Dear Kitsune,
So firstly, I'm sorry if I appeared to be enforcing you to take up on a social media platform. That wasn't my intention, I was just trying to make our conversation a lot easier since the only time I can respond to you is when I'm posting a new chapter and it takes a while to do that and everyone else cab read it. I just thought that it might be easier, but it's completely your choice.
Also, I love your comments. Please nvr stop because sometimes, they make my day. You could never disappoint or hurt me, it's okay if you're not ready or are never ready. If you're okay with waiting for a reply, I'm not going to force you to do something you're not comfortable with. :)
"What will we do with the Flame shard?" Stella asked Jupiter. He had been exceptionally quiet ever since their defeat, but there was nothing they could do now. Minerva and Venus have left first, wanting to tend to Seren and Jasmine. "Without Emily, can we even touch it?"
"We must." Agent B grouched, rolling up his sleeves.
The Four Warriors lied on the floor where they freed them, moaning softly. Stella felt nauseous each time she saw their burns, so she turned away from them.
Neptune cupped a hand close to the shard. "Jupe. We cannot waste time here. For now, we'll contain it. When we get Emily back, perhaps she will know what to do, or else we will have to extinguish it."
"That's all we can do right now." Vulcan said. Stella could see several injuries on Vulcan, but nothing too serious. Good because Vulcan refused to go with Minerva and Venus. It was a relief that the commanders' focus weren't on him. Deep in her heart, she knew what Joel had said was true; they did hold back, but she didn't know why.
"All we can do right now is to return to Delphi. Take the Four Warriors and the shard. Without it, Saturn will have no hope of using it." Pluto said in his silky voice. Stella nodded.
They encountered hundreds of Shadow Titans, but they made it through. Góissa's promise protected them, for they all managed to leave Tartarus unharmed. None of the Shadow Titans even reacted, although they jolted when Jupiter, who held onto the Flame shard, ran by.
Only when they made it out did the Big Three combine their powers and transport everyone from Tartarus back to Delphi.
The place they returned to looked nothing like the Delphi they had left. The ground was littered with Shadow Titan armour and dead monsters. There was still fighting, but it was in the distance. Stella looked over to the mountain across from the temple. Human bodies littered the ground, but there were alive humans as well. People coming out of hiding places. They were cheering, some cried. None looked too sad, and Stella could not figure out why, nor did she bother to.
"Our success here will mean nothing if the Titans launch their weapon," Jupiter said. "We have no time to waste. We must leave now for Titus."
Everyone volunteered to go on the mission to Titus. But the Big Three were very selective about who should go with them. Agent B and Stella would bring the golden box, accompanied by Vulcan.
Once again the Big Three united their powers. Standing closely together, they lifted their heads and shouted, "Titus!"
"Titus looks beautiful," Stella admitted, looking around, "but everything also looks dead."
The moment they arrived on Titus, Stella noticed how much it looked like Olympus from the brief glimpse she had seen of it from the future. The air felt the same, and just as in Olympus, there were magnificent marble buildings and structures.
"It's just like Olympus after the CRU sent the weapon there."
The trees around them were dry and withered. The grass was brown, and no birds, animals, or insects could be heard.
"This is what Olympus looked like after our attack?" Agent B said in quiet shock.
Stella nodded. "It was the most gorgeous place, even wilder than your imaginations and yet it was filled with deaths."
"Olympus and Titus were magnificent twin worlds," Jupiter said sadly. "In creating that weapon, Saturn has destroyed this world just to defeat us."
There was something in his voice that caught Stella's attention. Jupiter didn't sound right. He didn't look right either. He was starting to hunch over. She looked around at the other Olympians—they too were looking ill.
"What's wrong?" Agent B removed his Blackbird helmet and checked on Jupiter.
"We are near the weapon." Jupiter gasped. "Minerva warned us, but I did not believe it would affect me as quickly as it has. We must find it before it kills us."
The Minotaur snorted and pounded the ground. The Turtle Warrior pulled himself inside his shell and squealed in pain while the Blackbird Warrior cawed and the Dragon Warrior roared.
Stella wheeled her chair over to Vulcan and touched his arm lightly. "Can you feel where the pain is coming from?"
"Everywhere," he groaned.
"Be more specific," Agent B ordered sharply. "We can't stop the weapon if we can't find it!"
Vulcan balled his hands into fists. He stood upright and removed his helmet. His face was pinched in terrible pain. He turned in a slow circle and pointed at a beautiful pillared building rising in the distance.
"It is from there, Saturn's palace."
"Of course it would be," Agent B moaned. "Look. That's where all the Shadow Titans are posted." He checked the sky around him. "At least I can't see any flying Shadows. They're probably on Earth for the final battle." The CRU agent drew his flame-sword. "I hope you Olympians can pull yourselves together, because Stella and I can't fight them all alone."
Pluto was doubled over in pain. "I have no powers with that weapon exposed," he said through gritted teeth. "But at least I can still wield a sword."
"So can I," agreed Jupiter, drawing his own weapon. "We must move now before that thing finishes us."
"Will the commanders come? Góissa's promise means nothing now that we are out of Tartarus." Stella hated to be the one to be logical.
The veins on Agent B's head throbbed. "Let us hope not." He replied tightly.
Stella pulled out her own flame-sword from its sheath mounted on her wheelchair. "Maxine, I need your help," she said to her chair. "Please take me to Saturn's palace. We must get to the weapon."
Beneath her, her chair reacted to the request. The wheels started to turn as the chair moved forward.
Long before they reached the palace, the Shadow Titans became aware of their presence on Titus. They charged along the cobbled roads and attacked the Olympians with all the ferocity they possessed.
Stella and Maxine were a power duo. Together with Agent B, they somehow managed to cut through the masses of Shadow Titans.
Big Three were weakening. Moment by moment they slowed down and struggled for breath.
Jupiter was struck in the back by an unseen Shadow Titan's sword. The armour he wore protected him, but he was still knocked to the ground. Agent B fought his way over to the fallen Olympian and used his flame-sword to destroy a warrior. He helped Jupiter climb painfully to his feet.
"We cannot win like this." Jupiter panted, holding on to the agent's arm for support. "The weapon's power is too great. It will kill us long before we reach the palace. You and Stella are our only hope. I beg you, get to the palace and secure the weapon in the golden box. With it covered, our strength may return. Go now, before it is too late."
Stella commanded Maxine to take her up in the air. "Agent B, Maxine can carry us!"
"You're sure this thing can lift us both?"
Maxine swooped down as Agent B leaped in the air and grabbed one of her wheels.
"Yes, she can!" Stella cheered as Maxine carried them above the fighting, toward the palace. "She can do anything!"
Agent B used his free hand to slay as many Shadow Titans as he could with his flame-sword.
Behind them, battle raged. The Olympians were trying to fight. Some could, but they were deteriorating rapidly.
"They're not going to hold on for long,"
Agent B warned. "Hurry up, Maxine; we must stop that weapon!"
As they approached the tall palace, Stella noticed movement on the roof. "Someone's up there."
"That's the highest point in the area. It's a perfect launch pad for the weapon."
Stella asked Maxine for more speed and to land on the roof. With his flame-sword held high, Agent B jumped away from Maxine just as the wheelchair touched down on the smooth marble surface.
They stopped several yards short of a figure that might once have been a man. It was too shriveled up to tell what it was now. In its arms it struggled to carry a large stone. The very same stone Stella had witnessed falling out of the golden box so very long ago.
"That's it, that's the weapon!" she cried.
"Is this what you are looking for, human?" the shrivelled creature asked. "You are too late. In moments I will be dead and you will witness Saturn's greatest triumph. The moment we reach Olympus, I will detonate it. The weapon's powers will grow and spread across the cosmos, destroying every living Olympian there is. This victory is worth my suffering." The creature held up a blue stone that looked similar to the one Joel and Emily had.
"No!" Agent B cried. He raised his sword and charged. Six Shadow Titans burst onto the palace roof and ran at the CRU agent.
"Stella, do something. Stop him!" Agent B cried as he took on all the attacking Shadow Titans.
There was no time to think. The creature held up the jewel.
Stella dropped her flame-sword and drew out her small silver dagger. Vulcan had taught her how to throw it with deadly accuracy. But that was practice. This was the real thing.
"Olympus!" the creature cried.
Stella grasped the dagger by the blade and held her breath.
The Solar Stream opened in front of the old man and he started to move.
Stella used all her strength to throw the dagger.
It struck the hideous creature squarely in the chest. It dropped the stone and staggered sideways, falling away from the open Solar Stream.
"The stone, Stella!" Agent B shouted. "Get it in the box!"
"Maxine, move!" Stella cried. "Get me to that stone." Stella threw herself from her wheelchair and struggled to free the large golden box from beneath her seat. "Release the box."
The wheelchair tipped itself back until the box came away from the restraining brackets. It hit the slippery marble roof and slid farther away.
Stella cursed and tried to roll the stone over to the golden box. But as she moved and felt its weight, she knew she could never lift it into the box.
"Maxine, push it closer to me!"
The wheelchair did as she commanded and pushed the golden box to where the stone lay. Stella raised herself up as high as she could and lifted the heavy gold lid.
"Agent B!" she yelled. "The stone is too heavy for me. I can't lift it into the box."
There were only three Shadow Titans left fighting Agent B. Around them lay the scattered remnants of the other fighters. His flame-sword flashed in the air as he cut down a fourth Shadow Titan. With only two remaining Turtle Warriors left, Agent B dashed back to Stella.
"Get ready with the lid!" He dropped his sword and hoisted the heavy stone into the air. Just as he was about to place it in the box, the two Turtle Warriors charged forward and pierced through Agent B's armour with their swords.
The CRU agent gasped in agony. Stella saw the blood-covered blades sticking out the front of his armor. The Turtles pulled their weapons free and stabbed again.
"Get the lid." Agent B gulped. As he fell over, he used the last of his fading strength to drop the stone into the golden box. Struggling with its weight, Stella managed to close the lid on the weapon.
Agent B fell to the palace roof and Stella lost sight of him.
She couldn't be distracted now though, not when she was the only one left to safeguard the weapon and her life was on the line.
Struggling to get up onto the box, she stared defiantly into the covered faces of the advancing Shadow Titans. All while not having a weapon.
"Enough." A dull, familiar voice said. From her left, a boomerang-like object, glinting in the sunlight, whooshed by her shoulder. With deadly accuracy, it passed through the Shadow Titans, not missing a single one. As Stella watched in horror and awe, the boomerang swung by her right, going back to the hands of its owner.
When Stella turned, she almost screamed. It was a man, around 6'5 in height. He wore combat boots, a leather jacket, and had dark tousled hair. He wore no armour, not like the last time she saw him, but he didn't need it in battle. Not with his skills.
He stood on some kind of water surface. It was almost invisible, but Stella could just see it if she tilted her head at the correct angle.
She didn't just almost scream because he looked familiar though. No, it was because although one hand held the boomerang, the other was holding onto Agent B. As Stella watched, the man placed the boomerang just below Agent B's chin, forcing Agent B to lift his chin if he didn't want to be cut up.
"You were right to be concerned, Stella." Ekdikó's voice whispered like a serpent around her. Laced with poison. About to kill her at any moment. "I must admit, you have gotten further than I expected you to without the Hecatonchires. Of course, my beloved is dealing with them right now as we speak and Prodosia is locking up our two new prisoners. Do not look so horrified."
"The Gods are coming." Stella strained to keep her voice steady. "They will defeat you."
Ekdikó, to her disappointment, did not look threatened. Instead, he pressed the boomerang-like sword closer. "I will be coming down, Stella, and we will have a nice chat, shall we?"
Not wanting to risk the agent, Stella slowly nodded her head once.
Ekdikó floated down, stepping off the platform. Agent B half-fell half-stumbled off the platform.
"I am terribly sorry, Ben," Ekdikó said, "but threatening someone else's life is usually the only way I can get people to talk. How rude, really."
"I will talk to you," Stella promised. "Please, just let him go. We can handle this in a civil way, without bloodshed."
"Cute. Remind me how that worked in Tartarus." Ekdikó snarked.
"I swear," Stella practically breathed those words, "I swear to you, Ekdikó. Release Agent B, and I will cooperate."
Ekdikó paused. "I like you, Stella, I really do. You have no ties to the Gods yet you are willing to fight for them, willing to go to war for a chance to win them their freedom, willing to put your life in danger. Such loyalty is hard to find in the world. Do not mistake my like for weakness though, for it will be your demise. If I am to release Ben, you will throw down your swords."
"But you are armed!"
"I cannot help that." Ekdikó snarled. "They are my powers, to summon any weapon I imagine. Tell me, how am I supposed to get rid of that?"
Stella remained silent for she didn't know how to respond. With a sigh, Ekdikó made the boomerang thing disappear and pushed Agent B to Stella. Agent B stumbled before getting his footing while Ekdikó turned to observe the Gods. "Now, if we are done with that, shall we begin the bargaining?"
"I have a question." Stella raised one finger. "Why are you helping to preserve our lives? We are from opposing sides."
Ekdikó's hands were suddenly occupied with a necklace of sorts. However, when Stella looked closer, the necklace had many spikes on the chain. With enough pressure applied, it could cut a throat. "Do you want me to kill you?" He asked rhetorically. "Deaths cannot be reversed, Stella. If you listen to me, do not get in my way, I will not have to kill you. I did not kill anyone who immediately surrendered, did I? No. They are the smart ones. Those who survive the bloodbath, I allow them to live. They must rebuild their lives, but that is only a minor sacrifice. Of course, such mercy is only granted to humans. I have no care for the allies of Olympus. Although you are fighting for them, you are still very much human. Consider that a boon. Now, pass me the box."
"No." Agent B growled. "It would kill all of Olympus. It has already destroyed Titus, or are you blind?"
Ekdikó waved his hand idly. By his feet, grass suddenly grew, until there was a whole patch under him. "I can give life." He said in amusement. "All three of us can. Titus will be returned to its former glory, of course. I mean, Saturn did not know that would happen, but it is expected. You win some, you lose some."
"The box will kill you, Ekdikó. It kills Titans and Gods alike." Stella said, trying to dissuade him.
He snorted like he realised something funny. "Once, Saturn built it while Prodosia constantly warned him not to. She has Lima Syndrome, I am afraid."
Stella felt her heart clench. "Lima Syndrome is something humans only discover in the future." She whispered, watching Ekdikó tense. "How would you know something like that?"
"I misspoke. Forget what I said."
"No," she said louder. Suddenly filled with boldness. "How do you know, Ekdikó? Even your name. It's not Ancient Greek, it's modern. That's why the Gods didn't know until I said something. So who are you?"
Ekdikó sighed. The clouds obscuring his face became lighter. "You have the answer, Stella. You have it. So why don't you tell me?"
"You are no Titan." She announced. "You do not belong here as much as we do. You- you're a time traveller! Just like we are! That's why you are not concerned about the box. It wouldn't affect you!"
Agent B gaped as Ekdikó idly spun something in his hand. The item started to shift and moulded into a silver item. A gun. Confirming Stella's declaration. There were no guns in Ancient Greece.
"So dramatic." Ekdikó mused. "So bothersome. This is why I rather stay away from the Gods and just destroy all of their power sources. So much simpler. All the chaos here is so annoying, a waste of time. I was never good at keeping secrets anyways."
"So that is how you know my name." Agent B snapped. "We have met."
"Just once. Not even for more than a minute. You talked to Prodosia, not me. She was drawn to you, we don't know why. This is the reason I guess." He shrugged. "It's just a requirement, but even without this illusion, you would not recognise me. No one ever recognises me, although I would love to keep it like that." He was telling the truth. Stella could hear it. A sudden gunshot nearly made her jump off the building except, well, she was paralysed.
Next to Ekdikó's feet, there was a smouldering hole. "Playtime is over. Hand over the box. And I swear to the Fates if you tell anyone… you will regret it. Very much. I will not rest until you and all those you told are dead, no matter how much they might mean to her." Who the 'her' was, Stella didn't know, but she knew it was someone close to Ekdikó.
"No. You will only get the box over my dead body." Agent B moved to cover Stella.
She felt rather than saw Ekdikó's grim smile. "You shouldn't have said that." He said matter-of-factly.
Stella didn't know what she was doing. It was something she's been seeing in her dream, she didn't know if it was true.
As Ekdikó ran at Agent B, she raised her hand, palm facing the sky. She was oddly breathless when she uttered just two words. "I accept."
Ekdikó froze when her palm started to glow. "What are you doing?" It was refreshing to know something they didn't for once. "Stop this at once! Stella!"
Stella's hand wrapped around a smooth metal and she immediately brought her hand down, making contact with the box with the tip of the object. The key slid through the box like it wasn't there and the box also started to glow. Ekdikó lunged for the box, pushing Stella away. Stella, regrettably, lost her hold over it, but the damage was done. Ekidkó tried to open it. He failed.
"You can't." Agent B held her arm and guided her to a sitting position. Her voice held steady. "Fate helps me. The box is locked. You cannot unlock it. Not without the clash of fire and ocean." She didn't know what she was talking about. The ladies in her dreams, the people who were fading away bit by bit each dream, told her to say that."
Ekdikó howled with rage. "Curse you." He seethed, but not at Stella. He raised his head to the sky. "Curse you! Atropos! Lachesis! Clotho! How dare you help them. Why? To spite us? See if we ever listen to you."
He then glowered at Stella and Agent B. "Your death would give me so, so much satisfaction. You might be the first humans where I enjoy your deaths." He said slowly, lolling his head. "Yet I have morals. As much as you have done against me, you have not gone to the path of irredeemable. Time is wasting. You cannot open this, neither can I, so it seems. It's alright. The Titans can win without it. And you… you can never return to the future if you do not destroy this stone. I will ensure that never changes. You may have just condemned your precious Flame. Maybe that is a better punishment than death." Stella almost cried out as Ekdikó turned transparent and faded away.
"Stella, what did you do?" Agent B pressed urgently. "We need to get the stone back, but we need to know what you did."
"There were three ladies that appeared to me at night." Stella said, seeing no reason to lie. "They told me, should the three commanders try to steal back the box, I can lock it, but there will be a price. I swear, I didn't know we couldn't unlock it either."
His face was grim as he nodded. "Never mind. Right now, we need to regroup and think of a new plan. Will you mind if I carry you?"
When she shook her head, Agent B slid his arm below her knees and back, carrying her in a fireman lift.
When Emily woke up, it was silent and dark. Completely. She could not see anything whatsoever. The only one she felt was Mike at her feet. She… remembered being injured. She remembered Prodosia shouting.
So why was Mike with her? The dog had been with her, but ran away when Prodosia appeared, as if in a trance. Did they… bring him back to her?
That made this strange.
"Hello?" She shouted. Hello… hello… hello…
No use. The words just echoed. It woke up Mike, and he started barking and whining. Emily reached over and patted the dog. She raised her other hand and summoned the Flame. But no matter how large the Flame grew, nothing drove back the oppressive darkness. Beneath her was a cold stone floor, but she could not see or feel walls. There was no wind, no sound. Just blackness. "It's okay, boy," she assured Mike. "We'll get out of here."
Emily rose and fired a blast of laser light. She followed the glow as it travelled through the darkness until it faded away in the distance. Somehow the place felt limitless. Her next attempt was to lift herself and Mike up to try to fly out. That didn't work either. There seemed no end to the darkness.
"Let me out of here!" Emily howled. She fired an even more powerful blast into the darkness. It did nothing. She spun in the air, firing blasts of Flame in all directions.
Emily, stop, Riza called softly. Do not speak aloud to me; they are listening. Just settle down on the ground and hear me.
Emily stopped firing and landed on the dark floor.
Sit, child, and listen. You are in a very special prison called an Energy Void. I cannot remember the details of where or when, but someone dear to me was once trapped in such a place. They learned that the more powers they used, the larger and stronger the trap became. It is like a black hole. Energy goes in but never leaves.
"But—" Emily started.
Shh… Riza said. Do not let them hear you speaking. Just listen. There is only one way out of an Energy Void. But this may prove impossible for someone like you.
Emily wanted to ask how.
Hearing her thoughts, Riza continued. Emily, you feel things very deeply. But here in this prison, your emotions are your greatest enemy. Like your powers, emotions feed the trap. Your fear for Joel strengthens the walls. Your suffering over Pegasus and Paelen secures the roof. Worry for the Olympians keeps the locks solidly in place. All these thoughts contain you here. The Titans do not need to do a thing to defeat you. You are defeating yourself.
How do I fight them? Emily thought.
This is where escape will be difficult. You must renounce your emotions and lock your powers deep within yourself. Think only of those things that give you a sense of quiet. Mentally go to a place of peace, where your emotions are at their calmest.
Riza was right. In this dark and frightening place, finding a way to peace and calm would be impossible while the war raged on without her.
Then the Titans have already won.
"EMILY." It was the grim voice she'd heard in Tartarus. Mike started to growl and then bark. Emily took three steps back, glaring around defiantly.
"Who are you?" Emily demanded.
"Some call me Cronus. You know me as Saturn."
"Let me out of here!" Emily shouted. She whirled around, trying to locate where the voice was coming from. No such luck. Or is there?
Up ahead the tiniest spark of light seemed to pulse and then grow into the shape of a man. But it wasn't solid—more like a fuzzy image from a poorly received television station. The image was large and imposing. But the face was familiar. She could see glimpses of the older Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto.
Mike charged Saturn but ran right through the image. Finally he returned to Emily's side, growling softly.
"I will not release you until you tell me who you are and where you come from."
Emily frowned. "How can you speak my language?"
"A secret language cannot remain secret if one has good spies," Saturn said casually. "And I have the best. My allies were most helpful."
"They're not that good if they don't know who I am."
"Perhaps not," Saturn agreed with a smug smile. The whole haha, I know something you don't. "So, who are you? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to help the Olympians," Emily said. "But I shouldn't have to. They're your children. Why are you trying to kill them?"
"Yes, they are my children!" Saturn spat as his face twisted in fury. "Yet they show me no loyalty. They seek to overthrow me and would see me imprisoned in Tartarus."
"Isn't that where you locked them up?"
"You do not know what you are talking about," Saturn said dismissively. "I will defeat them just as easily as I have defeated you."
"You haven't defeated me," Emily said. "You just think you have, but you're wrong."
The image shimmered and sparkled. Emily knew he was growing angry. Just as it shimmered though, it calmed down.
"My Prodosia won you quite easily. Besides, you are not the only prisoner I have. To ensure the safety of the Gods, your human boy decided to sacrifice himself. Even now, Góissa stands guard to him. Try anything funny, and I will tell her to kill him. Do you think she will hesitate? She will not."
"I'm warning you, Saturn," Emily challenged. "The Gorgons once threatened those I love. I melted one of them and the other turned to ash. If you hurt Joel, I swear I'll do the same to you! Góissa will suffer the same fate. The Titans will never win, no matter who your allies are."
"Threats from a child!" Saturn laughed.
It was hard for Emily to hate him with a face so much like Jupiter's. "No, Saturn," she said calmly. "A promise from a Xan!"
Emily, no, Riza hushed. You must not tell him any more.
"Xan?" For an instant Saturn's image flickered. Then he burst into harsh laughter. "The distance they have gone to convince me of such. Ekdikó was the first to insist, you know, that you are not an Olympian but a Xan. Followed by Góissa. However for them, there are no Xan. They were myths created by our elders to frighten us."
"Oh, really?" Emily countered. "And I suppose that Flame you used to make the Shadow Titans was created by you rubbing two sticks together."
"It came from a dying star that crashed on Titus," Saturn said. "Nothing more than that."
"It came from me!" Emily shouted. The Flame flashed in her hand brightly. "Does this look familiar?"
Emily could feel Riza's distress and hear her warnings. But she and Riza were different people from two very different worlds. Riza was from Xanadu, a world of calm and peace. Emily was born and raised on the tough streets of New York City. No one threatened her friends and got away with it. Even if they happened to be the leader of the Titans.
"You are lying," Saturn insisted. "I do not know who you are or where you come from, but you are no Xan. They are just a myth."
"Are you willing to risk it?" Emily demanded. "I don't want to hurt you, so I am giving you a choice. Return Joel to me. Release us and end this wretched war."
"Or?" Saturn said.
"Or I can lose my temper, and things will get very ugly very quickly."
"You can do that. Lose your temper. Prodosia was the one to suggest such a prison for you, Emily. Looks like she truly does know you. A girl with too much power and absolutely no control. I do not have to use any means of powers to keep you here, you will do it for me. I will give you the boy as a gift to show you I can be generous. But I will not release you or end this war. My treacherous children will be punished for their defiance. I will launch my weapon against them and be done with it. Then we will discuss how you are to serve me."
The image of Saturn vanished.
"Serve you?" Emily cried furiously. "Never!" She fired blast upon blast into the darkness, trying to break out of the void.
Emily, stop! Riza cried. You are only fortifying the walls of your prison. Control your temper now before it is too late!
Emily's temper flared as she thought back to Riza, I know you said I shouldn't destroy a Titan. But I swear, if Saturn launches that weapon against the Olympians, it will be the very last thing he does!
Emily, Saturn is not your concern right now. Please, calm down. Saturn is for the Gods to defeat, just like in the myths. Whereas your enemy is Prodosia. Stop thinking of Saturn, he is but a distraction. You need to talk to Prodosia instead. Focus on her. Call to her. She will come, I am sure of this.
"Prodosia?" Emily snorted scetically. "Saturn said she was the one who suggested such a prison. Why would she come?"
Exactly, child. Even Saturn has told you the answer, but you refuse to see it. Riza said sadly. It does not matter. Call for her, and you might see it. She can be your best friend, or your worst enemy. She can put the past aside but you cannot. If she is your enemy, even the Xan might not be able to protect you.
Emily didn't answer.
"Saturn! Where are you, you liar!" Emily shouted. She wasn't sure how long she had been in the Energy Void. But certainly it was long enough for Saturn to have brought Joel to her if he'd really intended to.
She paced, furious at her imprisonment. What was happening outside? Were the others all right? Had they made it to Titus to get the weapon?
With Mike close at her side, Emily continued to shoot out blasts of power, hoping to find a weakness. But every time she did, Riza said she was making her prison stronger.
If you really want to get out of here, Riza warned, you must find calm. Stop using any of your powers. Deny your anger and your grief. Bring peace to yourself. That is the only way to defeat an Energy Void.
Emily had heard the same thing time and time again, but she wondered how she was supposed to put her emotions aside when everything was at stake. Finally she sat down and extinguished the Flame in her hand. Sitting in the darkness, she focused on calming her breathing.
Very good, Riza said. Now go somewhere in your mind. Go to where you are most peaceful. Imagine yourself there and nowhere else.
Emily closed her eyes. Mike laid his head in her lap as she softly stroked the length of his warm body. She imagined that Mike was Pegasus. They were walking together on their private silver beach. It was night, and the stars were reflected like diamonds in the water. The air was warm and fragrant, and the only sounds she could hear were the stallion's hooves in the water. There was laughter behind her. When she turned, she saw Percy, happy and smiling. When she saw Emily staring, she waved and kicked the water. Emily's father was watching them. Her friends surrounded her.
A sense of calm washed over Emily. There was nothing else. Just Pegasus and her. Her father. Percy, no longer angry. Everyone Emily cares about. No war, no violence, and no loss—just the still waters, the stars, and her loved ones by her side.
Emily was at peace.
After a time she lifted her head and felt a gentle breeze on her face. But as the moments passed, it changed. It wasn't as warm as it had been. In fact it smelled musty and damp. She opened her eyes.
The silver beach was gone. Her friends' faces faded away. Percy vanished. Pegasus was gone. It was Mike's head on her lap, not the stallion's. Emily found herself sitting on a cold stone floor in a very deep pit.
You did it! Riza cried. Emily, you defeated the Energy Void despite your emotions. I am so sorry I doubted you.
Emily climbed, disoriented, to her feet. One moment she was with Pegasus on their silver beach, happy, at peace, with everything she ever dreamt of; the next she was alone in a damp pit with Mike. The sound of dripping water was everywhere. Everything came back to her. She had been imprisoned in a limitless dark place. There was the war, the Titan weapon, and Joel.
Saturn had Joel!
"Yes, Riza," Emily said angrily, "I am emotional. But that doesn't mean I'm weak. It means despite all these powers I still care. And right now, what I care about is finding Joel!"
High above her was a faint light. Using her powers she pushed and lifted off the ground. The urgent need to find Joel became overpowering. If Saturn had hurt him, there would be no stopping her.
At the top of the pit Emily was greeted by several Shadow Titan guards. She dispatched them efficiently with her Flame. The door was next as she used her powers to tear it off its hinges.
"C'mon, Mike, let's find Joel!"
Please, Emily. For once, listen to others instead of going where your head wishes to go. Riza's plea made Emily pause. Just try to summon her. If it does not work, I will no longer bother you about it.
"Fine," Emily relented. "I will try."
Closing her eyes, she let Riza guide her. Reach out to her. You will see her.
Emily did. As soon as she followed Riza's instructions, there was a soft green light beneath her eyelids. She reached out. At the end of the string, there was a humming. A girl. Green eyes, deep as the sea. A flow of black, like the night sky. Skin as pale as white snow. Scars.
Emily's lips moved on their own accord. "Percy?"
The humming stopped. Her connection snapped. Emily's eyes flew open, and she cried out as she fell down on her butt.
"What was that?" Emily asked Riza, shakily getting up again.
Why did you call her that? Riza cried, distressed. Never mind. That was Prodosia sensing that you are reaching out to her. She can choose to follow the path you have laid out to her, or she can choose to ignore it. It's up to her now.
"So I leave myself bare by doing whatever I just did?" Emily demanded angrily.
"Technically you did. If you had done it with Saturn, and not me." A voice Emily knew very well yet sounded so foreign said before Riza could answer.
Prodosia leaned casually against the archway, her silver sword by her side. She stared at Emily through her mask, a look so harmless yet could kill any other human.
"Imagine my surprise when the first person you contacted upon breaking out was me. Imagine my intrigue when you called me by… what was that name? Percy." She chuckled lightly. Mike snarled at her and Prodosia twirled her finger, summoning a miniature harness, forcing it on Mike. "Tell your mutt to behave." She tsked, a forced lightness in her movement. "Or I will treat him like any other enemy. I won't kill you, Emily, but that same courtesy won't be on your dog."
"You actually came." Emily heard the doubt in her own voice. "Why don't you attack?"
"Even before I joined forces with Saturn, I always liked to get to know my opponent, especially if they were worthy. Somehow things always go my way. The habit hasn't vanished." She waved her hand carelessly. "Besides, where do you hope to go? Saturn does not lie when he says Góissa guards your friend. He remains unharmed, for now. So let me ask you. Can you get there faster than she strikes with a sword?" Prodosia's sword was suddenly in her hand. "You know, Emily, if you only had more battle experience, I might consider you a worthy foe."
"Why do you always take away the people I love?" Emily couldn't help burst out. "First you stole my teacher. Then you kill my best friend. Saturn's weapon killed my Pegasus. Now you take away the boy I love?"
Prodosia stilled. Her head cocked to the side. "The boy you love?" She repeated. "My, my. Little Emily found love in a war. That is adorable."
"Mockery." She seethed. "It's because you never found love, isn't it? You would never understand what you have taken from me."
"Your Pegasus will return when you destroy the weapon." Prodosia brushed it away. "So will the shapeshifting wizened man. Vesta is alive and unharmed. Joel's fate is up to you." Suddenly, a bright blue flash erupted from her fingertips. Emily dodged, but her hair was singed. "And if you ever try to talk to me like that, you will regret it." Prodosia promised. "I don't have to hurt you to make you regret it, Emily. I can help you, but I can also be your death."
"You threw me in an Energy Void."
"That hardly counts. It never hurt you, and you got out. Everything I have done, it is never permanent. If you and I swapped places, you would not grant me such mercy." Prodosia was right. Emily would never do it. Prodosia, to her, was an enemy. An obstacle to clear. She would not have cared about her.
"I can help you, Emily. But in war, nothing is done for free."
"What do you want?" Emily asked suspiciously.
"From you? More than what you are willing to give." If Emily wasn't mistaken, she heard her mutter, "more than what I should want."
"That isn't a very good answer."
"It's the only one I can give you for now. When the time comes, I will give a proper one. Now, time is wasting. If anyone sees us together, our little truce will be over. Do you accept it or not?"
Emily should say no. What came out of her mouth was "yes."
Prodosia sheathed her sword, pleased. "I will find Góissa and we will leave the field. That should give you plenty of time to rescue the boy you love."
"Would it not be simpler to kill me?" Emily couldn't help herself. "Why go to such lengths? Will Saturn not be furious at you?"
"Death is not an answer, Emily. It is funny coming from me, isn't it? Trust me when I say I don't just randomly kill for the fun of it. I try minimising the number of deaths. It is inevitable, but the number of deaths can be adjusted. As for Saturn, he cares too much to be angry at us." She swipes a hand at the space between them. "Go now. I will see you very, very soon."
Prodosia vanished faster than Emily could blink. "Are you happy, Riza? Are you happy?"
Yes. I am. Happier than you will understand.
Emily shook off the confusing feelings. Never mind. "Come on, Mike. Who knows if Prodosia actually kept her promise. We need to find Joel."
Out in the corridor, Emily was reminded of the prison at Tartarus. The thick stone walls were covered in a film of wet mould just like in the prison, and the musty air smelled the same. She recalled the brief journey through the Solar Stream. It had been too fast and too short.
"This is still Tartarus!" She realised. "We haven't actually gone anywhere." Saturn underestimated her. He thought of her like he did with any other Olympian. He didn't view her as a threat. He will regret that.
Jupiter had told her the prison at Tartarus was massive. It went very deep underground and would offer the Titans protection from the effects of the weapon. How was she to find Joel?
The answer came to her and Emily was tempted to slap herself for not realising it sooner. She knelt down beside the dog and scratched behind his ears. "I've been thinking like a human, when I have the powers of the Xan!"
Emily put her arms around the dog, closed her eyes and envisioned Joel's face. She focused on transporting to where Joel was. The next moment she arrived in a dark cell.
"Joel?"
"Em?"
Mike barked excitedly. Relief washed over Emily when she saw Joel crouching down to greet the dog. He was filthy, but alive!
"Thank the Gods!" Joel cried as he threw his arms around her. He lifted her off the floor and gave her the biggest hug and kiss she'd ever had. "I've been worried sick! Where have you been?"
"Saturn locked me in something called an Energy Void."
"You escaped an Energy Void?" A young man, just a bit older than Joel, climbed down from an upper bunk. Emily felt herself tensing up. By then, it was a habit to get wary of anyone other than her friends.
"Em, this is Prometheus," Joel said. "He's a Titan."
Emily raised a flaming hand to Prometheus. "Get away from us!"
"No, Em!" Joel cried. "He's cool. Prometheus has rebelled. Not all the Titans are on Saturn's side. Those who oppose him are locked down here with us."
"What Saturn is doing is wrong," Prometheus said. "I could not stand by and let him destroy his own children with that foul weapon. After Olympus, Saturn plans to defeat Earth. I'm here because I challenged him."
"Em, we've got to get out of here," Joel said. "But we can't break down the cell door. Not even my silver arm will work on it. Góissa left for a while, but who knows when she will return."
Emily glanced at the cell door. Had she been an Olympian, perhaps she would not have seen it, but there was a coat of fog on the door. They floated around like ghosts, aware but not alive. They weren't going to be easy to destroy, she was sure. Góissa may have left thanks to Prodosia, but there was certain protection on the doors. Using her usual method of just using the Flame won't work until she figures out what Góissa left. For all she knew, it could be a ticking bomb. She was not going to risk Joel.
Running a hand across the bars, she almost pulled back immediately, hissing. The bars, that had looked normal up to the second she made contact with them, turned red and steam was rising from it. A drip of something silver fell to the ground. The fact that she can feel it was startling enough. Now she realised her intangibility wasn't actually extended to the commanders, meaning they could kill her. She just had to stall long enough for her and Prodosia to make a new deal. For some reason, Prodosia was the most likely to help her even though she was the only one Emily fought. That woman was an enigma, and Emily couldn't figure her out at all.
She turned back to Prometheus. "Did Góissa say anything of importance? Hidden key words, secrets, anything to help open this door?"
"She kept to herself." It was Joel who answered. "Sometimes, she would enter the cell. She would light the room with blue flames and let it dance. She would tell us stories about the people she has killed and the cities she has pillaged. Her most favourite was destroying the statues of the Acropolis. Góissa spoke about… the prisoners. How uncooperative Juno was. She also told me some happier moments. She told me about her goal to create a place without the need of fear. She told me their end goal was changing as time went by. When Prodosia came, she told me to be good. That if I stepped out of line, nothing in the world would stop Prodosia's rage. Whatever that means."
Why they singled out Joel, Emily did not understand. "So nothing about the door. Alright, step back. Do not come close, got it?"
When she got a nod from them both, she turned her attention back to the door. For some reason, she could see the outline of Prodosia just casually leaning against the door. Her hands brushing against her sword, all while telling Emily to hurry up.
"The- the keyhole." She mumbled, searching the door. "That should be the most vulnerable."
"It's on the left." Joel pointed out helpfully. "The other left. A little lower."
Emily located it, sending a focused laser beam of Flame through. Nothing happened. "Okay. I got it. Just, um, stay back."
She raised her hands. There was a sickening crunch. When she pushed against the door, there was slight movement. She fired at the lock again. Another crunch. It gave way and the door swung open with ease. The fog curled around Emily like a caress of goodbye before dissipating into the air of Tartarus.
As Prometheus and Joel came out, Emily focused her attention on all the other Olympian prisoners. No sign of Vesta or Juno. The prisoners here were of no high status. The children of Saturn were kept somewhere else. She didn't have time to take care of that. Right now, there were people waiting to be free.
Emily raised her hands again, summoning the Flame. With a single thought she commanded, Open! All the cell doors flew open, and the prisoners were freed.
Moments later Shadow Titans charged into the cell block and started attacking the escaping Olympians.
"You will not escape here!" boomed another voice. Emily turned and saw Saturn in the flesh. He was much bigger than she'd expected. He and several other full Titans entered the cell block.
"Stay back, Saturn!" Emily called. "I'm not in the Energy Void now. Your powers may not work down here, but mine do!"
"Impudent child, of course my powers still work here—greater than ever before. Do you really think you can challenge me?"
"I warned you," Emily shot back. "You may be a Titan, but I am Xan. Must I prove it?"
"There are no Xan!" Saturn sneered. "Even if you were, you don't make a very good Xan, being defeated by Prodosia." Only then, when Saturn waved his hand, did Emily see the calm and composed conqueror. Prodosia was lying on her side, floating in mid-air with a hand propped up to lift her head. She crushed a flower in her other hand, letting the remains fall to the ground. "You escaped." There was nothing in her voice. No joy, no anger, no sadness, no amusement. Robotic but also human. "To be very honest, Emily, I quite doubted you. I am proud. Very proud." She sat up, her feet touching the ground. No sword in sight. "But you and I had our fight. My Lord? She is all yours."
Saturn smirked, lifting his hand, the one that beckoned Prodosia.
Emily was struck with a blast that lifted her off the ground and smashed her against a cell wall. She had never encountered this kind of power before. It knocked the wind out of her and left her head spinning as she slumped to the floor.
"Em!" Joel cried.
"So easily defeated." Saturn laughed as he and the other Titans advanced on her. "Let me see how easily you die."
Emily panted heavily as she slowly recovered. "Stay back, Joel. Saturn is about to meet a very angry New Yorker!"
"An angry New Yorker?" Prodosia mused as one of the female Titans held her arm and pushed her back. Away from firing distance. "More like a New Yorker whose pride was hurt and is fighting a war not meant for her. No, this was why I was sent back. Not to fight the Gods but to even up the battlefield. There is no other reason. No wonder… Saturn, I will be in Parigoria if you need me. My people need my help more than you." She left without another concern.
Prometheus pulled Joel and Mike farther back. Emily wanted to thank him, but she dared not turn her attention away. "I do not know who your friend is, but she is about to die."
"You don't know my Emily!" Joel cried. "Go get them, Em. Show them how we do things downtown." Emily rose unsteadily to her feet. She was still badly winded and knew she was in the fight of her life. Saturn had powers greater than she'd expected. He could hurt her. Perhaps even kill her. But she wasn't the same. She made mistakes and she learned from them.
She lifted her hand, and the Flame rose high. "This is your last warning, Saturn." She panted as she staggered forward. "End the war now!"
"This war does not end until the timing is right." He answered, shooting another blast of energy at Emily. Once again she was knocked violently off her feet and struck the floor painfully. "The time is not right until I say it is."
"Emily!" Joel cried.
Emily moaned and raised her hand to Joel. "Stay back."
Her nose and ears were bleeding, and she felt like she'd just been hit by a freight train. Twice. Saturn really packed a punch.
Then again, so did she. She may not be able to defeat Prodosia who could combine power with skills perfectly, but Saturn was out of her league completely.
Emily sat up and unleashed the Flame. She shot a blast of power at Saturn that made the Titan cry out as he was knocked backward down the length of the cell block.
She climbed to her feet just as the other Titans raised their hands. They combined their powers and fired everything they had at her. Emily thought Vesta had prepared her for anything. But her teacher had never imagined she would be taking on the Titan leaders.
It took all of Emily's concentration to keep from being ripped apart by the Titans' immense powers. But she wasn't a human. She was not Olympian. She was a Xan without a body—made up of pure energy. It can be dented. It can be stolen. Like Prodosia did, energy can be hurt by natural powers. But this wasn't the case. The Titans fired at her using their source of energy. There was no need for energy to fight energy.
No need for her to resist when she was made up of that essence.
Emily calmed and dropped her defences. The Titans' full powers struck her and knocked her back once again. But they could not destroy her. Emily realised she was just like the Energy Void. The more they threw at her, the stronger she became.
Across from her the Titans' faces were showing the strain of their efforts. Saturn rose and let out a furious cry as he merged his powers with the others.
Sparks filled the air, and the atmosphere was charged with energy. But Emily took it all in. She focused her own powers and fired back with a blast that filled the prison corridor with blinding white light.
The Titans closest to her cried out as they were instantly vaporised by the Flame. Saturn and the survivors were thrown back against the wall. They collapsed to the floor in a groaning, burned heap.
Oh, Emily, Riza called sadly. What have you done?
"What I had to!" Emily shot back even as guilt crept up her heart.
Behind her, Joel was on the floor, covered by Prometheus and two other Olympians. Prometheus's back was raw and bleeding from the burning heat that had filled the corridor. Olympians were scattered around the area, moaning softly from their wounds. Emily almost screamed.
She wanted to cry, wanted to thank them. Joel could've died if they weren't there. He could've died by her powers. She would have been the reason he was dead.
Emily ran to them and set about healing Prometheus and the other Olympians. She pulled them off one another and beneath them found Joel and Mike. "Are you all right?"
Joel nodded. "Thanks to Prometheus and these two." He sat up slowly. His skin was bright pink with burns. But without Prometheus's protection it would have been a lot worse. "Wow, Em, you really did show them!"
Emily looked around. "Where are the Shadow Titans?"
"You destroyed them," Prometheus said.
"Prometheus, thank you so much for saving Joel," Emily said. "But we need to get out. Fast before anyone comes. Do you know a way out or at least somewhere where I will have enough time to direct all of us to our respective destinations? The Olympians need to go to Delphi and we must go to Titus."
"Of course. This way." He started to run and they followed without hesitation.
Wrong. Someone muttered in her ear, like a ghost's moaning. Wrong. Dead. Wrong. Follow.
I don't know what you're trying to say! Emily wanted to protest. What's wrong? Who are you? Why do you keep talking to me?
The voice kept quiet like it did for the past five times it spoke up. Prometheus had started to slow down. He led them to a couple of dead ends, muttering something about, "that was not there before" and "Saturn thought ahead for once". None were too helpful.
Finally, he stopped. Not for a good reason. In front of them were two pathways. In the centre, a little girl sat. Emily did not recognise her, but she recognised her pendant. Immediately, she got into a battle stance. "Góissa."
I told you you were going the wrong way. Góissa did not move her mouth, but she spoke loudly in Emily's mind. It was the same voice that had been whispering to her. What was her motive? You did not listen to me. Now Saturn is healed and he is catching up. You do not realise, but he has already recaptured many of your allies. Only so many are left. I have no more sympathy left for them, Emily, but I will not allow you to fight Saturn again.
"Why?" She demanded. "Afraid I'll defeat him?"
Góissa did not take offence. Her legs crossed, pigtails falling to one side as she tipped her head. Prodosia knew. If you defeat him while I am here, I will step in. You are someone worth saving in Prodosia's eyes, and I will honour that. So follow my advice. Listen carefully, Emily, for I will not repeat. The war has not gone well for both sides. We've both endured losses. This is not the end. You have barely been here. We both know the ending. When the tenth year strikes, the Gods will win. When that happens though, first I will make sure they suffer enough. If I cannot change the outcome, I will change the process. But you can make a change if you open up your ears. We have done our parts. The Gods are weakened and their losses are astronomical. We have done what we can for this war. You will notice from now on, we will barely do anything. Saturn has accepted that.
"Why tell me?" This must be very odd for Prometheus and Joel but Emily had to know more. "What? So you're just going to leave?"
We cannot leave this time. But we will leave the war. You can find us, you know. Her appearance changed until she was an animal. A snow white wolf that prowled where she had been. It only lasted a few seconds before she returned to before. We cannot leave, neither can you. You cannot leave until the purpose of your visit is fulfilled. A knowing smile flitted by. So you will stay. Only when we both work together will you be able to go. So remember that, Emily. We are enemies, you and I, as long as the Gods view us as villains. That won't change anytime soon. However, a simple truce won't hurt anyone. Swear on your name you will not harm any of us. We will do the same for you.
"For me!" Rage bubbled up. "You killed Paelen! Now you tell me such- such bizarre things? I will never work with you. Never!"
Don't say things you don't intend on doing. Góissa all but purred. When we slowly fade from this war, Emily, we are still enemies of the Gods. If they come, if we see them, we will kill them. Remember this when you seek us out. Conversation done, she pointed to her left. To leave Tartarus, go this way. I have concealed you from Saturn for thirty minutes. Leave Tartarus before I must hunt you down. Or you can deem me as untrustworthy and go the other way. The choice is yours.
"Em? What is she saying?" Joel asked. Emily's heart beat so quickly, it was like a hum.
"We go left." At their cautious glances, she snapped, "now!"
Góissa's laughter rang in her ears as they dashed out of Tartarus. Emily did not understand them. What kind of game were they playing? She supposed the only good thing was that they were leaving. Why, though? What happened that they wanted out of the war?
"Alright. Everyone, stand in a circle." She announced once everyone stopped. She teleported the captives to Delphi, leaving only Prometheus and Joel and her. "You ready?"
"Yep. Let's end this." Grim but determined, they linked their hands, and Emily teleported them out of Tartarus. The last thing she saw was of Saturn bursting out to the clearing with Góissa behind him, smiling as he roared with anger.