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Chapter 9

"What? No!" Apollo shouted. Ari gasped and tears filled her eyes. She quickly turned around and they both clung to each other.

"No, no, no" Ariadne mumbled into Apollo's shirt.

"It's going to be alright murmured Apollo, blatantly glaring at Zeus. The announcement caused the Olympians to start an uproar.

"Father it's not fair" yelled Artemis. Aphrodite simply burst into tears, and Ares and Hephaestus glared at Zeus for making her cry. Hera was busy screaming in her husbands ear about splitting up a couple that was going to get married and Athena was saying that it was illogical to separate them because now Apollo will be too heartbroken to do his duties.

"Silence!" Zeus's voice boomed through the room effectively quieting everyone, except for Ariadne who was still crying with her face pressed against Apollo's chest. "Since all of you are so adamant about this, we will vote to see if they can keep seeing each other, but the vote has to be unanimous."Zeus looked to his left.

"Poseidon? Yes."

"Hades? Yes."

"Ares? Yes"

"Hermes? Yes"

"Hephaestus? Yes."

"Demeter? Yes."

"Athena? Yes."

"Artemis? Yes."

"Aphrodite? Yes."

"Hera? Yes."

Ariadne started to look around at the gods, allowing herself to feel hope.

"Dionysus?" Zeus asked, looking at the youngest Olympian. "No."

"Why?" shouted Apollo. He let go of Ariadne and started walking toward Dionysus. The room started to get uncomfortably hot.

"Because," said Mr. D watching him bored, "I don't like the little brats. Why should they get happiness when I can't?" Apollo started glowing ever so slightly. Waves of heat were coming off him. Apollo was too mad to even attack Mr. D.

"Apollo, calm down." Ari knew that she had to stop him. The heat was becoming unbearable. "Apollo sweetie, stop." Ari reached out and grabbed the sun god's arm. "Ow," she yelled as she quickly withdrew her hand, cradling it to her body. That snapped Apollo out of his trance.

He quickly spun around and looked at her hand. The palm was bright red and her fingertips were blackened. Some driblets of skin were dripping off.

"Ariadne honey, I'm so sorry." He gingerly touched her burnt hand. Ari was very surprised because she felt no pain. She knew in the back of her head that that was a bad sign.

Apollo's hand started glowing a calming red and Ari could feel the feeling coming back into her hand. It was an angry burning sensation that was quickly followed by a soothing cool. Ari looked in wonder at her hand as it slowly started turning back into its original color. When Apollo finished healing her, he pulled her into a hug.

"I will never hurt you again Ariadne," Apollo breathed into her hair. "I swear on The River Styx I will never hurt you again."

"It's ok Apollo. It didn't really hurt that much anyway. Don't worry sweetie. I know that it was an accident." Apollo breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she didn't hate him for what he caused.

Zeus watched the two of them interact and realized how devoted Apollo was to Ari, even when she wasn't exactly his Ariadne. Zeus looked around the room and noticed that all of the gods were either smiling at the young couple, or glaring at him. Athena nodded her head to him as if she knew what he was thinking.

"Apollo and Ariadne," Zeus said, making the two in question jump apart. "I am going to cut your punishment in half. You are forbidden from seeing each other until Ariadne's 16th birthday."

Apollo and Ari simply looked at each other with shock written on both of their faces. Apollo was too surprised to say anything. He just stared open mouthed at Zeus. He couldn't believe that his father actually did something nice. Ari however was not shocked into silence.

"Thank you so much father. You will not regret that decision. I don't think you understand how happy you just made me." Ari squealed and to everyone's surprise, kissed Apollo right then and there. When they pulled apart they just stood there looking at one another, breathing hard. Zeus was very happy with his choice, but realized that the time apart would have to start.

"Let's give the two of them a few minutes to say goodbye." Apollo looked up at Zeus.

"May I take her somewhere?"

"Of course Apollo." The sun god gathered Ari into his arms and they both disappeared. When Ari's feet hit the ground, she opened her eyes and looked around. They were in a clearing full of trees and flowers. It looked almost identical to the meadow in the underworld. Apollo hoped that it would trigger something, but Ariadne's eyes held only wonder and awe, not recognition.

"Where are we Apollo? This place is amazing." Apollo smiled happy for making her happy.

"This is a very special meadow to me. This seemed like a perfect place to say goodbye." Ariadne's eyes filled up with tears. She forgot for a moment why Apollo brought her here. "Don't cry sweetheart. Please don't cry." The sun god pulled her into his chest again.

"Can't you visit me anyway? Zeus doesn't have to know," Ariadne sobbed into his chest.

"I wish I could honey, but I can't disobey a direct order from Zeus. He said we cannot see each other till you're 16. And he already showed us mercy by cutting the time apart in half." Ari stopped crying and looked up from Apollo's shirt.

"Were those his exact words? That we couldn't see each other till I'm 16?"

"Yes, why?"

Ari started laughing suddenly and couldn't seem to stop. Apollo was taken aback from her sudden change in behavior. "What's so funny?" Apollo asked, looking into the red face of his fiancee.

"Don't you get it?" Ariadne managed to get out. "He said that we couldn't see each other. He never mentioned anything about talking or writing to one another. So..."

"So we could still communicate without breaking the rules," Apollo said finally catching on. He joined her joyful laugher, filling the air with his musical laugh. All of the worry and stress melted off Apollo's face. Ari looked at him and had an overwhelming urge to kiss him.

So she did.

Apollo was shocked at first. This felt like Ariadne not Ari. But his shock soon turned into pleasure and he started kissing her back hungrily. When they finally broke it off, they were both gasping for breath.

"I will put a telephone in your cabin so we can call each other," said Apollo breathing hard. They both swore on The River Styx that they would not go a week without calling or writing to one another. And then it was time for Ariadne to leave.

Apollo teleported them back to the throne room where all the Olympians were waiting.

"Are you ready Ariadne?" asked Zeus.

"Yes." Apollo grabbed Ari from behind and pulled her in for one last kiss. They both were pouring all of their emotions into it, trying to show the other how much they love them.

"It's time to go daughter." Apollo and Ariadne pulled apart reluctantly.

They both looked longingly at each other until Ariadne disappeared in a brilliant flash of gold.

When she opened her eyes, she was back at camp in her cabin.

Alone.

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