Chapter 10

Nell's point of view

The day had come. Edmund and I bathed and dressed. I yawned as we ate breakfast with Mera, Ariston and my father. Edmund kept me awake all night staring at the stars; he adores them. My father retreated to his room, before the ladies could arrive. I was still one of the few people who knew he was here on Olympus. After all he had done, it truly was a miracle he was granted sanctuary, and one I was desperately grateful for.

I sighed when my thoughts turned to Zeus, his having been a vote in our fathers favor. I wondered if Ariston was correct, if I was pushing Zeus away because of the unexpected intensity of our relationship. I shook off the thought for now; that was not where my thoughts needed to be today.

Alora, a new and dear friend arrived soon after. We greeted each other enthusiastically. Her unending cheeriness was enough to put a smile even on my face. Pandora arrived soon after, looking as unconvincingly happy as she usually did. We shared friendly greeting with her, then speaking of the day's activities. This would be the first time Pandora left Olympus since her return. On her request and Alora's suggestion, we would be going to Argentina. The smile on her lips did not touch her tormented eyes.

"Are you ladies ready?" Alora asked.

"We are just waiting on Mera." I told her. "I hope you do not mind the addition; she Is in desperate need of some adult time."

"Of course not!" Alora assured. "She is more than welcome."

Mera walked down the stairs with Ariston at her side. She wore gray suede boots with ivory skinny jeans, a flowing fitted shirt and a trench coat. Her hair was braided to one side, the adamantine chain falling between her cleavage with her box hidden safely within them. We greeted them and I went to hand Edmund over to Ariston for the day. My son clung to me.

"No mama, me come with you." Edmund begged.

"No, love. You have to stay here." I told him. He shook his head and clung onto me.

"Oh, let him come with us!" Alora said. "We will take care of him so you can still have a break!" I met Ariston's eyes as he raised an eyebrow.

"I will take him." I said, holding him tightly as we teleported to earth.

It was a brisk day in Argentina as we walked among the hills and planes. We were right outside of a village, I did not catch the name of it. Pandora however, searched every detail, as if she was looking for something, anything familiar. I could only wonder what this place held for her, that is until she spoke.

"I grew up here, long ago." She told us. Pandora took a long moment to take in the surroundings before she spoke again. My own eyes were searching of their own accord. "I do not even recognize it…" She gasped, her hand flying over her mouth as she ran to a mound in the center, falling to her knees. "He preserved it… Oh mother, how I miss you." She kissed her hand and placed the kiss in the earth where deep down her mothers remains laid. She soon steeled herself against the onslaught of tears, forcing herself to take a deep breath. She left the tears on her face for a moment before wiping away the evidence of her agony and forcing herself to rise.

Edmund reached for her, his little hands opening and closing. She took him into her arms, and he wrapped his little arms around her neck, laying his head on her shoulder. I swear, in that moment I saw healing mix with her grief. He was good at that, comforting people. Ariston assured me that meant he was being raised well.

You really should let the boy see his father, she thought to me. I nodded, having come to the same conclusion myself.

We soon continued on, arriving in a small town soon after. There was a restaurant Alora said we simply had to try. The meal was uneventful, though as it turned out Alora was correct about the food. Everything was seasoned to perfection. I did my best to keep up conversation, though blessedly Mera and Alora did most of the work, only bringing us in now and again. I found myself watching Alora, feeling sympathy for the poor girl. She has no idea what is going on.

I kindly refused Alora's offer to hold Edmund as we walked to the park. It was deserted, except for one woman. She sat with her back towards us, her blond hair tumbling around her shoulders. The bench she sat upon was right in the middle of a fork in the gravel path. When we were ten feet away, the woman turned her head towards us, and as she did so, her hair turned from blond to raven black. Her lavender eyes locked with my own pale blue ones.

Mera jumped in surprise before grabbing her box and pushing down upon the Phoenix lock. The tiny top flew open, the darkness swirling within, but to no avail it would seem she was immune to that as well. My mother simply smiled condescendingly.

"Really, Mera," She taunted. "Did you really think that would work on me?"

"One can hope." Mera growled, summoning her swords. Pandora soon broke her silence.

"Reina?" She just barely whispered.

Shadows materialized around us, thousands of them, along with a face I had greatly hoped to never again have to see,, except for his likeness in my son.

"Glad you recognize me, mother." Reina replied while I tried to hide Edmund, knowing it was useless.

My son kept eyeing him, as if he was trying to place a face he knew. I created a fog around him, so he would not see or hear Roan. If I had any say, he would never know who the man before me was.

"He looks like me." Roan pointed out with tenderness in his voice.

"Obviously." I replied.

"Why won't you return with me? Why not raise our son tougher? You promised me another chance." He begged.

"My son means more than any promise made. I refuse to have him grow up in your image." I spat. He seemed to only then notice I was with child again. His eyes grew enraged as he pointed at my womb in acusation.

"Who did this?" He demanded, finally showing his true colors.

"Zeus." I announced with pride. "He is father to both of my children. I will never return to you."

With those words, the gods appeared and sprang the trap we had so carefully planned. Mera caught Alora's hand before she could shackle her with a cuff to detain her powers, before knocking her unconscious and sending a wave of her light throughout the crowd, decimating the shadows and knocking everyone except for my mother unconscious. She remained standing tall and defiant, her out stretched hands conjuring shadow itself and sending it towards us. Down at her feet laid Roan, unconcioua and… Purged?

"Oh dears," my mother giggled. "Just you try and take me."

"As you wish." Mera growled, surging her energy forwards.

Light met dark in the middle of the park, thousands of trundles swirling together, each in their own battle as Mera and my mother locked eyes and I slowly backed away, holding my oblivious son in my arms. He was patting his little hand against my shoulder, sending me thoughts asking me to remove the darkness from around him. Not yet, was all I would say. In their fight, those trundles broke the ground and even seemed to break the very existence surrounding them. It was like watching creation and destruction, matter and antimatter, battling one another.

Through the shimmering light, and billowing darkness, I saw glowing vines growing along the ground, reaching for my mother's feet. Her power started waver, causing her to push further, which actually knocked Mera back a few steps. Without warning, my mother screamed, the sound was followed by a blast of darkness and a whimper from Diocles, Mera's chimera.

The majestic animal appeared, limping as he went in for another attack. Mera used my mothers distraction to her advantage, and with a twist of her wrist caused a cage of glowing vines to grow up and cover my mothers body, leaving only her head exposed. Darkness receded back into my mother, trapped by the glowing vines as the sky returned to view.

"You are not going anywhere." Mera proclaimed as my mother struggled in vain to free herself, finally letting out a scream in frustration.

As we watched, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief to see she was not successful in freeing herself. The gods began moving in to help escort her to the cell awaiting her in Tartarus.

"HOW?" My mother screamed, her eyes darting around. "NO ONE KNEW OF THIS ATTACK!"

"You truly believe that after all this time, I would not know your work?" I asked. "Perhaps you forget that I am a daughter of shadows." My eyes drifted to Alora, who was just coming to, looking around in shock. "Don't worry my friend, I know it was not your fault." She looked at me in fear and confusion, not understanding the predicament.

"What happened?" She asked.

"My mother had your soul bound with a Shadow on your last trip to earth." I informed her, much to her shock. "When I saw a glimpse of it, I called it forth and demanded its orders; that is how this plot was uncovered." The fear within her at this realization was enough to elicit a scream from her lips.

One of our solders stepped forward and helped her up before teleporting her to a safe place to await the purge. I had the sneaking suspicion that the shadow was already destroyed, but seeing as how well this one was hidden, precautions had to be taken.

"You think you have won?" My mother demanded. "If you lock me away, they will come for me! An entire ARMY, MY ARMY, will free me!"

"Let. Them." I challenged. "I will destroy every single one you send my way."

As the gods moved in closed to take possession of her, I sensed something was gravely wrong. The air grew colder, a black mist swarmed around us. The mist was gone as quickly as it came, only two were missing. My mother… and much to our shock… Pandora.

Pandora was gone without a trace. Again.


Mera's point of view

The search was as frantic as it was hopeless. The shadow had taken Reina, and Pandora along with her. Zeus was frantic, though he hid it well enough. His daughter was gone, taken from him, again. I could only imagine what he was going through… The thought of someone stealing Nathan or Meristos away from us… Rage does not even begin to cover what I felt at the very thought. And here Zeus was, in the midst of that nightmare.

The creature tried to take me as well. I remembered the feeling of a shadowy arm wrapping around my waist, trying in vain to hall me away. A blast of my light was enough to send him packing. I knew his identity as soon as I felt his presence. Zenophian, still weakened by my spell on the day he was freed. It would wear off, eventually, and he would be able to gain strength once again. Hopefully my blast would set him back further.

Ariston and I put our efforts in, scouring the earth with as many able bodies as we could muster. In case this was another trap, we could not risk abandoning important posts. Ennina had left once it became clear how hopeless this search truly was. She was off in search of Chaos for further answers on Zenophian and the Forgotten Ones he will most likely try to raise.

I was shaken, to say the least. Zenophian was able to overcome my vines when Reina could not. What if he is not even one of their strongest? What if the Forgotten Ones were even more powerful than he?


Nell's point of view

As much as I wanted to help, Zeus ordered I return home to keep the children safe. My father was shocked to hear what had transpired, even more so since he was unaware of the plan. Edmund sat in his grandfather's lap while I recounted the events. I had to assure my father quite a few times that Mera was indeed safe and sound. I stared off into space when I was done, trying to let it all sink in.

"Dada?" Edmund asked, as he does too many times a day to count. I nodded.

"It is time." I told him, kissing my fathers cheek and standing up.

"Go, be happy." My father said. I nodded.

Zeus was sitting with Hera when I arrived, I could hear their voices. Mera was outside in the hall talking with Poseidon. I walked up to her and asked her to hold Edmund for a moment, she nodded. She was clearly grateful beyond words to see me there. I took a deep breath and walked towards the living room Zeus occupied. He sat there with his head in his heads, Hera's hand resting on his back.

"Zeus." I just barely whispered. He looked up and met my eyes.

"Nell." He breathed. We said little else for a moment before I began walking towards him.

I kneeled down before him, I was nearly eye level with him. I nervously reached out and took his hand within mine, and brought it to my lips to place a kiss upon it. He raised his hand and placed it upon my cheek. I broke down as I began crying. When I spoke, I could just barely get the words out; but these words were too important to let go unspoken.

"Forgive me." I begged of Zeus, crying all the while. "It was not until I was looking at him that I realized what I have in you. I love you." He nodded, tears in his own eyes.

"Of course I forgive you." He told me. "Do you know the guilt I have felt that our son was nearly taken in our own home?" He shook his head, laying his hand upon my cheek. "There are not words for the apology you are owed." I shook my head.

"No, I am the only who needs to apologize for how I have treated you." I said, and shook my head. "And… For you losing your daughter again. This was my plan and her disappearance is on me." He shook his head.

"Pandora is her own woman. She knew the risks and chose to attempt this in spite of them." He sighed as he closed his eyes. "You do not know her as I do. She is cunning, she is a survivalist."

"We will find her." I promised. "And in the meantime, there is someone who has been dying to see you. Mera?" I called.

"DADA!" Edmund screamed as he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him into his fathers arms.

Zeus scooted off of the couch and fell to his knees to catch him. They held onto each other for dear life.

"No leave," Edmund whimpered. "You no leave, dada."

"Never again, my son." He kissed his hair. "Never again."


Author's Note: YAY! I cannot beleive I wrote another chapter so quickly! I wrote this in the last two days or so :D Have an awesome day! I hope you all enjoy!