literature

Phoenix's Flight mini-sequel

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I swore to protect my kingdom, so I will.

Directly after I came back from the Underworld with Apollo, I started to see his true colours. I didn’t say anything, although my suspicions about him grew. He did not want to try and see my side of the story, and saw his own opinion as sole truth. I knew that many things about my religion and practices seemed outdated, but he didn’t have to be so… pompous. Many nights he told me he was going out on secret missions. When he came back home, his fur was ruffled and he was very tired. He told me he’d been in a fight, but when I checked his fur, I found no scars, only tiny scratches. The enemy was not very good if it wished to tear him to pieces, I thought.

Over the months, I began to understand what was really going on. Apollo had no interest in me alone. He was too busy flirting with other women. How could he? I thought. I thought he was nice! He was so pure when we first met.

Although, I did see the hints of his turning into someone like this from the very start. The way he strayed from Vampyrum coda and took up a religion that catered to Northern bats. How he tried to force me to take up his chosen diet, even if I could die from it. How he always wanted more from me, and seemed to feed on my life energy.

I should have listened to mother, and Zotz. As cruel as they were, they were where my loyalties lay, even now.



I do not have to be cruel. I can still save my race. I can go find Goth, and we can raise a family together. We may not care for each other now, but we may in time. After all, mother says duty comes before love, and now I see that is more true now than ever.

All Apollo ever did was try and… change me.

I do not wish to be changed. Not in ways that will make me ill or make me renounce what I believe in. If he cannot understand that, then I’m best off without him.



“Phoenix, you’re… breaking up with me? Please, don’t. Whatever I did wrong, I can fix it, I promise. Anything you want, I will do. Just please stay.”

She answered calmly. “Apollo, you can’t simply change yourself, just as you can’t change me. I’m a free spirit, and so are you. But we flow in different directions.”

“No, Phoenix.” He said. “You will be my bride.” He grabbed her wing and flew off with her to his safe area. She pulled her wing away sharply. Being stronger and larger than most of the males did have its advantages.

She looked at him, hurt. “How… could you…?” Those women you were seeing behind my back weren’t enough for you? First you act like I don’t even exist, now you want all of me…?! My body acted as a vessel for your god to kill my god. Do you know how much it hurts?! No, you don’t! Because all you ever cared about was your own ideology!

But those words were left on the tip of her tongue. She couldn’t speak. She just looked at him brokenly. She left for the pyramid, her heart and wings caught ablaze and filled with holes.

We never made love, but if we did, she thought, it wouldn’t be love.

Tears flowed from her eyes, falling onto the jungle leaves far below.

In the pyramid, she made up with her mother, who embraced her tightly, glad her daughter was alive and well. She dried her daughter’s tears, and wondered what happened to her.

“I’ll never stray again,” Phoenix said. She refused to say who she saved or who she caused the death of, for she knew the punishment for that. All she wanted now was to stay loyal and follow Zotz’s command.

After a while, she asked her mother in a meek voice, “Where is Goth?”

Her mother’s golden eyes brightened, and she went off to find the Vampyrum King.



“Mother, why do so many bats hate me? I did my duty and I stayed loyal to my King.”

“It’s because,” she said. “They wish they could be in your position. It’s a highly coveted one, so guard it well.”

“I will, Mother.”

Her mother just finished the royal crown which she placed upon her daughter’s head. Leaves and gold adorned it. Her mother added a final touch: a very old golden necklace, bronzed with age.

“You look just like the holy prophetess, Zaniyah, in that.” If she were a bat.

Zaniyah was hidden away in the depths of human history. She came a very long time ago, and taught humans about communicating language in a way that brought peace, instead of war. Humans, like with all messengers, listened at first. But, her era was long over, and they began to speak with knives and hatred on their tongues again. The bats discovered remnants of her history in a deep chamber below the pyramid, untouched. The stone carving still shining in the ray of light that shone down upon her.



“I could never be like Zaniyah,” Phoenix spoke in a whisper. “I’m much too full of pride.”

“So am I,” said Goth. “But some pride is a good thing. I think you and I both could be like her, with some practice.”

Phoenix smiled, and flushed. “Well, I really like your, uh, hair tonight…”

Goth nuzzled her neck unexpectedly, making her burst out laughing.



“You know, Goth, I think I could learn to like you.”

“Even though you made me your prisoner, but I outsmarted you and got away…?”

Phoenix looked at him skeptically, but smiled. That had been their first meeting, back in the underworld.



A leaf fell to the ground very slowly. Their heir was about to make the leap.

“You can do it! Pretend you’re mommy or daddy!”

The child jumped, almost flopped, but recovered, and glided around in the air, and then flew back to its parents.

“That’s it! You did it!”

Goth smiled. “I think you’ve got this positive parenting down right, like you wanted, señorita.”



“Soft?! Who called me soft?” Goth screeched.

“Not me.” said a flying squirrel.

“Good. I’ll have you know: just because I am very happy right now and have a better family than I’d ever dreamed of, it doesn’t mean I can’t rip your throat out right now!”

The flying squirrel scurried into its burrow.

What was it even doing in this area?!

Then Goth remembered the way his worst enemy had invaded his homeland… Of course. Luckily this one didn’t have a sign of the curse which caused many to blow up once they hit the ground.

‘I’ll call you The Lucky One.’ Goth thought as he flew off.



“And if you ever try and hurt or come near my Queen again…!!” Goth had had it with telling off Apollo. He meant it this time. If that womanizer dared step foot into this temple again, he’d have to sacrifice the little brat to whichever gods were left.

“I’m sorry.” He said in a weak voice.

Some Vampyrum, Goth thought, rolling his eyes.

“I just came here to tell her. I want to be her friend, not her mate.”

“I think that she has had enough of your little shenanigans. You can’t change, and neither can she. But I’ll let her decide.”

Phoenix, new Queen of the Vampyrum and teacher to the little ones, came forward.

“Apollo, I will always remember the times we shared.”

He perked up.

“But, know that I cannot be with you. For every moment you stay here, I weaken. You will have your friends and mates, but I will have to be here without you. Do understand that I’m doing this for your benefit, not to hurt you, never to hurt you.” She smiled at him.  “My heart does not long for people, but for truths. I think you can change your heart to seek truths too, if you wish. Have a nice life, and afterlife, Apollo. It has to be without me, but do know I am grateful for the time we shared.”

He stepped closer. Many thoughts on his mind. Mostly thoughts about how to convince Phoenix to take him back. Irrational thoughts. Harmful, toxic thoughts.

She frowned, as sick of this charade as Goth was. “To clarify: living with you was very difficult, but I did it all for your benefit; to make you happy, even though I wasn’t.”

Apollo finally understood.

“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but there really is no other way of saying it. I wasn’t happy with you.”

“But… you are happy with Goth.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Phoenix. Your honesty is appreciated.”



A few months later, Apollo married Vera, a happy carefree bat that could handle him and his odd ways.

Apollo never cheated again. For he was truly happy. And Vera was happy to be with him!



Phoenix smiled at the sunset, her two elder daughters and young son, and mate safely tucked in her wings. Her headdress and ancient styled necklace on a stand in the temple. Forever a reminder that she could be better than she was.


~The End~
After Goth realized that what he did wasn't right, he smoothed things over as best he could in the pyramid, and consoled Phoenix's mom on her lost daughter. He promised to be true to his word, and this time have courage and be strong. He found life with Phoenix wasn't as bad as he thought. She wasn't nearly as dominating as she was when they first met; she was just doing her job keeping the prisoners in line. Goth finds he can respect her as an equal, and they get married and raise a healthy family together.

I didn't want to hurt the Apollo fans too badly. So, I gave him a happy ending too. Unfortunately, as I got to know him better through writing him, I don't feel that he's right for Phoenix. I also don't entirely like the tone of the original story. I wanted to see what would happen if Goth and Phoenix stayed obedient to their duties. I rather like this ending, though I know it isn't for everyone.
...

(This is AU to the GothxEmily/Lily storyline, by the way. If you don't remember, she is mentioned as his mate in my 2 Goth interviews.)
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