... and so would it end.

"Why... why do you ask me this?" croaked the second man hoarsely, the first sign of humanity now escaping his body in the form of a shivver down his arm, his aim faltering ever so slightly. The first man could have taken advantage of this... but instead, he remained still.

"I ask... because--"

"You ask because you wish to see me fail!" called out the second man, now holding his weapon firmly. His eyes looked upon the first in sorrow, and he simply shook his head in shame, "Oh, where did we go wrong..."

Indeed... to look upon the scene of death and destruction which surrounded them, one would only imagine that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong. Yet it was legend that said the gods knew that this would happen, yet did nothing to stop it and, instead, did everything to fuel it forward. An entire town, levelled in their wake... and how many more in distant lands looked the same? So many... too many, too many deaths to weigh on the hearts of both men.

The sound of laughter... an echo from the past. Both men could only close their eyes and remember that sound, a sound shared among friends of old. The time of shadows returned to them, a time when they were younger... so innocent and carefree. Was it so difficult for the gods to give them one last chance? To return to the days of old... to stop the horrible things from happening? If only something different were to happen... the peace and happiness that could sprout from it would be told in tales by man for all time.

Yet... not all stories have a happy ending, do they? For if that were possible... perhaps there would not be two loaded guns held strong, staring into two sets of fearful eyes hidden behind closed lids. Behind those lids played memories of the past, both fond and ill-remembered, yet all so very appreciated at a time such as now. Again, the sound of laughter plays... but not among friends this time, and instead among their loves. Goddesses by all rights, yet held to earthly forms... neither man chose to look at their loves as anything less than modern day goddesses, sent to bring them the happiness they longed for. The acceptance they needed, and the families they yearned to have.

For a moment, the first man begins to lower his gun... caught up in the memories of a time so much greater than the one he faced now. However, his arm locked into place, refusing to go down further... and when the man opened his eyes, the second man stared back at him.

He, too, could have taken the shot... but instead, he remained still.

"I... suppose that, perhaps, now is... as good a time as any," spoke the first man, his eyes softening.

Yet the past was not yet done with either man, as even with their eyes opened and looking into each other's own... memories still played like film reels across their vision. The days of old, shared between themselves... the bond of friendship built up over time. For ages, these two had stood by each other's side... and now, they may die before each other's feet. This was a realization that neither man seemed to see fair, yet both had realized long ago that it was, in the end, neccesary.

"Oh, but why couldn't you have been someone else... why did you have to... have to be you?!"

Because without a friend to guide him... all would have been lost. For either to succeed... they must both stand as equals and on the same page, without hate nor spite held between the two of them. Perhaps a rivalry... no, almost certainly a rivalry, for sometimes it is healthy among friends. A rivalry to push the both of them forward... to prepare them for the day when their world would crumble down; and though both were born to be the other's executioner... they were also the other's guardian angel all along.

"It's... it's time. All of their deaths... all the fighting through the years... this is the end, you know? It's... it's finally going to be over."

All of the laughter, all the joy throughout the years... yes, this is the end. The end of all that was good and all that is bad... the end is the end, no matter what the circumstances may be. Perfection takes forever to obtain, but only a split second to lose. Contrary to popular belief... eternity doesn't always last forever.

Some things were just too good to stay true... you know?

"You ready?" came the whispered voice of one of the two, as their courage began to build inside of them.

"Ready as I'll ever be..." came the second man's reply.

The silence set in for the final time. No breeze to blow the foul stench of death forward, no ravens to cry out for an ending, no more restless spirits begging for closure. The world... for so long, the world saw these men in their eyes, yet now they were blinded from them, denied to enter into what had effectively became their moment, and their moment alone. There were no other fingers on their triggers this time... only they stood between each other's destiny.

Only one could survive.

"It's been a hell of a ride, Chris..."

"Same goes for you, Dom... thank you for everything."

"Not a problem, my friend..."

... not a problem at all.

Bang.