cause never was the reason for the evening

Galea spun around, smiling bright as she took in the sight around her. She had been awake for hours, giddy with exhaustion now. The world didn't even make sense to her, feats of mechanical engineering that shouldn't be possible. Mechanical life, even, people who could live for centuries with little need for food or drink. She had stopped, stunned, in awe of a little mechanical flower pushing its way through metal ground.

"You created this place?" She asked, whirling again to face the silver goddess. "It's magnificent!"

Meyneth smiled gently, pleased. "It has been a privilege to watch my creation grow and develop," she said, turning her head to watch her Machina far below, mingling together as they carried out their daily life.

What a beautiful world!

Galea turned to stare out over the endless ocean, the crisp blue sky full of hope. Across the way stood a massive green titan, all elegant curves and draping leaves, a striking figure against the backdrop of never-ending blue.

Meyneth took her hands, cool and gentle, spinning them in slow circles around the shining metal floor. Laughing, Galea picked up the pace, faster and faster, until Meyneth was grinning, delighted. The world was nearly a blur, the wisps of smoke from inside Mechonis a grey haze against the bright glass of the sky.

How long had it been? How long had it been since either of them had paused for a moment, just to breathe, to find a moment of fun and joy to just appreciate?

Dizzy at last, Galea stumbled back, still breathless with mirth, dropping gracelessly to the floor. The image of the world fell with her, still spinning as her inner ear recalibrated, delicate as a soap bubble.

Meyneth collapsed beside her, metallic body both heavy and weightless. What a delight! A moment of reprieve, to exist without reason.

"How do you do it?"

How did she do what? Create? That was beyond even her understanding. Meyneth had a vague impression it had not always been this way- a distant memory of another life.

How did she find joy? She tried to live in the moment, to exist right next to the others, walking hand in hand.

How did she hold onto hope? She could not remember ever living without it.

"I heard stories growing up, of a loving god. And here you are, you exist. A goddess so beloved and loving, in turn." Galea tilted her head, resting it on her own shoulder, silver hair spilling down her back like a river.

Meyneth searched her face. "What would be the point of living, if love did not exist?"

Galea's laugh sparkled in the warm air, throat bared as her chin tipped up. "I suppose that's fair."

Who was this woman? A sister, a mirror (a reflection?), a woman of her own making (who had made whom?) Meyneth knew they would never speak again, but she loved her. She would treasure this moment in her heart, a fleeting instance soon snatched by the wind.

"Thank you," she said, rushed and thoughtless. For what? For existing? That was too vague. For complimenting her creation? That was vain, arrogant. For talking to her, bright and curious and unafraid?

Galea smiled, laugh lines warming her eyes. What a simple display of her character- a woman, so young despite her silver hair, brown skin soft and smooth, but creased from years of laughter. To have found happiness in a ravaged world. Oh, to be like her! That naive passion, that determination to fix injustice, that relentless curiosity. What a woman!

Together, they watched the sky, the distant specks of birds wheeling around Bionis, the clouds that misted between the titans. The hum of Mechonis beneath them, steady and comforting. There was an unspoken serenity to the air, tainted wistfully by the knowledge it could not last.

"I wish every day could be like this."