Chapter 26

The envy, anger and rejection was eating at her as she sat in the stairwell, scribbling in her diary. She just couldn't understand how Kyoko had recovered so gracefully from her fall and deflected it back to her. How could someone with so little time acting recover so quickly and come out even better than before? She felt so alone and hurt. Alone due to the fact that she only had her stupid little book to write in and hurt, because she felt she was weak. She couldn't do it. She couldn't do what Kyoko did and it was poisoning her from the inside out.

When she saw her near the stairs, she filled with rage and saw nothing but the thick blackness of jealousy. She had never done something to harm another person, to get a part. When she pushed her down the stairs, Kyoko had turned and what felt like a lightening strike, hit her very soul. The memories came flooding back.

"Aoidḗ?" She gasped covering her mouth in horror and tears in her eyes. "NO..." She ran. It can't be true! How could I do that to my own sister? I'm such a vile creature. She's sure to hate me after all of this. She lamented as she sat, hidden in the ladies room crying. I deserve whatever she chooses to do.

~ΑΩΑΩ~

Kyoko's façade had faltered as she looked in the direction that Melétē had fled to and dazzled Hikaru Ishibashi even more than before. That night, the exquisite creature known as Kyoko, would inspire the lead singer and songwriter to pen one of his greatest creations, that would make it to the top 5 worldwide, when it was released.

"Mo! What happened to your wrist?" Kanae asked a little irritated. Regardless of being what they were, they were still prone to injury in their mortal forms. The only difference between them and humans, was that humans couldn't actually finish them off.

Kyoko sighed as Kanae sat next to her on the sofa. "I found Melétē." It was all she actually needed to say, but it wasn't in the happy and joyful way that Mnḗmē had expected of her sister.

"What happened?" She asked with worry and Aoidḗ explained.

"She's been hurt deeply. These mortals have scarred her heart. She's not the sweet loving Melétē that we know, but I think she recognized me last night after she pushed me down the stairs." Aoidḗ explained.

"Melétē used violence against you? Against her own sister? H-How? She even had problems with violence when we would punish mortals?" Mnḗmē questioned incredulously.

Aoidḗ sighed. "Considering what we, Deimos and Phobos have gone through... It really doesn't surprise me too much. I mean, if you think about it, before now I've never been told I was worthless, plain, boring or, unattractive. You've never been told that you were talentless and held back at every turn. Phobos was never prevented from following his dreams by anyone and Deimos had never been put through what he experienced as a human. Why would it be any different for any of the others? It seems as though the human experience is a lot more complicated and emotional then we all expected." She sighed again.

Kanae leaned back in her seat and folded her arms behind her neck, staring up at the ceiling. "Mo... I suppose you're right. I almost regret every torture I inflicted in anger, the more I think about it. I suppose we had it easy. We forgot what it was like before them, in the beginning."

Kyoko nodded in agreement. "I think perhaps we should be a little more cautious when making decisions like that again. Maybe show a little more restraint than before."

Kanae glanced back at her. "Are you counting the insect in that too?" She smirked.

Aoidḗ giggled. "Don't you dare... and yes, I suppose he counts too. I mean, he may have the talent to sing, but I think maybe he will need to work on his skills on his own. I have revoked my support, but I'm not going to take his voice. That is his alone. However, that will be the only thing he'll have to work with."

Mnḗmē turned to look at her. "You mean composing and instruments weren't his?"

Aoidḗ shook her head. "No, only his voice. I remember in the beginning, when we were younger, he had great difficulty." She sighed. "It wasn't until his mother told me that I would be his wife, that he started composing and playing instruments. I guess I inadvertently blessed him." She groaned in shame.

Mnḗmē shook her head. "That was not your fault. You were a young human, with no memory and it was taken advantage of. I'm sure they wouldn't have dared to even suggest if they had known."

Aoidḗ sighed and shook her head. "No, that was my fault. I allowed them to fill my mind with things that shouldn't have been there. I allowed them to train me like the family pet, because I thought that I was unworthy of anything else. I know better now and it won't happen again Sister."

"Well, just let me know if he starts to bother you again. He's a problem and he needs to be fixed." Kanae smirked.

Kyoko giggled. "I don't think that will be necessary. I think maybe Father has something planned for us when Melétē decides to show herself. I'm not really sure what it is, but you know how he is. It will most likely be spectacular."

Kanae groaned. "Everything with him is always spectacular. One would think that being a mortal, like us, would have toned that down a bit, but I suppose not." They both laughed and started discussing Lory's eccentric behavior.

Chiori paced back and forth in her dressing room wondering what Kyoko would do about her actions. Did she remember her as a sister like she did? If she didn't, how would she handle the situation? Would she tell the director what she did to her? How she pushed her down the stairs, how there was a witness? If anyone found out, it would destroy her career and she was certain that she had already destroyed a relationship she didn't know existed, with her long lost sister.

She fought the heat behind her eyes, swallowed the tears and prepared for the scenes that they would do that day. Well, time to face my punishment. She sighed as she stared at the image in the mirror, nodded and left.

As she approached Kyoko and Director Anna, she expected the worse of all outcomes; however, she never expected that Kyoko would give the solution that she did. She was informed that her character Yumika, would be Natsu Kitazawa's "Right Hand". It worried her. She remembered the days before the Game. She remembered what they did to others that were arrogant enough to challenge them. She didn't want to think of what they would have done if anyone ever tried to harm them.

She agreed to the arrangement in shock and they began their scenes. It angered her that Aoidḗ was pulling from her feelings and emotions, that she thought she had buried. She felt like she was making fun of her or, torturing her. Why drag it out? Why not just get it over with and have her evicted from the set? When everything was done, she quickly raced to the lounge to be alone and let go of all the tears, hurt and anger she had felt for doing what she did.

"I'm sorry." Melétē heard her whisper as she quietly approached holding out the little slip of paper, she had dropped at the scene of her transgression. "I never meant for this to hurt you... Melétē."

Melétē gasped at the sound of her name coming from Kyoko. Her gaze shot to her divine sister in shock. "Y-You remember?" She then glared at her and snatched the note from her. "If you did, why didn't you say anything?! Why did you allow what happened in there?!"

Aoidḗ ran to her sister and pulled her into her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I-I knew you could do it. I didn't want to stand in your way. I never meant for it to hurt you, Sister. Please forgive."

"B-But Aoidḗ... You didn't hurt me. I was the one that caused this. Why are you asking for my forgiveness?" She asked as she tearfully stroked the injury she had caused.

Kyoko hugged her again with tears in her eyes. "Because Melétē, because I didn't recognize you instantly. You're my dear sister, and then I made you unhappy. I'm so sorry."

Melétē could barely breathe. "Aoidḗ... You're crushing me and you can stop apologizing. I only remembered when I..."

Kyoko silenced her before she cold finish the sentence. "We don't need to talk about that where others can hear. I understand and for me it was the same. Shall we meet up after work? I want to spend time with my sisters." She asked sweetly.

Melétē looked at her in surprise. "Mnḗmē?"

Aoidḗ nodded with a small smile. "We'll talk about it later."

Both young women hugged and felt that a lifetime of pain, sorrow and heavy hearts, were suddenly lifted as far as having family was concerned. Both Kyoko and Chiori had been only children and it was nice to have that forgotten bond reforged.