The Nature of Things

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Oscar always tried his hardest not to dwell on trivial troubles. It just wasn't in his nature to do so. Normally, he never had to worry about controlling his frustrations, but current climate conditions had had a detrimental effect on his mood, among other things.

 

The weather was nasty, absolutely nasty. Had been for the past few weeks. There was only one word to describe it: humid. It was as if the weather couldn't decide if it wanted to let the sun shine or the rain fall, so it compromised and did a little bit of both throughout the day--sometimes at the same time. It was damp, muggy, and warm. For a local, it wasn't comfortable weather. For Oscar, it was downright unpleasant.

 

He tired not to show it, though. Once again, it was just against his nature to do so.

 

There's a point on the Plains of Darshi where the road connecting the two cities of Citru and Ft. Meade crisscross with the road connecting the two cities of Kinder and Vegas. It is at this point, on the northwest corner of the intersection, where the small, two-gas-pump convenience store they call MeanPop's can be found. The owner has made his living as being the only stop between all four cities, and for some reason, no one has ever thought to challenge his business. It could be, perhaps, the untamed environment the Plains of Darshi offer, or maybe there's more to MeanPop's than people assume, but regardless of geography or conspiracy, well... the place is just there, that's all.

 

Oscar was inside the store now, taking a moment to rest and collect goods before continuing onward. He had a couple of the chocolate candy bars and a fruit slushie. It wasn't a hearty or healthy lunch, but a stretch of the imagination could make it one. He took his purchases up to the counter to pay for them.

 

"Howdy," the cashier nodded. It was an old guy, wearing a cowboy hat, and the only person Oscar had seen thus far on the Plains. Oscar smiled and nodded back at the gentlemen as he rung up the merchandise. "3G," the cowboy said, reading the registers display. Oscar pulled his trench coat back to reach into his pocket and grab his cash. As he did, a feather fell out from inside his coat and slowly floated down to the ground behind him. The old cowboy hadn't noticed it, though.

 

Oscar was still fishing through his pockets when Vinny walked into the store. There wasn't much different about him since he had left the city, save for a pair of huge gloves and shades. He took them off now to look around the small store and get an idea for what was where, then started to walk purposefully to the slushie machine--THOUGHT he had smelled some Rockin' Raspberry somewhere...

 

"Here's a fiver," Oscar said, handing the old gentleman a coin, "You can keep the change, sir."

 

"Mighty kind of you, son," the old man replied, taking the coin, "You have a nice day and be careful out on that road."

 

"Will do," Oscar replied, sucking slushie through the straw. Oscar readjusted his coat before walking outside. The weather was STILL humid. Good gracious, when would it end? He was just about to start walking again when his inner awareness told him to get the hell out of the way! Oscar dropped his slushie and dived to the side, just as the ground exploded underneath him. The air smelled of ions and singed slushie.

 

So much for being careful out on the road.

 

"Damn! Missed!" said a nasty voice. Oscar looked up and wasn't surprised at all by what he saw. A man, remarkably similar-looking to Oscar himself, was floating high in the air above the store. He was wearing black cargo pants and a black hooded sweater with the hood up. He looked like a ordinary human being, save for the fact his was floating in the air.

 

"Joel," Oscar said, not at all phased by the turn of events. "You owe me a slushie."

 

"Oh please," the other man snarled, "I don't give a fuck--now stand still!"

 

Joel's hand appeared to suddenly explode into a green fireball, which he hurled it at Oscar with a fierceness that only hatred could bring. Oscar was ready for it this time, and in a move that was totally unorthodox, he pulled his board sword from behind his back seemingly out of thin air and swung it at the ball of flame like a batter in a baseball game.

 

When the tempered metal made contact with the flame, there was a screech that filled the air, as if someone had been brutally attacked, and the fireball flew back into the sky towards Joel. The move caught him off his guard, and he had to quickly zip out of the way to avoid being hit by his own attack. He then glared at Oscar.

 

"Come face me, demon," Oscar muttered, sword at the ready, "God give me strength."

 

Joel let loose an unnatural howl and rushed at Oscar. The demon managed to catch him off guard and tackle him in the gut, then he proceeded to lift him off the ground and high into the air, above the desolate intersection. The plains seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see from this high, but the sightseeing would have to wait.

 

Before Oscar could retaliate, Joel grabbed him by the collar and threw him downwards. Before he could hit the ground, however, he shed his trench coat and unfurled his massive wings. They caught on the air and he managed to pull up at the last second, dangerously brushing the pavement before flying back up into the sky, his wings beating in the air. Oscar quickly turned to face his opponent.

 

Joel was furious and his eyes showed it. He grabbed at the black hood and jerked it away from his face and off his head. A pair of short, dark horns could be seen as protruding from his head.

 

Oscar smirked, "Now it's my turn..."

 

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"There's no substitute for Rockin' Raspberry and some fudge striped cookies," thought Vinny, "... except maybe, alcohol... yeah." He was just about to open up the glass door to the refrigerated whisky when there was an explosion that shook the building.

 

"What the hell--?"

 

Suddenly, there was a loud scream that seemed to come from everywhere.

 

It was unnatural. Vinny looked over at the old cowboy who looked as if he had just pissed himself. Vinny hurried towards the door, setting the slushie and cookies on the counter, "I'll be back for those," he told the old man as he stepped outside.

 

Joel and Oscar were spinning in the air, locked in combat. Each time one attacked, the other would either counterattack, or dodge it altogether. They traded blows and blocked punches, Joel would throw malicious energy at Oscar and Oscar would deflect the attacks. They grappled with each other higher and higher until they both started to fall spinning to the ground.

 

Vinny was thinking about two things at this point: first off, he was too wrapped up in other stuff at the moment to get involved in any more crap. Yesterday had been hell. That's why he left Citru in the first place--to get away from all that trouble. Now, it looked like trouble was going to follow him like some mangy stray dog that he just couldn't shake.

 

He followed me home, Ma. Can I keep him?

 

Secondly, it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell Vinny that he wasn't a part of this fight yet--and if he wanted it to stay that way, he needed to get the hell out of here! And fast!

 

Vinny ran back into the store, "Old man! I strongly suggest you high tail it out of here fast!"

 

The cowboy couldn't move. He was scared stiff--opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out--kinda reminded Vinny about Mickey the Cod, that slimy piece of scum. Vinny secretly hoped the bastard wasn't following him.

 

"C'mon, gramps, no time to argue!" Vinny said, grabbing the guy by the arm and pulling him around the counter. Vinny didn't know why he was trying to keep this guy out of harms way. If you're too stupid to run the hell away, why should anybody try to help you? This kind of good Samaritan crap just wasn't in his nature.

 

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Meanwhile, both brawlers appeared to be making little progress in their battle. The two had released each other and put space between them. Joel hovered in midair bleeding from the nose. Oscar's wings were ruffled terribly, but still beat strongly, keeping him aloft. He had a bruise under his right eye.

 

"This is going nowhere," Oscar thought, "I'm just barely strong enough to keep my defense, but it's nearly impossible to get an offensive attack in... I need help..."

 

Joel glared at his adversary, hatred seething within his being. He could feel his body burn, as if he were consumed in fire, and the only way to relieve himself of this pain was to destroy his natural enemy. His mind had been consumed with corrupting everything that Oscar stood for. Why he felt this way, he never understood, and he never questioned it. It was pure instinct--part of his nature--to obliterate Oscar at all costs.

 

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Vinny and the old cowboy had made some good distance away from the store, heading in the direction of Ft. Meade. Vinny slowed his pace, though and slowly turned around. He could see the two combatants in the air from here. Now, while there was no denying all the crap that he had to endure since yesterday morning, there was some foolish feeling deep down inside of him he had never experienced before. Likely, he had ignored it most of his life. But why it would hold such an influence now he couldn’t explain.

 

"Wait here," Vinny said to the old man, and he started running back in the direction of the old store.

 

"Stupid," he couldn't help but think, "This is stupid, this is so stupid..."

 

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Oscar had taken the lull in the fight to heal some of his minor wounds and build his strength. He realized, however, that no amount of physical or mental rest would help him cease his adversary's assault. He needed help from a greater source of spiritual power, and he knew how to ask for it.

 

"Are you talking to your God again?" Joel grumbled, "You have got to be the damnedest fool to think he would care about you enough to help you now. It's just you and me, baby, you and me!"

 

Oscar ignored the words and continued to pray silently.

 

Joel frowned, "Fool," he muttered. His hand exploded into green flame once again and he hurled the fireball at Oscar. It exploded less than ten feet from Oscar, but it was enough of a blow to cause him to lose his drift and he fell down to the ground, his wings slowing his descent, but not by much.

 

Joel touched down in front of MeanPop's, right next to the pair of old tanks. He grinned as the green flames started to ignite in his hand once again, "May your soul burn eternally," he said.

 

"Hey!" Vinny yelled. Joel turned to see Vinny standing a few yards down the road.

 

"What do YOU want?!" Joel demanded.

 

"Oh, uh..." Vinny was cursing himself mentally, now. You got the guys attention, dude, now what was it you were gonna do?

 

"I don't have time for these stupid guessing games! What's your problem?!"

 

Vinny was really starting to dislike this guy, "Hey, I don't know who you think you are, and I don't know what kind of beef you have with that other guy, but you SURE as hell don't talk to ME like I'm some kind of imbecile!"

 

Joel said something nasty and flung the green fireball in his hand at Vinny. Part of Vinny's brain told him to dive off to the side. Part of him told him to simply raise his arm.

 

Without realizing it, that's exactly what he did.

 

There was a brilliant blue flash. The fireball dissipated, and the gas tanks exploded in a gigantic fireball. The force of the explosion put Vinny on his back and knocked the wind out of his lungs. When he was finally able to sit back up, he saw a charred crater where the two gas pumps had once stood. There had been some damage to the front of MeanPop's--all the windows had been blown out, but otherwise the store looked fine.

 

Joel was nowhere to be found.

 

Vinny looked over to where Oscar was dusting off his trench coat. He watched as his wings folded up behind his back and he put the coat back on. He picked up his sword off the ground and moved as if he were hanging it on his back, but it looked as if it disappeared into thin air. Then he started walking over to Vinny.

 

When Oscar got there, he extended his hand down to him. Vinny looked at the hand, then at Oscar, and eventually took it and was helped up. Vinny brushed himself off. He noticed that the palm of his glove had been completely burnt away, revealing his furry paw which was none the worse for wear. Odd.

 

"What's your name?" asked Oscar.

 

Vinny stopped brushing himself off and looked at the stranger for few seconds before answering, "Vinny."

 

"Thank you, Vinny."

 

He shrugged and finished brushing off the seat of his pants, "It was nothing."

 

At that point, the old cowboy had come running back up to his convenience store. He looked at the smoking crater, then at the store itself which, despite the windows, looked at if it had been spared the brunt of the destruction. The guy looked like he wouldn't ever be able to talk again. Oscar walked over and reached into his pocket, then pulled out 150Gs. "Sorry 'bout the mess," he said, putting the money in the old man's hand, "Take care of yourself, old timer." Then he left the man standing there, still unsure of what just happened and what to do next.

 

Oscar started walking south, in the direction of Vegas. Vinny came up behind him, "You think he'll be okay?"

 

"I'm sure he'll be fine."

 

"What about the other guy? He gone for good?"

 

"Nope. But at least it'll be a while before I see him again, God-willing."

 

Vinny didn't know why he was following this guy, or where exactly he was going--or for what reason, but he had that feeling in his gut again--something that he had gotten himself wrapped up in something big--something he never would've expected. Such is the nature of life.

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