I flew up to the sun and asked for her story. She turned from me and said there was nothing to tell. I told her to be real, that she had been here since the beginning and there was no way she was sitting all the way up here with nothing to say.

She scoffed at me and told me that of course she had tales and lessons but none were good ones. I mean what do you want to hear? She said, do you want to know about the meteor that killed your dragons? The acid rain that falls in the habits of some of my closest neighbors? Or perhaps the alien life forms I’ve seen pass through this miserable galaxy seeking blood? Honestly, do you really expect me to tell you every agony I have experienced when every detail will be dead in the next 100 years right next to you?

Yes.

She told me to go find another sob story for entertainment, she wasnt in the mood. I wanted to push and tell her that was not the point but she burned so bright that I simply couldn’t speak anymore, so i left, and after a few days the world got news that the sun was getting hotter.

I was worried so i went up again, she didnt shoo me away this time and actually looked at me with those eyes full of sparks. As we watched each other i asked her if she was ok, she asked me why I cared.

We stared at each other for a very long time after that, mostly because I didnt have a answer. Then on a whim i took a breath and asked her why I wouldnt. Her eyes got low as she sighed and finally told me that her end was near and so was earth’s. She explained that she couldn’t stop it. She would explode, and we would all die in a radioactive heat wave. I was not shocked but dissapointed that my life would be cut short. Then she admitted that this was not her first time.

I killed your dragons millions of years ago, and now you are next. I am sorry.

I smiled at her, I dont think humanity deserves a apology, I said, we are awful and good. Infinite, yet so limited at the same time. If you could see what we’ve done down there, how we have destroyed the planet, i think youd feel less guilty about this. We are not, as a whole, good for this place and though this saddens me, I wouldnt mind a reset. And as for how its gonna happen, I truthfully dont see any other option anyway. After what we’ve done, I dont think our egos deserve a soft death.

But you are more than your egos, she replied. I smiled and let her think that. Humanity had potential in her eyes, in mine potential was how we justified our destruction and i was too set in my ways to argue. So i went back to earth, and i prepared to die. I said my goodbyes and went out with people more and I talked to the sun everyday until the time came for me to look up into the smoke filled sky. Then I closed my eyes and spoke to her for the last time.

Thank you, I said, thank you.

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