Undecided

My lungs heaved as I ran across the barren plain. The sun shone brightly overhead as it always did twenty-four hours out of every day. The unsteady, hard as rock earth crumbled beneath my feet with my every step. I could see the grass begin just a matter of yards in front of me. If I could reach the grass I would be safe again, and I could start a new journey. I had been running for hours, though, and I doubted that my feet could carry me very much farther.
Don’t give up. The voice inside of my head encouraged me. The small voice inside of me was the only thing that kept me going on days in this universe. At times I believed that the voice was a sure sign that this place was causing me to go crazy, but at other times I had hope that it was secretly Cat cheering me on from Hogwarts. I tended to go with the latter option just for the sake of keeping my mind from detraining.
I let out a loud cry as my feet finally grazed the safe territory of the grass. I collapsed onto the ground as I struggled to take each breath. Looking over my shoulder, I could see that the once vast and barren plain had crumbled into an everlasting canyon. The Sunscape was full of unpredictable tricks. I was lucky to have tested the ground before I left the safety of the last grass patch.
“I’m glad to see that you have made it this far,” a voice commented from above me.
I gasped loudly before jumping to my feet. My hands immediately lit with large fire balls as I stared up in the smiling face of a God-like creature.
“There is no need for that my dear child,” he laughed with a large smile, “I am not here to hurt you.”
“Who are you?” I questioned through my heavy breaths.
I kept my battle stance and enhanced the flames in my hands.
“My dear child, I’m Apollo,” he informed me.
I immediately extinguished my hands as I fell to my knees. How could I have been so stupid? He looked like a God so naturally I should have assumed him to be so.
“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to react in such a way,” I gasped out.
“Oh, my dear child, please get to your feet. We have a lot to discuss and not a lot of time to do so.”
I struggled to my feet as I kept my eyes averted to the ground. He led me away from the edge of grass patch, and towards the sole tree that stood in the center of the area.
“Are you hungry?” he asked as he waved his hand towards a table of food next to the tree.
“More than you know,” I sighed as I began to drool slightly.
“Help yourself, my dear. I can’t eat it all by myself.”
Without hesitating, I ran to the table and began to pile food onto one of the two plates that sat on the end. I hadn’t eaten in days and it wasn’t until now that I seemed to notice how truly hungry I was. Cat’s strength in our universe was close to the only thing that I had been thriving off of. I hated to see how drained I was making her by stealing so much energy, but what could I do? It was the only way for me to survive in this place. Apollo slowly followed behind me as I selfishly piled food after food onto my own plate.
“Your journey is nearly over,” he informed me as we began eating.
“Can I return home soon then?” I asked.
“As soon as you master the last task.”
I fell silent as I considered his words, and ate spoonful’s of food at a time. What did he mean my last task? Did I have to journey across another great plain? Or was I going to have to defeat another Phoenix? Perhaps battle another sun beast? Or were the Sprites of Sunscape going to teach me more lessons on the power of the sun and earth? Whatever it was I knew that I wasn’t looking forward to it. All I wanted was to be done and gone.
“Do you see the moon at the end of the horizon?” he spoke as he slowly ate his portion of food.
I looked to the horizon and was amazed to see a full moon just coming up. What did it mean? The moon had no place in Sunscape. It would be like the sun taking over in Cat’s Moonverce.
“You have an undesignated amount of time before the sun and moon feet overhead. By that time you must have mastered my meditation technique to have come into your new powers,” he explained to me.
“I thought that the crystals provided Cat and I with our full powers?” I speculated, “That’s what Grams told us.”
“Your grandmother does not know nearly as much as she would like to think,” he smiled, “Catherine came into her full powers by use of the crystals, but you, my dear, have so much more work to do. Your powers work differently than those of the moon child. You must come into them step by step.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that once you have conquered this level, you will be one step closer to be just as powerful as your sister is,” he elaborated.
“I thought that it was just my job to help Cat and keep her alive.”
“That may be what your grandmother believed, but the world does not live strictly by the way of our ancient myths. Believe it or not, some of those myths were edited and revised by humans who were jealous of our ways,” he smiled again but I was too confused to appreciate the humor.
“I don’t quite understand,” I sighed as I finished my food, “What does this all mean?”
“It means that you, my wonderful sweet child, can and will be just as powerful, important, and strong as your sister. It will just take you longer to get there,” he explained. “Come upon your fifteenth year, you will need to return to the Sunscape to finish your transformation process.”
“I have to come back?” I nearly choked out, “I thought that once I returned to my reality I got to stay there.”
“Do not worry my child; the second phase of your training with me will not be nearly as grueling as your first.”
My mind was reeling with thoughts. Why did I have to come back? Once I did come back would I be as powerful as Cat? How powerful would I be once I did complete that phase of my training? Would I be able to control my powers if I was that powerful?
“We have run out of time to discuss these things, my dear,” he interrupted my thoughts as he stood to his feet. “We must hurry if we wish to get you home.”
“But what if I have more questions?” I yelped.
“I will show you,” he smiled, “Have you noticed that small voice in the back of your mind that has been guiding to this place?”
“Of course, it’s quite hard to miss,” I replied.
What was this? Was the voice really Cat or was he going to tell me that I had officially gone crazy in this place? I didn’t know what to expect anymore.
“That voice has been me guiding you to your destiny. Catherine’s powers are too intense and abundant in her body for Artemis to be able to guide her. But until you come into your full and final powers in the midst of your fifteen year, I will be able to guide you and answer any of your unanswered questions.”
“But how?” I nearly gasped.
“By meditating,” he answered simply, “Once you master the Apollo way of meditation you will be able to reach me at all times. We must hurry, though, if you do not master the way by the time to sun and moon meet you will be stuck here for another Sunscape century.”
I looked to the sky again. The moon was nearly half way to the sun already. How did he expect me to master his way so quickly?
“It is quite easy,” he assured me, “Follow me, quickly.”
We both stood to our feet before I followed after him. He guided me away from the shade of the tree and into the bright sunlight of the Sunscape.
“Sit and cross your legs, my dear,” he instructed me, “Do you ever meditate?”
“Only when Cat forces me to,” I admitted.
“Well, we have some work to do then,” he sighed, “Follow my lead.”
I mocked his every movement until we were in the same, uncomfortable position. He closed his eyes and I followed by closing my own.
“We only have a couple of minutes, so listen carefully,” he whispered, “Let every worry leave your mind.”
Easier said than done.
“Relax every muscle in your body. Picture your reason to return home.”
I saw the faces of all of my friends and family flash before my eyes as my muscles seemed to melt. I could feel the fire in my blood stream. It was a relaxing feeling that I had never felt before in my time of being the sun child.
“Clear your mind.”
I could feel the moon and the sun combining into one. I could sense it in my every cell of being. I couldn’t miss this shot to return home. If I missed it, I’d be here for another whole Sunscape century. And who knew what that was in earth years.
“Focus on nothing but returning home.”
I saw a bright line through my closed eyelids. Now was the moment. It was now or never. Or at least now or again in a century.
“Do this when you need me and I will always be there,” he assured me as the light grew brighter, “Now, my dear child, go home where you belong. Embrace your new powers and your new knowledge. And never forget that you are your own person and you are as important to the world as your sister.”
I opened my mouth to thank him but I couldn’t speak. I was overcome with a feeling of complete and utter bliss that left me speechless and unable to move. I felt the pull of the planets and I reveled in the thought that I was returning home. I had succeeded in my mission, and now I could begin a new one on earth. A new mission on earth with the help of my sister, my best friends, and most importantly, my George.