The Unnecessary Balance VII

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKVEL_So0oQ

Where... Where am I? What... What is this place?

Your ethereal form hovers over a flat, foreboding landscape shrouded in a dense purple fog. A cracked, broken tower looms in the distance, stretching impossibly high into the sky. It is clearly nighttime, yet the stars and the moon are gone; the entire sky is a pitch black void of nothingness. You watch in horror, helpless to do anything in this dreamstate, as the world is bombarded by falling stars and meteors, consuming the horizon in fire.

Two men square off amidst this apocalyptic landscape, seemingly undeterred by the craters forming around them. You don't recognize either, and yet you somehow know them both. The men are of similar height and build, but the resemblance ends there. One is dressed in terrifying armor of the blackest night, a glowing greatsword strapped to his back and a brilliant silver longsword sheathed at his waist. His matching hair is long and unbound, and his hard, severe eyes resemble miniature Suns; they hold an unspoken ageless wisdom, but they burn so brightly it blinds anyone who dares to look directly at them. The other man is almost his exact antithesis. He is crowned in radiant white armor, dotted with royal blue embroidery, and a worn brown hooded cloak that billows in the harsh wind. His hair is as white as snow, and his eyes are a clear, icy blue, like the waters of the northern sea. He carries no obvious weapon, but a giant katana is lodged in the hard ground, merely arms length away from him.

The two men share a brief conversation- though from this distance you can't hear what they're saying- and then they go to war. You watch in stunned disbelief as these two men, who obviously know each other, try their best to tear each other limb from limb. Light and darkness clash in a violent display of strength and speed, and the shockwaves from their clash send your whisp-like form spiraling into the winds. Your rational mind reassures you this is just a dream, but your heart tells you it is something so much more. Somehow, someway, you are witnessing a crucial turning point in history. Something you were never meant to see.

Light and Darkness appear evenly matched at first. Their mighty blades meet in devastating conflict, and the very ground gives way beneath them. In a move that is puzzling to you, Darkness suddenly drops one hand from His greatsword, intentionally giving ground. He is forced back dozens of yards by Light in that one instant, but in the process, Darkness draws His other sword and slices clean through Light's only weapon. Light leaps backwards, as gracefully as a leopard despite His massive size, and Darkness charges. However, Darkness only finds air, as Light flickers and fades like an afterimage. Light reappears behind Him, and takes up the two halves of His blade, turning them into two different swords, allowing Him to go blow for blow with Darkness once more.

Neither combatant gives an inch, and they don't seem to be tiring in the slightest. In that moment, a thought strikes you, and you realize something. Light cannot defeat Darkness, just as Darkness cannot defeat Light. The two cannot exist without each other. Where there is one, there must always be the other. This is the balance that has existed since time immemorial. It is the balance of nature, of the universe, of... Of everything.

"But is it truly necessary?"

You snap around at the sound of the voice behind you, a voice that is instantly recognizable, and your eyes widen. Floating above the ground only a few feet away from you is a figure torn straight from the pages of your past. He is the one name you remember, besides yours, and the link to your memories. You know who he is immediately, and all your memories come flooding back to you in an instant. The memories of the time you spent together, as children and as adults, and all the love you once held for him, and still do. Your parentage, who you are, what you are, and most of all, your mission... It all slams into you like one big tidal wave of images and places and names and knowledge. If you weren't in this ephemeral form, if you weren't in this dream that isn't a dream, you have a scary feeling the shock of it would have driven you insane. Or worse, outright kill you.

"I... I remember everything... E-Ethan... Is that really you?"

The apparition merely smiles. "... In a sense. I am your subconscious, given form. The battle raging now... It has happened before. In every age, Light and Darkness clash in an eternal struggle. Like the serpent trying to devour the horizon, they try to extinguish each other, to absorb each other. Light and Darkness choose different champions every time, and the battle always has a different stage, but the struggle at its core is always the same. Wars on religion... Wars on terror... Wars fought for freedom... Wars fought for survival... Wars fought for greed and riches... No matter the world, regardless of the players or the excuse... Every war is fought for the same purpose. The Hero's Journey, Good and Evil, call it what you will. In the end, everything leads back to that one idea, that one concept: Balance. You cannot survive in a desert without shade, and you cannot live in a world of eternal cold and darkness. People suffer and die, love and cherish, dream and want all because of this balance. But what if this balance is unnecessary? What if it is merely an outdated concept, that has outlived its usefulness? What if this balance was shattered?"

Your subconscious points behind you, and you turn, your eyes widening once more at the sight before you. Broken weapons and scraps of armor are scattered around the landscape, and the battle between Light and Darkness has finally reached its climax. Wounded and exhausted, bleeding shadows and golden blood, Darkness thrusts the blade of His massive greatsword into the stomach of the man leaning against Him. He quickly pulls his sword away, and Light stumbles backwards. Darkness throws his sword down and catches Light in His arms, falling to His knees. Tears rain down the man's face as he sobs openly, and Light begins to fade in His arms. Then, something extraordinary happens.

Desperate to save the very man He had been trying to kill but moments before, Darkness gives Him a vial of frothing golden liquid. Light smiles as His wounds heal and He whispers something into Darkness's ear, before vanishing into tiny particles of pure white light. The light is then absorbed into the darkness, and half of His armor changes to a brilliant white. Darkness roars up at the heavens, and a giant pillar of light explodes into the sky.

The very fabric of the world seems to shatter like glass, and a million images flash through your mind. You see a man who seems to be a different, happier version of Darkness standing on a palace balcony, overlooking a bustling city below. He holds an infant in his arms, and two women stand beside him. Above him, a thousand ghosts linger in the night sky. They bow silently to him and vanish into the great beyond.

The scene shifts, and you see a silver haired woman in a Sage's robes teaching a class on history to a group of rambunctious students. Outside, in the same city, a young woman with jet black hair is aiding in the construction of a large building. Countless people are working on the project, all of whom are smiling. A giant in red wipes the sweat off his brow, looking down from the only partially finished roof and smiling at the young woman. She smiles back.

The scene changes again, this time shifting to a different city, a city dotted with glistening silver skyscrapers, towering high into the sky. A beautiful, elderly woman with long flowing golden hair strolls down the street, arm in arm with a bronze skinned man with brilliant flaming red hair. They are greeted by cheers and smiles, and waves and bows from everyone they pass. The pair reach the massive silver gates of the city, only to find an entourage of guards and familiar faces waiting for them. The group parts for them, allowing them to pass, and with only a few nods, the King and Queen pass through the gates, and the world passes into the future.

More images and scenes flow through your mind at a calm, steady pace. A contented, happy smile crosses your face as you find yourself relaxing in a beautiful meadow, brimming with every type of flower. You're much older now, and your hands are more calloused. Your husband lays next to you, his hand in yours, while you watch your two young children chasing each other around the meadow. Your eyes wander to the silver tower in the distance, and the massive World Tree behind it. Your smile widens. The sky is littered with dragons.

The scene shifts one last time, and you find yourself back where you were before, but now, no trace of the epic clash between Light and Darkness remains. The once barren landscape has transformed into an endless field of green, and the sky above has become a sunny cerulean.

An incorporeal hand lights on your shoulder, and you smile, wordlessly placing your hand over his. He leans close and whispers something in your ear, and then you wake.