To Learn To Fall (Sequel to the Other Side)

Chapter Nine

"It's not important."

"Is it from Wicked?"

"No it's from the Jung—wait you know about Wicked?!"

"Yeah. Alexander introduced it to us, but if it isn't from Wicked, then what is it from?"

"Well, Wicked isn't the only thing on Earth that has music. And I was singing... Bare Necessities from... uh, the Jungle Book."

"How does that go?"

"It's stupid."

"So?"

I gave in and sang it for him, uncomfortably aware of how stupid I sounded while doing so. But when I was done, he chirped happily.

"That was interesting."

"Thanks," I returned flatly.

Silence fell again, and this time I was consciously trying to keep my mind from wondering otherwise he'd hear me again and I'd make a fool of myself again and all that mess.

"Hercules?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't mean to pry or ask a personal question or be annoying, and you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but do you ever regret lying to Lafayette?"

He shuffled his wings and sighed, his head lowering. It was a long time before he finally responded, and in the silence that followed, I realized that whatever he said, there was no going back from this.

"No. Look, I did what I had to in order to keep the Revolution alive. I don't regret that. I made my choice, and I made my sacrifice."

His statement was a profound deep I wasn't expecting, so it caught me completely off guard.

"That isn't to say I don't miss him, however. Because I do. Every day. And I want to be with him again. But he made his choice, and I made mine. And what's done is done."

His confession was earnest, genuine.

"If you could go back in time and change it...?"

"I'd do it again."

Something that was building inside of me broke, but for once I didn't hide from it. Instead, I let my fingers curl into fists and raised my head.

Hercules was right.

When all is set, and Fate's cruel card game was finally over, Alexander would make his choice. And I would make mine.

And then we'll have to see where it gets us.

"Anyway," Hercules said, not sensing the change he stirred inside of me. "Are we almost there yet? I'm going to die."

"Don't die. I heard it's bad for your health. Also, I want to die first. Don't take that away from me."

He chirped in amusement, which was the bird equivalent of a chuckle.

We continued on for a while more until the shining ivory castle sitting on the majestic clifftop came into view. I never before viewed it with as much dread as I do now.

"There it is," said Hercules, more saying it to prepare himself for what was to come than to point it out to me.

"Ready?"

"You have the invitation, right?"

I nodded, reaching into a pocket inside of my coat and pulling out the scroll.

I climbed up the staircase leading to the cliff, Hercules jittering unconsciously on my shoulder. I counted the steps I took as I did so, hoping to keep myself from panicking right before we arrived.