A/N: As always, my tedious ownership of reality is beginning to waver. My ownership of everything else is non-existent.
The wings were gold. Somewhere in the back of Stark's mind, that thought registered. Unfortunately, it didn't make itself known to the rest of Stark's brain until after he attacked.
"You bastard!" He struck out with everything he had, wanting to cause this being more pain and agony than anything known before. Kalona had, in effect, killed his priestess. And Stark would avenge her or die in the process. However, he soon found himself flat on his back with a bow holding him down at the throat. That's when his brain finally caught up with the info: gold, not black.
Erebus. Nyx's Warrior and Consort. And Stark had just attacked him. Damn.
JAMES STARK. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. BUT DO NOT DESPAIR. HOPE IS STILL ABUNDANT.
"I don't see how," Stark said simply. "I failed my Priestess. And not even with good reason. I had a tantrum like a child and left her alone. Where is there any hope left in that?"
YOU ARE YOUNG. YOU AREN'T A GOD. YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES.
"I shouldn't have made that one."
SO LEARN FROM IT. ALLOW YOURSELF TO HEAL. YOU WILL NEED TO BE STRONG FOR YOUR PRIESTESS WHEN SHE RETURNS. SHE WILL RELY ON YOU EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE.
"When she returns? You mean Zoey will be OK? What about her marks? wait, where is she now?"
GUARD THIS SHELL FORM WELL, MY SON. I FEAR OTHERS MAY TRY TO USE IT FOR THEIR OWN MEANS.
"But where is Zoey? Is she going to be OK?"
I CANNOT TELL YOU WHERE SHE IS, AND HER WELL-BEING IS ENTIRELY UP TO HER. SHE TRAVELS IN MYSTERIES ONLY FEW IN THIS PLANE HAVE. THE COMING TIMES WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR ALL.
And he was gone. Stark still lay on the floor staring at the space that had held the huge, winged form. Guard her well, Stark thought. She travels in mysteries. He read all types of books. He knew the myths and legends well. That struck a chord inis memory. He slowly rose back to his chair, his eyes locked on the body in front of him. Not really seeing it. Stark began remembering the stories of Inanna, Woden, even Orpheus.
And a small smile began to form.
ZOEY
"Where am I?" So many things were flashing through her mind, half formed thoughts and images, non-sequitors out of which she couldn't make sense.
"You're in the Otherworld, sweetie." His voice was sweet and warm. Something flashed, a sense of recognition, but it was buried under the rest of the stampede within her.
"The Otherworld? Does that mean I'm dead?"
"It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid. You have a journey to take, and not a lot of time to take it. It's going to be difficult, babe. I'm sorry about that." He put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed once before standing up, pulling her up with him.
"There's a lot of people counting on you to set things right. You're going to have to call on yourself to pull through. Explore depths inside yourself you probably didn't even know were there."
"Inside myself? But I don't even know…." Zoey stopped suddenly as a memory came crashing to the forefront. "Zoey Redbird. It said Zoey Redbird. That's who I am!" She happily turned to look at her guide. "I remembered!"
He smiled at her. "Good going, babe. I knew you would get the hang of this." He took her hand and led her to the lake. "You need to prepare. Bathe yourself here and be ready to start your quest."
"Wait, bathe? Here?"
"Yeah, babe. Or did you not notice you're covered in grass and dirt?" Zoey looked down at herself and noticed that, indeed, she was smeared with grass stains and mud. "What about my clothes," she asked, surveying the damage.
"Ummmm… you won't need clothes."
"What?" She shrieked. He just stood there, looking at her a bit sheepishly, but with a familiar glint in his eye. Familiar…
"Heath Luck, I swear to Nyx if you're simply trying to see me naked…" He smiled then, a truly beautiful smile and it stopped her tirade. "What now?"
"You remembered my name. You remembered me. You're going to come through this with flying colors."
"I still don't know what I've got to do. And my head is still going too fast for me to keep up."
"I can't explain, babe. I'm sorry, but part of the whole deal is your figuring it out on your own. I'm simply here to push the progress along."
Zoey thought about this, then decided she didn't want to add more thoughts to the chaos already within. She sighed, and began to undress. "You'd better not watch," she warned Heath. Chuckling, he turned and went to a dock at a small bend in the lake.
"I'll be just over here if you need me," he called back. She watched warily, but realized that even if he did turn around he wouldn't be able to see her. Quickly, she pulled off the rest of her clothing and stepped into the lake. The water was surprisingly warm, just the right temperature to relax and revive. Zoey moaned in pleasure as the water swirled around her.
"What have you done now?" The voice was like a cold whiplash, pulling her out of her relaxed state. She looked up to see a woman standing on the bank. She looked down at Zoey in the water with a hardness in her eyes.
"I haven't done anything," Zoey replied, the words seeming to come automatically from her lips. "It's not my fault."
"What is your father going to say? What are we going to tell everyone?" She looked at Zoey with disappointment and panic. "Get up, get out of there and dress yourself." She held up an outfit that was horribly outdated and old-fashioned. Zoey shook her head as recognition of the woman erupted through her.
"No, Mom. I don't want to get out. I'm fine in here. And I'm certainly not wearing that." She pointed to the outfit her mother held with disgust.
"Your father picked this out for you. Quit being selfish and difficult. Why can't you see what he's done for us? Why can't you be more appreciative of his efforts?"
"What efforts?" Zoey dimly realized the water's temperature dropping slowly, but the low anger burning through her counteracted the chill. "All he has ever tried to do is change who I am and drive a wedge between us. I can't live like that. I can't pretend that he is all great and wonderful and… and… perfect. Because he's not."
"Your father is a very respected and successful Elder of the People."
"That he may be, but that doesn't make him less of a jerk. And he is NOT my father."
"He has been there for me, for us, when we needed him. He gave us the life we were meant to live. And for that you owe him gratitude."
"I owe him nothing. And I can't understand why you can't see…" Zoey's eyes widened. That was it. Her father had left her mother years ago, had abandoned her and his children without a backward glance. Zoey herself had come to terms with that long ago. But her mother obviously hadn't. She needed security, and she would take it in any form, even that of an arrogant, overbearing jackass like John Heifer (somewhere in her mind another piece fell into place as she recalled the name). She had given up herself for protection against being alone. And Zoey realized she needed to let go of her desire for her mother back.
"I'm sorry, Mama," she said, just loud enough for her mother to hear. "I love you. And I understand now. But I can't come back with you. I have a new direction now, a new purpose." Her mother looked at her again, this time with sadness. But Zoey realized that she was beyond what her mother thought of her. Grief filled her as she watched her mother walk away from the bank, without looking back. Her tears fell into the lake, the ripples lapping lightly against her skin.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Heath's voice caused Zoey to look up. He was standing where her mother had been. "You had to let go. You had to realize that as much as you love her, she is her own person. And you are your own person." Zoey nodded, tears still flowing down her face. She pulled herself up out of the water, heedless of Heath watching her, and fisted her hands to stop the flow of tears. She was stronger than this.
"Where to now?" She asked Heath in a tight voice. He simply pointed, watching her with an expression she couldn't place. She headed in the direction he pointed, head high and braced to withstand anything else that might come.
I don't know how many people have ever read the story of Inanna's Descent Into the Underworld, but that is where my inspiration for this story has come from. The more I write, the more I realize that it may end up a lot different from what i had origianlly intended. Please review!