-1BALLET DREAMS

Thetis was bored. Sea Dragon had said that they were to wait a little longer for their chance, and until then, there was nothing to do. She got up, and decided to go to her special place, and dance a little.

Her secret place was really a small clearing next to Siren Sorrento's pillar. Often, the young man would play his flute to let her have some music to dance to. He had been the one to clear out the rocks and things so that she wouldn't inadvertently sprain her ankle or otherwise hurt herself.

Sorrento wasn't there, but she removed her Scale and went through the stretches anyway. Before coming to Atlantis, she had been in training to become a ballerina. She had learned a few routines, and she had become good at improvising during her time on the ocean floor. She let herself be lost in her dancing, and didn't notice she had company.

Isaac watched the girl move. He'd come to find Sorrento, but he'd found her instead. The Kraken had always thought that Thetis was a cute girl, but he couldn't deny that she was beautiful when she danced. She pirouetted and then stumbled when she caught sight of a figure in gold and orange.

Isaac caught her without thinking. She looked up at him with an expression of surprise and embarrassment. "Are you alright Thetis?"

That slightly accented voice made Thetis shiver. It always did. He spoke Greek - the language of Atlantis - with a slight accent that might be Russian or something close. "I'm fine and thank you for catching me." she answered.

Isaac let go after she was standing. "Have you seen Siren?"

"Oh," she said, "Sorrento? No, I was wondering where he was myself. He usually plays for me."

"Are you a ballerina?" he asked out of the blue.

"Um, I guess you could say I was going to be one." she answered.

He smiled. "Before all this right?"

"Yeah." she said with a nod. "I was training to become a ballerina. I never dreamed to be a prima ballerina really, but I always wanted to dance."

"I'm sure you would make prima easily. You have an innate grace."

The compliment made Thetis blush. "Thank you." she murmured.

He smiled. "I'll see you later then Thetis."

"Later Isaac." She watched him leave and sighed. She turned back toward Sorrento's pillar only to find herself facing Sea Dragon. "Lord Sea Dragon?"

She could only see the lower half of his face, but the grin was unmistakable. "Thetis." His voice was rich and low, but had no hint of an accent. Thetis had long thought that he was probably a native Greek.

"Is there something you needed me for?" she asked hesitantly.

His grin faded. "Not in particular, but I want to warn you. Don't get to terribly attached. He could die tomorrow." Then, Sea Dragon walked away.

Thetis just stared after him. "Too late Sea Dragon. It's much too late."

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She quickly skirted the fallen debris as she sprinted for the Arctic pillar. Thetis was badly wounded herself, but she needed to get there. She had to see for herself. She had to find him.

When she reached it, her eyes filled with tears. He was lying in front of what had been the pillar, bloody and battered. She knelt by his side and hoped to God that he was alive. She pressed her ear to his chest. Most of Isaac's Scale had been blasted away, and she could hear the faint heartbeat.

She looked up to see Sorrento wobbling toward them. They already knew that Athena's Saints had succeeded and Poseidon was sealed back into his jar. "Sorrento." she whispered. "He's alive."

The Siren's eyes showed a spark of hope. "Come on then. Let's get him to the surface. Julian has gone on ahead and the Saint's have left as well. But we've got to hurry. Without the Main Pillar, Atlantis is falling to pieces."

The two hauled Isaac's unconscious body between them as they hurried out. On the way, they passed a lone figure. Thetis recognized the Scale and was surprised to see Sea Dragon kneeling amongst the rubble. "Lord Sea Dragon!" she called without thinking.

He looked up at her with dead eyes. "Get out of here Mermaid."

She shook her head, but Sorrento tugged on her arm. "Thetis, he doesn't want to leave. We can only abide by his wishes." With one last look back, the two left.

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Isaac awoke to hear a rhythmic ping and the stench of cleaning fluids. He groaned and opened his eyes. He was lying on a soft bed and hooked up to monitors. He recognized the ping as his heartbeat. On the couch at the end of his bed was Siren Sorrento, laid out and napping. Julian Solo was sitting in the chair next to the couch, his head lolled back.

"Glad you're back." someone said.

He turned his head slowly to see Thetis sitting next to him. She was holding his hand in her own, and she had tears in her eyes. "Thetis." he said weakly.

She smiled. "Are you in pain?"

He was a little, but he shook his head anyway. "How . . . Long . . ."

"You've been in a coma for about two weeks." Sorrento answered from the couch.

"And you missed it." Julian added. He raised his head and smiled.

"Missed?" Isaac was getting thoroughly annoyed with himself. He couldn't seem to make his voice normal and he couldn't say but a few words at a time.

"Basically the Saints saved humanity's arse big time. Hades was set to kill us all with a global eclipse, but the Saints managed to stop him in the knick of time." Sorrento answered.

"With a little help from Poseidon." Thetis said with a look to Julian.

"Well, it wasn't much, but I figured that I could help out a little." Julian said sheepishly.

"Too bad . . . I missed it." Isaac said. He felt his eyelids grow heavy.

"Go back to sleep big boy. You've had enough excitement for today." Thetis whispered. Isaac really had no choice but to comply.

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Isaac steadily grew stronger. Thetis visited him every day, and she sat with him through physical therapy and the other ordeals he had to go through in order to get better. None of the other three survivors of Atlantis said anything, but the consensus was that Isaac would probably never be able to fight again. Even when he was fully discharged from the hospital, there was still a lingering weakness on his right side.

He came to live with Julian and Sorrento at the Solo mansion. He only saw Thetis every once in awhile since Julian was paying to put her through a ballet school in Austria. He missed her though, every day.

It came to a head one summer day. Thetis was home for break, but Isaac kept avoiding her. Sorrento had watched the two of them dance around each other for years now, and the young man had had enough.

He found the former Mariner of Kraken standing out on the patio watching the sunset.

"Are you going to ask her out or what?"

The question made Isaac jump. "What?"

"I've watched you two for the better part of five years now. I know love when I see it, and you two are drowning in it. Be a man, and ask her out." Sorrento said.

"Ask who out?" Thetis asked as she came out to join them.

Isaac blushed and Sorrento smiled. "Good! Ask her." he commanded.

Isaac was silent until Sorrento kicked him in the shin. "Ouch! Alright. Um, Thetis . . . Wanna go on a date?"

Thetis nearly fainted from delight.

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Thetis scrubbed the makeup off gently. It had been a great performance. She sighed. "Bye Lynnette!"

The young brunette waved back. "Night Thetis!"

Thetis walked out the door to see three men loitering around. One was her beloved husband, his blond best friend, and someone she'd never suspect would like ballet.

"Darling, you were beautiful." Isaac said, handing her a dozen roses.

"Thank you dear." She looked up at the other two. "Evening Hyoga. Seiya."

The two Saints nodded to her. "You were excellent." Hyoga said handing her a carnation.

"I have no idea what was going on, but you looked pretty dancing." Seiya said with a grin. He gave her a carnation as well.

Thetis reflected on the two Saints. Hyoga of course was an old friend of Isaac's but Seiya was new. She guessed they bonded over their shared circumstances. Neither the Kraken nor the Pegasus could fight anymore. Hades' sword had cut a nerve in Seiya's shoulder causing him to lose most of the feeling in his left arm. "Thank you, both of you. So Seiya how is your Miho?"

He smiled indulgently. "She's doing fine. She's glowing in fact."

Isaac put an arm around her waist. "Come on; let's get out of the cold." Thetis wrapped her arm around his and smiled.

"Coming for you that must mean something." she teased.

"Ha ha." Isaac said. Seiya and Hyoga shared a look.

"Well," Hyoga said, "We've got to be going. I've got to get back to Siberia and Rafe."

"And I've got to get back to Miho." Seiya chorused. They left.

"Who's Rafe?" Thetis asked Isaac once the two were out of ear shot.

"Rafe is Hyoga's trainee. He's in the running for the Aquarius Cloth I believe." Isaac answered quietly.

She sighed. "They're still training Saints?"

"Yeah. Never know when another god might try their hand at the world." Isaac answered flippantly.

"Makes you glad for what you have right?" she said quietly.

He nodded. "Well, come along my ballerina. We should be getting back home."

Thetis nodded. They turned down the street and headed for home. She was smiling the entire way. Back when she was a little girl, she had the dream of being a ballerina and of having a happy home with a knight in shining armor. It was good to know that dreams could still come true.

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Hee. This one's for LSN since he wanted to see an IsaacXThetis. This was also one of those out of nowhere ones, and I think it's cute.

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