History is a fascinating thing. It is the ebb and the flow of lives, the birth of wars and the broker of peaces. It is there for the rise of tyrants and the fall of idols. Each and every thing that happens is very much a part of history, but there is so much that is lost, that is forgotten or never recorded in the first place.
However, that is what one sees if they look back towards the inexorable march of history. History has a very different look when you turn your face to the present, and look at things as they happen in the context of history. There is but a single reason for this fascinating difference between the look of history in the present and history in the past.
That is the fact that it is easy to look back, to see the ripples that expand away from events once they have all happened, but it is far more difficult to do the same with events to which the full ramifications have yet to play out.
History remembers the first time that the Golden Man, Scion, was seen by human eyes. The way he floated alone over the ocean when discovered by a cruise liner. At the time it was a mystery, a wonder, something new and never before seen by the people of the earth. No one knew what it meant for the future, no one could see the horrors that were to unfold.
Who could have foreseen the introduction of the Trigger Event? A moment when a person is pushed beyond their limitations, their worldview shattering, and how the development of superhuman abilities would become the glue that sticks these people back together.
Who could have foreseen the impact that would have on those who went through that trauma? For those who are hurt by the world often find it within themselves to lash out and hurt the world around them.
And even those who had foreseen such? Not a one of them foresaw the rise of the Endbringers - Towering beasts that time and again rage against the world, slowly grinding mankind under their inhuman heels.
Thus, it is equally difficult to look towards the future and see the knock on effects of something that seems so infinitesimally small, a single piece of metal, that crashes from beyond the edge of the world and whose appearance effects all of a single girl.
After all, in this massive world, what can a single girl do about any of it? A single girl from a town approaching the brink of collapse, a town filled with hatred and vitriol.
But that is the folly of looking at history without all the facts. For this one small moment will potentially shape the world in ways that humanity cannot possibly comprehend.
The sun slowly sets, its last rays painting the sky a beautiful collage of brilliant golds, shining oranges, and deep purples - all the while, the nearby snow topped mountain is dyed an almost silver in the light. The soft scents of pine and fresh loamy soil mix together into a comforting, calming haze, wrapped in the lightest touch of fog that rolls across the gathered lodges and tents of Camp Crystal River.
One would call it a picturesque evening.
In fact, with this being the last evening of this particular camp session, you didn't have an responsibilities as a Councillor in Training, and so you were planning on spending the evenings taking as many pictures as you could of the beautiful sunset, the campers that you had spent the last week teaching, and your friends among the staff.
At least... it had been a picture perfect evening, and that had been the plan, but all of that went out the window when the screaming started.
So here you stand, a fourteen year old girl by the name of Taylor Hebert, standing among the roots of a ancient oak tree, staring up in frustration and horror at what was high above you.
One of the repeat campers, a twelve year old boy by the name of Micheal Chadwich (who had been at the summer camp both of the last two years back when you were just a regular camper) was stuck, high up in the topmost branches of the ancient oak, without any idea of how to get down.
Now Micheal being stuck up there was a bad enough problem, but he wasn't the only one in the tree. Another camper heard the screams, and had started climbing up into the tree before you, the other CiTs, or the actual Councillors had arrived. You're pretty sure that this was the ten year old's first year at the camp, and you think his name might be Ben or something like that.
So there are two different kids up there in the branches of the tree, both high enough up that if they fall, at best they'll have a bunch of broken bones, but more likely than not, a fall from that height would kill them.
Naturally, all of Micheal's screaming had drawn the attention of the rest of the camp, of course... leaving you and the other CiTs trying to keep the rest of the kids calm while Miss Lilliana Snyder, the Head Councillor, left to go and get the massive emergency rescue ladder that the camp owns just in case something like this happens.
"Oh god, Ben!" You hear a horrified voice cry out. Glancing back for a moment, you spot one camper in particular, a girl about ten staring up into the tree, her pale face making her red hair seem all the brighter. "W-what is he thinking?" She whimpers out, voice cracking.
Looking back up at the duo in the tree, you can see the younger camper pause for a moment, but only just a moment before he continues to push upwards.
You hate this.
You hate how trapped you feel.
You hate how all you can do is stand and watch.
You hate how the winds nip and pull at the boy's shirt.
You hate how scared the red headed girl seems, staring up at Ben.
You just hate everything about this horrible situation, and you wish so hard... harder than you have ever wished before that you were a cape.
You wish that you had super powers. The ability to fly, or super strength, or the ability to like... climb up walls or just...
Just anything, any kind of super power that you can use to save those two idiots and untie the knot of horror and desperation that weighs heavily in the depths of your chest. But you don't have powers, and all you can do is continue to watch as a ten year old climbs higher and higher.
You watch as the boy reaches Micheal, and you watch as he talks with the boy. The words are lost to the winds, but you can see as Micheal puts on a strong face, nodding to whatever it is that Ben says. Ben slowly shifts and moves, bracing himself against the branch he is on, and allowing the other boy to use him as a step in order to help he start to descend.
Little by little, the two make their way down through the branches, with Ben often stopping to help Micheal whenever the older boy freezes up, unable to reach the next branch. It only takes a couple of minutes for Miss Snyder to return with the ladder, and already the two have made it a decent way down the tree, so it takes no time at all for the Head Councillor to set up the ladder and get the two down.
As Ben and Micheal's feet finally touch ground, you let loose a long sigh of relief, though one that does turn into a bit of a laugh when you watch the red headed girl first hug Ben, then almost leaps off of him with an embarrassed shout, then smacks him over the head. "What were you thinking?" She cries, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes, "You could have died! Wh-what would I have told Mom? What would I have told Aunt Sandra?"
The boy grumbles, but there is a smile on his face as bright as the sun. "Ow... Gwen, there's no need to hit me, I'm fine. I'm me! I'm not going to go and die, so it's all good." The look of almost apoplectic rage that crosses the girl's face does bring another laugh out of you, but you still step between the two to make sure that Gwen doesn't end up killing her... brother? cousin? Whatever the two are to each other.
"Hey now," You say with a bit of a laugh as you step between the two. "Cool it you two, I know that you were worried about him, but everything turned out for the best, so let's not go and kill him now, alright?" The girl grumbles, but there is a smile on both their faces.
"I am proud of you, Ben, even if you are a dweeb." Oh, right, you do remember these two now. Gwen and Ben, a pair of cousins who (according to the other CiTs at least) have essentially been at each other's throat all week. If nothing else, this bit of madness might have helped them de-
Never mind, he's sticking his tongue out at her, and she's chasing after him, as the two get back to bickering. Even so, there's a smile on both of the younger camper's faces, so you just roll your eyes and shake your head as he head back to camp. The sun might have set, and the best sunset you've seen over the week is gone, there's still plenty of light.
[ ] Go for a hike along the trails, one last time for old times sake
[ ] Go out to the lakeside beach and relax listening to the soothing sounds of the camp and its campers
[ ] Head up the hill to the only landline the Park has, Emma hasn't answered your calls in a couple of days now...
[ ] The Other Councilors in Training are putting on some scary movies now that they are free. Go watch with the other CiTs.
[ ] Go grab a Camera and try and find some amazing views to put to film
