Moore Info: thanks for all the reviews/follows/favs.
-the reason I have these chapters up fast is because I had them written in my journal already; I doing nothing but writing without my computer. The next chapter is the last written one I have left. The two others after are outlined. So I don't know if it'll be quickly updated like these few have been, but I will try my best because you guys rock. I'm open to suggestions. I mostly get my ideas from when I make up stories in my head in order to help me go to sleep - I'm a slight insomniac, it's why I post my stories early in the morning a lot - and sometimes when I do that, I dream about my stories, and the dreams give me ideas. It's how I came up with this fic and my tribute to you. It's awesome.
-Anyways. Most of you most likely skipped this part, so, meh, enjoy.
Chapter Ten
The ship was bustling with the ships crew, who all saluted the king as she strolled past them and towards their captain, who was barking out orders to his men.
"Captain," Phoenix greeted, "how goes it?"
"My king," the man in charge spoke as he stood straight and thumped a fist to his chest. "The seas are calm and ready for voyage, as well as the arms of my men."
Phoenix nodded, pleased. "I thank you for letting me use your ship."
"Anytime, Augustus. My men and I are honored to serve you and the gods."
The goddess nodded her head in acknowledgment to his words. "Might I ask where the general and her guest are hiding?"
"In my quarters, sir. The most comfortable seat in the house." Phoenix thanked the man one more time before walking toward said quarters. "We will be taking sail in under a half hour." The captain called out to the kings retreating back. The pale skinned woman didn't look back, but she did raise a hand in 'ok' before going down a small set of stairs that was in the middle of the ship. It led to a mahogany door - behind that door was the captains quarters.
Phoenix entered the quarters after a small knock, effectively ending the conversation that had been going on between general Sylvester and another blonde woman. They were both sitting side-by-side at the captain's lavish bed, with the generals hand being placed comfortingly on the other woman's thigh.
"My king," Sue said as she stood from the bed, a slow smile formed on her face as she took in the woman whom she hadn't seen in many cycles. The woman looked exactly the same. Phoenix returned the smile as she crossed the room to claps forearms with the tall blonde, brining her into a strong hug that included a few hard slaps to the back.
"General, it's so great to see you again." The goddess said as she pulled back from the hug.
"You as well, my king."
"Please," Phoenix waved off, "call me Phoenix. I think that after all these years, and given the current circumstances, it'd be more fitting."
Sue dipped her head in agreement. "Very well,"
Phoenix then turned her attention to the other woman present in the room, who was now standing with her arms crossed causally as took in the scene in front of her. "So you're the king that is going to be my kid?" The woman spoke as she took in the pale skinned woman whom towered over her and Sue.
"Yes ma'am, I am." The pink-eyed woman confirmed.
"Sue told me everything." She said, "and as you could guess, it was hard for me to believe, but after witnessing night instantly turn to day, I can honestly say that I'm getting there."
Phoenix chuckled. "Yes, going through the cave can do that to mortals."
"Phoenix," Sue addressed, "this is my..." She paused, still unsure on what to call the other woman, "friend, Holly - Holly Holliday. Holly, this is my king." The general introduced, her hand motioning in between the two, who nodded their greetings.
"There is some things we must discuss before we move on." Phoenix informed both blondes, "If we can all just take a seat at the table, we may continue." She told them with a gesture towards said table that was up against a wall with an open map of Absconditus spread on top. They all took a seat at the table with the two blondes on one side and Phoenix on the other, facing them.
"Now, as you both know, I'm wanting to perform a Blood Fusion ritual with the both of you acting as hosts. Do you understand what this means?" Phoenix asked with a raised brow, more so asking Holly, who was new to everything.
"We will both become your biological parents upon your next cycle, in which you will forcibly command." Sue answered before quickly looking over and at Holly as she spoke her next words. "But you will not be reborn from your ashes like usual, but through a natural birth...from Holly."
Phoenix nodded at this as she held eye contact with Holly, who looked slightly nervous at the prospect. "And did Sue explain to you how the ritual would be performed?"
"Yes," Holly answered with a light blush.
"Do you have any problems with it? Because there will be no going back after this."
"I have thought about it and decided that if she really was telling the truth, and not clinically insane, that I would go through it for her - seeing as she has proven to not be clinically insane, it looks like I will be going through with it." Holly told the king.
"You do not have to do this." Phoenix replied, "You still have a say in this. Yes, it would help immensely if you cooperated, but there are other ways to go about doing this." Even if they weren't as effective.
Holly bit her lip. "I want to do this," she replied, "I want to help." Sue tried to fight the smile that tried to make its way on her face.
"Are you aware that in order for me to come from the both of you, the ritual will have to end through the two of you consummating it?" Phoenix then asked.
"I am aware,"
"And are you aware that in order for any of this to even work, the both of you must feel love for one another?"
A moment of silence took place, one that had Sue holding her breath as she waited for the woman's answer. Holly took a quick glance towards the cheer coach sitting next to her before answering.
"Yes," Sue let out a heavy breath of air in relief as she caught the shy gaze of the other blonde. "I am aware." She finished strongly.
Phoenix beamed at that, happy for her general. "I appreciate you doing this, Ms. Holliday. It will not be for naught as the gods will surly bless you accordingly." Phoenix said to the woman, who gave her a small smile in return, not really knowing how to take the woman's words.
She had been raised as a catholic, and though she rarely went to church now as a grown up without her mother being present, it was still hard to wrap her head around the idea that her god may not be real.
"Now, the next thing I'd like to speak about is the location in which we will be performing the ritual." The king moved on. "You have two options on where to do this." She informed them. "Option one, my private island. If you choose this route, the pregnancy, and my aging, will have to be done at a rapid pace in order to meet the six month dead line we have hanging over our heads.
"Holly, you would have to drink 240ml of my blood a day during the pregnancy in order for me to develop faster in the womb - and instead of breast feeding, you'd have to feed me my blood." Phoenix told them both.
Holly, who was finding it weird that she was talking about her upcoming pregnancy with her future child right in front of her, was not too keen on this option. If she was to be pregnant and be a mother, she at least wanted to be able to experience it. Having Phoenix grow up so fast would not have her feeling like a mother. She'd feel like her uterus was only being used as a human apartment or something.
"And the other option?" Sue asked, not really liking the first one either.
"The other option is to sail to Suscipio island. There, the descendants of Hades, are able to call upon spirits who have crossed over; because of this, time there is much faster than anywhere else in Absconditus. If you choose this route, Holly will be able to carry me for the full nine months without having to drink any blood everyday after the ritual , and you both will be able to raise me as my mentality will match that of my age, despite how old I truly am."
"For how long?" Holly asked.
"Three years a month," Phoenix answered.
Holly sucked in air through her teeth as she did the easy math. "Eighteen years - we'd be there for eighteen years." Phoenix nodded. It is silent for a moment as the substitute thought it over. The blonde woman then looked over and at Sue, who had been watching her with calculating eyes.
"What do you want to do?" Holly asked the general.
Sue shrugged. "Whatever you want to do I'm used to things like this." She answered truthfully, however, inside, she hoped that Holly went with the second option.
Holly is quiet once again before voicing her previous thoughts. "If I am going to have a child, I want to be able to experience all that comes with it." She told Phoenix firmly, unknowingly causing Sue's heart to jump in joy.
"So option two?" Phoenix asked with a raised brow, making sure they were both on the same page.
"Option two," Holly confirmed.
...
It took them a full day to reach Suscipio, coming up on the western side of the island just after noon. The two blondes and Phoenix stood at the bow of the ship, taking in the beautiful island that was nothing but high trees once you went past the beach.
"Now what?" Holly asked, her arms wrapped around her body as she shivered from the cool breeze that violently whipped their hair to and fro.
"Now, we wait." Phoenix answered before telling the captain to drop anchors.
Hours later, just as the sun was about to go down, eight, tanned skinned people came from out of the dense forest, with half of them carrying lit torches.
Five of them were men, who were bare cheated and muscular - red crusted body paint mapped their bodies and they wore tan, animal skinned trousers that were loose in the crotch area, but tighter in the legs.
All but one of the women, who was dressed in trousers like the men, wore a bikini like bottom that was made from the same material that used for the men's trousers, and they all had a long cloth binding their breasts. All but that same one woman wore white body paint - the woman wore red like the men.
All eight of them had nothing covering the soles of their of feet but the dirt they walked on. Each of them carried a homemade weapon - a bow, or machete - and wore various accessories made from either bones or seashells.
"Who are those people?" Holly asked as she eyed them with wary eyes.
"Suscipian natives." Phoenix answered. "The ones wearing red body paint are Suscipian warriors." The natives stopped mid-way on the beach, with one of the three women, the only one wearing red body paint, stopping just a few feet in front of them. "Come, we must meet them on the beach." Phoenix informed them.
The three of them boarded a small paddle boat with one of the crew members rowing them to shore. The three then walked up the beach to meet with the warriors. Once they were in front of them, the natives gave a brief nod of their heads in respect towards Phoenix.
In a language both blondes did not understand, Phoenix and the female leader began to converse with one another for at least ten minuets until Phoenix finally addressed them in a language they did understand; English.
"She says to choose a necklace from one of their necks - not hers though." Phoenix told then with a head motion towards the woman in front of her. "She's the tribe's Chief."
Looking at the seven available necklaces to choose from that were around the others necks, Holly decided to take one from one of the two women other than the chief. It was made of seashells. One of the men wore a similar one in design, but the one she had decided on was lighter in color. Sue took the necklace of one of the men as his was simple with only a large, jaguar like tooth dangling at the end.
They both put the necklaces on. "Do not take those off for as long as we are on this island. They are what is going to keep you from aging during the years to come." Phoenix informed them seriously. After that, they followed the natives into the dark forest after Phoenix signaled for the man, who had paddled them to shore, to leave and only to come back for them in six months time, barring any pressing emergencies.
They walked through the dense forest for about the same time it took for the warriors to appear on the beach. All the while, they were constantly plagued with the sounds of wildlife, and light whispers in which Phoenix informed them were roaming spirits.
By the time they entered a vast clearing, in which held the native village, Holly, who thought herself athletic, was doing everything but crawling. It did not help her pride much when Sue constantly felt the need to tease her about it the whole entire way.
Almost everyone in the village was asleep in their moderately sized hut. However, there were a few warriors still up keeping watch. The leader, after the rest of the natives had left them, led the three of them through the village and to a much larger hut facing the entire village. She said a few final words with Phoenix before leaving them be.
"She will allow us to use her hut until the ritual is complete." Phoenix told them. "After that, Sue will have to build one for the both if you to live in. You will also have to join the warriors in their hunts and patrols. Holly, you'll have to cook, clean, and all that good stuff."
Holly frowned. "Why do I have to play housewife?" She asked, a little annoyed. The feminists back home would be appalled.
"The necklaces you chose determined your role." Phoenix answered. "She chose from a warrior, and you chose from someone who was not. Zaltana is allowing you both to join her tribe, so you both must contribute or else she won't hesitate to kick you out."
...
They performed the ritual the very next night, after the whole tribe held a welcoming feast for their new tribe members, Sue and Holly. The Chief led all the tribe's people in a chant that gave both blondes the ability to speak their language, in turn, allowing them to relax considerably once the barrier was broken.
After the feast, they gave them both many gifts, all handmade.
Sue basically received a starter kit from the warriors; items that she'd need to build their hut and to craft weapons. Holly had mainly received beautiful jewelry and clothing. They had both received a bag filled with wooden, eating utensils - plates, bowls, cups, and, spoons - some metal utensils to complement that - knives, and forks - and various spices for food.
None of the tribe members gave Phoenix anything as she would not be joining them until after her birth. In fact, they barely acknowledged her during the whole feast.
They were all currently sitting naked in the chiefs hut that was dimly lit by a fire pit, which was dug into the ground. The smoke that rose to the top was ventilated by a moderately sized hole that was at the top of the hut. Phoenix was about to perform the third step in the ritual, after giving Holly her mark - Sue already bore hers and that of the gods - and after spilling a half a pint of her and Sue's blood into a cup, in which she promptly dropped a ball of fire into, turning the orange flames into a dark-blue just as it had done durning Rachel's transformation ritual.
Phoenix held the flaming cup out towards Holly. "Do you accept what drinking from this cup signifies?" Phoenix asked Holly in a serious tone.
Holly, in an equally serious tone, stated, "yes."
"May Hera and Artemis bless you," Phoenix said before nodding for Holly to take the cup. The substitute did not hesitate to drain it, despite the flames going down her throat like water.
When that was done, Phoenix promptly left the hut in order to give both blondes, who were locked eyed, the privacy they would need as they performed the last, and most important step of the ritual; the consummation.
Phoenix walked a little ways from the hut where she took a seat on the dirt covered ground; bare assed. From her spot, thanks to her enhanced hearing, she was able to hear Sue's comforting and reassuring words to Holly, before lip smacking, and soon enough, the sounds of moans began.
Phoenix did not always use this method to start her next cycle, as her godly abilities were not as strong. However, by doing this, it would change her very distinctive godly scent, one that the Beast would be expecting. If it thought she was not there to defend Rachel, then it would let its guard down - at least that's what Phoenix hoped it would do.
She had told no one other than Sue and Holly the reason behind her going away, and when they would return back to Lima, she was planning on erasing the memories of anyone who may have come into contact with her in her new form. She did not want to chance word getting back to the Beast that she had performed a blood fusion ritual; a ritual not many knew about, but was certainly rumored to exist.
Besides all that, she loved performing the ritual. She loved the bonds she'd create with her cycle mother and cycle father. She didn't really have those types of bonds with her real parents, but with the ritual, it gave her that and more.
Not long afterwards, the moaning escalated into euphoric wails, and before Phoenix knew it, her body was set aflame as both Sue and Holly reached their peak, causing the pale skinned king to painlessly burn into a pile of ashes. They were immediately picked up by a strong burst of wind and scattered all around as it became one with nature.
Ten minutes later, Sue peaked her head out of the hut and took a quick glance all around for Phoenix, upon not finding her, she went back inside to lay next to a naked and sweat glistening Holly. She gently moved a strand of the substitute's hair behind her ear.
"She is gone." Sue murmured as she began to trace the other woman's jaw line. Holly's eyes fluttered at her actions.
"So that's it? At this very moment, I'm pregnant with an Olympic god?"
"Most likely,"
"That is so weird." Holly groaned softly. Sue chuckled before asking if she was oh for another round. "I thought you'd never ask."
...
The very next day, Sue and Holly officially began their first day as members of the Zaltana tribe.
Sue immediately began working on constructing their hut, with the help of some of the other warriors she had befriended the night before at the welcoming feast. While she was doing that, Holly had been herded away by a group of giggling women in order to do gods know what.
Sue was a little miffed at that, as Holly and her had been having an enlightening conversation, but quickly shook it off as the woman was carrying her child.
When she and Holly had first met, they had immediately hit it off. Sue had never become friends with someone as fast as she had done with Holly that day. The blonde had just gotten her and understood that past the harsh insults and track suits, was a sensitive person who took care of those she cared about.
So when she had briefly acted as McKinley highs principal, she had fired Schuester - her mortal enemy who wore too much fucking hair gel in his hair that he could probably slick down an entire Slip 'N Slide - as Spanish teacher, and hired Holly to replace him. She did all of that in order to make the woman's temporary job as a sub, a more permanent one that allowed her to stay in Lima , and as her best friend.
However, Holly eventually resigned as Spanish teacher after Mercedes 'tater-tot' Jones demolished her car at Holly's unknowing advice, and then fired all together by a reinstated Figgins when parents started calling in to complain about her teaching methods - more so the ones that involved sex-ed. Even after all that, they had continued their friendship while Holly subbed at the neighboring high school, Carmel.
It wasn't until Holly had informed her of the relationship she had with her mortal enemy, did she truly realize how deep her affections for the woman an ran. It had surprised her - the feelings she had suddenly developed. She had truly thought herself to be asexual in this life, as no one had ever piked her interest in such a way. She had even married herself because of it!
However, after hearing Holly go on and on about William freaking Schuester, Sue knew she had to do something.
She decided to break them up.
In order to successfully do that, she had formed the League of Doom under the guise of trying to sabotage William and his little glee club. Their first mission, however, had been to break the two up. And though Holly had eventually ended it on her own, she had still been a little disappointed that she did not have a direct hand in the breaking of their relationship. She had been even more disappointed when Holly came and told her that she'd be leaving for Cleveland, where'd she be a sub for four months. However, after those four months were up, she never did return.
Even so, Sue never stopped loving her, even when the younger woman kept ignoring all her calls.
Flash forward to after Phoenix had contacted her, Sue had shown up at the woman's home in Cleveland, a place she'd always known about, but chose not to visit in order to respect the woman's privacy.
When Holly had answered her front door, Sue had been able to read the fear that had flashed onto the woman's face before it quickly disappeared, and the woman Sue had come to know, quickly showed her presence. Holly had acted as if she hadn't been ignoring Sue's calls for the last two years. That is, until Sue practically demanded an explanation from her.
Holly had immediately clammed up and became unresponsive. That was when Sue snapped, not being able to hold it in any longer now that Holly was in front of her. She had confessed all the feeling she felt for her, yet Holly still had remained unresponsive for many long moments despite Sue's demands that she'd 'say something.'
She hadn't.
Sue had growled angrily before dropping it all together in order to move on to what Phoenix had asked of her. Though, she had figured it would be all for nothing with the way Holly had been acting. Sue had taken Holly's continued silence as a rejection; you needed love in order for Phoenix to successfully perform the Blood Fusion ritual.
However, Holly had surprised her by agreeing to at least go with her to Absconditus, saying that if she were telling the truth she'd help her out, fully knowing what it would entail; a child with her...a child they'd have to make through making love.
At her skeptical look, Holly had sighed heavily before nervously, and shyly, confessing that she did not break up with William because she didn't want to settle down with him, as she had told Sue when it had happened, she had broken up with him because she had realized that she was in love with someone else.
She had fled to Cleveland because she had been scared to face that truth.
Sue hadn't wanted to get her hopes up, as Holly did not state whom she had loved, but her heart had jumped at the woman's words.
Though, as the months went by and Holly's belly grew larger and larger, Sue became more and more certain that that 'someone' was in fact her. After all, it took love in order to make a Phoenix baby.
...
"Phoenix Reese Sylvester!" Holly yelled out to the child ahead of her, who immediately froze in place at the woman screaming her full name. "What have I told you about running off?"
The small, pale-blonde child slowly turned to smile sheepishly at her mother, her light pink eyes wide and innocent. "Not to?"
"And what were you doing?" Holly raised a high brow inquiringly.
"Ummm, running off?"
Holly rolled her eyes good naturedly as a reluctant smile took her lips upon finally catching up with the lightly tanned child. "Exactly," she said as she scooped Phoenix up with a light groan. She was becoming too heavy for her to do this, with her hitting five that day. It made her sad to think about. She was growing so fast!
"But mommy, its my birthday! I wanna see my poppy." Phoenix whined as she wrapped her arms around her mothers neck, a pout expertly on her lips.
"And you will see your poppy, but only after you put your lion cloth on, baby. You can't go around naked." Holly scolded lightly.
Phoenix's pout deepened. "But I don' wanna wear my lion cloth." Phoenix replied miserably as she thumped her forehead into the crook of her mother's neck where it stayed.
Holly shook her head with an amused smile. The child just loved to stay naked. "Do you want to get poison ivy on your peepee and have Toeha make fun of you again?"
"No ma'am,"
"Then you have to wear it so to protect it, okay?"
"Kay," Phoenix answered reluctantly.
"Is she wanting to free ball again?" A voice from in front of them spoke. Both heads snapped up towards the sound.
Phoenix gasped in pleasant surprise. "Poppy!" She shouted excitedly as she began to squirm in her mother's arms until Holly let her down. Phoenix then ran her naked self all the way to Sue, who picked her up and threw her in the air, causing the naked five year old to squeal delightedly.
"I missed you, poppy." Phoenix said when she was secure in the tall blondes arms.
"Missed you too, X. You weren't giving your mom any trouble while I was away trading with the neighboring tribes were you?"
Phoenix shook her head 'no' as she looked onto Sue with eyes wide in innocence. "No, I was good."
"Lies," Holly spoke up, "and she looks so damn innocent when she tells them, too." The sub said as she joined her wife's side, giving said woman a quick peck to her lips along with an murmured 'I missed you', which was returned. "Her and Toeha tried to tie Emmalyn's cat to a tree in order to use it for target practice.
Sue brought disapproving eyes down on the child, who was hiding her flushed face in her poppy's neck, despite feeling proud. Back in Rome, when she was her daughters age, she had been shooting birds from off the top of her father's villa, and it wasn't as if that devil cat didn't deserve it. She'd bet even Hades wouldn't want it as a pet.
"Me and Toeha wanted to practice wif our bows so we can go on hunts like you and his mama."
"You know you aren't allowed to play with bows unless I'm there with you, X." Sue said.
"I know," Phoenix mumbled.
"And you know you and Toeha won't be able to go on hunts with us until seven more birthdays." Sue added.
"I know," Phoenix mumbled once again as she began to play with the necklace that was always around her poppy's neck. Sue sighed at her daughters miserable tone. She had always had a soft spot for small children, and this one was hers so she was like putty in the child's hands. She had totally thought she'd be the disciplinarian and Holly the fun one, but it had not turned out to be as such.
According to Holly, the sub had apparently turned out to be much like her own mother, much to her horror. However, unlike her mother, Holly did know how to let loose every once in a while with her child.
"But hey," Sue said, putting perk in her voice as she poked her daughter in her stomach, causing the child to giggle at her ticklish actions. "I got you something for your birthday."
Phoenix perked up as her head shot up from where it had been resting on Sue's shoulder. "What?" Sue reached back and into her back pocket to pull out a leather sheathed knife, the handle - from the tusk of some sea creature - had intricate designs craved into it.
Phoenix gasped once again. "That mine?"
"Sure is,"
Phoenix took the object from Sue's hand and unsheathed it wildly, causing Sue to promptly duck out of the blades path or else she'd lose an eye. The blade was less than four inches long in length and was triangular in shape. Phoenix loved it.
"Awesome!" Toeha don' even have one yet. Thank you, poppy!" Phoenix exclaimed as she hugged Sue around her neck tightly before squirming to get down.
"I go show this to Toeha now." She informed them once she was down before running off once again, despite her mother's protests - she was still but naked.
Sue turned toward her wife, who was glaring at her, clearly not impressed with what just took place. "What?"
"You got her a knife? After she tried to kill the neighbors cat?"
"Well, I didn't know about that when I got it." Sue defended. Holly rolled her eyes. "When I was her age, I had tons of knifes way longer than that - had a few swords too. She'll be ok." The shorter blonde did not look reassured by that.
"Besides," Sue said as she brought the woman into her body and into a passionate kiss that had Holly whimpering lightly. "X will be bragging to Toeha about her new knife - we have at least two hours before Zaltana sends her back. What do you say we get reacquainted with one another?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
...
"Phoenix Reese Sylvester!" Holly gasped out in shocked horror as she took in the sight that was her daughter.
The seven year old was standing in the middle of their hut with a pile of pale-blonde hair at her bare feet; the hair that still remained on her head was very few and in patches, though, a long clump of hair still remained at the base of her skull, not having gotten to it yet. The knife that Sue had given her on her fifth birthday was in her guilty hand.
"What are you doing!?" Holly asked, her eyes still wide as she took in everything.
Phoenix gave her mother a sheepish smile along with an equally sheepish shrug. "I wanted to cut my hair like Toeha's"
"Toeha had lice!" Holly snapped.
"Well, why come I can't have lice? Toeha looks cool!"
"Because I actually make sure to bathe you, that's why." Holly said before taking in a deep, calming breath then letting it out slowly. "Come over here, trouble, and let me see if I can fix the mess you've made." Holly commanded as she sat down on the hut floor.
Phoenix went and plopped down in her lap so that Holly could try and do something. However, it didn't seem as if she could do much to it when she was able to look at the damage up close. The whole time Holly worked, she kept shooting sad eyes towards the large pile of pale-blonde locks that still lay on the floor just a few feet away from them.
-Later That Night-
"I-it's not that bad." Sue said unconvincingly as her and Holly sat around the village fire with the rest of the tribe. They watched as their practically bald daughter ran around the bonfire with her best friend, Toeha, chasing after her. He was a bald, tanned skinned boy who once had long dark locks of hair. The only thing that kept Phoenix from total baldness was the long braided piece of hair that was directly at the base of her skull, and went just past the base of her neck.
"I mean, it'll grow back...eventually." Sue added with a light wince.
Holly just turned to look at her wife with a blank stare. "She had already sworn to wear her hair like that for forever."
A pause.
"Right, I'll speak with her."
"Thought so,"
...
Nine year old Phoenix waved goodbye to her best friends Toeha and Jak before running off towards her hut. The fish she had caught in the near by lake was strung around her neck and flapped with each step she took. As she came upon her hut, she could see that her mother was waiting outside.
"Mom! Look at how many fish I caught!" Phoenix beamed proudly as she removed the strung fish from around her neck in order to present them to her mother. "I have two more than Toeha."
"Oh, wow, honey." Holly said with a scrunched nose. She never like seeing fish in their full form, especially when it meant she'd have to flake them. "Looks like you guys had a successful day."
"Yeah, I'm gonna go show poppy. She inside?" Phoenix said as she moved to go inside the hut, only to be stopped when her mother placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hold on there, Phoenix. You can't go inside just yet." Holly informed her.
Phoenix frowned. "Why not?"
"You know your aunt Jean?" Phoenix nodded. "Well, her spirit showed up not to long after you left with Toeha and Jak. They've been talking ever since."
"Awesome! Will I get to meet her?" Phoenix asked eagerly. Holly opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, her wife did so for her.
"Of course, X, go and meet your aunt." Sue said, coming out after hearing the voices of her wife and daughter outside their hut. Her face clearly displayed her happiness at being reunited with her sister. Phoenix wasted no time in running into the hut to meet the woman that meant a lot to her poppy, but not before passing off her catch to the tall blonde. Both Sue and Holly chuckled at the girls enthusiasm. Holly went over to her wife and brought her into a hug after Sue hung the line of fish up.
"I'm so happy right now." Sue murmured as she looked down and into Holly's light blue eyes.
A slow smile took Holly's lips as she stared up at her wife. "I can tell. I can actually see your teeth when you smile."
Sue laughed. "You and Phoenix have given me everything I've always wanted. I don't know what I'd do without you both in my life."
Holly let out a sigh as she rested her chin on Sue's shoulder. "Possibly whipping those poor cheerios into chronic paranoia; slashing Williams tires or sneaking into his house in the middle of the night to shave his head; trolling the fat people of Walmart with Becky and your megaphone; blackmail Figgins with-"
"Alright, alright - I got you." Sue said after a playful bite to Holly's cheek, causing the shorter woman to yelp as she attempted to squirm away.
"Gross, Sue." Holly glared and frowned playfully as she wiped at her cheek in great exaggeration. However, it quickly turned into a bright smile once again as she returned her chin back on Sue's shoulder.
They both just stood there outside their hut in an embrace as the sun set on the horizon, with the cool breeze washing over them comfortingly. From where they stood, they could hear Phoenix from inside the hut, talking excitedly to her aunt as she relayed a story to the apparition. However, a deep frown took over Holly's face when Phoenix's words finally registered in her mind.
"And then one time, I walked in on my mom and poppy making whoopie, and it was funny because mom sounded like a chimpanzee!" Phoenix cackled in great amusement. "Like this! Eeeeeee-"
"Phoenix Reese Sylvester!" Holly shrieked as she instantly removed herself from Sue's arms in order to rush inside the hut. Phoenix just had to choose that as a proper get-to-know-you conversation. Sue shook her head in amusement before following after her wife and towards their troublemaking daughter.
She loved them to pieces.
...
"Phoenix Reese Sylvester!" Holly shouted, a worried frown on her face as she watched her twelve year old daughter about to head off on her first hunt with the other twelve year old boys and girls of the tribe; it would also be determining who were to be warriors and who were the homemakers.
Her daughter - who still had that damn rat-tail despite no longer being bald, even if her hair was still considerably short - looked over and at her mother with confused eyes. Her mother only said her full name when she was in trouble, and upon quickly wracking her brain, she couldn't come up with anything she'd might have done to warrant it... unless she had found out about her and Toeha smoking Lotus flower that one time. Uh oh! Was that it?
"You be careful! Don't go running off, understand? Stay with the group." Holly called out.
"It's just deer mom," Phoenix sighed as Toeha, Jak, and her other friends teased her.
"Promise me you won't go running off." Holly said with stern eyes.
Phoenix let out an exasperated sigh. "Mom," she drug out with a groan.
"Promise me," she repeated once again, worry evident in her voice.
Hearing this, Phoenix's features softened before she quickly ran over to her mother, ignoring her friends teasing in order to give the woman a reassuring hug; her head came just under her mother's chin now at twelve.
"I promise not to run off." Phoenix told her softly.
Holly let out a relieved sigh before kissing the top of the pale-blonde's head. Phoenix gave her mom a reassuring smile before rejoining the group. She watched them leave with fear glazed eyes as it finally hit her that her little girl wasn't so little any more.
"She'll be fine, Hun. You forget who she is." Sue said as she joined her wife's side.
"I do not forget," Holly said with a shake of her head, "She may be some powerful god, but she's still my baby who loved to run around naked." She said wistfully.
Sue smiled as she brought her wife into a side hug. "Loved? Phoenix still loves to go around naked."
"Unfortunately,"
...
"Your daughter is quite popular with the ladies, Holly." One of the tribe women spoke as they all headed back to the village - each had a basket of damp clothes they had just washed, under their armpits.
"Oh gods, yes! My daughter willnot shut up about her." A man spoke up.
"Mine as well," another woman.
Holly frowned as it seemed as if a chorus of women, and more than a handful of men, spoke of her fifteen year old daughter and their respective daughter.
"What are you all talking about?" Holly questioned.
"We're talking about how your daughter seems to be Apollo himself as she's caused a lot of girls to fall for her charms."
"Her and Toeha," someone added. And there it was; you couldn't speak of Phoenix or Toeha without bringing up the other.
"No," Holly shook her head with a light chuckle of denial. "You guys must be interpreting it all wrong. Phoenix wouldn't-Phoenix Reese Sylvester!" Holly shrieked in shock as she witnessed her fifteen year old stumble out from behind a tree and into the dirt roads that led back to the village.
The tall teen hastily struggled to pull her pants up just as her head snapped up to meet her mother's wild and stormy eyes. At that same moment, a tanned skin girl, who was at least three years older than Phoenix, came from out from behind the same tree while hastily trying to fix her bindings.
"Nina!" One of the women screamed out, causing the girl, presumably named Nina, to wince.
A sheepish smile took on Phoenix lips as she hurriedly pulled her pants up the rest of the way. "H-hey mommy," the teen stuttered as Holly took in how messed up her daughter's red body paint was, which she had began to apply after her first hunt when she was named a warrior. The other girl's white body paint was messed up as well. She even had some marks of red mixed in with hers - some of hers could be seen on the front of Phoenix's secure bindings. All of it was telling as to what took place behind that tree.
"Don't you 'hey mommy' me, Phoenix Reese!" Holly snapped as Nina's mother came and joined her side, mirroring Holly as she stared her daughter down with her free hand on her hip. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'd like to know that as well, Nina." The girl's mother demanded.
"Uh, we were just-I was just," Phoenix stammered.
"I love her, mother!" Nina declared passionately. Phoenix, Holly, and Nina's mothers eyes bugged at that.
"Wahhht?" Phoenix said in a high pitched voice as her head snapped towards the other girl's. "Now, wait a minute." She said with a nervous laugh. "I never said-ow! Ow! Ow!" Phoenix yelled in pain as her mother took her by the ear and began to drag her back to the village in a brisk walk. Nina's mother did the same to her daughter.
"Ow! Mom! I'm sorry!" Phoenix whined, her entire face was flushed and scrunched in pain as she attempted to save her ear.
"Hush, we'll speak of this when your poppy returns later tonight.
Phoenix's eyes widen. "Nooo! Please, mom, don't tell poppy!"
Holly shook her head. "Nope, I'm telling."
Phoenix pouted. "Can I at least have my ear back?"
"No," Holly snapped. She may have taught sex-ed to her students, and she may have even encouraged them a little, but that was all before she had her own daughter. She now understood why she had been fired. It was way different when it was your kid doing the sex!
"If my daughter becomes pregnant, you're marrying her! You hear me Phoenix! You make my daughter a Queen!" Nina's mother shouted from behind them. Phoenix gasped out in horror at the prospect.
Holly looked up and at her hunched daughter, whose eyes were wide, with a serious look on her face. "You better hope she's not pregnant, because that's exactly what you'll be doing if she is." Phoenix gulped down the large lump in her throat. She'd be praying to the gods all through the night.
However, little did she know she wasn't the only one praying; Nina wanted that wedding.
...
"I'm going to miss you, sis." Toeha said sadly to Phoenix after they released each other from the strong hug they had shared.
"Me too, brother." Phoenix returned. He was her best friend. They had gotten into so much trouble together. She'd miss him. "I'll come and visit you once everything is taken care of." She promised.
"No, I will." Toeha smirked. "I still don't believe what you say about Ogygian women."
Phoenix returned the smirk. "Oh trust me, brother, it is true." His smile widened at that.
Phoenix continued down the line of tribes people who had come to see her and her mothers off. Everyone seemed sad to see them go.
Well, everyone but Nina - she still hadn't gotten over the fact that she hadn't been able to marry Phoenix, thanks to the pregnancy that never was. The chick had went totally psycho after and had tried, on multiple occasions, to get Phoenix to have sex with her in order to get pregnant, but Phoenix was not about to do any of that.
She already had too many kids as it was with her being the father of all things supernatural. She didn't need anymore at that moment, thank you. And she did not wish to hear her mother rant at her for hours on end like she had done before.
When all their goodbyes were said and done, the Sylvester's entered the row boat that took them back to their waiting ship, in which they promptly boarded.
Phoenix adjusted the sack on her back that was filled with some of her things, as she watched her tribe morph into dots,and then to nothing, as the ship sailed further and further away from the island that had been her home for over seventeen years.
"You okay, X?" Sue asked as her and Holly joined the young god's side. Holly immediately began to run her fingers through her daughters choppy hair; the girl's rat-tail was still present, and longer and thicker than ever, and apparently there to stay, according to Phoenix.
"Phoenix let out a wistful, yet excited sigh as a smile took over her face. "Yeah, poppy. I'm good." She just couldn't wait to see the look on Rachel's face when she saw her again. But instead, she told them, "I'm just glad I don't have to be in the same room anymore when you and mom have chimpanzee sex, like; Eeeeeeee-"
"Phoenix Reese Sylvester!"
Moore Info: So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Meh? Let me know in a review.
-I totally gave you guys somewhat of a hint as to who Sue's love was last chapter by reminding you of the league of doom in my Moore info at the bottom.
-Many of you thought It'd be Shelby. I thought about it, but then went 'nawww'. I totes ship Sueday...totally just made that up. Hopefully it'll catch on. Sorry for how ooc Sue seems to be, but I felt that she'd be different with those she cares about. Kinda like how she is sometimes in the show.
-How many thought I had planned for Phoenix to possess Sue's body?
-this chapter inspired a story idea within me that I think you guys would be interested in. Maybe you'll see it soon.
-and for those of you who care, I'm working on the next update of River right now. It may be up soon.
Next Chapter: Phoenix Reese Sylvester and Rachel reunite as they head back to Lima.
Two more chapters till Lima.