Daughter of the Sky, Son of the Earth

V.

Water

I had a very bad feeling about this. I didn't think the best move would be to go on separate ways, but Aileen insisted, and Alex took her side. It wasn't that I didn't believe in her capabilities, I did. 

I would just prefer it if we worked as a team instead of individually. But Aileen was stubborn, more stubborn than anyone I had ever met before. So, when I realized I couldn't convince her, I gave up trying and Aileen seemed to appreciate that. 

After breakfast, we had decided we would wait one more day before we went our separate ways. Alex had already made up her mind as to who she was going to accompany but it had never been much of a choice either way. It was obvious she'd prefer to go with her oldest friend. 

I sighed as I thought about what the future had in store for us. There was nothing certain about what was about to happen. 

I was in my room, reading a book when Aileen walked in looking nervous and excited at the same time. "Do you want to go on a run?" She asked with a smile.

Instantly, I marked my place in the book and jumped to my feet. "Let me just get dressed into my running clothes and I'll meet you outside."

She nodded and walked back out while I opened the small closet and took out my running clothes. I was glad Barbara had prepared us for any kind of situation. While we came to train, she would urge us to bring a fresh set of clothes to leave here in case anything happened. Over the days, Aileen and I had accumulated enough clothes to get us through a month. 

I could bet Alex was glad to be around the same size as her friend since they had started sharing clothes after the fire destroyed the manor and everything inside. 

In a moment, I walked out of my room and headed out the door where I saw Aileen standing by the lake, getting lost in it. 

Once I reached her, she turned to me and smiled warmly, "ready?" 

I nodded my head and she quickly sprinted off. 

We didn't say much as we ran. Aileen followed my lead as I led her around the lake, and she laughed when a water horse rose from the lake and neighed at her. Questioningly, she looked at me and I winked at her, making her blush slightly. 

With the wave of her hand, a stream of fire shot out of her hand, and it transformed into a beautiful firebird. The bird cried out and flew over the horse. Together, the two of them played in the lake, and Aileen and I watched as they disappeared once their powers merged. That was something Barbara had once explained to us. 

My power canceled out Aileen's and vice versa, which meant, we would never be able to hurt each other. Our powers wouldn't let us. We represented the balance between two very distinct forces. 

Suddenly, Aileen came to a stop and her eyes became fixed on a field in front of us. A puzzled and pale expression covered her face as she remained quiet. 

Slowly, I walked over to her with a questioning look on my face. "Are you okay?"

Aileen didn't answer at first as she stared out into the field. A soft wind moved the long grass back and forth in a rhythmic way. 

"I don't know. I feel as if I have seen a field like this before, but I don't know when nor why. Does that make sense to you?" She asked as she turned to me.

I eyed her slowly and then nodded my head. "Maybe you've been to a field like this when you were younger," I suggested.

Quickly, she shook her head and turned her attention back to the field. "No, there's something else. A feeling. I can't describe it but something tells me I need to go that way," she said as she pointed into the long-grass field. 

I looked out and I couldn't see the field come to an end. I was sure not many people would want to go through it. The grass was as tall as me and I was a tall person. 

My body stiffened when I saw Aileen take a step forward as in a trance and I quickly reached for her hand. "Hold on, what are you doing?" I asked, and it was as if my voice made her react from her hypnotized state. 

"Um. I don't know. But my head is starting to hurt. I think we should go," Aileen said before turning away and continuing to run along the lake. 

With a frown, I looked at the field once again before following after Aileen. 

She remained quiet for a while as if lost in thought. I didn't want to push her so I waited until she said something. I was fine with just enjoying her presence. 

Once the cabin came to view a couple of meters away, Aileen stopped again and looked at me sheepishly. 

"I don't want to go back inside yet. Alex is killing me. I know she cares and she's trying to help but her grieving exercises aren't helping," Aileen said and a sarcastic chuckle left her lips. 

I nodded my head and walked towards her. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

Aileen sighed and shrugged as she took a seat on the ground. "I don't know. I just know I want to grieve my way. I want to get over Barbara's death without her trying to help."

"Maybe you should tell her," I suggested.

Aileen chuckled and shook her head. "I already tried, and she said I was being silly. I know she's doing it out of the goodness of her heart. I helped her get over the accident that took her parents' life and now she's trying to return the favor but... I can't let myself think about that right now. We're in the midst of a brewing war. We just fought our way through a pack of monsters and tomorrow we'll go our separate ways to find the others. Before we know it, we'll be in Olympus fighting alongside the gods."

"I think you'll feel a lot lighter if you don't let the grief consume you. Don't repress it, feel it. As long as you have to. Otherwise, it would blow up in your face," I murmured softly as I took her hand in mine. 

Aileen smiled and turned to me. "I know. I'm glad you're here. And I'm a bit nervous about what happens after we're away from each other. I mean, we just decided to formalize things between us when everything went downhill. I wish I could spend more time with you, and it worries me that we'll be so far away."

Her words seemed to echo my own fears. In her eyes, I could tell how hard it was to say all those things and I was grateful she did. 

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close as I placed a soft kiss on her temple. Electricity ran through us in a million sparks, and I felt her shiver between my arms. "We'll be together again before you know it. Just promise me you'll be careful and that you won't do anything reckless or impulsive."

Aileen let out a burst of laughter and shook her head. "Andrew, that's like asking a fire to be gentle on a forest as it rages through it."

I raised an eye at her comparison, and she blushed. "Well, it's true. I mean, I will try not to be impulsive, but I can't promise you I won't."

I chuckled and hugged her tighter. She wouldn't be the same if she weren't so stubborn or impulsive. "Alright, you win. I never thought I'd say this but, I wish I had a phone," I said with a smile.

Aileen raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "I never had the need to have one, so I never got one either. Even if you did have a phone, you wouldn't be able to reach me."

"Alex has one, doesn't she?" I asked and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, but she rarely uses it. I don't know if she brought it with her," she said thoughtfully before a deep silence fell over us.

Suddenly, I heard a loud rumble between us before Aileen's face turned deep red. "Looks like someone is hungry," I said teasingly with a raised eyebrow. 

Aileen gently hit me and smiled. "Shut up."

I laughed and got to my feet before extending my hand to help her to her feet. "Come on, let's go."

Aileen nodded her head and took my hand but didn't let go. Holding hands, we walked back to the cabin and I let myself pretend we were just two normal teenagers walking through a beautiful forest. In that world, there were no monsters we needed to fight. It was just us.

When we got to the cabin, the image faded, and I was brought back to reality. 

Inside, Alex was already making lunch. She had grabbed a couple of cans of soup and was now stirring them inside a big pot. "Hey, I was wondering where you disappeared to," she said with a smile on her face.

Aileen shrugged and looked inside the pot, making her stomach growl again. 

"I'm going to take a quick shower," she said before rushing inside. 

I chuckled and turned to Alex as I waited for Aileen to finish taking her shower since there was only one bathroom in the cabin. 

"She seems happier," Alex said, breaking the silence.

"She just needs time to adjust," I said with a shrug.

Alex didn't say anything for a moment but then she put the lid on the pot and let the soup brew for a moment as she turned to me.

"I know. But I'm guessing she told you something. I don't want to know. I'm the best friend, you're the boyfriend, I respect your privacy. I'm just glad she has you in such a difficult time," she said with a truthful smile and I returned it. 

Aileen's footsteps echoed in the hallway and she came back in a hurry. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, dripping with water. "You can take a shower now, I made sure to be quick," Aileen said and I nodded my head as I walked towards my room to get a fresh set of clothes. 

...

The day passed by without anything new. Alex, Aileen, and I decided to play a game just to dissipate the tension between us. No one wanted to think about what was going to happen tomorrow. 

That night, I found out Aileen was a very good Monopoly player and her eyes gleamed when she realized she was winning against us. 

In the end, she was the one who volunteered to make dinner. She made us grilled cheese sandwiches and the three of us sat outside the cabin as we ate under the light gleam of the stars over us. 

We lost track of time as we sat there in silence, just looking up at the night sky. Alex was the first to yawn. She quickly covered her mouth with a sheepish look on her face. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. Don't stay up too long, we have a long day tomorrow."

Aileen and I nodded our heads. She was leaning on my shoulder with her arm intertwined in mine. We sat there for a moment longer until I felt the temperature change when Aileen shivered. "Let's go back inside, I'll make us some hot cocoa," I said as I helped her up.

Inside, it was warm and we sat on the couch drinking our hot cocoa as I told Aileen the story of how I had sneaked a stray dog into my orphanage thinking I could fool the staff working there. 

Aileen laughed as she imagined me, a six-year-old, sneaking a much bigger dog inside. "I can't believe you did that," she said with a bright smile.

I shrugged and chuckled, "I really thought I could do it. But after that, one of the staff members decided to adopt the dog and I was able to see him a couple of times throughout the years."

Aileen nodded her head and sighed. "I always wished I had a dog. A big one, not those small ones that you can step on."

I chuckled and gently nudged her before murmuring, "Hades’ daughter." 

She laughed and then her eyes fixed on something behind me. I turned around and followed her gaze, realizing she was looking at the clock.

"Wow, midnight already. I think we should go to bed," she said sounding saddened by the thought. 

I nodded my head, and we washed our mugs before heading back to my room. I let Aileen change into her pajamas in my room while I went to the bathroom to change. When I came back she was already lying on the bed with her eyes closed.

Softly, I got in next to her and wrapped my arms around her. A small smile crept into her face as a giggle escaped her mouth.

"Night, Andrew," she whispered.

"Good night, love," I answered, placing a small kiss on her temple. She shivered but after a moment, we both fell asleep.