Disclaimer: (Keys up megaphone, ignoring feedback) "For the last time! This is an original work hatched in the devious mind of one MadPanda--who, disguised as Don Johnson, a mild-mannered writer for a great metroolitan fanfic archive--fights a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice, and free pocky for everyone!""
Ikimashou yo!
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Chapter Ten - Game Over
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"Ugh!", Phoebe groaned as she tried to lift herself off of the sofa. "Cursed mortality! If this is what mortals feel like every morning, I want no part of it!" The sound of her own voice made her headache worse.
"Relax, Phoebe-sama. It is only a hangover." Misaki came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee, which she offered to the former goddess. "You should drink this. It will make you feel better."
Phoebe blindly gestured to the coffee table. "Just set it there, please. I'll get to it momentarily..or as soon as the world decided to settle." She heard the cup and saucer being placed gently on the table. "Thank you, Misaki-san. How did things go last night?"
"Well," Misaki said with a blush. "See for yourself."
Phoebe finally allowed herself to open her eyes, and thought she was having a hallucination. Before her stood Misaki, dressed in an ornate silk bathrobe, her head bowed and face fully blushed. A warm glow surrounded her, just bright enough to not blind the former goddess' eyes. Misaki was radiance personified.
Phoebe closed her eyes for a moment, and opened them again, making sure this wasn't another side effect of human alcoholism. Then she remembered the visitation Misaki was to have received last night. "So, I take it things went well?"
"Oh, yes, Phoebe-sama!" Misaki's smile was brighter than her aura. She told the sandy-haired woman about the dream she had in which Amaterasu appeared, and the gift she received from the Shinto sun goddess. "I would like to show it to you, but I do not believe it is best, considering your, 'condition'."
Phoebe forgave the smirk on the young girl's face. "Goddesses do not have hangovers." She huffed, then the two women shared a small laugh. "Does Alexa know of this?"
"She does, Phoebe-sama. We talked about it before we...um...before she went back to sleep."
The deepening blush in Misaki's face told Phoebe a little more than she needed to know. "This is good news, then! Now that you have received your gift, I am sure Alexa will be able to reclaim hers."
Misaki's eyes widened. "Reclaim? Do you mean she can really become immortal again? And what of her visions?"
"Quiet, please!" Phoebe's head was still pounding, and Misaki's excited voice was only making it worse. She remembered the cup of coffee on the table, and took a few sips of the strong brew. "It was part of the bargain Zeus made with Amaterasu. She has to accept her abilities willingly, though after the night you two shared, I'm sure she will choose to do so." Her sly smile made Misaki turn away in embarrassment. "Is she still asleep?"
"Yes, Phoebe-sama," Misaki answered over her shoulder. "Should I wake her?"
"No, let her sleep. She must wake up under her own power, otherwise you may interrupt her dream." Phoebe took in more of the coffee, and sat back in the sofa as her head began to clear.
"I understand, Phoebe-sama." Misaki finally turned around to again face the other woman. "Would you like some breakfast?"
"Yes, thank you. And you do not have to refer to me as 'Phoebe-sama'. Right now, you are more of a goddess than I."
"No, Phoebe-sama...Phoebe-chan," Misaki corrected herself. "You may have lost your power, but that is only temporary. You are still a goddess and always will be." With that, Misaki bowed and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
'You had better hold on to this one, Alexa,' Phoebe mused to herself.
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Alexa had noticed a few changes had been made since her last foray into the park of her dreams. For one thing, it was as silent as a grave. The carousel had stopped working, so the beautiful music of its calliope was not to be heard. No animals greeted her; no birds were in the trees or in the sky. Even the sky was empty, with neither the sun nor moon present...
"Hmmm...I guess this means I'm not supposed to be here today." Alexa raised herself from the bench and started to leave, but stopped when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. "An owl?"
The large-eyed bird flew to Alexa's side and spoke to her in a feminine voice. "So, you are content to just leave things as they are and go back to the waking world?"
Alexa took in her still surroundings once again. "I guess so, since nothing seems to be going on."
"And you would be fine with just leaving it this way?"
The redhead shrugged her shoulders and stared off into the distance. "Well, it's not like I can do anything about it."
"That is how you handle most everything, isn't it, Cassandra?" The owl's voice was accusatory, almost scolding. "You leave things as they are, not giving yourself the chance to change them "
"Hey, it's not my fault! I can't change fate! If things are meant to be a certain way, then who am I to go against that?"
The owl shook her head, "Have you not learned anything...especially from Yume?"
"What does she have to do with this?" Alexa snapped. "And who gives you the right to judge me?"
"It is what I do." The owl hopped off of the bench and onto the ground, morphing itself into a tall woman with shoulder-length brown hair. "I am Athena, goddess of wisdom and truth. I am here to show you how you really are, and to give you the opportunity to change."
"Look, I've beaten myself up enough for leaving Yume, and she has forgiven me. I'm past that now. Why are you bothering me?"
"Because it is still your nature to leave things to fate. If she had not forgiven you via her daughter, you would not have tried to seek out her forgiveness. Just as with your abilities. Whether you wanted to keep them or not, you let then be taken away from you without a fight."
Alexa listened to all of the goddess' accusations and could not argue against them. "I was relieved to not have those damn visions anymore! How would you like to go around with that kind of horror in your head forever? Knowing how so many millions of people would die, but being powerless to do anything about it."
"But you -are- able to do something about it. Your herald Misaki had the ability to understand you. Between the two of you, many lives could have been saved. Yet you allowed your gift to be taken away from you."
"That was no gift...it was a curse!!" Alexa's anger made the goddess take a step back. "Now I'm free of it! Now I'm happy! Don't I have the right to be happy?"
"You do," Athena said softly, trying to calm the raging woman. "But you also deserve to be happy on your own terms. Can you truly say you are happy, now that you are a mortal and Misaki is not?"
"As long I have her, I'm fine!"
"And what happens when you no longer have her?"
Alexa paused for a moment, as Misaki's voice saying the word 'forever' echoed in her head. "Forever. She said we could be together forever. But it's not that simple, is it?"
"It is if you want it to be, Cassandra. All you have to do is want it, accept it of your own free will, and it is yours. You can change your fate, and that of so many others."
"But...that would mean I would have to accept the visions again, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, it does." Athena approached the woman and sat down beside her. "Cassandra...Alexa, I was present at the trial of Artemis and Apollo, and I know what you have been through. As Artemis has told you, we are trying to correct our mistakes. As a condition of Misaki receiving her gift from Amaterasu, we were told to offer you your abilities back in total. We were not forced to give them to you, so you are not forced to take them... Given your love for the herald, and her ability to help you, I think you would make the right decision."
"To be with her forever...I would do anything for that. I would endure any pain if it meant I could be with her forever." Alexa finally smiled and turned to Athena. "I won't make the same mistake I made with Yume, Athena. Please, let me have my abilities back. Please let me be with Misaki forever!"
"All you had to do was ask!" Athena gave a broad smile, turned back into an owl and flew off into the distance. Alexa felt a cool breeze blowing against her skin, as the sound of birds returned to the park. The sun was rising, and she was sure that soon, the carousel would start once again.
Another sound reached Alexa's ears as a vehicle approached her along the pathway. It was a plain white delivery truck, with the word "ACME" emblazoned on the side. The truck pulled to a stop in front of the bench where Alexa sat, and out stepped a man in a white uniform.
"Package for Alexa Melanos," the man said, holding the small box under one arm and holding out an electronic tablet. "Sign here, please!"
Alexa looked at the man dubiously, then signed the tablet. "Let me guess......Hermes?"
"Hey, it's a livin'!" The messenger god grinned and handed Alexa the small package. "There's a little extra in there from some of the other gods... It'll help you along." Hermes climbed back into the truck. "Well, gotta go. There's a coyote out in the desert waiting for his latest package! Say hello to Artemis for me, 'kay!" And with that, the truck sounded two beeps and peeled off into the distance.
Alexa shook her head with a laugh, then examined the package. It was a simple white box marked 'Acme See-It-All Instant Oracle Kit'. "You've got to be kidding," she smirked as she opened the box and found a small vial of fluid. "If I turn into a hairy monster or something, I'll make sure to kill Hermes first." Alexa took a sniff of the murky liquid and was amazed that it smelled like coffee. "Oh well, here's goes nothing!" She downed the stuff in one gulp.
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"Good morning, honey!"
"Good morning yourself, baby!" Paul yawned, roused from his slumber. He turned over to find not Kurumi, but Eris lying next to him in bed.
"What the hell are you doing here? Where's Kurumi?"
Eris placed a finger to his lips. "She's in the shower, silly boy! Now keep your voice down...don't want her to know what Daddy's doin', now do ya?"
Paul kept his voice to a menacing whisper. "Why are you here, slut?"
"Awww...is that anyway to talk to a comrade? I'm just here to remind you that we're good to go. All you have to do is give us a sign, and that whole 'friendship and harmony' shindig will be history!"
"Whatever, as long as I get rid of--"
"Yeah, yeah...look, you being mortal and all, you might want to pay attention to certain details concerning your little girl/lover...details you haven't quite planned for." Eris' voice hinted at something, but the former sun god wasn't hearing it.
"Nonsense! I have planned for every detail. Just make sure you keep up your end, and things will be fine. Now get out!"
"You're cute...myopic, but cute!" Eris left the bed, naked as the day she was born. "Don't say I didn't warn you!" The swirl of black leaves marked her exit, disappearing just as Kurumi exited from the shower.
"Who were you talking to, Paul?"
"Oh, just some contacts in Pyongyang and Tokyo. I wanted to confirm the schedule for the ferry launch today." He beckoned her to come back to bed, but she declined, choosing instead to gather some clothes.
"Sorry, Paul, but we'd better get started. We'd have had more time if we went straight to Busan from Shimonoseki. It's quite a trip down from here."
"Hey, you're gonna quibble over free plane tickets? Besides, you wouldn't want to ride the ferry both ways, would you?" Paul kept up his cool demeanor. "And it's a nice scenic trip, too!"
"You've got a point." She called out as she returned to the bathroom. "Now get up already! We've got a lot to do today!"
"That we do," Apollo mumbled under his breath. "That we do."
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"An apple?" Misaki's eyes widened. "The whole thing started over an apple?"
Phoebe grinned. "Well, it wasn't just any apple, it was a Golden Apple. Whoever claimed it was to be worthy of Paris' love."
"And he was Alexa's brother, right?"
"Yes. As handsome as she is beautiful. All the women loved him, and I dare say a few men as well. When Eris tossed that apple into the wedding party, you should have seen the mad scramble for--" Phoebe's story was cut short as Alexa poked her head into the kitchen. The former goddess tried to stifle a laugh, but couldn't resist.
Misaki turned to see what brought about such a reaction. "Wh-what happened to you, Alexa-chan? And why do you smell like burnt coffee??"
"I dunno," the redhead slurred. "I was in the middle of a dream, and when I woke up, It felt like something exploded in my face." Sure enough, her face was covered in soot, as was the front of the long nightshirt she wore. Her hair was windblown, with patches of ash and soot all over it.
"You didn't by any chance receive a package from Hermes in your dream, did you?" Phoebe asked between giggles.
"How did you know?"
"Call it a hunch...his packages always backfire." Phoebe got up and offered a damp cloth to Alexa. "Here, take care of yourself."
"Coulda been worse, I guess. There is a good side to this....I have my abilities back!"
Misaki left her chair and jumped in Alexa's arms, almost knocking the taller girl into a nearby counter. "This is wonderful news! Have you tried them out yet?"
"Not yet...I'm still waking up," Alexa grinned.
Phoebe sat back in her chair with a worried look. "Does this mean I am forgiven for what I have done to you?"
The redhead looked over her girlfriend's shoulder at the other woman and smiled. "Yes. Yes it does, Phoebe. I know you were only trying to be kind to me, and I shouldn't have held that against you. If anything, I should be thanking you; if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have met Yume, and I wouldn't have met Misaki." She gave the smaller girl a big hug. "You wanted to give me a chance at happiness, and you've done that twice over. Thank you, Phoebe."
"Yes, thank you, Phoebe-sama!" Misaki said, echoing Alexa's gratitude.
The sandy-haired woman felt a blush creep up on her face, as well as a smile that wouldn't stop widening.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Misaki pulled away from Alexa's arms. "Amaterasu-sama said I was to help Ku-chan unlock her own abilities. Do you know what they are, Phoebe-sama?"
The former goddess thought for a moment. "Not off-hand, but I would assume she would have some of Apollo's traits. I don't think foresight would be one, as you have the Light of Truth and Alexa has premonitions. That would leave some...pretty interesting options. Apollo is also the god of healing, as well as the bringer of plagues. He is also the god of archery and poetry, and he controls--well, controlled--the Muses. I suggest we find her and see what her gifts are for ourselves."
"Yes, and we'd better do it soon," Alexa chimed in. "There's no telling what he'd do to her...even without his power."
"I'm so happy we can help Ku-chan...and that everything will turn out well!"
"I'm happy too, Misaki-chan!" The renewed prophetess joined the other two at the table. "I'm also hungry. What's for breakfast?"
"Eggs, toast, rice if you want, and there's still some coffee left."
"Oh no, no more coffee for me! I'll have tea instead!"
The three women laughed and shared their first breakfast together.
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The drive from Seoul to Busan was indeed beautiful, as Paul said it would be. Unfortunately, Kurumi didn't get to enjoy much of it. Her mind was somewhere else, letting the scenery blur by her. She didn't mind doing the story, as any international endeavor always had plenty of politicians around to dig up dirt on. Her mind fell instead on her growing distance from Paul. The more she sat beside him, the more she felt the butterflies in her stomach had morphed into small birds, fighting to get out of their cramped cage. With each passing kilometer, the need to set those birds free became more urgent.
"Can we...can we pull over?" the reporter asked. "I don't feel so good.'
Paul gave the raven-haired woman a curious look, then swerved off of the road. "Sure, baby...you're not car-sick, are you?"
Kurumi undid the seatbelt and tried to exit the car. "No...not usually. I just...I just need to step out for a bit." She took two steps outside of the car, dropped to her knees, and emptied her stomach on the ground.
She did feel a little better in the cold air, but that feeling died when Paul came over and wrapped his arms around her. "No! Just let me be! I'll be alright in a moment!" She hadn't realized she was yelling at him, or that she had practically ripped herself from his grasp.
Paul's patience was beginning to wear thin. This was an unforeseen inconvenience--one he didn't have time for. "Come on, honey. Get back in the car. Once we get to Busan, I'll get you a--"
"I said NO!!" Kurumi turned on him, her voice full of fear, and to Paul's surprise, unnaturally loud. "I don't know what's going on, but whenever I'm near you lately I feel...I don't know...repulsed!" She felt another wave of sickness coming on, and tried her best to keep her coat from being splattered.
Paul had had enough. "I don't have time for this," he mumbled under his breath, marching over to the ill woman and grabbing her by the collar of her coat. "Get in the car, Kurumi!"
Once again, she tore herself away from him. "Paul! What are you doing? What's go--!!" The last thing Kurumi remembered was something hitting her head extremely hard, twice. She didn't know what the first was, but the second was definitely the frozen ground. It was the last thing she saw before everything went black.
"Oh, what a manly thing to do! Hitting a girl when she's down." Eris' voice sarcastically called out from inside the car. "What's next? You're gonna drag her over here by her hair like the Neanderthal you are?"
"Shut up and open the back seat so I can put her in!" Paul snorted. He picked up Kurumi roughly and literally flung her into the car, caring not how she landed.
"I'd hate to see how you treat your children...oh wait! She IS your child!" Eris shook her finger at him scoldingly. "You're a bad daddy! I should report you for child abuse...among other things!"
"Just shut up and get in! We still have a long way to go!"
"So bossy!! I don't even know why I listen to you. It's not like you're a god anymore."
"You do it because you get off on the mayhem, you twisted bitch!" Paul said as he re-entered from the driver's side and started the engine.
"Well, yeah," Eris smiled. "There is that. Besides. I have my own reasons."
"Whatever. Just shut up, will you? You're giving me a headache!"
"Have you forgotten, dear Apollo? That one of the things I do best!" Eris' shrill laughter echoed in the car as it sped toward Busan.
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"Do you know where your sister is, Misaki...chan?" Phoebe nervously added the honorific, and was pleased by the smaller woman's approving nod.
"Usually she is working at the newspaper office, but they often send her out into the field." She turned to Alexa, holding her hand. "Could you see where she is, oh great and powerful prophetess?"
Alexa slapped her girlfriend's hand lightly and laughed. "I could probably tell you where she -will- be and what will happen to her, but I don't think I can tell you where she is now. You, oh bright and shiny one, have that power."
Misaki's smile brightened. "I do? Really? How do I do that?" she asked excitedly.
"It's very simple," Alexa smirked. "Just call her on her phone and ask her where she is!"
Phoebe couldn't help but laugh as Misaki's lips pursed into a pout. "That wasn't nice, Alexa," the sandy-haired woman giggled.
Misaki gave her girlfriend a smile. "I had that coming, did I not?"
"You did...now call her."
"She's not picking up! It went straight to voice mail." Misaki didn't like the feel she was getting after making the call. It wasn't unusual for Kurumi not to answer her phone, but for some reason, the younger Ohta sister felt something was wrong. "Could you try for me, Alexa-chan?"
"It doesn't usually work that way, remember? The visions come to me, I don't go looking for them." Alexa thought a moment. "Then again, with your help and a stronger vibration, maybe..." She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to seek out Kurumi in the future. After a couple minutes, her green eyes opened wide and glowed intensely, tears flowing from them. She had found her target, but it was a horrible sight. She then reached for Misaki's hands, gripping them and using them as an anchor. The prophetess' eyes dimmed slightly as she began to wind the vision backward, as close to the present as she possibly could. There was a lot of darkness, but it ended suddenly as Alexa felt Kurumi being struck.
Misaki watched at the light went out in her lover's eyes and they returned to normal. "Phoebe-chan, please go up and get a cool damp cloth!" She waited for the former goddess to leave, then spoke to Alexa, her voice just above a whisper. "What did you see, Alexa-chan?"
"We have to get to Busan as soon as possible!" She told Misaki what she saw, and the younger girl covered her mouth in horror.
"Can we prevent this?" Misaki cried. "Can we save her? We need her to stop him!"
"Did she find Kurumi?" Phoebe asked as she handed the damp cloth to Misaki.
"Yes! She's going to Busan with your brother, and he's going to kill her!" Misaki glared at the doe-eyed woman, snatching the cloth from Phoebe and gently wiping Alexa's sweaty face with it.
"It's not her fault, Misaki-chan," Alexa sighed. "No need to take it out on her." The redhead took the cloth and continued to wipe her own face.
"I'm sorry, Phoebe-sama," Misaki bowed. "I was upset with him, and lashed out at you. Please accept my apologies."
Phoebe placed a hand on Misaki's shoulder. "I understand your anger. We have to do something. Were you able to see exactly where they were going to be, Alexa?"
"Yes. The Busan Ferry Terminal." Alexa did some quick calculations, but frowned with each answer. "We can't get there in time by conventional means. I think I can get us there, if all of my powers have been restored..."
Phoebe nodded her comprehension, but Misaki looked confused. "What do you mean, Alexa-chan?"
"Think about it, Misaki-chan. How do you think I was able to get from place to place so quickly with only ancient transportation?"
The brunette thought for a moment, then smiled when the answer came to her. "You can teleport?"
"I used to be able to, but it was always alone, and since I couldn't be sure if I landed on someone, it was always tricky. Doing it with two other people--if I can do it at all--will be even trickier."
"I have an idea!" Phoebe stood up, bringing Misaki with her. "See if you can tell if what Alexa said is true. While you're looking, see if there's a place we can land that is out of view of the general public."
"A brilliant idea!" Misaki's aura glowed brightly as she held out one hand in a loose fist. "Shinjitsu!" she yelled, and the Light of Truth appeared. She pointed the lantern towards Alexa, and an image of a busy seaport appeared behind the prophetess. A ferry marked "Venture" came into closer view. A black town car pulled into the ferry's loading bay, and Paul could be seen inside, as well as another woman..
"Eris!" Phoebe hissed. "What is she doing there?"
There were many other people gathering at what looked like a large reviewing stand, complete with banners, flags and a podium. With all of the attention there, a nearby alley was empty.
"There! We will go there, Alexa-chan!" Misaki recalled the lantern, and drew her aura into herself. "We must hurry!"
"I'll do my best!" Alexa said nervously. It really had been quite awhile since she teleported. She had become fond of taking her sweet time to get from place to place, only using teleportation when absolutely necessary. "I'm going to need your help, Misaki-chan. Phoebe, since you don't have your powers, you stand between us." When the other woman did as she was told, Alexa and Misaki took each other's hands, encircling Phoebe. Once again Misaki's golden aura glowed brightly, while Alexa drew the power in and sent it back in a wave of green light.
Phoebe watched the light show repeat and increase in ebb and flow, until she herself was bathed in warm pale green light. It only took a couple seconds, but it seemed to her like time had slowed and the world outside the light had faded away.
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A good-sized throng had gathered to hear the local politicians crow about the new ferry. So enthralled were they that they didn't notice the bright light that flashed not far from them. Three women soon emerged from the nearby alley, a bit wobbly but no worse.
"Good thing we all ate before we left," Misaki joked.
Alexa ignored the comment. "Come on, let's get closer to the ferry." The three women moved around the crowd, and into the terminal. "It doesn't look like they've arrived yet."
"That is good," Phoebe mused. "We can get to the loading bay before they do." As they made their way down to the auto bay, Phoebe noticed two guards at the entrance. "We have to get past them."
"Leave that to me!" Misaki's confidence surprised both Phoebe and Alexa. She came out from behind the corner where they were hiding, and strode over to the two men.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" One of the guards said.
"No, but I can help you." Misaki's soft voice drew both guards closer. "You both must be very tired, and in need of some rest." Her aura began to glow, and soon the guards were enveloped in its soothing warmth. They both slumped to the ground, lost in a peaceful sleep.
Misaki drew in her aura, admired her handiwork, then turned to the other women, beckoning them to come quickly.
"Has she done that before?" Phoebe asked as they ran toward Misaki.
"Not exactly..." Alexa's blush and sly giggle made Phoebe lose a step. They soon reached Misaki, and all three moved on to the auto bay, dragging the sleeping guards with them.
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"Good! They haven't started yet!" Paul took in the surroundings, then turned to Eris. "Go tend to your minions. I'll let you know when I'm ready."
"You sure you want to go through with this?" she asked, giving him one last chance to reconsider. "I'm telling you, Apollo, you might want to--"
"Damn it, woman! Just shut up and do what I asked!" Paul's head felt like it was going to split open. "Get out of here!"
"Have it your way!" Eris left the car, slamming the door behind her. Rather than transporting away, she walked into the crowd. Paul wondered for a moment why she chose to do so, but then dismissed it as he had more important things to worry about. He drove towards the ferry's auto bay.
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"We christen thee, 'Venture'!" Two women, one Japanese and one Korean, pressed a button on the podium as they stood on the reviewing stand. A large champagne bottle swung from a crane, crashing into the side of the ferry. The crowd cheered as the ferry's horn blew, and they moved toward the ferry's passenger entrance.
From their vantage point in the auto bay, the three women saw cars beginning to approach the ferry.
"Is he in any of those vehicles?" Phoebe asked.
"He should be in the black town car--that one!" Misaki pointed to the first car to enter the ferry. It moved in and found a parking spot. "Something is not right," the brunette noted. "I see Paul-san, but the woman who was with him is not there."
"Maybe she's up with the crowd," Alexa answered. "Whatever the case, we have to get over there before he moves her!"
The three women started to move, but were startled by Paul's voice. "You can come out now! I know you're already here!" He exited the car and casually leaned against it, waiting for the women to show. "I had thought you'd be here lying in wait. Just like my dear sister the huntress to do something so predictable!"
Phoebe glared at her brother. "It does not matter, Apollo! Your game ends here!"
"I think not, Artemis! Even between the three of you, you cannot stop me! You have no powers, and the younger Ohta is nothing more than a walking light show." He then scowled at Alexa. "You, my former student...even if you do have your powers back--as I'm sure you were stupid enough to ask for--what are you doing to do, tell me my future?"
"Don't dismiss us so easily, Apollo!" Alexa shot back. "You yourself are no longer a god, which makes you all that easier to kill!"
"That may be so, but I have friends as well!" A swirl of black leaves rose up behind Apollo, and Eris emerged from them.
"Well, looks like the party's about to start, eh?"
"Where have you been? You were supposed to be here." Apollo angry spat at the spiky-haired blonde.
"I have my own agenda to deal with here, you know," Eris mused. "Can't pass up an excellent opportunity for mayhem!"
"Why are you working for him, Eris?" Phoebe demanded.
"Who said I was working -for-him, dear Artemis? I'm working -with- him!" She quickly disappeared, then reappeared with Kurumi, who was still unconscious. "Wakey-wakey, sleeping beauty!" she sing-songed, slapping the raven-haired reporter. "You don't want to miss this!"
"Stop it!! Let her go!!" Misaki started to charge at Eris, but Alexa held her back.
"Not yet, Misaki-chan! We can't fight her!"
"Listen to your lover, little girl!" Apollo teased. "I'm running this game, and you'll move when I tell you!"
Kurumi started to stir, the pain loudly registering in her head. "What.......what's going on? Paul! Why did you attack me?"
Eris turned her roughly to face the other women. "Your boyfriend brought you to play with your sister and her friends. Isn't that nice of him?"
Misaki broke free of Alexa's grip, but was stopped short by Eris' glare. "You don't want to try me, little one!"
A bewildered Kurumi stared into Apollo's eyes, searching for some sign of the person she had been in love with. Apollo met her confused stare with laughter. "Why, Paul? Why are you doing this?"
"Maybe you should ask your little sister and her lover! They know all about it!"
"What is he talking about, Misaki-chan? What's going on here?"
Alexa stepped up behind her girlfriend. "There's no other way to do this, Misaki-chan. Just show her."
Kurumi's eyes widened as Misaki started to glow, her aura covering both her and Alexa. "Shinjitsu!" she called, and the Light of Truth appeared. Kurumi's mind had trouble registering what it was seeing at first; so many images, so many strange ideas to try to grasp.
"What is all this? Gods, goddesses, curses, Alexa-chan and our mother? The Kobe quake...oh no! Misaki-chan...and Paul! Why? How did Misaki-chan...?" As her mind asked question after question, the Light answered it in vivid detail at the speed of thought. Soon it all became clear, even down to the reason for her repulsion to her lover-turned-torturer.
Kurumi eyes widened in fear and disgust. "You're my...my father?"
"Not exactly 'daddy dearest', but at least he waited until you were grown up to molest you!" Eris' shrill laughter rang in Kurumi's ears. "Not that you were complaining, mind you!"
"That's enough, Eris!" Phoebe shouted at the goddess of strife. "She's going through enough misery without having you add to it!"
"That's what I do, dear Artemis!" Eris smirked.
Kurumi started to feel sick all over again, but something else came through in Misaki's Light...something only she could see and feel. It took away the pain and illness she was feeling, and gave her strength. It was warm and powerful. She stopped struggling in Eris' arms, and let the Light reach deep into her. She slumped in Eris' arms as Misaki called back the Light.
"So now you know," Apollo sneered, grabbing Kurumi by the throat and tightening his grip on her. "Not only are you my daughter, as well as my lover, you are my puppet--my sacrificial lamb! I have no use for you anymore, other than to kill you and watch your sister and her lover suffer...and then I will kill them, along with my traitorous sister! I will be free of the whole lot of you!"
Kurumi reached deep in her soul to find what the Light had shown her about herself...her true self. "You will do no such thing, Apollo!"
Both Apollo and Eris cried out as Kurumi's body suddenly radiated an intense amount of heat, scalding Apollo's hand and forcing Eris to quickly let her go. "True, I am all the things you said I was, Apollo, but you have forgotten one thing; as your daughter, I am also half-goddess! And right now, that makes me stronger than you! That makes us all stronger than you!!" She lunged at Apollo, but was stopped by Eris.
"You may be able to hurt him, but you sure as hell can't take me!"
"Ku-chan!" Misaki cried out. "Are you alright?"
"Never been better, Misaki-chan!" Kurumi grinned, and generated enough heat as to make Eris take a step back or be cooked. Even the floorboards below her feet began to warp and buckle. "You three take care of that bastard. I'll handle this bitch!"
Misaki nodded, excited by her sister's new-found power. The three women rushed over to Apollo, who was still holding his hand and writhing in pain.
"How does it feel to be the one in pain, instead of the one causing it?" Alexa said, glaring at Apollo. "Guess you didn't see that one coming, huh?"
"Laugh all you want, bitch!" Apollo tried to scramble to his feet, only to be kicked back to the ground by Alexa. "You'll pay for that!"
"I don't think so!" the redhead said, kicking him in the stomach. "You've made me suffer all this time, lying to us and hurting us! You've hurt the people I love, taken away someone precious to us, and now you want to kill us?" She reached down and grabbed Apollo by the lapels of his coat.... "If anyone's gonna pay, it's you!"
Apollo laughed at Alexa's threat. "It's already too late! Eris! Forget about her! Get your people started!"
Eris gave Kurumi one more look, putting on an air of false bravado. "You're lucky I have something else to do, or I'd mop the floor with you!" She left in a swirl of leaves.
"Where is she going?" Kurumi demanded. "Tell us!"
"She's my trump card!" Apollo laughed as Alexa harshly threw him to the ground. "I knew you three would come to try to save Kurumi here, so I had to...even things out a bit!"
"What have you done, brother?" Phoebe asked.
"You'll find out right about...now!"
An explosion erupted on one of the upper decks, followed by the sound of screams and people scattering. The blast knocked the women off of their feet, and made Apollo laugh with maniacal glee. "Guess you didn't see THAT coming, eh prophetess?"
Alexa shook her head for a moment, then cursed herself. "How did I not see that?"
"Simple, you were so focused on saving Kurumi, that you didn't see the big picture! Now all these people will die, and you can't do a thing about it...then again, you'll be dead too!"
"Not If I kill you first!" All eyes turned to see Kurumi, standing tall and in an archer's stance. The air around her warped and wobbled as she drew back on an invisible bow.
"What are you doing?" Apollo recognized the weapon his daughter wielded, and feared for his life. He tried frantically to find his footing. "Eris!! Get me out of here!"
The strife goddess' shrill laughter rang through the auto bay. "Sorry, love! I'm done taking orders from you!"
Apollo was beside himself with terror. "I trusted you!! Help me, Eris!!"
"Silly rabbit! What part of 'strife and discord' don't you understand? You were a fool to trust me, and now you'll get just what you deserve!" Her laughter faded as another explosion sounded above them.
The other women again stumbled from the blast, but this time they crawled away from Apollo, not wanting to get caught in whatever amount of damage Kurumi was about to dish out. The raven-haired woman was unfazed by the explosion, standing her ground and keeping her aim true.
"You don't know what you're doing! That's not a toy!! Put it away!!" Apollo's cries went unheard by Kurumi, who pulled further back on the bow. "You don't even know how to use that!!"
"Let's see if I can, shall we?" The demi-goddess focused all of the heat surrounding her into a single point at what would be the tip of the arrow... "Goodbye, Paul!"
Whatever scream Apollo tried to make was drowned out by the sound of the arrow, now a beam of pure sun-fire. It screeched along quickly, striking the former god directly in the center of his chest. It fried him to a crisp, burning through both flesh and bone, until there was nothing left.
Her task done, Kurumi crumpled to the ground in a sobbing heap.
The other three women were completely stunned by what had taken place before them. Another explosion jarred them back into reality, and Misaki rushed over to tend to her sister. "Ku-chan! Ku-chan!! Are you alright?"
Alexa soon followed her. "She must be tired, overwhelmed by what she went through."
Phoebe stood near the pile of ashes that used to be her brother. "You were warned, dear brother. Your punishment is just beginning...may Zeus and Hades have mercy on your soul!"
"We have to leave!" Alexa cried out as thick smoke began to fill the auto bay. "I don't know how much damage Eris has done, but I'm sure we can't stay here any longer!"
Kurumi lifted her head. "Maybe I can help," she said wearily. "Take my hand, Alexa-chan."
Alexa did as she was told, while Misaki took Kurumi's other hand. Phoebe held on to Alexa, while Kurumi focused her mind on leaving the ferry. Soon a golden ray of sunlight beamed down into the auto bay, and the four women vanished into it.
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The last thing Apollo remembered was the excruciating pain of his own human flesh burning into nothingness. It was something he'd sooner forget. He became aware that he was alive, though not in human form. "I must have been restored in some way...or at the very least, some sort of spirit." Gravity kept him earthbound, so being a spirit was out of the question.. He took a look at his surroundings, and cringed. "Well, that explains things." He sat at the bank of a river. On his side, the grass was green and trees provided ample shade. On the other side, however, there was only death--dust, patches of long-dried grass, rotted trees, even skulls of animals.
"Welcome to the river Styx!" Apollo turned to see Eris leaning against a tree. "Don't get used to the view, you won't be staying long."
Apollo looked at her in disbelief. "You mean I'm actually dead?"
"As the humans like to say, 'DUH!' Of course you're dead! What, did you think your daughter's little arrow was a toy?"
"But why have I not been returned to Mount Olympus?" Apollo asked.
"It's simple, idiot," Eris teased. "You're dead! This is where the dead go. It's actually ironic that you died on a ferry, since you now have to use one to get to Tartarus!"
Apollo scowled at the snickering goddess. "Why didn't you help me? I thought were on my side!"
Eris casually walked past him. "You haven't been paying attention, have you? Like I said, I just wanted to cause some trouble and strife, and thanks to you, I did! Even better, I caused some for you! I didn't take too kindly to how you treated me, and I was going to get my revenge on you!" She stopped at the edge of the river, watching a long boat approach the shore. "I was even nice enough to warn you that you'd get yours in the end, but did you listen? Nooooo! So now, you'll get what you deserve!" Eris waved the boatman closer. "Well, that's my two cents on your situation, and here's two more." She walked back to Apollo and handed him two coins.
"What is this?" the former god sneered.
"Your fare. Charon demands it. I wouldn't suggest not paying him."
"And what happens when I get to the other side?"
"That's up to Hades. Word is you're to be chained to the sun and forced to drag it across the sky. And since it's always daytime somewhere, you're probably in for a lot of dragging. Sucks to be you, doesn't it?" Her shrill laughter only served to annoy Apollo.
"Well, when my penance is up and I get my godhood back--"
Eris waved her finger at him. "You can forget about 'getting your revenge'. You're not to ever set foot on the human world ever again! And most of your duties have been dispatched to others, so all you have to do is serve time, love!" She saw the boatman Charon point his staff at Apollo, and took that as her cue to leave. "Well, you've got a boat to catch, and I have havoc to wreak. Don't keep the ferryman waiting!" She disappeared in a flurry of black leaves, as Apollo begrudgingly stepped onto the narrow boat. It would be the last time he'd ever set foot in the world of the living. "Damn women," he cursed under his breath. "Damn them all!"
-----------------------
"So let me get this straight," Kurumi said to her sister as they sat in their living room. "You and I are demi-goddesses, but from different realms; Alexa-chan is a prophetess who has lived for over two thousand years; and Phoebe-san is really Artemis-sama, Paul...Apollo's sister, but she's not a goddess anymore?"
Misaki nodded. "That's the short form of what I showed to you at the ferry, Ku-chan."
"And we're not supposed to tell anyone about any of this? You do remember I'm a reporter, right?"
"It would not be a good thing to do, Ku-chan." Misaki took her sister's hands in her own. "It would cause a lot of trouble for all of us..or at the very least, get you locked away in the crazy house!"
Kurumi started to protest again, but dropped her head. "I guess you're right. No one would believe me anyway. So, what do we do now?"
"I believe I can answer that question," Phoebe said as she entered the room, Alexa right behind her. "I have been asked by Zeus himself to bring you to him. Your duties as a demi-goddess will be explained in full. Also, you will be given control of the Muses, seeing as you are the heir to Apollo's role. I suggest you accept them, and use them to further the causes of humankind."
"Me?" Kurumi couldn't believe what she was hearing. "There must be someone more qualified--or at least more, well, 'godly'--to do this! I'm just a reporter, nothing more!"
"But you are something more, Ku-chan!" Misaki stood and smiled at her sister. "You're special! Half-human, half-goddess! You can do things people only dream about! Just think of all the stories you have written, and how you wished you could have done more than just write about what was happening...now, you can actually do something about it! You can make changes, help to make the world a better place!"
Alexa came over and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "And we'll help! Between the three of us, there's nothing we can't do! But first, you have to find out what you're capable of, and meet the gods and the Muses. They will help you get started, and when you're ready, you can come back here, right Phoebe-chan?"
"She's right, Kurumi-san," Phoebe turned to Alexa. "And that's Artemis, if you don't mind!"
The three women all gasped as a beam of moonlight poured over Artemis. "You've been re-instated as a goddess, Artemis-sama!" Misaki cried out happily.
"Yes, thanks to Alexa. Her forgiveness went a long way in helping to reduce my sentence, as did my aiding you to defeat my brother. I am most grateful to you, Alexa, for your forgiveness, and your friendship."
"I should be thanking you, Artemis," Alexa replied. "I felt really bad about what happened at the ferry, and about not being able to save those people. You showed me that sometimes there's things that are just fated to happen...like Kurumi getting her power. If we had saved those people, we would have lost her. Tough choices have to be made sometimes. Hopefully, we won't have to make them ever again."
Artemis nodded in agreement. "Come, Kurumi-san. It is time for us to take our leave. In terms of human time, we will return soon."
Kurumi gave her sister a hug, and then gave one to Alexa. "Please take good care of my sister while I'm gone. Don't make me have to fry you to a crisp when I get back, okay?"
"Don't worry, Kurumi-chan. I'll do my best to keep her safe." Alexa meant every word of it, and Kurumi felt secure enough to leave. Soon Artemis and Kurumi faded in the beam of moonlight, and Alexa and Misaki were left alone in the living room.
The brunette held onto her lover as she watched her sister disappear. "Do you think she'll be okay, Alexa-chan? Will this be too much for her?"
"Nah, she's a big girl. I think she can handle it. She's got a lot to adjust to, but there's more than enough people up there to help her out...more help than I got, that's for sure." Alexa turned and embraced her own demi-goddess. "Don't worry, Misaki-chan. She'll be fine."
"That's 'Misaki-sama', if you don't mind!" the petite brunette grinned through her impersonation of Artemis. "And are we going to be alright, Alexa-chan?"
"Definitely. We'll have our bumps, but it'll be alright."
"I want to be sure." Misaki started to glow and call for the Light of Truth, but Alexa stopped her with a long, passionate kiss that told her more about their love--and their future--than the lantern ever could.
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