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The rays of the Sun pounded down upon the barren desert, resembling a terrestrial Hell for any mortal being. For the hero who had descended from that very source of light, though, it was a sanctuary - one which surpassed any other spot in the galaxy. It was a rare opportunity for him to decompress, away from the attention and praise he humbly welcomed into his life but nonetheless served as a copious burden.
As Lihtan basked in the glory of his celestial creator, he felt isolated, not in the sense of loneliness but rather a welcoming solitude. It was as if the grand expectations for him to topple his carbonic and gaseous foes had subsided, temporarily replaced with an autonomy that the solar being yearned to obtain.
Despite his desires, his pragmatic side would soon overpower his idealistic half, and the realization of his immense duties flooded back into his conscience.
"Why?" Lihtan hopelessly questioned, as he gazed at the Sun, "What made you choose me?"
The star-headed warrior looked at his hands, which were shaped like those of humans, only composed of bright, ionized particles. To all of those who he had ever approached, these hands were the epitome of luminous beauty, a perfection blessed by the universe. To Lihtan, they were the objects that imposed upon him a fate of servitude, a pair of fists which compelled him to guard the health of every being and thing except for the individual to whom they belonged.
Above all, Lihtan's biggest vulnerability came from within. A weight which prevailed, even in the face of the reverence his merit had commanded from the world. It was the memory of the one who he had cherished, who now suffered due to his failure to act - an oversight which Lihtan himself deemed brazen cowardice.
As he thought of that lost partner, Lihtan thought of their radioactive essence, which was abhorred by the public but embraced by him. An affection which he had neglected in his past, deeming it too risky. An apprehension which burrowed itself into his psyche like a parasite, one which sadistically reveled in his agony but never went far enough to spare him from his torment.
The hero closed his eyes and rest his face upon his palms, whispering to himself, "Oh, Atomos..." Images of the fissile outcast established themselves into his mind, lamentable reminders of his greatest regret.
"You were mine, the one who kept me grounded," Lihtan continued, "What was I thinking?" Despite the brevity of this question, it was an issue that held his soul captive. An eternal point of uncertainty which Lihtan knew would never be resolved.
As the hero sat pensive, seeking reprieve from the merciless galaxy which he swore to protect, he heard the calculated footsteps of someone behind him. A set of movements which he had solemnly missed and could never forget.
"Lihtan?" a soothing voice called out. As soon as he heard the call, Lihtan knew who it was, and glanced behind him.
As Lihtan stared down Atomos, he examined them from top to bottom, never once averting his gaze from the former hero who had become a constant of his psyche. Although Lihtan still perceived a beautiful being in his midst, the despair which was evident in Atomos' countenance felt like a critical blow to him.
To see the light of his life in such a state haunted him, which drove the hero to finally divert his admiration and return to the thoughts of regret which had plagued his existence.
In response, the nuclear guardian began to walk away, their fears of rejection by the one who they used to cherish so dearly upheld. A single sniffle escaped from Atomos, a continuation of their sorrow.
Lihtan caught the sound. Suddenly, he begin to feel a attracting force which overpowered the repellency that prevented him from communicating what he felt. That force grew increasingly strong, until he finally committed to what he had long desired.
"Please, wait," Lihtan pleaded, as he stood up, returning his gaze to Atomos. As Atomos turned around, they revealed their teary face to him, and stared into Lihtan's eyes with a look of total hopelessness.
"I..." Lihtan paused, before continuing, "I need to tell you something." Lihtan approached Atomos until he was within arm's distance to them, but refrained from making any physical contact.
Atomos simply gazed down at the ground, not wanting to meet the gaze of their former love.
"Please, my l-," Lihtan blurted out before quickly correcting himself, "Please, Atomos, look at me." Despite his valiant disposition, gloom began to manifest itself into his voice, much like it had on Atomos for years.
Atomos remained steadfast in looking at the ground. The only thing sound that came from them was the drop of a single tear, which felt like a piercing noise in the agonizing silence in the remote desert.
"I'm sorry," Lihtan muttered to Atomos. The remark drove them to look at Lihtan once again. In Lihtan's eyes, they saw an expression of guilt and dismay. In spite of their attempts to move on, the nuclear guardian felt compelled to respond.
"For what?" they weakly whispered. The reply surprised Lihtan, but he remained devoted to his true goal.
"For everything," Lihtan replied, "For not protecting you when it was my obligation. For remaining apathetic when everyone turned against you. For refusing to acknowledge your existence."
Atomos was hesitant to speak again, but felt the need to speak their mind.
"Lihtan, do you know what I have gone through?" they questioned, as more tears rolled down their cheeks, "Do you understand how much pain I have endured?"
This time, Lihtan fixated his gaze on the ground, a stabbing pain at the cries of his former partner. As much as he wanted to face the music and confront his mistakes, he realized the true extent of their strain on him in practice.
For some reason, though, Atomos subconsciously responded to Lihtan's evasiveness by adjusting his chin to return his gaze to them. Atomos immediately realized their fault, and quickly returned their hand to their side.
"I've become the epitome of a reject," Atomos continued. "They exploited my abilities for their own special interests, and now I've been designated as the scapegoat."
Atomos' crying transformed into sobbing, and it became difficult for them to articulate their long-repressed thoughts.
"I'm looked at as an unequivocal evil," the radioactive being lamented, "that my only use is for destruction and death."
Although Lihtan kept staring at Atomos, he remained silent, so as to grant them their rightful opportunity to speak their mind.
"And when I try to attack that narrative, I'm portrayed as idealistic, as if my shortcomings outweigh any virtue I hold." Despite Atomos' condemning remarks, Lihtan didn't sense a tone of vengeance, but rather of ruthless gloom. It seemed that Atomos didn't seek retaliation toward their former love, instead searching for the remedy to their ill psyche.
"Atomos, you are correct," Lihtan said, which surprised the atomic being, "You should have never undergone the scrutiny which you faced and continue to deal with to this day. It was deplorable, and I'm the primary reason for why it festered so long."
The solar being finally took initiative, and took Atomos' hand into his own. "What you've done for the world cannot be expressed by mere words. My dear Atomos, you are the one who holds the potential to overcoming our gravest threats, yet you have been named as those very dangers."
Joining Atomos in their sorrows, Lihtan begin to cry himself, but nevertheless kept on. "Your capacity for good exceeds mine, and both you and I know that, but I am the one who is praised and you are vilified. I despise it, but I'd be a liar if I said I supported you through it."
"They use this idea of sustainability to separate us. They say I am the one who can replenish his own energy and that you must deal with the consequences of your powers," Lihtan stated, "but why does that matter? Aren't we better together? Why does one of us have to be placed upon a pedestal, while the other is beaten down and rendered a public enemy?"
Lihtan took Atomos' other hand into his, the two now joined together completely.
"But it's not just about society - it's also me," the solar entity confessed, "Atomos, I promised you I'd be there for you. And you know what I did?"
Lihtan momentarily paused after the question, and his face grew closer to Atomos'.
"I broke it," he quietly admitted, "I violated your sacred trust which you had given me, valuing my own image over the one who I had sworn to always be there for."
"Lihtan..." Atomos timidly whispered, grasping onto his cheek.
"What was supposed to be a mutual fight against the depraved of our society was bastardized, by virtue of me and only me, becoming rehabilitation of my ego rather than the protection of our love," he went on, feeling the radiation from his proximity with Atomos which had comforted him so long ago, "I should have kept the struggle going, but I abandoned it, and in the process, I abandoned you, my love."
This time, Lihtan didn't restrain himself. He professed his undying affection for the nuclear guardian, no longer wanting to be bound by his fears.
In response, Atomos narrowed the gap between them, feeling the soothing heat of Lihtan's face. Lihtan was the one to close it, as their lips joined in defiance of the years of tension which had driven them away from each other.
It was a restoration of the powers which united them in the first place, that made their union so strong.
As they pulled away, Atomos smiled. "Lihtan, I love you."
"I love you too, darling," Lihtan remarked, joining Atomos in a calming embrace.
Although not declared by words, it felt certain that their rekindled endearment would renew their struggle against the powers that be, fueled by their lifelong missions of saving the planet.