Okay, you guys win. I had originally planned on just leaving the story here, sort of open-ended. I have had several people encourage me to continue writing this story, so I will do so. Give me a little time to figure out in my head what direction I want to go with it, and I will post more soon. Thank you all SO much for your input and reviews. They mean a lot.

Hephaestion was in his room, going over some reports, when someone began banging loudly on his door.

"Hephaestion! I order you to open this door and let me in!"

It was a livid Alexander.

Hephaestion sighed. Even though Alexander fully deserved what he had done to him, he still felt just a twinge of guilt. He thought Bagoas, and Roxane, and the guilt went away. So he was mad. Fuck him.

He opened the door and stepped aside as a furious Alexander strode into the room and turned to face him.

For a moment, neither man spoke.

Alexander spoke, his voice soft and shaking with fury. "Why? Why did you do this, Phai? How could you sleep with Cassander?"

Hephaestion laughed at him. "There was no sleeping involved, Alexander. He is quite good in bed actually."

Alexander grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him against the wall. "You bastard! You belong to ME! How dare you?"

Hephaestion shoved him back so hard that Alexander landed on his butt on the floor. Hephaestion shouted at him. "I belong to NO ONE. Not you, not anyone. I am a man, not your servant. I am not at your disposal, if and when you want me. I will no longer sit idly by while you fuck anyone who catches your eye. First, that whore eunuch of yours. Then your barbarian bride, and gods knows who else you have fucked behind my back." He paused to take a breath.

Alexander simply sat on the floor, wide-eyed. He could not believe his Phai was speaking to him like this. Suddenly his anger turned to panic. "You cannot leave me, Phai! I need you! What will I do without you?"

"You will do just as you have been. You only send for me now if there is some crisis or if you are upset about something and Bagoas is not there to comfort you. Well, I will not let you use me any longer. I am finished with you. I will be your general, and I will do what I need to do for the army. But beyond that, we are finished. You have taken me for granted for far too long. And I, fool that I am, have allowed it. No more."

Alexander had begun to cry softly. "But Phai…I love you. Don't you love me anymore?"

"Alexander, I will always love you, but that no longer matters. And you…you have no idea what love is. If you did, none of this would have happened. You have changed, and I do not like who you have become. No, it is over. I cannot do this any longer." He fixed a steely gaze on Alexander, who finally broke eye contact and looked down sadly.

"Phai, I am sorry…"

"Get out, Alexander. It is too late for that. And please…do not call me that any longer. I am not your 'Phai' now. You chose this path for us, so you will have to live with the consequences. Now, get out."

Silently, Alexander got up and walked to the door. He turned and looked at Hephaestion. "You will regret this day, Hephaestion. You will miss me, you will see." He left, slamming the door behind him.

"No, Alexander, it is you who will be sorry. I wash my hands of you."

He set out for the Cassander's room. Revenge sex sounded perfect just now.

Much later, Cassander and Hephaestion made their way to the dining hall to get something to eat. Both men stopped and stared at the scene before them.

Alexander was so drunk he could barely sit upright. He had Bagoas on his lap, groping the giggling eunuch.

The other generals had moved away in disgust. Their body language said it all. They were embarrassed, and angry. This was not the leader they respected and loved. Hephaestion suspected that most of them would be glad to be rid of him.

The generals argued among themselves more than ever, and they constantly second-guessed everything Alexander did. This only made Alexander's behavior worse. He was drinking more and more, and making irrational demands on all of them.

He watched as Alexander drank himself into a stupor, under the loathing glances of his generals.

The descent into darkness had begun. And nobody was going to win.

TBC...