Bab 37: A pointless conversation
A/N: Sorry for the late update, had tests all day this week and will release another chapter later this week.
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AIR NATION CIVILIAN P.O.V
"Do you regret it?" A familiar comforting voice spoke to me, bringing me out of my depressed trance.
A bald old man wearing plain orange and yellow robes was currently kneeling beside me as we looked out into the sunset. A lot of people call these robes out of fashion and a "relic of the old era", but you can't deny they're comfortable. I'd know, I'm wearing it.
"Which part?" I asked.
"Don't play smart with me dumbass." I smirk and slightly chuckle at his annoyed expression.
"I could use a distraction."
"..." No witty comeback for that one, huh?
"Fiiiiine." He drilled on in a 'reluctant' tone. "Since we have so little time left I'll play this game of yours." You're really building up something that you hate.
"Did you regret learning?"
"No, I was an outcast for a time but in the end I was happier than the people who bullied me."
I lived in a monastery where the main teaching was based on non-violence and spiritualism, I however was more of a learner than a pacifist.
"Did you regret being born in an Air Nation monastery?"
"Didn't really have much of a choice in where I was going to grow up."
That is where we currently are, one a mountain housing a temple at its peak. You see the thing about sky towns, fortresses, and cities is that they occasionally have to touch down. They can support life, crops, and animals, but it doesn't hurt to have a few bases on the grounds.
"Did you regret going against your teachings?" He questioned in a non-judgmental voice, more of a curious one.
"No, in fact I wish that I went against them more. If I was less of a pacifist then maybe..." I trailed off for a few moments.
Too bad I was a math geek instead of an athlete, then again I probably would have died a bit sooner than.
"Did you regret going to the city?" He continued
"No, it was fun learning at the university and I know my work had some impact on people. The fact I made some friends was a bonus."
While sky towns were impressive, most people preferred the solid ground on their feet, but they do have a strategic advantage, no matter how little they did.
"That one was probably your biggest achievement." The geezer started to laugh at that one.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" I wasn't that big of a loner.
"Nothing, Mr. I will soar in the sky. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Eat shit and die! You decrepit old fart!"
"Ok, sassy mouth." He started to laugh again and I retaliated by insulting him once more. This continued for a few minutes and I could tell the sun was about to come up. The geezer did as well as he continued.
"Did you regret meeting me?"
"You.. became my father." He just smiles at that statement and continues.
"You became my son." I smiled back and we enjoyed each other's company before he continued.
"Did you regret meeting her?"
"..."
"Did you regret having her?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Not for one second." I answered.
"Even now?" He questioned.
"What is grief, if not love persevering?"
"Congratulations Jacob, you finally became wiser than me." The ge- my father said to me in a proud voice.
"For all that it mattered." I wished I hadn't left the city for business, at least I would've died with them. I continued.
"Well, what's your take on the matter?" I asked the person eavesdropping behind us and a figure revealed itself as it moved from the pillar, however I and the old man just kept staring at the sun.
"I find it fascinating that a nation so invested in scientific advancement can have such a sense of spiritualism that surpasses that of other countries." It said in a smooth and melodious voice, it seems to be moving closer but I can't hear her feet on the ground or feel the air moving around her. I mostly felt her on instinct.
"From the sentence alone I can gather you would have been a hit at the university."
"I'm more of a scientist than a philosopher, aside from my usual edgy internal monologue." There is no air coming out of her mouth, so she is one of them.
"I mean it." I continued. "That curiosity you have could change the world, in fact it already has, hasn't it?"
"You know the answer to that." I felt her voice beside me and as we were still kneeling down, we turned our heads and saw a silhouette of a person 6ft tall. It is pure black at the center and turns into grey particles near her sides. She has no feet or arms and it seems like a long surfboard with a neck and head.
The most notable thing about this being is it's eyes, pure white diamonds that seem to be in a permanent stare.
Deciding to break the silence I said.
"So one scholar to another, what are you?" I'm dying today anyhow.
"A mental projection by a higher being." It said in a melodious voi-wait I already said that, is it really speaking. I rub my head in confusion, it said it was a projection but if it was speaking it would have a sound frequency I could detect. Oh, it's talking in my…
"Astute observation" It spoke in a voice that seemed to be layered over multiple different voices at the same time.
"Are you a spirit?" The geezer started speaking, dammit old fart! Keep up!
"What would make you think that?" It questioned.
"The last year and a half, ever since the force appeared, multiple branches of our sect reported they could hear the world scream in pain."
"So you call us 'the force' do you, no I'm not a spirit. I'm an alien from a higher race." Huh, thought the legendary first contact would be a more joyful event.
"Sorry to destroy you in your first time."
"Is that a sex joke?"
"Yes, very few and by that I mean none have picked up on it." It sounded validated. Validated! Validated!?!
"You may not be such a fit for university after all." I shot back.
"It's funny you think that some small planet's advanced educational system will mean something to me."
"Then why are you here?"
"Do you think you are worth a response to that question?"
"What about our earlier conversation?"
"A whim." It answered.
"When do you consider other people?" It questioned me.
"What?" Is she building up to something.
"When you consider them worth your time. When they say something that makes you feel bad or guilty and draws your attention towards them. That in turn would result in them feeling heard and that's all it is, heard. In the end nothing matters as everyone in anything is trash that will be disposed of by the grand scale of the universe, aside from me."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing, because in the end you're nothing and I'm here because I find you entertaining enough to waste a few seconds of my eternal time. I dropped this conversation and moved to another side to demonstrate your worth to me."
Wow.
You deserve to be called an it.
"I know.. used to know a lot of people that would be interested in your head, psychologically."
"It won't work." It said,
"What do you mean?"
"Your suicide bomb." She spoke of our salvation like it was trash. "We decided to bring this stage to a close. The Air nation will fall with the Earth nation and we will move on."
This time the geezer spoke.
"Now that you said it, I'm feeling less breaths around the temple."
"Assassins." I finished for him, his expression however was full of confidence and mine was full of amusement.
"What, got some miracle to pull out of your hat." It questioned us in the same tone and expression as the sun finally alumneted the entire monastery. Showing the candles that decorated every hallway, room, and sector of the temple.
"Nah, it's just funny." I started. "Everyone here, whether they control air, earth, fire, water, or even fucking gravity." The old geezer started to join me with a savage smile.
"We came here for die and you're going to deliver it to us."
"Well damn." It said with a hint of surprise, a break in it's usual monotone layered voice. "You got me there."
Hey, at least we got one win.
"Any last words?" It said and we both shook our heads and it began to speak again.
"In some planets cultures, they say so long as you are remembered you live on, so by extension as long as you are remembered, you are immortal."
"So are you saying you will remember us?" I questioned.
"I'm saying your species will experience a true death that will not be remembered."
Strong burn, saying we aren't even worthy enough to be a memory and I know you can hear me.
"Then again, it might be the opposite depending how you look at it." It states, not acknowledging my own statement.
With that said me and my father looked towards the sun and felt two disturbances in the air before…
Black.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone