This story took about a year and a half to write, mainly because I was writing it in a notebook before going to sleep while visiting relatives. Finaly I took it to the Fiend to finish it, and this is the end result. It ended up being a bit allagorical, which wasn't planned. It just kind of happened. Some have said that it is also a bit preachy, and while that wasn't intentional (and most haven't mentioned it) that is how the story turned out.
Enjoy.
Two Stars“Look at it. What a lovely shade of blue. Rarely do you see such a beautiful planet.”
“Now brother. Don’t go getting attached. We have a job to do, and unless you can offer me an alternative, I will do it. By myself if need be.”
“But surely there must be another way. An alternative we haven’t thought of.”
“This is the only way.”
“No. There must be another way. We were sent to take a few of this world’s creatures. Why must we take them all?”
“Because it is the best way.”
“No, it is not. While we would indeed be successful, we would take billions of innocents along with the few guilty we were assigned to.”
There are none who are innocent dear brother. For each, in their heart of hearts, bears more wickedness, hatred, and spite then we have yet encountered. Why, even the youngest of these carries with in them the capacity for more evil then you could possibly imagine.”
“You speak of their potential for evil, but where that exists, the potential for good also exists. I see within these deeds of such valor that it would cancel out, and indeed overwhelm, any wicked deeds that you see in them.”
“That may be. They may be capable of such deeds, however the inherent a nature of these beings is one of wickedness. They are a dangerously savage child race that would sooner destroy each other then save one of their own.”
“How can you be so certain of this if you have not observed these creatures before?”
“Brother, I am ashamed of you. Remember, I have been doing this for far longer then you, nor is this my first time to this planet. I have had many assignments here. Believe me when I tell you that taking them all now will save us the trouble of returning here in the future.”
“Who are you to decide who we shall and shall not take? You are neither Judge, nor Jury.”
“Do not speak to me of the Judge. He merely sits there and chooses, seemingly at random. It is up to us to do His dirty work.”
“He does indeed work in mysterious ways at times. And I do not always understand His reasoning, but it is not our responsibility to do so.”
“Exactly. It is our responsibility to go out and reap those whom He has chosen, while He sits there and does nothing. I am convinced that even I could do a better job.”
“While it may seem that He does nothing, I have heard rumors that even His inaction is merely part of a larger plan. I have even heard that He has such great compassion for those whom He presides over that he sent his own Son as an ambassador.”
“It is no rumor that He sent His Son, but how did the people, whom the Judge cares so deeply for, respond to Him? With scorn. With ridicule. They beat Him, they spat upon Him, and finally, after much torment and suffering, they killed him. Hot a quick, painless death, but a slow, agonizing, painful death. How He could possibly have any compassion after such events is unimaginable.”
“And yet He does brother. He could have sent an entire battalion of us to take them. He could have wiped them out of existence with a mere thought and condemned them all to eternal damnation, but He instead showed compassion, ordering us to harvest them only when He deemed it was their time. Likewise we must show compassion on these brother, and take only those whom we have been assigned to take.”
“Which brings us to our original point brother. If we only take the few to whom we have been assigned, then soon we, or someone else, will be sent to take more. Again and again we will return, and again and again they will perform evil deeds against their fellow man. While compassion is good, it has a time and a place. The most logical, and practical, approach is to take them all now, and let Him sort them out.”
“You sadden me brother, for you speak of logic, yet you refuse to approach this from a logical direction. You wish to punish the innocent along with the guilty, yet such an approach is illogical. The innocent have done no wrong, and the guilty have shown the ability to reform.”
“They can and have reformed, but that does not absolve them of their past sins.”
“Maybe not in the eyes of these people, but if He is willing to forgive even the most wicked of them, then so am I. You should feel the same brother.”
“Show me one upon this world who is untouched by the hand of the Fallen One, and I will gladly spare them all, taking only those whom we have been ordered to take, but you can not, can you? There is not a single soul whom he had not affected. His evil had permeated the fabric, the very lifeblood of this world. I say again dear brother, there are none in this world’s realm who are innocent. All will stand before the Judge and be found guilty of their crimes.”
“If you would only look at them through the eyes of Him whom we serve, you would see that, to those who have asked for Him to show mercy, He has shown it. For them, he sees no ill deeds, only the good. Likewise we must see them in the same light. Simply because they haven’t yet asked to be pardoned doesn’t mean they won’t. That is why we must take only those whom we have been assigned.”
“Your naiveté is refreshing dear brother, and your speech quite moving. Perhaps upon our return you should consider defending them when it is their time to stand trial. In the mean time, I ask you to stand aside, that I may do what must be done.”
“It pains me brother, but if you advance upon these, I will stand before you in their defense. You will not take any whom we have not been ordered to take. If need be, I will use all power at my disposal to stop you.”
“Do not make me laugh dear brother. In all the times we have done battle, you have yet to defeat me. Were it not for the fact that our battles were merely practice, I would have destroyed you long ago. You are no match for me dear brother, nor shall you ever be. Step aside, so that I may accomplish my mission.”
“And who gave you that mission, may I ask? Certainly not the Judge, since I was there when he gave us our orders. No brother, that sounds more akin to something the fallen one would say. His contempt for these and his hatred for the Judge know no bounds. He cared not for the beings of this world, and would like nothing more then to see them stand before the Judge before the can beg for mercy.”
“You wound me dear brother, by comparing me to him. And yet my way is the most logical. If you feel that logic is the work of the fallen one, then I feel sorry for you dear brother. Now stand aside, if you do not have the stomach to do what must be done. I have a job to do.”
“As do I. We have sworn to obey the Judge and follow his orders. We have also sworn to stand in the way of any who do wrong. By attempting to harm the innocents below, you have forced me to stop you. Now stand down bother!”
“It will take more then you to stop me dear brother.”
Walking down the street holding her father’s hand, Illanna looked up at the sky in wonder. She pointed, and her father saw it too. They stood and watch, and gradually others saw it too.
Two points of light flew towards each other and seemed to collide with a flash. Like two stars locked in battle.
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