[BF25] The End Of An Era

[MadMario]

He coughed.
Then he slowly got back to his feet, the last few hours having drained almost all of his strength.
It had grown dark by now, and MadMario found himself on a small rise in the middle of what had been a battlefield until just moments before.

So this was how it had to come to.
It didn't have to come to this.
And yet...

In the pale blue light of the approaching night, he could only vaguely make out what lay around him:
A field of debris, the remains of hundreds of war machines.

He lowered his gaze.

All the engineering, all the resources, all the manpower.
Destroyed in a matter of minutes.
Because of a lie.
A simple lie.


He looked in the other direction.

Everywhere in the rubble lay the remains of friend and foe.
In the pale light, they were indistinguishable. They all looked the same. They all were the same.

He shut his eyes.

All the lives, all the destinies, all the families.
Extinguished in a matter of minutes.
Because of a lie.
A simple lie.


Every bone in his body ached, and yet MadMario somehow managed to drag himself from the ridge toward where his shuttle was waiting for him.

So this was it.
The ending he hadn't foreseen.
The ending he hadn't wanted. That no one had wanted.
All bridges burned.
No way back, all words spoken.
No regrets on either side.
Because of a lie.
A simple lie.


It could all have been so perfect. The way it had worked for countless years. The way it always had.
But the universe often has different plans than you do.
Plans you don't understand. Don't have to understand. Can't understand.

The universe doesn't care about lies.
The universe doesn't care about war machines.
The universe doesn't care about lives.

Reaching his shuttle, MadMario collapsed. A scream. An accusation against the universe. Then silence.

He didn't expect an answer, because he already knew what the answer was.
Himself. He himself was the answer. No one else. No one before him, no one after him.
He was responsible. Not for the things that had happened, but for everything that was yet to come.
He had been deceived.
Betrayed.
Sold out.

He couldn't change that. It had happened. And he hadn't seen it. Hadn't been able to prevent it.

But that was no excuse. No pretext. No reason to play the poor victim.
He wouldn't give up so easily.
Because of a lie.
A simple lie.


Adrenaline surged through his body. Soon he would be back to his old self. Composed. Determined. Wild.
He had a new goal, now that the old one was gone.
Scorched earth. Forgotten voices. Faded memories.
So many years wasted. So much strength lost. So much energy drained.
And yet...

So much experience gained. So much endurance shown. So much attitude adopted.

He knew he would never return. And he was okay with this. He had already found a new safe haven. He didn't yet know if this place would be better or worse than the old one. Just different.

And sometimes different is enough.
And sometimes different is good.

He hadn't wanted any of this. The universe had forced this path upon him. And he had taken it. He had chosen to take it.
A new path.
A difficult path.
A promising path.

His path.


The shuttle's ion engines roared to life. The new course was set. Slowly, almost solemnly, the ship rose into the evening sky, heading for an uncertain future.
MadMario engaged the autopilot, leaned back, and looked out of the cockpit. Some good souls had always been with him. Supported him. Understood him. And therefore fought by his side. He would never forget that. They had earned his eternal respect.
But so many others had betrayed him. Taken him for granted. Exploited him. He would forget them, just as they had forgotten him.

The shuttle left the stratosphere and headed for the nearest jump point.

So this was it. The end of an era. And the beginning of a new one.
Because of a lie.
A simple lie.

[bertinator]

Concept & Theme: 8/10
Form: 7/10
Voice: 8/10
Style: 14/20
Presentation: 8/10

[lunchboxninja]

Concept and Theme--7/10
Form--8/10
Voice--8/10
Style--13/20

Presentation--8/10

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[Scratch]

Concept & Theme: 8/10
Form: 7/10
Voice: 7/10
Style: 13/20
Presentation: 8/10