A New Path - Part 10

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I watch the train disappear into the mist. Please gods, let my friends make it safely home. And Angelia...please help her find the one she is suppossed to be with. With my wishes said, I smash the lantern I am holding down on the closest bit of misty railroad track before it has a chance to fade away. They is a bright flash of golden light and everything is gone. And I do mean everything. No light, no sound, no gravity, nothing...Just me alone with my thoughts.

I don't know how long I was just floating there. It could have been minutes. It could have been years. I just know I replayed the train carrying Angelia away over and over in my mind about a bazillion times. Why couldn't the prophecy say two heroes lost? Or just throw the cursed lantern overboard? Gods, I am lonely....

And then I hear a voice. "You look a bit lost..." Now the sudden return of sensation would normally freak me out and make me a bit jumpy. But this voice I know. Those sugary words like honey in your mind can only come from one person. "Hi mom." I say as I turn around to look. I can't even describe what she looks like to you because there are no words that really do her justice. I walk over to stand in front of her and she brushes a hand across my cheek. "My, my. You are turning into quite a handsome young man. I am quite tempted to just keep you all to myself forever." She sighs, "Sadly the fates have already decreed you belong to another girl's heart" I smile at her, "Aw, c'mon mom. There will always be a special place in my heart for you." She smiles back, "I know, sweetling. I know. But I think it is time to get you on your way again, hmm? What kind of love goddess would I be if I stopped my own son from finding his destiny?"

"So, what's the plan?" She put s finger to her lips as she looks me over. "First, a change of clothes, I think." She snaps her fingers and my appearance changes. My hair is styled neatly. I now have on a form fitting black silk shirt and matching slacks. Polished black shoes. And some totally wicked looking sunglasses in my pocket. Aw yeah, this feels good. I pull out the sunglasses and put them on. Mom smiles at the result. "Now for a way back. Ah, this might do..." She claps her hands and a door materializes off to one side of us. She kisses me on the cheek, "Now go find her, my son. I will be watching..." "Thanks mom...for everything" She smiles as I turn the handle and step through the door.

I step into an the artificial lights of some service hallway right as a group of people come running up and slide to halt in front of me. It's the girls! And is that...me? "H-hey!" I call out. The other me shouts, "No time! Knock him over!" and I find myself being hit full force in the chest by Nos' body check. I go flying back into the door frame and crumple to the ground, the wind completely knocked out of my lungs. I hear their footsteps run past as I gasp for air.

I look up and see them running for the train. Damn! The warning! I am at the moment in time that triggered the key to saving Angelia. Only now I am the one giving the warning instead of receiving it! I run after the group. They are too far ahead and I already know I won't make it, but I have to make sure I get close enough to be heard. As the girls and I dive aboard the train, I adjust my course to the windows of the sleeping cabin I know we will take. I jump up and pound on the glass to get our attention. "Get off!!! You MUST get off the train!!!" I yell as loud as I can as the train pulls out of the station. I don't have to wonder if I was heard or not. I know I was.

With a smile on my face, I start walking towards the exit. I should probably check back in at camp. If I am lucky, maybe I can borrow a drachma from someone to let Angelia know I am ok and make sure she is ok as well. I walk out of the exit tunnel and think about hailing a cab, but I don't have enough money for a ride all the way out to camp. It's the same clear, moonlit night as when we left. I think maybe I will walk.

After several hours of walking, I finally reach the path to camp half-blood. The sun begins to rise right as I top the hill. I have only been gone for maybe a day or two at most, but I feel like I have been away for years. Considering the timelessness of the void, maybe I have. Whatever the reason, it feel incredibly good to be home. I hike down to the big house, since it appears the cabins are all still asleep. I open the door and walk into the front room.

Chiron walks in and looks surprised. "Mr Valentino! I didn't expect to see you here!" I smile at him, "Yeah, I know right? We found the train right away and I am pretty sure we freed the missing souls. So I am back in near record time." He gives me a funny look, "No, I meant I didn't think you were comig back at all. I just got an Iris message from your companions. They are nearly back to camp and they said you are dead." "Yeah, about that, we kinda got separated on the train. I had no way to reach them. If you don't mind, sir. I would like to go meet them. I promise to fill you in on everything later." He smiles, "Very well, go meet your friends." I start to head back out the door, but Chiron says one more thing before I go, "Mr Valentino, I am glad you are back with us in one piece." I nod and head out for the main gate.

The sun starts to become quite bright as i reach the top of the hill, so I pull out my sunglasses again and put them on while I wait. I find a nice relaxing spot to sit down with my back against the great archway. I can barely contain my excitement. Not only did the girls make it back ok, but they were close enough nearby to make it back today as well! I absolutely cannot miss any more opportunities with Angelia. When I see her, I will tell her how I feel. I hope there is a "and we live happily ever after" tacked on to that, but one step at a time. I think she likes me too, but I don't know how well. Hope you're still watching mom, because I am going to do my best.

I hear leaves crunching on the path leading up from the farm road. I smile as I see the girls round the corner. I jump up and wave. "Hey!!!" The girls freeze and Chloe yells, "Not these guys again!" Oh crud, I still look like the goons from the station... Angelia quickly draws her bow and fires. Pain explodes through my leg as one of her poison arrows hits my leg. A split second later, one of Nos' throwing knives is in the other leg. I fall to the ground, my sunglasses falling off to one side. "Ow! Sweet Hades, do you girls have to hurt me every time we meet? I would settle for a simple hello..."

"Sean! It's Sean!" Evette runs forward and tackles me in a hug. "Oh my gods! How are you alive?!? You blew up so spectacularly!!!!" I groan as she bumps the arrow and knife sticking in my legs. "Yeah...it's kind of a bizarre story..." Chloe seems to snap out of her initial shock. "I'll bet...you could say anything you want, but how do we know you are not an imposter?" "He's fake?!?" Evette jumps back, grabs a pinecone, and throws it at me. "I'm not a fake! It really is me!"

"Look, if you don't believe me, question me about stuff only I would know...like the necklace! Just before I left the train, I gave Angelia my necklace. It is a silver pendant on a black cord." Nos looks unconvinced, "Any number of demons could have seen that and reported back to somebody. You need something better than that." I wince as the poison from the arrow begins to burn it's way up my leg. "...than ask me whatever you want. Anything that only I would know." Angelia says, "Tell me about the baggage car. Who did you kiss?" Well, that is an easy one. "Evette. Or rather she kissed me. I wish it had been someone else though..." I look over at Evette, "No offense..." She doesn't seem to care though as she is chasing a squirrel around a tree.

Angelia gives me a half-smile and then pulls a small vial out of her pouch. "Drink this..." I assume it is an antidote to the arrow, but the smile was a bit less than I was hoping for, so I hope I didn't fail the test and now she is trying to finish me off. No, that's silly. The girl I care about wouldn't do that to anyone. I drink the vial and a cool icy feeling starts to spread from my stomach outward, eventually cooling the burn of the poison.

She then knees down and gives me a large piece of ambrosia to chew on while she pulls the arrow and knife out and begins to wrap my wounds. I smile at her, "I am so glad to see you again. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you..." SMACK! I look at her in complete shock. "Don't say that!" Tears start to well up in her eyes. "You didn't think of me at all!" She jumps up and starts running towards the camp, crying. I look up at the other girls, "What...?" Nos just rolls her eyes at me before grabbing Evette by the arm and pulling her towards camp. Chloe walks by and gives me a solid whack on the arm with her staff. "Ow! What was that for?" She just shakes her head and mutters, "...jerk." I sit there in stunned silence for a few moments as the ambrosia closes up my wounds. I then start slowly making my way back down the hill. "What in Hades did I do wrong?"

A figure comes walking towards me at a brisk pace as I make my way down the path. Crap, it's Michael. He walks right up and gives me a solid two handed shove. My legs are still weak and I fall to the ground. He draws a dagger and holds it right under my chin. "Happy now, pretty boy? I knew this was gonna happen. I warned you, but you still had to hurt my sister, didn't you?" I look defiantly up into his eyes. "Cut the crap, Michael. I didn't..." He cuts me off with his shout, "Oh, bull! It's all just some stupid game to you and your family! You don't care who gets hurt!" I am totally confused now, "Game? What game? I..." His blade strikes quickly and pain bursts forth across the side of my face. He says hotly,"Don't try to tell me otherwise! I know your tricks, pretty boy!" He then pulls back a bit with a satisfied smile on his face. "Of course, I guess you aren't so pretty now, are you?" With that, he turns and walks back towards camp, wiping my blood off his blade as he goes.

I feel the warm blood flowing down my cheek and my first thought is to get to the infirmary. It is not too far from here. It must be a bad cut, since even keeping pressure on it doesn't stop my hand from getting soaked and I leave a trail of blood splatters behind me. I run in the door and freeze in my tracks. I see Angelia sitting on a chair sniffling and wiping tears from her eyes. She looks up at the sound of my footsteps and her eyes widen in shock. Healer instincts taking over, she grabs me and quickly pulls me over to one of the examining tables. "What happened...?" She has been through enough today, I can't risk upsetting her more and saying who did this. I just stay quiet.

She runs to a drawer and comes back with a curved needle and some fine black thread. "I already gave you too much divine stuff for your legs, so I have to do this another way..." She begins stitching up my face. The pain is intense, but I try to stay still. If any other doctor was doing this, I might be worried about the end of my modelling chances. But with Angelia, I am more worried about how much extra pressure this is putting on her, on top of whatever else she is going through. She finishes up and cleans up my face with a damp towel before sticking a piece of gauze bandage over the stitches.

"Angelia...?" She just looks at me. "I..I don't know what I did to hurt you, but I am sorry. I never in a million years wanted to do anything to make you cry." She doesn't say anything, she just keeps watching me quietly. "Back on the train...waking up next to you was one of my best moments ever. And in the baggage car...I wish it had been you that grabbed me, instead fo Evette." She still watches, tears starting to build in her eyes again. "Whatever I have to do to make it up to you, please give me a chance." I take a deep breath to calm myself."I heard there is a fireworks show in a few days. I...I would really like to take you, if you will let me..." She takes a step back and finally speaks, "I don't...I don't know." She turns and runs out of the room. With a heavy sigh, I stand up and head for my cabin, feeling like the world is crumbling around me.

I push open the door to my cabin. Keri is ther straightening up the room. She turns and see me in the doorway with bloody clothes on. "Sean? Oh my gods! What happened to you?!?" I tell her all about my quests and about my retun this morning, all the way up to Angelia rejecting me a few mintes ago. Especially about Angelia's rejection. Keri gives me a sympathetic look, "Well, what did you expect, silly?" Her response catches me totally off guard. "I sacrified everything for her. Now I get a second chance to be back. I thought it would be a happy moment. Instead I feel like I may have lost her forever." My shoulders slump in depression. Keri just crosses her arms, "So, losing her forever is a horrible feeling, right? How do you think she felt when she thought she lost you forever? Do you think it mattered at that point that you 'did it all for her'?" I suddenly feel like an idiot, "I-I guess I didn't really think of it that way..." Keri adds, "And then add on top of that the pure shock of seeing you alive again. That's a lot for one person to take in such a short amount of time. And if it helps, she wouldn't be feeling this way at all if she didn't have strong feelings about you. Give her time to let it sink in. You two will be ok."

Keri gives me a comforting hug. "Go get washed up and changed. It will make you feel better." I follow her advice, but I don't feel any better in the shower. It gives me way too much time to reflect on how much my actions would have torn Angelia apart. I feel even worse for giving her a generic apology in the infirmary. I meant it when I said I wanted to make it up to her, but it probably sounded hollow without me knowing why she was hurt. Dear gods, I pray she has a big sister like Keri who still thinks I deserve my Angel, and will help guide her back to me.

To be continued...