Chapter 1- Water
*And again the suitors hurled their whetted shafts
but Athena sent the better part of the salvo wide-
one of them hit the jamb of the great hall's doors,
another the massive door itself, and the heavy bronze point
of a third ashen javelin crashed against the wall.*
And so Amy Mizuno closed her book, running her hand down the cover on the
front. A black Grecian vase with men running hand in hand graced the white
cover, a scene from the "Odyssey" that she read. The paper was thick and
white, creamy, with the uneven cut edge of a first print book, edges dyed a
funny brown orange color. She sat up in her bed, shifting the the waves of
covers so she could lean against her pillow more easily. She sighed, once,
adjusting the neckline of the oversized tee shirt she wore to bed so it
would not pull so tightly against her skin. Her glasses slid down the bridge
of her nose, and she pushed them back up. When they slid down again, she
sighed and removed them, placing them on the nightstand that doubled as a
bookcase beside her. She set the book down and looked out her window, the
blinds up, revealing a starry night sky, the glow of the moon bathing the
buildings in her vision in silvery light. She checked the digital green glow
of her alarm clock beside her bed. 11:52, it read.
*Mom is at work. Midnights, all week. I probably won't even get to see her.
I hardly ever do anymore. Not with my school and her work. I'll leave a note
for her in the morning, before I head out. Test in math tomorrow. I should
study for that, but...a new verse translation of the Odyssey...I've read
Rouse's but I always prefer the verse. It seems...I don't know. Closer,
somehow, to the original, in that format. I'll look over it again in the
morning. Pythagorean theorem. More Greek stuff. Algebra and Physics and the
Odyssey. I'll read a few more pages, then go to bed. But first, I'm getting
thirsty.*
Amy tossed the stormy blue covers off her, and stretched her back a moment,
then silently padded her way into the kitchen, taking a glass from the
cabinet and some ice from the freezer. She checked the fridge for anything
interesting, finding only a lack of food, except for some salami, which did
not look very appetizing at nearly midnight. She shut the refrigerator door
with her hip and poured herself a glass of water, then took it out to the
balcony of their apartment, the pane rattling as she slid it back. She
leaned against the wrought iron rail, sipping the ice water quietly, her
mind bubbling with debate about the Hellenic and Hellenistic periods of
Greek literature, sometimes a stray thought about Pythagoras and mathematics
dribbling in.
Drop.
Dripdrop.
Dropdropdrop.
Splat.
Drop.
With a sigh, she finished the water, the ice ringing hollowly against the
sides of the glass as she slid the doorway closed behind her, her bare feet
crossing the carpet to the kitchen where the sink was dripping. She dumped
the ice into the disposal, then put the glass away in the dishwasher.
Turning her attention to the leaky faucet, she jiggled the knob a bit,
turning it on, then off again. It remained quiet. She pushed a tangle of
hair away from her eyes as she turned to leave the kitchen.
The sound of water sprayed out of the bathroom showerhead, hitting the
bathtub, and water began to hiss out of the sink in there. Frowning at the
sudden plumbing problems, Amy whirled when the kitchen faucet turned itself
on, blasting dully against the hollow metal of the sink. Water frothed over
the rim, spilling onto the linoleum tiles. Amy backed away, gasping as her
mind reached the conclusion, *Enemy!*
The water sluiced over the floor, pooling rapidly around her feet. She
leapt away, beginning to grab for the Mercury crystal that awaited her
command in its tiny pocket of space. As her fingers closed around it, the
water reeled, shooting up her legs and arms, grabbing her and pulling her
down. She struggled, clutching at her crystal, as the waters swelled up over
her head, filling her eyes and mouth as she tried to call out her phrase.
Water gurgled in her ears as she felt herself begin to disintrigrate, and
she had a moment to wonder, somewhere in her mind,
*And
So
I
Wonder
How
Deep
The
Rabbit
Hole
Goes....*
And she was swallowed up by her own element.
Amy was aware that she had reformed when a wall of frigid water blasted
into her, the tiny pellets of air that were intrapped in the froth pummeled
her face as she tried to cling onto the precious oxygen in her lungs, which
sang for breath. A sound of suction roared around her as she was pulled
downward, twisting. She hit a thermal line of water, and through squeezed
eyes believed that she was being pulled very rapidly along inside it. A cold
wave hit her again as bubbles raced against her body, flinging her hair in a
watery halo around her head, snapping her head back. *Please don't let me
die...*
She struck another freezing blast as she was sucked upward, the roaring
intensifying, and she became aware of hands, grabbing at her. She dared to
open her eyes, and saw scaly heads before her, with nebulous blue eyes, and
a dorsal fin that was so long and loose it waved in the currents as hair.
Their hands were webbed, and they, like a human, had two legs, and were
clothed in flowing silks. There were several of these, each slightly
different from one another, helping her, lifting her upward as she broke
through the surface of a glass lake.
She spat water from her mouth as she smeared water from her eyes,
spluttering and kicking to keep her head above the water line. She waded her
way to the lip of the pool, the water rippling behind her. She pulled
herself over, and collected herself, staring at the place she had arrived. A
massive domed ceiling swelled above her, wrinkled where endless droplets of
water had carved into the rock. She twisted around to take in the full area,
letting her gaze sweep across everything. Light danced through the water
around her, fluxing on the floor and walls, reflecting on her face. To her
right, a hole arched, steps leading upward from the ground. Her eyes cast
forward again, to where a platform had been set, a throne of coral and
limestone and seashells atop it. A man sat on it, in the robes of the
ancient Greeks, shimmering waves of azure silk, rippling like the rivers of
Babylon. A blue beard flowed over his broad chest, and a crown of starfish
arms was settled on his brow. His arms were bare, showing slight rainbow
scaling on his forearms. In his hand, he held a trident, the pole tapping
the floor beside him, the three pronged points stretching upward towards the
ceiling. He leaned forward when he saw her, his deepsea eyes swimming with
thought as he took in her appearance.
Amy suddenly felt the cold, and became aware that her thin nightgown was
wet and clinging to her body. She curled up tightly, wrapping her arms
around her as she returned the gaze of the lord of the seas.
Reaching a conclusion, she managed to say, "Poseidon," holding herself
tighter.
He smiled through his beard, and the pearly teeth glinted in the dancing
lights. At the sound of a chuckle, the scene behind him shifted, and Amy saw
that it was not a wall, but a massive creature, scaly skinned and dark. It
was held behind a wall of water, bubbles rising from a slightly open mouth.
"You like my Kraken?" Amy said nothing, only staring. "You must be cold,
water soldier," he lifted a hand, and from the air he seemed to conjure a
robe, which swirled around her, fluffy and thick. As it settled, her teeth
began to chatter, and she clamped down to stop it. Poseidon's smile grew
wider, and he chuckled once. The visible eye of the Kraken opened to reveal
a cat slit redness, and it shifted again, the bubbles rising thickly around
its muzzle. "I've searched very hard for you, water soldier," Poseidon told
Amy. She held his gaze nervously, and unfolded her legs, managing to her
feet to face him. He leaned back in his throne. "Do you know why?" he
finally asked.
She replied that she did not.
He touched his beard lightly with his free hand, stroking the crisp blue
curls. "Long ago, at least, to your way of reckoning time, something very
dear was taken from me. A city, on a hill that I loved to look at. There was
a village there, a small one. A man was the city's leader, named Cecrops.
Known for level headedness. A relative of mine, she stole that place from
me, gave Cecrops and his people an enchanted olive that made them choose her
as their patron. Do you know of the city, my Amy?"
"Athens," she responded, hugging the robe to her.
"Yes, Athens. City of Athena, it is called. It is growing, you know. Many
live there now. Pity. Taking over my hill. My creatures," he gestured
aimlessly at the slumbering Kraken behind him, "they are powerful, yes,
but...they lack cohesion, I'm afraid. No one to lead them. Command them. The
nymphs and naiads of the seas are too self possessed to lead. I need a water
element, my Amy, such as you. Someone to serve as my second in command, to
lead in the field. I went through a great deal of trouble to get you here,"
he took a small, gleaming silver object from the arm of the chair beside him
and held it for her to see. It was a key, beautifully curled into the shape
of a heart. "I have watched you fight, water warrior. I am pleased with your
knowledge, your skills, your mind. It is you that I wish to accomplish my
goal for me."
"I will not destroy Athens."
The blackblue eyes swelled as he narrowed them, the key caught in his fist
tightly. "You are my element. You belong to me. Your loyalty is to me, the
god of the waters."
Softly, Amy replied to him, "My loyalty is to the Princess of the Moon, and
you are not her."
A rumble shuddered the ground under her, and she stumbled for her footing.
The robe slipped to the ground.
"Princess of the Moon! You are my element, and I am your master, no whelp
of Selene's unborn may overtake my import! My Amy, you belong to me. I ask
you again, do not defy me. You are my chosen warrior. Will you obey my
command?"
"No."
The Earth Shaker stood from his throne, the trident glowing as he struck it
against the limestone floor. A jagged line ripped through the ground, and
Amy staggered out of its way, reaching for her Mercury crystal. "Mercury
Crystal Power! Make-up!" The roaring tempest of water engulfed her, and her
nightgown became her uniform, the long blue bow appearing, the tiara and the
choker. She spun and prepared for attack, looking at the enemy she faced.
*My own element...what can water do against water?* She struck her pose and
cried out, "Champion of Wisdom and Justice, Sailor Mercury! And on behalf of
Mercury, I will not allow you to kill the innocent people of Athens, in any
century! You're punished! Shabon Spray!"
The room was enveloped in the milky white fog, whorls curling around them
thickly, impenetrably. Mercury backed away from where she stood, heading
towards the staircase she had seen behind her. "Wisdom and Justice!"
Poseidon thundered in fury. "Athena's domain! What have you, a water
element, to do with her?" The fog around her evaporated, at his command, and
left only a thin mist. Poseidon stood only a few feet before her, the
trident aimed at her heart.
*How much of me does he know? That I am a Scout, yes, but not the defender
of justice and wisdom? What kind of god is this?*
"My duty is to protect the people of Earth, not to destroy them! That is my
duty and mission! Mercury Harp! Come to my hand!" The winged harp formed,
and Mercury spun as she grabbed it. As she returned to face the Earth
Shaker, she found that he had moved closer to her, and had left the trident
behind on the ground. She began her attack, moving to strike the chords that
would vibrate the rhapsody, but he grabbed her, ripping it from her hands,
grabbing at the bow that was on her chest. His hands closed over the heart
shaped brooch, and it began to glow blue, shimmering with the facets of the
Mercury Crystal. She locked her hands on his wrists, trying to force him to
release her. The crystal shone more brightly, blazing under the touch of the
sea god.
"Punish me? Pathetic girl! You are mine to command! If you will not obey
me, then your power is mine!" There was the sound of ripping, and Mercury
screamed as something was torn from her chest. In Poseidon's hands, her
Mercury crystal glowed in a globe of water. Her uniform, ragged, blurred and
she stood again in her pajamas. Weakly, she staggered back, her powers
stolen. "I protect what is mine, girl. And I destroy what is not. You, and
all who you love, shall be punished by the Earth-Shaker! Go!"
He lifted a hand, and she was blasted back by the spray, thrown into the
pool, the water draining around her ears as she was pushed back into the
thermal river of water, blown across the seas of Poseidon.
She fought the blackness that swirled around the peripherals of her vision,
and clutched at her throat, which wept for air. The waters streamed across
her body, and she knew she traveled far in the waves. Hands, again, grabbed
at her, and she saw the scaled faces appear. She tried to fight, knowing
these were nereids, sea nymphs promised to Poseidon and his power. But the
faces smiled at her, and whispered to her, "Breathe, sister. All is well.
Breathe," Amy choked as she kicked, fighting her way to the surface.
Distantly, she saw a glimmer above her. She kicked harder, beating her way
upward, and the glimmer became a glow, a shine. The hands of the nereids
released her then, and her head broke through the waters, gulping the sweet
air that awaited her.
She tried to float, but found her strength too drained to roll in the
water. Gentle hands clasped her again, and she had no will to resist. She
let the darkness in her eyes overwhelm her.
Under her feet, she felt pebbles touch her, and the fingers that had
wrapped under her arms let go, letting her float forward. Sand stuck to her
skin, and she pulled herself up the beach a bit, then collapsed, the foam of
the water crashing down on her. Her eyes opened and closed several times,
bleary with salt spray. She heard the cries of seagulls in the distance,
screaming to one another over some lost scrap of food. A bit of kelp lay
across her face. In the blackness that swept down over her again, she saw a
face, the face of a woman, regal and concerned.
She felt a hand lift the seaweed from her cheek, and brush back her sandy
hair. The woman whispered something in a language Amy did not understand,
and somewhere in the back of her analytical mind, she thought, *Sounds
Indo-European. The fricitaves are voiced wrong...why am I worrying about
this...? I'm so sleepy... don't wake me up....*
Her eyes closed, and the day became a night without stars.
Her eyes slit open narrowly, and her pupils slid from one corner to
another, focusing eventually on the shape that was bent over a small hearth.
The figure moved, standing, and walked to Amy's side. Her eyes blurred
again, but a touch from the woman's hand brought her back from the rim of
unconsciousness. A string of words tripped from the woman's lips, and she
lifted her eyebrows concertedly. Amy shook her head and tapped her throat,
miming that she could not speak. The woman nodded once, then returned to the
fire. Amy dizzily sat up, touching her head and squeezing her eyes shut,
opening them again after a moment. She took in her surroundings as the
solitary figure with her stirred the contents of a copper pot, the ladle
banging thinly against the sides as she stirred.
It was a small cottage, with thin walls and thin roof, woven together in
the manner of wicker. Rushes were strewn on the cleanly swept floor. The
hearth was small, ringed with stones, and a smokehole was pierced in the
ceiling to vent. She spotted a large loom in one corner, a shuttle sitting
on the stool beside it. The warp and weft of the material was fine, done in
shades of blue and red and purple. The image of a man had been sewn into the
fabric, his body half complete, holding a grisly snake haired head aloft.
*Perseus?*
The woman spoke to her again, standing beside her, holding a small bowl of
what appeared to be soup. She urged Amy to take it, and hesitantly, she did.
The woman gestured for her to drink, and keeping her eyes on her as she
sipped, Amy drank. The woman said several words, and when Amy shook her
head, urged her to drink again. Amy frowned, but did so, since she was
hungry and the broth was good. Again the woman spoke, as though expecting
something. Amy stared at her, but continued to eat. "...me? Are my words
clearer now?"
When Amy dropped the bowl in surprise, the woman grinned, snatching it up
as it fell, only allowing a few droplets to slosh out of the bowl and hit
the blanket that covered Amy. "Good. That was quick. You must have
understood most of rudiments of my language already," with that, the woman
stood and took the bowl back to the hearth. Watching the figure carefully,
she took in her appearance.
She was tall, slender with flowing long white dress, golden chord twining
around her waist, crisscrossing in Hellenic style. Chestnut colored hair was
bound up in a braided knot at the nape of her neck. Her skin was the color
of ivory, and she had high cheekbones, defined by a long, straight nose and
small, full lips. Under high arching brows, a pair of wide set eyes gleamed.
They were the color of moonlit steel, gleaming gently as she returned Amy's
gaze. There was a graveness to her features, a steadiness of character that
defined her motions. Other than her unusual eye color, she was not
exceptionally lovely, but there was a strength about her that Amy found
herself marveling at. "Have you seen me well enough?" the woman asked, a
touch of humor coloring her voice. The woman turned and began to attend to
the hearth fire again.
Amy placed her feet on the ground, shedding the coverlet. She found that
she herself was wearing clothing similar to the woman's, white folds of
silky fabric wrapped by a ribbon of silvery blue, with a v-shaped neckline.
It doubled in length, the first folds coming to a handspan below her waist,
the skirt coming to a few inches above her knees. Her feet accidentally
knocked over something as she placed them on the ground. "There are sandals,
there, for you," the woman informed her. Amy put them on, taking a moment to
figure out how to wrap the silvery laces around her calves. They tied just
below her knees.
"Thank you," Amy told the stranger.
"It was the least I could do."
Amy touched the strange white fabric of her clothes. It was soft as silk,
but breathed as easily as cotton, and stretched slightly when she pulled at
it.
"I made the clothing. Is it to your liking?"
"It's lovely. Thank you. Where are we?"
"Zacynthus. In the Ionian Sea."
"How...how long have I been here?"
"You washed up onshore two days ago. I've healed you to the best of my
abilities...you may be sore for a day or two, but that will fade in time.
You spoke in your dreams, in a language I was unfamiliar with. It sounded
familiar, so I bespoke a friend of mine, Ama, to help me interpret. She said
it was strange to her as well, yet sounded much like her native tongue. She
understood some of the words. I mixed a potion of tongues for you, so that
we may speak."
"You are a sorceress, then?"
The woman chuckled lightly, the corners of her lips turning upward. She
replied, "Something like that."
Amy took a step away from her bed, folding her arms as though she were
cold, and winced as her back tightened. She stretched her neck
experimentally.
"Are you well, Amy? Poseidon threw you far."
Alarmed, her head snapped up, and she stared at the woman, who only
continued to give her an even smile, her grey eyes glinting as she did so.
*Those eyes...she knows of Poseidon? How much? The loom...the tapestry on
it...woven so beautifully...you can almost see Perseus' muscles flexing as
he lifts Medusa's head above him, her hair seems to writhe. Words she cannot
understand...how could she speak to someone who knows Japanese, from here in
the Ionian Sea? Ama...terasu? The weaving...the stance and strength...those
eyes! Flashing eyed, grey eyed, the goddess Athena!*
The look on Amy's face was enough to tell the goddess that she had figured
it out. She let out a ringing laugh, and waved a hand carelessly in the air
before her. "Don't look so surprised, Amy. Poseidon took you from your time,
did he not? The least I could do was ensure your safety. Come. Walk with me
on the beach." Athena touched Amy's arm, and led her out the door of the
little beach house. Before them sprawled the mass of the Ionian, crystalline
in the marine colors of the sea, white waves cresting onto the powdery
shore. Thick flora ended at the tidemark, rustling contentedly in the winds
that blustered gently through. The sun warmed steadily from above, pressing
lightly down on the them. Athena led Amy down to the water's edge and stood
there, looking out over the sea. "He has ripped a hole in the fabric of
timespace, Amy. Chronos and Rhea are furious. Poseidon took a great risk in
bringing you here. Did he say why?"
"He wanted me to lead his creatures. To destroy Athens."
A somber smile that rapidly faded answered her, accompanied by silence.
Finally, the wise goddess told her, "Yes. I believed it may be somesuch as
that. He has never given up taking back my city. His Kraken has failed, many
times. Brute strength is not enough to conquer, but enough to make it a very
great danger."
"If you needed to give me that drink to speak to me...how is it that he
could?"
"He summoned you. He most likely had a spell of understanding ready when
you arrived. It may be simply that you, like he, are of the water. Of one
element."
"Athena...?"
"Yes, you may call me that," Athena, Hope of Soldiers, seemed somewhat
bemused at Amy's nervousness. Amy took a breath and plunged ahead.
"Poseidon had a timekey. I know the woman who is the Guardian of Time...is
she hurt? She never would have let anyone take a key willingly."
"Ah. You speak of Chronos's daughter. Yes, she is well. The key was stolen,
by...well, he will be arriving soon, I believe. Your friend, Setsuna, is
aiding her parents in patching the rift in the fabric of time. Poseidon has
holed himself up on one of his islands, and cannot be found. Rhea came to
me, yesterday, while you slept. She told me that Poseidon may have taken
some item of power from you. Is this so?"
"My Mercury Crystal."
Athena's eyes snapped to Amy. "Mercury?" she asked with some surprise.
"Yes. My planet. I use my Mercury Crystal to transform. I am one of the
guards that protects the Moon Princess."
"Moon Princess? Ah. Selene's unborn child. Then Poseidon has not pulled you
from far in the future? Rhea behaved as though it were distant."
Amy remained silent, casting her eyes to the white sands.
"Some trouble in the Moon Kingdom," Athena determined from Amy's continued
quiet. "I will ask no more. Foreknowledge is as dangerous to immortals as it
is to mortals. Then it is far. I see, then, why Rhea and Chronos are so
determined to keep this quiet. Zeus has been informed, as must be, and I,
since Poseidon's action was meant against me. No other gods have been told
of your existence here. Olympus is not omnipotent. This Mercury Crystal...it
must be retrieved."
"But I don't know where..." a shadow flickered over them, and two figures
descended out of the air, a winged woman carrying a young man. The woman
dropped him into an unceremonious heap on the sand. The man untangled
himself, settling into a sulky position on the beach, folding his arms and
legs up, glowering at the three females that stood around him.
Amy looked at the newcomers. The woman was petite, tiny and delicate, with
faerielike features. The pearly luminescence of the inside of an oyster
shell shimmered over her shoulders. Gossamer wings of tremulous crystalline
feathers streamed from her back, and she wore cloth of gold. Her eyes,
though, were milky white, sightless. She grabbed the scruff of the man's
tunic and hauled him to his feet with surprising strength. He gave the
unsighted woman a sour glare, then turned to Athena, ignoring Amy.
She was struck with similarity in features of the face, the same arching
eyebrows and wideset eyes, his chocolatey brown rather than steely grey. His
hair was the same chestnut color, but was tinged with ringlets of gold. He
was young, and had the bronze skin that came from many hours of training,
for he had the toned muscles of an athlete rather than a warrior. He was
lean instead of bulky, and his face was smooth, beardless. His clothing was
dark blue, of what appeared to be similar material to her own, and Greek key
had been patterned on the hemline and collar. He was still watching Athena
venomously, arms crossed. "They took my caduceus and my sandals," he
snapped.
*Caduceus and sandals? Hermes? In Latin, Mercury.*
The blind woman spoke then, voice calm and emotionless. "Hermes, Messenger
of the Gods and self-styled god of thieves. You have been punished for your
interference in the timestream...."
"How was I supposed to know old Sea Brains was going to rip up timespace?"
he protested petulantly as the winged woman continued.
"A binding on your powers I have placed, and will be returned as the
Princess regains hers. Until then, your powers are those of a demigod,
limited to the mortal realm. So speak I, Themis, winged justice," Themis
lifted her hands to the air, and her glassy wings sung apart, beating the
sands as she lifted herself into the skies.
Hermes returned his disgusted expression to Athena, his half sister by
Zeus. "I bet you're enjoying this," he said flatly to her.
Athena's chin lifted slightly. "You have been asking for it since that
stunt stealing Apollo's herds. He would enjoy this. I however, have the
unfortunate duty of saddling her," she gestured at Amy, "with you. Your
practical jokes may entertain Father, but they have gone too far this time."
"I didn't know that Poseidon was going to-!"
"Silence!" Athena thundered, and Hermes cringed slightly as his sibling
suddenly began to look a bit too much like their common parent. Her eyes
flickered dangerously as her clothing rippled, a broad plate of metal
clouding over her shoulders, bright in the noonday sun. The aegis, head of
Medusa inlaid onto its breastplate. A helmet, plumed and gleaming appeared
on her head, and spear of ebony shaft was gripped in her hand. "Your
protesting has availed you nothing, brother. Poseidon has sent his minions
to the future, to attack a time that I know not. Your actions have upset the
balance of time, and for that, you have been justly sentenced by Themis! You
will ensure this girl's safety as she takes back her Mercury Crystal!"
Hermes blanched, then looked surprised at Amy when Athena mentioned the
word "Mercury." He stared at the young woman standing beside Athena,
frowning skeptically. Amy shifted uncomfortably as he swept his gaze over
her. Slender ankles and long legs, a petite waist, pearly skin, eyes the
color of lapis lazuli, round and wide, watching him as he watched her, short
azure hair eddying around her head in the breeze.
He did not look impressed.
"She's mortal," he sniffed, snubbing the figure.
*And you're not. So?*
Athena wacked him in the shin with her spear and he yelped, grabbing at his
new injury. "That hurt!"
"And it would not if you retained your full powers. You will protect this
girl, and see to it that she completes her mission."
He looked about ready to slaughter his sister, fists balled tightly as he
fumed. "And in what? I can't fly without my sandals. How are we supposed to
find Waterbrains? If Nemesis can't, how are we supposed to?"
"The Graeae on the edge of Ocean."
Incredulously, Hermes nearly shouted, "The Hags? They haven't even found
their Eye yet!"
"And I believe it was you who told Perseus to take it from them. Now you
may return it."
"Return it how?" he flung his hands up in despair. "I don't-! Never mind!
How are we supposed to get to Ocean?"
"I have provided a ship for you. Look," she pointed with her spear at the
waters behind them. There, on the waves, a boat rocked gently in the serene
waters, dark timbered hull bobbing on the surface. A sail of dark orange
cloth was hanging loose on the mast.
"Nice, sis. Pop a boat in to impress the mortal Princess of wherever here,"
he gave a martyred sigh and stalked off to the boat, muttering darkly.
Athena shook her head. "Forgive him for rudeness. Hubris has ever been a
fault of my family. This is a great insult to him," from the ship, Hermes
could be seen hoisting the sail. He then shouted something at Amy, along the
lines of hurrying up. "He knows the sea and the land, Amy. Have patience."
Amy nodded once, looking uncertainly at the shallow hulled ship.
"Here," Athena held a hand out before Amy. A soft silvery glow emanated in
her palm, solidifying after a moment. A silvery brooch in the shape of the
Gorgon's head lay there, tiny eyes blank, polished, glinting up at her. "A
gift. For saving Athens, my city."
"I couldn't...."
"Take it. Wear it, Amy, Princess of Mercury. I have placed my power within
it. If you need my strength, call upon it, and it will serve you. I am in
your debt, for protecting my city. It is some small compensation. Please.
For my sake."
Amy accepted the pin, fastening it to the point of her collar. It was
surprisingly light, not weighing against her clothing. "Thank you."
Athena gave her a radiant smile, and gestured at the awaiting ship. "Go.
Hermes is ever impatient. I will give you a good wind. May Aeolus speed you
in your journey."
Amy ran to the boat, and Hermes leaned over, helping her splash her way out
of the water. He pulled her up, and as her feet hit the deck, a shot of wind
graced into the sails, clouding them outward. Amy cast a last glance to the
seashore, but found the goddess Athena gone, as was the tiny cottage she had
awoke in earlier.
*Mom must be worried.* Amy leaned against the rail of the ship, huddled
within a blanket. She and Hermes had passed the day and evening in silence,
warily avoiding one another, choosing to stay on opposing sides of the ship.
They had spoken briefly when Helios' chariot had begun its descent, staining
the sky in shades of scarlet and purple. Hermes had found the provisions
Athena had left them with, skins of wine and water alike, salted fish and
bread, hard tack, sailor's food, meant for journeys. A sack of olives had
laid with the rest, and they had eaten that first, spitting the pits
overboard into the sea. The sail billowed west, the triangular cloth full
from Athena's blow. They skimmed the water swiftly. Nyx had spread its cloak
across the sky, and the pinpricks of light that were the stars glimmered.
The Moon was waxing, a thin sliver accompanied by clouds, providing little
light.
The ship's bronze brazier had been lit by Amy as the night had wrapped
around them. The fire crackled cheerily, despite the chill of the sea. Amy
sat not far from it, leaning against the starboard side, staring absently at
the passing water as they flew along.
*Mom. She'll be frantic. Once she realizes I'm gone. If she runs late at
midnights, she doesn't get home til after I leave for school...I
have...had...a test! I never miss tests! Bunny and Lita, Raye and Mina-chan.
And Rini and Darien! They'll wonder where I've gone! What if an Enemy shows
up? Athena...she said Poseidon sent some of his 'minions' through the rift.
He told me that he would punish those I love! What if Bunny gets hurt? I
have to get back. My Mercury Crystal. What can this Medusa brooch do?
Pluto...how did Hermes manage to get one of the timekeys? Magic. He must
have used magic. Pluto's too strong to let him beat her in a fair fight. Not
with the Order of the timestream at stake. Setsuna...you taught me so
much...Are you okay? Please everyone, be all right. The Graeae. The three
Grey Women who share a single Eye. Let them help. Perseus went to them. If
Athena was weaving a picture of Perseus, then it probably already happened.
Medusa is dead. Hermes mentioned they had not found their Eye yet.... I
wonder how long ago...Perseus was supposedly a generation before Troy and
the heroes from there. Achilles. Hector. Odysseus. Odysseus of Ithaka, who
Athena protects. I wonder....*
Amy turned and looked across the planks of the deck, finally settling on
Hermes. He was huddled at the prow, shivering with cold. His teeth
chattered, and he had wrapped his arms around his knees, drawing them to his
chin, rocking back and forth in a futile effort to warm himself. *He's so
cold. Why doesn't he get a blanket? There were several in the hold.* Amy
stood and walked, rolling with the ship, to Hermes, taking the blanket from
her shoulders and placing over him. He looked up at her oddly, frowning.
"Thanks," he nearly grunted, then turned back to staring at the water,
pulling the blanket closer around him.
"It would be warmer at the fire, if you sat there," Amy offered, rubbing
her hands up and down her arms to ward off the chill. The sea became cold at
night.
Without looking at her, Hermes said, "I've never been cold before."
"The fire would warm you more. It is cold out here."
"Yeah," he intoned, standing gracefully. "You coming or do you like being
cold?"
Amy bit her lip. *If I were Raye, I'd have some sharp retort for that....*
"Yes," she finally replied, going to the supplies and drawing out a quilted
blanket for herself, settling it around her in a cowl, tenting it to create
a pocket of warmth. She took her place back at the handrail, a few steps
from where Hermes was huddling, cinders flying into his face. He did look
warmer. Amy turned back to the black waters, the starlight lighting each
dipping wave. She sighed, sitting and placing an arm on the low rail,
listening to the creaking of the ship while she rested her cheek on her
hand, staring outward, letting her mind turn inward. *Mycenaean period? Or
are we closer to the Hellenic? Poseidon described Athens as growing, and
spoke as though Cecrops was fairly recent. Minoan era is gone...the style of
ship...we must be close, if not in, the Mycenaean. So soon will be Egypt and
Persia and all the rest. Alexander the Great of Macedon and Cyrus of Persia.
So much in these times and times to come. I'm so tired...* Amy yawned
sleepily, and her worries drifted on the waves of thoughts, finally closing
her eyes as Morpheus scattered sand into her sleepy eyes.
"If by your art, my dearest father, you have
Put the wild waters in this roar, ally them.
The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch,
But that the sea, mounting to th' welkin's cheek,
Dashes the fire out....
Had I been any god of power, I would
Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere
It should the good ship so have swallowed and
The fraughting souls within her."
-William Shakespeare
"The Tempest" 1.2.1-13
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