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It had been a long time–too long in fact–since she had been last summoned to this office under official pretenses. A strange feeling overcame her as she trudged her way towards the door at the end of the landing, and it looked far more daunting than she ever would have considered it before.
Several questions and thoughts buzzed around her mind. Why had he summoned her? No, that answer was obvious. Aries had lived a long life, full of adventure and discovery, and now with her years finally counted down to the ones, a goodbye was in order.
She didn’t want to say goodbye. But as for mortals, they would arrive eventually, no matter how many years sat behind her. Sure, she would be opening her eyes again, but to what, she wasn’t entirely sure. Her father told her that their kind would forget all of their experiences after they arose from the ashes again.
If that was the case, she didn’t know what to think. On one hand, she would experience all the joys life had given her all over again. On the other hand, there would be countless people and lives she would leave behind. Like…
“Careful,” said a smooth voice from beside her. The hand around her own tightened as she stumbled on a carpet. “If you really do want to be carried, you can just tell me.”
“I’m perfectly capable of walking myself, thank you,” Aries replied dryly. Her voice came out gravely, weathered with age and trembling like a fire just about to extinguish.
A huff of that laugh, unburdened by age, sounded in her ears. “Hah… the stairs beg to differ.”
She swatted his hand. But not after making a grabbing motion for it back. The other happily agreed to retake her hand, his thumb brushing against her knuckles.
It was a miracle in her eyes that Averian Fulton continued to stay by her side. As she began to grow lines in her face and unsteadiness in her footsteps, he remained forever young, hardly a day past the date of their wedding. His face remained as smooth, his eyes sharp (aside from needing glasses), and his stature as straight as ever.
Even as his wife slowly faded away, he remained at her side, adamant that he’d remain at her side until the end. When the problem arose of her future loss of memories, he could only smile sadly and say that he would cherish the memories they had in this life for as long as he lived. As for falling in love again, he was hopeful, but tried to play it realistically.
“You might find someone else,” he sadly told her, “And hah– I don’t think it would be appropriate of me to pursue you in any sense.”
A heavy weight settled in Aries’ stomach as they stopped in front of the large double doors. Soon, her time with Averian would be over. And that was one of the reasons why she wasn’t looking forward to whatever new life was in her future. He had become such a constant in her life, basically her shadow, something that she was scared to lose.
Stepping forward with a swishing of robes, her husband raised his hand and knocked on the doors with the end of his staff.
Silence met them for a moment before a deep voice called from inside.
“Come in.”
Sending her a smile, Averian tapped his staff once more on the ground. Blue and white sparks and dust emanated from the impact, and the doors opened automatically on their own. They slowly swung inward, allowing the two to enter.
Though no sooner had Aries taken a few steps, she stopped, her eyes wide as confusion settled in.
What was happening here?
Her father’s study, which was usually a mix of tables, chairs, and a variety of strange objects, was almost completely empty. Though only a moment later, she found all of the trinkets and furniture pressed up against the room’s bookshelves, leaving the whole center of the room barren. Even the carpet was rolled up and propped up neatly against the wall.
Standing in front of his desk, golden accessories glittering from the lights overhead and the windows around them, stood Horatius. The ancient god had a warm smile on his face, which thankfully, wasn’t out of place like the rest of his office.
“Good afternoon,” he said. Walking forward, he held up his hands. Once he got to his daughter, he took her hand as Averian slipped away to the side to give them some space. “I trust you are well today?”
“As well as someone who had to climb up your stairs,” Aries replied wryly. That wasn’t exactly the case. If she had genuinely taken the stairs, it would have been days before she reached the top at her pace. It was only thanks to Averian and his own little magical escapades that helped her breeze right over them.
“A blessing that you will not have to distress over for much longer,” he said.
Now that was an odd way to word something. Her stomach twisted again as the corners of her mouth began to twitch downward. Horatius wasn’t the morbid type; in fact, he treated death with the utmost respect. To make a joke over her not being alive long enough to keep climbing up those was completely out of character.
“What?” she tried for a joke, “Are you going to install something for me?”
A small hum escaped her father as he straightened up again, letting his hands fall back to his sides.
“In a way,” he replied cryptically. His eyes flickered up, recognition sparking on him. “Ah, you’ve arrived in time.”
Aries looked over her shoulder to see a red and black figure make her way into the room. Almost as silent as sound was drowned out in space, the Deity of Nihility made her way past Aries and to stand behind Horatius. Those red eyes regarded her thoughtfully as she dipped her head.
“Always a pleasure seeing you, Aries,” the Deity of Nihility replied pleasantly.
“A special occasion anymore,” she replied, the smile returning to her face. “You’re well, I hope?”
“Certainly, I trust you are too?”
“Surprised, but pleased. It’s wonderful to see you again.”
It had been too long since she had seen the other. While not at all blood related to the Deity of Nihility, hailing from the same cosmic dust as Horatius had, the two had found themselves in a sisterly role. As the years went by, their once common meetings became more and more rare. Why, Aries probably hadn’t seen her for a good few months until now.
Before the other ancient god could reply, there was the sound of heels on the ground behind Aries once again. She didn’t need to turn her head around this time to know who was arriving, given that the owner of the footsteps also let out a good-spirited cheer.
“Hello, everyone!” crooned a shorter goddess as she skipped into the room. A frilly white dress flapped around her ankles as she rounded Aries to stand at Horatius’ other side.
Smile wide on her face and that ever-watching eye on the center of her head, Tsuki greeted Aries with a wave.
“How’s the elderly treating you, Ree Ree?” she asked.
Tsuki? She was here too? Aries blinked back more surprise. At this point, they could all call it some kind of family reunion if Taiyo and some others came along.
“Fine,” she replied, bemused, “What are you doing here? Hah, if this is some well wishes thing, you all could’ve paid a home visit!”
The Moon Goddess gave a shrug, though it seemed as if she were trying to shove off Aries’ words.
“It’s an exciting day!” she said, “And also, as the Queen of Dragons, I have the special liberty of–”
The Deity of Nihility’s hand shot up at lightning-fast speeds to silence her adopted sister before the other could speak another word. The eye swiveled around to stare at the other incredulously, and the ancient god lowered her hand.
Horatius cleared his throat with a cough.
“No, this is no goodbye party,” he said pleasantly, taking the helm so Tsuki couldn’t ruin whatever surprise they had going. “At least– I hope it's not to be.”
Again, that was odd wording. Aries turned her attention back to him, a strange prickling on the back of her neck. She could feel Averian’s eyes on her, but from what she could tell, he didn’t have the faintest clue of what was happening either.
Well, they’d find out together.
She remained silent, watching him as his smile melted a few degrees more. It was incredible how he could do that.
“Aries,” Horatius said, voice becoming more formal as if he were making a speech at one of his parties. “You have served Kosmikos in more ways than you could ever imagine. The task you were given at your creation had been daunting, something that I couldn’t ever wish to do on my own. You accepted the task with the utmost determination and lived your life by it. It has made you more influential than anyone else in this room and outside of it.”
She stood there, listening to his words with rapt attention. A new ache began to form in her heart. Yes, the mission was to understand what it was like to be a mortal and how to live. To experience emotions, thoughts, and feelings that the gods were never able to touch from their sanitized place of divinity. And to teach those life lessons to said ignorant gods was no easy feat. Yet she had.
“You have watched Kosmikos grow from barren lands, to the beginning of sentient life, now to see cities and towns rise from the earth,” Horatius continued, “You helped give our denizens life, to where many can trace their origins back to you. You are the grand architect of this paradise, teaching people and gods how to live in tandem.”
Where was he going with this? Hah, if this was going to be him handing her some reward, there would be only a few more years of her staring at it before all meaning was lost to her.
“If there is any single manner of being that deserves to watch Kosmikos’ further development, it must be you. You deserve, above all else, to be proud of what you have helped cultivate. So I ask you this, and pray that you accept, will you be willing to have the divine change your path and allow you to ascend to our ranks?”
It was as if all the air left Aries, yet she didn’t move. She felt like a statue, frozen in place as Horatius’ words rang in her ears. This? This was what he was proposing? It didn’t feel real. She never expected something like this… yet… it would have been odd for them not to propose such a thing.
From over Horatius’ shoulder, she could see Tsuki mouthing “Say yes” over and over again, putting her hands together as she silently begged her to accept.
But no words found Aries just yet. She was still reeling from the proposal. Ascending to divinity. Becoming one with the ranks of the rest of her family.
Aries would have been lying if she said that wasn’t some far-distant fantasy of hers. To be so embroiled with the gods while staying a mortal didn’t make the most sense, but she always dismissed the thought as being ungrateful for such a prestigious position already.
But this was real. Real and right in front of her.
Again, the nagging worry in the back of her head reared its head and made its voice known. It was either this, continuing on as this new path had laid out for her, or experiencing what she loved most once more.
But staring at the expectant faces pointed at her made her realize they were mirroring her own soul. There was still much of her life that she wanted to experience, many things that she wanted but was too worried about her own mortality to face head-on. Now she had a chance.
Steeling herself, she straightened up as much as her old bones would allow her.
“This is a great honor,” she said, “What you’re asking now is something I thought wouldn’t be possible. I…” Aries paused. “I accept this generous gift.”
The tension lines she hadn’t noticed in Horatius’ face softened into nothing. Behind him, Tsuki let out an unheard cheer of throwing her hands up in the air dramatically. On his other side, the Deity of Nihility had her own brand of relief on her face.
Behind her, she could hear Averian let out a long sigh.
“Very well.” There was no mistaking the brimming joy in her father’s voice.
On either side of him, Tsuki and the Deity of Nihility retreated to the walls, stopping just short of the clutter. Aries watched them curiously, a dawning realization settling over her shoulders. This was rehearsed. They already knew what her answer would be unless they did this just in case.
No, they knew what her answer would have been. The head of this entire operation was Horatius. He learned nearly everything about emotions from her, so she was an easy-to-read book to him.
And there he was, backing up a few steps as he weaved his arms around each other. A series of fluid motions later, golden dust trailed around his fingers and collected on the floor in the center of the room. A massive clock face appeared where the dust settled.
“Please step into the circle,” Horatius invited.
She did as she was told, feeling her limbs, once fatigued with age, had taken on a small buzz. It wasn’t the magic thrumming around her, and she knew it, chalking it up to her own brimming apprehension and excitement instead. Even as her feet finally stepped onto the center of the circle, she couldn’t help but remark to herself how surreal all of this was.
This couldn’t be real. This was some dream she must be having. One where wishful thinking and the lost edge of her own mind melded together to create something new.
But she didn’t need to pinch herself to remind her racing mind and heart that this was in fact real. Aries could feel the buzzing of magic around her, how the glitter from Horatius’ handiwork settled on her skin.
From her peripherals, she made note of Tsuki and the Deity of Nihility once more stepping back to the center of the room, but stopped several paces short of her. Both of them extended their hands, as if inviting a prayer, as their faces became passive and unmoving. It only made Aries’ heart lurch when their overturned palms glowed a bright golden color, and a link of glittering dust trailed from Horatius to them.
Then her feet left the ground. But Aries hardly noticed it because there was suddenly a choking feeling in the very center of her being that stopped her from moving or taking in any breath. The feeling suddenly exploded out like a blazing fire, scorching her insides. But it didn’t hurt.
But it wasn’t pleasant either. This was a fire that was uncontrollable, as any fire was, and that made her mind spiral into a brief state of panic. Flames were always tamed by the phoenix, and to have one run away like a wildfire was unheard of.
She then reminded herself that this flame within her must’ve been under the control of Horatius. His burned brighter, and she knew better than to fight his flames with her own. So she let him control her soul.
A sharp jerk jostled her body as the flames gave another explosion out of her, and this time, she was a burning ball of fire. Though the flames never hurt or tickled, all she knew was that she couldn’t see with her limbs reaching a new energy she hadn’t felt in years. As if the magic around her was electrifying her. Or… her father was exerting his power as the God of Time and reverting her back.
Whatever it was, she couldn’t see, speak, or hear anything properly. Her ears were pulsating with the sound of roaring flames, her words choked out by a constrictive pressure around her neck. She couldn’t think, her brain now completely lost in the chaos of the moment.
Aries wasn’t afraid, just unsure if she was feeling unpleasant or nothing at all.
Then she felt a new sensation.
Her skin began to become brittle and crack. Like a dried lakebed under a scorching sun, rifts appeared on her skin and then darkened into a gray ash. The crumpled skin fell away, leaving nothing behind. Aries couldn’t feel anything more. She felt every part of her physical being stripped away, yet she still didn’t feel afraid. Even if this routine should have left feathers and a visage of a bird in its wake.
Everything exploded again.
Aries finally found her head again, and it pulsed violently, though there was still no pain. She felt her arms, legs, and wings shoot out again like a cannon sending them out. Again, she could feel flames lick skin that was far smoother than it had been before.
The light burned away, leaving an impressive afterimage in its wake. Her eyes opened, and she found herself gasping as the flames finally burned away.
Through the hazy burn of the flames in her eyes, she stared down at the three standing in front of her. Horatius looked to be glowing, pride etched into every facet of his features. Tsuki looked like she was about to burst into flames herself from excitement. The Deity of Nihility looked more pleased than she usually did.
The three in front of her slowly regained height as she descended to the ground. Much surer feet touched down on the floor as the clock’s rune vanished from the ground. She settled on the pile of the ashes of her previous body.
It was over. It was really over.
Gingerly, she reached up and grazed her fingers along her face. The wrinkles that had been present were no longer there, now replaced with skin as smooth as the others around her. Within her being, she could feel the flame of her soul burn with a light brighter than she was ever used to. It was almost blinding to even consider.
“Are you still well?” Horatius asked, “The gift of divinity is an experience you must get used to.”
It took Aries a few moments to find her voice, now painfully aware of how constricted her throat felt. After a few moments of trying to calm that and her racing mind, she finally gave a nod.
“Yes…” she said, only to stop short at the sound of her own voice. It was so clear and strong, if not a bit dazed. “I’m doing wonderful. Thank you…”
Relief settled over Horatius as he closed the distance between himself and his daughter before he swept her up into a completely unprofessional hug. Though no one in the room cared, considering it was a gathering of close family.
In fact, if Horatius ' hug was considered out of place for a regal god, what Tsuki did next would have been completely unheard of.
Right after the hug between father and daughter melted away, there was a flash of blue and white as the Moon Goddess swept Aries off her feet in a sweeping motion, spinning her in the air with a laugh.
“One of us now! You’re one of us!” She followed it up with a cheerful whoop.
That certainly cleared the confusion from Aries' brain as she gave a squeak, her wings shooting out for some sense of balance. They were rather awkward splaying out, much like a fledgling unsure of what to do with those giant appendages on their back.
“I am! I am!” she said as Tsuki set her back to the ground.
With the tense moment finally being broken into one of celebration, she finally felt her muscles and mind relax. Besides, it was difficult not to have that infectious joy rub off on her. She kept an arm loosely draped around her sister as she tried to find her bearings again.
“Here’s to the fresh– well– not so fresh meat!” the Moon Goddess continued. She took the steadying hand Aries had up and thrust it into the air, something that a five-minute younger Aries would have been physically incapable of doing.
It felt great being able to be as flexible as she was in her prime, and with this new freedom introduced back into her joints, Aries felt like she was going to throw herself off the clock tower she was standing in to go for a joy flight.
But not right now. Now was the time for celebration with her family.
Tsuki finally let go of her, and Aries found herself face-to-face with the odd Deity of Nihility. The other regarded her warmly, tilting her head to the side with an odd smile. It was– what Aries had grown to learn from her– her version of a genuine and happy smile.
She returned it, but with one far more naturally looking.
“I’m looking forward to your future impressive feats,” the Deity of Nihility said.
“Thank you,” Aries replied gratefully, “Hah, with these new blessings you’ve given me, I’d be foolish not to try impressing you.”
The odd smile melted into something that looked more ordinary. “I would never doubt you of that, but I’ll hold your word.”
“At least one of you is keeping me accountable.”
Something that sounded like a laugh left the Deity of Nihility, but it was such a strange-sounding and out-of-place noise that Aries was almost mistaken for it to be her clearing her throat. Still, the corners of her lips twitched upwards more. Despite her aloofness to any situation, the Deity of Nihility still had ways of attempting to display her more relaxed side.
Aries let her eyes slip away from her, now searching the room for the man who had brought her there.
Turning, her eyes finally landed on him.
It would be an understatement to say he was trying not to explode from excitement and glee. Averian’s hands were tightly looped around his staff as if stopping it from trying to fly away. The massive, fluffy, and feathery tail behind him was trying not to wag like a large golden retriever’s, and he was only half succeeding in the venture. She could already see some of the trinkets on the wall behind him on the floor. In the excitement, she hadn’t heard them fall.
As if a magnet had suddenly switched itself on, the two gravitated towards each other before they were interlocked in the most suffocating hug Aries had ever experienced in her life. Or in her recent memory. Averian hadn’t hugged her like this in years, only because he had been worried about hurting her.
“Never in a million years I thought…” he said, burrowing his face into the crook of her neck. His words trailed off but devolved into loopy laughs. “Oh, Reece!”
She held him back with equal fervor.
“I didn’t think this would happen either,” she conceded, laughing. “But it has.”
He pulled away from her just enough for her to see his eyes sparkling. It was as if twin supernovas had unleashed their glittering light within them.
“This… this is the happiest day of my life,” he said, once more burying his face into her shoulder.
Yes, yes, it was. It had become the happiest day of her life, too. The inner struggle that had been plaguing her since the thought of such an event like this in her life entered her mind. Life was fleeting for so many people, and she thought she would join some of her fellow denizens into that peaceful oblivion.
Though there were many things she left out of her life, knowing what kind of legacy she would leave behind and those she was with. A part of her had feared what most married couples had as a given. They would enjoy their eternity together, but she would leave behind Averian.
And now, she wouldn’t be doing that. She wouldn’t be leaving behind her father or her sisters either. She wouldn’t even be leaving behind the people that she gave the gift of sentience to.
Her world could flourish under her watch. And now, more than ever, she wanted to look up to her father.
She had taught him the lessons of a mortal life. Now, he would teach her how to be a divine ruler.
Just like Aries had told the Deity of Nihility, she would be foolish not to try impressing Horatius or the people they watched over.
Her mortal life had ended, and this was just a new life for her to step into and enjoy.