Chapter 2

She said it as an insult, but it was just so funny Kyoko just couldn't help but be distracted momentarily with the imagery. "Pygmy Hippo. Pfft." She whispered as she pulled the sharpened blade from her bag, along with the large Daikon Radish. There was something else about the beautiful ravenette. She seemed familiar to her, almost sisterly. That can't be right. I don't have any family. My mother barely acknowledged me. She would never have another child.

{"Mnḗmē, he is a very talented young man. I believe you have chosen William well. He will be remembered throughout the ages." She told her sister.

She glanced at her sister and smiled softly. "I think you may be correct Aoidḗ. He does have many talents. The poem about Venus and Adonis was sublime. It moved me." She sighed.

Aoidḗ nodded in agreement. "I think he would benefit from the inspiration of you, me and Melétē. We should have her view him also to give him full range of his talent."

"Then it is settled." The sisters smiled and hugged each other, giggling. "William Shakespeare will be known very soon."}

Kyoko shook the thought from her mind and tried to focus on the task at hand.

Lory was so incredibly proud when he saw her. His only wish was to sweep her into his arms and let her know that Daddy was there for her. He wanted to know who had broken his beautiful little perfect daughter so cruelly that she would feel that way about love and her sister was even worse in her opinions about family. What had happened to them? He should have never allowed them to take mortal form. Not if this was the result. Mortals were so incredibly ungrateful nowadays. He shook his head as he skimmed over their files.

"Takarada-sama, Ren is here as you requested." Ruto told him as he bowed respectfully.

Lory waved him away. "Show him in."

Ren sighed and sat before him. "What did you need to see me about Boss?"

This boy was definitely his favorite human. He smiled. "I'm creating a new section and I would like for you to welcome the first member when she arrives." He told him the explained the function of the LoveMe Section, showed him the little stamps and the heart-shaped booklet.

"Are you sure about this?" Ren was a bit skeptical about the whole thing. One could only make it so far with the motivation that was driving her.

"Yes and I want you to bring her directly to me when she comes in." He informed him.

Ren sighed. "Okay, when will she be here?"

Lory looked up and felt her corrupted aura. He winced. It had to be her. "She's downstairs right now. She will be entering the building shortly."

Ren didn't know how the man knew, but he wasn't going to argue with him on the matter. He quickly left to do as Lory had asked.

Ren groaned. Not this girl again. He sighed. Well, if I have to deal with her, I will do it in my own way. As long as she makes it up to the office. And that's when he decided that the cute, vengeful, strawberry-blonde with the silky hair, angelic voice and now perfect skin would be his target for stress relief. Why does she seem so familiar? He pondered as he escorted her to Lory's office.

As they entered Lory's office there was a blinding flash of light and Ren found himself outside of the doors wondering how on Earth he had gotten there. Yashiro was standing in front of him waving his hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention. "en... Ren!... REN! Hey, what happened to you? You've been missing for an hour. Have you been here the entire time?" Yashiro asked with concern.

"I'm not quite sure." He answered, confused. "I think... I don't know." It was almost like those abduction stories you hear about on the supernatural television shows. It was a little disconcerting.

Yashiro looked at his watch. "I think we need to get some food into you. You're behaving strangely. Did you even eat breakfast this morning?"

"I can't remember." He said in a distant voice.

"I will take that as a no then." He groused as he pulled his pliable charge into the elevator and escorted him to LA Hearts for Lunch.

REN'S LOST HOUR:

He couldn't contain himself as he saw his beautiful daughter being escorted into his office. His normally eccentric clothing became even more eccentric before Ren's very eyes, white silk tunic with gold braiding that edged around the hem, sleeves and neck with a shimmering gold toga wrapped around him and sandals that seemed to be made of gold adorned his feet. Lory's hair had grown in length and had turned white as snow with a full beard to match. His eyes were the same shade of gold as the girl that he had escorted to the office. This was when it had all flooded back to her.

He turned his gaze to the girl that Lory had held his arms out to and saw a young woman with long, flowing, silken black hair, dressed in a simple thin, purple, silk cloth that wrapped around her and cinched under her breasts, then tied off with gold cord to fasten it together in a flowing long dress. She literally looked like one of those ancient goddesses he read about in books as a kid when he was going through his Greek Mythology phase. She was breathtaking.

"Aoidḗ my sweet daughter... What has happened? What did those ungrateful mortals do to you to corrupt your beautiful golden aura so?" He pulled the stunned young woman to him and held her closely. "Not to worry. Father will take care of you now."

She shook her head as her past with Sho bombarded her senses. "No Father Zeus. Now that I remember, I will deal with him myself."

"Aoidḗ, you cannot do what you have done in the past. We cannot be revealed. If you harm him or, transform him, others will know." He warned and Ren didn't know what to make of everything. He turned to Ren. "Ren... I think you need to forget what you have seen today. Why don't you find Yashiro and have lunch?" Lory smiled and Ren's mind lost what he had just discovered as he was escorted out by Ruto and placed in the waiting area outside of Lory's office.

Lory turned back to her and she giggled. "So, Brother Hermes is still by your side Father?"

"Of course he is Daughter. Now, back to the main subject. I want to know what this mortal boy did to corrupt your aura." He told her and sat her down on a lounge as he took his place at the throne that materialized behind him.

She shook her head. "Always so dramatic. Fine, I will tell you." And tell him she did.

He shook his head. "I am so disappointed that someone could use love like that. Aphrodite would turn him into a blowfish if she knew."

"Not to worry Father." She sighed. "I will not do anything too obvious to him." She smirked mischievously.

"Now then, to discuss what you will be doing here." He smiled widely. "I have created the perfect environments for you and your sisters to express yourselves. I have also made it so that you do not have to travel the world in search of worthy talents. They shall come to you. Whether you take advantage of this is your choice." He told her.

She looked down at the floor in hurt, thinking of all of the horrible things Sho had said to her. "I would like to be here with you and my sisters, Father but I do not wish to help another ungrateful mortal such as him again." She confessed in a small, broken voice.

He gently pet her hair. "My sweet daughter... Take your time to heal. Spend some time with this idea of mine. You may be pleasantly surprised, a lot has changed over the years."

She sighed. "I will try Father."