The Seven Archangels

11 - I'm an Angel - Percy

As Aurelius, or Michael as the legends know him, spoke, I saw everything flash before my eyes. His speech triggered something and I saw the things he told me about and some additional things.

I saw Chamuel, Jophiel, Aurelius and Gabriel walking towards us from a forest, waving to Azrael and me. I felt the love I had for Gabriel again. It felt like the love had always been there, buried deep inside my heart. I couldn't feel it because I didn't know it was there in the first place.

I saw the many training sessions we had together and I saw Gabriel and I chasing each other in water like small children. Those were truly times I'd love to live again.

I saw Chamuel and Jophiel die and me running towards Gabriel's limb body. I felt the pain and misery it brought me. I saw my own death. After that, it was only black.

Black for a long time, until I woke up, looking up at a woman. She was my mom, Sally Jackson.

"Who am I now? Raphael or Perseus Jackson?" I asked Aurelius. He tilted his head slightly and said, "Raphael. You have always been Raphael. Even when you went by the name Perseus you were always Raphael. The only thing you didn't have were the true extend of your powers and your memories. Everything else remained."

Aurelius rose up from his seat and continued talking, "I was not Aurelius for many years. I went by the name Timothy Laurel for seventeen years before I regained who I am. I know you have an existential crisis of sorts but I wouldn't worry. I went through it too. To mortals I am still Timothy but to everyone else, basically it means the mythological world, I am Aurelius. Or Michael, depending on who's asking. Any more questions?"

"What about that beacon you were talking about?" I asked him. Aurelius nodded and said, "Remember how all the monsters were fleeing from New York? They recognized your aura. You see, monsters don't procreate. The monsters we see today are the same monsters that have existed since the ancestors. Those monsters felt your aura and knew how powerful you are."

One questions had been nagging in the back of my head for some time, so I said, "If we were so powerful how did we die in the first place?" Aurelius sighed and said, "That's a mystery to even me. We shouldn't have been able to fall so easily. I have thought of bad luck since it seems to be the only things causing our misery but even that isn't enough. Chamuel knew that everything happened for a reason, even the deaths. I only fear what it might've been the fate was preparing us for."

I started pacing in the living room. "When I talked with my mom she seemed to know things I didn't. Care to explain that?" Aurelius smiled sadly and said, "I visited her. We archangels share a connection. I knew you well enough to recognize your aura from anywhere. I paid your mom a visit when she was depressed because Hera had kidnapped you and told her everything. I also asked her not to reveal any of that information because your memory recovery had to happen on its own weight."

Then I remembered what happened in the meeting at Camp Half-Blood so I decided to ask about that, "When I came into a room full of shouting and angry demigods, why did they suddenly start smiling?" Aurelius raised an eyebrow and said, "Water has the power to heal or to hurt. It also can be calming or a raging storm. When you were Raphael, your aura itself was enough to make mortals or weaker demigods sigh in content. I guess that's why it didn't affect Chiron. Weak is not the correct word to describe him."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "How did you know it didn't affect Chiron? You seem to know quite a bit about my life. How?" Aurelius chuckled and said, "Your memory clearly isn't back completely. At least not yet. I can be light if I so wanted. As Sierra used to joke, 'whatever the light touches, is mine'. It's kind true, if light can reach it then I can see it."

"So, you're a stalker," I said. This time Aurelius actually laughed and said, "You could say that, yes. You could think of it as 'making sure you're okay' though. But believe me, I never extend my vision to the whole Earth."

"Why? If you are so powerful then why not look at the whole world at once?" I asked. "It might look like something wonderful when you say it but in reality, it's not. It's extremely taxing and the gods would notice my presence pretty quickly. Also, I would see all the pain and violence in the world yet I couldn't do anything to prevent it. Or even worse, I would see Apollo having the time of his life with some random mortal woman. I don't want to see that," Aurelius said.

Deciding to ignore the comment about Apollo, and asked, "Are we immortals? And when will I get everything else back?" Aurelius thought for a moment and said, "Yes, we are immortals. But not right now. I haven't taken my true form and you will gain immortality when your powers come back to you, which will not happen as far as Poseidon is present."

"So I will never be able to live that life again?" I asked. Aurelius shook his head and said, "Not entirely true. The effects of your godly energy would only have to be lessened. Sadly, you are maybe the strongest of demigods to live in a long time. If you were a weaker one then it wouldn't take so long to restore your previous glory."

"I don't know if I should feel relieved or sad about that. I never wanted power so it's a good thing but at the same time I would want to help with the search of the rest and Gabriel. I think having my powers back would be a big help," I said. Aurelius looked at me sympathetically and said, "I know. None of us were one to want power. We knew it only corrupts."

I stood up and said, "It doesn't do any good to just sit and suffer, now I expect a good tour of my new home." Aurelius gave a hearty laugh and said, "At least your attitude hasn't changed," before starting to lead me into the house.

The tent house was gorgeous. It was surprisingly modern too. It had all the modern electronics one could wish for, which was actually really weird. Aurelius noticed the curious looks I gave the electronics, and said, "Oh yes, this place adapts to its time and residents. These electronics weren't there in the first place."

In the second floor were the bedrooms. Seven bedroom doors were around a circular hall. Every door had a nametag above them, decorated in different ways. My room was on the left from Aurelius' room. The nametag was decorated with waves that were alive and moving around. "Those waves represent your mood. I don't know how it's possible since they're painted but they just do. Right now, you are calm yet curious because those waves are only playing in the shore," Aurelius said.

"Also, don't try to enter other's rooms. We had a rule that nobody was allowed to enter someone else's room without given permission. The doors wouldn't even open if you didn't have permission. They were magically sealed," said Aurelius.

I took a step forward and tried to open Aurelius' door. It didn't move anywhere. Aurelius watched me with amused expression on his face. "What? I had to try it out! Don't say you never tried," I said. Aurelius only shook his head slowly and said, "Of course I didn't try. If I wasn't invited then why would I even try? I trust the magic. But I understand why you had to try that. This is all quite a bit to take in."

I was just about to enter my room when a thought struck me. "So, am I an angel, or what?" I asked. Aurelius twirled around from his door, and said, "Yes, you could say that. Nobody knows what we actually are but since we were named 'The Archangels', then we could as well go by the name. I think my appearance might've had something to do with the traditional image of an angel. Sadly, none of you had wings apart from me. Even I have to admit that they're pretty cool."

I nodded and asked one final question, "And you and Sierra were the only ones to fly?" Aurelius shrugged and said, "Yes and no. We were the only ones to actually fly but Jophiel could make a small platform out of earth and stand on top of that as he made it fly. Chamuel usually rode with him. Azrael could ride darkness but it wasn't so effective since it required shadows. He never tried shadow traveling. And you could use the moisture in the air to propel yourself forward so you could fly, kind of."

I decided to check my own room so I toldAurelius good night and put my hand on the door knob.