Creation And Destruction

THE RED BALL of fire hit me and I fell down. From the sky. The wind was strong against my face. But the gravity was even stronger and pulled me towards the ground. I looked up, to see two shapes-one white with glowing blue and other black with glowing red-as I realised my fate.......

One week ago.....

My name is Tom. The world was really a boring place for me. Study, study, study and more study. That's all that everyone cares about. Every day the same thing. Wake up, go to school, study, come back home, study, sleep. And it keeps on going, like a cycle.

One fine night, I walked out of my house to breathe some fresh air. People don't usual wander around the forest. But I did. I walked close to it. Then moved on, to watch the river flow. There were some trees scattered near it as well. The silence was soothing. I heard a voice on my way to the river. 

"Help..." somebody groaned

It came from behind a tree. In fact, it was one of the thickest of trees there. I walked behind it to see who it was. I didn't see a 'who' but a 'what'. A creature that looked like a mixture of a pegasus and a unicorn. It was white throughout with a faint blue glow. It looked injured. I stepped close to it.

"What-Who are you?" I asked. A moment's silence till i got a reply.

"I'm Mark."

It can talk. Oh my god! I ran. Away. Fast.

"Please. Stop." Mark wails "I need your help."

I stop at the word 'help'. Nobody has ever asked me for help.

"What?"

"I'm Mark," Mark says again. "I'm Creation."

"What?" I ask confused . "You just said your Mark and now you say your 'creation'?"

"I, have the ability to create. While Rick, is Destruction. He has the ability to destroy. Rick was chained by the Gods, years ago. But his children still do the work for him. Rick was the one responsible for the World War I and II. He had been chained ever since the end of World War II." Mark looks down, "But now he has escaped. I was after him, to stop him. But he injured me. If he is not caught, then he will cause another war. And this time, it may destroy everything"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Too much information. I can't process that much." I take a moment before saying, "So you're saying that you have to stop him?"

"We."

"WHAT?" asks a flabbergasted me

"I need your help. Please."

There he goes again. Help. I think for a while, then nod. I went and got first aid to treat him. His left leg in the front had a huge cut, from where golden blood flowed out. I began my work. After I was done, I took him to my house and hid him in my garage.

                                                               +++

Mark's wound was slowly healing. A couple of days and he could walk properly. He said he wanted test his wings out since he hadn't used them for some days. I agreed and took him outside, to the forest. 

"Jump on top of me." He said

"WHAT?" I ask, surprised by that statement.

"Jump on top of me. We'll fly. Come on, man."

I reluctantly nod. I was scared to the teeth. I grabbed hold of his neck and pull myself up. I slipped (how embarrassing) and fell down, my head hitting the ground, hard.

"Ow!" I screamed

Mark using his head, helped me get up.

"Try again." He said motivating me.

I grabbed hold of his neck again, and this time, successfully, hoisted myself up on top of him. He kicks back on the ground several times and then launches into a run. He slowly increases his pace. 

Suddenly, a monkey jumped in front of us. Mark pressed his legs firmly into the ground to stop. But it seemed as if there was no friction. We slid off. The monkey jumped onto a tree and it was then that we started slowing down (what a timing friction!). Mark breathed in and out, relaxing himself.

He gulped a huge amount of air and then ran again. His speed increased to ten times than what it was before. He kicked the ground hard and launched us into the air. His beautiful white with blue wings spread apart. They went down and we went up. 

Higher and higher we went. At a certain height, Mark stopped his ascending. We flew parallel to the ground, the view from there just mesmerising. Mark rose higher and now my head was inside clouds.

They felt soft as they hit my face and vanished, only to be formed back after a few seconds. We rose higher and now we're above the clouds. The wind here was more strong. It splashed against my hair and played with it, like a kid playing.

Suddenly Mark pulled his wings back to his body. Oh no, was all I could think of. And we started to fall. I'm gonna die, I thought. The wind seemed to look like small clouds as we fell. It rose up and we fell down.

Things that looked like small green ants from high up there, now appear to be trees. What looked like a blue line from above, now appears to be the river. Five metre. Four metre. Three meter. The distance, between us and the trees, began to decrease. Two metre. One met-

Mark's wings spread apart and we rose up. When mark steadied himself, I asked, "WHAT WERE YOU DOING?"

"Drop." He answered calmly 

"Drop? Is this usual in your world or what?" I said still not able calm myself down

"I'm sorry if it scared you."

I nod. Mark slowly descends and we land on the ground softly.

"How was it?" he asked

"One word. Amazing!" 

                                     +++

The red sky shone brightly. A rock, placed higher than the others, its surrounding area empty. Many black figures started coming from the sky. All of a sudden, many such black figures are standing in the area surrounding the rock. They all look the same. Black with a red glow. Wings. Horn like a unicorn. 

Another dark figure emerges from a cave in the rock. It is much bigger than the ones standing below. It is much more fierce. It is Rick. It is Destruction. Rick walks in front of the rock. 

"Dear children, I have been set free from the punishment of the Gods." Says Rick. All face are highlighted with delight. He continues, "But this time, we will not cause a war among humans, like before."

The delight fades away and transforms into protest. 

"Stop. Stop. Let me finish. We will not cause a war among humans. We will cause a war that will destroy the universe as a whole. A war that will help me get my revenge for chaining me. A war of the Gods!"

                                     +++

"Tom!" 

I hear the word before my body starts to shake. "Tom!" I hear it again and now my body shakes violently. I wake up. To see Mark standing in my room.

"WHA-," I began but stop as I remember my parents are there in the house. I whisper, "What are you doing here?"

"I just saw a dream."

"You came hear to tell me you had a dream?"i asked surprised

He continued without paying heed to my words, "Rick is planning to cause a war between the Gods."

I smirked, "It's just a dream."

"No! I have a special ability. I only dream about what is real."

"Great! But that means trouble."

"We have to do something."

"Not now. Later. Now you leave before you get spotted"

Mark nods and leaves the room.

                                  +++

Mark and I went to practice flying once more. As soon as I got on him, he took off. The night air felt cold against my face. We were well high. Suddenly, a red ball came and hit me. Rick. And that's how I started falling. 

Mark shoots a fireball back at Rick. Rick gets frozen for a while and Mark dives for me. He won't reach me. Rick bursts out and flew after him. Mark dodged a fireball. He whipped around another and caught me just as I was about to drop into the river.

Mark landed on the ground, so did Rick. I jumped off him and took a few step back. The two stared at each other. This area was surrounded by a few trees. They had very thick barks. I hid behind one. Mark threw a fireball. Though he tried dodging, it hit Rick next to his wing.

He, in agony, threw a fireball back at Mark. Mark jumped to the side. The fireball drilled into the bark of the tree I hid behind. It stopped centimetres from my body, yet I could fell the heat against my back. My breathe almost stopped for a moment. It took me a moment to regain control over my body.

As soon as I did, I ran to another tree. Another fireball into the bark. Another tree. Another fireball. This time I didn't move. I had understood what Mark's plan was. One by one, each tree that surrounded them had a fireball in their bark.

Mark rose into the air. He flew quickly around the surrounding trees, firing ultrasonic sound from his mouth at each of them. Rick jumped up to fly, but was hit in the head by a tree. He fell down. When he looked around, he saw that the trees surrounding him were all starting to fall, onto him.

All the trees fell and now Rick was trapped in a natural enclosure that he could not escape. He tried firing his own ultrasonic sound but it didn't do him any good. Dark clouds started forming above us. A huge streak of lightning came shooting towards me and Mark. We took a step back. 

When the lightning disappeared, in its place stood a huge person. About a hundred times my size. He snapped a finger and he began to shrink and finally became my size.

"Zeus." Said Mark

Zeus walked toward me. He stretched his hand. I shook it. Electricity flowed through me. He had muscular arms, with golden bracelets in each arm and a pendant in his neck.

"Well done, you two!" He exclaimed 

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I ask

"I'm Zeus."

"Zeus who?" I ask

"Zeus. God of sky, lightning and thunder. King of Gods. Haven't you heard about that book? Oh what's that guy's name?"

"Who?" I ask

Zeus thinks for a while then, "Rick Riordan. The guy who writes myth books. "

"Oh....Wait! You're telling that you're "Zeus"? Like "The Zeus'' Zeus?"

"One and only." He said proudly

"Wow! So cool." I reply, completely filled with joy. "It's such an honour, sir." Mark stops me before I embarrassed  myself.

"You two have stopped the end of the world. Well done and congratulations. You two are going to be awarded." He turns to Mark, "Mark, you will be the guard of my palace."

"Thank you!" says Mark overflowing with excitement.

"What's there to be happy about being guard?" I ask

"Being a guard at my palace is considered as a huge thing, ya know. " Zeus replies.

"Óh..."

"And you," Zeus turns to me. "You will be awarded with the power to fly along with some more powers."

""WHAT? Seriously?" I'm thrilled. Filled with happiness. Zeus nods.

"Thank you!" I say

Zeus smiles. "It's time for me to go. Mark, say goodbye to your friend and come there fast."

Another lightning and he vanishes.

I hugged him. Tears came down our eyes. But he couldn't stay with me. He had to go. We say our goodbyes. Mark runs and flies away. I kick the ground hard. I start flying and go towards him. 

A violet circle stands ahead of us. We say goodbye one last time and hug each other. And it's time to go. Mark goes through the circle and vanishes. I stare at the spot from where he just vanished. My one true friend. Gone. Forever. With much grief, I fly back home. Ready to lead a new life. A life full of thrills and powers. An epic life!