“I think we should stop while we’re
ahead.”
“Why should we when we’re doing the
right thing?”
“It doesn’t seem right. Just look
at what we’ve started. Look at how much fighting there is now.”
“That’s just a natural result of
good fighting against evil.”
“But so many people have been hurt.”
“Isn’t the love we share, worth it?”
“I don’t…”
“Let that kiss be a reminder. I
love you and I’m going to do everything I can to keep us together no matter
what anyone says.”
Julianna wakes up and looks at Grayson
who is sleeping right next to her. She caresses his face and goes back to
sleep. It’s night and most of the city’s inhabitants are asleep except for the Church’s
nightguards and the sinners who are still trying to find ways to cure their conditions
without the Church. Among the sinners are a young brother and sister, Astra and
Astro, two twins who are looking through a deserted marketplace for food and
supplies.
“Astro, shouldn’t we be worried
about the Church sending people to collect this?”
“You shouldn’t worry about it,
Astra. They’re too busy taking care of their own and the people that suck up to
them. Besides, this area isn’t of too much interest to them because of how
deserted it is.”
“I wonder why the Church hasn’t
taken over the entire country yet.”
“It’s because this whole effect
of sin is still relatively new to the world. I doubt having them in power is
going to be too different from the way things were before.”
After stuffing their bags with
supplies, the twins run back to a shelter and drop off their bags to a thankful
crowd. They eat by themselves outside while looking out at the part of the city
that’s lit up.
“Do you think things will ever get
better?” Astra asks.
“I do,” Astro answers, “What are
you worried about?”
“I’m not worried.”
“You seem worried and you shouldn’t
because I’m here.” Astro holds his sister’s hand. “We’re going to make things better
starting today.”
Astro and Astra go out again with
their bags and go to several churches in the area. They tell the neighboring people
around it about the people in need then leave them a small bear to remember
them by. While out, they come across Julianna and Grayson chasing a thief.
Astro and Astra cut off the thief and trip him up so the two can catch her.
“You two should stay out of danger,
but thanks for your help anyway,” Julianna says.
“It’s no problem, miss. We’re glad
to help,” Astro says before they go their separate ways.
“Maybe we should get them to help
us,” Astra asks Astro.
“Nah, we don’t need their help. Plus,
they look busy helping other people out like we do.”
Astro and Astra go to several locations
to drop off bears that Astra makes. They make sure no one is around, and no one
can see them hide the dolls within the building when they drop them off. Once
that’s done, they go to the top of the highest building they can access.
“This is for you, mom and dad. Do
it, Astra,” Astro says.
Astra activates her ability and the
places they were at start to burn down.
“Yeah! That’s what you get for
being thieves and murderers!” Astro yells out while his sister quietly smiles.
They go to the crowds in the city
to hear that the Church has arrested several criminals who came out of the
burning buildings and that they’ve taken out the fires and taken everything
within the buildings.
“So, some of them got away. I might
know where they might’ve gone,” Astro says aloud.
Astro leads Astra to the part of
the city that sits near a river. While looking through the boarded up
buildings, they come across Julianna and Grayson again.
“What are you kids doing here? It’s
dangerous,” Julianna says.
“Don’t worry about us. We have powers
to defend ourselves with,” Astro says.
“That doesn’t mean you should be
here. You don’t know how dangerous people out here can be.”
“I do. I’ve lost my family to
dangerous people and I’m going to make sure that no one else does. At least not
when I’m around.”
“You’ve got the right intentions,
kid, but you’re in over your head. If you want to be part of the law
enforcement, then you should join the Church’s guard when you’re older.”
“The Church couldn’t protect my
family and friends, so why would I trust them with that?”
“I know the people in the Church
can be full of bad people, but you have to realize that it’s the only source of
truth, goodness, and salvation. You can’t find it anywhere else.”
“I go to church on Sundays and do
my confessions. I don’t need them for anything else.”
“Okay, we’re getting off topic. You
can tag along, but don’t put yourself in danger.”
“Deal.”
As the four of them walk through
the empty streets, they hear people talking. Julianna looks around until she
sees a sliver of light coming out from one of the buildings. She goes up to see
the escaped criminals talking about how they’re going to escape the city. While
Julianna and Grayson plan out their attack, Astro and Astra already are putting
their plan into action. Astra sends a bear into a hole in the basement window.
In a matter of minutes, Julianna watches the same bear enter the room the
criminals are in.
“What the?” she says before the
bear explodes into a gas that knocks out the criminals.
“See? We can handle ourselves,”
Astro confidently says.
“You did that?”
“Kind of. My sister can make things
that explode into whatever she wants. She typically makes bears because our mom
used to make them. I can control those things and move them around.”
“That’s some ability you both have.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to
join the Church’s guard? I don’t exactly get along with my bosses, but we do a
lot of good for the city.”
“Hmmm. What are the perks?”
“You won’t be homeless, you’ll be
well fed, you’ll have real clothes, and more.”
“I’ll think about it. Bring me there
so I can see it for myself.”
“Okay.”
Julianna and Grayson take Astro and
Astra along with the knocked out criminals to the primary place where people with abilities meet up. Astro and Astra
watch in amazement as the people outside the building show off their abilities.
Some breathe fire, create living statues, bend water, and even elongate their
limbs to grab things in the far distance. A priest overseeing it all meets
Julianna and Grayson halfway as Grayson hands off the criminals to some guards who take them away in cuffs.
“Julianna and Grayson are back!”
the priest says.
Astro and Astra stop dead in their
tracks.
“Hey, we have two amazing kids that
you might want…Huh? What’s wrong?” Julianna asks the twins.
“Julianna and Grayson…Are you the
priest and the nun who fought the Church by leading a so-called movement of love
against it?” Astro asks.
“Oh, you know that about us? We’re
not like that anymore, so you don’t have to worry about-”
“Murderers! You killed everyone we
cared about!” Astra yells out as several explosions go off in the city.
The bears that she handed out to
people and the others she’s made explode all throughout the city. Fire starts
coming out of the body, eyes, and mouth of Astro and Astra as they burn with
hatred.
“Calm down! That’s all behind us
now!”
“It isn’t behind us! We lost
everything because of you!” Astro yells.
“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry about what we did! We’re still doing our penance for it. How can we make up what we
did to you?”
“You can die!” Astra says as she forms
a massive bear monsters with her powers that Astro uses to fight against Grayson
and others with powers.
A couple of the bears charge into
the building and explode while others explode when they can no longer fight. Seeing
only one way to end this, Grayson charges forward and takes the explosions head
on so he can reach Astro and Astra to knock them out. He then falls to the
ground.
“Grayson!” Julianna yells as she
runs to him.
A person with healing abilities
heals his wounds as another take Astro and Astra in while the others start to
clean up the mess from the battle and go to put out the fires.
One of the commanding priests goes
up to Julianna and asks, “What were they talking about, if I may ask?”
“When we were still heretics, Grayson
and I would attack whoever wouldn’t convert from the Church to try to convince
the others of our strength that we thought was holy. Sometimes we would attack
families. We didn’t care as long as we thought we made a difference. I’m sorry
we brought this on you.”
“You don’t have to be sorry. They
let their anger and sorrow get the best of them. We’ll take care of them and
make sure they get the proper care they deserve.”
“I still feel guilty about what happened
maybe even more now because of what the kids did.”
“God knows you’re sorry and He can
see all you’ve done to make up for what you’ve done. You’ve done so much good
ever since you came back to the Church.”
“I hope so.”
After everything settles down, the
commanding priests order Julianna and Grayson to stay away from all churches
and communities for a while until the consequences of their sins blow over.
With no choice in the matter, the two go out into an isolated part of the city
and sleep in a ruined house. Grayson tries to make Julianna as comfortable as possible
by being her pillow and blanket. She starts to breakdown in tears as she holds
his arm.
“I’m so sorry for everything that I’ve
done to you, Grayson. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t drag you along
with me. I should be the one who looks like a monster. You shouldn’t have told God
that you wanted to take my punishment for me. If anyone deserves a second
chance, it’s you. I’m sorry for saying you look like a monster it’s just that…I
know you can’t talk right now and that you want to but…”
Grayson holds Julianna tighter as
she cries more as she understands what he’s saying.
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