Chapter 1: A Very Old Wound and an Even Older Friend

~Dionysus

He sat on the floor of his bedroom in Camp Half-Blood with his back against the door and a time worn piece of paper in his hand. The sun pierced the curtains trying to warm his skin but he didn't feel it.

"Where are you Ven?" he whispered to sketch.

"Dionysus?" Chiron knocked on the young gods door. "If you're not out by noon your father will throw a fit" thunder boomed in the distance and the centaur added in a mutter "well, it's true".

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be down in a bit" Dionysus sighed.

The door opened and Chiron maneuvered his wheelchair next to Mr. D. "What's the matter?" Dionysus quickly tucked the picture into his chest pocket; the last thing he wanted was an early morning breakdown in front of his uncle. "It's nothing…"

"Bah! Every day you sulk and brood over a piece of paper. You're determined to be miserable. What happened my boy? You used to be so light of heart"

Dionysus bit the inside of his lip, slowly drawing the sketch out of his pocket and handing it to the older man. Chiron's eyes lit with recognition. The sketch was a much younger wine god (he was willing to guess that it had been made sometime before AD) and a slightly taller woman with her arm around his shoulders. Chiron stroked his beard for a moment, when was the last time his nephew had smiled like that?

"That's Ven isn't it" it wasn't a question but Dionysus nodded anyway. He didn't speak for fear that his voice would crack. "Where is she investigating now anyway?" Chiron asked trying to be nonchalant.

Despite the kind intentions, Dionysus hugged his knees and sniffled, "I don't know. She's probably hurt and I can't do anything about it!"

Chiron wrapped an arm around Dionysus' shoulders as though the younger were still a little boy rather than a grieving god "She's a fighter remember, she'll be okay"

Flashback: (Dream) The Night Before

Dionysus lifted his head to a vast, green landscape. The first thing he noticed was that there was a giant glass divider that ran as far as he could see to the east and west. Second, he noticed that the other side of the divider about as lush as the Sahara in a drought. Finally, he saw that he was not alone.

The woman on the other side of the glass looked up and he felt the motion knock the breath out of him. She smiled and her warm hazel eyes smiled with her.

"You had me worried sick you know" he told her crossing his arms.

She lifted an amused eyebrow. Pulling out a marker she wrote on the glass "You know, I can't hear you but you do look cute when you're in a tizzy" he blushed profusely, "though really I'm just glad to see you in general"

He tried to calm his heart rate. She contacted him though their mind connection. That meant she was coming home! He looked down, yes a dream, he could barely remember the last time he was considered slim. Marker… Marker… he thought to himself. A purple expo-marker appeared in his hand.

"I missed you Ven. Where the Hades have you been?"

"I missed you too hun but I see no reason to bring my father into this" she smirked and he rolled his eyes, "It's a long story. Do I find you well?"

"You find me grounded. So, ten year tops huh?"

It was Ven's turn to blush "Like I said. It's a long story, one I didn't anticipate would be 67 years. It involves a sink hole, several disasters, and very long stick. I'd like to tell you but I haven't much time."

His heart skipped a beat, "You're leaving again already?" he touched the glass, wondering if it could be broken.

She put her hand on the glass to match his, "Something's coming. Back as soon as I ca-" Ven dropped the marker mid-stroke. The color drained from her face, golden ichor was suddenly pouring from her shoulder.

Dionysus woke in a cold sweat with tears in his eyes "Ven… where are you?"

~ Ven

It was well into the obscene hours of the morning when a very tired, battered goddess wearing a worn traveling cloak and clutching her arm limped through the streets of Olympus.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if Apollo had bothered to keep house-sitting for her. She was answered with a firm yes when she opened the door to be greeted by the chorus line of Bohemian Rhapsody coming from the upstairs shower.

She chuckled inwardly as she poured a glass of nectar and waited on the bed outside the master bathroom. Apollo burst into the room singing into her hairbrush wearing nothing but a towel and the devil-may-care attitude of a teenage girl that thinks no one's watching "MAMA! OoooooOOOOoooooo! DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YOU CR-" he stopped abruptly when he saw the blood covered traveler on the bed. "Did my melodious voice lure you home?"

"Did you only agree to house sit so that you could use my shower?"

"No, I agreed because I care… and because Artemis never thinks to look for me here" he conceded.

"Big sister picking on you?" Ven teased.

"No, but speaking of the matter. What tried to pick its teeth with you?"

"Your stepmother"

"Really? Doesn't surprise me in the least"

"Heh," Ven chuckled taking another drink from her glass, "No, it was 20 scorpions, each about the size of your ego"

"Hey cuz, don't hit the ego of the guy who's here to heal your battle wounds"

"You have a point there. Thanks Apollo" she said as he pulled out a medic kit, "Don't mention it. Thank you for letting me use your house as a haven"

"My home's always open to you cuz." She smiled at her older cousin. Arrogant he might be but he was still family.

Apollo gave a low whistle, "7 busted ribs, ruptured spleen (not like you need it that much anyway), and one very torn up shoulder. Did I mention you should probably report in to Zeus?"

Ven groaned, "Any chance it can wait until tomorrow?"

"I won't tell anyone you're back" he raised a finger, "but only on the condition that you keep that arm in a sling and try not to abuse your ribs too much for a few days. I've done what I can all you need to do is let yourself heal"

Ven shook his hand on it "Deal" though as he left he couldn't resist throwing a parting jest at her, "You should probably call D. He might just faint if he heard your voice again"