Bring Back the Sun
-… Where is Pyrrhon? – asked Zeus suddenly.
He was recovering at a faster rate now, even his speaking skills improved greatly, he only stumbled over longer words at times.
Everyone looked around the Council Room uncertainly. The gods were all present, except for Pyrrhon.
- I thought I made it clear it was an im—portant meeting – Zeus' frowned slightly. – Where is he?
- Maybe he's late? – Pit guessed timidly.
- He's probably not attending on purpose – Palutena noted.
Zeus closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. He felt Poseidon's hand on his shoulder, steadying him and giving him strength for this feat. The storm god was still very weak compared to the others, and telepathy was sometimes challenging for him. He kept on trying, though, just to improve.
With the help of his brother, he quickly found Pyrrhon, much faster than he originally thought.
- Pyrrhon? – he called out uncertainly.
- Yes, Boss? I'm here – replied Pyrrhon.
- Where are you? I told everyone there would be a meeting. Did you forget it?
- Wha—no, Boss, never! Just…
- Just what?
- I… I thought you said it was a council of gods, no?
- Yes, so what?
-… I'm not… I'm not really a god… I think—I thought it excluded me.
- What?! Pyrrhon, where are you?!
- In the gardens of Skyworld. I figured it would be good to have a walk…
- Come in here this moment!
- Y—Yes Boss! – came the hurried reply before the connection was terminated.
Zeus' eyes flew open, and for the first time since his official return, anger shone in them. Poseidon looked at him worryingly.
- What's wrong? – he asked in a low voice.
- So many things! – growled Zeus and stood up, marching to the middle of the hall.
Everyone shared uneasy glances. Hades sat on his cushion in silence, completely dumbfounded. He couldn't recall the last time he saw his little brother angry. Zeus had always been a calm, collected, peaceful individual… in other words, the exact person that drove the Lord of the Underworld crazy sometimes. Then again… he glanced at Persephone on his left who followed the storm god with her beautiful eyes… he figured he was beginning to grow used to them.
- I see we have many, many past crimes to go over – announced Zeus in a stern voice. – But I would have never thought this was among them…
- What is—? – tried to ask Palutena, but in that moment, Pyrrhon barged into the room, panting slightly.
- I'm here, Boss! – he called out, quickly standing at attention and folding his arms behind his back. – I apologize for my absence.
Zeus looked at him, then sighed heavily.
- At rest, Pyrrhon, I am not your captain – he waved tiredly, to which the sun god took up a slightly more relaxed pose, though he didn't shift his arms. – Fear not, I am not angry with you… I'm angry with everyone else here.
To this, dead silence settled in.
- How could you all do this?! – Zeus stared at the gods, one after another.
His otherwise calm and peaceful eyes now flashed up electric blue with anger. Small sparks ran down his entire body, the white plumage around his shoulders stood up a little from the static. His wings opened up slightly, menacingly towering over his head. It was a rather unsettling sight, only made worse by the sheer weight of his voice.
- You abandoned, tortured and killed the mortals. You had forsaken your vows and duties, you left our homew—world to die in a pointless war! You ruined the Balance of Life and Death, all of you! – here he looked at Hades who promptly cast his gaze on the floor. – Up until now I have believed the list ends here… How wrong I was!
Pyrrhon's flaming hair significantly shrunk at the scene, he gripped his arms tighter, staring at the ground, lips pursed. Zeus finally turned to him again.
- Pyrrhon – he said. – Why do you believe you are not a god?
-… Because… everyone said—said so? – the sun god answered, barely daring to glance at their leader.
- Did they now?
-…
- Answer me!
- Y—yes.
Zeus turned back to the silent crowd who were all shrinking away from him at this point. His anger, while didn't turn into rage, was very palpable, great and it demanded full attention.
- Ap—parently, forcing me out of this world was not enough – he hissed, but with each sentence the volume rose. – Apparently, leaving this world on its death throes was not enough! Apparently, bringing misery to all living things, including your—selves, was not enough! No, you all just had to ostracize one of our own kin, and strip him not only of his rights, but his very sense of existence! What sort of monsters have you all become?! – he was practically shouting by the end of it.
- But he— – Viridi tried to speak up.
- SILENCE! – boomed Zeus at her.
The nature goddess quickly followed orders.
Zeus conjured up his Storm Scythe, and held it high. His voice rang clearly in the hall, with the authority of his status:
- By my rights as Leader of the Eretrian Gods, I hereby declare Pyrrhon, the God of the Sun, Fire and Heat, to be an equal to all of us! He had been born from the Ultimate Pro—tector, just as we all have. He commands one of the fundamental elements of our world. He is the heart of the Sun. He is a god, and none shall q—question it in the future! – he struck the end of his weapon to the floor, sending a flash of light through the whole room. Thunder boomed, and as it slowly died away, he added in a lower, but just as firm voice. – Did I make myself clear?!
A united "yessir" murmur filled the air. Pyrrhon did not dare to look up. Hades slightly narrowed his eyes: his little brother really did toughen up.
- This meeting is adjourned until further notice! – announced Zeus, still steaming with anger.
He dismissed his weapon and turned to Pyrrhon.
- Come – he said, his voice suddenly much softer. – We need to discuss this in private.
oooOOOooo
Palutena currently wished she was anywhere else but here. Heck, even the deepest pits of the Underworld sounded inviting all of a sudden.
She stood there, like a child being scolded, and felt just as miserable. Before her Zeus stood, arms folded, stormy eyes staring to the left. Even though the piercing gaze was not directed at her, the heavy weight of anger and… disappointment was enough to put her in her place.
- I expected more from you, Palutena… So much more – spoke up Zeus finally.
The goddess didn't answer, just nodded silently.
- You have always been kind, merciful. Even if a bit too sly and playful at times – Zeus continued. – How could you allow this to happen? How could you do this?
-… I don't know, sir – Palutena admitted in a small voice.
- What rights do you have to strip someone of their godly status?
- None, sir…
- Why did you do this, then?
-… I don't know, sir.
Zeus sighed heavily.
- I'm sorry, sir – Palutena mumbled miserably. – I have no excuse.
- No, you don't – the storm god agreed. – I just hope I can remedy the situation… give him back his sense of worth. As for you… you will treat him as an equal in every situation from now on. Understood?
- Yes sir.
- Good – with that, Zeus turned around and marched into a smaller room, where he sent Pyrrhon just moments ago.
Palutena pursed her lips as she heard the lock on the door click.
oooOOOooo
- When did all of this start, Pyrrhon? – Zeus asked simply, gently steering his tea in the cup before him.
He was sitting on a richly adorned cushion. A low table stood in front of him, carrying all the necessary parts of a tea set. Zeus has always been a big fan of the beverage, and apparently not even three hundred years of deep space could erase this out of him. Opposite of him sat the humbled Pyrrhon on a similar cushion, not even daring to touch his own cup. The room was rather small but it swam in the daylight due to its large windows. The perfect place for a little private conversation.
The sun god sheepishly glanced up at the elder god, quickly returning his green gaze to the table when their eyes met. He remained silent, and utterly rigid.
- Pyrrhon – Zeus called softly but firmly. – Please co—cooperate with me. I just want to help you. I'm not going hurt you.
- I—I'm sorry, Boss – the sun god shook his head helplessly. – It's just so weird. I don't know what to do…
- What is weird? Talking about the reception you got?
- I don't know… just talking about my problems… I guess.
Zeus sighed deeply at this and he settled down the cup he was raising to his mouth.
- Why am I not surprised by this? – he mumbled. – You didn't have a friendly conversation before?
- Yes, I did! – hurried Pyrrhon. – With… with Phosphora, occasionally. She can be rather bubbly. And… and yeah, that's all. The others tended to shoo me away.
- Start at the beginning, please – said Zeus. – I think I remember you occat—occasionally received cold shoulder before my… exile. But I want to make sure. Please tell me.
Pyrrhon stared at his cup, clearly trying to gather his thoughts.
- It… it sounds stupid – he began slowly. – But I think it started at my descent.
- It doesn't sound stupid – Zeus shook his head. – Go on.
- I—I think the problem was that I landed on a remote location – mused Pyrrhon, tension only slightly easing out of his body. – An island. There was literally nothing and no one there. Other gods didn't see me appear, so when I suddenly surfaced two years later as a grown-up god, they… I guess they didn't want to believe I was the sun god. Maybe they waited for someone flashier?
- And since then, they treated you like this – Zeus nodded, sipping his tea.
- Yeah – Pyrrhon agreed uneasily. – Everyone was saying the same thing… that I cannot be a god… so I figured they are right. No way, that all the gods can be wrong at the same time.
- Yes way. That can happen very easily.
-… All due respect, but I somehow doubt that, Boss.
- Did I say the same thing about you?
- You don't remember?
- I think I remember – Zeus pointed out. – But my memories can be foggy, ja—jumbled, or incomplete. I want to make sure I remember correctly.
Pyrrhon shot a sympathetic glance in his superior's direction.
- No, no you didn't – he admitted. – You never once brought the subject up. I… I was very surprised when you even welcomed me in the Council.
Zeus nodded in acknowledgement:
- And my decision still stands. Go on.
Pyrrhon took a deep breath, still not touching his tea.
- I guess I accepted that I wasn't a god – he continued slowly. – But… but I felt like I needed to prove myself, so I can be called that. I thought that's what was missing. So… so I guess I—I created a persona?
- A façade?
- Y—yeah, I think so – Pyrrhon wondered aloud, slowly getting lost in thought. – I just… wanted to be accepted. So I chose this… hero type, y'know? The loud, always cheerful, always ready to dish out justice type, right? The humans seemed to like it… the gods, not so much.
He didn't even notice how silent Zeus has fallen, all of his attention turned to the young god. Pyrrhon seemingly forgot about his surroundings, the rigid need to respect authority slowly leaving him, making him open up more freely. Exactly what Zeus has wanted to achieve from the first minute. Thus, the storm god remained silent but tentative, careful not to ruin the flow.
- But I was just so stubborn, I didn't let it go – the sun god went on. – I wanted to earn the right to be a god, I figured if I'm persistent enough, the others will budge… but they didn't. You were the only one who always called me a god. But then you ran away, and we were left behind. I held onto the persona, they kept ignoring me… Then I learnt about the Aurum.
- Those strange aliens that tried to eat our planet? – asked Zeus.
He only heard the reports about them from the others. He had no idea what they were capable of or how exactly they looked.
- Yes… I discovered a text talking about them in the Book of Divine Prophecy, saying the possibility of them appearing should a great and destructive war break out in the world – Pyrrhon explained, crestfallen. – I… I stole the text, kept it for myself, and didn't tell anybody. I thought—I believed their appearance would be my chance to prove my worth. And they did appear one day, when the war between Viridi, Hades and Palutena reached its peak.
Zeus blinked but otherwise didn't move.
- Of course we launched our counterattack. I helped out wherever I could, tried to draw their fire away from our armies and Pit so they could finish the damned things off… But no matter what I did, the gods either didn't take notice or dismissed it like it was nothing. Maybe my façade also turned them away, I cannot tell. But—but…
- But? – Zeus gently offered, almost inaudibly.
- I guess I was… nearing my breaking point then – Pyrrhon said miserably, shoulders hunched. – I just couldn't take it, I was so angry. I wanted to be called a god finally, but nothing I did was right! So… I had this idea… that maybe I can make myself a god, greater than the others… with the Aurum Brain.
Zeus closed his eyes. He knew this was coming, Palutena told him about this. The only difference was the perspective: the goddess accused Pyrrhon of being a traitor, a power-hungry stuck-up deadweight who either got in their way, did absolutely nothing helpful or downright made things worse. She saw his merge with the alien entity as a treacherous abomination. "Do not trust that man, sir! He is a traitor." But even back then, during her report, Zeus privately mused what the other side of the story could be. This couldn't have been a black-and-white one.
- So… I did just that – Pyrrhon admitted in a small voice. – I attacked the others, tried to beat them to submission. But eventually, the Aurum Brain itself began to override my… my commands. And later my mind. It was Pit who saved me. He managed to damage the Brain enough that it lost its grip on me. I came to my senses and managed to get away, after I placed a spell in the fortress that created a jet capable of pushing the Aurum far away. After that I… I just laid low.
Zeus remained silent.
- I—I know I screwed up, Boss – Pyrrhon said in defeat. – Shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have even thought about that. I guess my anger and desperation just got the better of me… I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean anything, but—
- It does mean many things – Zeus interrupted gently. – Yes, I agree, you shouldn't have done that. I'll never say otherwise. But I can see your reasons, and see that the actions of the others also played a great part in this. You do not bear the blame alone. But it happened almost 10 years ago. There is no point in me dishing out punishment for that now.
Pyrrhon quietly nodded, lips pursed together, flaming hair almost dying out.
- Pyrrhon, I have an important question to ask – Zeus stated. – Please look at me.
Green eyes hesitantly turned to the storm god at this.
- Do you believe you are the God of the Sun? – Zeus asked. – Do you feel the connection inside your heart? The power, the heat, the light?
- The others—
- Do not be concerned with what the others say – the storm interrupted firmly. – I asked about you. Do you believe it?
Pyrrhon returned his gaze to the table.
-… Yes, I do – he answered softly after a minute.
- Then you are a god, no matter what the others tell you – Zeus confirmed. – What matters is what you believe and feel. You feel the Sun inside you, therefore you are its avatar. You are the Bearer of Fire and Heat. No one can take that away from you. Words cannot change what's inside you. Remember that.
Pyrrhon silently nodded, his hands gripping each other tightly.
- What is the matter? – Zeus offered gently.
- I…I don't know what to do now, Boss – the sun god admitted in a low voice. – All my life, I tried to be accepted as a god. Now that I am one officially… I don't know what to do… what to be.
Zeus closed his eyes, thinking.
- Be a provider of humanity, and be who you are in the meantime – he finally advised.
-… But who am I? – Pyrrhon asked miserably. – That's just it, Boss! I've been holding onto this hero persona for so long that… that I no longer remember what I used to be.
Zeus pursed his lips. In the hopeless struggle to measure up to the others, Pyrrhon basically destroyed his true face. A tragic fate, forced upon him by the others. His thoughts darkened at this, but he kept his calm.
- You need to find who you were… who you truly are, under that bravado – he nodded firmly. – Find a way to seek it out.
-… And what if I don't like what I find? Then what?
- Once you know yourself, and know a flaw you do not wish to accept, you can change it for the better. But not before that – Zeus replied. – Just like a potter must first know where the hole is on his vase, in order to patch it. You cannot repair something without knowing where and what the problem is. You know that as well.
Pyrrhon nodded.
- Think about it. Find a way to solve this problem – Zeus goaded him gently. – I cannot give you a definite answer to this riddle. Every person must find their own solution, due to our differing personalities. What works for me, may not work for you. Try out an idea, and if it doesn't work, try out the next one. Don't stop until you find the right one.
The sun god remained quiet, clearly pondering. But he did finally reach out for his cup and took a sip in the meantime.
- Take all the time you need – Zeus smiled warmly at him, slowly standing up. – I wish you the best of luck.
oooOOOooo
It wasn't until noon of the next day, when Pyrrhon finally emerged from the little room. He walked with determination and a bit of excitement, straight for the Main Hall of the temple.
Inside Zeus, Poseidon, Palutena and Viridi were discussing something when the sun god reached them. Immediately their attention turned to him, making his hair slightly shrink before blazing up normally again.
- Boss… I think I got it – he announced, steeling his resolve. – At least, I have a starting point.
- That's wonderful – Zeus smiled earnestly at him.
- Starting point of what? – frowned Viridi.
- A little self-discovering journey, I guess – Pyrrhon shrugged slightly, before returning his gaze to the storm god. – I figured… since I am a god and everything, that I should announce my absence from the Council for an indefinite amount of time.
Zeus raised his eyebrows, but his eyes didn't lose their encouraging glimmer.
- What will this starting point be, then? – he asked.
- If I may, I took inspiration from you, Boss – Pyrrhon admitted. – I'll live among the mortals for a while. See if they can teach me anything.
The gods gawked at him. Zeus pondered.
- You do not have to do what I had done, Pyrrhon – he pointed out. – That is not an obligation.
- I—I will move on if I feel like it doesn't work – the sun god hurried with an explanation. – Don't want to repeat the mistake of getting stuck on a single solution, afterall… But I thought it would be a good start, no?
- I reckon it is – admitted Zeus after a moment of thinking, his smile returning. – You are excused from the Council until you return among us. And… I promise we shall not bother you, but should you need someone to talk to, I am always here.
- Thanks, Boss! Really appreciate it – grinned Pyrrhon wide.
- Well, well, well, the little spark-spitter will go on a big journey – smirked Poseidon.
Before the sun god could retort or lose his confidence, he quickly added:
- I think it's a kickass idea, don't worry. Who knows, it might whip you into shape as well.
- Uhm… thanks? – mumbled Pyrrhon uncertainly.
Poseidon just grinned wider and slightly nodded his head in approval.
- So… you are going to just disappear for… what, a week? – asked Palutena, trying her damnest not to sound superior out of habit.
- If I can find my way in a week, then yup, that's correct – the sun god nodded. – But I have a feeling it will be longer than that.
- It may take years, maybe even decades – Zeus added. – But you mustn't give up, Pyrrhon. Use that legendary persistence you have, and you'll be fine.
- I will! – promised the sun god.
He looked at the exit uncertainly.
- So… I guess it's goodbye – he said softly, almost melancholically.
- For a time, yes – Zeus walked up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders. – But not all goodbyes are sad, or final. We will see each other again, and when we do, I am sure you will be stronger than ever before.
Pyrrhon smiled sheepishly at the elder god.
The makeshift quartet escorted him to the edge of the temple. Standing on the cliff, Pyrrhon stared into the deep. He then spun around on his heels, saluted at them, then leaned back and allowed himself to fall off.
- I figured he would do a dramatic exit – mumbled Viridi.
Zeus had to smile at it. He didn't know for sure, but he had a strong feeling that Pyrrhon would be fine, wherever his journey may take him.
To be honest I've written this almost a year ago. I have no idea why I haven't uploaded it to here... Weird.
ANYWAY! I know I'm a part of that relative small group who actually like Pyrrhon. Of course I'm dropping F-bombs left and right during the Aurum Brain stage, cuz that's a piece of shit, no denying it. But overall, I feel incredibly sorry for the guy. He was clearly shit on by the other gods, even when he was helping. Can't blame him from snapping, to be honest. So I figured I would take another look at him.
The Zeus and Persephone in my story are my OCs. Long story short: Zeus recently got back from a 300-year-long self-exile from outer space and he is still recovering, hence his trouble with speaking and using powers and stuff. Persephone is currently the youngest god among them, being "born" (self-begotten, actually) after Hades' defeat. In my headcanon Pit at this time was crowned God of Warriors and Heroes so he is there in the godly council. But all these are my additions simply.
Hope you enjoyed this oneshot! :) See you around cupcakes, and keep being awesome!