I do not own Danmachi
At the center of Orario, the Hearthfire Manor slept in uneasy silence, the deities from a dozen familia occupying its guest rooms as they tried to lay their weary hearts and minds to rest.
However, not all the great immortals slept, for one had a mission of the greatest importance to complete.
The doorknob slowly turned and the door noiselessly opened, allowing the God of the Underworld to enter the room.
Hades closed the door as quietly as he opened it and began to look around the room for some sign of his objective.
Where are you hiding it, Achilles? He asked himself before sighing and rubbing his face. "I don't even know what 'it' is. A letter? An ancient scroll? What could possibly be the source of your knowledge of our lineage?" He whispered as he sighed again. Hopefully, whatever it is, I'll know it when I see it.
He began his search, checking under every piece of furniture, in every chest, through every drawer, and anywhere else he could think of. However, even after hours of searching, he found nothing that revealed how Achilles knew about the Titans, or even confirmed whether or not the former captain did know.
And all it cost me was a sleepless night, every ounce of my dignity, and a heart heavy enough to crush a mountain, he thought with bitter disappointment.
The god, downcast and disheartened, was about to leave the room, when the moonlight reflected off a framed picture, catching his attention.
Turning his ice and fire eyes down, a new wave of guilt washed over him as the smiling faces of Achilles and Bell stared back up at him.
Hades picked up the picture as softly as he would a newborn child and stared at Bell's beaming face.
"I'm sorry Bell," he whispered.
"For what?"
Hades jumped and spun around, his immortal heart stopping upon discovering Mania standing in front of the door.
"Mania? What are you doing here?"
"You're asking me that question? After snooping through my son's things for the last few hours?"
The god cursed himself for being foolish enough to believe his mission had gone undetected.
She's been suspicious of me for weeks, of course she would be watching, he noted, his eyes moving towards the goddess's glowing cat eyes and flicking tiger ears. But really, at this point, what's the point of secrecy? I need answers and politeness is worthless in the face of all that we have to lose.
Hades straightened up then met his fellow deity's eyes as he asked the question that could decide the fate of the entire world.
"What have you told Achilles about the Titans?"
Every ounce of righteous indignation turned to ash before Hades could so much as blink. In its place was a shock and dread so proud in Mania's eyes that, for a moment, he regretted asking the question. But only for a moment.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice quiet before a new, more powerful wave of righteous discontent rose from within her. "I haven't told him anything about our accursed parents, and never would! Why would you even assume that I had?!" she demanded.
"If you did not tell him and Zeus didn't tell him, then how did he find out about them?" the god pressed.
"Zeus?" the goddess responded, her voice cooling at the name. "You've seen him?"
Hades pulled out the magical orb from his pocket and showed it to her.
"I have always been able to contact my brother when need arose," he answered before returning the item to his pocket, "and I know when he's lying. He wasn't when he denied telling Achilles about our history."
"Why do you even assume that Achilles knows about it in the first place? Surely if he did he would have confronted us? My son can be rather blunt when he wants to know something," she pointed out.
"That may be true in most cases, but I am also sure he is completely capable of keeping secrets when he feels it is necessary. Even from you," Hades countered, earning a disbelieving look from Mania. "As for why I am convinced that he knows of our parents, the reason is due to something that happened in the Dungeon during the Great Expedition. Uriel told me that on the 50th floor our children heard a chorus of powerful voices come from the deepest recesses of the Dungeon. Voices that all cried out in unison, 'Liberator'."
Mania actually retreated back a step at that as her heart began to thunder in her chest.
"T-They…they spoke?"
"They did. Ouranos confirmed it as well," Hades informed her, "though the meaning of their cry is not certain," he quickly added, not wishing to give Mania time to contemplate on the matter. "Naturally, our children were alarmed and wondered who or what could have made the cry. That is, save for Achilles, who, according to Uriel, when questioned, confirmed that he knew precisely who the voices were."
Mania's legs gave out beneath her.
"T-That…can't be," she whispered as though she was afraid that if she spoke too loudly, the nightmare that was the truth would burst forth to consume them.
Hades stared at her for a few millennia-long moments, before sighing and going over to her to help her back to her feet.
"If it wasn't you then there are only two alternatives I can think of," he stated as he pulled her to her feet. "One," he held up a finger, "Hestia told him for some unknown reason, which I simultaneously doubt and hope is the case. Or two," his hand dropped as dread suffocated the room, "the truth of our past, our parents, Orarios, all of it…is still out in the world."
Mania swallowed hard. She knew all too well the danger that potential held.
"We need to speak to Hestia. Now," she stated.
"Mmm, Bell-kun," Hestia whispered in her sleep as she pulled her pillow closer to her ample chest as she sought comfort and reassurance.
Her uneasy sleep ended when the goddess was abruptly awoken by the violently shaking hand of Mania.
"Whaaa? What's going on?" the small goddess mumbled as she groggily rose from her bed and blinked her eyes clear of sleep, only to be confronted by the image of Mania and Hades standing before her. For a moment, her confusion deepened, but that confusion soon turned into alarm as Hestia noted that both had the most serious expressions she had ever seen etched into their faces. "What's going on? Has the expedition returned? Has something happened?" she questioned in quick succession.
"Not yet," Mania answered with unnerving coldness, "but we need to ask you something Hestia and you must answer honestly. Do you understand Hestia? We need an honest and complete answer. Understood?"
The alarms in Hestia's mind practically deafened her at this point, but eventually, and uneasily, she nodded.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Did you tell Achilles about the Titans?" Hades questioned without a moment's hesitation, having long since lost his patience.
To the surprise of both her unnerving guests, Hestia did not look alarmed nor shocked, instead she merely sighed.
"Let's gather the others so that I don't have to repeat myself and we can decide what to do rationally."
With that, the Goddess of the Hearth rose from her bed, tied her hair back and exited her room, the other two deities sharing a look before following after her.
Athena stared out at her city which, even in the dark of the night, still dazzled the eyes and brought a smile to her face.
"Athena-sama?"
The Goddess of Wisdom turned.
"What is it Metis?"
"Mordred-sama has finally contacted us."
That piqued the goddess's interest.
"I was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to report back to us. Very good. You may go get some sleep Metis, you've earned it."
"I'll sleep when you do, Athena-sama," her captain replied with a smile.
Athena smiled back. Smiles came easier these days as, ever since her confrontation with Mania, she had been trying to be a little more open and optimistic. It did not come easily, but these days the smiles were less forced and, silly as it sounded, her days seemed a bit brighter.
The power of optimistic thinking, I suppose, Athena joked to herself.
"Then let's see what our tardy mage has to say," the goddess stated as she and her captain headed for her room.
The two entered and made their way towards a large table where a single, magical stone sat as if patiently waiting for their arrival.
"I'm here Mordred," Athena called towards the stone.
A moment later, the image of the powerful mage appeared, the sight of which made Metis gasp and Athena's eyes widened.
"Mordred, what happened?! You're covered in blood!"
"It's not mine," the elven mage replied casually. "I just happened to stumble upon an interesting little cult here in Orario. One that seemed to be planning something big from what I could tell."
This did nothing to ease either the goddess nor her captain and deepened their confusion.
"A cult? You mean some sort of Evilus organization?" Athena questioned.
"No, I don't think so," the elf replied. "These guys, whoever they were, are different from any Evilus I've come across. They didn't have a god or goddess they were centered around, or even a person. Instead, they were all centered around a book."
"A book?" Athena questioned, her confusion only growing.
"Yeah, a big old tome in a very nice leather biding and with a name I've never heard of. That in itself is a real surprise since I've heard of and read practically every book in the world. But maybe you'll know it Athena," Mordred replied before she held up the tome.
Time stopped as the air was sucked from Athena's lungs.
It…it can't be.
"Athena-sama?" Metis called.
Athena's horrified eyes did not leave the book for even a second.
"Burn it."
"What?" Mordred asked, her brow knitting together and her eyes filled with confusion.
"Burn that book, immediately, that is an order," Athena commanded.
"Okay, now I'm really curious what's in this thing. I mean, what kind of secrets could this hold that makes you so worr-"
"BURN IT!" Athena roared, making both Metis and Mordred jump.
The two mortals stared at the goddess for what seemed like an eternity before Mordred's image finally nodded.
"Alright…if it really means that much to you," she calmly replied. A second later, she whispered a spell and the tome burned to ash in her hand. "Done."
Athena, however, was far from appeased.
"Are there any members of that cult left?"
"No, they were quite fanatical and very protective of that book. They all fought til the end, the crazy buggers," the elf answered.
"And you're sure there are no other copies of that work?" Athena pressed.
"I doubt they would have fought so hard if there was."
"Double-check. That book cannot be allowed to exist. If even a single copy is permitted to survive, the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance."
Mordred and Metis shared a look, before the mage nodded.
"I'll take another look, I promise," Mordred assured the goddess.
Athena nodded.
"Please," she whispered.
Mordred nodded again, then ended her spell, causing the crystal to go dark.
"Athena-sama," Metis called as she drew closer, "is that book really so dangerous?"
Athena slowly raised her head and met the mortal's eyes.
"That book could mean the end of the gods, Metis. Me, Apollo, Mania, Hera, Zeus, all of us," her goddess answered. "It holds within it the power to destroy everything we have built and turn the world completely upside down."
Metis swallowed but soon afterwards straightened her back as a look of determination filled her eyes.
"I shall begin a search for it immediately to ensure no copies of that evil text exist within the city."
"Do that," Athena agreed, "but take only Agrippina. This matter must be dealt with as silently as possibly and with only the most trusted of allies." Metis nodded and moved to leave, when her goddess called out to her again. "Before you go…tell Apollo to see me. Now."
"It shall be done, Athena-sama."
Metis all but ran out of the room, leaving Athena and her trembling hands behind.
It was translated. That means…
"Someone out there knows the truth about us…and is telling the world," she finished.
"What's this about, Chibi?" Loki yawned while the other deities looked on with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
Instead of answering, Hestia, with an unnerving serious look, turned to Hades.
"Are the silencing wards in place?" she inquired.
"They are," the god concerned, his glowing eyes not leaving her for a second.
"Silencing wards? This must be quite the important little meeting if you pulled those out," Hermes joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. However, no one was in the mood for laughter, not with the God of the Underworld looking so serious.
Hestia took a deep breath.
"Repeat your question, Hades," she instructed.
Hades paused for a moment as he wondered if it was truly wise to bring so many deities into this matter.
No, they must know if we are to have any chance of preventing this crisis into a true disaster, he decided.
"Did you tell Achilles about the Titans?"
In an instant, every immortal eye widened to the size of dinner plates before shooting towards the unnaturally stone-faced Hestia.
"No," the hearth goddess answered firmly, "but he is fully aware of our history. All of it. The Titans. Gaia. The Treaty of Orarios. All of it."
"WHAT?!" the gods cried with Hephaestus taking the lead as she rushed towards her friend. "He knows?! How?!"
"I don't know how, but there's no doubt that he does. He knew things no one could possibly guess and names not spoken by mortals for centuries," Hestia replied before turning her sapphire eyes, "Loki can also confirm what I've said."
All eyes moved to Loki, who, for once, had her eyes open to meet their demanding eyes.
"You knew as well?" Ganesha questioned, his usual playful tone utterly gone as he all-but glared at the trickster goddess.
"I know what Hestia told me. To make a long story short, back when we were having issues, Chibi stormed into my place and casually dropped that not only does Sparky know about Gaia and the Treaty of Orarios, but also that Sparky Senior's got a bunch of ancient and powerful items hidden away, including something that belongs to your dear old dad," Loki explained, pointing at Hades.
"I hardly stormed in and I certainly didn't drop all that information casually," Hestia countered, "but yes, that does about sum up what I told her."
"That answers some questions, but raises so many more," Freya stated as she wracked her memory for any hint that Achilles knew the truth back before the banishment.
"But it doesn't explain how Achilles knows about our past!" Take pointed out, his voice filled with anxiety and his body tense with stress and anxiety.
"We all already know how Sparky knows, we just don't want to say the answer out loud," Loki jumped back in, drawing all eyes back to her. "There's only one way he could know. We missed something…or worse…someone."
Silence fell over the room as fear, true, unrestrained fear, filled each of their ancient hearts.
"Neither of you know how he came to learn the truth?" Astraea asked, looking between Hestia and Mania.
Both shook their heads.
"I was as shocked as all of you when he casually dropped Father's name," Hestia vowed.
"I love my son, but I never planned to tell him about our lineage and certainly not about the Ancient War," Mania subsequently swore.
"And it wasn't Zeus," Hades added, "he swore to both me and Hera that he never told Achilles anything," Hades added, holding up his orb to answer the obvious next question.
Once more, they all sat in silence, processing this new and terrible information.
"We have to find out what he knows and how he learned it," Hermes finally stated with eerie seriousness, "and we can't be gentle about it if he's resistant. Either he tells us everything willingly or," he eyes Mania, Hestia, and Freya, "we force it out of him."
Mania's fur bristled, Hestia's eyes widened, and Freya's fists tightened.
"Are you daring to suggest that we torture my son?" the Goddess of Curses hissed as her eyes glowed a sickly purple.
"Yes, that is exactly what I'm suggesting, and you should understand completely why I am," the messenger god replied instantly and without trepidation. "We cannot let this information infection grow. We must find the source of this knowledge disease and cut it out without hesitation or it risks everything we have built and fought for in all these millennia. Nothing we have faced poses as much of a risk to us as this information, outside of the Black Dragon itself. No Evilus. No squabble amongst ourselves. Even the lesser monsters don't pose so much of a threat to us, or have you all forgotten how, even after a millennia of fighting, we were stuck in a stalemate with the mortals? And that was before the creation of the Dragon."
"None of us have forgotten, Hermes," Hades shot back darkly, "but I think I speak for this room when I say that it would be preferably to avoid torturing one of our children."
Hestia and Freya were quick to agree, as was Mania, though she seemed more interested in tearing out Hermes's throat at the moment.
"We shall find out the truth," the God of the Underworld continued, "nonviolently," he added, turning to Mania.
"We'd better, because I will not sit by while that information is at risk of spreading," Hermes affirmed, his eyes centering on his opposing deities, "even if I must go to the other gods to ensure that this leak is silenced."
Mania and Freya sneered at the gods, but both Hades and Hestia could not help but notice that looks on the other's faces.
They're in the same mindset. They don't like it, but if it means silencing our secrets, they will silence Achilles, Hestia realized as she turned her fearful eyes towards Hades.
We must have hope, sister, he silently told her, for in the end, that's all we have now.
Hestia nodded, but inside she felt as if her heart was sinking into the very pit of her stomach.
"My lord," the elf greeted as he and all his companions took a knee.
A single, blood red eye stared down at the gathering of mortals.
"The Age of Freedom is drawing near. Soon, the key will be ready to free the rightful rulers of this world," the dark, menacing voice boomed above them.
"We rejoice at such wonderful news, my lord. How may we assist in the return of our true parents?" the elf asked, almost breathless with anticipation.
"You must continue your work and prepare the world for the return of the true gods. Spread the truth far and wide. Let all know of the false gods' treason and the wonders of the world to come. The peace. The security. The justice. The prosperity. Tell the world the truth of our rightful lords. The truth of the Titans."
"It shall be done, Lord Chaos," the elf replied as he and all his companions rose to their feet and rushed from the mountaintop to fulfill their mission.
Chaos watched with the same malevolent pleasure he felt the day he crushed the Zeus and Hera familias.
"Your reign is over, traitors. The Time of the Titans has come again, and this time, it shall not end. My son and I will ensure that."
Done.
Hello everyone. I know it's been a very long time since you've heard from me, the longest I've ever gone dark on this story before, and I apologize for that. This story has become increasingly difficult to write as life and my plans for it have been continuously waylaid by the difficulties of trying to formulate a path ahead. Even so, I didn't want to leave this year or Christmas without giving you all something, and so I managed, with the help of my trusty typewriter, to write this out just in time. So, with the greatest of thanks for those that are still here and my best wishes, Merry Christmas to you all, and the Happiest of New Years! I'll see you all soon.