I wake up back in my bedroom. My entire body was weary. I could barely move. Bear was at my side watching over like a guard dog.
"What happened?"
"Your powers had awakened." The universe speaks to me.
I roll over on my side, looking into Bear's beautiful yellow eyes.
"What happened to that annoying god?"
"He was punished. The god chose to be dishonest. Bear, along with a few witnesses, proved him guilty."
Bear licks my nose, then stuffs his head under my chin. "Thank you," I whisper to him.
Bear shoots his head up, looking at the door. He didn't growl though.
The door slowly opens. Coming in was the King and Zyglavis.
"Oh, you're awake," Zyglavis muttered, stunned at the sight of me but wore a smile.
"How do you feel?", said the King.
I respond, "I'm alright. My body feels a bit weak, though."
"A lot of energy exerted from your body. You will be a bit debilitated. On top of that, you burned out those wrist cuffs I gave you with the sudden power. I got new ones."
I never realized my cuffs were off my wrists. Guess I should be more careful with them off.
Zyglavis adds on. "Also, just to be precise. That god you attacked, he was at fault, correct?"
I nod. "He ridiculed me. I told him to leave me alone, but he still went on. Then, he got pissed when I went back at him. He was about to punch me for it until my powers took over. I didn't mean to attack him. It took control of my body."
Zyglavis nods to my alibis.
The King soon dismisses Zyglavis from my room. It was him and I. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes.
"...Why am I such a danger?", I speak, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?", he replies.
"Why am I even being a goddess if all it's going to do is threaten mine and everyone else's life?"
"Su—"
"My own powers could kill me! And you saw what happened earlier! It took over my body and I couldn't control it. Then, it hurt someone!"
"In my defense, he deserved it..."
"Maybe I should go back to living as a human. Just being away from everyone and everything! No one will be around me and that's the way it's going to stay!"
Tears swell up in my eyes, then slowly fall down my chin when they overflow. I sob, burying my face into Bear's fur. The King lightly touches my shoulder.
"You are not a danger. You're just frightened. Once you learn to control your powers, everything will be alright."
I turn to face him. He welcomes me with a warm smile.
"...Teach me," I say to him. "Teach me how to use my powers."
He nods in approval. "But first, you need some rest. Once you are replenished and prepared, come see me."
He rubs his gentle hand across my head. He slips the cuffs back on my wrists. In the midst of the peacefulness, I fall back to sleep.
Once my body recovered, I was back up and moving. The gods and goddesses kept their distance from me, recalling the incident with my powers. No one dared to come near me. It was a bit lonesome, but I had the zodiac gods who weren't afraid.
I stop at the King's throne room around noon. He was sitting there waiting for my arrival, along with Zyglavis and, surprisingly, Ichthys.
They take me out to the garden, and they begin their lesson. The gods stand about 5 meters away from me.
"Alright," Zyglavis starts off. "For starters, we start off with something very basic."
In Ichthys' hand was a tennis ball. Bear kept bouncing and begging up for it, so Ichthys made a duplicate for him.
Ichthys holds up the ball. Zyglavis snaps his fingers, and instantly, it disappears right out of his hand. It comes back with another snap.
"Make the ball disappear by simply snapping your fingers."
It seemed easy. Too easy.
"If you're just teaching me this, why are we outside?", I question.
"So you don't kill us all by accident."
"And what if that happens?"
"Just try not to think about it! You'll do great!", Ichthys shouts.
Well, just saying that. I may just think of it.
I breathe a quick breath, positioning my middle and index finger together.
"Focus on what you trying to do, then snap," Zyglavis instructs.
Think of the ball disappearing then snap, I repeated to myself.
Think of the ball disappearing then snap.
Think of the ball disappearing, and don't kill us all.
I close my eyes, preparing for what is to come. Hesitantly, my fingers snap.
Opening my eyes to take a peek, the ball was floating from Ichthys' hand.
Ichthys smiles. "It didn't disappear but t—"
The levitating ball suddenly shoots up in the air, then goes crashing through a window of the palace.
"OWW! SON OF A BITCH!"
It was Scorpio's voice.
The four of us stood there like statues, staring up the broken window. The only one that was amused was the King who was laughing at the scene.
"Well, that's one way to make it disappear..." I mutter.
Scorpio leans out the window, as mad as a hornet, gripping the tennis ball nearly tight enough to bust it. When he saw us, he threw it back with great force, hitting Ichthys right in the forehead.
He fell to the ground.
"I-I'm okay!", he studders.
I had nonstop practice the entire afternoon. It didn't go so well at first, but it got slightly better later. From accidentally turning Ichthys into a frog to nearly setting Zyglavis on fire, let's just call it "progress" since I am finally using my powers.
The King sat back and watched the show unfold. He was laughing hysterically during the entire lecture, watching silly things happen to the two gods.
Late in the evening, Bear and I go back outside to practice more.
The garden was beautiful at night. The full moon glistening upon the flowers and the shining lights of the palace. Lovely scenery.
I took Bear's ball to practice on. Hopefully, once I make it disappear I could bring it back.
Bear drops the ball on the ground. I begin practicing.
Focus on what you trying to do, then snap for fingers.
"I want to make this ball disappear."
When I was ready, I close my eyes, then snap my fingers.
After a few seconds, I hear Bear's excited barks. Taking a peek, the ball had truly disappeared. I even rubbed my hand through the grass to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks.
"I-I-I...I did it...I did it!"
"Nicely done."
I jolt to the sudden voice behind me. It was King, standing there with a warm smile, congratulating my achievement.
"Now, make it reappear," he says.
I was afraid he was going to say that. With a sigh, I snap my fingers again. Instead of appearing back in its original spot like I wanted it to, the ball decides to go skydiving and knocks me on the head.
"Ouch!"
The King titters. "Very good."
I sit in the grass, pouting at the dumb ball, but happy with myself. Bear takes back his toy and happily continues chewing it up.
"For the easiest thing in the book, it sure is hard," I mutter.
He responds. "You are still learning. Eventually, you will be doing it with ease."
"Yeah...I hope so."
I stare up the sky, admiring the many stars accompanying the moon. It feels strange how every time I go outside, I feel as if I'm back in the field on Earth. Maybe this could become my new hangout spot.
"Are you aware of the many constellations that the gods and goddesses in the heavens rule?", The King questions.
"Yeah. Some myths also."
"Which is your favorite?"
I shrug my shoulders. "I guess...Lupus. I don't know why, but it touches me somehow. I just feel so close to it. Don't know if it's the fact that it's a wolf or what. I just like it."
"I see..."
He sits beside me, looking up at the sky also. "...Have you heard of Pegasus?"
"That white, flying horse. Of course. Is it real?"
The King stands to his feet, extending a hand towards me to help me up. "Come."
He guides me around the perimeter of the palace. A distance "neigh" sounds in the wind.
"Was that..."
"Just wait and see."
Turning another corner, there it was.
"Pegasus..."
Sitting in the soft grass was the legendary flying horse, glistening like a crystal in the moonlight. He was whiter than I ever imagine. Whiter than snow.
Pegasus happily neighs at the sight of us.
The King pats me back, gesturing me to move closer. As I stepped closer, Pegasus did the same in sync. It was unbelievable. I was really breathing in the presence of Pegasus.
The beautiful horse sniffs my clothes and skin, then gently rubs his head across my cheek. In response, I pet him. His skin was fairly warm and smooth. It was magical.
"Hi Pegasus," I whisper to the horse. His beautiful ocean blue eyes gaze at me, welcoming my every touch.
"Before you went to Earth, Pegasus was your best friend," the King says. "He was devastated when he heard you left."
Pegasus releases a hard breath in my chest.
A great horse...missed me? There must've been so many great things I had left behind.
"I'm sorry, buddy."
Pegasus spreads his wings, flapping them gracefully and lightly kicking the air.
The King touches my shoulder. "He wants to take you for a ride."
"But...I have never ridden a horse before. A flying one, better yet."
"You have ridden Pegasus. Come, I'll fly with you."
He helps me up on Pegasus and sits behinds me. Wrapping the reins of the bridle in his and my hands, Pegasus soars up into the night sky.
The view was amazing from up here. The castle radiates a gentle light, visible from our height. The stars seemed much bigger and slightly brighter up here than it is on the ground.
The King taught me how to take control of Pegasus, soon allowing me to steer him on my own a bit. We left the palace grounds, exploring slightly more of the heavens.
This all felt like a dream. It felt too good to be true. It is hard to believe, but this is all real.
"This is amazing..." I whisper.
The King chuckles. "You were just like this when you were younger."
We circle back to the palace once the fun was over. Pegasus rests in the grass, and we go back inside. After another couple of minutes chatting, we went our separate ways.
Finally laying back in my bed, I drift off to sleep.
"Summer..."
"Damn you!..."
"She can't be here!..."
"I will see you again, my princess..."
More TV static crackles in my head. More than before.
"What is happening to me?", I question.
The universe answers. "Summer, do you truly believe you had a childhood in the heavens?"
"U-umm...Err..."
That question triggered my insecurity and anxiety. If what the King told me was all a lie, I don't know what to do with myself. That would the biggest disappointment that will kill me. Literally.
"Do not worry. It just a normal question," she says.
"Well...Uhh...Yeah. I guess I believe it. It must've been really fun."
"If you believe with your heart, you may reveal something very few have experienced. Your powers are reacting to your memory."
I look up to the dark wall that was once static. "So...Those words are old memories."
"Precisely," she answers. "Tiny bits of the memory the King of the Heavens erased from your brain had been protected by the power within you. As you roam the grounds of the heavens you have previously lived in, your power is working to recover what was once lost."
Starting right now, I'm starting to believe my powers have a mind of its own. Take over my body whenever. And now jogging my memory.
This may not be something gods see every day. I guess with me living here, this may become often. But whatever it's up to, good luck.