Hidden Strings
With all the strife exploding around them, Phoebe found it an unparalleled miracle that she and little Aleen were able to have a wonderful time with each other's company. In the wake of the Infernal Miasma's spread, the fiery ruler had insisted the young will-o-wisp seclude herself in the monarch's tent, avoiding any altercations with the agitated fire soldiers, and her brother. As a result however, she spent much of the hours after everyone's departure with the blue-flamed girl. Phoebe had a number of books she'd saved from the rubble of the palace library in her temporary abode, some of which contained stories of the Fire Kingdom's early days, or even legends tied to the burning realm.
Aleen sat beside the princess as she read them to her, both with a smile on their faces. FP would occasionally glance at the will-o-wisp out of the corner of her eye, noticing the look of wonder and ease she now had, as opposed to the nerves and fear earlier. It brought warmth to her heart beyond what her elemental matrix provided, so much so that she didn't even notice the miasma had faded until Flint rushed into the tent asking for his sister's presence in the war room. Aleen, clinging to Phoebe's side, wordlessly asked to come with, which the young woman allowed.
The two strolled through the FOB, hand in hand, watching as soldiers kept busy, running past, setting up additional defenses, and even some training. It was further proof that the horrendous force Ares commanded was no longer present, bringing a smile to Flame Princess' lips. Aleen's next words voiced her thoughts.
"Finn won, didn't he?" she asked excitedly, her eyes beaming with awe at the mention of her guardian. FP sent her smile to the young one, lightly squeezing the hand they shared.
"Yeah, looks like it." Her optimism faltered for just a second, suddenly considering that it may have been a draw. Did they both end up dead? Was Finn heavily wounded? Was there anyone there to help him? Her nerves gradually took over, her smile seeming less genuine by the minute. Aleen seemed to notice this as the pair passed by Bubblegum's lab setup, the will-o-wisp leaning forward to better see the ruler's face.
"Phoebe, are you worried about Finn?" FP blinked at the girl's astuteness, but relented, nodding.
"Yes. Ares is clearly gone, but, we don't know what condition Finn is in after his fight." Aleen frowned in concern at hearing this, suddenly pulling away from the monarch and holding up her balled fists in determination.
"Dad is strong, he'll come back just fine, you'll see!" she cheered. Phoebe's eyes widened in surprise, but was quickly overtaken by a giggle, reaching over to pat the girl's head.
"You really see him as a dad, huh? He's not nearly old enough to be one." Aleen actually seemed to blush, twiddling her fingers as she looked at the ground in front of them.
"W-well, he's so much like my daddy; kind, strong, always keeping me safe. I, I know I haven't known him very long, but I feel this… something, here," she placed a hand to her chest "whenever we're together. Daddy once told me that that's love." Phoebe subconsciously held her free hand up to her own chest, even as she stared at the will-o-wisp in wonder. The little one suddenly looked up at her. "Do you feel that when you're with Finn?" FP nearly stumbled at that question, the hand at her chest tightening into a fist. She looked away, furrowing her brow.
"I…" She felt Aleen take her hand with both of hers, the girl's eyes shimmering with resolve.
"That story that Finn told, he's done some bad things, but, he did everything he could to make it right. Daddy also said that good hearts can be tempted to do bad things, then feel awful about it after. Please, you can forgive him, can't you?" Her tone was pleading, but not forcefully. Phoebe felt her heart clench from how determined the child was. Her relationship with Finn was still difficult to pin down, but, she could admit he was on the right track to earning her faith again. After this was all over, they could properly settle it. With that in mind, she just smiled at Aleen.
"I can, just, in time. When the kingdom is safe and we're all together, then we can talk it out." This answer seemed to satisfy the little girl, who beamed back at her as she resumed walking alongside, hands held.
"I like it when we're together. I feel like nothing in the world can hurt me," the will-o-wisp admitted. "Finn feels like the strongest dad." She pulled slightly at Phoebe's hand. "And you're like the strongest mom." FP's mind flashed back to words spoken by her enemy.
Your flames, as destructive as they are, hold greater life essence than any other fire elemental alive.
She pursed her lips, wondering what her true nature was in all this, and how it tied with the Olympians. Shaking her head, not wishing to dwell on such a topic, Phoebe consulted her mind for another line of thought.
"Do I… look like your mom?" she ventured, latching onto a curiosity swimming in her head. Aleen said nothing at first, just staring back at her with an unreadable expression. Eventually, the will-o-wisp turned to address the path ahead.
"Not really. I didn't know her for very long. Daddy talked about her a lot, so I'd never forget. She was so sad she couldn't watch me grow up." Phoebe felt a pang of sympathy at that. Thinking on it for a moment, she placed her hand over her chest again, bending forward slightly.
"Then, as is my duty to the people of the Fire Kingdom, I shall watch in her place. She may have left us, but a part of her lives on with you." She was expecting Aleen to freeze up, as she did, but wasn't prepared for the tears, or the sudden and forceful hug. Regaining her balance, Phoebe just smiled and placed her hands gently on the girl's back, giving her time to let it out. Soon enough, the blue fire elemental backed off, wiping away her eyes and sniffling, but smiling in admiration past it all.
The two ladies finally made it to the war room, slipping inside the tent and seeing Flint along with his officers gathered around the kingdom map. The militants saluted their ruler, who nodded back, then took her place by the table. Aleen curiously studied the various markings on the map.
"What can you tell me?" Phoebe began, folding her arms. Flint placed his behind him, then looked his sister in the eye.
"Unfortunately, very little. After that bizarre aura faded away, we expected to hear from all our deployments for an update. No one has reported back." FP furrowed her brow, worriedly looking at the positions of the two outposts her comrades had been sent to.
"At least, with Ares gone, we can assume the civilians are safe in their hiding place." Flint nodded in agreement.
"We can also stabilize here without the men going berserk. It's a tough situation, but at least we have something." The officers agreed along with his sister. "We'll continue to standby for reports. Until then, it's best we watch our backs and prepare for the next battle. If enough time passes without any word, we can send a few scouts to investigate." Again, Phoebe agreed, relieved that they had contingencies in place. They had waited this long already, what was a little more?
The pitch-black fog that had obscured his vision for so long was being broken, his eyes bearing witness to the ashen skies above. It wasn't much of a change, but then his ears added extra input, the hum of the land vibrating throughout his body, telling him he was directly on the ground. Taking a breath revealed a soreness in his abdomen, but he didn't feel the flow of blood anywhere on his skin. He subconsciously activated the second ring, feeling the presence of three right beside him, with a mass of people in the distance, nervous, but not panicked.
Finn tried letting out a sound from his mouth, accomplishing a dull groan. It was enough to get the others' attention though, with Sibley pulling at his upper body to help him sit up. The flame human's eyes widened to witness who was with him, surprised to see the will-o-wisp, but lacking the energy to fully be astonished. Equally so, he merely glanced at Mayel, who offered him that motherly smile, which he attempted to return, unsure how successful he was. His back rested against a slanted rock, allowing a moment to regulate his breathing.
"Take it easy, Finn. Your body is still healing up that mess on your gut." Sibley's words had him relaxing his midsection, suddenly afraid he may rupture the wound. In time, his vision solidified, now able to clearly see the two ladies at his side, on their knees, looking him over. He then remembered the third person, then his final moments of consciousness, turning to his other side in hopes of finding said individual. He wasn't disappointed, though also couldn't help but gasp.
Jake didn't react at all to his brother turning to look at him, but this was expected, seeing as the dog had bandaging around his eyes like a blindfold. The rest of him seemed fine, no doubt thanks to some healing from the mother-daughter pair with them, but Finn had to inquire about the state of his adoptive sibling's sight.
"J-Jake." The magical canine's ears perked up, his mouth turning into a relieved smile.
"Glad to see you're up, bro." He then rubbed the back of his neck, looking nervous. "I uh… I thought about whether to hug you first or punch you in the face when I found you. You were just half dead a little while ago, so, we'll wait on that last thing." That said, the dog reached forward and wrapped his arms, gently but firm, around his brother, who, after a brief moment of shock, returned the gesture, smiling in return. "It's good to have you back, Finn."
"You too, Jake. And… I'm sorry." They separated, Jake giving a casual grin.
"Eh, I'm used to your occasional poo brain, even now." Finn chuckled awkwardly, letting his back fall against the rock once more. He then frowned, watching his brother scratch at the bandages.
"Jake, your eyes." The magical canine just grinned, using his thumb to lift up the bandaging to show his dulled oculi, causing Finn to gasp in horror. "Ah don't worry about it, bro. We'll figure it out later. Maybe some cyclops tears will help, you know, once we get the real treehouse back again and search through the potion stash." At this, Finn pursed his lips.
"Right, I guess you heard everything?" Jake nodded, sighing as he sat back.
"Yep. Marcy filled me in. Got a call from her to come over, freaked out and shouted for a few minutes when she told me the truth about you, then calmed down and listened after. Apparently she knows some guy here in the Fire Kingdom. Aecus? Me, her, and Ice King, if you believe that, headed over to meet him after he contacted her, then we met this bunch of fire elementals, except they were blue! Crazy, right?" Finn chuckled again, while Sibley and Mayel just grinned in amusement. "Anyway, we split up to help you guys out with those Olympian punks. Good timing, right?"
"Heh, no kidding." Finn glanced towards the north, frowning. "I hope everyone's alright." Jake gave him a playful slug in the arm.
"Don't worry, man. If anyone we know can take on fire elementals like those guys, it's Marcy and Simon. Plus, PB's smart, she'll have a plan for everything." As Finn halfheartedly nodded, Mayel cleared her throat.
"I can set up a bridge between us and the rest of the will-o-wisps. As long as one of them isn't busy fighting, we should get a reply." Finn and Jake looked more than happy to hear this news, eagerly requesting that the woman do so as soon as she could. She conjured a ball of flame above her palms, then closed her eyes, meditating to find a fire source close to her allies. In the meantime, the brothers noticed Sibley had vanished in the time they'd been speaking with her mother, only to turn and see her running back to them, Finn's tattered cloak bundled in her arms. She sat down beside the pair, gazing sadly at the flame human.
"It got pretty messed up out there, but, I think I can fix it." She excitedly reached down to her pocket and pulled out a spool of crimson thread and needle. "I'm not as good as mom, but I'll do my best to make it presentable." The girl's mother smiled while her eyes remained closed, focusing in on the other will-o-wisps. To her surprise, her fire magic coalesced near the most prominent of the villagers, whose face suddenly formed within the stable fire portal.
"Aecus? Is everything alright?" Mayel asked with a concerned face. At the mention of his fiery mentor, Finn suddenly sat up.
"Aec- AGH!" He immediately laid back down with Jake's help as his entire body felt like it had been stabbed from multiple angles. Sibley gave him a stern pout.
"You can't move yet, dummy! Give it time." The flame human gave an awkward grin to the young will-o-wisp, remaining lain out as he watched the face of Aecus turn to him, giving the hero a warm smile.
"Good to see you alive, Finn." The flame human grinned back, almost slipping into a grimace.
"You too." Aecus was suddenly, somewhat comically, pushed aside, making way for two very familiar and very cherished females' faces to peer worriedly across the portal at their downed friend.
"FINN!" Bonnie and Marcy shouted in unison. He just gave a toothy grin, happy to see the two of them relatively unharmed. Another face briefly butted in, smiling his jagged teeth.
"Finn, buddy!" Marcy gently shoved Ice King's face back out of the portal's edge.
"Hey guys. Nice scar, Marcy." The vampire smirked in return, scratching at the mark across her cheek. Jake butted into Finn's space, frowning at the two monarchs.
"I'm ok too, you know." PB sent a sheepish look of apology, while Marceline just rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, calm down, weenie dog. Hey, you know a bandana goes on your forehead, right?" Jake lifted up the bandaging again to show them, causing even their millennium-old friend to grimace. "Yikes. We'll get those looked at. Anyway, what's going on at your end?" At this point Mayel took over, asserting her position as the group's liaison to the other will-o-wisps. In similar fashion, Aecus rejoined the conversation, standing directly behind the two ladies.
"Well, I'm sure you noticed the miasma clear up a while ago." The ones through the fire portal nodded. "Finn sustained massive damage to his abdomen in the fight with Ares, but thankfully Sibley was able to stabilize him." As Bonnie and Marcy pondered who she meant, the excitable young lady popped in and gave a wave, clarifying. "When we found Finn he was already being engaged by Apollo, though luckily Jake stepped in and fended him off." Bonnibel looked down in thought, a hand on her chin.
"Yes, we forgot about him. At least he's dealt with though. We shouldn't have any surprises left. By the way, Finn," the flame human blinked at his mention. "Cinnamon Bun was injured, along with JT, but they're stable." Finn nodded in thanks to the information, glad his fellow protector made it. Aecus suddenly cleared his throat, causing PB to correct herself once her mind refocused. "Oh, that's right. We still have no idea where Aphrodite is." Finn cringed at the mention of the sultry woman, not looking forward to having to fight her again. Before anything further, Aecus spoke up.
"It would be best to link the FOB to this discussion." Everyone nodded in agreement. Given a moment, Mayel focused more power into the flame portal, one side now drawing as connection to the palace ruins functioning as their base. The moment it opened up, the flame human among them was treated to yet another pair of cherished ladies eyeing him worriedly.
"FINN!" Phoebe and Aleen cried out. Jake grumbled something about never getting that much attention as he folded his arms, while Finn was equally relieved to see the two were unharmed.
"I'm glad you two are alright," he said with a tired smile. FP seemed to be scanning his body to confirm, eyes widening when she saw the sealed hole in his gut.
"Oh Glob, tell me you aren't dying right now!" Finn waved her off, when Sibley suddenly butted in.
"He's just fine, your highness!" She blinked a few times, staring back at the confused ruler. "Oh, right. Sibley's the name, ma'am. I was the one who patched up your knight here." Then she spotted her fellow will-o-wisp. "Aleen! Hey! How are you?" The little girl on the other side smiled, happy to see such a familiar face.
"I'm ok, Sibley. Phoebe kept me safe." She clung to the king's arm as she said this, causing FP to blush, seeing as a great many people were watching them. A few giggled, some just grinned. Trying to deflect the conversation, she moved on to more pressing matters.
"A-anyway, what can you tell me about what's going on?" Everyone nodded, back on track.
"Finn successfully defeated Ares, then Jake brought down Apollo," Mayel recounted, earning the magical dog a few points of respect as Marcy and Bonnie gazed in awe at the grinning canine.
"Dang, not bad. I didn't even get to finish the archery chick. I just dropped her in the Nightosphere." The group collectively paled at the idea, considering that may have been crueler anyway.
"O-oh, well, Artemis is out of the way, regardless. And of course the others and I managed to deal with Athena. Though…" She trailed off. Aecus closed his eyes, his face slipping into solace. Flame Princess and Finn in particular were concerned with where this was going, noticing a few missing faces in their conversation.
"PB, where's Weis and Tellus?" Bonnibel bit her lower lip, unable to look her friend in the eye.
"Weis took a beating, but he'll recover. The general… he, he's gone." Nothing but the gentle hum of Mayel's portal made a sound, as those who'd known the old militant personally just stared at the grimacing candy monarch. Phoebe covered her mouth with her hands, her brother, who was still beside her, gritting his teeth as he held a clenched fist. Finn just let his mouth hang open, even as his mind struggled internally. They would lose people in this fight, it would be stupid to think otherwise, but the impact was still there. The flame human felt his alloy vine tighten, matching his disposition.
They all blinked back the tears, reminding themselves once again that the time for mourning would come later, and soon, if they could push their advantage. Wiping her eyes, FP hardened her expression, glancing back to the others. "Aecus, Bonnie, what should be our next move?" The two most prominent strategists furrowed their brows, contemplating their battlefield and remaining opposition.
"Aside from Zeus and his brothers, Aphrodite is still out there." Finn and Phoebe both shuddered, hoping they weren't the ones who had to face her. "If we can find and eliminate her, the Phoenixian Legion should fall apart, leaving the main threats without any fodder to stall us." Aecus assessment was solid, even Bonnie didn't have anything to add. The will-o-wisp leader focused on his fellow villagers. "Mayel, once Finn is able to move take your group to the FOB. It's the safest location. Our side will disperse outward to try finding Aphrodite." The collective assembly nodded in agreement, then Phoebe turned to Aecus directly, offering the man a smile, as well as a short bow.
"Thank you, Aecus. I heard you were the one who to took care of Finn in his time of need. It means a lot to see him back, and seeing him so much stronger is a testament to your own skill." The will-o-wisp gave a hearty laugh, then smiled back at the woman, quite proudly, she noticed.
"I can't let my niece be protected by a feeble knight, after all." Everyone, save for Marcy, Bonnie, and the will-o-wisps present, felt their jaws drop. Flint, who was the first to react, scooted right next to his sister.
"Impossible! You can't be-"
"Still the hothead, eh Flint? Try to remember all those beating you took whenever you upset your little sister. That one rib never did heal properly, did it?" This shut the fire prince up instantly, the man taking a step back in disbelief. Meanwhile, Flame Princess leaned onto the table, putting her face closer to the portal to study Aecus' grinning face.
"Uncle…?" The will-o-wisp held a finger to his lips, winking back at her.
"The new name is permanent, sweetie, even if it isn't that different. New start and all." Phoebe just weakly nodded, still in awe. Finn had a similar reaction, sitting up as best as he could again.
"A-Aecus, how did you-?" His mentor gave a sly grin to the flame human, tapping the side of his head.
"Try remembering how I survived the first time we met." Finn shut his mouth at that, nodding in understanding like his counterpart. With that initial shock over, Aecus looked back to the gradually calming Phoebe. He gave the girl a thumbs up, confidence blazing.
"You've done a wonderful job shaping this kingdom in my absence, and your father's, of course. I'm proud to call you family, Phoebe." The fiery ruler couldn't help but let the tears flow now, though didn't bother stopping them. Her trembling lips pulled into a smile, bright as her luminous skin.
"Thank you, uncle. That means so much." A few moments of harmony set in, with nearly everybody smiling fondly at the newly reunited family of royals, but this was hesitantly interrupted by Bonnibel, who coughed into her fist to draw their attention.
"In any case, we'll execute Aecus' plan and search for Aphrodite. From what he's told me, she has difficulty controlling will-o-wisps, so the forces here should be more than enough to take her out, as well as the legionnaires." The groups nodded again in agreement, surging with energy from having a solid plan of attack. However before anything could be finalized, one of the other officers in the command tent approached Flint, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Tracking her won't be necessary, actually." The two siblings shot the man a confused look.
"What are you talking about?" Flint inquired, a bit irritated that some information could've been held back. Instead of answering, the officer suddenly pulled Flint back, shoving the fire prince into the side of the tent as he and the other officer aiming their hands at Phoebe and unleashed their strongest blasts of fire. The ruler's eyes widened in shock before her instincts had her wrap herself around Aleen and face away from the incoming inferno. Just as it struck, the connection to the FOB was lost, fizzling out of Mayel's portal.
"PHOEBE!" Finn yelled, jerking right up to the communication flame. It was no use though, she and Flint weren't in reach any longer. Panic crossed everyone's faces, their operation thrown into disarray. But the hero didn't bother waiting for them, moving to get to his feet, only for Sibley and Jake to hold him down.
"Finn, you can't! You've got nothing left!" Sibley pleaded, trying to force him to sit. The young man shook his head, glancing down at his arm. As everyone followed his gaze, they saw the seventh ring briefly alight, causing Aecus' eyes to narrow.
"His power has built up again. An emissary won't stay down for long." Finn surged up again, breaking out of his companions' hold.
"You heard him, I can go. I'm faster than anyone else who isn't recovering right now." No one was backing down easily, regardless of the statement, Bonnie and Jake prepared to say something. To their surprise, their friend didn't even give them the opportunity.
Faster than either will-o-wisp or dog could react, Finn flame shifted out of his current huddle-up with his allies, reappearing a short distance away, already at a run. Sibley noticed a lack of weight in her lap, looking down to see that the cloak she was working to repair was gone. The still tattered item was back across Finn's shoulders, billowing in the wind as he ran for the palace ruins, Jake and Mayel calling out to him in vain. Neither were in a position to follow, with the woman holding their connection and Jake still exhausted from his bout with Apollo.
Bonnie and others gave exasperated groans at the hero's reckless abandon, but knew they could do no more on their end than Jake's.
"Damn it. If that was what we think it was, change of plans. Everyone will converge on the FOB to repel the attack. Phoebe, Aleen, Flint, and all their men are counting on us." All heads nodded to Aecus' decree, not objecting in the slightest. He had the nagging feeling that revealing his identity had triggered additional authority in his wake, but set that aside for now. He wouldn't let so many people he cared about be brought to harm, no matter the cost; it's what he'd been doing for all these years, after all.
Phoebe groaned as her back skidded against the ground, but kept her iron grip around Aleen despite the pain. The two finally stopped a few dozen yards from the tent, or rather, what was left of it. In the aftermath of the gigantic fire blast, the temporary meeting room had been ripped to shreds, bits of the structure still burning up as they rained from the sky. The epicenter of the tent itself was engulfed in a roaring blaze, through which stepped the two officers that had turned against their king. Phoebe managed to get to her knees, gritting her teeth at the soreness along her spine. Her arms never left Aleen's frame, the young will-o-wisp shaking in fear in her grip, holding onto her neck for whatever comfort there may be.
The fiery ruler tore her eyes away from the two soldiers and scanned the surrounding area, trying to spot her brother among the debris. To her relief, she heard rubble shift nearby, followed by the man's flaming head emerge from the wreckage, shaking it to remove some of the charred material.
"Flint, over here!" his sister shouted with a wave. The prince blinked a few times, then looked over in his sibling's direction, an act that caused Phoebe's blood to run as cold as a fire elemental's could. Flint's eyes had the same look as the men who had been, for lack of a better word, brainwashed all those weeks ago. The look was shared by the two closing officers, whose hands were already wreathed in more flames to fire at their leader. Turning her head to anticipate the worst, she found the horrible truth come to fruition.
Every fire solider in the camp was converging on her and Aleen's position, their movements absolute and unhesitant. Aleen was whimpering now, her eyes darting between all the combatants nearing their spot on the ground. Above it all, a laugh suddenly broke the air, one that, despite its soothing tone, sent nothing but despair into Phoebe's heart. Perhaps, that was the literal tug of the enemy at her matrix.
Aphrodite's beautiful, yet frightening image appeared out of the burning remnants of the command tent, the loose, golden sleeves of her dress nearly brushing the ground as she swayed her hips on approach. Her hands casually ran along the chins of the two captured officers as she passed them, the pair gazing after her in complete awe. She finally stopped just a few meters away from the cornered woman and child. Her smirk was disgusting in Phoebe's eyes, prompting her to send the Olympian a glare.
"Hera, so nice to see you again." FP's glare intensified, small flames escaping her eyes as they turned entirely yellow.
"That's not my name, you witch." Aphrodite seemed unfazed by the insult, resting a hand gently on the side of her face.
"I prefer temptress, my little spitfire."
"I prefer pile of ashes." The Olympian sighed, seeing there was no use chatting freely. Time for a threat.
"Very well, let's cut to the choices you have. Easy way, you come with me and make sure all these loyal soldiers and your brother don't end up killing each other on my behalf. Hard way, I have these gentlemen attack you and the blue-burning brat you've got there." At the mention of Aleen in such a manner, Phoebe's skin briefly destabilized, her anger reaching a boiling point.
"You're not touching her!" she growled, her hold on the will-o-wisp tightening. Aphrodite hummed to herself in thought, her eyes locking onto Aleen's briefly as the girl glanced at her fearfully.
"She is quite adorable, I'll admit. Tell you what, I'll lay off the girl if you come quietly. Sound reasonable?" Flame Princess wasn't willing to trust her for a second. She considered her options, briefly looking at all the soldiers surrounding them, all poised to attack. In her current form, there was no way to avoid and fend them off all by herself, much less with Aleen to worry about.
I removed the last of the poison in your body. You should be back to your true strength now.
Phoebe's eyes widened, recalling those life-changing words. She did have the power to grasp this situation. She was in the heart of the Fire Kingdom, her element on all sides, able to fuel her as much as it did any fire elemental. The fiery ruler looked down at Aleen, the will-o-wisp sensing the motion and returning it, her shimmering eyes full of hope that her protector could do something. Despite the bind they were in, Phoebe gave her charge a smile, softly petting her flaming hair. She spoke in a soft, quiet voice, both for comfort and privacy.
"Aleen, grab onto my shoulder and hang on tight." The girl's eyes widened at the proposal, but FP wouldn't let her fear overwhelm the child. "I promise I'll protect you with all my strength." She hugged her, trying to embrace the little one with her very fire. Whether it worked or not, she noticed Aleen's shaking slowly fade, pulling back to see the young elemental nod, her expression uncertain, but with a hint of belief in her eyes. She separated from the older girl and went around to her backside, small hands clinging to her shoulder.
Aphrodite raised an eyebrow at the entire exchange, unsure what they were up to. However, as soon as the will-o-wisp was tightly secured to the kingdom's ruler, she rose to her feet and faced the Olympian with determined features that hinted her intentions. Her enemy seemed upset at her choice, casually waving her hand to signal her brainwashed minions to move in and take down their own king. As they took their first steps, Aphrodite suddenly paused, feeling a shift in the surrounding heat.
As all eyes looked on, flames were drawn from seemingly nowhere towards the blazing monarch, circling around her like a building cyclone. Aleen squeezed her eyes shut as the flames enveloped them, though Phoebe's form was still barely visible through the haze of fire, as was the blue spark of her companion. The puppet soldiers backed off as FP's body began to grow, swallowing the flames around her bit by bit, her attire and more defined physical features disappearing as her skin became solid yellow, with her outline a jagged orange blaze. Her royal gems remained visible, imbedded in her chest and forehead, her eyes now slits of furious red.
Her form grew far above the heads of each fire solider surrounding her, higher than the Sleeping Fire Giant still sitting dormant in the distance. She didn't stop, not until her size rivalled that of her time battling Ice King in his domain. Aleen, at first quite fearful of the massive being she now clung to the shoulder of, found herself unable to be truly afraid. The energy Phoebe was giving off indeed contained rage and power, but it also held the feeling of possession and desire to keep the little one safe, even at the cost of her own life.
It was the energy of a mother, and Aphrodite actually grit her teeth as the full force of it struck her.
It's so exciting to be down to the final 10! For some reason, I've felt a burst of inspiration and drive since starting a little side project story, which sounds crazy considering I'm now working on 3 stories at once... AGAIN. I'm just overly impulsive sometimes. there's too many ideas swimming around in this head of mine.
AlecDoUrden: Indeed! I try to keep the space between the two chapters I work for this story close together.
Gamelover41592: Love hearing that. It was a lot of fun to write.
Nashorn: I try to jam in fun little details like that wherever, so I'm glad someone appreciates them!
Major144: Glad I nailed the tension. We wont be seeing her again, but I thought I'd be fun to leave that one a bit open-ended.
The Book of Eli: Wonder and be shown! In suspenseful fashion!
Nazhorn: Wow... that's a lot. Sorry but I do have a ton of responsibilities in real life, it's just whenever I get the chance. Plus, if I have a crappy day at work or whatever it can crush my enthusiasm.
jfazende5: Yep, I knew someone would reference that. I knew I should've put 'and' instead of 'vs'. Oh well.
kirito emiya: Granted!
Fragger426: Ok, ok, ok! Please no mob!
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!
next: Chapter 42: Love