Disclaimer: I don't own any POTC characters, only my OCs. Especially Balder.

Ok, so this is a really long chapter, mainly because there are lot of things to say, and a lot of things to do. Sorry guys!

Here we go!

Chapter 52: The Annoying Truth

"Everyone loved me."

"Sure they did."

"I'm not joking," Balder said simply enough, nodding up to the golden ceiling, to the gleaming black stalactites, golden curls kissing against the edges of his tanned hands as he folded them behind his head, resting the flaxen curls on his fleshy palms. Bright gold giggled down his jaw line, stirring with each breath; his body was in the same position he had been from the very start, lying back on the smooth pale rock, muscles heaving with golden sweat. His chest laid bare and gold, the tips of his toes wiggling with a silent tune, dusty with sand, heels drumming quietly. Sand streaked across the dark of his pants as his perfect torso stirred with each long breath, golden up into the bright cavern, muscles rolling and purring like milk cream in the gleam of light. Teeth gleamed like pearls through the sandy dusk of his ageless face.

Blue eyes laughed with raw freedom.

Great.

He's smiling again.

With a long sigh, I slumped my shoulder down, letting the exhaustion ripple through me, stretching through me, my fingers trailing away from the chiming medicine man's eye; throughout the small golden cavern, the sigh was so very obvious, echoing, resounding, bouncing off the sleek, polished walls, a dozen sighs whispering against the rocks. Off to the side, at the back of the grotto, the underground brook hissed a loud tune, water gurgling past at a vehement speed, white froth licking into the golden air, little waves crashing. Air stirred sweet and moist.

The door sat quietly in the rock.

Silent.

Waiting.

Go, Joey.

Leave.

Get out of here before it's too late.

Get out of here and be done with all-

Balder had already started talking.

"I'm completely serious," Balder's firm voice resonated, prying above the rushing waters, his 'r' rolling out of control in his strange, unheard accent, his golden curls laughing as he stared up at the roof with his usual cracking smile, blue eyes dancing with brilliant energy, his face as young as I had first saw him, "Everyone did love me."

Another sigh to control myself.

"And who exactly is everyone?" It was a drawl, really, a thick, slow drawl dragging out of my mouth, tearing away from my lips, my hands curled despondent upon my lap, hair limping damp against my naked shoulders; it was finally setting in, the exhaustion, the tiredness, the pure lethargy after everything had happened, after all the fights and deaths and blood and stupid, nonsensical gods-

But did it matter?

No.

Not at all.

In front of me, lying flat, flute twirling in his hand beside his head, Balder just kept on talking, grinning up at the golden ceiling, voice like needles stabbed into my back.

My own back was beginning to ache.

Just go, Joey.

Leave.

Walk out that door, or down that stream like he said.

Take a hike.

Get out of here.

Leave this rambling fool-

"Everyone."

Yet another groan.

"Balder-"

"Everyone, me dame," he nodded again, grinning like an idiot, water rushing against the rocks as his azure eyes leaped with a bright tune, dancing and whirling with joy, "Everyone. Spirits, nymphs, druids, warlocks, humans…. in fact, especially humans. Do you know how grateful they are? Your kind? Well, not exactly your kind, seeing as your from another world- but it should mean the same thing, I think-"

"Balder, what on earth are you trying to say now?"

"That everyone loved me," I could stop the second sigh, the weary sigh but Balder acted like he had not even heard it, lying back against the thick of his palms, feet rocking north, muscles rolling as his golden curls purred against sandy dunes, smile like whiplash of brilliant white, "They really did. They really, really did. They really, really, really-"

"Why?"

"Because I saved them, Joey. I destroyed The Void. True, my brothers and sisters did a lot more on the whole creation front, but if not for me and my amazing swordsmanship-"

"The Void would have never been destroyed."

"And creation could never have happened," he beamed, obviously proud, praising up to the ceiling, feet rocking like that of a child's, "The Void was darkness, and I brought light. I was the victor, the hero. The champion! I am the god of light and joy, and beauty and music and peace-"

Another sigh.

"Great. Good to know."

"No, you don't get it," he shook his head, still smiling though, golden curls whiplashing against the dark of his skin, muscles rolling softly, gleaming gold, his bare chest heaving with each strong breath as his voice echoed about the pale grotto, water singing a melody, "Everyone loved me. When they were not worshipping me and praising me, they feared me. While my brothers and sisters were hailed as the rulers and creators, I was the idol, the champion. The hero! Yes, dame, I was a hero! A real hero! Your kind, the humans, created idols to celebrate my siblings, idols and temples, but I was loved in prayer. I was loved in song. Songs, Joey! Beautiful songs! I used to go among them, the humans and the druids and all the creations of my families; they had the wildest parties, you see, wildest than even my sister's, parties where I was the guest of honour, parties where I was honoured, ale pouring, food galore, sweet grapes and pomegranates-"

I resisted the urge to sigh all over again

"So, in other words, they adored you."

Balder's grin was like a beam of starlight upon the dusky sands of his skin.

"Yeah. Something like that."

Fingers knotted together.

"Brilliant."

"You should have seen my hall, Joey," he smiled, beaming up at the roof, staring straight up into the dangling black stalactites, golden locks kissing, giggling, an ideal potrait of a man lying against rock, relaxed and blessed, lost in the joy of his memories, "My home. Humans had so many names for them, so many dumb names, but I called it Feltara. The Palace of Feltara. Really. You should have seen it. So many wanted to."

Water hissed, growing impatient.

So was I.

I bit my lip.

"Is there a point to this?"

"Well, of course there's a point this! Why do you think I'm telling you about it? For fun?"

"Actually, yes."

"To hear the story, you need to know the setting of it, you insolent brat," he had a funny way of scolding me, his lips still carved in an endless smile, his blue eyes still staring up at the roof, beaming with boundless energy, every muscles in his face rolling with the keenness of a child, his firm voice rolling with the accent, dabbed with humour and not irritation, his harsh words odd in the strange tone, "You need to understand what I was. Who I was. I was Balder! I was the god of light and beauty. I was the god that had destroyed The Void. I was the hero. I was the champion. I was loved. From the beginning of time, the beginning of creation, I leapt about this universe, mingling with the mortals, with the inventions. Humans, nymphs, witches, spirits; I knew them all! Every single one of them. Perhaps not so much with the humans, but definitely with the nymphs. Aye! Definitely nymphs! After all, have you ever seen the nymph maidens? Have you seen them? Have you? Nasty creatures, truly, but The Void forbid the thighs on those maidens-"

"Ok, ok," I quickly staggered, hands raising in reflex, palm first, a call of pause, of hesitation, my throat gulping back, not particularly keen in finding out what Balder thought about the female anatomy of nymphs, "Don't really need to know that. Scratch that. Don't need to know that at all. I get it. You were loved. You had a pretty palace. Big deal."

"It was a big deal," he corrected simply, still grinning, still happy, staring up at the roof as if he was truly staring at something else, at the folded pages of his memories, of the images, the stories long past, "I was. The humans so adored me- at times, it got irritable, but a good lug of sweet ale always solved any problems. Of course, the initial creations, the lesser forms, the hominids as you would call it, didn't pay much heed to us at first. The animals never really cared for us too, perhaps 'till this day. But after we evolved them, give you lot a good set of brains, adapting them, surviving them…well, they began to appreciate us a little more. The children were especially fond of me; my, Joey, you should have seen their faces every time I brought out the sword. Even grown man would pay me their wives to handle the blade for just a few minutes!"

Here was curious part.

At last.

"The blade?" I voiced out, hands falling back into my lap, my eyes helplessly dragging away from the laid-back god towards the sword that still lay in the dust, near the door; it was as I had left it, beaming bright among the golden dust, its raw, clean edge pointed right at me, gold gleaming like a trapped sunbeam. The ruby danced brilliant, fiery and hot among the pale.

Water whispered against the fair rocks.

Here's another chance, Joey.

Go.

Leave.

Leave that sword behind, and go into the water.

Escape.

Get out of here.

Leave, before it's too late-

"My sword, Joey," he said simply enough, still smiling like the idiot he was, bright and eager, his face beautiful and bright in the wash of the golden rocks, young and alive, so very alive, "The blade you found. The blade that saved you. The very blade that has connected me to you, that has allowed me to see you and help you and whisper to you all this while. The sword. My sword. Don't you understand?"

The sighs were coming back.

"No."

His smile was like a dream.

"It was with this blade that I destroyed The Void. That I ruined it. This sword, Joey. This very sword. It was this blade that had hunted down the black heart and stabbed it right through the chest. This is the blade that had destroyed evil."

Evil.

Evil.

For a moment, I just sat there, staring at the sword gleaming silently among the scattered dust, smiling sadly, grinning quietly; it was impossible, wasn't it?

Surreal.

All this time, all this fucking time, I had been holding on to a sword that had, supposedly, destroyed such a thing.

Such a monster.

I had been holding on to a sword that had created life.

A sword that paved the way for universe.

A legend, surely.

A myth.

After all, why would such a thing exist?

Why would any of this exist?

Had I truly been holding to such a thing?

Such a legend?

Such a powerful tool, in the grasps of my hands?

I understood it's worth.

I understood it from Circe's shrill scream, back in her little tree hut-

But this?

A destroyer of evil?

A destroyer of the evil?

A force of it's own?

A killer?

A slayer?

Would that explain everything?

Could that be the explanation?

Was that why?

Was that why I had survived for so long?

Was that why I was alive?

The sword?

Was that why I could kill the siren?

Was that why I could survive in a freaking war?

Was that why I could kill a dragon?

Was that why?

Was it?

The sword?

Has it always just been the sword?

Just the sword?

For a moment, for a silent moment, I just stared at the blade, mind whirling, twirling, storms raging as thoughts flew about, wild and sharp. Disbelief gnawed away at my heart.

Just the sword?

I could barely hear my voice.

"Every time I was in danger," it was murmur, a gentle, soft murmur, mind twisting and turning, wincing and biting as I stared at the glowing blade, tongue numb, fingers dead, "Every time I was scared, the sword saved me. It glowed. It became warm, and then, like the snap of fingers, I didn't feel frightened anymore. I didn't feel scared. I would be so cold, so very cold, and then the sword would warm me, hug me, the…the heat just coursing through me, making me feel strong. I always felt strong with it. Always. When I killed the siren…and Metus- the warmth woke me out there, I'm sure of it, the warmth and your voice-"

"It is how the sword works," he was now smiling at me, from across the other arch, cheek flat upon the smooth rock, messy golden curls shying across his brilliant blue eyes, stringy and pale, his 'r' rolling across the smooth golden walls as he smiled over at me, his beautiful face beaming with the laughter in his eyes, "How it has always worked."

My throat was so dry.

"It makes you warm?"

"It makes you strong."

"Strong enough to kill a dragon."

"Just about."

"H-How?"

"Magic, dame," he smiled contently, blissful, the flute twirling about in his fingers leaning over the side of his head, golden locks shivering with each strong breath, water slapping against rocks at the back, silence pounding, screaming for attention, "Pure magic. Gods' magic. When I was created, when I was forged out of The Void, the blade was already with me, fully created, perfected in my sheath. It was powerful on it's own, created by whoever had created me, strong and bright, like a star in the pounding darkness. It was strong from the start. It gave strength. I still don't know how."

"Gods' magic?"

His smile made him even more beautiful.

"Didn't you break your arm, Joey?"

What?

For a few second, a few quick seconds, confusion crumpled in me, brows furrowing, eyes narrowing, bewilderment gnawing at my brain as I pulled my eyes away from the chuckling blue to stare down at my body-

Yes.

Now, that I remember it

Yes.

I had broken my arm.

I most definitely had.

I had broken my left arm.

It was shattered.

Rygor had picked me up and threw down on the mountain side-

Or was it the first tumble?

Or after them at all, 'cause I'm pretty sure I had heard a crack back than-

Not to mention the pain, and all the blood afterwards.

Then again, my skin was so bloodied, so ruined, that the blood might have just come from all those cuts and bruises, not a broken arm-

But I couldn't even use it during the fight.

I couldn't even feel it back than.

Maybe it really was broken-

My arm wasn't broken.

It was sitting there, crossed from my lap, the yellow sleeve torn and dirtied, stained with red, dried blood crusting the edges of my wrists-

But there was nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

No marks, no scratches.

No broken bones.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

"What the fuck?"

With frantic fingers, I dug away the tattered cloth, pushing it back, drawing it upwards so as to reveal the naked of my arm, to check on it-

It was perfect.

Absolutely perfect.

What the fuck?

It was just there, just lying there, perfect golden skin blocked from the months of sun, an odd contrast to the dusky bronze of my shoulders and face, sticking out against the dark of my pants; it was flawless, perfect, the skin the smooth natural tan of my skin, unmarked, unscratched. There was no blood, no tearing of skin, no foul, disgusting pus gathering among clotted blood, no trailing streams of red, no putrid flesh vapid and open to all sorts of infections, no gleaming nook of broken bone piercing through tender flesh like a ravaged claw-

No pain.

Oh God.

Oh fucking God.

For a moment, I just sat there, staring, glaring, my mind frozen, my body frozen, the sudden thought, the sudden revelation freezing me, stopping me, stilling the breath in my lungs.

My heart froze.

Oh God.

Oh fucking God.

No pain.

Not a single pain.

From the moment I had woken up, from the moment the world had exploded and I had opened my eyes to a world of falling black ash-

Nothing.

Nothing.

No pain.

Not a single pain.

No wincing ache.

No panging throb.

No pounding, pulsing pain racing through my body, tearing through my skin.

No streaks of brilliant agony.

No grief.

No torture, no anguish, no-

No hell.

No.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

The pain, the memory of the pain, of tearing, screaming pain, of skin peeling, of bones smashing, of slashing, twisting, tremoring, stabbing, roiling, sorrowing, lancing, burning-

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

It was as if it had never been there.

Never at all.

No marks of scratches, no clotted flesh torn open, ravaged and raw.

No streaming blood.

No blood.

None at all.

WHAT THE FUCK-

With a sudden yelp, I jumped to my feet, dust scattering, fingers searching my skin, searching for any trace of violence, of agony, mind whirling with the very possibility of absolute insanity; both arms were clean, absolutely clean, the old faint scars of the sirens the only blemishes in the golden skin, no blood, no stain, no putrid flesh, crusty dried blood munching along the sides, remnants of something that no longer existed. Sleeves stained red and black, tattered and ruined, but the skin was flawless, perfect, as if-

As if it never had happened.

With frantic fingers, I kept on poking about, hurried, panicked, mind spinning and spinning out of control, tongue numb with dread, sweat dripping slow and thick; a single finger thumbed down against the bullet wound in my hip, the wound where a bullet had grazed by during the fight on the ships, tearing through leather, cloth, skin, flesh and blood-

There was no pain.

Absolutely no pain.

I pressed harder, but there was no more wincing pain, no more dull throbbing aching with each step, my finger slipping into the tear of the leather-

Only to meet calm, smooth skin.

Flawless skin.

Perfect skin.

Oh God.

Oh God.

This isn't happening.

This can't be happening.

No.

No way.

No fucking.

It's impossible.

It's completely-

It began a fervent search, all about my body, hands reaching, fingers touching, palms skimming over skin, checking for blood, checking for pain. Hands ran down my legs, my dark pants, blood stained dry and thick into the cotton, red crusting along the edges of the metal boots. Shoulders laid bare and dry, completely untouched, hair still dripping wet down my back, thick and matted with red, not a single pinch of pain. Hands kept grabbing at my left arm, at my elbow, checking if it was broken, checking if it even had ever been broken, thumbing along, pressing and squeezing, mind racing with all sorts of thoughts. Hands that were once ruined, bloody and red, mangled skin and flesh, were normal again, perfect again, no more blood, no more pain, a perfect body crusted here and there with splatters of dried blood, like a dream of yesterday. Nothing hurt, nothing ached.

I was completely healed.

Completely healed.

Healed.

Saved.

Saved.

Oh God.

Oh fucking God.

What the hell?

What the fuck?

How could this have happened?

How could this be real?

Am I dreaming?

Please, am I dreaming?

Please tell me I'm dreaming.

Please tell me this is dream.

A nightmare.

Please tell me I can wake up, any minute now-

Balder was speaking again.

"Fascinating, isn't it?"

I could barely breathe.

"Fascinating?" I was gasping, gasping away, staring wide-eyed up at the grinning god, my voice choked, my breath caught, numbs hands trailing away from my healed body, mind twisting and turning, losing itself to a dark, whirling, ravaging storm of utter confusion, of utter terror "Fascinating? How on earth is this fascinating? Where are my wounds? Where the fuck are they?"

His smile was like a captured sliver of starlight.

"I'm sorry. Did you want to feel the pain?"

It took everything in me not to scream out loud, to throw my hands down and run off, to pretend that none of this was real, that none of this was possible.

Everything.

I tried to steady my breathing.

"Maybe," I answered softly, voice choking, willing myself never to look down at my body again, hands held at a wide berth from something that logic said was impossible, from a darn miracle," Perhaps. It would make me feel a little more human."

His answer was a scoff.

"Typical human," he mocked, twisting his strong neck back around to stare up at the ceiling again, golden curls dancing, blue eyes piercing high up onto the golden rock, laughing with mirth, dancing with glee, his smile cheeky and mischievous, clearly enjoying every moment of my numbing, clawing panic, heart racing wild and free, "You lot always think that your kind is the only race that can feel pain, eh!"

"That's because we're mortal."

A shrug of curious fair eyebrows.

"Ah. Never quite thought of that-"

"Besides, humans don't heal," I stuttered, reining control, keeping control, swallowing gulps of saliva as I stared at his shivering curls, the brook jeering from its craven banks, "I don't heal. Not this fast anyway; no, no way. If I had broken my arm-"

"Which you did."

"-then it would take me months to heal, not hours, not a single day-"

"Unless you had the sword."

I blinked slowly.

"You're saying the sword healed me."

A twist of curls, and then a cheeky wink.

"Exactly."

I was gasping all over again.

It took me a moment to breathe in, to settle down, to accept the fact that this had happened, that this wasn't dreamed, that all the pain and all the blood had been taken away, a burden lifted me off me, saving me. My mind turned and twisted, screaming with each tumultuous thought, tumbling along ravaged rocks, wind blasting, whirling words about. Sweat dripped, slow and thick, dropping down along with the last few drips of underground spring water. The brook snarled, suddenly loud and clear.

I had to close my eyes.

God.

For a moment or so, I stood there, eyes shut, thinking and pondering, settling down, calming down, breathing in the dank, humid air.

Then, with a loud exhale, I opened my eyes and spoke again, voice trembling beneath the shaking of my mind.

My tongue was so numb.

"The light," I breathed, staring down at the golden curls, the dancing, leaping eyes, heart caught still, throat tight as I whispered out into the quiet cave, the rushing stream whispering against its damp banks, "That was when it happened, wasn't it? The light…. back above, before I…I killed Rygor…I touched the blade and…and the light…the heat-"

"Consumed you?"

His voice was strangely quiet.

"As if everything had just burned away."

"It did," he smiled, grinning up at the ceiling, curls dancing, laughing, the pounding in my head cooling down, reining in, my breathing slowly pulling itself together as my body began to calm down, the loud crystal hiss of the running stream creeping along my spine, meditative in my ear," In a way, it did just that."

My heart was returning back to normal.

My voice still trembled though.

"What did? The sword?"

He nodded slowly, staring up at the golden roof.

"Yup."

My throat was slackening.

"H-How?"

"Magic, silly," he said simply enough, my heart slowing down, returning to normal, the churning of my mind taking a notch down, water murmuring a soft tune, "It's all about magic. Big magic. Strong magic. The magic that made me. The magic that made that sword. Whose magic, we don't know. We'll probably never know. Despite the stories you might hear, Joey, it was the sword that defeated The Void. It was the sword that gave me strength. We all spilled out of The Void, into the deep, inky black, and when it came down to the fight, to the battle between me and The Void-"

"It made you strong."

A soft chuckle rose up to the ceiling, above the torrent stream, low and smooth, creamy white. The medicine man's eye danced along to the little snigger.

Golden curls sighed like a pale dream.

Heart pounded long and deep.

Normal.

He's voice was caught in a dream.

"There was a time, Joey, that I thought all I was, all that I could be, was entitled to the sword."

I cleared my throat.

"Was it?"

Another chuckle.

"Of course not. I wouldn't be here if it was, now would I?"

Silence pounded into the still roof.

For a few minutes or so, we kept our silence, each lost in our thoughts; my mind whirled at the possibility, at the fact, that the sword was something more, that it had always been something more, a key, a source, a heart of some sort emanating pure, unadulterated power, binding, fiery force, endless, burning strength. A blade, a weapon, that had somehow allowed Balder to communicate with me, to save me, to protect me, a rapier, a sword that could, in its way, infuse such strength, some power, some raw, boasting brawn. Thoughts flew, images swept as my mind churned around the sword, around this magical thing, this powerful thing, this centre, this heart, this core…

Yes.

That was it was.

A core.

A core of unbelievable power.

A core of magic.

For a few minutes, silence screamed through the hissing waters, loud and clear, thoughts yelling.

My tongue was so very numb.

"Why are you here then?"

He was still smiling an idiot.

"Huh?"

"Why are you here?" I repeated, voice trembling ever so slightly, my back arching with exhaustion as I stared over at his golden locks, his fair eyes, a part of me suddenly wanting to run back to the sword and pick it up, to hold it close, to let it protect me, changing the subject around as the water gurgled and giggled," Down here, I mean. How did you get here?"

His voice was still so humoured.

"You mean in this grave?"

I tried to ignore the sword for a little bit.

"So this is really a grave?"

"Aye. What else does it look like?"

"I don't know," I shook my head slightly, slowly sitting down again as I shook away all thoughts of the sword, staring over the golden curls, heels drumming together, voice still quiet," Was never one for visiting graves."

"Well, you should do it more. Quite thrilling, if you ask me. There is no way better to spend your nights then prowling about the cemeteries; in fact, one time, on a quicksie to Southern Peru, about 10000 years ago or so-"

"I'm not interested in your depraved hobbies."

"No. You want to know how I died."

"That's why I'm down, aren't I?" my voice was becoming firmer with each second, with each fleeting second, fingers knotted together on my lap, my hands still refusing to go anywhere near where they were should be blood and gaping, painful wounds, my eyes still flickering back and forth between the god and his sword in the dust, "That's why I was led here, wasn' t it? By god knows who? Something to do with your death? Something about you being trapped here?"

His voice was still a chuckle.

"Oh, I think it has everything to do with me being trapped here."

A familiar sigh rattled through my bones.

"What the hell do you mean?"

His grin reminded me of a certain cat in a certain crazy fairytale.

"Have you ever heard of universal hiking?"

What?

"What?"

It came out as a tired drawl, rather then an interested question; suddenly, in all the gasping and confused breathing, I had lost my strength, my mind now too tired and exhausted to ponder even more, to get upset over the simplest of things, to show a flicker of interest. Thoughts about the glowing sword, about the healed wounds lingered, hovered as I stared out over at the blonde god, head pulsing with a harsh headache as the topic changed into-

Well, into something that might just require me to think all over again.

Great.

Just great.

Balder's voice was all chirpy again.

"Well, do you like it? Do you? I came up with it, you know. 'Universal hiking'. I kind of like it, actually. Has a sort of ring to it. A catchy ring. Sounds like something you would say on a daily basis, you know- you'll be talking to your mate, and he'll be saying, 'How 'bout we go off on some universal hiking, eh? We could both use the break'. And then, you'll be telling him, ' Aye, I heard it's good this time of year. Perfect weather everywhere. Brilliant thing, universal hiking, don't you think? Absolutely brilliant! A quick vacation back and forth, millions of spots to choose from; if we picked carefully enough, we might just get lucky on some good ol' fishing grounds-"

"What the hell is universal hiking?"

"Nothing more then a the hike between universes, between alternate realities, really. I'm done it loads of times."

My brow crinkled even more, exhaustion pinching like crab pincers.

Water hissed its rushing tune.

"Hiking?"

"You know, travel between the different worlds."

Now, my interest was peaked all over again.

"You can do that?"

"Well, I can. You can't," Balder stated simply enough, grinning up at the roof like the fool he was, his handsome face bright with the beam of his cheeky smile, curls twirling a dance of bright gold as his naked chest heaved with each, sweet breath, "I'm a god, remember? I'm awesome."

"You mean you can travel between worlds?"

"Between, up, down, side to side, under, above-"

He paused then, for a brief moment, and with a swish of dainty curls, he twisted his neck and flashed his mischievous little smile at me, winking a bright blue eye, a naughty gleam washing over his handsome face. Something impish screamed from his voice.

His voice could barely contain his amusement.

"And that's just how good I am in the bedroom."

I didn't even try to hide my snarl.

"You're disgusting," I stated clear enough, hands trailing upwards to fold in a defiant, lips curled away in disdain, glaring over at his puckish face, his playful eyes, his smirking lips, water laughing against the smooth rocks, "Even more than Sparrow."

"Trade of being the god of beauty, my sweet."

"Yeah, and for being stuck down here for over 4000 years."

At this, Balder's face changed; with a cry of dramatic agony, he pushed his arms out from under his head and dangled them along the sides of the rock, stretched out beyond his head, the silver filigree glinting on wooden flute as he tossed his head up towards the ceiling, golden curls shaking. His body stretched, long and linear, and in a flash, a snapping, bright flash, Balder's cheeky, playful demeanour gave way to a dramatic, theatrical display, lips curled away in mock sorrow. A pretend moan escaped from his lips, his handsome features collapsing away into the art of over-acting.

Blue eyes flared away in mock torture.

I rolled my eyes.

God.

What a freak.

"No, Joey!" he moaned, a thespian once again, stretching out upon the pale rock, as if in agony, writhing slightly, pulsing with false pain, a fist reaching down to clench over his naked heart, face twisted, lost in the wayward ways of his dramatic flair, "Do not remind me of my sorrows!"

"God…."

"For so long I have laid here!" he cried, muffling away my dragged out moan, my head tumbling down into cupped hands as I sighed out in exhaustion, forehead in hand, watching him act and cry through the strands of my damp hair, barely resisting the urge to just get up and punch him, "For so long I have been alone! For so long have I missed the gentleness of hands, the sweet whispers of love! For so long have I endured the burning silence, the memories of tender love, of passionate nights-"

I'm going to punch him.

I swear, I'm going to punch-

"When was it last I had felt love? When was it last I had fallen asleep in someone's embrace? Why can I no longer remember the touch of one's hand? Why can't I remember the feel of lips, the heat of love-"

I'm going to kill him.

Before this day is done, I'm going to stab him through-

"Of all my lovers lost, where are you now? Where do you hide? Where are you, fair Helena of the tattered rose? Do you lie among your sisters, among the trees or among the bones? Where are you, my dear Soddak? My brave and noble Soddak? My mortal warrior? Are you still the brave young man that I loved and cherished, or do you bones now lie forgotten in the soil? What becomes of you, my dear Soddak? Where do you hide?"

That's it.

That is absolutely it-

"For so long I have sat here, alone and forgotten! For so long I have moaned in sorrow! Where are the sweet touches? Where are the loving glances? For so long I have lived among rock! For so long I have not felt the warmth of another creature! For so long I have not tasted the precious ecstasy, the thrill of our sweet embraces, long into the night-"

"ALL I ASKED IS IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BETWEEN WORLDS-"

"Well, of course I can. Why didn't you just ask?" with a snap, a thrilling, whirling snap, Balder sprang up from his lying slouch, golden curls laughing, his blue eyes springing back to life as he finally dropped the whole charade, the whole act, springing up into an upright position as his familiar, irksome smile crooked over his lips all over again. My yell resounded throughout the cave, bouncing off the golden smooth walls, screaming over the hiss of the river, each word echoing with the burning frustration; it was as if the man, the god had a switch in him, a multiple switch that often played between half-hearted seriousness and pure folly. His face faded back into its usual stance of sarcastic humour, leaping, flicking like a switch; it was quite a good acting performance, I must admit, his face, his act completely dropping on demand, in utter control. Golden curls framed the handsome dunes of his beaming face.

Sweat gleamed gold on his rolling chest.

Irritation gnawed like a sucking leech.

This was insane.

This was so very insane.

I should just take the sword and leave.

Take the sword, go down the stream and find my way out of here.

I'll just return to the ships and lie about everything.

I'll make up a story, and than fall asleep on my bed, releasing everything.

I'll just escape this horrible nightmare, return to my brother and just forget everything that had just happened-

Including Will.

A sigh rippled through my blood.

"Damn it."

Balder just quirked a playful eyebrow.

"Sorry?"

"I said damn it," I replied, staring over at him as I breathed in again, calming myself down, sighing softly, the fact, the lone, strong fact registering in my head all over again, as it should have from the very beginning:

Will.

Will.

I had to do this for Will.

"Damn it?"

"Yes, damn it," I nodded, gulping back saliva as the murky depths of my mind began to make clear all over again, a guilt, a burning, bitter guilt gnawing away at what was left of my heart, "Damn it, because of all the men in the world, I had to fall in love with him. Damn it, because of all the miseries and tortures of the world, he had to die. Damn it, because of all that was sane and right in this world, you are my only hope."

"Ah. Finally. An ulterior motive."

I barely heard him.

For a moment, for just a few seconds, I sat there, staring down at my fingers, at my healed fingers, mind churning over the familiar thought, the long forgotten thought; it seemed to long ago, so very long ago, the ships and seas, the blasting cannons, the spilling blood, the screams and cries, the falling fires, the billowing white sails-

Will.

I could see him now, standing there, at the edge of the ship, of the flaming helm, bloody waves roaring far below, the red sun rising behind him, dark curls dancing in the crimson wind, red leaping about his face as he smiled, softly, sadly, caught away in the falling red wind, fire and ash raining like fallen stars, his eyes a beautiful gold beaming through the screaming red, the weeping red, my name whispering from his lips as the sun took him, the red took him, dark hair curling upward as he fell back towards the bloody waters, gold fading away forever-

Will.

My Will.

For a moment, the world fell silent, the world fell dead as I remembered that moment, that red dawn, the light leaving from his eyes as he disappeared forever, taken away by the sea; the memory had just came, pounding like a hammer, shattering the pane of glass, breaking it into a thousand pieces, stinging through my blood. My breath grew still as the image flashed in my mind again, the fires, the blood, the soft, sad smile-

No.

No.

Not even Balder's sword could heal that.

Not even Balder's sword could heal that pain.

No.

No.

No.

Will.

My beautiful Will.

Something wet blobbed down onto my fingers and it took me awhile to realise that I was crying, fat tears blinking away from eyes, hot and burning against my skin. Jaw screwed tight as they ran in flashes, throat closed, chest hot, my heart wrecked and ruined all over again, shredded and claw, his smile, his eyes stuck on replay in my head, forever stuck, forever dead. A choke rose up in my throat as the memory hit me all over again, striking me hard, striking me deep, a punch, a stab, the tears trailing hot and fast, sorrow, agony ripping through my body, through the tattered ruins of my soul, all that was left of me, all that was sane slowly crumbling away as it finally began to sink in that-

That Will was dead.

That Will was gone.

That Will was dead and gone and that this was just a wild attempt, a desperate attempt at getting him back.

That this was just a mad attempt at getting back what never would return.

That this was just a fool's errand, a despondent at the very edge of its options.

That this was just a hope, a frail, pathetic, worthless hope.

That this was just me trying to hold on.

That this was just me refusing to let go.

That this was just me trying to say goodbye.

With a loud choke, I pressed a damp palm against my lips, pushing back the sobs as my other hand reached up to wipe away the tears, the hot tears, the agonized tears, trying to swallow back all the anger and grief and utter pain-

Balder's voice whispered like a dream.

"I get it now."

He was sitting there, upright for once, back straight and sleek, the wooden flute clenched tight in his hand, pressed down against the fair rock; golden curls framed a face that was now quiet, watching, a small smile dancing upon his lips as he gazed over at me through the shimmering curtain of his golden locks, straggly fair stringing down to kiss against his bare shoulders. Sweat gleamed golden off his naked chest, muscles purring as he heaved in and out, tasting the air, indulging in it, flaxen curls shivering against the sandy husk of his jaw. Blue eyes leaped away from the dusty sands, fiery and alive, watching curiously like a scientist watching its experiment, or a predator hunting its prey. Energy, wild and untamed, leaped about in those sapphire orbs.

His smile was like waning moon.

My lips were salty and wet.

"W-What?"

He didn't even blink.

"What you said. Earlier. You said that pain made you feel human."

I didn't know where I he was going with this, but through the fog of burning tears, the pain shredded, clawing, gnawing away at what was left of my soul, his face, his beautiful, dark eyes smiling at me one last time, taken away forever-

I had to clear my throat from the clawing pain.

"I….I d-don't-"

I could barely hear his voice.

"Pain makes you feel human because it makes you bleed. It makes you scream. It makes you stop and think, to feel awake and real-"

"No, you don't-"

"Pain makes you feel alive."

I couldn't speak.

For the briefest of moments, I just stared up at him, at his whispering curls, his bright blue eyes, his twisted smile, stomach clenching, gut turning, heart torn and broken, everything that ever made sense, that was ever good fading away, taken, engulfed, consumed, annihilated, devastated, destroyed-

Will.

With a clear of my throat, I straightened my back and swiped at my tears, brushing away the hot crystals, dabbing at my eye, pulling myself up, pulling myself right, taking in a deep breath of the damp air as I pulled myself all together, back into place-

Because now was not the time for sorrow.

Now was not the time for agony.

Will could be saved.

Couldn't he?

I could get him back.

Tears dotted the black cotton like constellations.

Dark, pain-ridden constellations.

Will could be saved.

Couldn't he?

I could get him back.

Water hissed, low and soft, laughing.

Laughing and mocking.

Will could be saved.

Couldn't he?

I could get him back.

Blue eyes watched, dancing with energy and light.

And hope.

Will could be saved.

Couldn't he?

I will get him back.

I will.

With another loud cough, I rubbed aside the last of the tears, brushing away the hot streaks, the burning ache, the roiling pain stuck deep in my being-

And spoke.

"What happened to you, 4000 years ago?"

A blonde eyebrow crooked high up a flawless dark forehead.

"Changing the topic, eh?"

My voice still sounded strained.

Raspy.

Will.

"I want to know."

For another second or so, Balder just stared at me, eyebrow crooked, lips smiling gently, studying me, analysing me, thoughts flying hidden beneath his crown of golden curls, blue eyes dancing bright and eager, watching with a burning anticipation. Silence drummed as he stared and stared, calculating away in the silence of his mind-

And then, he sighed.

With the roll of golden muscles, Balder heaved out a long, thick sigh and shifted slightly, rolling his head down to stare at the wooden flute in his fingers, playing it among the slim tanned of his fingers. Shoulder slumped as he stretched out his legs, pulled in utter laziness, golden curls showering across his eyes like a veil, thick and pure, bright and alive. His breath trailed sweet in the little golden cave.

Water hissed like a river of snakes.

I swallowed back all the pain.

All the tearing, gnawing pain.

Hold it, Joey.

Just hold it.

Swallow it back and contain it all over again.

Tears are not going to help now.

They never will.

Take it in.

Take it all the way in….

Just hold on.

My hand kept rubbing away the tears.

Balder spoke like a dream.

"I suppose, than, if that would make you feel better."

My throat was so very raw.

"It would."

Blue eyes trailed up to me again, bright and dancing.

Alive.

Just hold on.

Golden curls shivered like winter's fair.

"Well than," Balder heaved out a thick breath as he stretched and in a loud boom, clapped his hands together, flute in between, staring up at me again, blue eyes bright, grin whiplashing across his face, beaming pale through the last of my tears, my body holding up, choking up anything left, anything left behind, my throat swallowing back the tears, the blood, the pain as I stared up into those irksome eyes again, that devilish smile, "Guess should begin with my little universal hiking trip."

Somehow, his familiar springing joy seemed comforting now.

I nodded numbly.

"Universal hiking trip?"

His smile cracked, toothy and white.

I could barely breathe.

"It was summer, you know," he had danced right into the story, grinning like an idiot all over again, gazing over at me with a child-like keenness in his eyes, bright and beautiful, my own throat clearing as I dusted away all the pain, all the jagged, thorny pain, keeping it for another day, another time as I stared once more at the god before me, forcing myself to listen to every word, "A great summer, about 4000 years ago. Beautiful summer! One of the best of the century, I reckon; not too hot, not too cold. Perfect weather, every single day! It was a great time too, no doubt of it. A brilliant time, a fascinating time; you humans were finally beginning to get control of things, to spread more and more, leaping like wildfire, fast and furious. The nymphs were wild too, populace and strong, the fairies and witches and daemons; we gods were always there, of course, but our worship had only really started to grow, the people beginning to look at us as more than just greater beings. Some of my brothers and sisters spent lesser time among them, and in return, they started worshiping us more, prayers and all. Statues, temples…. all that lot started to get built up, all in our honour. Quite flattering at times, I assure you. Quite flattering indeed. Great ego boost, you humans proved to me."

I bit my lower lip.

Just hold on.

My voice was breathy whisper.

"Go on."

He smiled even wider.

"Ah. Go on. Yes. Good idea. You see, I'm only just beginning. You should have seen the world 4000 years ago, Joey. Aye, you should have seen it! The Void forbid how beautiful it was! How fresh it stays in my mind! What a wonderful summer that was! There were so many things happening, so much movements, so much gossip! You lot were finally getting the quirk of farming, to settle down, colonize, stop migrating like a bunch of beast…. though I must say your little tribal wars were really getting on my nerves, especially since Vulcan had that annoying need to meddle in it all. I don't know why. He just did.

Back than, of course Joey, your ancestors were little more than nomads, finally beginning to pull themselves together, to settle down, to grow. By than, your species had completely evolved, but you were all still a somewhat uncivilized lot, always fighting, always killing. I don't think that will ever change, but you should have seen your ancestors, Joey! You should have seen them! The Egyptians and Sumerians were probably the better of the lot; I didn't blend in easily with them, but they always knew what I was, whenever I came to visit. They always knew I was a god. There were all these celebrations whenever one of us gods came about. Hah! Great celebrations! No one knew how to celebrate better than the early Egyptians! No one!

The other world, the immortal world, was very vibrant than, of course, the fairies always throwing some party now and again; The Void knows how I much loved those parties! All the wine! All the music! All the rampage dances and sweet love affairs among the coral beaches….a party, you would say Joey. A great big party, all across the world, around every corner. The world of magic was wild indeed! So wild, so alive….wonders why I ever wanted to leave in the first place…"

My brow ached when I crinkled them.

"Leave?"

His blue eyes beamed like a pair of brilliant blue stars.

"What?"

My throat was so very sore.

"What do you mean by leave?"

His grin was like crack of lightning.

"Leave…well, I mean, leave. Leave, as in every sense of the word. Is there another meaning to that word now? It has been a rather long time…tell me. What does 'leave' mean now? Hmm? What does it mean? 'Leave'…. like leaf? It's pretty much the same pronunciation…did you make the spelling the same as well? Or does it mean something else now? Something like…like a hat. Yes! A hat! A leave hat! Well, yes…yes…a leave hat…. sounds quite nice, doesn't it? Easy to use in a sentence, that's for sure: ' don't worry, I'll just be getting my leave hat-"

I stifled back a sniffle.

"No, you idiot," I shook my head, wiping away the last of the hot tears, biting down on my tongue, my throat still tight and store, choking back the tears, the writhing pain, irritation slowly creeping in all over again, "Where did you go to? That summer, about 4000 years ago? Why did you leave?"

A blue eye winked with a cheeky flutter of dark lashes.

"Not very nice calling me an idiot, eh?"

Yep.

Irritation definitely creeping back in.

My eyes were still quite sore.

"Well, I'm not very nice."

"Figures."

"Where did you go?"

"To your universe, of course."

For a moment, I just stared.

Just stared.

And then, pushing back the pain and tears completely back, engulfing it away, hiding it in the dark, I sat forward on my seat, staring intently at the god before me.

After all, here was something.

Something that important.

Something related to me.

Finally.

My heart unclenched slightly.

"My universe?" I asked softly, whispering, staring up at his bright, keen eyes, at his handsome, jovial face, golden curls shivering along his large face, dancing with the dusky shadows, lips curled away, smirking for his life, my hands clutching tight against the rock, stomach still rolling sick, "My world?"

A part of me, somewhere deep inside, still wanted to die.

A great, big hidden part of me.

Water laughed its skipping tune.

"Aye. Your home."

I bit my lip.

"Was it your alternate reality than? Did it belong to you?"

For a moment, Balder just stared, his blonde eyebrows arching together to form a curious look about his face, smile faltering for just a brief second. Heart squeezed and throat rasped but-

But I had to ignore that now.

I had to ignore this.

Just hold on.

Balder's voice came out in a slightly comical manner.

"Noooooooooo," he dragged, slowly shaking his head, golden curls laughing, his perfect face slightly screwed up in faint confusion, smile dropping into a perfect little 'o', "Don't be silly, silly. Why would I have an alternate reality?"

"Don't you?"

"I told you already. Only you little minions have alternate realities, millions and millions of versions of yourself. Us gods don't. There is only one set of us, one council of gods, one amazing Balder. Only the highly intelligible creations have alternate realities."

"So you're saying you're not highly intelligible?"

Now, it was back to that grin.

"Oh…. you're smart."

For some reason, I couldn't help but smile in return.

"You have no idea."

For a moment, we both just sat there, smiling at each other, his a whipping of bright, brilliant white, mine a crook, a sarcastic smirk-

But it felt weird.

Smiling.

Smiling felt weird.

I don't know how.

I don't know why.

The curling of lips, the outspoken amusement somehow felt… strange…. foreign….as if I hadn't smiled in a while-

Hadn't I?

When was the last time I had smiled?

Before Circe's death?

Before Will's death?

Before Jared's death?

Before the pirate war?

Before….

When?

When was the last I had smiled?

Just like that, the smile dropped from my lips and I was staring down at my fingers again, pondering over the clean skin, curls licking damp and cold. Water giggled like that of a child, singing a soft, sweet lullaby.

Balder didn't say a word.

My heart still ached.

Damn this.

"Whose alternate reality was it than?" I continued again, gulping back, pushing back as I raised my eyes once more to stare up at those mysteriously young blue eyes, resting my elbows on my lap and drawing my fingers up to my face, bending them over my lip, shading them, hiding them, fair curls licking in the frail light like the finest strands of gold. The medicine man's eye whispered against the side of my cheek.

My right thumb slowly grazed along the flat bone.

Balder's eyes were like blue fires.

Brilliant, never-ending blue fires.

Supernatural fires.

His 'r's rolled completely out of control.

"I already told you. I don't know. I lost count. I don't care. Sometimes, when I was bored, I used to travel between the worlds, hiking, hoping from universe to universe, not really caring whom it belonged to. It didn't matter. Just as long as I could get some fun."

"Fun?"

"You know. Parties. Ale. Sex. The usual."

Water hissed, calling up the golden roof.

Black stalactites stabbed down in dark daggers.

My voice was still somewhat sore.

"You couldn't get any of that here?"

Balder's eyes beamed with brimming life.

"It's not with whom that matters, but where," He said simply enough, smiling over at me, grinning like an idiot, golden curls laughing as he fiddled the slim flute between his clever dark fingers, "It's always to do with the where. Would you want to get married in an old pub, Joey? How 'bout a deck? Market? Ginger poppin' brothels? See? Don't you see? It doesn't matter with whom. All that matters is where."

"Of course. Because when I marry someone, I am more concerned with the wedding location than who I am actually marrying."

"Perfect! What else would matter?"

I was sighing again.

With a low, soft drag, I sighed and reached up to slick my fingers through my hair, pushing back the damp curls, running through the mess. Shoulders slumped as I kept my elbows on my lap, to lazy to raise them up, to lazy to do anything. I just sat there, brushing back my dank hair, pushing the curls away from my eyes, strands stuck together by something sticky, something dry.

Blood, if my luck would have it.

Dirty boots grinded deep into golden dust.

My heart still burned.

Will.

I closed my eyes.

"Just tell me what happened than," I sighed, stretching the kinks out of my neck as fingers trailed through the edges of my matted damp hair, eyes fluttering open, still sore, still tender from all those tears, "That summer…you went away to another universe-"

"Aye. I did," his smile was getting annoying again, "Thoth's fault, really. All his ruddy fault! You see, Joey, there was this fine little nymph, water nymph, all curves and brains, pretty dark hair, lovely dark skin and all. Lovely thing. Beautiful! Men used to sing songs in her honour; you should have seen her! Her dark, dark hair! She lived on the outskirts of a little hunting village down in the south, in a clear lake, and was constantly bewitching the young humans down there. Always bewitching! She liked her men human, you see, liked her men weaker than her. There were plenty of nymphs to go around, but this one…. well…. this one was addictive. Special. The finest prize."

Fingers trailed back to my lap.

"So?"

Blue eyes beamed like stars.

"So? So? Thoth liked her too! Smart, weak little Thoth. Thoth and his words. Thoth and his bloody wisdom. He was my brother but when it came to women, there are really no rules about it. Each god to himself. Being older, he contested to the rest of my siblings, laid his claim and before I knew it, before I could even breath, the coward had laid his claim over her! Over that beautiful nymph! I was the god of beauty, of peace and music and joy, but he tricked me! He moved so quickly, so very fast, and laid stake over that dark rippling hair-"

"What was her name?"

"No idea. But that's not the point, silly! The point was that he fooled me, that he won over me. He pushed me aside, stepped forward, as if I was nothing. Me! Balder! The others had nothing to say about it….said I wasn't smart enough, that Thoth had beaten me fair and square…but you should have seen her, Joey! You should have! She was beautiful, wondrous, in every sense of the word! She was not fit for Thoth! She never was! I was the god of beauty, and he of wisdom…where was the sense in that?"

My eyes were still sore.

"Pity."

"Great pity," he bobbed his head furiously, nodding away, golden curls bouncing, his lips reacting animatedly to each sentence, to each underlying emotion, acting as if the whole ordeal had happened only yesterday, and not over 4000 years ago, "Tragic, at times. For a while, I stayed at Feltara, sulking away, upset to the bone…and why shouldn't I be? I was tricked! Again! I would stare out my window, thinking about Thoth and that beautiful creature, about my own dumb luck….it was a boring time, really. A sad time. A sad, sad time. A sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad-"

"Sad time."

"Very sad."

My lungs were still somewhat tight.

My throat was still raw.

"What about the universal hiking?"

"Well, that came along when I realised that it was summer."

My lungs were still somewhat tight.

"Summer?"

"Yes. Summer. I loved summer. I love summer. Beautiful time, really. Beautiful. Most people enjoy spring, but I always liked summer. Always liked the heat. Spring can be too colourful, too sweet…. but the summer nights were always perfectly warm, perfectly dark. The moon was always brightest, the wind always warm, and when the summer storms pull in, the world rained warm and beautiful, like something out of a song. Summer was always my favourite time. My best time. So, you see Joey, despite the horrible humiliation and disappointing lost to that weakling, I wasn't about to spend a summer caged away at home, doing nothing. True, few months is nothing to me, mere minutes in eternal life…but I liked summer. I wasn't going to waste it. No, I wasn't in the mood to be bored. With or without a pretty nymph."

There was something in this that sounded like me.

For a moment, I just sat there, staring up at those eager blue eyes, remembering all the summers I had, spending every minute outdoors, making plans, elaborate, terrific plans, not wanting to waste a single moment of the beautiful summer wind-

Yes.

I too liked summer.

Hell.

I loved summer.

I loved-

Do I still?

Do I still love summer?

It's been so long….

Do I still love summer?

Balder's accented, firm but eager voice crashed away any possibility to question anything anymore.

"So, I came to the sensible conclusion," he carried on, beaming like the idiot he was, blue eyes bright, curls giggling, chucking, muscles purring as his naked chest heaved in and out with each breath, bare feet lying cold upon the sands, "I decided to take a break. A holiday, if you will. Went universal hiking, hopping about from place to place until, in the spur of the moment, I landed in your world-"

Something itched at the back of my throat.

"What was so special about my world?"

His blue eyes flashed like burning sapphires.

"Nothing, really. Same old, same old. Same as all the other realities. The first view I got of your little home, however, was quite irresistible."

"What do you mean?"

With a sigh of bliss, of whimsical bliss, Balder rolled his shoulders and tilted his head slightly upward, grinning up the ceiling, bright blue eyes glazing over, fogging, the clear crystal dashed away with mist as his mischievous smirk twisted away into a dreamy smile, lost away once more, wistful, far away, a pale of memories taking him in, all over again. Blue eyes fluttered shut as he smiled gently, remembering a time, a place, his handsome face gleaming with the pale fair, the pale beauty of bliss, of peace, caught away in a completely different world. Shoulder relaxed, each breath soft and sweet, the smile singing of a happier time, of a peaceful time. Flute twirled in his pretty fingers, dancing a ballad of old.

Curls whispered a long-forgotten dream.

"Aine."

He sounded so very far away.

"What?"

My voice somehow sounded loud in the silence of the golden cave.

His smile was a daydream.

"Not what, who," he said simply enough, eyes still closed up at the ceiling, bare chest heaving with each slow, deep breath, the small smile stretching across his face, a strange glowing through his sandy skin, golden curls laughing a sweet, sweet memory, "She was a who. A sweet who. My sweet Aine."

My sweet Aine?

For a moment, I just stared at him, at his sudden change in demeanour, puzzling over his glowing face, his shut eyes, his blissful smile as if dreaming a sweet tale, asleep, silent, golden locks kissing against his handsome jaw, against his curving smile; it was weird, seeing him like this, all pretty and quiet and not talking at all. His mouth was now shut, not jabbing out some nonsense but quiet, glued together, tilted away in a happy, a lopsided smile, dark lashes kissing against the high dunes of his cheeks. Breath rang sweet and pure.

Silent.

Silent.

Silent?

Seriously?

My heart still ached.

With a soft clearing of my throat, I spoke softly, staring curiously at his transformed face, at his calm, benevolent, beautiful face.

Seriously?

"Who's Aine?"

His voice was still a dream.

"A sweet summer's love."

The medicine man's eye giggled.

"Great."

"She was a farmer's daughter," his voice was still quiet but he finally opened his eyes, foggy, unclear blue eyes trailing down from the ceiling back to me, a silly, wistful smile about his peaceful face, golden curls singing a windy, soft tune, "As were many maidens at that time, up there in the north. She was from your world, of course, a young girl living about 300 years earlier than my own world, in a completely different time pattern."

Blue eyes lost themselves in the fog of memories.

Beautiful, calm memories.

My heart squeezed tight.

"What do you mean?"

"That was a good summer, Joey, a great summer," he smiled, so soft, so very pretty, a little inch of sadness, remembering a time, a place somewhere deep in the pale fogs of his mind, golden curls shivering with each, aching heartbeat, so very quiet, so very silent, "A beautiful summer. She was so innocent and sweet, that lovely Aine. My lovely Aine. Those were fair summer nights indeed."

His smile was so very gentle.

Something told me to lower my voice.

"What was she like?" I asked softly, gently, my own problems and sorrows forgotten as I gazed at this gentle reminder of Balder, this pretty, soft face, staring far away through me, living a memory, a ghost of a memory, "This…Aine."

Water hummed.

He shrugged a broad, massive naked shoulder.

"Pretty," he nodded, staring straight, straight through me, the smile so strange, so weird, so very beautiful, "Very pretty. Delicate little thing, really. Fragile, innocent, big green eyes, bright and sweet like a doe's. She had this dark hair too, this inky dark hair, long and beautiful, coarse from the wind but perfect for her, curls falling everywhere. Not ideally pretty, not like my sisters but-"

"But pretty enough?"

"Pretty enough to tame me."

Somehow, a smile slipped onto my own lips.

"You liked her."

A nod of curls, a far away smile.

"Oh yes. Definitely. There was little not to like. Aine belonged to one of those little villages among the fountains, those farming villages up near the cold cliffs, not to far from the beach. A pretty beach, I must add. Very pretty. Like her. Very pretty. I had hopped into your world not from her little village, and I had bumped into her on her way back from plucking berries. Nearly scared her half to death."

I had no idea where the smile had come from.

"So you stayed."

His blue eyes smiled a song.

"For a little bit, a little while," he smiled softly, his accented voice rolling quietly above the whisper of the creek, golden curls giggling against his smooth skin, blue eyes staring through me with the fog of dreams, the mist of better times, "She was pretty. Did I say that? Did I mention that? Very pretty, very delicate, like a the petal of a lily, frail and beautiful. Her skin was so pale, so very pale, creamy white and so stark against the dark of her hair, her lips so sweet and pure….it was so easy to charm her in, you know. To seduce her. The other women before tended to be prouder, nobler, fiercer, while the men were always tough and strong and ridiculously beautiful, but Aine…. Aine was just…just-"

"Pretty?"

"Very."

"How long did you stay? With her, I mean? In my universe?"

"Not too long," he smiled sweetly, like a soft, pretty tune, curls brimming gold, voice sweet and pure, trailing in a enchanting whisper, quiet and free….

And than, just like that, in the hanging silence of the golden grotto, something flickered in Balder's dreamy, lost blue eyes, shivering like a bud in a sudden wind-

And than something dark stormed his eyes, racing across the misty crystal, dark and wild, shredding through the deep blue, screaming its lament. Eyebrows dropped down, hanging dark as a storm suddenly raged across the azure orbs, engulfing the mist, consuming it, taking control and seizing command. The glow in his face fell away, crumbling like ash as his smile, his sweet, pretty smile wiped forever, dropping into a thick frown, darkness marching, arms-a-ready. Golden curls flicked upright, muscles suddenly springing to life, pulling straight, pulling tight, a cold, dark hardness tearing across his handsome face, instantly aging him. Steel clawed across his perfect features, engulfing his sweet pale glow, his joy, his bliss, his peaceful glee like a black storm across the perfect day, tearing away everything that had been there only a few moments ago. Blue eyes iced away, hardened to rock, to steel, black and stormy, wild and dark. Fingers clenched over the silent flute.

Jaw tightened.

What?

My own smile dissipated like the wind.

My chest froze.

My heart stopped.

Balder's voice was low.

"They didn't let me stay."

I could barely breathe.

For a moment, I just sat there, holding my breath, staring at the remarkable transformation, at his silent chest, his silent face, jaw tight, eyes hard, lips pulled taut and silent, something dark, gloomy, so very black shrouding across his features, pulling him in. Blue eyes raged a storm, a horrific, turning storm, blue and black fighting, clashing, a combat of such brutality, an atrocious evil screaming away in the depths of his soul. Golden curls froze, hanging silent, hanging dead.

It was as if he was no longer breathing.

I gulped.

Just hold on.

"Who?"

His voice was dead.

"My family."

My throat was very sore.

What?

"W-What?"

Blue raged with dark storms.

Black storms.

Great.

I could barely recognise his voice.

"I never saw it coming," he said simply enough, cryptically, voice calm, voice dead, voice completely devoid of any emotion or life, his face silent and hard, a hollow shell of what he been but a few minutes ago, golden curls ringing silent along his hard jaw, his calm face. Nothing flickered in his face, no words, no feelings, no life-

Except his eyes.

Only his eyes screamed.

Screamed.

I cleared my throat.

"Saw it coming?" it sounded more like a squeak than anything as I, for some reason, wrapped my arms in front of me, hugging them to my body, clutching at my arms, begging, seeking for some warmth to chill away the cold in his face, the blizzard in his eyes, biting down on my tongue with each stalling breath, "Saw what coming?"

He barely moved his lips.

"Betrayal."

I couldn't breathe.

Damn it.

Fucking damn it.

Betrayal?

What the hell have I gotten myself into now?

What the hell is wrong with him now?

What the fuck is going on?

I bit on my tongue even more.

"Betrayal?" I murmured, swallowing, staring straight at him, trying to get back his attention, to get him to see me again, blue screaming and tearing, dark and swirling, his face so very calm, so very silent like the eye of a storm, my feet shuffling in the golden dust as nails bit down through the torn cotton, heart clenching tight, "Like they ratted on you or something? They gave Thoth that pretty nymph?"

I don't think he was breathing at all.

"No."

Dust whispered.

Water hissed.

Heart screamed.

Damn it.

For a few seconds, I sat in the silence, staring up at him, at his dark eyes, his horrid eyes, gulping back as he just sat there, silent, still, his entire body frozen away as if chiselled into rock, mute, cold, hard and dead. Golden locks hung silent, dead and still, hushed, soundless against the cold, blank face, the dead face. Fingers clenched white over the wooden flute.

Blue eyes screamed in torment.

Fucking damn it.

With a low sigh, I closed my eyes and than opened them up to the man again, to the silent, still god, nails biting deep, throat clearing through as I breathed out my next question, boots shifting quietly. Water gurgled behind, running thick and true.

Gold curls hung dead.

I sighed.

"What happened, than? What did they do? How did your family betray you?"

He didn't answer.

For a moment, the golden cave was filled with the sound of the rushing stream, humming through the thick air, loud and clear in the deep silence, breath hushed, body still. Golden curls fell noiseless, lips pulled tight. Black stalactites hung, cold and dead. Hearts froze.

The world held it's breath.

"They killed me."

And BOOM! Another chapter done! Ok…so I said earlier that there would be only two more chapters. Well, sorry. Change of plans. There is going to be one more full chapter, and than an epilogue. Anyhow, will end soon, before April is up! Possibly, if I work quickly, I should get the next chapter done by this weekend. Epilogue will only take me a day or so.

So, actually, by next week…

Anyhow, thanks for all your reviews, guys! Really, really adore them! Please let me know how you feel about fic, and maybe, what you would like to see in the sequel! I would love to hear from you. Until next time!

XOXO