*Italicized words mean something is being seen/said in the past*

CHAPTER 12

Yui looked into her bathroom mirror to adjust the red tie that went to her school uniform. After accomplishing that task, she turned her gaze to the black band around the upper arm of her left sleeve, noting the sun symbol. Even though she wore this outfit for over a year, it was the first time she realized the significance. This school was created for Apollon? Did the Sun God pick up on it too? Maybe she would have to ask him sometime.

Satisfied with her appearance, the Japanese teenager reached for the doorknob, anxious to get back to Athena. Instead of walking out into her bedroom, she found herself standing in the middle of a room that resembled Zeus' office at the academy.

Two extravagant thrones were situated in the center of the back wall, with a male and female figure occupying them. The male she instantly recognized as the young Zeus, dressed the same as she saw him in the last vision. The female she had never seen before. A beautiful brunette dressed elegantly in rich hues of flowing purple and light green silk sat regally in the throne to the left. Her shiny hair was braided around the top of her head with jewels woven in between. A silver crown sat daintily in front. This woman was truly stunning, but there was something off about her. Her brown, doe shaped eyes seemed cold and aloof.

"My thigh is really troubling me for some reason today," Zeus mumbled to himself, rubbing hard at his left leg.

The woman gave a small sigh. "I know you don't want to hear this...but how long can you keep this up? Nothing you've done has brought Dionysus back to us."

Zeus' hands balled into fists as he glared at the female goddess beside him. "You're right, Hera. I don't want to hear that from you!" he said in barely contained anger. "I can't give up on him! It was our fault that he was torn apart! We were too busy arguing to watch him properly."

Yui's eyes shot open in horror. Torn apart?! Did Zeus literally mean Dionysus was ripped to pieces?

"You keep those segments left in your thigh, hoping to regenerate him, but nothing has happened all this time. All it does is cause you pain and grief." Even though her voice was soft, there was no warmth or compassion in her eyes. "How long do you plan to suffer?"

"For eternity, if I have to! Even though Dionysus isn't whole, I can feel his life force. As long as his heart still beats, there is hope."

The massive doors on the other end of the room swung open, and the entire area was filled with a bright light and multicolored prisms. A blond toddler rushed in, heading straight for Zeus. The human girl smiled in recognition. Apollon-san had grown a bit since the last vision, and now he was able to walk.

"Fah-Fah! Fah-Fah!" Apollon cried out happily, his arms stretched out to hug his father."I heal! I heal!"

Hiding his discomfort, Zeus rose from his throne and picked up the elated boy, lifting the giggling tot above his head. "And what are you so especially glad about, my precious ray of Sunshine?" he asked in amusement.

Kusanagi watched the tender scene with a bittersweet smile. What had happened down the road to cause the current tension between the father and son? Why was the Zeus she knew so different than the one in front of her?

Athena arrived right behind her little brother, a beaming smile on her face. "Father! Sunbeam has healing powers as well!"

Looking back at his son, the supreme god couldn't hide his surprise at the news. "You can heal?"

"Yes! Yes!" the little Sun God confirmed with a sunshiny smile. "I heal widdle birdie!" He playfully pounded on his father's chest. "Me! Me!" His cheerful demeanor instantly changed to worry as his big eyes went down to Zeus' left leg. The expressive orbs then returned to his father's face. "Ouchie? Fah-Fah has ouchie?"

The God of the Heavens exchanged a startled glance with Athena. "Why do you ask that?"

"Down! Down!" toddler Apollon said, squirming in his father's tight grip.

Fearful that he might drop him, the god lowered his excited son to the floor, watching in amazement as the tiny hands began to glow a soft green color. Apollon immediately went to the area Yui had seen Zeus rubbing earlier, intensifying the flow of power as he closed his eyes.

Zeus reached down to stop his son, but Athena blocked his hands. "Let him try," she said in explanation. "He's quite strong in this ability."

"But he's a small child!" the God of the Skies argued. "He could hurt himself!" The protest had just left his mouth when he felt a drastic change in his thigh. His green eyes widened in shock as he looked down at his son, who was now looking up at him with a pleased smile.

"I heal baby! I heal baby!" Apollon announced with an adorable laugh.

Tears welled up in the proud god's eyes as he once again scooped up his child, cuddling him to his chest. "You healed your big brother!"

"Brudder?" Apollon echoed, his already large eyes growing bigger. He squealed in joy and wrapped his little arms around his father's neck. Zeus returned the hug, planting kisses upon the toddler's loose, golden curls. Athena joined in, laughing as she hugged the Sun God from behind.

An icy chill raced down Yui's back, diverting her attention away from the loving display. Her eyes were drawn to the goddess Hera, and the girl knew instantly what she had felt came from her. Though the beautiful woman's face looked neutral, Kusanagi could feel the hatred pouring off of her in waves.

The teenager found herself trembling at the emotions she felt coming from the goddess. To have such an intense loathing for a child!? And for one who was as sweet as Apollon?

A loud yawn echoed through the throne room, eliciting chuckles from Zeus and Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom gently took her sleepy brother from their father, cradling him in her arms.

"I think someone wore himself out," she remarked with a fond smile as she kissed Apollon's forehead. "Time for an early nap-nap."

"No, no" Apollon objected weakly, letting out another yawn. "Want to play wif big brudder..." His eyelids grew heavy, and unable to fight it any longer, the small Sun God finally closed his eyes, instantly falling asleep.

Giving her father a wink, the young goddess carried her sleeping brother out of the room.

Once his daughter had left, Zeus sat back down in his chair, a winsome smile on his face. "He truly is a marvelous child," he commented in awe. "I knew the instant I laid eyes on him for the first time that he'd be special. Artemis is amazing too, but even she doesn't have the power her twin brother has."

"Yes, Apollon is indeed surprising," Hera admitted dryly. "If he keeps this up, he'll surpass you one day in power, maybe even challenge you for the throne."

Zeus' head snapped towards his wife. "Watch your tongue!" he said angrily. "Apollon will never turn on me!"

Unfazed by her husband's ire, Hera shrugged. "The future is never certain. Even prophesies can be altered. I'm only giving you fair warning." She pointed a perfectly manicured index finger towards the god's left leg. "What did Apollon do by the way?"

"He reverted Dionysus back to a fetus." He brushed a hand gently over his thigh in wonder. "After all these years...and all my attempts, it took the love of a child to heal him."

Hera rolled her brown eyes. "Love? The boy has healing powers. Don't go romanticizing it."

Scowling at the goddess, Zeus replied. "When Sunshine healed my thigh, I felt the love and compassion he had. He didn't do it because he 'could', he did it because he wanted to. I don't know how, but he sensed Dionysus' presence."

"So Dionysus will be grown in your thigh as he was before?"

The leader of the Olympians shook his head. "No. It will take too long. I want to implant him into a human woman..."

"How dare you!" Hera spat out in fury. "Why is your own wife, the Goddess of Marriage and Family, not able to carry him?! You just want an excuse to sleep with some attractive human!"

Groaning in irritation, Zeus rubbed at his temple. "You can't carry him for the same reason, I won't let him grow in my thigh. Being born by a god will take too long, not to mention he will take even longer to be the age he should be by now. A human birth is quicker, and humans grow up faster too. Once Dionysus is old enough, I will fetch him and bring him back to Olympus."

"Won't sleeping with a mortal woman make Dionysus a demi-god?" the goddess pointed out as she gritted her teeth.

"I'm not going to sleep with anyone. I will place the fetus into a human woman without intercourse so Dionysus will retain his godhood. I know of a faithful follower who would be a good choice, Semele."

"Yui!"

Athena's voice broke through Kusanagi's trance, pulling the girl back to the present. She found the Goddess of Wisdom standing in front of her, the stormy grey eyes filled with worry. Even the white owl perched on the deity's shoulder looked concerned.

"You had another vision didn't you? You were taking so long that I came to check on you. When I came in, the Ama no Murakumo was glowing around your neck, and you were staring off into the distance."

The Japanese teenager grasped her sword necklace, and turned her gaze to the Greek goddess. "Yes, I was taken back to the past again. This time Apollon-san was a small child and I saw him heal Dionysus-san in Zeus' thigh."

Biting down on her bottom lip, Athena hesitated for a few moments, unsure of what to do. "By the gods of antiquity, my curiosity is driving me wild! But the time is getting late, and you should follow your regular routine so no one becomes worried about where you are. Promise me we will discuss your newest visions later, alright?"

Yui nodded in agreement, receiving a hug from the goddess. Maybe it would be best to wait. After all, today was Athena's first day of teaching class, and she was so excited to see her little brother.

As Kusanagi was preparing to leave to meet the other gods, the Goddess of Wisdom said, "Please keep my identity a secret for now. I want to surprise Apollon when I come in after your first class with Thoth."

"Of course I will!" the teenager said with a smile. "I'm excited to see Apollon-san's reaction to seeing you again. Also Dionysus-san and Hades-san will be happy to see you too."

Snickering, the female deity gave a wink. "Oh I'm sure Dionysus will have quite the reaction to my appearance! I'm looking forward to seeing that too!"

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As soon as Hera awoke and dressed, she hurried to her private room, ignoring all who crossed her path. The Goddess of the Heavens was on a mission, and no one was going to deter her.

Though she discretely opened the ornate door, her displeasure was evident to the occupant in the room. Gaia was reclining on Hera's favorite lounge chair, obviously making herself at home. The Earth Goddess smirked at the other female, making Hera's blood boil.

"Good morning, my Queen," Gaia said in a mocking tone. "Did you not sleep well? You seem a bit irritable." She sat up, glancing at Hera with a forced look of concern. "Or did you miss eating your morning meal?"

The Goddess of Marriage straightened, her brown eyes blazing with contained fury. "I want answers. You ask for my help, yet you seem to revel in testing my patience with your lack of details."

Her black aura intensifying, Gaia rose from the chaise lounge and strolled leisurely to the other deity. "You have helped so immensely already. Didn't I already tell you the little box you created has been very useful?"

Hera frowned. "I am through with this game."

"Even though I know of your 'plots' against Zeus' precious 'Sunshine'?"

The Queen of the Gods walked past Gaia, and reclaimed her chaise lounge, stretching her svelte frame over the plush cushions. "Go to Zeus then," she challenged with a haughty look. "He knows I hate his stupid son, and if he hasn't suspected me in the past, then he won't believe your outlandish claims now. All I have to tell him is that you want revenge by any means necessary, and I was only playing along to find out your intentions. Your threats over my head would be nullified."

A brown eyebrow rose in question. "Is it really that easy?" She gave her hand a dismissive wave. Time was running out, so she couldn't risk losing her access to Hera's portal to the Academy of the Gods. "I still wish to continue our collaboration. What would you like to know?"

Her eyes narrowing, Hera fixed the older goddess with a determined look. "That is more like it." She motioned at a chair near her. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable. I truly feel we will be in discussions for quite a while."

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The Norse and Japanese gods were still standing in the hallway exchanging varied glances, each group wondering why the other group wasn't making any moves to follow Apollon to the cafeteria.

Thor was the first to speak. "Loki, Balder, why don't you go to the cafeteria," he suggested. "I will wait for Dionysus to come out."

"But...," Loki began to protest, but a stern glare from his brother caused the words to die in his throat.

"I agree with Thor, we should keep Agana Belea company," Balder concurred, gently pushing his best friend by the shoulders. "I also want to reassure him that we didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable on the issue with Yui."

"Alright," the Norse God of Fire reluctantly agreed. "I want to ask him anyway what the hell happened to cause what we just witnessed."

Takeru watched the two leave and then elbowed Tskutio. "Maybe you should join them, Bro? I'll wait for Hades."

The older Japanese god shook his head. "I will wait with you. I have questions for Hades Aidoneus too." He turned his gaze to the Norse God of Thunder. "Is your desire to speak with Dionysus Thyrsos due to the discussion from last night?" he asked point blank.

"Yes," Thor had to concur. "What about you two? Why is it so important to talk with Hades?"

"He was smiling real weird when we visited Apollon last night," Takeru answered. "It was like watching his nephew get all hyper made him happy."

"We are also wondering what happened the night Apollon Agana Belea broke free of his shakle," Tskuito supplied. "And why was he summoned here to the academy."

"We were curious about that as well," the God of Thunder admitted. "Maybe we should kill two birds with one stone and ask both of them together."

Takeru nodded eagerly. "Sounds like a sound tactical plan!"

The three gods didn't have to wait long as the figure of Hades strode out of the front door to the Greek's suite. The God of the Underworld fixed the group with a cautious look. Had his oldest nephew's 'display' upset the others enough to cause a confrontation?

"Is there an issue?" he asked in his deep voice, straightening his posture.

"We would like to speak with you and Dionysus Thyrsos," Tskuito replied blandly. "It concerns Apollon Agana Belea."

"Dionysus should be coming any minute," Hades answered. He glanced between the younger gods in concern. Apollon? Was there more going on with the Sun God? Before he could ask, the God of Fertility ambled out into the hallway.

Smirking, Dionysus gave his fellow immortals a mischievous wink. "Sorry dudes, I ended up getting dressed. Didn't you get a good enough view before?"

"That's enough, Dionysus," his uncle said in a firm tone. "They are here to talk about Apollon."

The God of Wine's playful disposition turned wary immediately. His green eyes narrowed briefly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What about him?"

"You mentioned last night about how Apollon is finally becoming whole again," Takeru spoke up. "We were all wondering what you meant by that."

"And why did Zeus bring him to the school?" Thor chimed in. "Out of all of us, he's the least likely candidate to be here."

Uncle and nephew exchanged glances, uncertainty written all over their faces. Should they give details of what their youngest went through without him being present?

"We can just ask Apollon Agana Belea himself," Tskuito blurted out in his emotionless voice.

"No, don't bother him about the past," Hades said quickly, rubbing a hand on the side of his neck. He didn't want his young nephew's jubilant mood spoiled by reliving traumatic times. "Apollon...he has endured much tragedy and rejection in his life." The god cast his eyes down towards the floor as he struggled to find the words to tell them without revealing too much. "He overcame many emotionally painful trials, yet there was one he couldn't recover from."

"When a mortal girl he loved committed suicide, he went into a dark place that he had never gone before," Dionysus explained. "Even Dad was freaking out over it."

"Apollon fulfilled his duties as Sun God, but he stopped doing anything else. He would only sit in solitude day after day, avoiding his family, refusing to visit his temples, or to do any of his other godly responsibilities." Hades let out a heavy sigh at the thought of how despondent his nephew became. "We began to fear that we had lost him forever to despair."

"But, he's ok now, right?" Takeru asked, surprised at the information. What they were describing didn't match his fellow classmate. "He doesn't act that way here."

"We were able to pull him from the brink, but he still didn't act completely like himself. The way he coped with it was to suppress his emotions and focus solely on making others happy," the God of Fertility supplied. "Yet, he would have episodes of darkness that would overcome him briefly from time to time."

"So the odd behavior Apollon exhibited the day his shackle broke was due to one of those dark episodes?" Thor asked.

"Yes," the God of the Underworld concurred, "but it was acted out a bit differently than his other ones. That was why we didn't notice it immediately."

"Was that why Zeus sent him here?" Takeru enquired.

"Pretty much," The God of Fertility replied with a nod of his head. "Dad was worried that the dark episodes would eventually overtake his loving nature."

"Then the uncharacteristic smile you gave towards Apollon Agana Belea last night was because he was acting more like his old self?" Tskutio reasoned.

"I have known him since he was a babe in his mother's embrace," Hades answered, his face softening. "He is very precious to me. To see his suffering lessen is like witnessing a ray of sunlight bursting through storm clouds."

Clapping his hands together loudly, Dionysus grabbed the group's attention. "As much as it pains me to say this...we better get moving along so we don't miss class." To finish his point, he turned and began to walk down the hallway, motioning for the others to join him. Hopefully what he and Hades told them would be enough to sate their curiosity, so they wouldn't pester his little brother for more details.

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Athena was careful as she made her way to Zeus' office. Thankfully the students were now consuming their morning breakfast at the cafeteria instead of milling about. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Soon she found herself standing outside the massive doorway, willing herself to stay calm. What Kusanagi described to her last night unnerved the goddess greatly. Apollon's trance-like behavior, Cassandra's presence at the academy, a mist coming from her brother's ring, the mention of a 'dark cloud' over her brother's heart...all of them smacked of something more going on than just guilt and sadness over a lover's death.

Placing one of her palms on each door, the Goddess of Strategic Warfare pushed them open, prepared to do battle with her father, and using any trick in the book to get the information she required.

Zeus was sitting on his throne when his daughter made her dramatic entrance. Seeing the look of determination on her face, the god gave a low groan, suppressing the desire to shake his head in exasperation.

"Why are you not preparing for your class?" he asked in an irritated tone, letting the female deity know he was not in the mood for any confrontations.

"Why are you keeping secrets about my brother?" Athena shot back.

The immortal gave his daughter a disapproving glare, refusing to say more.

Athena rolled her eyes at the look she received. "Please spare me the furrowed brows of displeasure and the scowl of pissed-dom. I know of the strange behavior Sunbeam displayed before his shackle came off."

Zeus shook his head ruefully. "I should have known better than to bring two opinionated females together," he muttered under his breath. "Nothing good ever comes from it."

"Kusanagi Yui thinks the ring caused Sunbeam's afflictions, but I think that is a line you fed her to end the issue." She folded her arms over her chest. "Did the other gods walk around in a trance? Did their shackles give off a black mist? Did they thrash about in their beds as if they were possessed?"

His hand tightening on his staff of power, the leader of the gods sent his daughter a fierce look. "The issue is resolved, so I will not speak of it anymore. Your brother is fine and is even showing signs of his former self."

"How can you be so sure? What if its only a temporary fix? I need to know everything so I can protect him in the future..."

"His curse is lifted! It is over!" Zeus stated firmly in a booming voice. "If you persist in aggravating me further, I won't hesitate sending you back home!"

"His curse?!" Athena's black eyebrows shot up in alarm. "I knew there was more to it!" She slammed her right fist into the open palm of her left hand.

Placing a hand over his face in exacerbation, Zeus mentally kicked himself. Damnation, he gave away to much information. Now his tenacious daughter won't let the matter rest until she was satisfied with the answers.

Watching her father's vexation, Athena smirked to herself. Damn straight she was going to get to the bottom of her brother's past behavior.

*Thanks to all who are reading, reviewing or watching this story! I wanted to give a little back story as to why I wrote what I did about Dionysus. I read on a couple of sites that there were stories out there that Dionysus wasn't born from a mother, just as with Athena. One of the sites also mentioned he was a very old god, predating some of the Olympians like Athena and the twins, but was only brought into prominence later on.

I also read a story where some of the Titans lured a child Dionysus away from Zeus' throne with toys and tore him to pieces. One had them eating him, another said he was torn apart. Athena found his still beating heart and Zeus placed it into his thigh, then choosing Semele to carry him, or Zeus carried Dionysus himself.

I thought all of that fit in perfectly with my view of Dionysus being a big brother, and a way of showing a deep bond between him and Apollon.*