I'M SO SORRY I WAS GONE FOR ALMOST A YEAR. Also some of you may get two notifications because I FAIL AT REMEMBERING HOW TO UPLOAD. But yeah, here it is, CHAPTER 4, FINALLY! 3 thank you for waiting n.n
"Ah! I'm so glad class is ending!" Dionysus said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"Same…too many people get in the way of me when I try to sit with Balder." Loki grumbled. He had been sulking since lunch, where they had learnt that he had been repeatedly shoved out of the way until he set someone's hair on fire, which got them summoned to the headmaster's office. Said headmaster had apparently been cowering beside Zeus, who had quite a lot to say on the matter of revealing their powers.
"Loki, it's a good thing Zeus brought Lethe with him so that he could alter their memories." Balder said gently.
"You should really be thanking Hades san for that." Dionysus said, leaning on Apollon. "Lethe is from the underworld, and technically works for Hades."
"That's right!" Apollon beamed. "Hades san is actually really helpful! Though he didn't come back from Zeus after lunch…" The blonde looked thoughtful.
"Eh. Who cares." Loki said, looking uninterested. "Balder, let's have dinner together!" He wrapped his arms around the light god.
"Ah! Alright." Balder smiled, and Loki grabbed his arm, dragging him away from the group, sticking his tongue out at them as the pair disappeared.
"What's the deal with those two?" Takeru asked, unimpressed.
"Don't ask." Thor replied. "Ah…I better follow them to make sure no one gets set on fire." He added, before running after them.
"Ah…I was going to ask him how his lunch was…" Yui said, looking sad. "Dionysus, you were with him, how did you find my friends?"
"They were fine. They showed me all the fresh juice you guys have. It's not the same as wine, but it's the next best thing." He smiled warmly at her.
"Ah! I'm really glad you enjoyed yourself." She said, smiling back at him.
"Takeru, I need to buy more food for tomorrow." Tsukito said. "I'll be stopping at the market shop."
"Ah, I'll come with you. There are some things I want to get." He said, following the moon god.
"I should probably go as well, I want to get some seeds so I can grow some things whilst I'm here." Dionysus said, waving to the two left behind. "See you guys at home!" Then he disappeared after the other two.
"Ah…everyone's gone." Apollon sighed, before looking at Yui, and smiling held out a hand. "Let's go home, Yousei san."
"…ah…Hai!" Yui smiled back, taking his hand. They walked in silence for a while, Yui feeling uncertain of what to say. Holding hands like this, she felt safe. Just being with Apollon made her feel like she'd drunk something warm on a cold night. But at the same time, curiosity got the better of her. "Ne…Apollon sama…if I hadn't developed these powers…if I'd just been a normal mortal…would you still have come back?"
Apollon stopped, and turned to her, eyes wide in surprise.
"Yousei san." He smiled gently at her. "Nothing could have stopped me." He reached out and cupped her face in his hand, bringing her close, and making colour flush through her cheeks. "You were my friend first, then my teacher, then you became my hope, and eventually my saviour." He leant in, and Yui felt her cheeks warm as his face, so serious, and yet so gently happy, came towards hers, the road beside them and grassy verge vanishing from her mind, "Now…if you'll accept…I'd like you to…be my-"
"Oh my, Apollon, this is why you're here." Came a light, airy voice from behind them. It was a beautiful voice that made every word sound like it was being gently sung. They turned around to see a woman who wore a white dress, with pink roses flowering by the neckline. She was cautiously picking her way around a tree, seeming to come from the park the other side of it. "And I thought…oh how embarrassing, here I believed that you kept those feelings for me."
"Aphrodite." Apollon said, and when Yui looked at him he was wearing a dark expression.
"Eh…you know each other?" Yui said, looking back and forth.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry." Aphrodite smiled warmly at her. "I have known Apollon since he was young, we grew up together. Please," she said, reaching out a hand, "allow me to-" Apollon swiped her hand away, glaring at her fiercely. "Oh…how…I see I am not forgiven…" She smiled sadly.
"I will not let you harm Yousei san." He said angrily, putting an arm around Yui protectively.
"Harm? Oh my, you really haven't…" Tears formed in her eyes. "…you don't know how it has haunted me…but I understand." Something in her demeanour changed. "I will not give up though. I will find a way into your heart." She smiled sadly at them both, and turned to walk away.
"Wai-" Yui began, about to follow her, but she was held back. "Apollon sama?" She asked, looking up at her companion.
"Let her go."
"She seemed upset."
"You cannot trust her." His expression softened as he looked at her. "I think I need to tell you who she is. When we get back to the shrine I shall explain."
It was a quiet walk up to the shrine. Apollon seemed deep in thought, and Yui felt reluctant to break the silence herself. The sky was still light, and would be for several hours still, and the air around them was warm. And yet, Yui couldn't help the shiver that ran through her.
"Yousei san, are you cold?" Yui jumped at Apollon's voice.
"No, no, I'm fine." She said, embarrassed.
"I'm sorry if I'm causing concern." He said, looking up at the shrine as they started on the stairs.
"Ah! No! Not at all." She looked down. "I just…I'm not sure what to do when I meet new gods. I know and trust you all so much…I sometimes forget there are other gods, and that you have all had lives before and after me."
"Yousei san." Apollon smiled warmly at her. "I sometimes feel the same about you. You've had a whole mortal life, and learnt to live without powers. Do you remember when we first met?" He laughed, "Most of us had no idea how to do human things, we were so used to just being able to command the world around us." He reached out and took Yui's hand. "But you taught us how to overcome that. There is so much about you we don't know. I hope you'll continue teaching us." She smiled back at him, and they climbed the rest of the hill in a more comfortable silence.
Her family greeted her and Apollon, telling them that Hades was in the house already.
"I can ask him where he was!" Apollon said excitedly.
"Ah, just a moment-" But Apollon pulled Yui into a run and led her into the house.
"Hades? Uncle Hades?" Apollon said, looking in each room until he found the god of the underworld standing in the living room, staring out the window, in the shadow of the curtain.
"Apollon." He said, turning around. "I have spoken at length with Zeus, I have something to tell you, but I am going to wait until the others get home."
"Eh? Why can't you say now?"
"I do not wish to repeat myself or for the message to be misunderstood by a retelling by a second party."
"Ahh…" Apollon said, flumping down on the sofa. "Something is always delaying things." He sighed, and closed his eyes. "We need to tell Zeus another thing. Aphrodite is here."
"What?" Hades' eyes widened in shock. "What did she say? Why is she here?"
"She didn't explain."
"Ano…" Yui began awkwardly.
"Did she do anything to…" Hades began, looking at Yui.
"No." Apollon answered, opening his eyes. "Yousei san…I should tell you the truth. You deserve to know." He motioned for her to sit beside him, so she did so, and he sat forwards, eyes clouding over as he seemed to remember something. "Aphrodite is a Greek goddess, she is the god of love and beauty. Long ago, her vanity was fed by a god called Eris. This god…she became offended by something the other gods did, and so created an apple. A golden apple. This apple would, she said, be given to the most beautiful, the fairest goddess. There was a fight between Aphrodite and two other goddesses over it, and Zeus gave a mortal man the job of deciding who would get it. He chose Aphrodite after she promised him the hand of a beautiful woman, Helena of Troy. I'm sure you know the rest of that story."
"It…began a war…" Yui muttered, staring at Apollon.
"Yes, it did. But that was just in the mortal world. In our world, Aphrodite became obsessed. She knew now she was the fairest, and that no other goddess could contest her beauty. She decided she would have whichever god or goddess she wanted. And that meant apart from Zeus, anyone was fair game. But Aphrodite wanted whoever she wanted at that moment, and in one such moment it...it was me. When I fell in love with Cassandra, Aphrodite was…cruel. She tormented her until I stepped in, and said I would never forgive her if she did something to her. She said horrible things. Saying a mortal could never love a god, that we were doomed. She said that she would destroy us, if we chose to remain paired as a mortal and a god." Apollon fell silent, and Hades stepped forward.
"Zeus and I still believe that it was this which caused Apollon to decide to give Cassandra the gift of the sight. Apollon still blames himself, but had it not been for Aphrodite's goading, he may never have done so."
"It is wrong to blame her." Apollon said. "They were my actions. And besides," he smiled at Yui, "I do not blame myself anymore." Then his smile was gone, replaced with a dark expression. "But afterwards, Aphrodite said that she had known this would happen. That she was glad it had. I could not forgive her for that. In some ways, I feared she had cursed Cassandra and I out of jealousy."
"Curses are…even to gods…a mystery." Hades said, taking over as Apollon looked away. "It is possible she did, but likewise it is possible she just said what she did out of spite. She regretted her words later, but Apollon's grief was too strong. They stopped talking. When we returned from the garden, she tried to make peace with Apollon on learning he had come to an understanding with Cassandra's spirit. But he would not forgive her even then. She had become a twisted, manipulative goddess. She is not to be trifled with. All that the passing centuries have done is teach her how to hide her spite."
"But…she seemed so different to that!" Yui said, looking worried.
"Do not trust her, Yousei san. She is clever, and manipulative. She would not dream of appearing as she actually is. Whatever she is doing here, it is bound to be to do with you." Apollon turned to look Yui in the eyes. "And I will not let her hurt someone I love."
"L…love?" Yui stammered, her heart suddenly thumping as if it was trying to escape through her chest.
"Yes, Yousei san." Apollon reached out and held her face in his hands. "I love you."
"Yo, we're home!" Came Takeru's voice from the hallway, and Yui jumped up, red faced.
"I'LL GO AND MAKE US SOME TEA." She said loudly, and disappeared into the kitchen.
"What was that?" Takeru said as he entered the living room, followed by Tsukito and Dionysus.
"That doesn't matter." Hades said, looking at Dionysus. "Aphrodite has come here."
"Eh?" Dionysus frowned. "Why?"
"We don't know."
"Who?" Takeru said, looking at Hades in confusion.
"A goddess from our world." Dionysus answered. "I think we should wait until everyone is here."
"I'll go and wait outside for them all to come home!" Apollon said, beaming, and jumping up. "Dionysus, save something sweet for me!" He trotted out of the room, the others staring after him.
"He seems worried." Tsukito said.
"Eh? How can you tell?" Takeru said, frowning. "He seems as oblivious as normal."
"No, Tsukito is right. He's worried." Hades sighed.
"What should we do?" Dionysus asked, staring after Apollon. "Kusanagi didn't seem herself either."
"That's just because Apollon told her he loved her." Hades stated bluntly.
"EEEHHH?" Takeru yelled, and was about to charge off after the blonde, but Dionysus grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back.
"Choto-just a-"
"Takeru, please don't start another fight." Tsukito said calmly.
"But he-"
"Just because you're scared of doing it, doesn't mean an idiot like Apollon is." Dionysus scolded. "It just means he has less issues with talking about his feelings." Takeru slumped against the redhead, glaring at him sullenly. "You'll find your words soon enough." Dionysus said, letting him go.
"No I won't." He said, grimly.
"Takeru. Do not lose hope." Tsukito said, placing his hand on his brothers shoulder.
"Aaah, who cares?" He said, slumping down on the sofa, putting his bags of food on the table.
"Oy, I'm taking my stuff into the kitchen." Dionysus said, slinging the bag over his shoulder, but Hades reached out to hold him back.
"I think Yui needs some space."
"Ah…" The gods stood awkwardly until Dionysus sat down in a chair and sighed.
"Be gentle with Apollon." Hades said, mainly to Takeru. "Aphrodite is bringing up a lot of old emotions for him."
"Oh?" Takeru looked at Hades in curiosity, but just then they heard voices from outside.
"Ah, that must be the others." Dionysus said, as they heard the front door open.
"I like that place so much!" Came Loki's voice.
"You only liked them because they gave you free food." Thor replied from the hallway."
"Eeh? What's wrong with liking free food? Besides, their curry was delicious! And I'm so glad they had steak!"
"Yes, the steak was perfect!" Balder replied as the group entered the room.
"We have to all go there sometime!" Apollon said, smiling. "I want steak too!"
Yui re-appeared with a tray of tea and biscuits.
"Ah! You're back!" She smiled at the others, and laid the tea down on the table. "Apollon, have you told them about Aphrodite?"
"What?" Loki said, his demeanour suddenly becoming darker.
"Ah, when Apollon and I were walking home we bumped into her and-" Yui was interrupted by Loki rushing over and grabbing her by the shoulders, a scared expression on his face.
"Did she do anything to you? Give you anything? Say anything strange?"
"Loki!" Balder said, pulling away one of his arms. "Calm down! You're scaring her."
"Loki-Loki, how do you know Aphrodite?" Apollon was smiling as he asked, but there was an eerie undertone to his voice. Loki let go of Yui and looked away, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"He…knew Eris…" Balder said, looking worried. "Loki is a trickster god…Eris is a goddess of chaos…it was only a matter of time before their paths met."
"I didn't…I didn't mean to…" Loki stormed out of the room suddenly, and Yui stood up to follow him, but Thor held her back.
"It's okay," Balder said, "I'll go after him." The blonde left the room quickly, calling to Loki.
"What was that?" Takeru asked, confused.
"Eris caused a lot of trouble for the Greeks." Dionysus said, sighing. "Though I don't understand why knowing her means he's worried by Aphrodite's appearance."
"Loki became friends with Eris." Thor explained. "She was older than him, and more powerful. He was entranced by her powers. He thought she could teach him, and that he could come back to us with more knowledge to help protect himself, Balder and me. He went to her one day, and she was angry. Something about not being invited to a celebration." Dionysus, Hades, and Apollon suddenly sat up, realisation dawning on them. "She said she needed help to create something that would, as she put it, put the cat among the pigeons. She got Loki to help her, he helped create the apple of discord. He then saw what it did, the war it started, and hid. He was terrified of what would happen to him if the others found out what had happened, he was scared of being cast out even more, and that Balder would…have to protect him. So he hid. Balder and I couldn't find him for weeks. When we finally found him he looked terrified. He told us what happened, and we swore we'd never tell anyone until he was ready. It was only a few decades before we got summoned to the garden when he finally came around to the idea of telling someone when it became necessary. The other gods by now don't mind, the Greeks who know have mostly forgiven him, including Zeus. Although I believe it is one of the reasons he was brought to the garden, and that it wasn't solely to help protect Balder. That and the rest of the chaos he causes." Thor looked around at the group who were sitting in stunned silence. "He blames himself for how cruel Aphrodite has become. If it weren't for the apple, she wouldn't have changed so. The apple itself has its own magic, having that apple changes the person who possesses it. And he thinks that it's his fault."
The group exchanged looks of concern and shock.
"No." Yui said quietly. "He can't think that. I…I can't let him think that-" Yui made as if to go outside but Thor grabbed her hand.
"You must leave him. Balder is with him. He will need you, I know he will. But later." Yui nodded, though she was reluctant to sit around doing nothing.
"There must be something we can do? Hades sama, you were going to tell us what Zeus had said." She looked pleadingly at the underworld god, who avoided her gaze.
"I should not explain unless everyone is present." He said, sadly, removing Yui's excuse for going after Loki.
"Zassou," Takeru said, standing up, "I think we should go for a run. Nothing's going to happen here, so we might as well use our time." He smirked at her. "Unless you don't think you're up to it?"
"Hoi! Of course I'm up to it!" Yui said, glaring at him.
"Ahh, what about dinner?" Apollon said, looking around.
"Mum usually makes it…though I don't think she's going to be able to keep making food for everyone…"
"That's okay." Dionysus said, picking up the shopping bags. "I bought some ingredients so that I can help. Do you think your mother would mind if I took over for today?"
"Eh? Not at all!" Yui said, smiling. "I'm going to get changed. Takeru, I'll meet you outside?"
"Sure." He grinned, and went to get changed himself once Yui had left the room.
"Hades sama…" Apollon said, looking at his uncle, "why did you take so long with Zeus?"
"…because there are…complications. He told me what Yui san's powers are. What they will become. But there is a risk that if another god, such as Aphrodite, does something, she could die trying to use her powers before she is ready."
The atmosphere in the room darkened, and they all looked out at the clouds slowly crossing the sky, turning it grey.
"Takeru, wait up!" Yui cried, running after him. The weather was turning grim, rain starting to fall.
"Sorry!" He said, grinning, and slowing down so that she could catch up. "You need to show me how you've improved with your fighting. We never did have our fight."
"Ah, I've been practicing still. The running has helped." She panted. "I could definitely try an-AH!" she cried out as she slid on the slick ground, and Takeru caught her.
"I should have learnt my lesson last time. We shouldn't be running in the rain." He said, looking around darkly at the clouds.
"It's fine!" Yui said, standing up. "It's only some light rain. My shoes don't have enough grip is all."
"Mmm…" Takeru didn't look convinced.
"If it makes you feel better, there's a log house up ahead we could shelter in?"
"Hn, alright. But we walk there." He said, smiling at her.
"Hai."
They made their way off the path, Yui leading, and down an animal track, until they came to an old looking shed. Once inside, Yui lit a gas lamp on one of the shelves.
"I used to come and hide here when I was younger." She said, sitting down on a bench by the piles of wood as Takeru leant against the door frame. "I would pretend that I was a wood cutter from medieval times, and pretend to hunt things for food." She laughed. "I'd pretend that one of the logs was a lump of meat for me to eat."
"You're strange." He said, giving her a crooked smile.
"Eeeh? I was only little!" She said defensively, and Takeru laughed.
"I guess humans had to pretend more things. As gods, there was very little you couldn't have. Our games usually had real meat if we were playing mortals."
"Playing mortals?" Yui said, as Takeru came over and sat down opposite her.
"Yeah, we used to pretend we were human. Though we never really understood it properly. We'd still use our god powers, and have everything that mortals couldn't have…but we'd pretend we were less powerful, sometimes that one of us was the god and the others had to follow their orders. Other times that we were all humans searching for a god." He rubbed the back of his head. "We didn't really understand that not all gods were loved. Though obeying the one chosen as god never felt good." He looked over at Yui. "Is that how all humans feel? Do they resent our powers?"
"No! Not at all! Nowadays, not everyone believes in gods. Most people who do love them, and think of them as perfect."
"Well we're definitely not that." Takeru said, grinning.
"I think…I think you are." Yui said, leaning forward, and making Takeru look at her in surprise. "Being perfect isn't about making no mistakes, it isn't about having no flaws. It's the opposite. It's having those and learning that they aren't wrong, and how to fix mistakes, and live with the flaws." She took a deep breath, and the air around them became warm. "I think that you have all tried so hard to learn, to become more human."
"Yui…" Takeru said, eyes wide, as she began to glow.
"Many humans try to become powerful, and would jump at the chance to become a god. But you did the opposite; you learnt what it is to be human. You changed, you adapted, and you started to understand beings less powerful than you." She closed her eyes, shivering. "And…and I care about you all so much. I just…I just can't choose…" She opened her eyes, tears forming in them.
"YUI!" Takeru scrambled forwards, and reached out to hold her. She was ice cold in his arms. "Yui, I will never make you choose." He said, pulling her close, as the tears fell down her face. She reached up to hold onto him, and the glow faded. "I will always protect you, you don't need to choose. I'll always be with you no matter what." He tightened his arms around her.
"Takeru…" She said, her voice quivering.
"You're freezing." He said, letting go. He then took off his top, handing it to her.
"But you'll get cold!" She said, holding the T-shirt.
"I'm a god of the sea." He said, giving her a crooked smile. "The cold doesn't bother me as much. Especially when I have my powers." Yui pulled the shirt over her head, and rubbed her arms. "Are you still cold?" Takeru asked, reaching out to hold her hand. "You feel like ice!" He pulled her close again, and held her, wrapping his warm arms around her. "We should go back."
"No!" She said, pulling back. "We haven't finished our run!"
"Zassou, you're freezing."
"I feel fine. Running should warm me up anyway."
"You're…really stubborn. You know that right?" She blushed and looked away. "Are you that determined to beat me in a sword fight?"
"I just want to be strong…" She said, remembering how helpless she felt when they were trying to stop Balder. Takeru took her face in his hands, and made her look into his eyes.
"You are strong. Like a weed, that just keeps growing, no matter how much the world tried to crush it. Even if you're cut down, you grow back, stronger than before. That's…that's why I…" He paused, and Yui felt her face warm up, wanting to hear those words, but also scared of what would happen if she did hear them. "…I care about you so much." Takeru looked away, blushing. He cursed himself inwardly for not being able to say such simple words, but when he looked back, Yui was smiling.
"I care about you as well." She said, and put her hands over his. He smiled at her, bemused.
"You're always so happy." He sighed. Looking outside, he saw that the rain was only getting worse. "Alright, Zassou, I'm not going to let you continue running in this weather. You'll just make yourself ill." He took his hands away from her face, and before she could react, slid his arms under her legs and back, hoisting her up into the air.
"EEH?" She cried, automatically wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I'm going to take us both home. Hold on tight." He stepped out into the rain, and began to glow. There was a burst of light as one arm became encased in armour, the other in a dark glove, blue wrapping around his legs to form the puffy trousers and armour, with a turquoise loop of fur around his waist and thighs.
"Takeru!" Yui cried. "You shouldn't transform!"
"It's okay, Zassou." He said, grinning. "No one will catch us. And I need to get you back in the warm as fast as possible." He launched himself into the air, speeding across the treetops, Yui's breath catching in her throat. Green rushed past below them, glimpses of the paths that twined their way through the woods, the shrine peeking out ahead of them. Yui began to shiver as the rain drenched her, and was glad when they reached the back of her house. Takeru gently landed, and set her down, but as she made to go for the door, she wobbled slightly, and fell backwards into the sea god. "What's wrong?" He asked, concern showing in his eyes.
"I just feel…tired." She said, smiling weakly. Takeru looked at her suspiciously, and transformed back into his human form.
"Let's get you inside." He said, helping her into the house, where she went upstairs to change into some warm clothes, Takeru watching her go with worry in his eyes, before going into the living room.
Loki and Balder had come in when it started raining, the fire god sitting curled up on the sofa, Balder talking gently to him.
"Zassou has gone to dry off, but…" Takeru looked at the room, uncertain of whether to mention it.
"Is something wrong Takeru?" Tsukito asked, looking up at his brother.
"Aah…" The sea god sighed in frustration, sitting down on the floor. "Yui glowed again." The other gods all turned to look at him. "She didn't pass out…but…I think she's scared of something, something to do with all of us, and losing us…that's what seemed to trigger it…having to choose…" He looked at the ceiling, guilt crossing his expression.
"That would make sense." Hades said, nodding.
"What do you mean Hades san?" Apollon asked, looking confused.
"I…don't think we should tell Yui yet…but to be brief, Zeus told me that her powers seem to be irreversibly linked to each and every one of us, it is unclear whether this stretched to other gods, but it is to do with an emotional bond. And love. Which might explain Aphrodite's appearance." The room was silent for a while, until Loki spoke up.
"So what? Are we meant to just stop caring? Because she won't." Hades looked at him, and he continued. "Yui cares about all of us, distancing ourselves from her would just cause pain for everyone."
"Loki is right." Balder agreed. "We just need to make sure we're there for her, and ready to help as things happen. We worked together before, there's no reason to change that now." Many of the gods looked away, hearing the earnest care in his voice, and remembering the fight where they had to save him.
"Then…let's not change how we treat Yousei san." Apollon said, and there was a murmur of agreement.
In the corridor, Yui let out a sigh of relief, having overheard most of the conversation, and smiled, before entering the room after a few moments.
The group ate happily that night, Yui's parents impressed by Dionysus's cooking skills. The gods seemed to relax as the sky became darker, and Yui began to droop, sleepiness clouding her mind, until she slumped slightly onto Takeru.
"Ah, gomenosai Takeru." She said sleepily, propping herself up again.
"Baka, you should go to bed if you're that tired." The ocean god chided, and she nodded, yawning.
"Night night everyone." She got up and went to her bedroom upstairs, a general chatter about going to bed coming from the living room. As she went to shut her door, she heard some of the gods coming upstairs to their bedrooms, and Saw Loki hanging off Balder as they both entered a room along the corridor. Getting changed, she lay down on her bed, drifting in and out of sleep, unable to shake off a slight feeling of unease, until finally Loki's voice drifted into her dreams, reaffirming that no one was about to leave her alone again.