My family and friends shoved me inside through the door. But as soon as we got inside we found a man in greek robes, the kind you would find a god would be wearing. But I recognized him right away, he was my uncle.
“Brother.” My dad growled in anger.
I figured he would have greeted him politely because they hadn’t met in a while but he did the exact opposite.
“Brother.” My uncle growled back angrily.
“Apollo,” Tori murmured.
“What?” I asked.
“He’s Apollo.” Tori pointed toward my uncle
“What do you mean he is Apollo?!” I asked.
Tori narrowed her eyes.
“OF COURSE I AM APOLLO!” My uncle roared.
“But you're my Uncle, not Apollo.”
“That’s true, but I am an uncle, and I am supposed to be called Uncle Apollo now!!!“
“Why are you here?” My mom asked.
“Well, just like my brother said, I am here for K. She belongs to Mount Olympus now.”
“You can’t take her.” My father began to protest.
“Ha! Your Hermes, a god of dreams, brother but you cannot do anything right.” My uncle cackled.
But he is also the god of trickery I added to myself in my mind.
“He must have forgotten that.” Whispered the mysterious voice in my mind.
“All of us are gods!” My uncle bellowed. “Your mother included, but from a different world.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“Apollo, we just wanted her to have a normal life, is it that bad?” My mom asked, trying to smack some sense into my uncle.
“But Mount Olympus needs her, so we sent Halo down to get her.” Uncle tapped on his foot impatiently, “But I see she is not here yet.”
“Then it must be important…” My father murmured.
“Yes.” My uncle admitted.
“Fine.” My mother said then walked away.
Suddenly my uncle began to disappear into golden sparkles. I blinked and he was gone.
“This is normal.” Krys comforted me from the shock.
“You’ll get used to being a freaking goddess.” Tori jokes, trying to raise the mood.
“No, you can’t just raise the mood, this is serious,” Velvet argued.
I frowned, apparently I am a goddess, and I supposedly belong to Olympus now.
“Guys, she’s confused,” Velvet looked at me.
“Huh?” Tori turned around and looked at me. “You’re confused?”
“Yeah,” I responded.
“Of course you are… you are just like the rest of the newbies,” Tori murmured.
“So, you are to be a messenger.” Krys blurted.
“Shhh! Not so loud! They can hear!” Velvet warned.
“What can you hear?” I asked.
“Not what, who?” Velvet corrected
“Okay… ‘who’ can hear?” I asked.
“Hades and the Fates can hear!” Tori growled, touching a newly fresh scar on her leg that I didn’t seem to notice before.
Suddenly there was a tap on the window, tap tap tap, it grew louder, Tap, Tap, Tap, and it grew louder TAP TAP TAP!!!
“Halo is here!” My mom yelled as she hurried down the stairs clumsily.
Who’s Halo? I thought.
“You’re about to find out…” Said the mysterious voice in my head.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, cre-e-e-e-e-eak.
I spun around and there in front of me was a flaming phoenix! Its eye-piercing flaming blue sapphire eyes stared straight at me.
“This is Halo.” The mysterious voice spoke.
I stared deeply into its eyes, making my mouth drop open.
I felt like she was something I knew from a long time ago when I was just a small child.
“K, is that you?” The phoenix asked.
I froze. How did she know my name?
“K, do you remember Halo?” The mysterious voice asked.
No…? I thought.
“... You will learn soon then, how you know her…” The mysterious voice spoke.
What did she mean by learning? What did she mean by Halo?
The phoenix looked at me, pain in her eyes as if she wanted me to figure out who she was.
“K… do you remember me?” She asked.
I shook my head no.
Halo stared at me, confused and pain swelling in her eyes, “You… don’t remember me?...”
“No, I am sorry.” I apologized sadly. “But I don’t remember you.”
“Please, you are the child I was supposed to protect… there’s gotta be something you remember about me…” The bird begged.
I tried to think hard, trying to scramble my brain to remember her but I just couldn’t figure it out.
“I am sorry to interrupt but it’s time for K to go.” Krys interrupted.
Halo looked at me confused for a long moment and then walked over and stood by the door, waiting for me.
My mother frowned at me sadly as if she wanted to say something, then she just picked up my backpack and shoved it into my arms.
I stared at the backpack. What was inside?
“Don’t open it yet.” The mysterious voice warned.
“It’s time for you to go.” My father said, a single tear rolling down his left cheek.
“Bye?” I said, completely confused.
“Can she at least know what happened?” Tori asked.
My mom sighed, “Fine.”
“K, you are a goddess. You are also a messenger. But unfortunately, your Aunt Athena is sick.” My father said,
“So, how does it involve me?” I asked.
“Your grandfather, Zeus depended on her for war strategies and wisdom.” He continued. “But since she is sick he needs help from his messengers.”
“But dad, your Hermes, the god that is the messenger for Mount Olympus,” I said.
“Yes, but I made a promise which I regret, to Hades that I will be only his messenger.” My father grimaced at the thought and regret.
“Why did you make that promise?” I asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?!” Tori blurted. “Hades made your father make that promise in exchange for you and his Caduceus!”
“What?” I asked.
Tori groaned. “Hades stole you and Caduceus to make your father promise him that.”
“Why would he do that?” I asked.
“Because he is lonely.” My father murmured silently.
“K, you must go now. I left some special stuff in that bag for you.” My father told me.
I nodded then suddenly he disintegrated into gold dust.
“Bye.” My friends and family said.
I stared at them, confused.
Then I sighed and followed Halo outside into the fresh air.
“It wouldn’t hurt to open your birthday presents,” Halo suggested.
“Yeah…” I said. I walked towards a table that appeared out of nowhere and ripped open the presents.
Right there was armor, silver gold plated armor. There were shoes too with wings.
My mouth dropped open.
“Better put them on. This is your messenger armor.” Halo told me.
I nodded, better follow a flaming bird than be dead.
I shimmied into my armor and put on the heavy helmet. Lastly, I put on winged shoes.
“You looked nice, now let’s head onto your journey,” Halo said and opened the gate.
I stared at her confused a lot. Then I followed her out of the gate into the cold night.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
