They all knew, right from the start. This war would be terrible, disastrous… The clang of swords, the arrows blocking out the sun, dust was rising and the warriors kept falling, falling… Amidst the chaos, countless souls were lost because of the foolish dispute of two cities. The kings stayed behind, in the safety of their tents, barking orders while bitterly pondering over how different everything used to be… How they had often visited each other, how they had gotten drunk together in various symposiums, when the king of Athens was still a prince and the king of Rhodes a member of the royal council… But fond memories were not enough to end a war.
What Rhodes lacked in soldiers, Ares made up for, slaughtering anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path, that murderous glint never leaving his eyes. Apollo and Artemis, both equally skillful archers, never missed their target, while the goddess of wisdom was aiding the young heroes, the thought of spilling more blood than her war-mongering brother deeply repulsive to her, and so the days flew by…
Still, the gods had not faced each other yet. Hermes was flying from one camp to the other, delivering messages, Hades was laying judgement, but divine blood had yet to be spilled. Mortal blood was not enough to placate Ares, and the god of war was growing impatient…
"I've had enough!" he growled, slamming his fist on the table. Aphrodite flinched and Apollo glared at his brother, setting his lyre aside.
"Is there anything that displeases you?" Poseidon asked, visibly irritated.
"Everything displeases me!" Ares said, his face contorted with anger. "It's been a week, and nothing! What use do I have of mortals? They're so boring, so easy to kill…"
"Duuuude, I saw you slicing that other dude into pieces moments ago…" Hermes chimed in, hovering over Ares' head.
Ares immediately drew his sword. "What are you doing here? If you think you can spy on us…"
Hermes evaded the sharp blade and sat next to Aphrodite, who was studying the various plans laid out on the table, but her eyes were blank. It was obvious she did not understand a thing.
"You have a message from Zeus," Hermes told Poseidon. "He says he'll send the new swords over with Hephaestus, but his thunderbolts are out of the question…"
Poseidon shook his head. "No surprises here," he said coldly. "But please tell him that if he hands them over to Athena, Olympia's in for the flood of the century."
Hermes raised an eyebrow, but he nodded with a chuckle.
"So, as I was saying-"Ares began with a deep breath, but Aphrodite let out a small squeal.
"We can take the soldiers from the left side, and put them on the right!" she exclaimed, pointing at the map vigorously. "And then the right side will be safe!"
Her blue eyes were gleaming with excitement at the brilliance of her plan. Poseidon and Ares exchanged a look.
"Um, Aphrodite…" Poseidon said. "If we do this, the left side will be exposed."
Aphrodite shrugged. "Who cares? There's nothing there, only the king's tent!"
The four men stared at her in silence, until Hermes could not hold back his chortles any longer and Apollo decided to put an end to this.
"My fair lady, how about you go and show Hermes our fine collection of weaponry?" he suggested, a dazzling smile on his handsome face.
The goddess nodded eagerly and stood up, pulling Hermes who had doubled over with laughter along.
"Hey!" Ares protested and was about to follow them, but Apollo held him down.
"As you were saying...?" Poseidon asked calmly, leaning back on his chair, but it was obvious from the look in his eyes that he was not particularly keen on listening to his nephew's ideas.
"I cannot wait any longer!" Ares grunted, still clutching his blood-stained sword.
Poseidon's eyes scanned the map before him. "You have done an excellent work so far, Ares," he commented. "A great part of the Athenian army has been wiped out thanks to you." Disdain was evident in his voice as he spoke. "Our enemies are terrified; they are not used to such brutality…"
"I know." A cocky grin spread across Ares' face. "The men of Athens are wimps, not warriors; they are nothing like my Spartans…"
Poseidon sighed. "Hades does not excuse acts of extreme violence, so you had better control yourself if you want to keep fighting."
Ares went on, uncaring of his uncle's warning. "Mortals are not enough for me, they are so…empty. I'm not interested in the tools, Uncle…"
The god of war leaned forward, his copper-colored hair in disarray, while his amber eyes, the eyes of his mother, shone with savage glee.
"What I want is divine blood…I want to fight…," he whispered, and Apollo eyed him wearily. "…Them. My sisters, who think they will win…Artemis, and…," he bared his teeth, "…Athena, who always thought she was better than me…"
"You won't harm a hair on my sister's head!" Apollo cried, livid, but no one was paying attention to him. Poseidon's eyes locked with Ares', the younger god breathing heavily.
Apollo thought the silence would last forever, until Poseidon finally spoke, barely able to contain his wrath. "No."
"No?" Ares was about to explode. "What does 'no' mean?"
"You won't do it," he said in a low voice. "You will not fight Athena."
Ares jumped up, furiously kicking his chair away. "Why? Do you perhaps think I can't defeat her? I'm stronger than she is…"
"I do not doubt your abilities," Poseidon replied firmly, also standing. "But I am in charge. I will confront the patroness of Athens, and you had better deal with it, Ares."
Ares grumbled angrily, ready to take out his sword again, but his uncle's icy glare stopped him. It would be foolish to provoke him…
"I'm not interested in stupid mortals…How dare you…" he muttered through gritted teeth, but Poseidon was slowly losing his patience.
Ares watched, wide-eyed, as the King of the Seas stalked towards him. He could see the darkness in his eyes, he could hear the angry waves…
"I will do it," he hissed, hatred etched all over his face, a burning rage he had never felt before. "No one will stop me, not even Zeus."
He owed her that much… Him, him, no one else, no one would touch her but him…
"If her blood is to be spilled, it will be by my sword."
Apollo gasped, and Ares stayed silent. In this outrage, he did not notice it has been a while since Aphrodite left… Aphrodite, for whom he was fighting this war, even if it was for the sake of her child with another man…Aphrodite, the one he strove to impress…
"Do you understand, god of war?"
Ares stared hard at him for a few moments, but his anger was slowly being replaced by fear at the sight of his father's brother.
"Fine, fine…" he muttered.
Poseidon returned to his seat, feeling he could breathe freely again. He fought back a relieved sigh. If he showed any weakness now, he would be done for. He glanced at his disgruntled nephew, and turned to the window.
There was no other way. He would do it; he would never let anyone else…
"However," he broke the silence and Ares looked at him, hopeful. "You are free to go after the king, since I doubt our soldiers will reach him. But you need to make sure they will not find out it was you who killed him," he added. "If you do it, this war will end in our favor." He shot him a sideway glance. "Aphrodite will be pleased…"
Ares straightened his back with a smirk. "That's easy," he said, grabbing his shield. "This war will be over before you know it, and then…"
His smile grew wider at the thought of the bloodbath, his triumph and the fall of Athens. With a terrible roar, he rushed out of the tent, and Apollo studied their uncle with a concerned frown.
Athena watched, pallid, as the battle raged before her. She had been standing there for a while now, holding her beautiful, unblemished silver spear. Blood immediately dissolved once it came in contact with it, leaving the fine weapon untouched, just like Hephaestus had forged it. She rarely entered the battlefield, and when she did, she was always invisible, giving directions to the young warriors, or even guiding their spears and arrows.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. That brother of hers… He butchered one of her best generals before her eyes, although he had not seen her. She returned the favor, of course; her spear had pierced through six of his men at one shot, but it could not undo what had already been done. They have suffered a heavy loss.
And the Rhodians…They turned out to be more aggressive than she expected. Ares even seemed to have a favorite among them.
Athena furrowed her eyebrows. That was certainly strange. Ares never picked favorites; he always went on and on about how mortals were nothing but disposable toys to keep him entertained. But now…She had seen him fighting next to a man, shielding him from harm, instantly slaying anyone who came close to him. To make things more complicated, this man did not even look like the kind of warrior Ares would support. He seemed brave, valiant, encouraging and assisting his fellow soldiers… Something was off here. And she had to find out what.
She leaned her head against a tree. At least Dinarchus was still alive, although he was seriously injured. Who would have thought that boy had such great potential… She had to help him. He would bring glory to Athens, she could tell.
He was safe from Ares… Her brother never planned anything beforehand; he just struck blindly, whatever that meant… He would not notice Dinarchus. He was intelligent, and knew how to stay out of the war god's way.
But Poseidon…
Athena slowly opened her eyes. If Poseidon saw what he was capable of, he would kill him… He was cunning, diligent…
If he killed him…they would lose a precious weapon…
And they could not lose… They could not, no matter what… She could not lose to him…Not now, not her, the invincible goddess who always emerged victorious… She would not see her city crumble, her beloved citizens slaughtered…
How would she live with herself if they lost?
"Curses!" Hera's shrill shriek interrupted her thoughts. Seeing the Queen of the Gods, so proud and irritated, truly lifted her spirits.
She raised her chin, just as proudly. How could she be thinking of defeat when the war had only started?
"What happened to you?" she asked, smiling.
"Zeus!" she barked, flashing a piece of parchment. "He meant it after all, he won't give us his thunderbolts, that little-"
"Calm down, Hera." Athena took the parchment. "Forget the thunderbolts. We don't need them." She smiled confidently. "We can win. We don't need help from anyone." She squeezed her stepmother's hand. "Trust me."
"Well…" Hera's voiced trailed off as she gave a warm smile to her husband's daughter. "I do trust you. If there's anyone that can win this war without secret weapons, it is you." She took a deep breath. "Out of all of Zeus's children, Athena… I am really glad we have you around."
Athena blinked in surprise and nodded, moved by the Queen's words.
"No offense, you!" Hera turned to the huntress, but she was still smiling.
Artemis lifted her eyes from her bow and glared at Hera, yet she returned the smile. "Whatever, I suppose I should be thankful I'm still in one piece after all those years," she commented before standing up. "You seem better," she told Athena. "I've been watching you, and I thought you'd collapse any minute now!"
Athena huffed, brushing Artemis's concerns off in an attempt to boost their morale. "Of course not," she said. "We are not giving up, are we? Nothing is over yet. We lost one good soldier, but we have hundreds more. So cheer up!"
Artemis nodded in agreement, but Hera's face fell again. "But if we had his thunderbolts… I did everything I could to convince him, but…"
Artemis shot Athena a meaningful look. "Ah." She fought back a smile. "So that's what you've been doing…"
"Eh, yes," Hera mumbled. "But he wouldn't change his mind, no matter what I did! And Hades wouldn't let me blast the enemies' infirmary!" She shook her head. "He even got mad at me! And Zeus should have…"
Athena was smiling, listening to her rant, but with a pang of guilt she was reminded of Persephone… How was her sister doing? She was so caught up in this war, she did not have time to go to the Underworld… But when everything was over, she would bring her back, and nothing would stop her. Nothing.
But…
How could Hades, Hades, her dearest uncle Hades, the one she understood and trusted the most, hurt Persephone? The girl she thought he loved? She could not believe it. She needed to discover what was really going on…
Artemis was silently watching her sister. She mistook her troubled expression for worry over the war, and she had no intention of giving up. No…
"Time to get back there," she announced, snatching her bow. "I'm off to shoot down some mortals. See you later!" She darted out of the tent, and Hera chuckled at her spirit.
"I will be leaving too." Athena rose from her seat as Hera left for the infirmary. She picked up her maps and scrolls. "In a while."
Steel on steel, and the sound was piercing right through his mind… How long has it been since he was among living mortals? He could not remember, yet the effects their presence had on him were already showing… He was feeling old, tired, his expression rigid and inscrutable as he looked on, never resting. The light around him was faint; his pale face looked distant, as if he was not really there… He was watching, but his thoughts were far away. The metallic smell of blood was everywhere around him, but his nostrils were filled with that familiar flowery scent… In a secret corner of his mind, he was thinking of her while he was monitoring the battlefield and punishing the wrongdoers….
A Rhodian used a fellow soldier as a shield. Treason.
Treason and cowardice. "Tartarus…" he noted as an invisible blade went through the man's chest.
His face grew grim. That Hera, trying to sneak behind his back and blow up the infirmary when he was not looking… He had dragged her back to her tent, ignoring her protests. "The gods are far worse than the mortals," he thought when he saw Ares slitting a man's throat.
With a sigh, he turned his attention elsewhere…
"Ha!" Artemis exclaimed just as two Rhodians fell limp on the ground, struck by her arrows. She prepared to shoot again, when she saw him.
Looking straight into her eyes, a smile on his handsome face, Apollo released an arrow which immediately found its target. A staggering Athenian fell over, killed by the god's fatal blow.
She felt a fire burning in her throat and she ducked to avoid a spear coming her way. They raised their bows…
Arrows rained down on the valley, and Athenians and Rhodians alike were falling dead. Apollo's cruel smile did not falter, while Artemis's face was a mask of hatred…
"Well, sister? What do you think?" Apollo burst into roaring laughter.
The goddess of the hunt let out a terrible, angry cry.
Before Apollo could take aim again, she fired two arrows at once, taking down two men, who dragged another along, wounding him severely.
Artemis threw her head back. To her satisfaction, she saw she had killed one of the enemies' best archers, something Apollo also noticed.
"You were saying, brother?" she asked, her dark curls blowing in the wind.
Apollo grunted. He only had one arrow left… "An excellent archer, right Artemis?" he called, raising his golden bow. "Sounds familiar?"
Her grip tightened around her bow. "What are you talking about?"
"Have you forgotten?" His laughter was mad, hysterical, no sign of happiness in it. "That day, Artemis! The day you proved to me…what a great markswoman you are…"
The huntress lowered her head, her vision blurry…
The forest echoed with their laughter… The young boy's gaze was full of love, which was also reflected in his sister's eyes… Yet there was only bitterness and jealousy in his heart as he held her in his arms, lying on the wet grass, the sun shining on their hair…
"Do you trust me?" he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes. "Do you love me?"
"Of course…" she answered, breathless, waiting, but he shot up.
"Then show me how you do it! Show me, that thing with your bow!" He winked. "I bet you can't hit that animal over there…A boar, I think?"
And she had smiled, she had drawn her bow, and she had killed…
Her beloved Orion was lying dead, and her brother was relishing the sight of her terrified face.
"Yes…" he had told her. "You are an excellent archer…"
Artemis screamed, all the grief and pain of the past coming back to her afresh; she screamed until she felt her throat go sore, but her brother was still smirking.
"Monster, you're a monster! I hate you, Apollo! I hate you!"
Every word she uttered was a knife in his heart. "Tell me something I don't know!" he shouted at her, his smile gone.
They both reached for their bows, but it was no mortal they intended to shoot. This time they meant it, they wanted to hurt each other, and their arrows hit their mark. They always did.
The screams of the twin gods froze in the air as they fell unconscious, Apollo, an arrow deep in his abdomen, and Artemis, blood pooling from the wound on her chest…
"What in Tartarus are they doing?" Hades exclaimed, his eyes full of horror. He felt his heart would break any moment now as he summoned help. Hera and Poseidon immediately responded to his call.
Hera's hand flew to her mouth when she saw Artemis, so seriously injured… She lifted her up and hastily left for their camp, just as Poseidon carried Apollo away, not even glancing at his sister…
Hades pressed his lips together. This is what war was like… Pain, nothing but pain, and it was for naught… Ruining lives, wrecking families, and what was the prize? Nothing… The culprits would end up in Tartarus anyway, but the hatred would be preserved, passing down from one generation to the other, a never-ending circle. He knew. He was the judge of souls, he saw the agony in their hearts, their joys and their regrets, he commanded their destinies… The torture of seeing those you loved killing each other, no one knew how much it hurt…
He closed his eyes with a sigh, blessing the Fates he did not let his feelings for Persephone cloud his judgement… Although he needed her, he had forbidden her from joining him… What would his love do if she saw her sister like this? She would be devastated…
His Persephone…
It has been a week, and he missed her touch so… Her eyes, her smile, her presence… Here, amidst the weapons and the dust, under the gray sky, how he longed for her to appear… With her white dress and her soft curls…
"Hades…"
Ah…He could almost hear her sweet voice…
"Hades! Hades!"
With a sigh, he turned around to face the owner of this obnoxiously loud voice.
"Well, hello there, brother!" Zeus was beaming at him, radiant and unscathed. "Aren't you supposed to be, you know, punishing people?" he playfully admonished.
Hades looked at Zeus, whose blue eyes were twinkling merrily. He shook his head, exasperated. "This is not a fun pastime, you know; I do not go around sending people to Tartarus just for the sake of it." He gave him a small smile. "The wars of mortals are not for you, Zeus. They are not made of the same stuff as Titans, or Giants, or gods…"
"Hah!" Zeus snorted. "Do not underestimate them! You should be careful! They are worse, far worse than our lot…"
"Hmm…" Hades nodded, still smiling.
Zeus looked around. "Nice view you got up here!" he commented. His eyes fell on a broad-shouldered man who was repeatedly stabbing a half-dead soldier.
"Hey, you!" he cried, firing a thunderbolt at him. He missed his mark, the thunderbolt creating a crack on the ground while the man was gesturing furiously.
Zeus turned to his brother. "What was that?"
"Your son, Ares," Hades replied, slightly irritated. "You are not making my work any easier by showing up out of nowhere and randomly attacking people, wise king. Why are you here?"
"Eh, none's home!" Zeus complained. "I was bored, so I thought I'd come and see how things are going over here."
"Your children are slaying each other; this is how things are going over here," Hades remarked, his eyes on the sky. "Artemis is in a dire condition. You had better send for Paean. Right now, preferably."
"Yes, I've already summoned him, I thought you might need him..." he muttered absently, thinking of Hera and Aphrodite. His face darkened at the mention of his injured daughter, but Paean knew his art well; she would be fine in no time. He smiled at Hades. "How about Athena? Is she fighting?" he asked, not bothering to hide the pride in his voice.
"Not really, but she's assisting the young warriors and she has finished off a Rhodian or two," he answered curtly. "Look, why don't you go chase some nymphs now that your wife is away?"
"Boring!" the Father of Gods groaned, but then he heard a cry. Turning his attention to the battlefield, he spotted a woman running to the wounded gods.
"Hmm…" he hummed in appreciation. "Say, brother…" he nudged Hades. "That tall one over there, the one with the braid…Who is she?"
Hades looked at said woman and stifled a chuckle. "That's our sister, Hestia," he said with a half-smile. "Why are you asking?"
Zeus grunted in irritation. "I…Oh, forget it!"
"Move away, step aside, I said step aside!" Hecate pulled Persephone in a corner, where they could safely watch what was going on.
"Charon's having a bad day…" Hecate whispered as the boatman strode past them, swearing under his breath. Myriads of shades were following him; the souls of mortals that had yet to be judged, souls that have just arrived in the Underworld.
Persephone bit her lips. The sight still unsettled her… Soldiers from both sides, dead… Every day, more and more souls entered the kingdom of the dead; it made her wonder why the war was not over yet…
At first, she couldn't bear to look at them. She couldn't bear to look at the dull, gray matter… Their scarred faces, their dead eyes… All the painful memories they brought with them…
Yes, it was hard on her, a goddess of life… Seeing all these dead souls, the cold feeling of death everywhere around her…
But she had to fight her fears, and she knew it. She wanted to see the souls, her almost morbid curiosity getting the best of her… She wanted to know if they had seen her sisters, which city was winning, how they died…
She wanted to know if Hades was safe…
That was her wish, what she wanted from the souls…Hades… Her beloved Hades…
Yet she soon found out she could not have the only thing she wanted.
"No, Persephone!" Hecate was adamant, more so than Persephone had ever seen her. "You are not speaking to any souls! Associating with them is forbidden!"
"Why?" Persephone demanded, tramping her foot on the floor like a child. "I want to know how Hades and my family are doing! Why is it bad to-"
"Little one…" Charon sighed. "Talking to the souls is not a good idea. All their anger, all their bitterness for their death, they'll take them out on you… It is not wise…Try to understand…"
But she did not want to understand. She did not care if the souls were hostile. She only cared to know if they had seen him…if they had seen any of the gods, if they could answer her questions…
It wouldn't be difficult. Hecate couldn't watch her forever and Charon had more souls to ferry… Approaching someone would be easy, very easy…And then she would learn, she would get the information she wanted…
She missed him so much…
She had grown used to sleeping next to him, listening to his steady breathing… Feeling his strong arms holding her, his lips softly brushing her neck… His rich voice whispering to her, his kisses…
She missed their conversations, his stories from the trials… His eyes, the way they looked at her…
It has only been a week, but she missed him. And she was worried. She was so worried… Worried because she had no news, worried for all the things she did not know and probably never would…
Her whole family was there. Did her mother join them too? Did she decide to take part in the war?
But she hated violence…
At moments like this, she yearned for a warm embrace. She wished she could hear a soft, gentle voice that could reassure her and quell her fears. A voice like her mother's. To tell her everything would be alright…
She needed to know that her family was safe…that Hades would come back to her, unharmed…
She had to speak to the souls.
But she did not make it. Hecate caught her before she could approach them. Yet she was not prepared for Persephone's response.
"Enough, Hecate," said the sweet, kind-hearted goddess of spring, her expression one of icy distaste. "I am a grown woman, but it seems that only Hades treats me as such… I make my own decisions, and I decided that I want to know. They are my family, Hecate…" She glared pointedly at her, her green eyes hard with determination. "I need to know. I won't stay in the dark any longer."
The two goddesses exchanged a long look, but Hecate eventually relented.
"That stubbornness of yours…" The witch shook her head. "Very well, but I still think this is not a good idea. I'm warning you." She sighed. "Come, let's go."
A smile of gratitude brightened Persephone's face. "Thank you!"
To Persephone's surprise and discomfort, she realized they were heading to Tartarus. Feeling sorrow and despair seeping inside her, she glanced at Hecate. Was this her punishment for defying her?
"Hecate…" she muttered, but then they stopped before the gates of a familiar building. For the third time, Persephone entered the abode of Nyx.
Immediately, all negative feelings subsided, almost disappearing completely. Still glowering, Hecate pushed her in front of the doors to Nyx's chambers.
"Shouldn't we-" the goddess of spring whispered, but Hecate knocked and walked in, pulling Persephone with her.
Nyx was sitting by the window, looking outside and letting out long sighs from time to time. She turned around once she heard the door creak open, silver locks of hair framing her lean face. A silver mirror was set on the table next to her.
"Ladies," she greeted them, a sweet smile gracing her features. "What brings you here…?"
"Persephone wants to know what's going on up there…" Hecate tried hard not to roll her eyes. "She wants to see for herself," she explained and Nyx smiled, a cheerful gleam in her violet eyes.
"Could it be that you're missing someone, little one?" she asked, and Persephone felt heat rushing to her cheeks. "Well, come in, then… I'll see what I can do."
The faintest of smiles played at Hecate's lips and she winked at the young goddess before she left, closing the door behind her.
Persephone watched, mesmerized, as Nyx picked up the mirror and slid to the other side of the room. The primordial deity sat in a purple velvet armchair and lightly touched the mirror with her fingers, whispering words in a language Persephone did not know.
"There we are," she said softly, motioning for her guest to come closer. Hesitant, Persephone joined her in the comfortable armchair and when she looked in the mirror, she gasped.
She could see what was going on in the battlefield, as if she were there herself. She saw the fallen soldiers, even though she tried to avert her gaze, trying to spot Hades among the other gods and observing the mortals at the same time. It fascinated her.
"I think you should close your eyes, darling," Nyx advised, her heart beating like a drum when she saw Artemis and Apollo, both badly wounded. Thank the Fates, Persephone did not see them… She squeezed her shoulder, silently comforting her, although she did not know…
"It will get to him…eventually," she groaned, tapping her fingers. She smiled a little, but Persephone turned away, the sight of blood bringing tears in her eyes.
"Children!" Nyx shook her head. "They think they are fighting now… I would like to have seen them back then, at the Great Wars… Now these were times…"
Persephone lowered her head, closing her eyes. She wanted to see Hades… She would endure this bloodbath, just for him. For Hades…
A surprised cry escaped Nyx's lips, which brought Persephone back. "What is it? Did you find him?"
Nyx's face was one of shock and disapproval. "I can't believe it…What is he doing there?"
Oh no, it's a cliffhanger! Or not really, I don't know! Also, hi everyone! You are all very sweet and cute, ugh! OK, I won't be removing this if I don't finish it, but I will so this whole discussion is pointless, oops!
To : One of your favorite fics? Really? Thank you so much, this really means a lot to me ;.;
To Abbie: I will finish it! Well, I have already planned the ending anyway, hehehehe…
To WillowMark: Lots of things will happen between Athena and Poseidon…Cough…
Tokristi1976: Ναι, έχω τα σχέδιά μου γι' αυτούς τους δύο! Χαίρομαι που σου αρέσει ο τρόπος που αποδίδω τη σχέση τους, καθώς και του Δία και της Ήρας!
To JustSomeGuy: Ahhh, that's so nice to hear! Thank you very much! What game is this, if I might ask? And, well, Aphrodite isn't really a bitch…She's just Aphrodite :P
To GoddessOfWisdomWar-Athena: Now, where would the fun be if I just went out and said what Poseidon and Athena really feel for each other? ;) I'm happy you enjoy their tumultuous relationship!
To Nok-Nok: We will see who will win the bet…Sometime later! Yes, I've heard of Saint Seiya, though I have not watched it! I love both Greek Mythology and anime, but a combination of the two…It's not really my thing!
To Guest 1: Eh! If you read this chapter, you probably saw that their relationship is a bit complicated and just got worse :P They keep hurting each other, although they truly care for one another…Poor twins ;.;
To Guest 1: Oh God, I'm sorry I didn't update when you left that review! I really hope your day got better!
To Guest 3: Please don't die! Here's an update!