Updated: 27th of January 2020
Chapter .2.
Dionysus and Ariadne
Dionysus looked at his wife they had been waiting on news of Artemis for hours now since she appeared whipped and beaten in the Atlantis Throne Room Floor.
Everyone knew that Artemis couldn't go back and this was just the beginning. And everyone knew things would get worse and worse for them. Ariadne had paced the room they had been allocated in Atlantis.
"You can't fight Di!" Ariadne exclaims for the millionth time.
"Why not my love?" Dionysus asks looking at her
"Your not a fighter! Let the others fight Di! They all are better suited!" Ariadne exclaims
"Ariadne you know what this experience has taught me?" Dionysus asks looking at her his purple eyes caring.
"What?" she asks
"That Artemis is right. We must Honour Thy Blood, and Honour Thy Family. Like she had done since long before we knew about this. I owe it too her to be by her side in battle and…", he seemed to hesitate
"And?" Ariadne asks
Dionysus looks at her and cups her face gently and caringly.
"And could you love a man who would ran away?"
Aphrodite and Hephaestus
Aphrodite couldn't believe how stupid she had been to be with Ares! What was she thinking? Seeing Artemis in that state pained her. She knew Artemis was getting hurt by Zeus, Hera and Ares but this made it more real. Seeing Artemis this close to death had bought everything home to her.
How had she screwed up so badly? How did she become this person? How could she let herself only see looks and not what was in their HEART? How could she hurt her family? How could she play games with peoples love lives? How could she not see till now the blackened heart of Ares and the golden heart of her Husband?
She wept for the damage she had coursed everyone. Suddenly the bed dips and an arm wraps around her gently pulling her into a hug.
The smell of metal and fire filled her nose. She looked up to see the eyes of her husband. To her surprise she saw they were gentle and not filled with anger and pain that was normally directed at her.
"I see you have come to realisations", Hephaestus says softly
"I'm so, so sorry…I should have been a better wife…we should have talked everything out like others do", Aphrodite says weeping
He hums in agreement.
"How could I be so blind as to not see the blackened heart of Ares?" Aphrodite continues crying, "Or how terrible I have been to everyone in their love lives? Poor Artemis I have been messing with her for centuries and she didn't deserve that!" she screamed jumping up
She smashes things as Hephaestus watches.
"How could I not see that…that bastard that hurting her? When did I become selfish and shallow person?!" Aphrodite cries and smashes the table mirror
She couldn't stand the reflection that it gave her. Not because off how she looked, looks wise. But now she just saw the selfish, shallow and heartless woman she had become.
She feels Hephaestus take her damaged hand and surprisingly kisses it. She looks at him in shock.
"There is the woman I feel in love with", Hephaestus states softly looking at his wife with adoration for the first time in many, many centuries.
"What?" Aphrodite stutters
"It wasn't the affairs you had with other men that turned me from you", Hephaestus tells her
She looks at him in shock at his reveal.
"It was the person you had become. The loving woman, the woman who saw not the looks but the heart of a person, had disappeared and a different person took her place. All you suddenly cared about was looks and fame. You no longer looked beneath a persons looks to see the real person. That is why I turned from you. But now…", Hephaestus whispers softly
"But now?" Aphrodite asks more ashamed by her actions.
When did she not look beneath a persons looks to see the real person?
"But now I see a woman with many regrets and realising what she had become. Yes it should never have happened this way. But I can see the woman I loved in there", Hephaestus tells her wiping a tear from her face gently.
"Loved?" Aphrodite hiccups crying
"Love", Hephaestus amends
He cups her face gently and kisses her with such tenderness the couple hadn't had in centuries.
"I'm so, so, so sorry", Aphrodite tells him leaning into his embrace.
"I know", Hephaestus replies cradling her
"You know?" Aphrodite asks looking at him confused
"Artemis told me long ago you would realise what you had turned into. She said not to give up hope. Because she knew the true you was still there", Hephaestus replies
"How could she…?" Aphrodite starts in amazement
She owned Artemis everything. She still had a chance to mend the relationship with her husband. Thanks to Artemis. Artemis she realised have never given up on her.
'Honour Thy Blood, Honour Thy Family', instead. I hope Artemis, I get a chance to do just that too you', Aphrodite thinks
They stay in each others arms waiting for news on Artemis…
Demeter and Karmanor
"What will happen now?" Karmanor asks
"Athena will come up with a plan. But I will probably be needed to gather the Natural Spirits", Demeter replies to her husband
"What has you so conflicted love?" Karmanor asks his wife
"How can I ask the Natural Spirits to fight for us and die for us?" Demeter asks looking sad
Karmanor takes her into his arms.
"They will WANT to when they learn what the Lord of the Skies has done to Lady Artemis", Karmanor tells her, "She is as much their leader as you are"
"I know. But we both know many will die", Demeter tells him
"Yes that could happen. Also we could die too. It is a chance we ALL will have to take to be free. And don't you want to be with your demigod children more? Like I do?" Karmanor asks her softly
"I WOULD like to be a mother to them", Demeter states
"Then Zeus and his Council need to go. We are ALL taking risks Dem. We ALL know what is at stake. But at least we will fight side by side", Karmanor tells her softly
"Side by side, for life or for death", Demeter tells him kissing him
She just hoped they would survive this war. And she would be able to spend more time with her children. She knew her husband supported her having demigod children as long as she supported his. But he didn't have any. Or so she thought.
But what Karmanor didn't tell here was he never claimed his children because of the danger of Zeus. He hoped when everyone was freed and Zeus was in chains his children would be saved. Because he didn't tell anyone that his children had turned into slaves for Zeus. So he never claimed them now. He would fight to the end for his children, wife and family. He never liked a saying more then Artemis's: Honour Thy Blood, Honour Thy Family…
Hades and Persephone…
Hades and Persephone were looking into the fire in their room deep in though. Both thinking of everything that had happened not just in past millennia but now. With Zeus being a tyrant and Artemis maybe dying in another room.
Both had things on their minds. Had been thinking things over since Artemis had shown them how far she was willing to go for blood and family.
Hades looks at the fire oh he had regrets and deep seeding guilt. About how he started things with Persephone. About how his relationship with his brothers and sisters had come too. About now how his niece was fighting for her life and he couldn't do ANYTHING. But his thoughts were on Persephone.
Persephone looked at the fire in the chair next to Hades. She had many regrets as he did. Some of hers she hated herself for keeping to herself. Now look were it got them? Her family was in shambles and the only one to be fixing it was Artemis. A sister she had scorned.
"I should never have done it", Hades suddenly says
Persephone jumps as he breaks her out of her thoughts.
"Never have done it? What do you mean? Your not responsible for Artemis's ch…", Persephone starts
"Not that", Hades whispers
"Then what?" Persephone asks confused
"I should never have tricked you into eating those pomegranates", Hades whispers his voice filled with pain
Persephone looked at him in shock at his admission.
"I loved you too much to let you go permanently. You had become my light. To me you were hope that one day my family would accept me again", Hades tells her
Persephone was still shocked by his talking. She was his light? She was his hope?
"Persephone I have realised these last few months that I should have handled your leaving permanently better. Yes Artemis's situation has shown me that. But I ALWAYS knew I was wrong. I just didn't have the courage to do what was right", Hades replies still not looking at her
"What do you mean what is right?" Persephone asks getting her voice back
Hades looks at her with sorrow and raises his hand and chants. Persephone feels something leave her she sees dark energy come out of her and into Hades's hand. He looks at it and it burst into flames.
"What was that?" Persephone gasps feeling very different.
"Your free", Hades whispers with agony, pain, loss and grief in his eyes.
"What?" Persephone asks confused
And too Persephone's shock she sees the first ever tear fall from Hades black eyes.
"Persephone when I gained control of the Underworld. I gained all knowledge of every part of the Underworld even the rules and curses that are involved in the Underworld I gained knowledge of. What I just did took what the pomegranate seeds did to you away. Only the King of the Underworld could do it. Your free to forever stay on the surface, with your mother, with your family. Away from me", Hades whispers the pain of losing her filling him.
Persephone looked at him in shock she was free? After all this time? How on earth…? Why? When? Why?
"Why?" Persephone manages to get out
"I love you too much. I love you with everything that my blackened soul is. Love shouldn't be caged. Love should be free. Being close to my family these last few months has taught me what I already deep down knew. I will always love you Seph. But I wouldn't cage you anymore. That is no life for a woman. I can't see the people I love caged anymore not Artemis and certainly not you. I WILL get Artemis freed. But I could now free you which is what I have done. You can leave with whatever you want. Just do one thing for me Seph", Hades says looking at her with sad eyes that were also filled with many other emotions.
Love, Guilt, Pain, Sorrow and so many others Persephone couldn't think about right now.
"What?" she chokes out
"Be happy. And find someone to love and cherish you how you deserve", Hades whispers and returns with tears falling to the fire.
He knew now he lost the only woman he ever truly loved. He remembers Artemis's words from a long time ago, 'You never cage the one you love. You will never he truly be happy unless free'. He had looked at her confused at the time. Then said ten words that he could still not decipher. 'I KNOW you'll do the right thing. For both of you' . The she turned and walked away.
He still didn't know what she meant or have any hint of why she said 'know' in such a way. He was broken out of his thoughts by a small hand on his.
He looks up to see Persephone kneeling in front of his chair. Looking at him with something he couldn't quite understand.
He looked at her questionably. Wondering why she was still here.
"Why are you still here?" Hades whispers pained
"I have found someone", Persephone whispers softly
He looks at her confused. She puts a hand on his cheek and strokes it softly.
"Oh Hades. You never needed those Pomegranates. I was going to stay. I loved YOU too much to leave you", Persephone reveals her big secret she had kept for so, so very long.
He looked at her trying not to get his hopes up.
"Was? Loved?" Hades asks trying not to hope
But his hope Persephone could see and smiled gentle leaning up.
"I. Am. Not. Leaving. You. And I STILL love you so, very, very much with all my heart", she whispers lovingly leaning upward.
Hades looks at her showing his love. He moved down and kissed her passionately. More passionately then he had ever done before. He poured all his love for her into that kiss. Showing her how much he loved her.
He made a vow he would show her every single day how much he loved and adored her. They pulled part looking at each over it awe.
Persephone smiles and holds his face.
"By the way your heart and soul are far from black. I can see that just how Artemis said she knew", Persephone tells him smiling
Hades was shocked by her answer at his heart and soul. But also about what she said about Artemis. What did Artemis really mean when she said she 'Knew' or 'Know'? What did that really mean?...
Poseidon and Amphitrite
Poseidon was in a difficult position. War was now coming. Zeus would surely start something to get Artemis back. Poseidon couldn't believe how bad his niece was. The Healing Deity's didn't know if they could save her.
How could Zeus do this? How could he become like their father? Where was his loyalty to his family?
Now everyone was in danger and Poseidon knew he was the only one in the position to give sanctuary to those immortals who weren't with Zeus.
"We should never have let her spy", Poseidon mutters
"You know you couldn't have stopped her", a voice says
He turns to see his beautiful wife looking at him sadly.
"Any news?" Amphitrite asks
"None. And a lot of decisions need to be made", Poseidon replies
"What will you do?" Amphitrite asks
"I am opening Atlantis up to OUR allies. Even neutral ones. Zeus won't allow anyone to remain neutral but we will", Poseidon replies
"That is kind of you", Amphitrite says
"It is time our family know we care about them. Artemis has been right we must 'Honour Thy Blood, Honour Thy Family'. I will NOT let Zeus hurt anyone else we love! I will rally the Seas to my call and Zeus will feel our wrath!" Poseidon declares looking like the mighty King he was.
"And I will be beside you", Amphitrite tells him
"Amph…", Poseidon starts
"I WILL go into battle besides you this time and don't try to stop me!" Amphitrite declares
Poseidon looks at his wife in a new light. He kisses her passionately. She returns it with just as much passion.
"I love you so much my wife", Poseidon tells her hugging her.
"I love you too. No matter what I have said these past years. And I promise to accept Perseus if you allow me to fight alongside you", Amphitrite compromises.
"Agreed. But you didn't have too do that", Poseidon replies
"With Artemis's saying. He is your blood, so he is OUR family", Amphitrite declares
"We go into this battle together", Poseidon promises
"Anyway we both know Athena and probably Bellona will have a plan", Amphitrite tells him
"We do", a voice says from the door
They turn to see a grim Athena standing there.
"You have a plan?" Poseidon asks her
"Yes. But it includes You, Hades and Myself making a declaration of war on Zeus and his allies", Athena tells him
Poseidon nods grimly he thought it would come to this.
"I have called a meeting to discuss this", Athena continues
"Good. Lets go", Poseidon replies
He and his wife follow Athena to the War room as it was now called…
In a different part of the Palace of Poseidon Asclepius, Epione, Panacea, Iaso, Aigle, Aceso all were working on Artemis. Trying to save her life. It was taking ALL of when Epione had to make Artemis feel no pain. Even through she was unconscious.
They hoped they could do enough for the Goddess who had given so much…
Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)