Hero of the Twilight

Serenity of a magnificent degree captured the Earth. The wind, as warm as a fresh flame, blew at a gentle pace. The sky displayed an endless field of beautiful shades, from a lovely violet to a soft orange. Hanging at the horizon, ready to rest for the evening, was the colossal sun. Its rays were calm, allowing for the sphere of flames to be looked upon with ease. Only clouds of small sizes could be seen roaming. 

Down below was an extensive bridge, complete with pristine roads and an excellent frame. A marvelous peach glow bounced gently off of the metallic casing. 

Silence scattered through the area, since there was a vacancy of existence. No vehicles nor souls could be seen for miles upon miles. 

With the exception of a single heart. 

It belonged to a young girl who looked to have just reached her pubescent. Her height was short, and her limbs were thin. Falling gracefully down her head to her neck was silky, straight, ink-black hair. Complementing this shade were her eyes, which bore a beautiful, captivating glow of neon green. Her skin was fair and bore a multitude of blemishes—bruises, scratches, and burn marks. The clothing she wore was a cloud-white sundress with frills, white ankle socks, and black dress shoes. 

She stood balanced on the railing of the bridge, her arms stretched out at her sides. She overlooked the vast ocean that settled below. Its waves were grand, yet placid. 

A handful of thoughts rose in the girl’s mind; specifically ones revolving around her mother and father. Their voices echoed through her being. 

“You’re so fucking useless!” 

“I knew I should have aborted you!”

“You shut your mouth, you little bitch!” 

She thought of their punishments, each one shredding a piece of her soul: her mother’s cigarette searing her flesh; her father slamming his palm against her cheek. The number of times she had been tossed down the stairs was beyond countless. 

A sudden wave of sorrow quickly washed over the girl, and she soon found tears streaming down her cheeks. 

I can’t do this anymore, she thought. As she studied the waves below through glassy eyes, she wondered if it was true—if the end was with haste. She imagined her neck snapping against the current, her spine splitting at the impact. This brought upon her a surprising sense of delight. She could finally feel her escape coming to its close. 

Before she took her last step forward, however, she was embraced by another sensation: remorse. This stemmed from her memories of her companions, who had claimed time and time again that it was her smile that gifted them strength. Kindness and compassion dwelled within the girl, and she was quite aware that her joyful character, though staged, brought life to those around her. Would she be able to force their lips to frown? Would she able to forgive herself in the afterlife for committing an act that so many claimed were selfish? 

She reflected upon her decisions, considering which held a greater morality—a greater good. She balanced the weight of her choices on her shoulder until, after several passing moments, she settled on halting her escape. She couldn’t depart from her companions yet, not when they immensely admired this existence of hers. She longed to watch them grow into adequate human beings, and concluded that in order to do so, she would require a working pulse. 

With fatigue streaming through her mind and tears rolling down her skin, the girl carefully perched herself on the railing. Though the pathway to the Other Realm was still present, she decided that she would have to travel down it another day. 

Even so, the struggle for survival was becoming grueling by the day. Her strength to withstand the brutality of her guardians was diminishing at a rapid pace, and she sincerely wondered if she would have the capability of pressing through the sunrises to come. 

It was as these doubts lurked within her that a voice beside her emerged. 

“You made the right choice,” it said softly. 

The girl’s eyes quickly widened, and she aimed her attention towards the voice. 

It was then that she caught sight of a teenage girl leaning against the railing beside her. Holding the age of possibly seventeen, this girl was slightly taller than the one of neon eyes. Her limbs, too, were thin, but her overall frame was rather elegant. On her head was a small ponytail shaded yellow like thunder, which greatly complimented her diamond-blue eyes. Her skin was as white as snow. She was dressed in a purple, zip-up hoodie, a black skirt, and low top, violet shoes. 

The girl of thunder-yellow hair kept her eyes to the ocean. 

“You made the right choice,” she repeated with a smile. 

The girl of neon eyes was stunned by the presence of another soul, and it took her a stretched moment to craft words. 

“H-Hello,” she said awkwardly. 

“Hello,” the thunder-haired girl replied. 

Silence, before she spoke again. 

“So,” she said, “I see that you’re crying.” She looked to the girl of neon eyes. “Are you okay?” 

Finally realizing her appearance, the girl of neon eyes hastily wiped her eyes, smearing tears against her skin. 

Embarrassed, she looked to the horizon and answered with, “I’m okay.” 

“You don’t have to lie,” the thunder-haired girl assured her. 

The girl of neon eyes did not counter this statement, nor did she grow annoyed with the thunder-haired girl for offering it. She simply kept her sights to the ocean, hearing the waves roar gently as they passed. For some reason, she felt secure with the thunder-haired girl, despite having only met her for a mere few seconds. The thunder-haired girl gave off the impression of an angel—a graceful angel who held the key to joy in her pocket. The girl of neon eyes wanted so desperately to grasp that key. 

“This is hard . . .” the girl of neon eyes whispered. She could already feel a new wave of tears preparing to flee. “This . . . is really hard.” 

The thunder-haired girl asked again: “Are you okay?” 

This time, the girl of neon eyes did not lie and shook her head. 

“Mm-mm,” she hummed sadly. “I’m not okay. Not one bit.” 

The thunder-haired girl proceeded to study the girl-of-neon-eyes’ skin. She noticed the lines of crimson that were formed; the purplish marks that damaged her flesh. The thunder-haired girl was quick to conclude how this pain was brought about, but decided not to speak of the nature. Instead, she perched her hand on the neon-eyed girl’s shoulder and softly said, “You’re strong. Did you know that?” 

Every now and then, her friends would tell her the same, and the girl of neon eyes appreciated that message more than any other. 

“Even so,” she said through her sobs, “I can’t do this anymore. This is getting too difficult for me.” 

“Do you have a name?” the thunder-haired girl asked. 

“Emilia,” the girl of neon eyes answered. 

The thunder-haired girl began to lovingly rub Emilia’s back. 

“It’ll be okay, Emilia,” she said. 

“How could you possibly say that?” Emilia asked with a frown. 

The thunder-haired girl smiled. “Because my friend Apollo once told me, ‘Beyond every cloud of rain is a vibrant rainbow waiting to light our souls.’” She aimed her eyes back to the ocean, a distant look capturing her expression. “I didn’t believe him, not even for a second, especially when I stood where you are.” 

Emilia looked the thunder-haired girl’s way. “You’ve . . . stood here before?” 

The thunder-haired girl nodded. 

“A few times,” she answered. “You see, I never quite liked myself. I always thought I was nothing but flaws, and to this day I still believe so. There would be nights where I cried myself to sleep.” 

Sorrow for her sudden new companion struck Emilia’s heart. She quickly felt an overwhelming urge to embrace her, but she remained still as she listened to the thunder-haired girl’s tale. 

“But I’m getting a bit better at this whole, you know, concept of existing,” the thunder-haired girl said. “Day by day, if only by a little, I realize that no one is perfect, and that there is only one of me in this universe. There will never be another Jupiter that walks this Earth quite like me. And it was once I started having these thoughts that I saw the truth behind Apollo’s message. I could see my clouds of rain slowly drift apart.” 

Jupiter met Emilia’s eyes. 

“The same will happen to you too,” Jupiter said, “I know it. You and I both, we just have to be strong. We can make it through this!”

After hearing Jupiter’s story, Emilia contemplated whether or not she could keep on advancing. The hurdles of existence had not been merciful, and she was certain that there would only be more to come. For a second, she honestly wondered if quitting would be the greatest solution to her struggles. 

With a light touch, Jupiter perched her hand on Emilia’s shoulder. 

“You can do it,” she said, smiling. “I know you can.” 

It was in that expression of kindness that Emilia felt something—a sense so powerful and so vibrant that tears of joy would soon flow from her eyes. She could feel her soul brighten, her heart heal from the cracks it showed. 

Emilia felt hope. 

“Do you really think I can do it?” she asked. 

“Of course!” Jupiter assured her. “We can get through this together, Emilia. As long as we push through and rise again once we fall, we can do anything!” 

Her words were music to Emilia’s ears, and she found herself smiling from cheek to cheek. The reason this smile felt so sweet was that it was one of sincerity—a kind she hadn’t shined in years. 

Jupiter offered Emilia her hand and asked, “Wanna go fight off those rain clouds?” 

Keeping her face of overwhelming joy, Emilia wiped her eyes and nodded, then accepted Jupiter’s gift of companionship.

Together, the two of them departed the bridge to search for their rainbows.