A/N: again, I enjoy constructive criticism, and any offered will be taken in stride, so long as it is logical.

D/C: once again, because i don't own the matrix, etc. i'm not getting anything out of this other than undue stress.

Lupe: thanks so much! *puffed with pride* your review totally made my day. The only, and we mean ONLY reason why we've been able to keep the 'we' going extends from the strange habit a friend and i have of imitating them. I'm glad you like the mythology because it takes a lot of work to combine what I already know, what I'm finding out, and what I need. Ah well. i'll stop apologizing for the sap, just for you. oh, and one more thing… two is MINE! MINE MINE MINE!!! *jumping up and down and stomping*

Skittles: Last chapter was just a little, lalalala-oh-by-the-way type thing… I'm glad you liked it. As to the urns… if I'd been there there'd have been no room for willpower amongst all the broken pottery. Hehehe. Pan is *counts* nine. Maybe I'll get into Ate and Eris some other time… I really can't write sap without getting cheesy. Eventually, you're going to start throwing shoes at me. Have some pocky, it helps with the school work!

Protectress: I never thought about that, but, as you'll see, pan can do other things that you might find similar. I'm glad it makes sense, because although it doesn't confuse me, I've been toying with the idea/plot longer than you have. So I got worried that I was confusing. POCKY!!! hehe. Enjoy.

Pandora the Brave

Chapter the Fourteenth

Pandora, the Twins, and the two women lounged about in the Twin's sitting area. Pandora smiled; she had never before been treated with such equality: one of the women sat behind her, calmly piling her hair fancily on her head. Pandora believed her name was Ate, but she couldn't be sure, because she and the other woman were identical.

Almost identical. Pandora had noticed right off that one had a more impish disposition, while the other had a more vicious air, and although she still had no idea who was who, she did know that one of their names was Ate and the other was Lily.

Pandora guessed that Lily wouldn't be nice enough to do her hair, so she rationalized that Ate was behind her. Endeavouring to strike up a conversation with the ice-queen Lily, Pandora asked, "So. What is it that you do, Lily?"

Lily did not answer.

Pandora repeated her question.

Again, Lily did not answer.

"Lily?" Pandora asked. "Lily?"

Eris sighed and turned a page of her newspaper, "I do suppose you're talking to me. There isn't anyone in this room called Lily."

"Then who are you?" asked Pandora.

"I am Eris," she replied shortly. "I see to discord."

Without having to be asked, Ate said, "I am Ate. I get to be the Master of All Things Mischievous."

Pandora asked, "What can you guys do?"

"How do you mean?" asked Eris coldly.

"Like the Twins can do the ghosty thing," answered Pandora.

"I have a golden apple that drives men to hatred and a knack for causing anger, loathing, and other such pleasant things," replied Eris.

Again, Ate answered Pandora without waiting to be asked. "I follow my older sister around and leave havoc in my wake."

"No, like what are your special powers?" Pandora asked.

Ate said, "Well, I can move some things with my mind. It serves the main purpose of causing car wrecks and knocking stuff over."

Eris replied curtly, "I control people's emotions, and I generally use this talent to make people hate each other. It's fairly useful for starting major conflicts."

Pandora mumbled, "Oh," as Eris turned another page of her paper, and she remained silent.

Eris sighed and looked over the top of her news. "I suppose you want me to ask you the same question," she said. "Alright. What is it that you can do?"

Pandora's face brightened as she began to list her all special abilities. "Well," she said, her head bobbing. "I can change my clothes at will." Ate tried to hold Pandora in place for she was still styling her hair.

"So what? You can change your clothes. Big whoop," Eris said, crushing Pandora's simple pride.

"But I've never seen anyone else do it," she protested.

"It's just like rolling your tongue. It serves one purpose: to tease those who cannot," Eris replied condescendingly. "Come on, when are you going to need to change your clothes in real life? The important things are fighting skills and survival skills, of which, I doubt you have any."

"Hey!" Pandora retorted, "I can do useful stuff, too!"

"Like what?" Eris asked mockingly.

"I…" Pandora began. Just as Eris was about to say something, Pandora said, "I can walk on the ceiling."

"Oh?" Ate said, "That's interesting."

"Yeah!" Pandora gushed. "And I can move real fast!"

"Really? How fast can you move?" Ate asked.

"Oh don't encourage her," Eris snapped.

Ate smiled at her identical and said, "Like all things, children need encouragement."

Eris quipped, "Oh but she's not a child. Remember?"

"Am too!" Pandora challenged.

"Now you say she isn't and she says she is. How strange. You seem to have switched ideas."

As Eris and Ate began to argue, One said slowly, "Pandora, you did forget to mention that you have unnatural curiosity." He eyed her carefully over his magazine.

Eris said, "That. is obvious."

Two demanded, "Everybody stop arguing. Who's up for that game?"

After explaining the rules to That Game, the five began to play with two decks. As they finished, Pandora showed off her ceiling feat amid grudging applause, but the parlour games were over quickly, and at about ten, the Twins sent Pandora to bed.

Like hell she actually went.

Instead, she chose to putter about in the hallway until she decided that the Twins had finally gone to bed. After she saw the lights under the door disappear, she crawled along the ceiling and opened it slowly. Hearing One in his room, she slide closer; he laughed quietly.

"You would make a very bad mother," he said.

A voice Pandora recognized as Eris's growled and snapped, "Oh, and I do suppose you could tell the difference. From what I gather, that girl likes Two better."

"Do you like us better?" One asked.

"No," Eris replied flatly. "I love you; Ate loves your brother."

Pandora realized that was what she had witnessed in the gardens. That strange friendship between her Twins and the identical strangers was not a friendship at all; it was love.

"I want to look at the stars," Eris said after a long silence. "It's been so long since I've seen them."

The door opened, One in the lead, and Pandora struggled to flatten herself against the ceiling.

After One and Eris had moved out onto the balcony, Pandora had listened in on Two and Ate for awhile. She noticed a huge difference between the brothers that night; she noticed some differences between the sisters that night. Most importantly, however, Pandora spied inward and realized some things about herself. That night Pandora slept very little and spent many hours in deep reflection.
~@~

Persephone looked out the window. It is only a week. A week at the most, she reminded herself. Then I will be free. She sighed quietly as the sun tainted the night, driving it back, and she turned her thoughts back to the events at hand. Pandora was nine now. Persephone looked around the festive breakfast room; she had spent the better part of an hour decorating it.

Slowly the table filled, and as each person arrived, Persephone explained herself. Eventually all the places were taken, even the Twins had sat down, but Pandora still had not come. Finally, Persephone pressed a button near a door, and a bell rang somewhere far off in the château. Five minutes later, a groggy Pandora stumbled into the room amidst a dying shout of, "Happy Birthday!" Groaning, she fell into her chair and laid her head in her arms. Eris began yelling at no one in particular about drastic measures or some such, but most of the room had chosen to ignore everything but their food, Persephone among them. One, who was also focusing on each bite he put into his mouth, felt somewhat deafened by Eris, who after all was sitting right next to him, while Ate, across the table, began talking to Two about Harry Potter, more specifically Sirius Black. As soon as Eris realized that no one was listening to her, she shrieked and sat down, loudly berating Pandora, who had fallen asleep again.

After all, teenagers do need more sleep.

~MnI~

please review!

*dancing and singing and chanting* Two is miiiiiine… Two hours of sleep is for babies!!! Two is miiiine mine mine miiiine!!! I haven't slept in daaaaaayssss and I don't care! Lalalala! Review or I'll dress Two up in his shaman costuuuuuuuuume and he'll curse you! ahahahahahahahahaha *passes out* doctors: the only cure for this is reviews, folks.

(see, i'm good at propaganda!)