Back to just my lovely writing, whee! I think for the most part this stuff will be more in chronological order now. Possibly. I think my next chapter will be how Itisha met Styxx. Which that did have a roleplay tied to it a bit. Though that one will be more written since that is a different story line entirely. AUs whee.

Needless to say, Itisha survived the stabbity. Course there is still a lot the world needs fixed. Of course life is like coding: Fix one problem and 100 pop up in its place.

Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Itisha woke with a start and groaned loudly as she shifted. Breathing hurt like hells. Last thing she remembered was- she shot up and then made a sound of pain before looking around with bleary eyes. Hands feeling around her chest and around her person. Blankets. Pillows. Momentary scars from all too fresh wounds.

Still, her biggest panic was for her son, "Aztrin?" She asked, vision still blurry as she tried to force her eyes to focus. Gods being stabbed twice by that stupid knife hurt. Fucking idiot sun god. She felt a pair of smaller hands grip her own and she relaxed slightly.

"I'm here, Matera." Aztrin told her and then climbed up onto the bed, his arms wrapping tightly around her. She could feel his face bury against her neck and she wrapped her arms around him too, "I was so scared you died." He sobbed.

Itisha didn't need to see to comfort her son. Eyes closed as she pressed her cheek against him. Could feel all of his fear and worry. Poor thing, "I am here too, and very alive." She murmured and then smiled as she realized something. Well, she was glad plan B seemed to work, "And you are my sunshine. You rescued me this time it seems. You are growing to be so brave. I am proud of you, Aztrin. My chaser of stars is now a star himself. I cannot wait to see you shine bright."

"Wow, I think I lost first place for most poetic." Styxx's voice sounded off near her. While he had said he would not visit… he still needed to give back Itisha's godhood. Plus he had to be able to tell that she was alright. He moved to sit beside her on the bed, a glance to the other kids peering through the door, "You missed quite a bit after you got knocked out. Zeus is dead. Once him and Hera kicked it, the rest finally cut out their shit. I got Kat to give you back the sun part."

Styxx hesitated and then blinked then Aztrin tugged on his sleeve to pull the male towards them. He shifted and pulled her into a tight hug along with Aztrin. "Try not doing that again." He whispered, "You are one of two- ah three- whole people that put up with me." He drew back and looked at her. Hand moving to push her hair from her face and studying those pale blue eyes he almost would never see again. Gods the idea of her dying tore something in him he thought had died when his wife and child had.

Itisha looked back up at him. A few more blinks and her vision was a little clearer than before. Enough to see the nearly glowing hair of her son and the intense blue eyes of Styxx. For a moment she was speechless at the emotions she felt coming from him. "I promise, Styxx, my word as a goddess I will do my best to survive my battles. If for no other reason than to pester you and catch you up on all the movies." She teased softly. She leaned in towards him and parted her lips to ask something.

But Styxx beat her to it. His hand cupped her cheek and he whispered a rough yes without her ever uttering a word and he pressed his lips against hers. Eyes closing as he held the kiss for a long moment. Nothing furthering it, just the two of them enjoying the soft and gentle act before he finally drew away. Itisha's mind was the only god's that he could read, and only because she found a way to allow it. For her, it was a matter of fairness. She could read his emotions like a book, he ought to have been able to hear her mind.

Reluctantly he drew away, blinking as he realized Aztrin had fallen asleep against Itisha. Part of him ached so badly at the sight. Before Styxx could quite stop himself, he brushed his fingers over his nephew's hair. This was the closest he had ever gotten to his nephew ever. The child was so delighted to meet him it was impossible to turn him down when he pleaded for him to stay, "Aztrin dragged me all over the house while you were out. Told me all about his sword being a dragon's claw and how you made sure everyone gets theirs at a certain age and mentioned the one you had." A mild accusation to his tone at that.

It earned him a fierce blush of red across Itisha's cheeks at that, "I wanted you to be safe. The dragon's claw would ensure that. It isn't really mine. I had never had my parents long enough to earn my own." She rested her head against his shoulder. Gods she felt exhausted and she just woke up, "It was my father's. When he was dying, he gave it to me. His last act was to make everyone forget what I was and who my parents were. To keep me safe. The claw was the closest thing I ever got to a proper one at puberty, but honestly if anyone was to have it, I wanted it to be you."

Itisha took a deep breath and then added, "But please keep it. I cannot do much to keep you safe, and I know you won't stay out here with me… but it is my way of helping. I don't want to ever know what it will take to tear you out of this world, but I sure as hell won't let anyone else find out."

"You make it very hard to turn you down. Those big blue eyes and I swear you are pouting." And just… he felt loved by her. An emotion he so rarely had directed at him and her empathy made it unquestionable. He understood the emotion because he felt it from her, "I will take care of your gift, Itisha. I will use it to survive like it was intended to be used." He brushed at her wrist, the cuff with a bright gleaming pearl nestled into it. Cut in half for the center and then into quarters for the other parts to look like three phases of the moon. Most would not think to do that. It wasn't broken after all, just simply cut and set. The very rare stone meant to help a dragon heal and mend. A rare treasure that she used on him often enough. He wondered if that helped her survive things aside from the antidote. No doubt it would help her scars heal up nicely.

Itisha smiled, about to lean up and steal another little kiss before something moved out of the corner of her eyes. She could feel the thick energy of anger and jealousy before even looking to see the gothic dream standing in her room. A soft sigh and she looked to Styxx, "Need me to send you home?"

Styxx nodded, unable to keep himself from glaring at Ash. He could have one thing, couldn't he? Just one moment of peace. One person that could give him that little bit of affection he barely felt he deserved. The only solace was that he knew Itisha didn't hate him and was too stubborn to allow anyone else to do so. She knew things about him nearly no one else did, and she had been responsible for chasing away two of his tormentors now.

He wasn't sure if it was the masochism or not that dove him, but he made sure to cup Itisha face and give a sound kiss. Drawing back enough to give her a smile he meant. Pained because he didn't want to leave her. Despite the world being so insane and different, she just made it seem absolutely normal. He knew he didn't have to say a word, just her emotions reflecting his said enough before she vanished him and gently placed him in his own home.

"I see you missed me a whole lot." Ash finally stated, his tone hot and the air felt like it was about to crackle from repressed energy.

Itisha just leaned back against her pillows, arms shifting her son so he could sleep better, "I did, and I still do Ash. Don't pull the jealousy card on me right now. I am too tired for it and do not carry the patience for it."

Eyes flickered into their yellows and reds, "How could I possibly be jealous? He was only the spoiled prince after all." The god spat back, tone scathing, "He got everything he wanted and he is a practiced liar."

A tired brow rose, but eyes narrowed, "It is not my story to share. Just as much as your past it not my story to share with others. You two are the brothers, I was born after your mother threw her justified shit fit on the planet. Also your sister is an idiot sometimes and needed slapped at least once by a non-related being that wasn't trying to fuck her."

That caused Ash to bring up his hand and blast the spot right beside her. Pillow scorched with a hole in it now and feathers floating. Yet Aztrin still slept. Possibly because of Itisha willing him to remain asleep.

"It is my sister's son you are holding!" He shouted at her, "And you know nothing! You don't know anything about what happened back then! As you are quick to say, you weren't alive then!"

"Actually I know plenty about what happened, Ash. At least to you." Itisha said tiredly, "Styxx wasn't the only one who had to live through your memories. I didn't gain some profound understanding just because I came across a journal. Nor because you told me. I had once asked your mother why she sought to destroy the world I loved so much. She told me that it did not deserve love. She had shone me why."

That seemed to made him freeze a little as she spoke, "I saw the world from your eyes, Acheron Parthenopaeus. I felt every hurt. I felt every violation." Words soft and even, "I felt things moreso because I am an empath. I understood the violation of lust because others could not view you with love." Not with the curse on him. On both brothers, "When I got the journals, I didn't sell my body like I claimed. I didn't have to."

"I took the pain though, because it chased that away. It tore away the skin that felt like it crawled from their touch as if their hands had been on me." She shuddered at the memories. Her breath sucked in as a hiss, "I killed your uncle because he was to die anyway. I made sure he would hurt no one else." And she would never reveal that Styxx had been the one to initially do it. When she had gone to do the deed… she had met the twin then.

There was no need to see Styxx's memories to know what had been done to him. She could see it plain as day in his eyes and on his body. Styxx knew as little about love being shone to him as Ash. She helped Styxx not feel less guilty. He still kicked himself over killing family, but she let him know that anyone who treated anyone the way Estes has was not family at all. That was a monster, plain and simple.

"Those aren't your memories to have." Ash said quietly. Unable to look at her then. She knew. Not only that but she knew. It made him feel sick to his stomach. He leaned against the wall and stared at Aztrin sleeping so soundly. He remembered how he used to help soothe the child to sleep. He also remembered how he failed to save him when the child called to him for help. "When did you save him?" His voice thick then. Anger dampened, but replaced by a surge of depression and self-loathing. He could tell the child was much older than before.

Itisha looked down into her arms, "Shortly after I met you." She admitted softly, "I heard his cries in your memories. Then I heard his mother's dying wish echoing across the stars. I can hear you wishing that you were strong enough to save them." She could always hear wishes, just never told him she heard his. A pull to cradle the child against her, "There are so many children I could not save, but I could save him. I could give him a chance." Her head rested against his hair. Affectionate and protective.

It nearly gutted Ash to see such a thing. She loved his nephew. No disguises, no attempts to distract anyone from that very clear emotion. He remembered how happy his sister had been to have her son. Though he resented the name, he recalled her love. How often had she suckled her child and cradled the smaller Apollodorus in her arms? It sucked the air right out of him.

"Was he really afraid for you to tell me you had him?" Ash asked.

"Yes. He worried you would hate yourself and refuse to see him because of it. He also worried you would resent him because of his father. I told him there would be no way that would happen, but lately you seem to hold a hell of a grudge against people. Sometimes they feel like they have no choice but to act the way you assume they will anyway because to act otherwise means you think they are lying. Case and point, your brother." A nuzzle against Aztrin's hair, "Aztrin holds no blame nor hate for you or Styxx and he certainly does not want you to hold it for him. He wanted to get older and stronger before he met you both."

Older and stronger? Ash frowned at that, "I would never hate him, Itisha. I had a life-time growing up being hated just because of my eyes and the assumption I was a bastard child. I wouldn't do that to someone else." Still… that one part bugged at him, "Why did he want to be older and stronger?"

Ah yes, that. Itisha looked at the boy in his arms. Fingers playing with his hair, "He didn't want you to see the baby you could not save. He wanted to look brave and strong to you. Also wanted to show you he could grow to be compassionate and a good demi-god. Now… he is going to try to prove he is going to be a good sun god."

"Well, I think he has a good example to learn from." Ash told her softly, "I don't know any sun gods doing better than you and… looks like you are doing a good job with him so far. Though I can see you taught him how to give heart attacks."

Itisha started laughing softly, "Oh no, that is a genetic trait right there, my lo-" She stopped and scowled at herself. Looking away and to the necklace she had been wearing. A move to pull it up for him to see. A large chunk taken from the blade Apollo had used to try and sink into her chest. The piece of pluto had cracked further into the cobalt and both opals. "Well if my life wasn't being a symbolic bitch before, it is certainly now. I wanted the bolts on it so I could carry you with me. Looks like you protected my heart." Pain in her voice as she looked at the precious gift. Despite the heartbreak, she had always worn it.

"You should go." She said finally, eyes closing as tears slipped out, "Tory is going to be worried about you. Don't worry the pregnant woman."

"Itisha-"

"Ash please. Right now just… please go."

A frown and he looked around the room. In the corner he finally noticed something that had been missed. A hell of a glamour really, "Is that them?"

"Ash."

"I know. I will leave but… you told me they were my children." He walked over to the egg… rather it looked like a massive crystal that went up to his hip. It looked like a geode. Crusted stone in patches with veins of light in the cracks and black depths that looked like the night sky. He gently moved to touch it and then jumped back when it felt like a crack of lightening smacked his hand away. Did… did the egg just… he looked at Itisha confused. "I don't think they like me."

"They are picky." Itisha whispered, watching from the bed. Finally she moved, dropping the necklace back down to swing over her heart and she tucked Aztrin into the bed. A very careful few steps, fingers brushing over her coat that had holes in it before she pulled it off and tossed it onto the floor along with her shirt. A move to dig into her dresser to pull out a new shirt. A frown as she studied it and threw it towards Ash, "I still have your freakin' clothes in here." A mutter as she dug down deeper and finally pulled out one of her own, pulling it on. Red with black roses all over it. Much better.

The egg crackled as she grumped. Ash blinked as the shirt had flipped past his head and the moment it touched the egg it simply caught on fire. Now that had him staring, "Itisha, is it reacting to your mood?"

"They were made by a couple of empaths, I would certainly imagine they take offense to their mother being upset." Her tone was even. Annoyance showing in her eyes and even her skin seemed to crackle much like the egg had. A flick of magic and the ashes of the shirt reappeared in her hand as she held it out to the god.

Ash frowned and took the shirt from her, looking it over. He wanted to react to her in anger too, but it was hard plus… he was pretty certain this was how a celestial dragon went through pregnant mood swings without actually being pregnant. Stars knew how bad of an idea pissing of his wife was right then, "Wasn't this your favorite shirt?"

"I had a lot of favorite things." Itisha snapped as she walked over to the egg. Fingers trailing over the cracks as she gave a soft whisper to it. Soothing it with a roll of her tongue making a trilling sound and a few clicks. Definitely more dragon in sound than anything a human would make. Her head rested against it as she breathed out fire, letting it trail along the starlight crevices and it glowed. "You were worried about your mother weren't you my little stars? It is okay Savir and Palli. Matera is here." She assured gently.

Ash watched her, not moving too much. She hadn't thrown him out yet. Or set him on fire… or punched him. Those names though, "Did you name them after-"

"Savitar and Apollymi, yes." Itisha said lightly, "I know some people don't bother until the children are born. At least they used to wait, but they already told me they liked their names. Savir Sol and Palli Lune." A long silence and she sighed, "Would you like to touch the egg? I think I can keep them from frying you."

"You sure?" He inched forward, kneeling down to study the egg.

A raised brow at his doubt, "I said the words I think. Means not definite. They are children, not a computer. Even then, if every computer programed like it was supposed to, we wouldn't have Bethesda glitches."

A choked laugh escaped Ash and he couldn't help it. Just started laughing. Such an utterly ridiculous thing to say. Stars, she really was something. Still, she was right. A look at the egg, hesitating still. A thought sobered him almost immediately, "I'm sorry, Itisha. You warned me and I didn't listen."

"Yeah well… I warned you and still stayed. I was being selfish. I wanted that time with you. Wanted just that little bit I could have for myself before I lost it. It sucks being alone." She didn't look at him, "Eleven thousand years of saving people. Eleven thousand years of trying to hide what I am… who I am. A handful know me as Itisha. My name is a trigger for memory. I am the rare mix of a celestial and one of the first dragons. I can't be what I am and do what I do at the same time. I thought I would finally find someone who understood, but I knew it had to be a cruel joke of hope when I met you. You, the one I had to make sure Tory met."

Itisha scowled as she perfectly mimicked Apollymi's voice, "Make sure she grows to meet my son." A sigh then, "My job was to make sure you two met. I got to be the matchmaker, but I sure as hell never planned to fall in love with you. I just…" She looked at him then. Hurt, lost, and unsure, "I saw someone else hurting. I saw someone who knew the toll that years takes on the soul. I intended friendship and… "

Friendship. That was honestly how that began. Itisha even made moves to protect him from leering adults when they went out. His walking shield. He wondered how much she protected both him and Tory every day when she could. Hell, she had even made friends with Artemis of all people. Instead he looked at the egg and reached out to touch it. Hopefully it didn't take offense this time, "Now many of us old as dirt people out there."

"Not really, no." Itisha said quietly. She watched his hand lay on the egg. "It hurts though… to know you do still love me. But I told you then, I refuse to get in between you and Tory. I've been trying to get over you for a while. Most days I think I have it, and then something happens and I want to share it with you and… I can't."

"You can still share things with me, Itisha. I'm married, not dead." Ash immediately regretted his wording when a glare was leveled at him. Shit. This time he did get a jolt of energy through his arm. Like a god bolt and he was knocked back with a grunt. His entire sleeve smoking and he sat up with a groan. Okay, no touching the egg when Itisha was angry, "Are all celestials this moody?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen them for a while." Itisha snarled, "For fucks sake, Ash, get out of my fucking house. You have the tact of a fucking- just- GAH!" She stood up and grabbed his arm, hauling him up onto his feet. She pulled her necklace off and shoved it against his chest, "You wonder why people get pissed at you, oh great leader of the Dark Hunters? You get angry first. You wield your temper like a clumsy swordsman and such behavior hurts you and other people. You are jealous and selfish and if you dislike someone, you aren't above using them to further your own means. You have a lot of good qualities to you, Acheron, but you are also a fucking asshole sometimes." She glared up at him, "Sometimes you seem to act as though the only truths are the ones you speak. Your magic has all gone to your head and that is how people get hurt."

There was a stare at her and then he glared back, eyes flashing red and his marbled blue, "More people would get hurt if they didn't listen to me!" He snarled at her, "Don't act like your plans are any better!"

Itisha squared her shoulders, tone even and quiet as she glared back at him. Pale blues flashing pale as she spoke, "We replaced the sun god, the Apollite curse is broken, and Zeus and Hera are replaced. Yes there was chaos and injuries, but I think I did a pretty damn good job with accidentally turning you all into fucking rabbits and still getting the job done."

"What then? You want to run the Dark Hunters? Thousands of phone calls an hour? No sleep? Having to run interference with Artemis all day? Have to get the souls back?"

"No one has to run the group alone! That's just it! Everyone is placing the duty on the shoulders of one person! This is why no one can figure out their ever living shit. The world starts fucking ending every Tuesday and no one can figure out what to do. There is a lot of planet and a lot of catastrophes waiting to happen. Then they all think only one person can figure this shit out. Stop training foot soldiers and train fucking generals to help man shit. And for gods sakes not the Squires. They help, but obviously no one sees them as a great source of help for Days of Our Lives the Ragnarok Special."

"Can you ever say anything not entirely ridiculous?!" Acheron snarled at her, "Every other sentence out of you is some sort of…."

"It is stupid, yes, but at least it is something I can do!"

"Why are you always trying so hard to do something, Itisha? You do enough!"

"Because I am protecting a planet I don't even want to be on! It never feels like it is enough! Why can't it just fucking stay saved so I can go home!"

Ash froze at that, staring at her as those words hit. Hell, the happiest he had ever seen her was when she had been flying around in space. Talking to only an after-image of someone long dead. He fought with himself to get his colors back to normal, "Like you said, the world is ending every Tuesday. It isn't your job to stay here…" he looks around the room and frowned, "This can be home too."

Itisha blinked away tears that blurred her vision, "Is anyone else being Mom to these kids? I am a star. I grant wishes. It is my job, and I am not giving up on them." A look to the egg. Eyes closing tightly then, "And if my children need a place to shine until they can control the fact they are a star, then I will find a way for them to be cared for at a distance. Even if I cannot be there."

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Acheron, do you know why stars don't live on Earth?"

"Because you're a pain in the ass?"

"No. We are stars. We shine. We have tempers." She motioned to the egg, "Our emotions are destructive. Happy or Sad. I went great lengths to be able to stay here. I suffocated myself since I was a child to stay safe. I didn't know how to get back home and I accidentally landed in your mother's realm. Except my light could hurt the people there too."

"But I met children. Lost and scared children like me. Except they didn't get lifetimes to live and learn. They had twenty-seven years. Twenty-seven because an asshole decided cursing an entire race was an appropriate course of action." With accidental time travel, Urian and her had seemed almost the same age. "And I saw people hurt. Various people be it shifter, human, apollite. It didn't matter, they were scared children. No one else was saving them, so I did. How many of your Dark Hunters had a shit childhood, Ash?"

The god considered her and then the egg. A frown showing for a long time, "They need one of us with them."

"Well you definitely cannot leave for seventy-five years minimum. They are less star, but they are all god. Definitely a chunk of dragon. I don't know what they will grow to be other than volatile if angry." Itisha told him. Shoulders sagged and she looked at him helplessly, "Look, we can discuss this when we are feeling less exhausted from fighting. Maybe Tory has an idea. Later though. Right now I am exhausted mentally. I am sure everyone else is too. I will do my rounds on checking on everyone after given I was the one who started the plan."

Ash hesitated and then looked at the broken necklace. Considering it for a moment before focusing on it. It mended and he moved forward, draping it around her neck and making sure it stayed where it was meant to. A study of it then the necklace, "Call me if you need anything and… please don't hesitate to visit… or bring Aztrin along."

Itisha nodded and then gently grabbed his hand. Eyes resting on it then speaking softly, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I miss you and all of your crabbiness."

He curled his fingers around hers and nodded, "I miss you too, Itisha. Sorry for yelling too… and for being jealous."

Itisha smiled faintly, "See you next time the world is ending?"

Acheron smiled back at her, "Yeah, see you Tuesday. We can have all the kids play together then."