Fallen Angels

by Lt_Voss

Interlude - Alles Klar?

We, Bill and I, stood outside the door to Luna's bedroom, otherwise known as the antechamber. Speaking with our minds, which was easier now that we were, for all intents, purposes, and realities, alive, we both went over just what was going on. 'What did you do?' I invoked ancient Greek law. 'And you knew she had to follow it how? How did you know she wouldn't just try to off us anyways?' I didn't. That stunned me for a second.

'You mean to tell me you just flipped a coin for our survival?' Yes. Should I not have? I mulled over the event for a moment or two before answering, 'No. You were right.' As usual. 'Don't push it.'

I ran my right hand through my hair. 'Okay, so how are we gonna do this?' You mean, how are we going to get to Mount Olympus, somehow convince the gods to give us counsel with Zeus, somehow convince Zeus to get Styx off our backs, all within a week? And somehow make it back here, alive? 'Yeah, I guess that sums it up pretty well.' I have absolutely no clue. 'Come to think of it, that's probably the reason Styx so readily agreed to this condition.' Oh so true. Gods... what the hell have we gotten ourselves into? 'I don't know, and frankly, I'm not entirely sure I want to know. After all-'

I think I may have a solution. I recognised that voice... a voice I'd only heard when in my mother's company. I'm glad you remember me to an extent Will, but I hope we can both agree that placing a somewhat forgotten name to a voice you've only ever heard in your head is less important than your success in this... endeavour. I nodded. 'We can.' Excellent. Now, as I'm sure you can ascertain, I am much older than either of you. 'True.' I know a way. A way into Mount Olympus. I had to make a double take, mentally of course, with this new bit of information. So apparently Helen, that was her name, knew how to gain entrance to a place that, for all intents and purposes should be purely fictional.

That right there, Will, is my point exactly. You were able to visualise Erebus as you did because that is how your mind painted it. If, in your mind, Erebus was a green meadow with daisies everywhere, that would have been how you saw it. 'So you're saying that I could get to Mount Olympus by simply... dreaming it?' To put it into simple terms, yes. After all, we both know that the gods do not truly exist. I almost choked. 'Wait, what?' You mean to tell us, Bill joined in. That we've been simply imagining this whole set of events? Are we even in a race to free ourselves from someone or something?

Very much so, Helen responded, confusing my brain with different matters as she did. Styx, as with the other gods, do not exist as you believe they do. They are living, breathing beings, but they are not by any means "godlike," per sé. They are simply incredibly powerful beings that have grouped together into their own little society. 'So... so how would I go about talking to Zeus? We obviously can't go to Mount Olympus to speak to him if it isn't even a real place.'

Sidetracking, Mount Olympus is a real mountain in what was the country of Greece back on Earth. Anyways, true. There would be no possible way to travel from here to there in a week or less. However, you could imagine yourself at Mount Olympus. 'What do you mean? Are you saying that if I imagine being at Mount Olympus I'd be able to speak with Zeus? Because if you are, frankly it sounds like I'd have a better chance of imagining myself at an ice cream parlour to speak with Chubby the Clown.'

I heard Helen sigh, which was probably called for. Will, you must realise that there are things in this world that even I do not understand. How could you speak with Styx in Erebus if Erebus does not exist? You know that your beliefs state that when you die you will pass judgement, for lack of a better term, in the transition realm of Erebus. You know that part of that realm is the river Styx, whose boatman Charon ferries the dead across for coin. You know that the personification of the river is the goddess Styx who is that personification of hatred. You know she is a prominent goddess in that area and as such, when your mind created the realm of Erebus after you'd died, it also created Styx. I don't mean to say Styx herself does not exist, because she does, but when your mind called for her she responded and she showed up. That is why you can easily speak to Zeus. That is why, if you imagine it hard enough, you can place yourself in a fictional Mount Olympus with your mind calling for an imitation of Zeus. He may or may not come forth on the first try, but it's as good a shot as any if you want any hope of speaking with him.

She was right of course. I didn't have much of a chance on my own to speak with the one god -- well, one being that could be described as a god -- that could free both Bill and I, and in turn Fluttershy, of our enslavement to Styx. Using Helen's information, I stood a slightly better chance of coming out of this whole ordeal alive and well. I just hoped that the effort and ideas were worth it. After all, if I sat around like an idiot with a stupid expression on my face trying to imagine myself at a place a zillion miles away speaking with a being I'd never even seen before, only to find out that the method was completely ineffectual and had no significance or sway with my predicament, I'd feel really crappy. Especially, of course, since Fluttershy would be the most affected out of the three of us.

Needless to say, regardless of whether or not I would particularly succeed... I still had to try. 'Tell me anything I need to do to make this work.'

Author's Note:

Just being a bit lazy and instead of releasing a full chapter, have an interlude. Partially my fault; I've been playing a lot of Metro 2033 lately. If you haven't gotten it but you like jump-out-at-you scary games with elements of stealth, shoot-'em-up sections, and survivalism in a game, all set within a post-apocalyptic world, I suggest you pick it up! It's a great game (though a little frustrating at first when the solution to a chapter isn't obvious)!

Also just testing out this "Author's Notes" section.

Comments

[Lt_Voss]

Sorry it took this long to release a simple interlude, but I hope you can find the same amount of enjoyment in it as you do my other chapters.

[Pixels]

Innovative names.

[Lt_Voss]

1797443 I have no idea whether or not that is a complement or criticism, so I'll just take a chance and assume it's a complement.

Thank you!

[the onlyoneofmeisyou]

Good,good, even though I am very confuddle...