Part 3 : A feeling you can't understand.

The second she saw her for the first time, something definitely changed in Galatea's heart.

She didn't know what, in fact, she didn't even know what it was, that she was feeling now.

It was something strange, terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

The person she had just seen was not Hercules, in fact, it was not even a man.

It was a girl, and her name was Cassandra.

And as she saw her, something new and unknown woke up in Galatea.

The beatings of her heart became faster, and she froze in the middle of the room, completely mesmerized by the apparition in front of her.

It was not that Cassandra was particularly attractive or captivating during this evening, in fact, it was even the contrary.

Being forced to endure Icarus' presence, who was succeeding the exploit of being both invasive and annoying, she had a sad look in her eyes, and she seemed to be really bored this evening.

The adolescent was eating without great enthusiasm, trying to ignore Icarus' incoherent and exasperating babbling, and she seemed to be into another world, in which she was not alone and where no one thought she was crazy because of her predictions.

A world where she didn't see the future…

A world where she was not cursed.

But it was just dreams, right ?

And Galatea just couldn't stop looking at Cassandra, for a reason she couldn't understand.

There was something which was attracting her to Cassandra, and the thing is that, when she began moving again, the scene hadn't lasted more than two or three seconds.

The thing she didn't know is that the two goddesses had been witnessing this moment with amazement or consternation.

"Love at first sight… Athena whispered with wonderment."

She was a goddess who was practicing magic, and yet, it didn't mean that this kind of thing was not something extraordinary.

It was not arriving that frequently, so yes, Athena had a lot of reasons for being surprised and happy of the situation.

Unlike Aphrodite, who was devastated by what it was implying.

"Oh no, no, no… she whispered for herself. It can't be happening this way, this was not what I wanted to do…"

Athena frowned.

"What Aphrodite ? What's wrong ?

- Don't you see it ? Galatea just fell in love with Cassandra ! Well, at least, we just saw the beginning of something, but yet, this is what it means.

- Yes, and I saw it, and it was pretty cute… So what ?

- But… this is a catastrophe !

- I just hope it won't turn into an epidemic of catastrophia, Athena tried to joke.

Aphrodite raised a surprised eyebrow.

- What ?

- Hum, I… I tried to make a joke…Athena explained with embarrassment. You know, from the title of… one of the episodes…

- Which one ?

- "Hercules and the Epidemic of Catastrophia".

- It doesn't work there, since this title is the French one, the original title is "Hercules and the Big Lie." So, yes, it really sucked. Why did you do this ?

- The Author is French, so she thought it could work, then she looked at the Wikipedia page, and surprise ! She saw it didn't work…

- You know what ? I don't care, this digression was already too long, and badly done. So, the thing is that it should have never happened.

- Why ? Because they are both women ?

- No ! That would be really hypocrite, coming from me… It's because this is Cassandra !

- Because she is not particularly feminine or elegant or something like that ? So she doesn't deserve to be loved by someone ?

- Again, no ! It has nothing to do with this ! It's just… I don't want Galatea to suffer from this.

- Why did she fell for Cassandra by the way ? Why did it not work for Hercules ?

- I don't know ! I guess my spell went wrong, and…

- Just like that ? Aphrodite, this is your spell ! Your magic ! You should know how it works !

- Well, I guess… Then, realizing what had happened, she closed her eyes, before facepalming. Oh no…

Athena sighed, tired by her girlfriend's melodramatic tone.

- Again, what ?

- Well, it's a possibility that, when I prepared my spell to make Galatea fall in love with Hercules, as it was supposed to happen… I may thought about Cassandra instead of Hercules at this moment, so my spell directed itself into her direction and not in Hercules'… Since I didn't want her to be alone anymore."

Athena nodded at her words, pensive.

"You know, she remarked, maybe it's not a bad thing at all. If I am not wrong, Hercules has already a crush on a young Amazon who studies also in the Promethean school. Her name is Tempest.

And the only reason why he wanted Galatea to come with him was because he had no one to go to the ball with him. So, I am not sure he would have fallen in love with Galatea, and this would have been too much unfair for her to be in love with someone who wouldn't love her.

- But will Cassandra as well fall in love with her ? Won't it be unfair too for her if her feelings for Cassandra never become reciprocal ?

Athena shrugged.

- At least, we can wait for it, and wait for the events to turn into this way. And if it is not the case, you will fix it and make Galatea's feelings for Cassandra disappear. And everything will be okay.

- Well… about that… I am not sure it will work this way…

As she saw the goddess' embarrassed air, she raised an eyebrow.

- Aphrodite… you can make your own spell stop, right ?

- Well… You see, not really, since I am getting some of my powers from Cupid, so he knows how it works more than I do.

- Isn't Eros/Cupid supposed to be your son ?

- Not in this version of the story.

- So, you have no idea if yes or no you can reverse the love spell you cast on Galatea…

- Indeed, I don't know… And yes, I promise, I will talk to Cupid and ask him if yes or no it's possible.

- Alright, alright… Then I guess there is nothing else we can do.

- Not really."

§§§§

Galatea looked around herself, a little disoriented.

She had finally regained her senses, but the strange feeling was still here, and she didn't understand the reason why, nor even what it was. Because, to know what love was theoretically didn't mean at all that she knew as well what it was for real.

Like an automate, she walked into the direction of Hercules' table, not because it was his table, to be honest, but because Cassandra was on this one.

Shyly, she took place at the table, not being able to stop looking at Cassandra, who still had the same air of desperation on her face that Galatea just wanted to take from her.

She frowned.

By the gods, what was happening to her ?

Cassandra rapidly noticed her presence, but didn't really care about it, after all, this was not the first pretty girl who was sitting at their table.

Andromeda had done it once, just as Electra, for just one time, (Cassandra was happy not to see her anymore, by the way), and so did Tempest or Helen sometimes, so why would she take into account this girl who would surely be soon gone ?

It was not as if her life was going to become suddenly really interesting thanks to her.

After some seconds, Hercules finally realized that she was here, he started, and then, he smiled at her.

"Hum, Galatea… Hey ! I am happy to see you there. Icarus, Cassandra, may I introduce you to Galatea, my…

(He couldn't consider her as his girlfriend, as she already clarified that it was not who she was, so…).

- Hum, hum, he repeated, a little embarrassed, as Icarus and Cassandra were now looking at the adolescent in front of them. She will be my dance partner for the Aphrodite's ball, he announced, trying not to be too much arrogant, as it already ended bad for him during the day."

At his words, Cassandra's eyes began to shine and she finally let an ironic smile come on her lips, which just made Galatea's heart beat even faster than before, for a reason she didn't understand.

Then, she plunged herself in Cassandra's green eyes that she was now finding more beautiful than ever, and doing this, she forgot for a moment the entirety of the world.

She gave herself an internal slap, trying to again stay focused on the current situation.

"Oh ? So you're the clay doll that Hercules asked Aphrodite to create for him so he would not go alone to this stupid ball…

- By the way, Icarus interrupted her, will you finally accept to go to this with me ?

Cassandra just sighed and rolled her eyes.

- Again, Icarus, the answer is just no, no, NO ! Can you understand this word or are you too much stupid for this ? In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if it was the case… She muttered for herself. Now, please, leave me alone !

What was I saying ? She continued. Oh, yes… You're the clay doll that this idiot had the inconsistency of creating because he is just unable to have normal sociable interactions with people. Just as I do, but at least, I assume my misanthropic side, unlike him.

- Cassandra ! Hercules protested, as Galatea was staying frozen, surprised and totally petrified by Cassandra's sardonic and venomous tone, that she didn't expect at all. Don't be too much harsh on her, she is new here, you will scare her with your attitude !"

The seer just shrugged, not seeming to care about Galatea's opinion. She had given up since a long time the idea of having real friends, apart Hercules, Icarus, and Helen.

Galatea tried to smile, hesitantly, and Cassandra made the reflection to herself that the young woman and former statue did have a beautiful smile, before chasing this thought the furthest she could into her spirit.

Yeah, it was better if she didn't let her lesbian side take the control in her, she had to forget that she had realized not a long time ago that she preferred women to men.

It was not as if she could be interested by Galatea, who didn't seem to get more for her than her pretty face, and it was not as if Galatea could be interested by her as well.

"No, Hercules… She assured him immediately. It's okay, don't worry for me. I guess I just have to adapt myself to… human habits. This world is still very new to me.

- Oh, that's so ? Cassandra answered to her with a legitimate surprise. A girlfriend of you who accepts my sarcastic and cynical remarks, Hercules ? That's a good point for her.

It's so rare here to find people who fully appreciate irony… This time, a real smile appeared on her face, and it made Galatea blush for some seconds. I am happy to meet you Galatea. But by the way, Hercules, she added with a smirk, aren't you supposed to already have a crush on Tempest ? Did you just… forget her by seeing Galatea come to life ?

Hercules rolled his eyes.

- Cassandra, Galatea is not my girlfriend ! She was enough clear about that subject, he added, being still a little bitter about it.

- So you would have wanted her to be so, hum ? Icarus said, then joining the conversation, not being at all subtle in any way (indeed, it was not his best quality… Does Icarus even have qualities, in fact?)."

Galatea looked at him some seconds, before beginning to contemplate again Cassandra, who had still noticed nothing, unlike Hercules, who frowned, before thinking that it was just because Galatea didn't really know how to interact with people.

If only he knew the truth…

Cassandra rolled her eyes a new time and tried not to sigh too much loud.

"Icarus, she asked him, could you please leave us and annoy someone else ?"

Surprisingly, the young man obeyed and left the table, because he had finished eating (and also because the Author didn't want him anymore to be present in the scene and in the chapter, and because one line of dialogue is already too much to give to him).

Galatea then began to eat, being terribly hungry for the first time in her life, still looking at Cassandra.

This one then allowed herself to have a sigh of relief.

Oh, by the gods, she was not going to support him during the rest of the year, before that, she would either kill him or become mad (AND then kill him, obviously).

Galatea stayed silent for some seconds, amazed at the new tastes she was now experimenting, tasting something totally new for her.

"Tell me, she finally asked to Cassandra after finishing from eating rapidly, and being terribly curious, is this… Icarus, your boyfriend ?"

Cassandra then looked at her with a look of pure horror and disgust.

"No !

(Oh, hell, she had the impression to be back to the Circe's episode, where Helen had kept telling her again and again that indeed, Icarus was her boyfriend, while he was not and would never be ! Why kept everyone thinking this absurd thing ? Oh yes, it was just because this stupid Icarus kept harassing her ! What a gift he was…)

- He is not my boyfriend ! She almost screamed. And he will never be ! If you're interested by him, she said, you can go after him, you can trust me, that would give me holidays that I really need right now… He is annoying me in a way you can't even imagine…

- In fact, I am not… Totally not. (He is not the one I am interested by, by the way, she told to herself, still devouring Cassandra with her eyes). I was just… curious."

She was feeling relieved of this revelation in a way she still couldn't understand.

What was she feeling exactly ?

She should ask Aphrodite and Athena about it, after all, they were her new "parents" now, no ?

They had to know what it was, that she was feeling toward Cassandra.

An awkward silence then took place between the three people, before Cassandra said something :

"So, you were created by Aphrodite and Athena, right ? If Hercules told me well, it makes you their daughter, right ? How does it feel, to be the daughter of two goddesses ?

Galatea shrugged.

- I don't really know. I mean, I don't know as well what it is to have parents, so I don't know at all what it is too. Again, it's something really new to me.

She took a deep breath, before daring to say : Talking about new things… Cassandra, will you accept to make me visit the Promethean school tomorrow ? It will be a place where I will stay for a long time, so I would want to know it better. (Just as I want to know you better, she thought.)"

Cassandra thought at first that the other girl could have asked this to Hercules first, since he would be her dance partner the day after, but she then told herself that the new student just wanted to make friends.

She sadly smiled to herself, missing Galatea's fascinated look, thinking about the fact that soon, when she would know how she was considered (and the fact that she was on the "looser'" side), she would rapidly go away from her.

And it saddened her in a way she couldn't understand either.

She just nodded.

"Oh… Of course ! It won't be really long, since there are not so much things to see, but it's okay for me…

- Thank you very much, Cassandra, Galatea told her, before sending her a too much brilliant and shining smile and Cassandra really tried not to find her too much beautiful."

She couldn't, of course.

Hercules looked at the two women during the exchange, and he frowned a new time, feeling the connection present between them, deciding that he would then talk to Cassandra, in order to know what was happening.

Even if a part of him already knew what it was, for Galatea herself, at least.

Indeed, he was more and more understanding the reason why he was not Galatea's "type".

Melancholic, he thought about Tempest, and looked at her briefly, who was not really far from him and who was eating with Ajax, and the young and future hero felt a wave of jealousy cross through him.

He knew it was childish, but he couldn't help it.

Galatea noticed his look and understood rapidly the reason why he had acted this way with her.

"You did this for her, right ? Create me… Because you couldn't have her, you wanted her to be jealous.

- Indeed, Galatea, you're right… I know that it was stupid, but…

- And also irrational.

- In fact, I am sorry for my behavior, and I am happy of your existence, and I hope that despite what I did, we will be friends one day.

Galatea had a little smile.

- I think it's a possibility…"

During their conversation, Cassandra, finally freed from Icarus and happy of it (just as everyone was. Especially me.) had taken a roll of papyrus from her bag and had began to read it passionately.

It was a book from Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, and thanks to the knowledge Athena had given her, Galatea identified him a being a philosopher, and a good one if she was not wrong, and her curious part became immediately interested, and she thought about getting a copy of the book for herself.

When she saw Cassandra smile, reading the book which interested her so much, Galatea felt something else, something new and that she still didn't understand.

Something like the beginning of love feelings.

To be continued…