Pyrus: Happy Tuesday! I've been a little sick -_- Hope this makes your day a little brighter.
Disclaimer: I still own nothing.
Chapter 3: Asking Zeus
Something had changed. At first Levy had thought nothing of it when she couldn't find the trail of white flowers,, nor her pale purple flowers, but after the third day she began feel upset. Hadn't it been a game spurred on by her mother? Why had it suddenly stopped?
Levy wandered around the meadow her bare feet parting the grass, while her mind wandered away. She felt like a piece of her was missing. The fun of finding those tiny seemingly insignificant blooms had become the one highlights of her day, and now that it had stopped everything about the world seem a little paler. It almost felt like she had lost a friend.
She sulked in the shade of an oak tree at the edge of the meadow, a book lying unread in her lap. She absentmindedly twirled a strand of sky blue hair as she watched her handmaidens rush around trying to find her. Levy opened her book and half heartedly began reading though she didn't absorb the words she read.
As the sun above her intensified light purple flower petals began fluttering down covering the words Levy was trying to read. Levy started and gulped before reaching up to ever so gently remove the woven crown from her head. Sure enough several flowers were missing petals, though as a whole the wreath of flowers was mostly intact.
"No…" Levy whispered.
In a split moment's decision she pulled one of the perfect blooms and placed it within the confines of the heavy tomb on her lap. She then bookmarked the page before closing the book preserving the pale purple bloom with its pitch black tipped petals. She then stood and with a heavy heart placed her crown back on her head before heading back to the center of the meadow.
As the days turned into weeks Levy watched as piece by piece her flowers died. Though she had begun crafting new flower wreaths, from the regular wildflowers that grew within her meadows, Levy refused to wear them. Instead she hung them on the branches of her willow tree or gave them to her handmaidens. As she collected her flowers she always held that little bit of hope that she would find that one tall white flower that would lead the way to her precious, shaded pale purple blooms, but she hadn't found one yet.
Every night, just before Levy fell asleep. She would roll over and caress the large tomb that lay beside her. She would never open it for fear that she would find her flower dead, but just having it there comforted her. When she dreamed, she would dream of who had created those flowers, and so the pattern continued.
-A Week Ago-
Gajeel's eyebrow twitched. He had been sitting in this overly bright and welcoming place for a full eighty-six hours and it was starting to get to him. Yes, he had taken a trip to speak with his brother over three days ago and the spoiled king still hadn't had the balls to come and greet him. Gajeel's temper flared again as another timid nymph came up to him.
"H-H-Hades, sir, can I refill your mug?" the timid water nymph asked holding up her pitcher of Ambrosia. Gajeel opened his mouth to hiss out yet another nasty comment when a booming voice cut him.
"Off with you." Zeus stated strutting down the hall and waving the nymph away, "Come brother."
Gajeel rose, a snarl flashing across his features as he stormed off after his brother. They couldn't be more different as brothers. Where Gajeel's hair was long, dark and spiky Zeus' hair was short, blond, and spiked due the electricity that ran through his body. Where Gajeel wore his dark open black shirt and tight fitting pants, Zeus wore a more traditional white toga with gold lining the edges. Gajeel's eyes were piercing red, while his brother's were sky blue.
"Now how can I help you?" Zeus asked as the pair entered the main throne room and Zeus draped himself across his throne.
"I want to marry Persephone." Gajeel stated, deciding that now was not the time for beating around the bush.
Zeus' relaxed state disappeared. The King of the gods sat up and turned to face his brother, blue eyes studying him. Gajeel stared back at his brother shoulders squared readying himself for the fight.
"Okay." Zeus stated causing Gajeel's mouth to drop open slightly.
"That simple? I don't believe you Laxus." Gajeel stated tossing his head back in defiance.
Zeus cracked a smile and let out a deep chuckle, "Of course that's not it, do you think I would hand over my favorite blossom to you without a challenge?" Gajeel frowned at his brother.
"Though," Zeus continued as he stood and approached his brother, "I do support your choice in brides. Now shall we begin?"
Before Gajeel could even open his mouth the room around them shifted and a large boulder crashed into the center of the room. Zeus walked up and patted the rock, Gajeel raised an eyebrow at him.
"The first trial shall be the trial of strength. This boulder weighs the same as the Earth hold it for forty-eight hours upon your back."
"You've got to be kidding me. Do I look like Atlas!" Gajeel yelled as Zeus walked away ignoring the yelling God of the Underworld, "Tch".
Without any further dramatics Gajeel knelt and shifted the boulder onto his back. The strain he felt was immense even for a god. The hours slipped by painfully slow, but no matter the strain that his body went through all Gajeel had to do was close his eyes and think back to those treasured days in Persephone's meadow. Her smile would give him new resolve, her laughter would lighten his burden, and her dancing would lessen his temper.
"You know you've been away from your kingdom for close to a week now," Zeus commented causing Gajeel to open his eyes and look over at his brother, "I think that's the longest you've been away from your beloved Underworld."
"Are we gonna stand there and talk, or have I passed?" Gajeel growled, not wanting to discuss how deep he had fallen for the Spring Goddess.
"Very well," Zeus snapped his fingers and the boulder vanished.
Gajeel stretched and cracked his back with a grunt. A nymph strutted in offering a glass of Ambrosia to him, which he took and downed without comment. Once he had regained feeling in his strained muscles Gajeel turned to back to face his brother.
"Bring on the next one, Gihi."
"A trail of speed then," Zeus called clapping his hands and turning the room into a forest.
Zeus went and stood beside his brother as Artemis appeared before them, a small Cerynitis at her side, it's golden horns glowing slightly. Gajeel quirked an eyebrow at the navy ponytails of the petite goddess before him, dressed as she was in her light blue toga like dress, her silver gladiator shoes, and a silver bow strapped across her back.
"This time you shall catch the Cerynitis and cause it no harm." Zeus explained
"Gihi, easy." Gajeel commented.
Zeus nodded and Artemis released the Cerynitis, who raced off into the forest around them Gajeel quick on its heels. He chased after the Cerynitis, but as he closed in he heard a haunting giggle of laughter. He glanced around for the source and saw a silvery form running in the trees beside him.
He ignored the image, figuring it to be just another part of his test sent by his brother to distract him. A foot and the Cerynitis was within his grasp and then suddenly the ghost cleared up and was an exact copy of Persephone. Gajeel nearly fell flat on his face from the shock allowing the Cerynitis to sprint farther out of his reach.
Gajeel composed himself and looked at the ghost's smiling features once, before returning to the hunt. He couldn't be fooled by such a poor attempt to distract him, for though it looked like his beloved, Gajeel was determined to win the real thing and not settle for this copy. Soon enough he cornered the poor Cerynitis between a group of rocks allowing him to gather the fawn up as gently as he could.
The Cerynitis bowed its golden head before vanishing with the forest in a golden light. Gajeel turned to find Zeus standing behind him with a smile on his face, beside him the ghost of Persephone hung around shyly smiling at Gajeel.
"Well done brother." Zeus congratulated.
"Was she really necessary?" Gajeel pointed a finger at Persephone.
"You don't like my hologram? I thought she would remind you of what you're fighting for."
"Tch. Just get on with it light-for-brain."
"Of course." Zeus snapped his fingers and lightning filled the room creating seven rings, "The last test is one of truth. You must pass through each ring within a minute. Good luck brother."
Gajeel rolled his eyes and watched as Zeus and the hologram of Persephone wandered up on the balcony to watch. Gajeel looked around at the seven rings plotting out how he would get to each of the within the allotted time. Two hovered right above the floor being simple enough, four more hung under the balcony, while the last hung from the chandelier.
"Simple enough" Gajeel whispered under his breath as he put on his shadow cape.
"Ready?" Zeus called down.
"Gihi."
Gajeel took off quickly, leaping through the first ring, which burst and blinked out of existence as he moved through the air like a shadow climbing up the walls to get high enough to jump through two more balcony hoops. He repeated the same act with the mirrored balcony hoops leaving only the highest hoop and the bottom most hoop to retrieve.
As Gajeel moved to get the highest hoop however there were only thirty seconds left on his clock. He leapt from the balcony and up toward the top most hoop aiming to land in the last hoop, but a scream broke through his thoughts. He turned to see Persephone's ghost falling through the air.
Without a moment's hesitation he used his shadow cape to turn into a shadow and gather himself around Persephone protecting her. He landed and mentally kicked himself as the girl in his arms vanished. He stood and was about to tell off his brother, when clapping met his ears.
"You win Gajeel. You passed the test."
"The Hell! How!" Gajeel yelled.
"You passed the test of love you, knucklehead." Zeus explained as he locked his brother in a headlock, "I had to make sure you would protect our little blossom." Gajeel frown at his brother. "Now go get her," Zeus laughed clapping his brother on the back.
Gajeel not needing to be told twice vanished from the room. Zeus' grin however faded as he fell back into his throne, "Now I have to distract Demeter." Zeus sighed. This wasn't going to be good.
Pyrus: Review if you have something to say. Til next Monday.