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21

The End Becomes the Beginning

"Get away from her!" Perseus stood and raised his fist for another strike. But the young god already knew his intention. Apollo caught his soaring knuckles without even removing his driven gaze from mine.

"Careful," he shoved his arm back, almost slamming it into Pegasus. "Only one of us is mortal."

Another deafening thunder boomed across the land, only this wasn't thunder, this came from the ancient creature now towering over the city. Andromeda's choice, save her people by sacrificing her own life, would mean nothing inside those razored fangs. But the ghastly beast didn't lunge for the delicious damsel, didn't create anymore damage or even move. He was silent.

Perseus staggered back but wasn't going to hold down. He'll fight for us as long as he can, past the Kraken's victory and beginning of Hades' reign. This can't happen. I won't let him chose between my life and the world's survival. His battle must continue, mine must come to an end. And just like before the barrier cracked, I stood between the two men. One forcefully and rightfully binded what was left of the dying organ to his, the other already had it long before his father sculpted the first of man from clay and let his eldest, Hephaestus, mold the rest.

Perseus breathed heavily, Apollo barely even moved from behind. We locked in gaze. He will never understand why this must happen. Before he knew what it meant, I took his hand in mine, pressed it against the hollow center and whispered. "It will always be yours and no one else's. Remember who you need to be."

Torment and sadness.

In Medusa's lair of stone, there was anger, frustration and a crestfallen descend. Even if Apollo was not there to stop the heart, until the last moment, we were going to be together. But this, this was terrifying panic and overbearing despair. An earthquake of nerves quivered between us. I leaned away, the loud crack of silence revealed itself to us.

No sound came from below. The city was silent, the beast was silent, something was happening and yet it seemed as though Apollo knew exactly what it was. He glanced to Argos, squinting painfully, an obvious act. "You better hurry demigod. It seems the world is awaiting your rescue."

Now or never.

While Perseus tried to force an explanation out of him, I moved faster than I had before we lost Djinn to the fires. Grab the snake-infested bag, strap her to the saddle, pull the string tighter, pick the sword from the dirt, twist around Perseus and guide him away towards Pegasus. He tried to pull back but I let go as soon as he stood before the saddle.

"Take care of each other," this was more for Pegasus than him but still commanded them both. The loyal steed moved to my voice, narrowing his dark eyes in understanding. Only he knew where this was leading.

"What are you doing?" Perseus watched as I stroked his thick mane, one last affection. But there was something else at work here. Neither I nor him knew what was searing through my skin and into his. It already weaved into the strands and moved deeper. In the past, it was a mistake. Making the steed wild but this was something entirely different. We only knew it would bring us together again.

"Get on Perseus."

He barely separated his lips. "What? What are you talking about?"

The panic was beginning to come. One of us cannot give in.

"What's wrong?" it took one look to understand and when he did. "No! I'm not- do you- How can you even-"

Just breathe, stay steady, breathe. He needs to leave, now.

Before I could tell him again, Perseus pressed his body into mine, shoved us behind Pegasus and pinned me into the rocks behind. Pegasus merely let him with an encouraging neigh and blocked Apollo out. "Why are you doing this?"

Still shaking with fear, I felt the snow-covered wall, the shivers it gave. Everything was still formulating, he can't know what's truly happening. The only way I can even begin to make this succeed is for him to finish what we came here for.

But he won't.

Unless I hurt what he loves the most.

"Apollo wasn't lying. I was only supposed to be yours until the Kraken. The love we shared was merely the key to the gods' survival. Your final task is to get on Pegasus and destroy the beast. We're nothing more than a past journey. This is your destiny, I'm not anymore. Rule over man, be their king and let them sing of your victory for thousands of years. Our time has ended, don't let yours as well. You must go. Now."

I was hurting him, tearing the last piece of our hope. It took all I had to put as much truth into hiding the apparent lies. And it was working. His heart sank, blue eyes deepened and pulse slowed so rapidly, he could lose it to oblivion. "You're not thinking! You're scared, scared for what's happening, for our lives, for- We're not some past journey that's come to an end, this is not the end! The hell with this reign over man, if we're not together there won't be-"

"You don't have a choice! Do not deny the pull ripping your insides, your very blood is begging for this chance for revenge. The world has stopped, it's not some enchantment. It's waiting for you to fulfill what we've always been moving towards. You were born to kill the Kraken and I was born to make sure you do it so everything can survive and the gods can live! This is the end Perseus! Do not shake your head and convince me otherwise. I've been keeping the truth from you, making sure you stayed focus on this moment. But you leave me no choice. If this is what it takes to make you understand than so be it. The moment Apollo took my heart was the moment my love for you ended!"

Every breath now seared and warmed the air, trying to keep control. Hide your hands, don't let him see you shaking.

He faltered, softly backing into Pegasus for support. Avoid his heart, don't let it effect you, this has to work. As quick as he lost the strength, the sooner he gained it back. With anger, and aggression. "I don't believe your words. Apollo didn't take your love, even he possesses no such kind of power. If the world has stopped for us to have this final goodbye then it can continue until the very end! You and I will ride with Pegasus and fulfill this together!"

"You must go alone."

He ground his teeth, having a harder time than I was for restraint. "They're not taking you from me! They've blinded you by the truth! You say our love has ended? This can never end. It's stronger than any, both divine and mortal, can fathom. You will be my wife, I will be your husband, this is what was always supposed to be. I love you Rosephina, if you can't see that, then I will fight as long as it takes for you to remember. The gods-"

"I'm the wife of a god! There will never be a way to escape it. Believe my words Perseus, we can never be as you say. Hades is an ancient deity, with or without Apollo's binding, I am his wife! You have no choice but to leave with Pegasus and I have no choice but to leave with Apollo. We've ended!"

This was the last chance, I could no longer hold still the cold sweat or rabid shivers, Pegasus did as he was meant to. Just as he stopped the dress from rising, he swept his massive wing under Perseus' feet, flipped him onto his back and took off into the sky. Soaring faster and faster, altering the silence into the awakening. The Kraken's roar finished its last pitching height, the city screamed for mercy, Andromeda matched its volume and above all Perseus erupted with rage. Nothing had ever pierced the heavens with fiery until now. Ruthless white bolts scorched the sky with the demi-god's wrath.

"I knew you understood what must be. This is his fate Rosephina, I am yours. Come," Apollo held his hand mere inches from mine, expecting an affectionate response. He was mistaken. Perseus will succeed, Pegasus will protect him and my part in this journey will end. Only in this world however, not the next. Apollo smiled tenderly and broke the distance. "Let's go home my love."

I smiled, walked into his arms, awaited the fading transport and grimaced as soon as my face was hidden. He brought us closer. Everything touching. And then the weightless needle-like stings injected into our blood. Argos faded into dust, slowly and beautifully being replaced by Olympus. Only the room of my birthplace was now our surroundings.

Hades stood in the middle of the gods, arms spread wide, enjoying the strength seeping into his muscles and power growing with every fearful prayer. The gods were shrinking in anguish, the mortals were no longer nurturing them thus their powers were dimming.

Apollo hid us behind a colossus and whispered. "When Perseus destroys the Kraken, Hades will go to him and try to stop his plans from being lost. Only then can we disappear together, leave all of this behind and finally live in peace."

Keep him talking, distract him. I need more time to shape this plan into depth.

"Why are you not in pain like the others?"

He glanced, bringing his lips into a stern line. "I did what I had to do to ensure our futurity."

"What do you mean?"

"I promised Hades I would surrender my position as a divine image, giving him complete reign over man, if he banished the suffering of this aftermath from me. He knows nothing of your presence. He believes your heart gave out and your soul is already taken where he cannot venture. You're dead to him. As well as Perseus is, he assumes Medusa took his life. I've kept us hidden from his sight the moment you entered her lair to now."

This isn't working as fast as it should. Hurry Perseus.

Zeus was hunched over, holding up his throbbing body from collapsing, Hades towered above him. The once almighty god spoke so quiet, his brother had to lean down to hear what he was saying. But as soon as he understood, he dissolved into smoke and entered Argos.

"He knows about Perseus now. Just a few more moments and this will all fade into history."

"Father," Athena and Aphrodite lay helplessly on the landscape floor. "We cannot hold on much longer."

"Yes you can," he was the only one able to stand. "He will succeed!"

He already did.

The Kraken slipped away into the frozen abyss. No longer was I able to feel its haunting presence. The horrific memory as to how it came to be left. Hades was furious, yet weakened by his son's death. Perseus was strong, so strong as to wield lightning down to his sword and into the god's chest. The Underworld welcomed its king back with a heated quake on the ocean floor.

Come on, fly to me, this can't work unless you're here. The shivers were back.

Apollo squeezed my hand and happily took us out from behind the statue and into the throne room. "Father!"

The gods were able to breathe, slowly they even began to lift themselves and properly watch as we strode towards them. Zeus reacted to his voice with a weakened tone, finding us before him. "What have you done?"

"What have I done? You're the one who let Hades do this. You ignored my plea and made the mortals hate us, you nearly killed every single god in this room-"

"And why is it that you'restill strong Apollo? News has come to us of betrayal and deceit! You've partnered with Hades to insure your own selfish survival! Rosephina-"

"If you truly wish to know of your son's intentions, she's binded but this holds no importance. She can no longer suffer the unfair purpose you hammered into her being. You created her to die! After all of you were saved by the hero, she would diminish from the inside until her heart destroyed every inch of her soul. She's here with me because she will not stand by the man you forced her to be with, allow your plans to proceed and most importantly let you control her life! Too long has she been imprisoned, no more! I saved her! You denied her a life of her own. If you call my love for her selfish then I am completely egotistical! You have no power between us, nor you or anyone here can defy this. Perseus saved your precious mortals, he did what he was meant to, now it's my time to have what I'm meant to have."

Zeus straightened more, absorbing the returning energy. "The only reason we made her like this was so she could return to us. So we could grant her a life that she chooses. Rosephina," I was already on him. "Your soul would not have diminished into nothing. It would have entered Olympus, it would have found us-"

"Lies-"

"We could do nothing when Hades took her, never will we tolerate such a thing again. Let her go Apollo, you cannot have her. When Perseus killed the Kraken, sent Hades back to hell and saved the princess of Argos was the moment we were strengthened once again. This was our surviving key. And in his victory and our remaining existence, Rosephina was freed. She's no longer bonded to you, she has control of her own life now."

As if the words physically forced Apollo in loosening his grip, I found the opportunity. Pushed, yanked, thrashed and finally tore from him, I raced for the cloud of pure divinity. The day of creation, Ares had saved me from falling through and now it was my only chance to escape. Jumping as far and hard as I could, I fell into the suspended ice crystals and blindly ripped downwards. Only then could Pegasus fulfill our touch and gracefully catch me by his wing, lift it into the air, slide me onto his back and loudly neigh with pride.

We couldn't dissolve into water or fade into dust, we had to endure the gateway. Spinning and twisting through the tunnel between worlds. It came closer and closer, a frosted border. Breaking the veil. Into the sunset's pink and yellow horizon.