The Circle
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Callisto sat on a bench in a park and watched children from a kindergarten play. It wasn't just any kindergarten, it was the one to which Marina's daughter Thalia was going to. She watched the children as they played, oblivious to the troubles of the world around them. She didn't know if she should be happy for them or pity them. They all looked so innocent and in another time she might have killed them, but not now. She didn't kill people anymore, unless they bothered her when she was on Earth or if they threatened someone she had promised protection, which was rare. She spent most of her time on Olympus, alone, not wanting to interfere, not really caring. In a way that scared her and sometimes she considered ending it all, but something kept her going, not just the fear of what would become of her when she killed herself. She had long suspected that there was someone higher, more powerful than she, but she couldn't prove it and she didn't really look forward to spending eternity in someone's Tartarus. So she lived. Alone. Exiled. Suffering.

She watched the children as they played pranks on each other. They looked innocently mischievous to the grown-ups, but Callisto wondered if that was true. Did they just want to have some innocent fun or did they enjoy the suffering of their victims? Were they really innocent or was evil innate in all of them? Or were they merely imitating what they subconsciously learned about their environment, their society? Were the children innocent and the society evil?

She thought back to her own time. The world wasn't much different back then. Sure, they didn't have the technology and there were about six hundred times less people around than there were now, but wars were common and crime was nothing new. The only difference was that slavery was almost non-existent now. She tried to think of herself, her sister and other children of Cirra. Were they more innocent than Thalia and her friends? But every time she thought of something pleasant, the memory was washed away by fire. The fire. She had hated Xena for what she had done and she spent long years nurturing that hate, trying to hurt Xena like she had hurt her. Now, however, she just didn't care anymore. Her families were in the Elysian Fields, but she never visited them. At first, she was afraid of what they would think of her. Then she was afraid to lose them again. Now, however, she just didn't care anymore. She wanted it to end somehow, anyhow.

Suddenly a car came speeding through the park, followed by another. The occupants shot at each other with guns, not caring if they hit their enemy or some innocent by-stander. Callisto noticed that they were going straight for the children. She saw the teachers as they tried to get the children out of harm's way. She found it pathetic that people after so many millennia still killed each other for petty reasons. She got up and slowly walked closer to the children. When the two cars came closer, she shot a fireball at each, blowing them up. She watched the fire with cocked head. She felt no satisfaction at what she had done, nor remorse. She felt nothing. She sighed and looked at the children, they were unharmed.

Suddenly she had a bad feeling that something was not right and she returned to Olympus. She went to the room from which she could observe events on Earth and was surprised when she saw how many wars were suddenly going on. The wars that were already being fought escalated, minor conflicts became full fledged wars, disputes became armed conflicts. Callisto was confused, she didn't understand how that was possible. She barely had the time to destroy the nuclear missiles that were suddenly swarming through air like bugs. She had a nagging feeling that something was not right, but she didn't know what it was. She scanned the wall and caught a glimpse of a blond man in a white toga-like dress and a weird dark rider just before they disappeared. She was confused. She was the only god around, at least as far as she knew, and the mortals hadn't yet discovered the technology behind Star Trek transporters. She thought hard to find an explanation. When she found one that was the most possible, she didn't like it one bit. In fact, she hated it.

It took her a while to find the blond man and his companion again. She observed them for a moment and then disappeared. She reappeared just as the blond man threw a stone tablet on the ground, shattering it. Another rider, Famine, appeared and prepared to throw a spear. Callisto shot a volley of fireballs at it, but Famine didn't even bulge and it threw the spear. Callisto shot a small fireball after it, destroying it.

"You cannot stop us, Callisto," the man said as another spear appeared in Famine's hand.

Callisto burned it as well, but Famine kept throwing more and she was barely able to keep up. She glanced at it. She knew she couldn't harm it with her fireballs, but perhaps she could throw it off the horse. She shot a couple of fireballs just beneath its horse, making a large hole in the ground. Famine fell down, but Callisto didn't have the time celebrate as the first rider, War, shot an energy beam toward her, throwing her back. When she got up, she noticed that Famine had already thrown a swarm of spears. She shot a volley of fireballs after them, but she was too late and many of them hit the ground, causing crops to die.

"Who are you?" she asked the blond man, angry.

"Michael."

"Go back to where you came from."

"I will, as soon as I complete my mission."

"Wipe us out?"

"Yes."

"I can't let you do that," Callisto said and shot a volley of fireballs at him, but Michael dissipated them with his hand.

"You cannot stop us," Michael said and then he and the two riders disappeared.

Callisto screamed, furious, and then returned to Olympus.

She only realized how tired she was from the fight when she sat on Zeus' throne to think. She needed to find another strategy. She thought over what she knew about the Apocalypse. She knew the four riders had something to do with the four elements, but that still didn't give her any ideas as to where the third and the fourth tablets were.

When she finally detected Michael again, she quickly left Olympus. When she appeared, War and Famine were upon her, their weapons drawn. Callisto immediately reacted and disappeared. She reappeared on War's horse. She hit War in the head, took its sword and decapitated it. Then she jumped on Famine's horse and stabbed it through the back. Then she jumped off the horse and the two riders disappeared. She looked for Michael and saw he was about to destroy the third tablet. She shot a volley of fireballs at the tablet, but she was too late and a few moments later the third rider, Pestilence, appeared on its horse. Callisto wondered what Pestilence would throw. But Pestilence didn't throw anything. Instead, it blew a huge cloud of diseases from its mouth and Callisto knew she could do nothing about it. She returned to Olympus to rest and gather her strength for the final confrontation. Just before she disappeared, she saw War and Famine reappear beside Pestilence.

Only one rider was left now, Death. If Michael succeeded in bringing Death to Earth, then all would be lost. She wondered if she too would die or would she be left all alone in a world as empty as her soul. She wondered how she could stop the four riders of the Apocalypse when her own powers didn't even scratch them and they were obviously immune to their own weapons. She heard Marina think of her. She sighed and went to her.

"Yes?" she asked the woman, who turned, surprised.

"Callisto," Marina said, glad to see her. She was probably the only one who was glad to see her, Callisto thought, even though the reason behind it was a selfish one. "Thalia is sick and Vaios too, I think."

Callisto went to Vaios' bed. She put one hand on his forehead and the other on his head and concentrated. Vaios' body glowed for a moment and then he took a deep breath. Callisto then went to Thalia's bed and did the same.

"That should do it," she then said.

"What is going on?" Marina asked.

"What do you mean?"

"There's so many strange things going on. First wars broke out all over the world, then famine and now people are getting sick. It's like Apocalypse."

"It is," Callisto said and left the surprised and confused woman to tend to her family.

Finally she detected Michael again and went to confront him one last time. She knew that if she didn't stop him now, everyone would die. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing. When she appeared, War, Famine and Pestilence were upon her again, but this time she ignored them and reappeared close to Michael. She kicked the tablet out of his hands, but when she wanted to catch it, the tablet flew back to Michael's extended hand.

"You cannot stop us," Michael said.

"So you keep saying," Callisto said. "I will not let you destroy Earth."

"Earth will be destroyed whether you like it or not."

"Then I will destroy your realm."

"Like you destroyed the Greek gods?"

"Yes."

Michael smiled.

"That is impossible."

"That's what the Greek gods thought."

Michael looked at the three riders.

"Kill her," he said.

Callisto turned to the riders, frantically thinking what to do. She decided to unhorse them. She shot a volley of fireballs in front of their horses, tripping them. She looked back at Michael, who had just completed his chant and was about to destroy the tablet. She screamed and shot a long volley of fireballs at him, but Michael dissipated them with his hand and then destroyed the tablet.

Death appeared on its horse, scythe ready. Callisto disappeared and reappeared behind it. She grabbed Death and tried to disappear with it, but she couldn't and was thrown off the horse. Death didn't bother to throw its scythe and simply decided to drive it into the ground. Callisto, still lying on the ground, quickly shot a few fireballs and unhorsed it. Then she disappeared and reappeared next to Death. She attacked it, desperately trying to think of a way to stop it.

Death was a good fighter, but she was better. She could have defeated it if its companions hadn't stepped it with the energy beams. It threw her backwards and dazed her for a moment. She quickly recovered and returned just in time to stop Death. But Death's companions shot more beams at her. She ducked and the beam hit Death, but nothing happened. Death used the advantage and knocked her down. A moment later another volley of energy beams from the other three riders hit her and she lost consciousness for a few moments. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that Death was about to drive its scythe into the ground. She tried stopping it with a fireball, but she was too weak and could barely move. She knew she couldn't allow Death to drive the scythe into the ground. She gathered all her strength and moved her body just enough so that the scythe hit her in the chest. She gasped as she felt a sharp pain. She tried to move, but she couldn't. She looked at Michael.

"You will pay for this," she said as life left her.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a large cave or a temple, she wasn't certain what it was. She looked around and saw Michael approaching. She considered attacking him, but decided to wait and see what was going on.

"Congratulations," Michael said as he sat on what Callisto decided was a throne.

"What for?" Callisto asked, confused.

"You have saved Earth," Michael explained, causing Callisto to raise an eyebrow. "You were willing to die for Humanity and according to the rules of Light, Humanity will be spared." He paused. "I find it strange that you of all people would be willing to die for Humanity."

Callisto stared at him with a blank look for a few moments and then started laughing.

"You just don't understand, do you?" she said when she stopped laughing. "I didn't do it for Humanity, I did it for me. I hate it when gods mess with mortals, I always have. The Greek gods messed a bit too much and I killed them for that. I'm a goddess now, but I don't interfere with the way people live. Not on a grand scale anyway. They may not have changed much over the millennia, but it's their world, their choice. If they want to kill each other, fine. And if they wipe themselves out, let them, it's their choice. They don't need someone higher to decide when it's time for them to die. They have survived so far and they will survive in the future, if you don't take it away from them."

"You speak well," Michael said after he thought her words over. "Humanity will be left to decide for itself. Now, about you." Michael paused for a brief moment and Callisto thought he was thinking of a suitable punishment, but he wasn't. "You may return to Earth."

Callisto frowned.

"That's it?"

Michael smiled.

"Yes."

He waved his hand and she disappeared.

When Callisto reappeared on Olympus, she stood still for a while, confused. She had just saved Earth? She had battled superior forces, lost and was spared? She found it ironic. She shook her head and decided to check up how things were on Earth. She was relieved to see that everything was as it was before Light sent Michael to wipe everyone out. It looked as though Apocalypse had never threatened Earth.

She frowned when she realized that she was relieved. She wondered why. Perhaps because she was not alone. Not completely anyway. She wondered if it was worth it. Wars were still raging, people were still betraying one another. Her eyes stopped on an image of a happy family. She stared at it, wondering if she would feel anything, but she felt nothing. Deep down, however, she knew that it was the right thing to do, people still loved, there was still hope for them. She was surprised that she was even aware of it, that, somehow, she still cared.

Life went on. Callisto heard people think of her. She knew it wasn't Marina. They were probably her fans, at least the fans of Callisto from the Xena - Warrior Princess show. She was surprised when she first found out about it, the show and Callisto, that people still remembered. She had to admit that they were pretty fair and accurate with the portrayal of characters and she was more than satisfied with the actress who portrayed her and she always visited the conventions where she appeared. The stories, of course, weren't all true, but some were.

She decided to see what the fans were doing, it had been a few years since she had checked up on them for the first and last time. She looked at the image and frowned. What she saw didn't look like a fan gathering, it looked like a ceremony, a religious one. She was surprised and confused. She decided to pay them a visit.

The room reminded her of the ancient Greek temples and the believers and the priests wore Greek clothes. She listened to the priest who was leading the ceremony, he spoke modern Greek with a few archaic words. It was mostly crap like pledge of allegiance and requests to listen to their prayer. She noticed someone lying on the altar, a woman, tied. She walked closer and saw a dagger lying beside her. She realized the woman was a sacrifice. She looked at her and saw that she wasn't a voluntary sacrifice. Just as the priest raised the dagger to stab the woman, Callisto made herself visible.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked the priest, who took a step back, surprised and a bit afraid.

"Who... Who are you?" the priest asked.

Callisto cocked her head.

"You don't know? I thought you were supposed to be my priest or something. Back in the old times the priests were in contact with their gods. Nowadays, however, it seems like they don't care what their gods think."

"Ca... Callisto?" the priest finally figured it out.

"Yes."

The priest turned to the believers.

"All kneel, our goddess has come!" he called and fell to the ground himself.

Callisto stared at him for a few moments, considering what to do.

"Get up," she said. "Get up!" she ordered when the priest hesitated. She turned to the believers. "Get up! Anyone else listens to this fool and I will personally show you what Tartarus is like." She turned back to the priest. "So, you worship me?"

"Yes, Goddess," the priest said humbly, his head bowed.

"My name is Callisto, not Goddess," Callisto corrected him.

"Yes, God... Callisto."

"Why do you worship me? Do you expect me to listen to your prayers?"

The priest hesitated, uncertain.

"Yes, Callisto."

"And you kill people in my name?"

The priest hesitated again.

"Yes, Callisto," he said, slowly starting to get scared.

Callisto thought for a moment.

"How did you find out about me? From the Xena show?"

"No, Callisto."

"How then?"

"I saw you clear up the debris after the earthquake. I talked to the woman whom you helped and she told me your name. Then I made the connection with the Xena show."

"I see. So you know that I kill people?"

"Yes, Callisto."

"And you still worship me. Why? Do you want me to kill people?"

The priest hesitated.

"Yes, Callisto."

Callisto stared at him for a while, disgusted.

"You're pathetic. Cowards," she then said. "How can you worship a killer like me? I wouldn't want to be a part of any religion that would worship me. And I won't. This religion stops here and now. If I will want someone dead, I will kill him or her myself, I don't need fools like you to do it. And I most certainly won't kill people because you would want me to. I'm not like the Greek gods, I was born mortal. If I ever find out that you are killing people in my name or that you are still worshiping me, I will kill you." She lifted her hand and fried the priest. "Do I make myself clear?" The believers started to nod, terrified. "Good. Now get out of here and forget that I exist."

The believers started to run out and Callisto turned to the victim. She took her dagger and freed her. The woman sat up.

"Thank you," the woman said, scared and relieved.

Callisto stared at her for a moment with a blank look.

"I didn't come here to save you, I came to end this pathetic religion. Go."

The woman ran out. Callisto looked around the temple, disgusted. She concentrated and shot several volleys of fireballs to collapse the building. Then she left.

She was disgusted. How could people worship a killer like her? Of course, they worshipped Ares, but Ares wanted that and he rewarded his followers. As long as it suited him. She, however, didn't care about worshipping, in fact, she hated it. She didn't need reminders of what she was. She figured that she was only an excuse to kill, but that didn't matter now.

She sighed. It was people like her ex-followers that made her doubt whether saving the world was a good thing. She decided that they didn't matter and she concentrated on the good. She frowned. Since when was she interested in good? It seemed that millennia of loneliness had an effect on her. In the past, she would have called it a weakness, now, she didn't know what to call it and she didn't really care.

She stared at the images of the people on Earth, moving about as if nothing had happened. For them, nothing had. She sighed, she didn't know what to do. She wondered if she should just kill herself and join the Greek gods in their suffering, at least she would not be bored and perhaps she would no longer feel the emptiness.

Then again, some fool might decide to worship her again. She wondered if Marina knew anything about it. She decided to pay her a visit, her first visit. She was about to leave when she realized that it would be a good idea if she changed her clothes. She changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and then left.

She reappeared outside Marina's apartment and rang the bell.

"Callisto?" Marina said, surprised, when she opened the door. "Wow, you look... different," she added, noticing Callisto's new wardrobe. "Come in," she said and Callisto entered. "So, what brings you here?"

"I just disbanded a group of fools worshiping me. Their high priest said he talked to you after the earthquake."

Marina thought as she led Callisto to the kitchen.

"Several people talked to me... But there was one, black hair, moustache. He was pretty insistent and he kept babbling something about a religion, but I told him to get lost and leave me alone. He never bothered me again."

"Yes, that's the one. He called himself my priest and he killed people in my name. I killed him." She paused to think. "You don't think about me lately."

"Yes. Before, I wasn't sure whether you were real or not and I kept thinking about you and it seemed to help. Now I know that you are real and that you hear me, so I try not to think of you. You know, it can be pretty annoying to walk around with people shouting your name all the time."

Callisto nodded. She understood, but a part of her wished that Marina would think about her more often, it would provide distraction from her thoughts and the emptiness. She remembered Marina's gift. It had meant a lot to her then, but now she just didn't care anymore. At first, she had helped Marina because she was grateful, now she helped her simply to have something to do.

"You said I remind you of someone," Marina said, interrupting Callisto's thoughts.

Callisto looked at her.

"Yes."

"Who?" Marina asked when Callisto didn't continue.

"A bard. Do you watch Xena?"

"Sometimes," Marina admitted, confused.

"Remember Xena's friend, Gabrielle?"

Marina thought for a moment.

"Yes."

"That's who."

Marina stared at Callisto, surprised.

"You mean they really existed?"

"Of course."

"And Hercules and the gods?"

"Yes."

"Wow. So, you're that Callisto?" Marina asked, starting to get a bad feeling about Callisto. "What are you? A goddess?"

"Yes."

"Like the Greek gods?"

"Yes."

"So you live with them?"

"They're dead."

"Dead?" Marina asked, surprised. "I thought gods were supposed to be immortal."

"They were, but they could be killed."

"They were killed?"

"Yes."

"By who?"

"Me."

Marina stared at her guardian angel, astonished.

"So they are right to show you as a killer?" she asked, a bit afraid.

Callisto stared at her quietly for a few moments, noticing the change in her behavior.

"Yes."

They heard the door open.

"That must be Vaios and Thalia," Marina said.

Callisto nodded.

"I'll leave," she said.

"No, wait."

Callisto looked at her.

"Why? You're afraid of me."

Marina gulped.

"Yes," she admitted. "I have to get used to it," she added.

Callisto thought. In the old days, she would have told her that her fear was well justified, but now she said nothing, she knew she would not kill her. Except the priest, she hadn't killed anyone for a couple of decades.

"Marina, we're..." Vaios started as he entered the kitchen but stopped when he saw Callisto.

"You remember Callisto," Marina said.

"Yes," Vaios said, alert, as he observed Callisto.

He remembered her. Although she had saved him and his family, there was something about her that made him wary.

"Mom, guess..."

Everyone looked at Thalia.

"Thalia, you remember Callisto."

Thalia nodded as she stared at Callisto, curious.

"Callisto, why don't you wait in the living room while we eat. I would offer you some, but I didn't know you were coming."

"I don't eat," Callisto said.

"Never?"

"No," Callisto said and left the kitchen, the three mortals staring after her, not quite sure what to make of her.

"Thalia, why don't you go wash your hands. Vaios, help me set the table, please."

Thalia left and Vaios helped Marina.

"What is she doing here?" Vaios asked when Thalia was gone.

"I don't know. She wanted to know more about the people who worshipped her, but I think that was only an excuse."

"Excuse? For what?"

"I think she's lonely. And..." she trailed off.

"What?"

"I don't know. There's something about her I can't quite describe."

Thalia returned just when Marina stopped distributing the soup.

"Why is she so sad?" she asked her mother.

"What do you mean?" Marina asked, confused.

"She's sad. Is she hurt?"

Marina thought about her daughter's words. She realized that Thalia was right, Callisto was sad and that look she couldn't quite describe, it was pain, a very profound pain.

"I don't know, sweetie," she said.

In the living room, Callisto stared through the window while she waited for the family to eat their lunch. She sighed. Family. She hadn't visited her own in millennia. First she was afraid to, now she didn't care. She found it ironic. She had killed gods to avenge her family, two of them actually, and now she didn't care. She sighed again. She wondered if the place where the Greek gods were now was as bad as her own existence.

While Callisto contemplated her own existence, the family ate their lunch and Thalia then went to the living room. She was curious about the strange woman and also a bit afraid. She still remembered how she had healed her and her father and then vanished into thin air. She had asked her mother about her, but she didn't know much beside the fact that she had always protected her.

Callisto heard her and turned toward her. They stared at each other for a while, Callisto with a blank stare, not really interested in talking to the girl, Thalia curiously.

"You're sad," Thalia finally broke the silence. "Why?"

Callisto continued to stare at her with a blank stare for a few moments.

"None of your business," she then said.

"But you're hurt," Thalia insisted. "I want to help you."

Callisto stared at her for a moment and then laughed.

"How nice of you," she then said mirthlessly and looked back through the window.

"Don't you have a family or friends to help you?" Thalia asked.

Callisto looked at her, annoyed.

"They're dead," she said coldly.

"I'm sorry."

Callisto stared at her, wondering if she herself was sorry. She wasn't sure and she didn't really care.

"And what makes you think I care?" she said, not really interested in getting an answer.

"You're here."

Callisto frowned.

"So?"

"You're lonely and you want company."

Callisto thought. Sure, she was lonely, she had to admit that, but did she want company? Not really. She frowned. Then what was she still doing here? Was she here because she wanted company or because Marina had asked her to wait? She wasn't sure. She didn't even care. She was here, but she might as well be somewhere else, it didn't matter to her.

"Do you want help?" Thalia interrupted her thoughts again.

Callisto gave her a blank stare.

"And just how do you plan to help me, hmm? You don't even know me."

"Then tell me," Thalia encouraged her.

Callisto stared at her for a few moments.

"Do you watch Xena?" she asked.

"Yes," Thalia said, confused. "You're that Callisto?" she suddenly realized.

"More or less."

Thalia stared at her, not quite sure how she should feel. Before, Callisto seemed a rather nice woman who was hurt. That fact hadn't changed, but the fact that she was a murderer made her feel... She wasn't quite sure how. If Callisto from Xena was a valid representation of the real Callisto, then she should be afraid of her. Yet the longer she observed her, the less afraid she was. Somehow she felt that Callisto wasn't pure evil, just hurt. And indifferent, she suddenly realized.

"What do you want?" she asked her.

Callisto cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

"That's a dangerous question. And besides, you can't help me."

"So you want my help?"

Callisto stared at her for a moment and then grinned.

"You're either very brave or very stupid," she said.

"You're avoiding," Thalia said.

Callisto frowned. Was she really avoiding? Whatever for?

"Okay," she said. "Oblivion."

"What?" Thalia asked, confused.

"You asked me what I want. Oblivion. No Heaven, no Hell, oblivion."

Thalia thought about Callisto's answer.

"Don't you miss your family?" she finally asked.

Callisto glared at her, but the glare quickly lost its power as Callisto realized that Thalia was merely trying to help her. She smiled bitterly at the thought that a child was trying to help her, a goddess. Then again, Thalia's mother brightened her existence when she was still a child. Perhaps Thalia could help her. She hoped so.

She returned to Thalia's question. Did she miss her family? She wasn't quite sure. Rare have been the moments that she cared about anything nowadays, except finding a way into oblivion, and besides, she hadn't visited her family in millennia. Either of them. She wasn't quite certain why not. Was she afraid or she simply didn't care about them anymore? She frowned, confused, why would she be afraid? She thought about it and realized that it was probably because she didn't want to lose them again. She realized that the Elysian Fields and Tartarus probably existed only because of her. She wondered what would happen to the souls once she died. Would they move to Heaven or Hell or would they be judged again? And if they would be judged again, would they be judged by the same rules as Hades had judged them? Right now, both her families were in the Elysian Fields. Would they go to Heaven? Probably.

She frowned. She had already lost her families for good. Even if she spent the entire eternity with them in the Elysian Fields, they were worlds apart. They were good, she was evil, it was that simple. She could help people, but she knew that would be useless because whoever would judge her when she died would know that she didn't help people because she cared about them but because she wanted to get to Heaven, to be with her families. And even if her families would forgive her, she couldn't forgive herself.

She frowned. What did she have to forgive herself for? She thought about it and realized that she actually blamed herself for what she had become, not Xena. She had thrown away everything her mother and father had taught her and she had killed countless people just to get back at Xena. Not to mention that she had killed all Greek gods. She sighed. Future didn't look very bright for her. She realized that there were only two options left to her which looked better than the rest. She could go into oblivion or she could start caring about people again, like her mother had taught her. She smiled bitterly, oblivion was probably easier, but then again, she was never one to take the easy way out.

"Callisto?"

Callisto jerked and looked at Thalia.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

Callisto stared at her for a few moments and then remembered that Thalia had asked her a question a while ago.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said.

She realized that it actually wasn't a lie, not a complete one anyway. She did feel better than usually. She decided to visit her families again, perhaps her mother, her birth mother, could teach her compassion again. She looked at Thalia and smiled.

"Thank you."

"What for?" Thalia asked, confused.

"For helping me."

"I helped you?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Callisto smiled again.

"You made me think. Perhaps there is still hope for me."

Thalia smiled, glad that she could help.

"I'll get Mom," she said and left.

Callisto smiled and returned to staring through the window. Yes, life did seem more bearable now. She decided to spend some time with Marina and her family first, then try and talk to Michael and finally go see her two families. She was surprised when she realized that she was actually looking forward to it. It looked like she might make the full circle.

The End