As Shion, Odette, and, of course, Heli, shouted for Athena, Athena herself rose out of the water and into the air. She saw the bright sun, and all around her floated hundreds of transparent beautiful beings.
"I'm still here?" she asked in confusion.
She realized she was dressed all in white.
"Am I an Angel? What's going on?"
And then…one of the beings appeared before Athena.
"You are one of us, now!"
Athena did not know the beautiful stranger.
"Silly me," she laughed, "I am Marie!"
"And I am Kim! The founder of Monterey County!"
Athena was still confused.
"But how did I end up here in the sky? I am a Serpent, not an Angel!"
"But you are a different kind of Angel." said Marie, "You are a Daughter of the Air."
"You have suffered so much," said Kim, "And you have loved purely, and have fought bravely!"
"And so, we have decided to transform you into a spirit!"
"But can I ever return? My friends will be worried about me!"
"You can't return to normal, I'm afraid." said Kim, "This is a permanent transformation."
"But that doesn't not mean you can't live a normal life." said Marie, "Besides, you go to school! We can't keep you from there."
Tears sprung out from her eyes. She felt her cheek.
Tears, she thought, But why am I crying? I should be happy I can still be with Heli again.
"Do you accept?" asked Marie.
"Will that mean I'll be with Heli of Odysseus? You know, the one that protects me from further harm?"
"Of course!" said Kim.
In Decelis Academy, all of the students still remained in their positive state. Except for the Three Hearts. And there sat the very, completely saddened Heli.
"I don't understand!" he cried, "My dearest Athena! She's gone now! What am I to do?!"
He then cried uncontrollably, crying for Athena. Suddenly, Athena was at Heli's dormitory. She then entered.
"Heli?" she said.
Noticing a bit of change in Athena, Heli ran up to her, and held her tightly in his arms.
"I thought you had gone?" he blubbered.
"I'm sorry if I’ve been away for so long." Athena said, "But, as you might notice, I am not a serpent anymore…I am a–"
"Daughter of the Air."
Athena felt an odd feeling.
"You know?" she asked.
Heli nodded.
"Yes," he said, "Daughters of the Air live just as long as Angels and Serpents would! A thousand years, at that."
Athena then smiled and kissed Heli's rosy mouth.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Many days later, Heli and Athena ment up again for their graduation ceremony. They vowed to always work their hardest when they head off to a great college. But they did not want to go to college. They manage to begin their own successful jewelry business. And in the start, even though they were both seventeen years old, they worked hard. Hard enough to pay for their own place to live.
Not too long after, Athena was then pregnant. And they bore a son called Soule.
[THE END]