Unravel

There was a story Maya's mother would tell her, passed down by her forefathers. A terrifying tale of a God who sought to destroy both human and magus as punishment for the desecration of Earth but spared them a second chance upon seeing how pathetic their kind was. An old story to stop kids who'd thought littering was 'cool'. A story Maya had never once believed in it, until now.

"Please! Your service to this cause is invaluable, save the world!" Maya yelled on convoluted streets, waving pamphlets at anyone interested but no one cared. Those who took the leaflet immediately shoved it deep within their pockets without so much as a sparing glance. 

Maya scratched her horns in frustration. After 30 years of ignorant negligence, Maya had finally begun to see the effects of what society and people like her have done.

Life seemed stagnated. The air barely breathable due to the carbon emissions running rampant through the atmosphere, waste littered the streets. But still, people adapted, conforming to the intricate whims and fancies of a loathsome society that prides itself on delusion.

Maya's great-grandpa had realised what the war waged between the humans and magus had done and created an environmental organization called Paradiso. The very NGO Maya has continued to spearhead, mindlessly gathering supporters for a better world and future.

But was it enough? Maya now thought as she leapt through the sky to her latest scheduled meeting.

Hopping across buildings to get to the meadow Maya scoffed in disappointment. During her grandmother's time, she'd clear entire cities in a single leap, "like flying," she had said. Now wasn't even sure if she and her child would ever know what a blue sky looked like.

Maya landed beside a tent and immediately spots Kurt, her human second in command and the ambassador to the magus people. He approaches her gun in hand, wearing a military uniform and almost immediately Maya's partner, Rambo comes to stand beside her. The two men stare down the other with barely restrained disgust, the animosity was almost tangible.

"Enough," Maya breathed heavily, she wasn't one for superstition but the thought that this might be their last Earth kept her on edge, they just had to get through this one year. That was never going to happen they can't even stand each other.

"What does it say to the others if you two can't get along?" she said, trying her hardest to stay in control.

"Who are the newest?" she asked.

Are they enough?

"Is everyone ready to meet?"

Will they listen?

"What is our progress?"

Are we safe?

The sky darkened and casted a twilight shadow across the plain below. The crowd gathered shifted with unease as hushed whispers rippled through the masses.

An overwhelming presence blanketed the world in terror, the sheer volume of power forcing everyone to buckle under the pressure and kneel. It was all true, fear had filled Maya's heart until she could barely breathe, every nightmarish story was true. Tears rolled, dripping softly on her son's head.

A voice that crackled with pure lightning and thunder boomed silencing all manner of life, " 100 years, I've fulfilled my bargain and I gave you mortals time, time to right a wrong made long ago and you have failed."

"But we tried!" Maya beseeched at the sky, " We've made the world a slightly better place!"

"LIES," the sky thundered, piercing through the minds of every soul.

"We made peace with humans!" Maya cried.

"The world has never felt more dead. It is dying and yet you mortals never had any intention of saving it. Peace with humans? All I see is fear and hatred. When I spared your kind I had seen potential but it seems I was misguided after all."

No no NO, this cannot be, "BUT WE WORKED FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WORLD!" Maya screamed. The people kneeling on the ground began praying, the world was frozen, waiting.

"Lie," It whispered almost sympathetically in my ear, "There is no joy in what you do. It is the promise of a dark lifeless tomorrow."

Maya bent over in defeat. What more could she have done?

The thunder paused, " But if you can answer me this truthfully, I will let you live." Puzzled, Maya lifted her heavy head and unearned hope rose within her as she waited...

"Why?" it rumbled lowly.

It was then Maya realised, what was the purpose behind her actions? To live of course. She didn't want to die, she wanted to see her baby boy grow, to cross countries in a single leap. She wanted to breathe. So when it was finally time to answer Maya looked back up and smiled mournfully, "we did it to survive."

One solitary clasp of thunder crackled across as if in agreement and vanished. No one dared breathe... but then cheers;

"It's over!"

"We did it!"

"We beat god!"

"We've proven ourselves!"

And for the first time in Maya's life the clouds parted and in shone the bluest sky she had ever seen. She looked at Kurt and Romba and in turn, they looked at her in understanding.

They were never going to survive Maya realised looking at her own actions, they were always in her best motive never others. They were all given a second chance to live and grow but squandered it in hate and despair. They didn't deserve a second chance but they got one. The world lit up brighter than any star, She looked at Kurt and Rambo and smiled, finally acknowledging her failures and the mistakes of her people.

Maya closed her eyes and smiled even as she burned. It was the end for her kind but not for the world. She could only hope that the next species will do better and save the world. She laughed quietly, in the end, they had learned nothing.