Sorry this took so long to post. Kept rewriting and rewriting. :( Still not 100 % happy, but I feel more comfortable posting this chapter now.
I want to thank everyone who faved, reviewed, and are reading this story.
CHAPTER 14
When Yui entered inside the school's cafeteria, she found her godly friends laughing and talking together. The scene brought a smile to her face as she walked up to them. It looked like whatever tension that was in the air the other evening had dissipated.
Apollon was the first to see her, and he leapt up from his chair enthusiastically. "Morning, Fairy! Hurry and get your breakfast because I have something wonderful to tell you about!"
Balder turned around and patted the seat of an empty chair beside him. "I saved you a seat, Yui."
The Japanese teenager paused briefly in uncertainty. She didn't want to give Balder-san the impression she didn't want to be around him, but she also worried that he would take it as an encouragement, and start to insist again that he should spend every waking moment with her. While she found him to be exceptionally kind and gorgeous, she also knew he had an obsessive, darker side as the God of Destruction. It was that side that bothered her. After picking out what she wanted to eat, Kusanagi decided to take the offered seat. Maybe now it would be okay, since they were all able to reach him with their concern and friendship when his dark side had taken over before.
"Fairy, I would like to ask you to join us on our game nights this weekend," Apollon said excitedly. "Tsuki-Tsuki and Take-Take are coming over Saturday, and Bal-Bal, Loki-Loki and Thor-Thor are coming on Sunday. I thought it would be kalos if you can come play both nights!"
Kusanagi's face lit up. "That sounds like a lot of fun!" she agreed with a smile. She caught herself before suggesting Athena join them too. Her presence at the school was still a secret for now.
The Sun God shot his fist up into the air. "We will have the best time! The best!"
"What kind of games are we playing?"
"They are all games from your world. I thought it would help the rest of us learn more about humans," Apollon answered. "I picked out one called "Life"..."
"Oh! That one would be a great one to play!" Yui approved. "What else?"
"Something called "Monopoly", and I also chose"Battleship" for those who wanted a challenge. Then there is "Clue","Sorry", "Headache", and "Twister"."
The teenaged girl gave a nervous laugh. "Uhm, Apollon-san, I don't think "Twister" would be a good game to play..."
Apollon looked at his friend in confusion. "Why not, Fairy? It's a game with a lot of physical contact, and you get your bodies twisted around each other. It's just like the idea for our Beach Trip last year. Y'know, our bodies touching to form bonds of friendship?"
"You already 'touch' too much as it is," Takeru grumbled, folding this arms across his chest. "I'm with Weed on this one."
"I think it sounds lovely," Balder interjected as he looked over eagerly at Kusanagi. "Can we choose who we get tangled up with? I chose Yui."
Dionysus' eyebrow quirked upwards in alarm as he watched the Norse God of Light glance Kusanagi's way. Damn, that game had the potential to be a real hornets nest. He better get this taken care of now. Rising from his chair, he came in behind his brother, placing a hand on the younger god's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Sounds like that game takes too much effort to play," he spoke in a jovial tone, hoping it would defuse any disappointment Apollon would have. "You know how I feel about anything being too labor intensive...except for growing my grapes."
"I think your other games sound much more fun!" Kusanagi added to back up the God of Fertility's line of thought.
Apollon shrugged and looked up at his brother with an impish grin. "I bet you could easily identify with the game "Headache" since you are the God of Hangovers..."
Hades nearly snorted his strawberry and banana juice out of his nose as he struggled not to chuckle.
"That's God of Merriment to you, you annoying ray of sunshine in my face!" Dionysus said with an exaggerated, pious air. "Maybe if you partook more of the nectar of the grape, you'd understand the difference."
"I do know the difference. It's whether you are wearing your toga, or you are wearing your toga on your head!" the Sun God shot back playfully.
The God of Wine waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Shows what you know. I wouldn't be wearing a toga at all!" he jabbed.
A shocked gasp stopped the Greek brothers from their banter. They turned their eyes to the source, finding Yui staring at them with crimson stainedcheeks.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Fairy! Really sorry! We didn't mean to offend!" Apollon spoke, his green orbs beseeching forgiveness.
"I know you didn't mean any harm," Kusanagi admitted, her blush deepening. "I...I was caught by surprise, that's all..."
The Sun God let out a relieved sigh. "Kalos!"
Tsukito looked over at their human representative. "From your reaction on the topic of nudity, it was good you didn't witness the incident earlier."
"Bro!" Takeru cried out. "She doesn't need to know about that!"
Her eyes growing wide, Yui looked around the table at the other gods. "What are you talking about?"
"I played a prank on Dee-Dee to wake him up," Apollon provided, "and he...mph!" Hades' hand reached over and covered his nephew's mouth, hoping to keep the conversation from getting any more embarrassing.
"Why are you silencing Apollon Agana Belea?" the Moon god asked in confusion. "Kusanagi Yui asked to know what happened and he was informing her. It wasn't as if she herself witnessed Dionysus Thyrsos...mm-mm?" Tsukito found his mouth covered by his younger brother's hand.
The God of Wine broke out into a hearty laugh, but was silenced by a stern look from his uncle. He threw his arms out in question. "What'd I do?!"
"If you had gotten up when you were supposed to, none of 'that' would have happened," Hades answered curtly as he removed his hand from the Sun God's mouth.
Dionysus' mouth flew open in disbelief. "What? It's all my fault?!"
"Yes!" Hades and Apollon said in unison.
"What the hell?" the redheaded Greek muttered with a shake of his head.
"How about we all focus on finishing our morning meal," Thor suggested with a frown. "We don't have much time before we start classes."
The others fell silent and did what the God of Thunder asked, choosing to spend the rest of their time eating.
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Today, the first class was gym, and as usual, Thoth herded the gods inside the massive gymnasium and closed the door behind him, allowing the younger generation of deities to fend for themselves. Yui glanced around at her fellow classmates, watching how they entertained themselves.
Apollon was having a great time doing slam dunks against the basketball hoop, while Tsukito watched on, taking notes. The human girl had to chuckle when the Greek god took away the Japanese god's notebook, replacing it with the basketball. The God of the Sun was going to have his hands full trying to teach the sedate Moon God how to play.
A furious Takeru was busy chasing Loki around the built in track as the God of Mischief laughed in glee. Kusanagi did a double take. Wait. Was that a squirt gun in Loki's hand?
Balder was surrounded by the rest of the students as he did simple stretching exercises before starting his regimen.
Thor was sitting in the bleachers with a bored expression, while Dionysus lounged nearby. Hades was standing beside the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he kept his eyes downcast. His stand-offish posture reminded Yui of what she saw in the vision last night.
The Japanese teenager lowered her head in thought. She promised Athena-san to tell her about the visions, but would it hurt to tell Hades-san about the one that happened in the Underworld? She did vow that she would tell him the truth about the incident with baby Apollon-san. Clenching her fists, Kusanagi decided to talk to the God of the Underworld about it. Her face set in determination, she walked up to the morose deity, surprising him.
"Hades-san, may I have a word with you outside?" she asked. "There is something important I need to tell you." Focused on the god in front of her, Yui didn't notice that the eyes and ears of the other gods had been drawn to them.
Hades' face flushed in embarrassment. Why was he being singled out? "If-if it is that important...," he reluctantly agreed. After opening the door, he followed the human girl out into the hallway.
The other gods in the gymnasium hurried to the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wayward pair. Yui and Hades were too far down the hallway to eavesdrop on, so all they could do was watch their actions.
At first, Kusanagi was doing all the talking, her movements animated, like she wanted to make sure the god understood her words. The one sided conversion continued on for a few minutes, until Hades' head jolted up as if in shock. He then reached out toward the girl, grasping her by the shoulders as he spoke to her. The Japanese teen then nodded her head vigorously. When he began to drop his arms, Yui grasped both of his hands, her face earnest as she spoke.
A collective gasp was heard from the group of peeping gods as they tried to come to terms with the scene they witnessed. Dionysus watched his younger brother's reaction closely, concern building when he saw Apollon jerk as if he had been punched in the gut, only to recover scant seconds later with his plastered on smile.
"Did...did Yui just confess to Aidoneus?" Balder asked, his brows furrowing in consternation.
"Weed chose him?" Takeru echoed in disbelief. "I mean Hades is cool and all, but really...him?"
"What did she confess?" Tsukito asked the others. "It must not be good, judging by your reactions."
"A confession would mean that Fairy told Uncle Hades that she liked him," Apollon explained in an overly cheerful tone. "We need to be happy for them!"
Dionysus frowned. To everyone else, his little brother appeared to be okay with the situation, but he saw through the facade. Hell, he's been seeing that forced cheerfulness for decades. Damn it all! Why now?! He ran both hands over his spiked red hair in inner frustration. Hades was older than even Zeus!
The group of gods grew silent when all of a sudden Yui and Hades began to hurry in the opposite direction from the gymnasium.
"Should we follow them?" Loki asked the others.
"Maybe they want to be alone?" Apollon pointed out without his usual vigor.
"Maybe he's making Weed go along," Takeru said urgently. "We have to protect her!"
"I agree!" Balder inserted forcefully. "She is a delicate flower who needs to be shielded..."
"Are you guys done?" Thor said irritably. "We have no idea what is going on, and is it really any of our business?"
Apollon turned his eyes to the now empty hallway. "Thor-Thor is right. It isn't our business, and Uncle Hades would never force anyone to do as he bids." He tried to summon a confident smile, but found it faltered as his eyes connected with his brother's. Dee-Dee knew all too well the act he was trying to play, and wouldn't be fooled so easily.
At the fleeting look of sadness in his little brother's eyes, Dionysus suppressed the urge to go over and give Apollon a brotherly bear hug. Doing so would draw unwanted attention to the blond Greek's dashed hopes. He supposed the other gods were also dealing with their own feelings of disappointment over the possibility of Kusanagi having confessed to someone else.
Everyone turned away from the door way and came back inside the gym, but none of them felt like continuing their physical education. Even Apollon was acting aloof, wandering around the big gymnasium without any goal in mind.
Balder returned to his throng of admirers, but he didn't focus on what they were saying as his blue eyes kept staring at the door.
Loki and Takeru stood apart, their feud forgotten for the moment as they stared off into the distance.
The ever punctual Tsukito glanced down at this watch, his face barely changing. "We are running late. We will have exactly twenty minutes to shower and be seated for our first class."
Panic filled the other gods faces at the thought of an irritated Thoth Caduceus, and it caused them to rush to the showers so not to be late.
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Athena paced back and forth in her classroom, her mind warring with her emotions over Apollon. The rational part of her mind wanted to wait until the right time to reveal her presence, but her emotional side wanted to rush out as he walked by and engulf him in the biggest 'I missed you so much' hug ever given.
With a sigh, she decided that waiting would be the best option. Closing the door, she resisted the urge to peek out of it's small, square window when she heard the footsteps and voices of the students filling the hallway. Her steel will would melt the minute she laid eyes upon him, so it would be best to avoid that temptation.
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The younger generation of gods strolled through the hallways behind the throng of spirit students, their thoughts continuing to dwell on the unsettling actions of Hades and Kusanagi Yui, who were still missing.
The God of Fertility caught up with the pace his brother was walking at, slipping a supportive arm over the younger deity's shoulder. He winked when his sibling met his gaze, signaling he had his back. Apollon gave him a genuine smile in appreciation as they proceeded on in companionable silence.
Thoth was standing behind his desk as he watched the younger gods enter the classroom wearing long-faced expressions. The Egyptian god let out a sarcastic snort under his breath. Great, now he had to deal with moody morons. He scanned the room for Hades and Kusanagi Yui. Why weren't they present?
Looking over at the 'class president', Apollon Agana Belea, he demanded, "Where is your emo uncle and the opinionated human?"
The Sun God lowered his gaze and shrugged. "We're not sure where they are, Master Thoth."
"They were with you in the gymnasium. How can you not know where they went?"
"Kusanagi Yui confessed to Hades Aidoneus out in the hallway, and then they left together," Tsukito replied blandly. "Maybe they wanted privacy to become a couple."
The Egyptian God of Knowledge stopped himself from doing a double take, turning his incredulity into irritation. "Do not spout nonsense!" he snapped. "I want the truth!"
Apollon raised his hand. "But it is true!"
Cobalt blue eyes fixed coldly upon the blond student. "An idiot vouching for an imbecile...why does that scenario defy logic?" Thoth grabbed a stick of chalk as he turned his body to the chalk board. A smirk lit at the corner of his mouth. Maybe today would be a good time to talk about how male and female hormones play into attraction. It would be amusing to dig the knife of rejection a little deeper into those hellions of stupidity.
Apollon tried to keep his focus on the lesson being taught, but his mind kept traveling back to Fairy and Uncle Hades in the hallway. Hadn't he always wanted his beloved Uncle to find happiness? Didn't he proclaim to Dee-Dee that he'd support whoever Fairy chose? He let out disheartened sigh. Another failed attempt at love. When was he going to learn to quit making the same mistakes? Maybe he should take the stance of his twin sister and avoid falling in love all together.
His sharp hearing picking up on the soft sigh, Thoth's head swivelled severely towards the distracted god, his ire rising. That blond bubble brain dared to ignore his words of wisdom?! He knew just the thing to make sure he obtained the attention he demanded.
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The Goddess of Strategic Warfare quietly opened her door and peeked her head out, scanning the hallway for any sign of life. Great, the coast was clear! She snuck out of the classroom and hurried over to the closed door that held her precious brother, glancing covertly through the door's glass window. The waiting was driving her crazy! It would only take a moment to make sure Sunbeam was okay...
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Thoth strode purposely to the still distracted Sun God, slamming his hand dramatically upon the wooden desk, causing Apollon's head to jerk up in shock. He then thrusted his face right into the younger god's, his voice almost venomous.
"Idiot! Whatever insignificant pebbles of thought that are going through that vacuous space of your mind is nothing compared to the infinite knowledge I am graciously bestowing upon you!"
His peripheral vison caught sight of a black, white and blue blur as the classroom door crashed open. Thoth barely had time to register the intrusion when the Egyptian god suddenly found himself falling forward as a pair of hands grasped upon his shirt collar, while at the same time his left foot was kicked out from underneath him. Before his face met the floor, he saw a fierce flash of grey, like rolling storm clouds. A knee digging into his back, and the cruel twisting of his left arm behind him brought the god quickly back to his senses.
"YOU BLASPHEMOUS SWINE! HOW DARE YOU TREAT A GOD OF HIS IMPORTANCE SO DISRESPECTFULLY!" A female voice bellowed in fury above him. "APOLOGIZE AND REPENT OR I WILL RAIN TORTUROUS PAIN DOWN UPON YOUR SORRY ASS!"
The instant the female deity screamed her words, the window closest to Apollon burst open, a gigantic white owl flying through it. Its large talons grabbed both sides of the Sun God's school blazer, the expansive wings flapping furiously as the bird attempted to drag the stunned male back towards the window.
"Protect Sunbeam!" Athena ordered her pet, using her free hand to grab a hold of Thoth's white hair, tugging his head backwards. "Beg for mercy you filthy, rat bastard!" she snarled at the Egyptian.
Apollon's head swung back and forth between the woman and the bird in absolute confusion. Was he hallucinating? How could she be here?! "Thea-Thea?" he asked in a barely audible voice, still being held back by the powerful owl's grip.
When Loki and Takeru tried to move from their seats in an attempt to reach Apollon, the white owl screeched out a high pitched warning, it's beak ready to peck out the eyes of anyone who tried to come close.
The blond deity frantically held his hands out in front of him to stop their forward progress. "I'm fine...stay where you are. I know this owl." Apollon turned his attention back to the bird of prey, gently stroking the white feathers as he spoke in a soothing voice, "It's okay, Hoot-Hoot. They're my friends, so there's no threat to me."
At that moment, Dionysus' sleepy head popped up from the desktop, his lanky frame stretching out as he began to wake fully. "Damn, that was some nightmare! I dreamt I heard Crazy Scary's voice, and then her lackey owl was going all spastic..."
Stormy grey eyes shot daggers at the speaker. "What the hell was that, Grape Juice?!" The goddess released her grip on Thoth's hair, shoving his face back down to the floor. "Why weren't you protecting your brother from such brutality?!" she demanded hotly.
"What?!" The God of Wine's eyes nearly bugged out of his head in horror as he took in the sight of his aggressive sister sitting on top of Thoth. "I'm having a waking nightmare!" He leapt from his seat and rushed out the door of the classroom, fearful his 'dream' was indeed reality. "All gods fend for themselves!" he cried out as he raced down the hallway.
"WOMAN!" Thoth yelled from his prone position. "GET YOUR MASS OF CELLULITE OFF ME NOW!"
"Make me!" Athena shot back. "I'll relish humiliating you even further!"
"Thea-Thea!" Apollon called out, his tone of voice almost imploring. "Is it really you?! Is it? Please let it be true!"
The Warrior goddess forgot about the enemy below her as she rushed to her brother's side. Her owl immediately released the Sun God, allowing for the two siblings to reunite. Athena gave the younger god a bone crushing hug, the other deity returning the hug with as much intensity. The room suddenly became filled with twinkling, multicolored spots of light, surprising and delighting everyone in the class (except for the male god on the floor).
Grasping the sides of his face, the Goddess of Wisdom gave Apollon a kiss on each of his cheeks as tears began to fill her eyes. "Sunbeam! You prisimed! Its...its been so long since you've done that!" She squeezed her brother again, her wet eyes meeting his.
"Don't cry, Thea-Thea!" Apollon said in concern. "I don't want to see you upset!"
Giving a quick swipe at her grey orbs, the goddess laughed. "Silly! I'm crying because I'm so happy! Not only do I get to see you after a year apart, I also get to witness you prism."
The Sun God gave his big sister a winsome smile. "It's so great to see you! How did you convince Father to let you come visit?"
"Better than that! I'm going to be a teacher here too!"
Apollon's face broke into an open mouthed smile, the room once again filling with his special prisms. "Kalos! You will be an amazing teacher!"
Thoth pulled himself to his feet in one fluid motion, fists clinched to his sides in rage as he stood behind his attacker. "What...do...you...think...you...are...doing?!" the God of Knowledge growled out between clenched teeth.
Athena continued to keep Apollon wrapped tightly in her arms, not even turning her head to look back at the male deity speaking to her. "I am protecting my precious brother from heathen bullies," she spoke nonchalantly. "Be grateful he's a kind and gracious god to forgive such sacrilege to his person."
"This is my class!" Thoth said in anger. He pointed his index finger at Apollon. "You will sit back down at your desk, your uncouth 'sister from Hell' will leave my room, and the lesson will commence!"
The Sun God looked at his professor. "But shouldn't she be introduced to the others? That would be the polite and proper thing to do since she's already here."
"This Amazonian muscle brain ruined any chance of civility, so she will leave MY CLASS immediately," the Egyptian God of Knowledge snarled, a stress vein popping out in his forehead as his eyes stared at the female deity in hostility.
Turning around, Athena crossed her arms over her chest resolutely. "What a whiny wuss you are! I will not leave since I cannot trust you not to retaliate against my brother."
The two gods of wisdom stared at each other in an uncongenial silent challenge, neither one giving ground to the other. Apollon glanced between them nervously, echoing the unease the others in the room felt. The white owl, Hoot-Hoot, settled upon the blond Greek's shoulder, its eyes focused on the menacing, tanned male, ready to protect its master if need be.
He had to act, or things were really going to get out of control! Placing a hand gently upon Athena's shoulder, the Sun God said calmly, "Thea-Thea, please don't be upset with Master Thoth. I wasn't paying attention in class, so he had every right to be annoyed with me."
Thoth narrowed his eyes at the younger god. "I do not need your overly active mouth explaining my legitimate actions towards you," he snapped. "Now sit down!" Apollon nodded his head mutely in obedience as he hurried to retake his seat.
The Goddess of Warfare began to furiously unbutton her blazer, and then threw the fabric into the Egyptian's face after she removed it. "That does it! I'm kicking your ass into antiquity!"
"ATHENA!" a deep, male voice yelled into the classroom, causing the female deity to cringe and Thoth to smirk. Zeus stood in the open doorway, his golden eyes ablaze in ferocity. Behind him, Hades and Yui stood back a few inches, staring at the scene in shock and confusion.
What in the world was going on?!