by Dee King
Chapter Fifty-Two
When all roads lead to somewhere, which road do you follow?
Sebastian and I told of our plan. We were met with less than enthusiastic applause. Some were afraid that this was the worst idea we had yet, and others believed that this would be the way for all of us to begin healing. It didn’t matter in the end because Sebastian and I stood together in this decision. Colin was the one who favored this the very least. It meant he may have to help the mortals more than he wanted, yet he slowly came around to the idea. Olivia helped him see how he was meant to be the God of the Seas, even if it meant she couldn’t travel back and forth with him. Cato was very happy. Soon he would be on the throne that he had waited his whole life for. Iris had agreed to marrying Cato, just like we always knew she would. And they truly were happy together. This was how it was meant to be. Forgiveness was taking a while, but it was coming. The Mount buzzed with secrets of what was coming next. No one was close to guessing their future was about to change drastically. I was about to give the speech of a lifetime that would change the course of everyone’s lives. My children would watch, my parents would be there, and all the world would be changed forever in just a mere hour or so. We dressed in our all white attire adding an air of mischief to our clothes with representing every color that had ever been worn for the gods. I had a sash of many colors pulled tightly around my waist, with gold specks popping through as it glistened in the light. Sebastian wore a tie of many colors with a gold anchor pin attached to it. We were dripping with gold accessories everywhere. From rings to necklaces to the tiniest ankle bracelet on my right leg. We were ready. Come what may after this day, but we wanted a better future. We set out on foot, walking hand in hand as our brothers walked behind us with our children. Walking the golden street paved with flowers and gifts of all sorts, each person bowing as we passed. Thanking them as we walked, this was my present. Not my future. We were in the here and now, and I wanted to soak up all the love I could. Smiling from ear to ear, Sebastian walked as if he were the happiest person who had ever walked before them. Ember clapped for them as they clapped for her. Atlas waved at every person he could with his little arms. We were a family. This was my family. Beaming with pride, I take the steps to the oversized stage that had been set out for all to see. It was the first of its kind on the Mount, and it was the first time a speech would be given on the Mount. Stepping forward, looking over my shoulder at Sebastian and our children, they smile at me. They were the strength that I needed. Nodding my head, I walk along the stage graced with gifts of all kinds. Bending down in front of the crowd, each person taking one knee, I pick up the flower. There was only one. It was a pink fire and ice rose. Smiling to myself at this insignificant flower among the others, I knew. This was no longer a burden, it was a gift. A gift to be the goddess who stood before them. A gift for this life I had almost wasted. One night, one rose, and one lifetime of love. As I stood up, the crowd cheered for me. I waved at everyone, searching the crowd for a couple of faces. I saw them. Chloe gripping Christian’s hand as she smiled at me. The rose had been from them. There were no secrets left to reveal. They were my guiding light and one of the many reasons this was all about to happen. Friends can become family. They had been my family for as long as I could remember. This was for my old family and my new family. It was time to begin anew.
“Thank you all for being here today.” My voice cracking as I try to shout so everyone they can hear me. The crowd roars from excitement.
“We know that all of this is new to many of you. We also know that this isn’t something that is common here, but we want a new way of life. A better life... and I’m so happy all of you are here.”
The crowd exclaims again, and a hush shortly falls over them.
“But with all this happiness we found it wasn’t fair to keep it to ourselves…” My nerves start taking over and Sebastian makes his way up the stairs, finding my hand as I tremble.
“We know that many of you didn’t come here on your own accord.” Sebastian finishes the sentence for me.
“We also know that Earth is what you call home, and you miss it.” Sebastian nods to me.
“We want you all to be free of the past and to make your own futures wherever you see fit.” He keeps talking as I slowly regain my composure.
“We want each of you to call wherever you want home. As many of you now know, I was unaware of all this even being here and what all this life had to offer. This has become my home. But not so long ago I never dreamed I would want it to. We want you to feel at home and wherever that may be, you are now free to decide.” Sebastian squeezes my hand as I smile at him, then back to crowd as they all whisper among themselves.
“If you want to stay here then we welcome you with open arms. If you would like to go to Earth, then you are free to do so. We will no longer keep anyone here against their will and we know one day we will see all of you again. But if you are ready to start a new life on the planet you once called home, then please know we accept that. There will never be anything like what happened to your home as it had, we promise you that. If you died by the hands of the gods, then you are free to return to the home you love. If you want to stay, we welcome you. We will always be here waiting for you. You are free to tell the world that we walk among you.”
“Even though many will not believe you, you are free to share all of your knowledge with man.” Sebastian carries the rest of my sentence, insuring them there was no retaliation.
We both stand side by side, hand in hand, as tall as statues as the people among us whispered in disbelief. They couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
“Learn from the past, teach the future, and live life to the very fullest.” We both say at the same time.
The crowd slowly begins to spread a part as Apollo, Aries, Aphrodite are now coming towards us with my parents following behind. The crowd remains silent, stepping back from the stage in fear of their lives we assume. Apollo is the first on the stage, the crowd remaining in silence. He hugs me tightly and I didn’t hold back this time. Letting go of Sebastian, laying my head on his chest, Apollo had given me peace. Tears fell upon my hair from Apollo as his words whispered into my head…
I always knew you would be the one who would change the world. Don’t ever think you weren’t made to do this, because you were. You are the one true thing in this world and the next.
Thank you, Apollo… Thank you will never be enough for all you did for me.
My dear, it’s always been my pleasure.
As beautiful music filled the air, one last gift from Apollo. The sun began to go down on another day here at the Mount. This was the ending of an era. A past that would be forgotten, a future that wasn’t here yet, and a lifetime of learning to truly live again.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Goodbye is too good for you…
As the crowd began to comprehend what was going on, they started whispering among themselves. The thought of becoming a tyrant was never what was planned, I just didn’t want the same mistakes to repeat themselves. Another child living without their parent or parents, another forgotten soul walking around on Earth feeling lost. My thought process had been to save them from this but taking away free-will was never the plan. My parents stood watching me, embracing each other. My anger was deep. It never crossed my mind that this was their last time as the immortals they were. To me, they were just strangers that somehow, I knew.
“You need to hug one of your parents, to show good faith…” Sebastian whispers to me.
“Yea, not going to happen.” Smiling at him, I step back and take our children by the hands, making my way off the stage.
As we move past the crowd, they split apart, making a way for us straight down the middle. Smiling as much as I can to ease others’ pain seemed to show a sign that I was sorry. If I had truly felt bad about my actions, they would need to know. Letting these people go back to the life they once had was the right thing. This was opening a door that I w
asn’t sure we were going to be able to close if it went wrong.
Zack and Ian hurry behind me, staying close to me as my children and I made our way through the enormous crowd. Ember waving her little hand as much as she could, but Atlas only waving at people he knew. He was growing into his own person and that person was becoming more like me as the days passed. This could be bad if he ends up like me. This black heart hadn’t changed completely yet. Somewhere deep down in my soul, knowing the difference between what was right and wrong was becoming unclear. Everyone had betrayed me at one point in this life, and my heart was going to be forever a little dark. That wasn’t going to change anytime soon. Quickly, moving in front of us to guard me, Zack and Ian take a stance as Chloe and Chris step out of the crowd making their way to me. Stopping in my tracks as the crowd goes silent, knowing all eyes were on me, I smile at them.
“We just wanted to thank you.” Chris says quietly.
“For what?” I ponder.
“For letting us go back to our home.” His smile makes his whole face light up, but he had been misinformed.
Zack and Ian, turning to face me, know Chris didn’t understand the rules. This was going to go bad, but he needed to know the truth. Moving past Zack, I let him take the children by their hands. Now standing in front of the man that I had always called my brother, his world was about to be rocked again.
“You can’t go back. Chloe can, but you can’t.” Trying to be as quiet as I could as to not start an argument.
“What? You just said we could go back if we wanted too.” His smile disappears.
“What I said was that if my parents had caused you this harm, then you could go back. You died long before this started.” Putting my hand on his shoulder.
“No. No. No. No. That’s not right, Selene!” He yells as he pushes my hand away.
Ian moves closer to Chris. No one had spoken to a god or goddess like this, and not in front of a crowd.
“This is the only way. We are only letting the ones that were harmed by Poseidon and Hera go back to Earth. You died in a car wreck. That’s not something that any of us can change. Chloe is free to leave if she sees fit. But you, my brother, may not.” His anger was written across his face as the red filled his cheeks and his hands now made fists.
“You bitch!” He shouts at me.
Ian moves like a gazelle, taking Chris down to the ground, holding him his against his will. Quickly pulling Chris up to his feet and holding his arms behind his back, he escorts him out of the area. Chloe stands there, bowing down at my feet and then quickly turns away to run after Chris as tears streamed down her face. This wasn’t what I wanted. These were the rules that had been put in place, but it didn’t matter now. This was the tyrant they had wanted to see and that’s what they got. Taking my children in my arms I never lowered my head walking away from the crowd. Was this who I was? Showing no mercy to the ones I loved? Why was it all so complicated? Making our way into our home, the twins go running off as I hear my name being shouted through the air. Repeatedly, my name is being yelled. Turning sharply on my heels I come face to face with my father. His eyes as blue as I have ever seen them, he stops dead in his tracks, as we are now face to face.
“Do not scream at me like that. I’m literally right here. Calm the hell down.” Not backing down from him.
“What have you done? They will turn on you and you will become just as Zeus was. We told you that you weren’t to be like him. We have warned you time and time again. Have you learned nothing from what we have done to and for you?”
“What have I done? I’ve undone everything you and Hera did. That’s what I’ve done.” He moves back from me as I keep moving forward.
“We are dying, but we can’t leave like this. You have to make it right.”
“Don’t you dare to tell me how to live my life. You gave up that right a long time ago.”
“Selene, you must show no fear and you must never let anyone speak to you like that again.” Hera, my mother says hiding behind my father.
“Goodbye.” I wave at them, letting my powers work through me.
“It’s not goodbye Selene. You must stand up to mortals like that if you ever want to be the ruler they need. Not their friend.” My dad says as he tries to fight the force that I was pushing at him.
“I can’t do this with the two of you anymore. I just can’t.” With all the might I have, letting the mighty force within me win, they are gone out of my sight.
There would never be a goodbye from me again, there would never be another tear shed for them, this was their end. This was my beginning. They didn’t know who I was, they never had. Putting back the pieces of my life very differently, this goddess just didn’t have any feelings left. Who was I? What had I become? Why couldn’t the moment I had shared with Apollo and the rest of them be the happiest moment that I had in a long time? Overcoming all that had been weighing on my heart? Nothing ever seemed to go the way that I thought it would. Wars being fought, hate being spread, this wasn’t a world. This was its own hell. My own personal hell.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Where there is pain there is love…
All my life I felt as if I had always been a ghost of a person, lost in a world I never understood. Knowing that at age twelve, being on a surf team was rare, it never clicked to me that I was something more. Growing up without knowing who my father truly was, growing up fending for myself, never thinking of anything else. It was a simple life of surf, sun, and sand. Easy. It all came very easy to me, but this… This was nothing like what I could have ever dreamed of. This was a life that I was thrown in to. Trying to make choices for more than just myself, for the greater good, this wasn’t a life I had known. Through all the pain, somewhere inside of me longed for a life that was simple again. A heart that could see the beauty not just the pain. In this life, we must make do with what we are handed, but sometimes it’s hard. Some days I wish I could go back to that night at Sebastian’s house and leave before anything ever began. Maybe not knowing who I truly was would be easier. Maybe just being a girl no one ever noticed would be easier than this? Dreaming of a world that’s so distant from my reality was a world I wanted. Forgiving everyone who had hurt me became a struggle that I wasn’t prepared for. It was time to learn and love. Somehow, some way, this world had to become mine…and where that began was the true test.
“May I speak with her?” I heard Chloe’s voice as Zack opened the door.
Sitting on the oversized furniture, this was a step in some way for me to show mercy.
“She doesn’t want to be disturbed now. If you could please step back.” Zack blocks the doorway.
“It’s fine, send her in.” Straightening myself, Chloe appears before me.
Tear-stained cheeks, eyes bloodshot from the tears, and a lowered head spoke more to me than words. Her pain was clear. My pain was clear now for the world to see. Where had my best friend gone? Why had she betrayed me? Why did she choose to believe someone she didn’t know? Had I always been a tyrant and never knew?
“Chloe, please don’t cry…” Standing in front of her, she looks as if she’s seen a ghost.
Skin going pale as I realize why. My goddess form was overwhelming for mortals most of the time. Standing taller than her, dressed in a black summer dress with specks of gold running down my dress, my feet bare. This was the me no one saw.
“Chloe, I’m still me, but I don’t know who you are anymore.” My words filling the air between us.
“It’s still me, still your best friend, the one person who loved you no matter what, but…”
“But?” Folding my arms over my chest, staring down at her.
“But… I don’t know who you are anymore. You’re not… You…” She whispers as quiet as a mouse.
“Yes, I’m sure this isn’t who we ever thought I would be. I know that you are not who you claim to be any longer either, though. So, cut the shit, Chloe. What do you want?”
