Hello everyone! Well, I couldn't just leave another cliffhanger like that...hanging...could I?! Anyway, many of you seemed upset with me for leaving you and our characters like that and gave me some good criticism for things I legitimately missed so, thank you for that. I do my best, but I do often miss things and points of view so it's important to hear from the audience. Now, all that said, I think it's about time we resolve the scene. So, let's go.
Oh, and we've made it 100 reviews! So, thank you very much for that! Now onto the story.
I do not own Danmachi
Every eye watched as Achilles and Freya entered the dance floor. Most watched with interest and barely concealed anticipation, but there were some whose eyes held little more than worry and fear.
Hestia familia, alongside, Miach, Takemikazuchi, Hephaestus, Loki, and Hermes familia, all watched the two with bated breath. They understood that whatever Freya was planning was soon to be revealed.
"Idiot," Loki growled, knowing full well that Achilles had put himself into the situation. "Get ready," she told Finn.
The prum captain nodded and, with a quick look to his familia, they all got ready to intervene.
Hestia was shaking as she watched the two take their places.
A hand on her shoulder caused her to turn and she found Hephaestus smiling down at her.
"It'll be alright," the smith god reassured.
Hestia, appreciating the gesture, nodded and turned back to the dance, but both knew Hephaestus was only trying to comfort her. Neither could promise that this would, indeed, end up alright.
"What should we do?" Lili asked her fellow familia members.
"What can we do?" Welf replied. "If we intervene that may enrage Freya familia."
"But surely there's something we can do," Mikoto stated desperately.
"The best we can do now is prepare," Ryuu said, reaching for one of her hidden daggers.
That statement itself felt like a near admission of defeat to them, but there truly was little else they could do but prepare, hope for the best, and pray the worst didn't happen.
"Bell-sama?" Haruhime asked, turning to the captain. He was simply standing there, looking at the two. "Bell-sama?"
"She's hurting him." They all turned to him. "She's hurting him badly."
Turning again, this time towards Achilles, they soon saw what Bell saw. The terrible look of pain on the former captain's face as he looked down at the goddess. A look that only intensified when the music began to play.
"He's...he's crying," Haruhime recognized.
"Yes he is," Bell said, as his knuckles bled white.
The two began to dance and everyone waited for something, anything to happen. For Freya to make a move. For Achilles to pull away. Something. But nothing happened. They just kept dancing.
The dancing itself was beautiful. Almost too beautiful in a way. The sight of the adventurer and the goddess moving in such rhythmic perfection was unnerving to say the least and it wasn't long before Finn was biting his thumb. The only one amongst the Hestia alliance that seemed completely composed was Bell, who, the second he'd seen the unshed tears of his mentor, had grown eerily quiet. This alone would have normally been a concern to his familia, but there was something far worse that only they were close enough to see. For all others present, it would have appeared that Bell was simply waiting patiently for the dance to end, but for Hestia, Lili, Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Ryuu, who were close to him and knew him well, they could see what others couldn't. And right now, they saw the young man glaring at Freya with fightful intensity.
"Bell-kun/Bell-sama/Bell-san/Bell," they all thought together as the sweet boy poured out hostility towards the goddess.
Finally, the dance stopped and the two partners looked at each other.
"I haven't soothed you?" Freya asked.
"No," Achilles responded, a miserable exhaustion having fallen over him. "You have lost the bet," he finished and turned away.
"Then let me try this."
Everyone's eyes widened as they saw the goddess grab Achilles and pull him towards her.
"Shit," Finn growled.
"No," Hestia said.
Haruhime's hands flew to cover her mouth.
But it was too late. Freya's lips found Achilles's and her Charm proceeded to drown him.
"Idiot," Loki growled again, knowing full well what had just happened and how bad things had suddenly gotten.
The entire room was silent when the two pulled back, staring each other in the eyes.
"Now, do you feel better?"
"Yes, Freya-sama," Achilles said, his voice devoid of personality as though he was drunk or in a daze.
"Then, you wouldn't mind telling me...who do you love?"
"You, Freya-sama. You, and only you. Now and forever."
That was the nail in the coffin. That was when Hestia, Hephaestus, Miach, Takemikazuchi, Loki, and Hermes, along with all their familia, knew they'd lost. All of them, except one.
"And now," Freya declared. "You are where you belong. The Olympian," she turned to the crowd. "Is home."
No one knew how to respond. Did they clap? Did they congratulate the couple? Did they make a full on retreat given how the Freya familia now had the only two level sevens in existence and were now the unquestionable rulers of Orario? All those questions and the many others that had sprung forth the moment she had captured her prize would have to wait as Freya turned towards the other object of her affections.
"Do you see, Bell-kun? How happy he is? How at peace? Years of pain gone. I can give you that and so much more. Come to me. Come to me and I'll give you everything you could ever desire. I will make you happier than anyone else ever could. Come to me, Bell-kun."
Before Bell could respond, he was surrounded by his familia and all their allies.
"I won't let you take him!" Hestia declared.
"You'd force him to stay against his will?" Freya asked innocently.
"That's rich coming from you," Loki said, stepping forward. "You think we don't recognize Charm when we see it?"
"I only sought to ease his pain. If that meant using my power, that was something I was willing to do. In fact, I see it as my duty as the one who loves him, to use it," Freya brushed off.
Loki almost laughed at that.
"Love? Right. Well, just because that dolt fell for your tricks doesn't mean we're going to allow you to take the rabbit as well."
"If he wants to come to me, by what right do you have to stop him?" Freya asked.
Suddenly, numerous members of Freya familia appeared, armed and armored. Ottar himself, though unarmed, took his place next to his mistress.
"So that's how it is," Loki growled.
Freya continued to smile.
"That's how it is."
Everyone in the room found themselves suffocated by the tension that had fallen over them. The two most powerful familia were now inches away from going to war with each other and no one was sure how it would end if they did. Loki familia itself was very powerful, and they were now backed up by numerous other familias, including Hephaestus familia, which wasn't anything to sneeze at. But they faced Freya familia, the most powerful familia in Orario, now reinforced by the addition of the legendary Olympian himself. Had they not been within range of the potential war themselves, there is no doubt that many of the gods and goddesses would have delightfully been making and taking bets on the carnage to come.
"Hestia." Everyone's attention shot to a certain white-haired, rabbit-like young man. "It'll be alright," he said with a smile.
"Bell...kun."
Slowly, he moved passed them, all eyes widening in alarm. As he was just about to leave his wall of protection, Welf grabbed him.
"Bell, please don't do this," he pleaded.
Bell smiled at him.
"It'll be alright."
Gently prying himself from his older brother figure, he walked towards the Freya familia.
Hestia looked absolutely heartbroken and actually fell to her knees as her strength evaporated. The others were faring no better. Like Welf, they suspected that Bell was sacrificing himself to prevent a war. To protect them. That was the kind of person he was after all.
"Bell-sama!" Lili cried, trying to rush to him.
"Lili!" Welf screamed and he grabbed her and pulled her back. He did so just in time, as the prum brothers of Freya familia appeared before them.
"Don't interfere," they ordered.
Lili glared at them, tears streaming down her face as she tried, in vain, to break away from Welf.
Bell continued to walk towards the Freya familia as if unaware of everything going on around him. That was until another familiar voice cried out to him.
"Bell!"
Everyone's eyes shot towards the speeding mass of blonde hair that now was aiming directly for Bell. However, before she could reach him, a mass of pure muscle appeared in her path and grabbed her.
"Do not interfere, Aiz Wallenstein," Ottar ordered.
Trying, and failing, to pull herself free, Aiz cried out again.
"Bell!"
"Aiz-san." Everyone turned and saw Bell, still smiling. "It'll be alright," he said again, before turning back and continuing towards the Freya familia.
"Bell," the Sword Princess said breathlessly, a fear unlike any she had never felt before filling her heart.
Finally, he arrived before Freya and Achilles, both of whom were smiling at him.
"Welcome, Bell," she said.
However, Bell wasn't looking at her, only at Achilles.
"I know this is a lot to take in, Bell," Achilles said, as if embarrassed, his voice still holding none of the fire it normally did. "But I was wrong. We can be with Frey-."
Bell held out his hand.
"Let's go home, Father."
Everything stopped, except for the sounds of shock and surprise that passed through the air, including more than a few spit-takes.
Achilles's eyes widened.
"W-What?"
Bell smiled.
"You've had a long night, so I thought it would be wise for us to go home."
Achilles stared down at him as a fire began to burn ever more brightly in his heart.
"I-."
"Achilles?" He turned to Freya who, placing her hand on him, looked at him curiously.
Her Charm began to flow through him, dampening the new fire but, as if seeing the flame itself began to weaken, Bell called out again.
"Father." Achilles's eyes shot back to him. "Come on. The others are worried sick about you and you look quite out of it right now. Let's go home and get some rest."
Achilles felt as if he was being pulled apart. He could feel his heart being pulled in two separate directions, both whispering gently to him to be with them.
His eyes went back to Freya, who looked even more confused, but only for a moment, as she soon, her eyes widened as she recognized what was happening.
"That can't be." she thought.
Charm flooded his senses, causing him to nearly choke. Yet, the flame that had been awoken did not die.
Slowly, painfully, he turned back to Bell. His breath caught as he saw the smile the boy was giving him. It was not fake nor demanding nor was it desperate. It was a genuine smile from the boy who now, honestly, thought of him as a father.
The fire in his soul roared as the thing he wanted most in his life: more than killing the Dragon; more than seeing his familia again; more than Freya, stood before him, smiling and offering him his hand.
He began to reach out his hand.
"Achilles," Freya said, her voice now laced with shock. But he didn't stop, even as her Charm grew stronger and stronger.
Not a sound passed through the whole ballroom as everyone watched as Achilles's hand reached closer and closer towards Bell's. Even Freya found her voice nearly lost to her.
"Achilles," she whispered.
He turned to her.
They stared into each other's eyes. Her possessive adoration and shock to his desperate resistance. But, soon, that fire which had been so forcefully snuffed out and so desperately suppressed, roared to life and filled his eyes.
"We're done," he said.
His hand found Bell's and, smiling as brightly as the sun, the young man pulled him away from the goddess of beauty.
A gasp passed Achilles's lips as he nearly fell over onto Bell, all his strength gone from the ordeal.
"You're alright, Father. You're alright," Bell said.
Everyone was in shock. How couldn't they be? The impossible had just happened. A man, a mere human, one who was in love with Freya and had been for years, had just been pulled out of a Charm-induced madness by a boy less than a third of his age. A boy who only half a year ago, no one in the whole Orario knew, and who now declared him to be his father.
"What is this kid?" Loki asked out loud. None answered. Even if they had heard her, none could have given her an answer for they were as lost as she was.
"Come on," Bell said, not caring about anything that was happening around him. "The others are worried about you."
With that, he began to walk Achilles back to the Hestia familia, past a shocked Ottar and Aiz, the latter of whom he spared a moment for to give her a smile; past Loki and the prum brothers and finally to his familia.
"It appears…" Achilles began, trying to catch his breath. "I owe you all...an apology."
A sudden joyous cry went up as Hestia threw herself around the two boys, crying happily now that they were both alright and back in her arms. The rest of Hestia familia was not far behind as they began to laugh and joined her in wrapping themselves around the two, relief pouring out of them in waves.
Hephaestus, Miach, Takemikazuchi, Hermes, and many other gods smiled at the sight, relief filling them as well, as both Achilles and Bell returned to Hestia familia.
All were so focused on the scene with Hestia familia that they failed to notice what was happening with Freya.
"He...he broke free from me. He...broke through Charm. With Bell's help."
Most would have been devastated by this loss. To have their plans destroyed in front of their very eyes by an X factor that had come out of nowhere to inexplicably ruin everything. But Freya was not most. As such her reaction, instead of being that of disappointment, frustration, or unrestrained rage, was that of utter euphoria.
"To think that these two possessed such strength when together! By themselves they were powerful. Shining like the sun in a sea of mediocrity, but together-" a shiver wracked her body. "I dare say they may be invincible!"
"My lady?" She turned to see Ottar was now by her side. "Are you alright?"
She smiled blissfully at him.
"I am, my dear Ottar. In fact, I don't think I've ever been better."
Ottar was surprised by this. He had known of his lady's plans, naturally, and seeing them so totally fall apart had worried him as he feared his goddess would have been saddened or otherwise disturbed by the turn of events. He wondered what he should do. Whether he should intervene to prevent the return of Achilles to the Hestia familia. But to do so would risk harming Bell who, though he now felt a tinge of anger at the boy for ruining his lady's plan, was still Freya's object of affection and thus, was off limits. But all this concern turned to smoke after he saw her smile and heard her words. Relief filled him and soon, he smiled, realizing he should never have doubted his goddess.
"How…," Hestia tried, tears in her eyes. "How did you do that, Bell-kun?"
"I didn't do anything. I just had faith that Achilles would come back with me," he answered honestly.
Achilles, joyful tears in his eyes, pulled his newly found son to him and kissed his head before hugging him.
"Thank you. Thank you," he said into Bell's shoulder.
Everyone smiled at the scene until Loki cut in.
"Sorry to ruin the moment but, we might want to make a hasty retreat," she suggested
"Not yet," Bell said his voice devoid of all his previous merriment and tenderness. He pulled away from Achilles, who, still needing support, was soon leaning on Welf and Ryuu. "There's one more thing I need to do."
The seriousness of his tone was striking given his happy attitude of mere seconds before, but no one stopped him as he turned and made his way back over to a certain goddess of beauty.
Staring directly into her eyes with unhidden hostility he said.
"You broke the deal."
She kept smiling.
"I did," she admitted, seeing no need to deny it. "Achilles-kun was in pain and I sought to soothe him."
"By Charming him?"
She nodded.
"Indeed. I used my power to focus his mind, not on his pain, but on his love. Specifically his love for me and, as you saw, it worked."
Bell's eyes turned into a full blown glare.
"I saw someone in pain. A pain that I then saw you exploit and turn against him so that you could bend him to your will."
The ferocity of his tone was a sight to behold. Few had ever seen Bell like this and those that had still found themselves in shock, if only because of who his target was. But Bell wasn't done.
"Let me tell you something, Freya-sama," he stated firmly. "Today, Achilles and I went to a cafe. While we were there we began to talk about the girl I love." Those around Achilles turned to him, curious where this was going. He, however, just kept looking at Bell, already knowing. "And do you know what he said to me?"
"I would love to," Freya answered.
"He said that he didn't approve of my choice. And this wasn't the first time either."
Riveria, who was off to the side, felt her heart clench at this and her eyes turned to Achilles, who felt her gaze, but kept looking at Bell. His reasoning would soon be revealed.
"The reason was because, while he admitted she was a good person, he said he wanted more than 'good' for me. He wanted me to have my perfect match. My soulmate. The person that treats me with the respect and kindness I deserve. He wanted me to be with someone who will sense when I'm troubled, even when I hide it, because they know my soul even better than I do. He wanted me to be with someone whose presence comforted me, inspired me, and whose soul intertwined fully with mine."
Nearby, a certain renard felt her eyes widening as these words sounded very familiar.
"He...he couldn't have meant..."
Haruhime's head shot to Achilles who, for the first time, turned his head just enough to give her a tired smile.
Her hand went to her heart.
"Oh."
"And," Bell continued. "He wanted someone who never made demands of me. And you know what I said, Freya-sama? I told him that I wanted the same thing for him. I wanted all those traits to be in the person he loved. All those things which you are not giving him. Which means, that I do not approve of you."
He took a deep breath.
"You have broken the terms of the deal I presented to you by using Charm on Achilles. You have hurt someone I care very much for while also showing a level of dishonesty that, to put simply, upsets me a great deal. You have shown you are willing to manipulate, lie, and inflict injury on anyone to accomplish your goals, even someone who you profess to love. I find that unforgivable. And," now his eyes burned with rage. "If you ever hurt anyone I care about like you did today again, I will make it my goal to personally send you back to Heaven."
A glass shattered on the floor as nearly every god and adventurer in Orario finished watching Bell Cranel, the Rabbit Foot, level four captain of the Hestia familia, and all around one of the kindest people one could ever meet, threaten Freya, goddess of beauty, Queen of Orario, and leader of the strongest familia in the Labyrinth city.
"You little-!" Allen Fromel cried, grabbing his spear and preparing to launch himself at the white rabbit.
A blur of blue light shot towards Allen faster than anyone could see, grabbing the catman by his head and slamming him down into the floor hard enough to create a crater.
"No one...touches...my boy," Achilles declared, sweating and breathing heavily.
Allen, who had barely maintain consciousness at the sudden attack, tried to force Achilles off of him, only to stop the second he saw Achille's piercing eyes glaring down at him.
"Give me the excuse," they dared.
"Don't," the memory of Ottar said. "He will kill you."
Now Allen understood, truly, that this was no lie. He had attempted to wave it off before. Excusing previous actions with statements of his being cautious or smart, but now he understood, well and truly, that if he tried to fight this man, that the ex-captain would kill him and probably do so far more easily than the Freya servant's pride could handle.
"Dad." Achilles turned to Bell. "You can let him go."
Achilles nodded, giving one final glare to the cowed kitty beneath him before stumbling his way back to Bell and the Hestia familia.
"I don't pretend to know nearly as much as you gods or to understand the world nearly as well, "Bell said after bringing Achilles back to his familia. "But if you're goal was to win us, Freya-sama, this was the exact wrong way to do it."
"Perhaps. But then again, I would never have gotten to see this marvelous display had I not tried things this way."
Bell stared at her for a moment, his eyes piercing hers in a way that sent a pulse of delight through her, before making his reply.
"Then, by all means try again. We'll be sure to create another such display for you."
With that, he turned away, helping Achilles away alongside his still stunned, but nonetheless happy and relieved familia and their allies.
Freya smiled as she watched them leave.
"Oh, you can be sure I will, Bell-kun."
Everyone had made it back to Hearthfire manor and were now in the living room where Achilles and Bell were sitting on a couch, the former of which while looking terribly ill.
"Will you be alright, Dad?" Bell asked, worried.
"Of course I will, I gained a son tonight," he said with a smile.
Everyone smiled at this, except for Loki, who rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, might have mentioned he was adopted before causing me to spit my drink out."
"Maybe you should drink less," Achilles quipped back.
Loki stuck her tongue out at him.
"If he's up for banter, he'll be fine," Riveria stated.
The sound of the front gate bell ringing caught their attention.
"I'll go see who it is," Haruhime said with a smile.
"Take Welf and Mikoto with you. We don't know who it'll be," Hestia ordered.
The two nodded, and joined Haruhime to see who had arrived.
"Still, can't believe you threatened Freya herself, Rabbit-kun," Loki said with a smile. "Pretty ballsy."
Bell blushed and looked down.
"I was really mad and wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted to make sure she wouldn't try it again."
"Well it's certainly clear you weren't thinking straight, but can't say I'm mad. Not everyday you see someone, let alone one of our kiddies threaten Freya," the clown god said.
"Well, I call it brave!" Hestia declared. "And it makes me fall in love with Bell all over again!" she said as she threw her arms around him.
A few chuckles passed through the group, with a single growl coming from Lili who quickly threw her arms around Bell as well.
"I am Ganesha!" a certain god suddenly declared from the other room.
"I wonder who that could be," Achilles joked.
Haruhime, Welf, and Mikoto entered the room with Ganesha who was joined by his captain, Shakti.
"Evening Ganesha. It's good to see you again," Achilles said genuinely.
Seeing the state of the former captain, Ganesha dropped his persona.
"How are you, Achilles?"
"Well, I feel like someone just held my head under water, allowing me just enough air not to drown, but never fully regain my breath. So, all things considered, not so bad."
His attempt at humor failed, which he quickly noticed, seeing the frowns.
"I'll be fine, Ganesha. Really. I've been in far worse situations without nearly the same amount of support," he punctuated this by pulling Bell in close and leaning against him.
Ganesha nodded.
"You will have my support as well. I've talked with the Guild and we're in agreement; Freya's gone too far this time. Trying to get her hand on another level seven is too much. If she wants to try and become 'Queen of Orario' she'll have to get past a united Guild and Ganesha familia."
That bit of good news seemed to relax some of the tension in the room.
"I'm surprised Royman would agree to that. Figured he hated me too much," Achilles said.
"It probably helped that I didn't go to Royman," Ganesha said.
Achilles looked at him.
"Ouranos?"
The god nodded.
"After I explained the situation he was willing to pledge his support."
"He never was a fool. He probably saw the potential for disaster if Freya got too powerful. But, speaking of support, I don't think I've been introduced to the lovely young lady next to you."
"Ah, yes, of course!" Ganesha said. "This is Shakti. She is the captain of my familia," he said proudly.
"Nice to meet you," Achilles said holding out his hand.
Shakti shook it.
"This actually isn't the first time we've met," she said.
"It isn't?"
She shook her head.
"No. We met, briefly, twenty years ago. Your familia kindly offered to train some of us from Ganesha familia. I was a level one at the time and didn't know a thing. You went around greeting everyone with a smile before showing us the ropes. I don't think I would have gotten so far without your help, but I wouldn't expect you to remember me of course."
"Hm, well I do remember that day. Ganesha was even more excited than normal," he said with a chuckle. "But I'm certain you couldn't be there because you couldn't be a day over twenty yourself."
Shakti blushed lightly.
"I'm thirty-eight," she said.
"Really now?" She nodded. "Well, then you're certainly aging better than me."
"You don't look a day over thirty, Achilles-san."
"See, that only proves it. Though, to be fair, I am fifty-five now so I suppose looking thirty isn't so bad. Now if only I could feel like I'm thirty," he said as he leaned back into the couch with a groan.
"I'm sure with a proper night's rest you'll be running circles around these youngsters again in no time," Shakti countered.
He laughed.
"You and I are going to get along just fine. Don't work her too hard Ganesha. She knows how to give a proper compliment."
More chuckles filled the room.
"Only if you promise not to get yourself into more situations like this."
"I'm going to interpret that very narrowly as 'don't let Freya Charm you again', in which case, you have a deal. Now," he got up. "If no one minds, I need to get some rest given that I still plan to be training all these youngsters tomorrow, and yes, that includes you as well Aiz," he said. "As such, sleep is a necessity."
"Are you sure that's wise, Achilles-kun?" Hestia asked. "We would all understand if you need time to recuperate."
Everyone in the Hestia familia nodded.
"No, it's alright. Training will probably do me more good than an extra day of rest. And feel free to join us as well, Shakti-san. Maybe you and I can show these youngsters how we old-schoolers do things."
"I may take you up on that offer," she replied.
"Excellent. Now, I bid you all thank you for today and good night," he turned to Bell and bent down to kiss his forehead and hug him tightly. "Thank you...Son."
"No need to thank me, Dad."
Achilles felt tears in his eyes as he hugged Bell. He wanted to keep hugging him, to pour his feelings of joy and belonging into the young man, but knew he needed his rest and didn't want to embarrass him anymore than he already had.
"Good night," he whispered, before pulling away and walking out of the room to head for bed.
Everyone watched him go with smiles on their faces, none of which were brighter than Bell's.
"So…" Hestia said with a teasing smile. "Should we start calling you Bell Caesar?"
And finished. Alright, I know this one was shorter than most characters, but I hope you'll all forgive me that. Next chapter should be longer. I also hope that this was made up, at least a little for my little cliff-hanger. I'll try not to do that as much in the future since you all didn't seem to appreciate the teasing. Anyway, that segways into me now asking you what you thought of this chapter. Like it? Hate it? Please tell me and ways you think I may be able to improve. I do this because I love to write, but I do want to get better, so reviews are welcome. All that said, I think I'll sign off here so, until next time, bye for now.