Last Light

Last Light

by

Genevieve Cowan

The old Aviary blinked slowly, his black eyes reflecting the dim rays of sunlight radiating from the brick colored sky. He sighed regretfully, ruffling his russet feathers. Heavy footsteps thudded behind him causing a surge of new tears to well up in his eyes, and he turned around to look up at the large yellow mesh who had come to watch this final sunset with him. Blakwynd's eyes narrowed slightly in defense against the glare of the sun on the mech's thick metal plating.

“Is this it?” Deadline's voice held the same melancholic note it always had, but to a greater extent than usual. He did not meet Blakwynd's gaze, opting instead to watch the horizon, waiting for that final moment they both knew was coming, both wanting to see it, and wishing it would never come. “The end?”

“Yes,” Blakwynd answered quietly, lowering his head until he was watching Deadline shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. “I have been studying the sky for quite some time now. If I am interpreting what I have seen correctly, the sun will not rise again tomorrow.”

Deadline's head dropped. His optics were dim, as if he was not completely present in the moment, and his faceplate held a grim expression. “Then you will die soon.”

“You knew I would, sun or no.”

“Yes… but…” Deadline let out a long hiss of air, armour plates snapping into new positions with loud clanks as he lifted his head to stare into the setting -dying- sun. “…I had hoped that, just this once, my pessimism would be unwarranted…”

Blakwynd remained silent for a moment, turning to watch the sky erupt into a swirl of fire as the sun descended below the horizon. While the last rays of light bounced off of Deadline’s armour, Blakwynd took a deep breath, then slowly released it. “Don’t we all?”

The sun disappeared.

(original and self-edited)

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