{bitem:1909991}

A particularly loud gunshot rang out, echoing amongst the symphony of others. The man with the sterling eyes winced and poked his head out of the glassless window frame. The fort he chose to ensconce himself and his loved one was sturdy; although not so barefaced that it could be discovered if one were to search. It gave a clear view of the battlefield although he was uncertain if he wished to see the state of his own soldiers or not.

The air was rambunctious with shouts, canons, and of course gunshots that accompanied the stinging cold. Each cry of death sent chills through him, and although he admonished himself when the thoughts came, there was no stopping them after they had filled his mind with their rancidness. Who of his friends was now laying on the frozen ground; non-moving with crimson blood pouring from the bullet wound? Which of his enemies was smirking with satisfaction at his so called success? What families would be sobbing as they kneeled before his grave?

As his mind swarmed with anxiety the women stood next to him, placing her delicate fingers on his arm and reminding him of why these deaths were occurring. She was the reason he was fighting and the sole purpose of his existence. Everything was linked to her because she was everything. Although her silvery eyes were misty with grief currently, once the war was over she could let her beauty touch the world and all would be amicable.

“We knew there would be causalities.” She whispered softly. Her voice was the melancholic sound of bells tinkling and managed to sooth his disquiet state of mind for a moment. She was the most magnificent sight with her luminescent ringlets, endearing ivory skin, and slender statuesque body that was made to be covered by the finest silk. But her presence was what stunned most. Her compassion sent his mind reeling and his heart into overdrive. Her odd sense of humor tapped him into the midst of uncontrollable snickering fits. And her perseverance made him want to fight for her sake. For their sake.

“I’ll pay any price as long we can love one another. As long as you are allowed to be free.” His words were solemn but spoken with sincerity. He turned away from the window and bowed his head to touch his lips to hers in a gentle brief kiss. He wanted to linger longer but a pistol shot pulled him out of his piece of bliss. They both stared through the opening where the raging battle could be seen. The black warriors seemed to momentarily overwhelm the white before the white wavered and regained their strength.

The whole war was just like any other. Opposites contrasted in their opinions and stubbornly refused to let the other side feel right. Wars were always just about opposites. They were about soldiers standing for their beliefs, even if they weren’t entirely sure of what they were yet. They were filled with losses and wrongly interpreted meanings. The opposites fought and effaced the grand possibilities.

And the truly forlorn thing was that opposites were a flawless combination. She had been formally enslaved before he saved her from the prisons of her own mind. He was a prince who refused to take the throne of his father, for he had hardly ruled benevolently and he never wanted to follow in his footsteps. They were opposites. Yet again, they stood for the same things. They stood for liberty. For reconciliation. For love. Most opposites rebelled against the same forces, but never even knew it until they were face to face in war. Then one would be laying dead and the other wouldn’t have time for regrets because the deed was done.

They both hated it. Hated it with a bitter passion that almost compelled him to end things now before more lives were lost. But he looked towards her again and believed firmly that they would preserve through. She always managed to, and he was by her side forevermore.

An earsplitting vociferate brought his attention back to the scene, where his friends were dying purposefully to put things right. He knew he couldn’t allow it any longer. The guilt inside him was at its boiling point and although he had let the fighting continues for years he hadn’t stopped it. He was the one who could stop this storm. He could end it all within seconds.

With a burst of adrenaline mixed inspiration he leapt through the window with a bellow of “stop”. He heard her beautiful voice yelling obscenities at him but it only fortified his drive. His feet pounded against the still thawing ground as he sprinted towards the battlefield, gasping with the repeated cries of “stop” that brought the attention of soldiers about to fire. They paused and watched as he barreled through the fights, dodging bullets and throwing knifes to the ground all the while yelling “stop” fervently. By the time he reached the middle of the battlefield all had fell silent.

“What do you all stand for?” He asked once his breath was regained. The bemused faces smudged with soot and blood stared back at him blankly. “I know that it certainly isn’t this. Do any of you stand for war?” A silence once again followed his booming voice. “I don’t. No one does. I stand for love.” She appeared next to him, taking his hand and staring at the men with her gorgeous eyes filled with the curiosity of what her lover planned to do.

She admired him in that moment. His monologue reminded her of a general inspiring his soldiers. He was changing minds. She noticed that with every word he spoke the men around him began to drop their weapons. Realization dawned in their eyes as they accepted his words and listened for more.

“Others for rights. Some for equality. But war isn’t going to make any of these beliefs become a reality. We are all fooling ourselves, fighting for what we stand for against one another instead of the world.”

“So why don’t we end all of this goddamn fighting?” He stared back at the soldiers who were still frozen, but were slowly regaining their senses. One warrior had the supposed bravery to cock his gun and aim at his head. For a moment no one breathed as he stared at what could be his imminent death.

“Is this why you fight? To kill?” His voice was deathly low, and seemed to hiss with persuasion. He stared into the stygian eyes of the black soldier’s. “Kill me now. It won’t stop this. It won’t end war.” There was a tense moment where no one knew what the outcome would be.

The gun was lowered.

Suddenly her arms were flung around him in a passionate embrace as her lips pressed against his in eagerness. Nothing else mattered. He didn’t hear the reactions of the soldiers because he was so in the moment that he knew that they had won. That someone had finally understood the absurdness of fighting when you could just be rebelling instead. She withdrew, but her fingers laced themselves through his as both mournful and allayed tears sprang to their eyes.

Months the fighting had continued, and this ending seemed rather abrupt to him as well as the soldiers. But he swung her around in circles and hearing her wind chime laugh made him forget about the bodies lying around them and the ordeal that they had somehow overcome.

“We’re free!” He gasped, his breath taken away by the pure shock. Her pearly teeth reflected as she grinned. He would have peace, she would have freedom, and they both would finally have love. Who knew that ending the war would be the solution? The things that stood for would become a part of their lives, because they had won against the storm that purged them.

Because after all, winning the battle wasn’t what truly mattered. Winning the war wasn’t the goal anyone chased after. It was about stopping the destruction caused by the people on this earth. It was all about changing the world as you go.