Love at the End of the World

Falling in Love at the End of the World
Mika believed in true love. He had believed in it ever since he'd first heard the words. As a little oakl colt he'd heard stories about strangers who fell in love at first sight. Prince and princess, boy and girl, melo and reve, the specifics of the stories didn't matter. In the end they were the same; love conquered all. It changed the world and banished sadness and loneliness. There was something magical about it, something that he knew one day he would find for himself.

All through his youth he held on to that belief. It was like his guiding star, getting him through all the hardships that life sent his way. He lost his mother and father at a young age but did not let sadness change who he was. Instead he remembered how much he loved them and how much they had loved him in return. Though he missed them, those memories let him know that they would not want him to live in sadness. A few years later his older sister found a mate of her own and left, but he was not jealous. He was happy for her even after her letters stopped and he lost track of her and her family. She had found what everyone longs for most, how could he ever think badly of her for that even if it meant she had to go away?

He tried his best to be positive and upbeat, and his efforts were well rewarded. Everyone in his village knew Mika and saw him as a friend. He was happy there, at least for the most part, but there was still something missing in his life; he hadn't found love. He'd met so many people that he cared about, but never once had he felt that spark of true love. Some of his friends would laugh at him, saying that he needed to grow up and realize that love wasn't some magic spell that he would just stumble across some day, but he didn't believe them. Love at first sight was real, he just knew it.

Once he was old enough, Mika decided to travel the world. It was nice to see all the different lands and experience the cultures that had sprung up over the years, but what he really wanted to do was meet more people. His true love was out there somewhere, all he had to do was find them. For years he traveled, doing whatever he had to in order to get from place to place. He met so many people of all types but still, no spark. No magic. No true love.

Saddened by his failures, he returned home to find it much changed from how he'd remembered it. Most of Mika's friends were gone. Some had moved away after he'd left, pursuing life goals of their own, and the others had found mates for themselves. No one seemed to have time for him anymore. Those few individuals who did decide to visit him chastised him for what he'd tried to do. Going around the world in search of love at first sight was just silly, they'd said, and this time he actually believed them. All this time he had been a silly fool chasing a dream that would never come true.

Mika changed after that. He grew distant and depressed, shutting himself away in his empty little home. Some people worried for him and tried to visit, but after a while those visits stopped. It's hard to talk to someone who doesn't want you around, and it's all too easy to push people away. Mika's joyous and giving nature was crushed by despair, once bright eyes now dull and hollow. He'd known loneliness for so long now, and he just couldn't fight it any longer. It became all consuming. His heart broken by the seemingly certain knowledge that his dream would never come true, Mika didn't have the will to live anymore.

There are many ways to give up on life. Some take action, doing things that they may regret and hurting those around them. Others do nothing, choosing to wait in silence alone for whatever end fate has in store. Mika wasn't like that. Neither option seemed particularly good to him, and yet he still sought an end to this life that had nothing to offer him any longer. That is why he left.

Taking nothing with him, Mika abandoned his empty home and the memories it contained. He wandered the world, little more than a dark specter waiting for an end. Those who passed him on the road, who before would smile at his friendly attitude, now stepped away in pity or fear. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he care. There are certain places you can only find when you stop looking and let something greater than yourself guide you. One of those things is what he managed to stumble across; the entrance to the underworld.

The cavern was dark and Mika could hear the distant sobbing of lost souls, but he didn't mind it. He was a lost soul too, the only difference being that he was still alive, so this seemed to be the perfect place for him. Scattered torches offered just enough light for him to see that he was alone even here. Old tracks in the stone floor proved that something big had been through here many times, and the thunder of hooves and wheels resounded from somewhere deeper in the cavern. This was a waiting place, at least that was what it seemed like, and so he waited.

When at last the sounds grew closer, he looked out into the darkness and saw a blaze of red heading his way. The crimson glow illuminated a dark figure. It was an oakl, like himself, long mane flying as it raced along the stone floor. It pulled a large chariot made of dark wood and black metal. It skidded to a stop, easily slipping out of the harness, and stared him down.

"What are you doing here?" The oakl's voice was deep and commanding, but not frightening.

"Waiting."

"For death?"

"I ... "

He paused, looking closely at the other oakl. He was unique, that was certain. A deep red glow emanated from his chest where his heart should be. He tossed his head, strands of that long black mane constantly trying to fall over his blazing red eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Styx. Chariot-puller of the underworld." Mika had expected a distant, haughty attitude, especially from someone so important, but that wasn't what he received. Yes Styx was intimidating, but he also seemed genuinely interested in this strange occurrence. "Did you want me to take you?"

"Can we just ... talk for a while?"

To his surprise, the other oakl smiled and the glow of his heart seemed to shine a bit brighter.

Mika never left that cave, nor did he go on to the underworld. He lives there to this day, helping console spirits before they take their final ride. He had thought his life over and his heart broken beyond all hope of saving, but when he met Styx he finally found what he was searching for; true love at first sight.