An Old Love Story ~ Bob Floyd

**Prologue**

Have you ever heard the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice?

 Apollo gave Orpheus a lyre  and taught him how to play. It had been said that "nothing could resist Orpheus's beautiful melodies, neither enemies nor beasts." Orpheus fell in love with Eurydice, a woman of beauty and grace, whom he married and lived with happily for a short time. However, when Hymen was called to bless the marriage, he predicted that their perfection was not meant to last.

A short time after this prophecy, Eurydice was wandering in the forest with the Nymths. In some versions of the story, the shepherd Aristaeus saw her, and beguiled by her beauty, made advances towards her and began to chase her. Other versions of the story relate that Eurydice was merely dancing with the Nymphs. While fleeing or dancing, she was bitten by a snake and died instantly. Orpheus sang his grief with his lyre and managed to move everything, living or not, in the world; both humans and gods learnt about his sorrow and grief.

At some point, Orpheus decided to descend to Hades by music to see his wife. Any other mortal would have died, but Orpheus, being protected by the gods, went to Hades and arrived at the Stygian realm, passing by ghosts and souls of people unknown. He also managed to attract Cerberus, the three-headed dog, with a liking for his music. He presented himself in front of the god of the Greek underworld, Hades and his wife, Persephone.

Orpheus played with his lyre a song so heart-breaking that even Hades himself was moved to compassion. The god told Orpheus that he could take Eurydice back with him, but under one condition: she would have to follow behind him while walking out from the caves of the underworld, and he could not turn to look at her as they walked.

Thinking it a simple task for a patient man like himself, Orpheus was delighted; he thanked Hades and left to ascend back into the living world. Unable to hear Eurydice's footsteps, however, he began to fear the gods had fooled him. Eurydice might have been behind him, but as a shade, having to come back into the light to become a full woman again. Only a few feet away from the exit, Orpheus lost his faith and turned to see Eurydice behind him, sending her back to be trapped in Hades' reign forever.

Orpheus tried to return to the underworld but was unable to, possibly because a person cannot enter the realm of Hades twice while alive. According to various versions of the myth, he played a mourning song with his lyre, calling for death so that he could be united with Eurydice forever. 

That's where our story begins.

*~*

"Top Gun, sir?" Katelyn asks. 

Our Eurydice. Katelyn, a strong yet stubborn pilot by the callsign Falcon. Although she comes off as rude and cold-hearted, that's only because she hasn't learned to trust anyone. Instead, she chooses to wear a mask which hides her true colours, masking her as cold and unloving.

"Just as I was on my way here to ground your ass, I got a call saying you're needed back at North Island." The admiral in front of her sits back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You are to pack your bags and be on the road there within the hour." He stands up to dismiss the girl.

Katelyn nods, saluting to the admiral before turning on her heels to leave. Rushing back to her apartment, thoughts rush through her head at an extreme pace. 

Why had she been called back? A mission? If so, she's one of the best pilots there is. A top gun graduate. 

So what could it be?

Unlocking her door, she hurries to get her stuff together, only taking the utmost essentials. And clothes. Of course.

Even as she's on the road, her mind is still elsewhere. Why her? How bad will this mission really be? If it even is a mission that is.