didn't feel like it. I ignored this feeling and found myself seeking reception. I had none.

Packing up all I now had claim to, bloody robes, devices, food, water, I headed out into the desert to find civilization. I wandered ling and far, until eventually I came upon a small village that had a cell tower. They patched me in to make whatever calls or send whatever messages I might need to to be rescued.

My first action was to call in some favors. It would be a few days, but I wasn't worried. My second action was to write everything down and make sure I forgot no details. Not a single glimmer from their marbled bodies. My last action while I waited for my ride to appear in this barren desert village was to connect again to the internet. This time, I found myself scanning the news via my usual blogging website. There was nothing of the events that should have very well shook the world to its core. This upset me greatly. So I did what I could do. I started typing out what I saw. It'd be a good place to spread the story with little infamy, but also to keep it safe in case I was not long for this world. I wrote it all down, just as you are reading it. I only hope their message has some meaning to someone out there. Someone who knows what happened. Someone besides me.

If you're reading this, you may have possibly found the one bit of sci-fi conspiracy minded mumbo jumbo to actually make any sense of what is happening to our world. Please, for the sake of all the people on this planet, share this and tell everyone. The world needs to know that fate is dead. They need to know that there is either hero, or a villain out there. They need to---- YOU need to know what is happening. Please. I beg of you... Be safe in your quest for knowledge. You might just find yourself under a mountain of rubble at the feet of two gods....

Author's Note

I follow the Tumblr page Writing Prompts. I found this one a ways back and it struck me with such inspiration that I had to follow through. This is copy and pasted from my Tumblr page. Typos and all,this is what came from an hour of typing it out on my phone. This is a personal favorite of mine.

https://insightfulneanderthal.tumblr.com/post/152003489241/writing-prompt-s-describe-the-final-encounter

Reviews

[fallenlover]

It was very intriguing. Beautiful