Pegasus and the Origins of Olympus (23 page)

Then the bad news came in the report from Minerva. She stood before the group.

‘In the short time we were on Titus, we could not find where the weapon is being created. But we all felt its awful effects. It stripped us of our powers and made us all gravely ill. We could not remain there long without risking our lives. Even now I feel weak and aged from the short exposure to it.’

‘What about the Titans?’ Agent B asked. ‘Aren’t they affected by their own weapon?’

Minerva shook her head. ‘We do not know. We could not find one living Titan there – though there were thousands of Shadow Titans. Whoever, or whatever, is working on that weapon is either immune to its effects or they are the living-dead.’

Minerva finished by warning that an assault on Titus would be nothing less than a suicide mission for those who went. She sat down, looking drawn and exhausted. Her short visit to Titus had taken a heavy toll and she and her team needed time to recover.

Jupiter faced his war council. The youthful smile left his face and Emily saw a hint of the man he was becoming.

‘We have no choice but to go back to Titus. That weapon must be captured before it is completed. The only way we can hope to achieve this is with the help of the Hundred-handers. We will gather our best fighters and go to Tartarus to free them. From there, we will journey to Titus to take on the Shadow Titans. While our fighters and the Hundred-handers engage the Shadow Titans, a select group of us will move on the weapon and secure it.’

While they prepared for the first assault on Tartarus, Vulcan began working to create the golden box that would house the weapon. Having seen the box for herself in the future, Stella volunteered to help with its design and construction.

Emily delighted in watching the young Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto train. They were showing many more powers than she knew they had and mixed using them with the flame-swords. They could fly, levitate things and move impossibly fast. They were stronger than she ever imagined. She finally understood why they were called the Big Three.

But as each day came and went, Emily’s concern for Pegasus grew.

The stallion was growing weaker. His natural glow faded and then stopped completely. He no longer ate solid food. The most Emily could get into him was soft chocolate ice-cream mixed with nectar.

‘Come on, Pegs, eat,’ Emily said softly as she held ambrosia cakes before the stallion’s mouth. But Pegasus turned away.

Pegasus never stopped shivering. He was constantly cold and Emily made sure he was always draped in several blankets. All his feathers had fallen out and the hair covering his body was now baby-fine.

The only relief from training and worry for Pegasus came when Stella would visit their camp to show off a crazy new addition to her super wheelchair, Maxine. It could now fly and also carried several hidden weapons, including the silver dagger with the marble handle and green jewel. Stella and Vulcan had made it together and Stella laughed, knowing it was the same dagger her parents would find in the future. Best of all, the wheelchair also included a place for her very own flame-sword.

Two nights before they were to leave for Tartarus, Neptune entered Emily’s small camp and asked to speak with her and Pegasus privately. Instead of moving the resting stallion, Joel and Agent B excused themselves.

Neptune took a seat before the fire. He stroked Pegasus’s side and wouldn’t meet Emily’s eyes. ‘We need to talk,’ he started heavily. ‘It is about Pegasus.’

His manner and tone caused a flutter of fear in Emily’s stomach. ‘What about him?’

Neptune sighed heavily. ‘Pegasus knows it is time for him to go.’

Emily’s hand shot up to her mouth. ‘No …’

‘Yes, Emily,’ Neptune said. ‘He has remained alive for as long as he can – perhaps longer than he should have, because he could not bear to leave you. But now he is old and so very tired. Pegasus knows the battle you are facing. You will need all your wits about you and must not be worried about him.’

Emily was shaking her head. ‘No, please. Pegs, I can fight fine with you beside me. I always have. We’re a team. I need you …’

‘Look at him, Emily,’ Neptune said. ‘Look and really see him. See how he is suffering.’

Emily gazed at her beloved Pegasus. He was blind and painfully thin. He had no teeth and he was always cold. The stallion was in terrible pain. She knew it. But the thought of letting him go was unbearable.

‘Please, Pegs,’ she whispered desperately.

Neptune lowered himself to the ground beside her. Pegasus’s head was lying in Emily’s lap and she could feel him struggle for each breath.

‘It is time for Pegasus to rest. He has earned it.’

‘I can’t let him go.’

‘You must,’ Neptune said. ‘Emily, your love for him is keeping him here. But it is not fair on either of you. You must release him.’

‘How can I lose him?’

‘You will not lose him, not really,’ Neptune said. ‘Once you destroy that weapon, everything will go back to the way it once was. He will be waiting for you on Xanadu. Just like Paelen and Brue. He will be there, Emily. Just as young and powerful as you remember him. When you go back there, the two of you can finally visit all the continents you wanted to see.

‘That is the Pegasus you know,’ Neptune continued. ‘Not this suffering, blind old stallion. Let him go, Emily. Let your love for Pegasus free him.’

With shaking hands Emily stroked Pegasus’s head. She couldn’t bear it. This was Pegasus. Her Pegasus. ‘I can’t …’ she whispered.

Pegasus raised his head from her lap weakly. He nickered softly and licked her hand.

‘He is begging your forgiveness for leaving you, but he must go.’

Deep sobs poured from Emily. She used her embroidered handkerchief to collect her tears before they could fall and hurt the dying stallion.

‘Oh, Pegasus …’

Emily kissed him on his closed eyes. ‘I don’t want you to hurt any more. Go to sleep, Pegs,’ she spoke softly. ‘Just know that I love you. I have always loved you and I always will. Go now and be free.’

Emily collapsed over Pegasus as grief overwhelmed her. Beneath her, she could feel his laboured breathing even out. Moment by moment it was becoming more shallow. With a final soft sigh, it ended.

‘Pegasus!’ Emily howled.

Neptune was beside her, murmuring softly. But Emily couldn’t hear him. She couldn’t feel Mike beside her whining and putting his paw on her. She couldn’t see anything or do anything but howl over her loss. This wasn’t like when he disappeared at Area 51. This time, there was no mistake. His head rested in her lap, silent and still.

Joel heard her cries. He crouched beside her. His hand rested on the stallion’s featherless wing. ‘Pegasus?’

‘He’s gone, Joel,’ Emily whispered.

Joel didn’t try to hide his tears. Pegasus had meant almost as much to him as he did to Emily. Losing Paelen and Pegasus in such a short time was unbearable.

Agent B knelt down on the ground behind Emily. He rocked her gently in his arms. ‘Let it out, Emily,’ he soothed softly as she broke down. ‘Just let it all out.’

‘Pegasus is dead …’

Emily wanted to write more in her journal, but failed. Each time she tried, tears threatened to fall and she had to stop.

Suddenly she was cast back to the dark days, right after her mother had died. Back when the world made no sense and all she knew was pain. She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep and couldn’t do much of anything.

Neptune had told her that Pegasus wasn’t really gone. If they found and destroyed the weapon, he would be waiting for her on Xanadu. But there were no guarantees that they would find it. Minerva had made that clear in her report.

Knowing she might see him again in the future couldn’t stop her grief in the present.

Emily used her powers to light Pegasus’s funeral pyre. Joel stood beside her holding her hand. Agent B stood on the other side of Emily. He remained silent and unmoving during the short ceremony, standing with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Most of the people in the large camp knew of the old winged stallion that had lived with Emily and was her constant companion. Only a select few knew who he really was and how much he meant to the Olympians. It was those few who attended the pyre.

Stella, Seren and Jasmine stood back with Vulcan. When the fire burned down to embers, Vulcan came forward and scooped up some of the ashes. Saying nothing, he and his three assistants slipped away quietly and returned to their forge.

After a long and sleepless night, Emily rose and walked away from the camp. She needed time alone. Mike, however, never obeyed when Emily told him to stay. So, like it or not, the dog remained close at her side.

The large camp was still set up in the beautiful meadow. There had been no signs of Shadow Titans, despite them remaining there for some time. Emily had learned to ‘feel’ when the Shadow Titans were near and knew they were safe for the moment.

She and Mike wandered along a beautiful, trickling steam. The sun was shining brightly overhead. Around them, birds sang beautifully in the tress and the huge, car-sized butterflies she had always loved in Olympus fluttered from one oversized flower to another.

The day was perfect. But for Emily it meant nothing. She felt lost and alone without Pegasus at her side.

‘
I am so sorry, Emily. I know how much you and Pegasus meant to each other
.’

‘Riza!’ Emily cried, shocked at her sudden return after so long. ‘Where have you been?’

‘
Where I have always been, child. Deep within you
.’

‘But why haven’t you said anything? I’ve called for you, but you’ve been silent. We’ve been through so much. I really needed your help.’

‘
You don’t need my help, Emily, not really. You did fine before I became known to you. You have done fine until now
.’

‘But what happened? Where did you go?’

‘
I never left. But when you received the knowledge of the Xan and Joel touched us, the information was too great and it was killing him. I did all I could to protect him, but it weakened me greatly
.’

‘You saved his life?’

‘
How could I not?
’ Riza asked. ‘
He is our Joel. But after that, I was too weak to speak to you. Too weak to warn you away from your actions
.’

‘What actions?’ Emily asked. ‘You mean coming back here?’

‘
Yes
,’ Riza said. ‘
It was very dangerous to try. You are playing with time, Emily. Not even the Xan would attempt that. There is no telling what damage could be done to the future with your presence here in the past
.’

‘It couldn’t be worse than what already happened to Olympus and possibly Earth. It was a risk I had to take.’

‘
I know
,’ Riza said. ‘
I also know that you are young and need to make your own mistakes. So I have remained silent to let you do what you must. But when Pegasus died, part of you died with him. You must bring that part back if you are to succeed in this
.’

‘You know what we are planning?’

‘
Yes
,’ Riza said. ‘
And I have come to realize that you were correct. I believe you were destined to be part of this war. But that does not remove the danger you pose to the future if you are not very careful. You must go to Tartarus to free the Hundred-handers. Then you will go to Titus to destroy that weapon. But heed my warning, Emily. Within you is the power to kill the strongest of Titans. That must never happen. You may destroy all the Shadow Titans you encounter. But if you kill a full Titan, you will alter the future
.’

‘I’ll be careful,’ Emily said softly. She sat down in the tall grass. Mike sat beside her, panting happily. He put his paw on her arm, asking to be petted. Emily stroked the dog’s warm fur and pressed her face to him. ‘I just need a bit of time before we go.’

‘
Time is the one commodity you do not have
,’ Riza warned. ‘
You already know this, but your grief over Pegasus is blinding you to it. The weapon is nearly complete. The Titans will use it against the Olympians the moment it is ready. Everyone here will die if you do not stop it now. There will be no future to protect
.’

Riza’s words cut through Emily’s grief like a knife. They were in grave danger and she was wasting precious time. Jupiter had said she should take all the time she needed to recover. But that was something they couldn’t spare.

Emily stood, now resolved. ‘Please tell me, Riza. If this works and if I destroy the weapon, will it reset time? At first, I was certain this was the right thing to do. But now I don’t know. Can you tell me: if I destroy that weapon, will Pegasus and Paelen be waiting for us on Xanadu like nothing ever happened?’

‘
Yes, child
,’ Riza confirmed, ‘
if you succeed, time will go back to the way it was before the golden box was opened. All you have lost will be restored – including Pegasus and Paelen. But know this. There will be a price to pay
.’

Emily’s heart leaped. ‘To get Pegasus and Paelen back, I’ll pay anything!’

Emily returned to camp a changed person. Grief had been replaced by solid determination. Nothing was going to stop her from getting back to Pegasus.

She found Joel and Agent B and told them of Riza’s return. ‘We must go now,’ she insisted. ‘The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get back to Xanadu.’

They found the Big Three talking with Venus and Minerva, working out the finer details of the next move in the war.

Emily’s renewed energy was infectious and spread like wildfire. Jupiter called forward the large war camp and suspended himself high in the air so that his voice could be heard by all the Olympians gathered together.

‘My people,’ he shouted, ‘now is the time to make our move. The Shadow Titans are increasing their numbers on Earth. We will journey back to Delphi and engage the Titans fully. We will show them once and for all that we will not tolerate their assaults on Olympus or Earth. They will experience the power of our new flame-swords. They will feel our strength and determination. It is time for Saturn to stand down. Pack your weapons and prepare for battle. We leave at sunset!’