#Hades is just a bit angry and petty

[crow-aka-gayass]

I think I figured out why the world is going to shit

Okay I have to preface this by saying, I figured this out a few weeks ago when I was running on less that 20 hours of sleep that week and it was a Saturday, this was figured out at 4am

>They decatogorised Pluto as a planet

>Pluto is named after Hades

>What did this start with, the beginning of a Pandemic

>Where are we now

>Mass inflation and the collapse of capitalism

>Hades is the god of Death and Riches

How do we solve the many criseas the world is in?

Recatagorise Pluto as a planet

IM NOT CRAZY

[365days365movies]

March 15, 2021: Clash of the Titans (Review: Part One)

Please. Let me write a Greek mythology movie. I’m tired.

I am SO TIRED of Greek mythology being so...misused. Do y’all realize how much potential lies in an adaptation, a PROPER adaptation of Greek myths? Because it’d be fantastic if done well. Look, I’m not a writer, let alone a script or screenwriter, but I could write a better adaptation of Greek mythology, I swear I could.

Full warning, you might wanna skip this part. It’s gonna be...REALLY long. 

So, yeah, this “review” is getting broken up into two parts. The first part here is really just a rant/hypothetical Perseus film that Id make if I had any screenwriting ability. Yeah, it’s basically a fanfic, so feel free to, like, not. Check out the Review here. Read ahead at your own peril.

You might be saying, “OK, bet; how would you adapt the story of Perseus?” Fair question, metaphorical yet judgmental person; how would I do it, exactly? Well, I’d mostly do it straight, to be honest. But you need to make this a cinematic adaptation, right? SO story changed need to be made, I get that. And I think that needs to start with the gods.

First up, you need Zeus, if for no other reason than to father Perseus. I do like the fact that he’s a patron for Perseus throughout these movies, but I don’t like Zeus as a straight-up dad. That’s for various reasons, but I’ll get there. Perseus’ main patron, instead, should be his half-sister: Athena.

Seriously, Athena needs to be a big part of this movie. She’s not exactly one of the biggest patrons for heroes, but she does like them. In the case of Perseus, she should sympathize with him. Perseus, after all, is one of the first major Greek heroes. Yeah, he really should be one of the first, and that needs to be fully acknowledged. Athena, in her LITERAL INFINITE WISDOM, should see the young demigod for what he could become: a bonafide hero. And so, she needs to be a part of this movie. One of her key allies should be...

Hermes should be, well, mercurial. Always moving, never truly still, because dude is CONSTANTLY busy. Not only is he a messenger, but he’s also the god of medicine, AND a psychopomp that escorts spirits to the underworld. Yeah, he wears a lot of winged hats. He’s also another extramarital child of Zeus, giving him sympathy for Perseus as well.

While he’s mostly a neutral god, he could also serve as a messenger from Athena to Perseus, delivering to him the gifts from the gods. He could even be the one who gets the Helm of Darkness from Hades, given his relationship to death and the Underworld. So, he’s gotta be in there as an ally of Athena. Hell, he could even be the one who finds Perseus and tells Athena about him in the first place. OK, Athena and Perseus now have an ally, so what about a villain?

Well, this movie had Calibos and technically Thetis, the 2010 had fuckin’ Hades (because of course they did), but no. Both are the wrong choice. The right choice here, in my humble opinion, is one that MAKES FUCKING SENSE.

Hot take: POSEIDON IS AN ASSHOLE. I realize that this statement has doomed me to a death at sea, but that won’t stop me from hiding the truth. Yeah, dude’s the god of the ocean, and of horses, but he’s also the father of countless monsters, nearly as horny as his younger brother Zeus, and the god of earthquakes. He’s a petty, tempestuous god, as angry and ever-changing as the ocean that he rules. And he’s ABSOLUTELY the right choice for a villain of a Perseus movie.

The movie would begin in the ocean, the source of all of the troubles in this movie. 20 years before the main events of the film, we emerge from the ocean and soar over an island, on which is a beautiful temple. Waves wash over the island, enveloping it. A woman’s scream is heard in the background, as we soar over the island, following an owl that is flying away from the island. As we fly over the ocean, narration tells us that this is a world of gods and monsters, and the owl flies over creatures in the ocean, like hippocampi and other such creatures. The owl flies over another island, which on screen text identifies as Argos. Here, a shower of gold dust flies up from a building. Perseus has just been conceived.

Cut to a day not too far afterwards, where King Acrisius is meeting with an unseen trio of women, in a cave on a mountainside. The king tells them that his daughter, Danae, has become pregnant, although he knows not by whom. The women reveal that Zeus is her lover, and that this will bring great ruin onto the kingdom of Argos, especially onto Acrisius himself. This is a big problem, too, as the kingdom of Argos worships Poseidon as their patron god. Acrisius, see, was planning on saving Danae for Poseidon, as a perverse offering to the god. But Zeus beat him to the punch, which has made Poseidon angry. And so, Acrisius sacrifices his daughter to Poseidon...by putting her in a box, which he casts out to sea.

Poseidon is about to destroy the box and Danae, who is still pregnant with her child. However, Zeus won’t have it, and in a battle between the two gods, a storm with golden lightning rages over the sea, and sweeps the box away, to the safety of an island where it washes up on shore, AWAY from Poseidon’s wrath. Zeus’ protection saves Danae, who has given birth to a son: Perseus. Poseidon, spurned of his revenge against his brother, makes a child of his own. But we only see its shadow beneath the waves. He’ll come back later.

Time passes, and a few things happen. The kingdom of Argos falls, and Acrisius is brought to ruin, as the mysterious prophetesses predicted. They are starved of fish, and the king is blamed, for condemning his daughter to death. He is driven into exile, and Argos is destroyed...by Poseidon’s mysterious child, who is only known by the name Cetus. The city still exists afterward, so that Perseus has a place to return to, but it’s wrecked.

Meanwhile, Perseus grows up, into a young man. He’s not particularly strapping, but he’s still surprisingly strong and hardy for his size. All the while, he’s watched over by a little owl, the same one we saw in the beginning of the film, flying over the ocean. Appearing below the owl is a rooster, which flies up next to the owl. Both of them watch the young Perseus, then look up when they hear the screech of a golden eagle, flying high in the sky above them. They look at each other, as the eagle flies up to the tip of a nearby mountain. The owl and rooster fly off, with the rooster flying higher than a rooster should be able to fly.

We follow them as they pass through the clouds, and they turn into their true forms: Athena and Hermes. They watch the golden eagle fly into a separate grand temple, as thunder and lightning appear. We’re not gonna see Zeus until nearly the end of this movie. Athena and Hermes discuss Perseus in Athena’s temple on Olympus. Hermes is a bit busy, so he’s off in a hurry, but Athena sits and ponders Perseus’ situation.

Perseus, meanwhile, has a different problem: surviving. Poseidon’s been particularly dickish lately, and the fish stock around Perseus’ island is low as FUCK. His mother, meanwhile, is older now, and struggling with her health. An old hermit walks into the village one day, and hears Perseus’ troubles. The hermit tells Perseus that the fish market is good near the nearby kingdom of Aethiopia, which includes a large and prosperous city that may also have medicine to help his ailing mother. Perseus decides to go on the journey there. As he leaves the hermit, we see the hermit’s eye color change to a sparkling electric blue.

Perseus heads onto the seas, with a fishing boat leaving for Aethiopia. The second that boat hits the water, Poseidon senses the blood of Zeus on his ocean. Being the petty asshole he is, he sees his chance to finally exact revenge on Zeus for stealing Danae from him. He sends his child, Cetus, after the ship to sink it. We don’t see the  Cetus brings rough water with it. However, Zeus again protects the ship on its journey, and Poseidon’s SUPER butthurt now. He watches Perseus make his way to Aethiopia.

Aethiopia, in this movie, is a city that doesn’t particularly worship any one god. It’s not exactly the least theistic place in the world, though, because its residents will still fear any action that the gods take against them. That’ll come in handy later. Perseus lands there with the boat, and is immediately overwhelmed by the city’s grandeur. Additionally, he stands out here, as the people there are mostly, surprise surprise, black and brown in skin color. BECAUSE IT’S NORTHERN AFRICA!!! YEAH! Andromeda COULD BE BLACK, FUN GODDAMN FACT. Aethiopia was used to describe southern kingdoms below Libya, which was northern Africa! Come on, man!

While wandering blind through the city, Perseus bumps into a young woman, shrouded in plain vestments as she walks through the village. And it’s immediately love at first sight for Perseus, although the young woman seems somewhat nonplussed. This is the beautiful and radiant Andromeda, and YEAH! I’M RIPPING OFF ALADDIN A LITTLE! SUE MEI! See, Andromeda’s trying to explore her kingdom, as she’s been somewhat sheltered throughout her life, protected in the castle by father King Cepheus and shallow mother Queen Cassiopeia.

The two part quickly, but her visage remains in Perseus’ mind, horny Zeus’ kid that he is. He finds out who she is later on, considering what’s about to happen. See, there’s a festival going on, and it’s actually leading up to Andromeda’s 20th birthday. The overly clingy Cepheus honors his daughter unnecessarily, setting up an entire 2-week celebration leading up to her birthday.

During the nightly celebration, which Perseus attends, there’s a great feast. He bumps into Andromeda once again, and the two start talking. Andromeda is kind, if naïve, and wants to be a good queen to her people. However, she feels like a trophy, set aside for any given suitor wanting to win her heart. Perseus sympathizes, and feels a bit guilty, as her beauty was what struck him most at first, but has now begun to appreciate her as a person, over the course of this conversation. Said conversation is watched by Athene, in owl form once again.

The conversation’s interrupted by Queen Cassiopeia, who makes a speech about her daughter, and you know what’s coming here. She says that her daughter is beautiful, moreso than any of the Nereids, or anything that the sea could produce. And everybody laughs, it’s real funny, people agree...and then, we zoom over to a nearby fountain. The water begins to shake, and then, the ground itself begins to shake! Because Poseidon is the GOD OF EARTHQUAKES. COME ON, USE THIS SHIT!

Poseidon, pissed off, manifests from the water of the fountain, and we now see his visage in full for the first time, and it needs to be IMPOSING. He looks at the queen, and at Andromeda herself. He says that for Cassiopeia’s hubris, they are to be punished. Her child will meet one of his, the great Cetus, and then they’ll be able to compare “prowess and beauty”. This is certain death for Andromeda, obviously, and everybody knows it. This is to be done on her 20th birthday, or all of Aethiopia will fall. It’s then that Perseus steps in to defend Andromeda.

Poseidon looks at him, and says something like: “And look! As if to perfect this offering, Zeus’ bastard steps in the save the day! Well, child, do you offer yourself to me, after evading my justice for so long?” Everybody, INCLUDING PERSEUS, if totally shaken by this revelation. See, Perseus had NO IDEA that he was the child of Zeus. But he swallows his surprise, and offers himself in Andromeda’s stead. As Poseidon’s about to kill him there and then, he hears a hoot from the rafters, and sees the visage of Athena overlapping the little owl. Not comfortable with this situation, he offers a deal: if Perseus can complete a task for him, he will spare Andromeda’s life. Perseus accepts IMMEDIATELY, without hearing the task. And that task?

Kill the Gorgon Medusa, and bring her head back to Aethiopia before Andromeda is sacrificed.

Yeah, not good, and definitely unfair. Perseus isn’t exactly a warrior of any prowess, so this won’t end well for him. Poseidon laughs, and disappears into the water of the fountain. Silence befalls the hall, and all eyes turn to Perseus. Athena leaves, and flies up to her temple, angry and frustrated. She then decides that, if Poseidon is going to meddle in the affairs of the mortal world so strongly, then she will do the same. She finds Hermes, and the two start to conspire.

The next morning, Perseus heads out on the journey, although he has no idea what to do. Andromeda begs him not to do it, but he says he has little to lose. King Cepheus, humbled by Perseus’ intentions, promises whatever Perseus wants if he succeeds. Perseus states that he wants little, but will take assistance for his mother and village. It’s done. And Andromeda, to the surprise of her mother, almost offers her hand in marriage to her as well. But she stops short, still hesitant.

Perseus is about to go the distance, when a little owl catches his eye. Something tells him to follow the owl, and he does. Athena reveals herself, and Perseus is struck, not knowing what to do. She tells him to find the Greae, as they will tell him how to get to Medusa. He asks how he will get there, and Athena gives him his first divine item: Hermes’ winged sandals, loaned to him by the messenger god himself. The sandals will guide him to the location of the sisters. And Perseus accepts.

He makes his way to the sisters, the shenanigans with the eye stay about the same (it’s pretty solid in the 1981 film, not gonna lie), and from there, he finds out where to go. In the meantime, Athena’s and Perseus’ deeds are being noticed by the gods, eventually making their way to the three brothers. Poseidon is, of course, enraged at these happenings, considering them dishonorable to him, and also incensed as this is coming from Athena, a long-standing rival of his. Hades seems neutral about it. And Zeus...we’ll come back to him. Hermes, joined by Dionysus, speaks with Athena in Olympus, and delivers something to her to give to Perseus: Hades’ Helm of Darkness. He’s curiously chosen a side, but why isn’t known even to Hermes. Will that reason ever be revealed?

I have my reasons. Dionysus, also inspired by Perseus’ origins (which mirror his own as well), gives to Athena a wine-colored cloak, impervious to harm from all poisons and corrosive items. Inspired by this, Athena thinks on her history with Medusa. And, uh...remember that scream from the beginning? Yeah, Medusa’s “birth” coincides with Perseus’ conception. While Poseidon was...busy...Zeus went for Danae behind his back. And we’re going to sanitize Medusa’s origin...a little. But for Athena’s sake, specifically.

Poseidon raped Medusa. That’s a given. And Medusa was a priestess of Athena, but not a great one. Although Athena was angered at Poseidon’s actions GREATLY, the one who inevitably suffered for it was Medusa. Poisoned by Poseidon’s actions, she was transformed into her current form. And in this case, it’s not made clear whether or not Athena directly caused it...but it’s clear that Athena did nothing to stop it. This can be changed in some ways, but this is how I’m changing it for the movie. If you disagree, entirely understandable, I’m open to suggestions here.

OK, after that flashback, we see that Athena’s kind of ashamed of her actions, but not entirely. I realize that this is a stretch for Athena’s character, but this is a movie for wider audiences, so we’ll go for it. There’s a reason, I promise. Athena delivers the gifts to Perseus, which he finds once he’s left the cave of the Greae. That’s the cloak from Dionysus, the Helm of Darkness from Hades, and Athena’s offering, a mirrored shield. Perseus heads out to slay Medusa.

Poseidon, meanwhile, has his own ideas. He goes to speak with Hera, a shadow antagonist who’ll get her day later on. He persuades her to help take care of Zeus’ bastard son, and she reluctantly gives him permission to use one of her creations. What this is is left a mystery for the time being, but not for long. Perseus is busy flying with the winged sandals, and is thinking on how easy the journey has been. He’s getting a little cocky, in other words. But that’s quickly stopped when he’s blind-sided by something hitting him in the sky. He’s sent flying, and when he focuses up again, he sees what’s hit him.

YUP. HARPIES. Now, at this point, you may be saying: “365, you hypocrite! That never happened in the original story of Perseus! You sonuvabitch!” To that I say:

This is supposed to be a movie, and it’s gotta be a little exciting.

The origin of the harpies is entirely unstated, and Hera loved her some birds, so it makes sense that she would have some. In fact, I kind of want to make them women that Hera punished with this form, possibly for their association with Zeus at some point.

I’m setting something up, just trust me here.

Harpies as a concept are a familiar enemy to most audiences.

They’re cool, and an aerial battle’s even cooler here.

Perseus needs some mortal peril, because of something that’s about to happen.

OK. With that, the Harpies attack Perseus, and Perseus realizes that he doesn’t have a weapon to fight them with. He’s forced aground, on a seemingly desrted island. The Harpies fly off for now, ready to pick Perseus off later. Perseus, now stuck on the island, wanders around. At the same time, Zeus, sees this, and turns into an eagle once again. He flies off to a volcano, as an irritated Hera looks on. At the volcano, he flies into a cave, lined with veins of many metals. This is Hephaestus’ forge.

Hephaestus is another of those gods that I feel like never gets his day in court. There are many reasons for that, to be fair, but I’d like him to have a role in this story. He’s a relatively neutral god, mostly caring about his work at the anvil, moreso than anything else. I also like the idea of having him almost be a running joke in his scenes, in that he always comes up with devices far beyond their time. Like, at a certain point, he offers something for Zeus to give to Perseus, which he calls a “thunderblast”. And it’s a fucking CANNON, YEARS ahead of its time. You also see sketches for smaller versions, which are just straight up guns. But, y’know, eus will refuse that.

Speaking of that, THIS is the first time that we’ll see Zeus’ true face, lit by the light of the forge. And there are a few reasons for this, one of which being that Zeus’ casting should be a big name, and a surprise in marketing. But other than that, Zeus’ really shouldn’t have too much import in the story, outside of Perseus’ creation. However, looking at Hephaestus, who is himself a cast-out and neglected offspring of the gods, Zeus actually manages to eke out a little guilt for his actions for one. He asks Hephaestus to make something for him and Perseus. Hephaestus is hesitant, but agrees upon hearing about Perseus’ origins, because Hephaestus is ALSO HIS HALF-BROTHER...in this movie. Hephaestus’ origin has changed in different tellings, but I want him to be Zeus’ kid. So, yeah, Hephaestus agrees to make something...simple.

Perseus is on the island. There, he’s being watched by YET ANOTHER mysterious figure. Because, yeah, that’s how these people should work. See, there’s another benefactor for him that I want to bring in for various reasons. This island appears to have been inhabited at some point, but was abandoned for unknown reasons. Perseus wanders around, and stumbles upon a ruined Great Hall, open to the sky. He wanders in, nervously. But then, to his surprise, he sees a great feast before him, as a fire roars in the hearth at the end of the hall. He looks at the fire for a moment, and sees a woman tending it. But as the fire bursts, it produces a flash of light, and the woman is gone. Who was she, though?

The LEAST used and talked about goddess in all of pop culture. An unofficial/occasional Olympian, and far less popular than Dionysus, who usually takes her seat. I actually want her to have given Dionysus her seat, as she will be wandering the world, bestowing blessings on the households of those worthy mortals who honor her. To Perseus, she gives this gift, and this hall with maintain this gift in the future. This goddess is Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth and Home.

AND YES I AM AWARE OF HESTIA IN THE ANIME DANMACHA. Doesn’t goddamn count, because that obviously isn’t Hestia. The Greek goddess deserves some respect, as she’s literally the oldest of all of them, and was VERY respected in Greek culture, by LITERALLY EVERYBODY. So, yeah, Hestia’s going to appear here, ever so briefly.

The other reason for this is...well, the Harpies show up, as Perseus eats. They perch on the roof of the Great Hall, and watch him eat. He notices them, and as he reacts, they come down to take the food and attack him. Perseus realizes that the food has revitalized his weary body, and he runs. However, the Harpies prevent egress, and he still has no weapon. Until...

Thunder clashes, and lightning strikes in the middle of the Great Hall! The fire goes out, but light is coming from something in the center of the table, as Perseus and the Harpies look on. With the lightning bolt, there traveled a harpe, a type of sword, which is embedded in the table. But this is no ordinary sword, as it chines silver, almost blue in hue, as electricity arcs off of it. This is a divine sword, forged by Hephaestus on the order of Zeus himself.

But the sword is nameless...for now. Perseus uses the flashes of the sword to fend off the harpies. When one of them lunges at him, he quickly moves in response to it, and strikes it just, slicing off a wing. The other Harpies fly away in fear, but not too far. Perseus takes the opportunity, and leaves the great Hall, maybe grabbing some food on the way. Now armed, he has a way to kill Medusa, and to take her head. He heads to the island, with new purpose.

Meanwhile, in Aethiopia, the people are starting to panic. Remember when I said the city wasn’t particularly religious before? WELL THEY ARE NOW, since they’ve realized that they’ve profaned Poseidon with their arrogance. The vain Cassiopeia is now terrified, for herself rather than for her daughter. Cepheus is terrified for Andromeda, and Andromeda...well, Andromeda is putting hope in Perseus, but she is also prepared to sacrifice herself if necessary. But deep down, she doesn’t believe it will be, because she oddly believes in Perseus.

However, Cepheus won’t be able to hold off the hordes forever, It’s been nearly a week, and Andromeda is to be sacrificed soon. And if Cepheus won’t do it, the newly religious Cassiopeia and the crowd will.

Poseidon realizes that his plan with Hera’s Harpies didn’t work...perfectly. Damn, he’s still alive. Plus, the Harpies won’t get off of the island now, especially seeing that food seems to be magically appearing every night, due to Hestia’s gift. Maybe and island with magically appearing food beset by Harpies will, I dunno...come backcoughcogchJasoncoughcoughArgonautscoughcough. Nevertheless, Poseidon hatches another plan, a back-up plan to get revenge on Zeus and Perseus. He tells a nymph to “find him”. We’ll get to “him” later.

However, this is a problem for Perseus still, because he’s been thrown WAY off course from the island of Medusa. Even with the sandals, he’d be cutting it close to get back to Joppa with Medusa’s head. And that’s if he gets back with the head. Still a big if, that. In any case, he’s headed there to do what he must. He’s already faced the Greae and the Harpies, so, hey! Not too bad so far, right? Just Medusa next, and then a giant sea monster! Hahaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Well...whatever. For Andromeda, and for something else, he’s going to do it. Perseus looks at the sword, and wonders what’s up with the whole “Zeus is my dad” thing yet again, but shakes it off as he continues flying. Above him, an eagle flies. Said eagle is soon joined by an owl, and the two share a look as they follow Perseus. He’s close to the island, and Medusa’s island is prominent on the horizon, shrouded in a dark eerie fog.

Perseus lands on the island, after hovering above it for perhaps too long. This is, unsurprisingly, the same island from the beginning of the film, now in ruins. He gears up, and this includes the Helm of Darkness this time. He creeps into the temple, and is struck by surprise when he sees a Gorgon slithering next to him. OH SHIT

On first glimpse, the invisible Perseus notes that the creature is indeed monstrous, standing 6-feet tall, with snakes for her short hair and fang-like teeth protruding from her mouth. And while there are some details not actually in Greek mythology, I do like some details given in the films. Firstly, this Gorgon is armed not only with her looks and teeth, but bows and arrows, as seen as she takes an arrow, and coats in in poison dripping from her teeth.

Perseus realizes the danger that he’s in, but also doesn’t realize that this ISN’T Medusa. YUP. This is one of the Gorgons, but not Medusa. He approaches the creature, confident in his invisibility. However, he isn’t careful enough, and accidentally kicks a pebble. The Gorgon looks directly at him, into his EYES, and he’s paralyzed! But...he isn’t turned to stone, curiously. This is how he figures out that this isn’t Medusa, but simply another Gorgon. He also realizes how careless he’s being, and takes care to avert his eyes from the Gorgons and Medusa.

He gets over his paralysis eventually, then carefully makes his way to the main temple. On the way, he encounters another Gorgon, completing the trio of Gorgons present in mythology. He walks into the temple, and as he does, a door slams shut behind him. Now the Gorgons up until now have been monstrous and fairly tall women, with snakes for hair and hideous visages, but also with mostly humanoid bodies, with legs that they can walk upon. Medusa, though...Medusa’s different.

As the door closes, Perseus is clearly unnerved. The temple seems empty in front of him, but he also sees statues littered around it, clearly those of mortal men turned to stone by Medusa’s gaze. He walks carefully, and as he does, he hears a voice call out, asking who’s there. She can smell him, sense him, and he is not completely invisible to her. Perseus says nothing, as not to completely give away him position. But he is TERRIFIED, and the audience should be as well. Because we see glimpses of her throughout the temple. You ever see the new version of Disney’s The Jungle Book? Remember how they first showed Kaa?

In the same way, coils of a snake’s body are seen, slithering around Perseus, who’s looking for Medusa. All the while, a hissing voice speaks to him from the shadows. She recognizes that his patron is Athena, her former priestess. She explains her rage, both at Poseidon for what he did, and for Athena for abandoning her and condemning her to this terrible fate. She asks why he’s come, guessing that it’s to kill her. He confirms this, but upon hearing her story, expresses his doubts.

But Medusa...Medusa doesn’t really care. If this is a favored beneficiary of Athena, as she used to be, she wants him fucking DEAD. And she doesn’t care who he is, or what his mission is, or about his feelings. he’s going to turn him into stone, and display him in her collection, so that Athena can see something she loves turned into a monstrous form. And now, we see Medusa in full. And I gotta say, Harryhausen had it right. So did Warner Brothers in adapting it.

Half snake, half woman, with long, LONG snakes for hair, and a long snake body as well. She’s also surprisingly beautiful, as I actually do like the idea of keeping her beautiful, in a way to remind her of what she used to be. She’s armed not with a bow and arrow, but with a stone spear. And she’s BIG in form. Her head is still human-sized, but she was clearly a tall woman when she was human. She uses her body to rear up to terrifying heights, though, and Perseus can only see glimpses of her as she reveals herself.

She attacks him, and Perseus has to think fast. In the original myths, he gets her in his sleep. In the movies, it’s a combination of luck and mirrors. But here...here, it’s going to be different. See, we’re going with the old fallen pillar gag. Perseus enrages her, and tricks her into knocking over pillars of the temple that they’re in. She attacks with the spear, with statues thrown by her snake body, with her snake body, and also with an addition: spitting venom, like that of a spitting cobra.

But he manages to either dodge it, or block it with the corrosive proof cloak. All the while, he avoids her gaze, but his helmet is knocked off in the process. She can see him now, and that’s bad news. But only one more column needs to fall. Perseus tricks her into knocking the temple down around her, and she’s trapped in the rubble.

Perseus escapes, and the other Gorgons outside are knocked out by the debris. However, Medusa’s definitely not dead. He stumbles across her, under the rubble, and still enraged. She’s trapped now, though, and he can kill her easily. She actually asks him to, and he refuses at first. But Athene, in owl form, lands on a still standing pillar, in Medusa and Perseus’ eyeline. They see it, and they know that it’s a sign of what Perseus needs to do. Perseus closes his eyes. And he swings.

The blood washes over the sword, smoking. Now christened in an act of mercy and strength, the blue-silver turns to gold, and a name appears on the blade: Chrysaor (and yeah, I know Chrysaor was a dude, but I am TAKING CREATIVE LICENSE HERE). But Perseus is upset by this, feeling that he wasn’t a great hero at all. But Athena appears, and notes that mercy is also a quality of heroism. Something even the gods could learn (referring to herself, and her actions in reference to Medusa). He looks at her, unsure of what to think. 

Not that it matters, since he’ll never get back to Aethiopia in time to save Andromeda. And then...the rubble begins to shake. Perseus arms himself, and he points the sword at the rubble, expecting to fight a Gorgon. But instead, an unexpected creature springs up from the rubble: Pegasus.

YUP. I’M STILL DOING IT! I realize that Pegasus is NOT Perseus’ mount, but he is actually linked to the myth via Medusa. So, yeah, Pegasus is born of Medusa. Perseus looks at Athena, who notes that Pegasus looks swift, and seems to be a way back. Pegasus is also pretty grateful to Perseus, as he’s technically responsible for his freedom. So, yeah...he gets ONE ride.

Perseus puts the head of Medusa in the cloak of Dionysus, and gets on Pegasus. As Perseus takes off with Pegasus and Chrysaor, Athena looks at the body of Medusa. Zeus, as the eagle, looks on, and follows Perseus to Aethiopia. Athena stays behind, and then is joined by Hermes. He notes that he’s here for Medusa’s soul, as Hades has been waiting for her soul this whole time. There’s his ulterior motive. But Athena tells Hermes that she’ll be accompanying them. She will speak to Hades.

But enough of that, because Andromeda’s set to be sacrificed! The angry mob has hit a fever pitch, and it’s day before her birthday! Cassiopeia, now fully in the cult of Poseidon with the rest, brings her daughter to the rocks to be chained up. Cepheus tries to stop this, but the mob stops him instead, imprisoning him on the command of Cassiopeia. Andromeda is also taken captive, set to be sacrificed to Poseidon to gain his favor.

Perseus gets to Aethiopia, and lands near Joppa, the capital city. Pegasus takes off, bidding goodbye to Perseus, who thanks him. Pegasus has a date with a kid named Bellerophon. And Perseus is finally feeling confident. Although, he’s not entirely sure what he’ll do when he gets there. But he’s got the head, so what could go wro-BAM!!!

He’s blindsided, with a hit to the face by a rock! And here, we get a bit of an aside from the myth to add something. See, Perseus wakes up, as he’s been out for a WHILE. As he wakes up, he sees an old man, clearly bedraggled and haggard. The man notes that he’s awake after all, and Perseus notes that he has the sword and Medusa’s head in the cloak. This old man introduces himself as an old banished king. He explains that he is there to kill Perseus, on command from Poseidon. You see, he’s been given a chance at absolution, for offending him via inaction many years ago.

The two have a heart-to-heart of sorts, about the expectations of the gods, and Perseus asks why he hasn’t killed him. The king doesn’t reveal his full reasons, those being that Perseus is, of course, his grandson. But Perseus asks him to let him live, in order to save someone with the item in the bag. Curious, the old king looks in the bag...

Stone. And thus, Acrisus’ prophesied downfall is done. Shocked and saddened by this, Perseus nevertheless takes the head, his sword, and his sandals. and takes off to save Andromeda. More time’s been lost, and Andromeda’s lost her hope in Perseus, as has everybody else. By the time he gets there, Poseidon’s released Cetus, who can look however, but I will say I think the incarnation in the 2010 movie was pretty solid. Cetus heads off to kill Andromeda, under the watch of Cassiopeia and her cult of Poseidon.

But then, Perseus shows up to present the head, and sees Cetus having arrived to devour Andromeda. Instinctively, he presents the head to Cetus, and turns him into stone (because I think that’s a cool way for him to go). Andromeda is saved, but Poseidon is PISSED THAT HIS PLAIN FAILED. He rears up from the ocean, complete with earthquake tremors, ready to kill Perseus himself. BUT ZEUS IS FUCKING DONE WITH HIS BULLSHIT.

He steps in the way of Poseidon, and screams that there’s been enough damage done! At the first full appearance of Zeus, EVERYBODY in Aethiopia reacts. While everyone bows in reverence, Cassiopeia’s so freaked out that she runs away. She’ll be leaving the city altogether, and when she does, she’s watched over by a cuckoo (or a peacock). This is Hera, and as a god of women AND OF MOTHERS...she’s going to be punishing Cassiopeia for her deeds.

Zeus and Poseidon speak, and the two come to tentative peace. This is settled in the courts of Olympus, where everybody involved comes together to speak about this affair. They note that, despite Poseidon’s petty bullshit, something unique has happened. A mortal child of a god, spurned on by their actions, has managed to outsmart and defeat countless obstacles. And now, celebrated for saving Andromeda and the city of Joppa, Perseus is celebrated. Zeus predicts that he will be made king, with Andromeda as his queen. And this pleases Zeus greatly. Poseidon, still angry, is not convinced. But Zeus directs his attention away from Perseus’ celebration, and towards one of his children: Pegasus.

A new age is now dawning in the world of man, and in the world of gods. As Pegasus flies over the oceans, he flies over an island, as Zeus narrates on the nature of this new age of heroes. And as Pegasus lands, we see the city of Corinth in the distance. The narration concludes, as we are introduced to a young man, a prince named...Bellerophon.

Cut to black.

Well...almost. There’s a mid-credits scene, where a newly crowned Perseus goes back to his island with a fleet of ships to see his mother, and bring her to Aethiopia to live happily. And then, there’s an after-credits scene, with Athena. She’s looking at the mortal word, and looking forward to this age of heroes. She sees that some divine intervention may be needed in the land of Boeotia. She asks her attendant to fetch her shield. And Medusa, saved from the Underworld by a penitent Athena, brings her the shield, Gorgoneion, now adorned with the image of Medusa’s former self, as a reminder to Athena to be merciful. And off she goes, to help another burgeoning hero: Cadmus

AND SO THE AGE OF HEROES BEGINS

Alongside a theoretical franchise, of course.

If you read this nonsense, then...wow, why? But also, thank you! Mostly for putting up with my mad ravings. I’ll be putting the the straight-up review of this film later today, but...I really needed this off my chest. Any thoughts? Any ideas? Any criticisms? Any petty insults? I’ll take it, whatever it is! THanks again for putting up with this.

See you in the ACTUAL REVIEW!!!

[extremelyblackandwhite]

the unseen one - 20

Pairing: Hades!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: none

A/N: this chapter is called keep the mortals away from zeus specially if the mortal had gained the favour of the lord of the dead. 

Next Chapter >>

Bucky didn’t give much thought to her question, brushing it off as no one as explaining to her who he had been when he was a mortal. He wasn’t entirely sure how she would deal with it, she was much too pure to deal with who he was prior to all of this. James wasn’t even entirely sure if he had fully dealt with it. However, her disappointed yet embarrassed look was still present in his mind and it didn’t help that she left early in the morning to join the maidens. 

He knew she had to but it didn’t help all she did was leave a note wishing him a good day and nothing else. Maybe he was overthinking it, but once again she had been thrown into here due to his inability to identify an oracle. As for Y/N, she personally did not want to bother him or make Hecate mad so she was in the Elysium at precisely 5 AM based on the clock Bucky had on his desk, despite him saying there was no time in the underworld. 

As her bare feet touched the dewy grass of the morning she could see most of the Elysium deserving souls wake up the sun dawning on the horizon, pure smiles on their faces. She knew they were clueless to their prior lives and somehow, to her, that sounded like torture. Not remembering who they loved or what they were was a punishment in paradise.

She saw the maidens starting to assemble by Hecate who looked as if she never slept and yet still looked like a model on a high fashion catalogue. The goddess started to assign tasks, maiden by maiden leaving to tend to her task until it came to her. 

     - I guess you can return ... - the goddess turned to the dying white rose bush Y/N had been working on yesterday ready to send her back to the hopeless task until the appearence of the plant stunned her. The once completely dead bush was now flourishing like a new plant, various white roses springing from the green leaves. - I think you can return to wherever you’re staying. 

     - But I want to help. - she did. She felt uneasy in the underworld and after Minthe’s comment, she didn’t want to be constantly under Bucky’s shadow and cause him any issues. 

    - Sweetheart, listen to me, you’re not needed here so why don’t you return to being someone’s mistress instead of taking my maiden’s job. - Y/N took a step back in disbelief of what she had told her. She knew better not to be a fighter against a goddess but her pride took over and the step she had taken back was taken forward.

    - Why do you hate me so much? - she spoke up to the goddess who had already turned her back on her. Hecate stopped her walk, wondering if she had heard it correctly. - I understand your hatred towards mortals but I’ve never done anything but respect you ever since I came here. All you’ve done is treat me like I’m the worse nuisance in the world. You can hate me all you want but all you’re gonna be is a petty goddess who’s like every other. 

Y/N turned on her heel fast enough not to allow the goddess to continue the argument. She was not gonna be underestimated or treated like an inferior just because of one simple mistake. All she did was follow orders, she wasn’t expecting to end up in the Tartarus and her only mistake was falling in love with someone. 

She took on to return to the Asphodel Meadows, a heavy guilt pending on her as she boarded the ferry. The Charon observed the upset lady, her head tucked in the middle of her legs as he took off from the Elysium shores. He knew better than to bother her, if the young woman as anything like the Lord of the Dead himself she probably would rather be in her own head. It didn’t took long for to ferry to dock in the bleak, desolate place she would have to call home until Bucky found a way to return her to her little flat.

The girl pushed through the doors of the God of the Underworld’s home, if the souls didn’t know better, they would think she was the owner of the house. Her eyes scanned the entrance, looking for any signs of James. She knew he mostly did work from his office on the top floor so she guessed he was probably there. With a spring on her step, she climbed the stairs of his home, one hand holding the rail and the other holding a bunch of fabric from her robes so she wouldn’t trip and fall. 

Y/N reached his office and turned the knob of the door, slightly opening it and expecting to see her lover lost in paperwork but instead of that she saw him with someone else. At slight noise of the door creaking open, his eyes had immediately went to the source of it, locking eyes with her, an unrecognisable look of nervousness in his face as the man who he was speaking with turned to face her too. He was tall, not taller than James but still tall with golden hair pushed away from his face, wearing white robes with a thunder shaped pendant. Zeus. If they hadn’t been staring at her, she would’ve rolled her eyes.

    - Is that the mortal you speak of? - his eyes roamed all of what he could see of her figure. - Why don’t you enter, sweetheart?

    - Y/N, go wait in the bedroom please. - Bucky looked nervous, tense even yet his voice was stern, unwavering. 

    - Oh, c’mon, you can’t ask me for a favour and not show me the one who benefits from it. - she opened the door fully, walking into the office much to James’ dismay as he watched his supposed brother scan her from head to toe like a predator to a prey. His ring finger and thumb grabbed her chin harsly, nothing like the soft touch her lover used on her. Slightly yet with hurry, he moved her face to side to side, inspecting every aspect of her of skin. - You sure are a looker for a mortal.

   - That’s quite enough. - James pulled her away from the God of all gods, hand gripping her arm a bit tighter than he normally would. His aura seemed to turn pitch black, ocean blue eyes darkening to a navy blue hue and a slight trembling of the grounds. He was unknowingly staking his claim on her in front of his brother, a pathetic thing in Zeus’ eyes. No mortal woman, no matter how beautiful and how nice it felt to be in the middle of her legs was worth the show of power the Lord of the Dead was putting out. 

He snapped out of his possessive demeanour as he felt her fingers wrap across the hand which was gripping her arm, his heart clenching as he realised her was hurting her.  

    - Go to the bedroom, please. - he told her once more and she took no second thoughts in exiting the room, the sounds of her footsteps growing distant and distant. 

    - You know, brother, the pantheon normally asks me for ways to make the object of their infatuation stay with them forever not the contrary. 

    - She did not know what she was consuming and it was not given to her by me therefore it shouldn’t bound her to the Underworld.

    - You know the rules, she ate the fruit of the dead, she belongs to the dead. 

    - I am sure you could find a loop hole in those rules, open an exception. Maybe you’ll do this for me and I will bid your favour some other time. 

    - I shall surely consider it, maybe by the Spring Festival I shall know what to take from you. - with that he left which James couldn’t help but feel relieved by, however a part of him was screaming for him to watch out, that there was something strange in his request for time. He was about to return to his duties when he reminded that she was still in the bedroom waiting and probably hating him. 

He left his office to go try and apologise for his child-like behaviour and jealousy. His hand lightly grazed over the gold knob of his bedroom, softly twisting it yet to its surprise it was locked. James frowned, was she that angry at him to lock the door? He left his fist to knock against the door, sounds of light steps becoming more prominent. 

   - Sweetness, it’s me, open up. - he rested his forehead against the wood of the door. 

   - Is he gone? - he could hear quivering in her voice.

   - Yes, he’s gone. Open up. - she unlocked the door, pulling it slowly to see only him standing there. His eyes were immediately drawn to the red marks on her arm, his heart clenching even further. Thoughtlessly, he took her arm into his hand, fingers carefully caressing the red skin. - I’m so sorry, Y/N. It was no intention of mine to act so possessive, you know how Zeus can be around mortals. Specially pretty mortals.

   - It’s fine, did your sort anything for me to return home.

   - Not yet but I’m hopeful, you should be home in no time, you’ll see. 

   - Bucky ... - she placed her hands on his shoulder. - I know you don’t like it when I ask too many questions but I must ask you what is gonna happen once I’m back up above and you’re ... well, you’re here. 

   - You mustn’t worry about those. 

   - No James, I will worry about those. You’re the God of the Underworld, you’re undying, you’re never gonna die but I will die one day and how are we supposed to maintain a relationship if you can only visit me during night time. 

   - Y/N ...

   - No. - she interrupted him. - I know what they expect from you and they won’t take lightly to us keeping up what we’re doing.

   - What they expect from me is not what I’ll do. I rule the underworld, I’m the lord of the dead, I rule over dead and gods who frequent my grounds. I decide what I do, I can even decide to collect souls if I want. I am King. 

   - But I’m a mortal and one day you’ll have to order the collection of my soul. 

   - Is Hecate putting this in your mind? - his thought pattern switched to the only person he knew could’ve put those ideas onto her head. - Is this why you’re here earlier? 

   - No, Buck. - she sighed. - I don’t know what to do, I ... I love you.

   - We’ll figure it out, my love. - he wrapped his arms around her. - We’ll figure it out. 

   - What if we don’t?

   - We have to believe we’ll figure it out. - he placed his chin on top of her head, pulling her in so that her head laid on the crook of his neck. - I promise, my darling.

tag list: @philogrobizedvee​​​​​​  @keithseabrook27​​​​​ @inlovewith3​​​​19 ​

[godsofhumanity]

I have a question for yaa. How do you imagine the Greek gods? There have been many interpretations of them but i would like to know which one you prefer, or maybe if you have your own designs in mind

ooh yes my favourite type of question!! i’ll just do my favourite from the greek pantheon, but if there’s a specific god you want, shoot me an ask :)

ZEUS | pretty much the same as olympus guardian. zeus, imo, is quick to anger and when he gets angry, he really brings the storm in. he is, of course, a lover at heart, probably considers himself a romantic but hera would say he’s tacky. lots of dad jokes and puns!! likes adventure, likes pranks and has a proper sense for justice. for physical appearances, he’s always been a blonde to me, but i like the idea of him having silver/white hair, and of course, blue eyes. very muscular. old man zeus has a long, fluffy beard.

POSEIDON | only gets angry about serious things, usually pretty chill. also love jokes and puns. a bit artsy and very creative. he’s probably good at sculpting. sings sailor songs to everyone’s annoyance. a romantic. likes adventure, but not as reckless as zeus. for physical appearances, i imagine him to have dark brown hair, might have like, the softest green highlights to imitate seaweed. tanned skin, taller than zeus, and muscular. 

HADES | reserved, but not shy. extremely sensible, would be the voice of reason on an adventure. content to stay at home, doesn’t get involved in drama and doesn’t care for it either. flowers and poetry kinda romantic, but only for persephone of course. can be intimidating when he wishes. for physical appearances, black hair, long. he’s either clean shaven or fully bearded- there’s no in-between. not as muscular as zeus, but still built. you would not want to pick a fight with him. 

HERA | quick temper. her tantrums last about 20 minutes max. can get extremely petty when provoked. very regal, very royal. dominating presence, no one forgets that she’s a queen. also kind, and motherly when she’s not angry. genuine and forgiving. moved by acts of compassion and devotion. for physical appearances, she’s always had dark brown hair for me. it’s either long or cut to her ears. very wavy. green-blue eyes. always wears a crown, always dresses elegantly. is on the cover of vogue. 

APOLLO | egotistical, charming. good at everything. chaotic romantic like his dad. will express small fits of rage through angry lyre-playing or poetry. pure rage will definitely present itself in the form of some massive, violent destruction. very confident of himself, but also encouraging of others, and good at compliments. plays pranks, loves parties. for physical appearances: blonde, long haired, half tied up, the rest flows in the wind. tanned, and well-built, but more athletic than muscular. would run around olympus without clothes if zeus hadn’t made some specific rules.

ARTEMIS | reserved, sensible. can get chaotic, but is mostly calm. loves adventure, and challenges. cannot resist competition. will oversee pranks, but probably doesn’t engage in them much. kind and generous. slow anger, but you should definitely run if you piss her off. makes flower crowns that apollo wears. for physical appearances, midnight blue hair, in a ponytail. wears a head band with a moon on it. blue/purple eyes. slender with muscles. athletic.

ATHENA | loves competitions, hates losing. never takes off her armour. unbeatable at battleship. dishes out roasts without hesitating. leader-type figure. the kind that says “you can dig your own grave” but still accompanies you anyways because she feels responsible anyhow. strong sense of justice, doesn’t really approve of pranks. for physical appearances, tanned skin, tallest goddess. athletic build, could rip a log with two hands.

ARES | looks threatening, actually just a muscular teddy bear. likes challenges, but acknowledges defeat without feeling humiliated or the need for revenge. kind, compassionate. looks in the mirror and gives himself a pep talk before going to battle. strong sense of justice. for physical appearances, very muscular, tanned skin. red hair either long or short. clean shaven almost always. kind smile.

HERMES | playful, almost childish. loves pranks, tricks and small gadgets. the type that has a fridge full of magnets from places that he’s been. finds himself getting blamed for things that aren’t his fault. instigator of fights. for physical appearances, short in height, light brown hair in a messy, short cut.

[tarotartemisia]

What energy are you embodying?🦉Hogwarts house pick a card reading 🖤

This reading answers the questions: what energy are you embodying right now? Should you nourish it or re-think your course?

Reveal under the cut 🗝

Gryffindor 🦁

Abaddon.��pestilence, corruption, malice.

Before I begin, please do not be scared by the keywords. As expected from your house, I am getting major fiery energy from this group. Unfortunately, not in a very positive way. This is not a purifying fire: this is the fire of destruction. You may have been feeling particularly angry lately, and gotten into many arguments, most of which were probably petty or easily avoidable. Right now you are dealing with your emotions by lashing out on others- you need to feel you have won, no matter the cost. As we move out of summer and Leo season, this energy will naturally die down, but it is up to you to learn to better control your emotions always, or you will be a slave to impulsiveness. Anger is a normal emotion to have: you should not strive to get rid of it. You just need to learn to manage it and communicate your needs more clearly to other people. Working to solve your own issues is in order for you guys, or your relationships with others will suffer. It’s time to stop projecting and to work on your response to stress and unexpected situations. If you are faced with an equally fiery person, and find yourself arguing with them again and again: it is time to step away. Don’t try to always have the last word, and know when to retreat. On a more positive note, this is a particular auspicious time for sports and physical activity, anything working towards developing your physical strength. It will also help relieve some of the stress you have been feeling.

Hufflepuff 🦡

Golden Empress. potency, confidence, magnetism.

Two words: charisma and results. This is a very positive time for you: your hard work has paid off and you have reached a major achievement in your life, whether in study/career or relationships. You feel confident and secure, you are at your best. Your success means you attract people like a magnet: however be cautious of who you let in. Not everyone has pure intentions. Some people only want to profit off your success and capabilities. Overall though, you are surrounded by loving people. Be thankful for their presence in your life and let them know you appreciate them. This is the time to be bold and aim high, all while celebrating your achievements. Be ambitious! Whatever it is that you desire, if you keep up this attitude and hardworking ethic, you will get it. People recognize your powerful aura and know that it is best to work with you, rather than against you. You may also have been appreciating your body more, and practicing self love and self care. You are becoming more aware of your charms and how to enhance them, and feel comfortable in your own skin. That in itself is a great victory to celebrate.

Ravenclaw 🦅

Hades. equanimity, wisdom, inevitability.

When this card came up, you guys... *pretends to be shocked*  You are already sure of where you want to be and most importantly who you want to be. This card tells me that you are already focused on the next goal and actively working towards it. The majority of the people around you may not care much about the things you’re passionate about, or don’t see the value in them, but you simply do not care. And you are right. You do your work dutifully and take everything seriously, knowing that you will be rewarded for your efforts. Despite the grim status of the world right now, you persist and try your best to change things that do not sit right with you. You are very career-oriented, or very focused on your studies. Relationships are not a priority right now, but you do enjoy the company of a few close friends who truly understand you. Right now you are embodying your truest self, and feel comfortable with the person you are becoming. You greatly dislike personal conflict, and have been trying to distance yourself from it in real life and online. You simply do not wish to waste precious time engaging in meaningless drama. The advice is simply to keep doing you. You are on the right path.

Slytherin 🐍

The Keeper of Whispers. curiosity, madness, forbidden knowledge.

Fellow Slytherins, this is by far the most mystical of the four piles.  You are traversing an intensely creative and/or spiritual period. You are actively seeking answers to existential questions, perhaps reading philosophical texts, studying history, mythology, and the Occult.  A secretive person by nature, you are working alone to better yourself and grow to be even wiser and more powerful. You are exploring your darker self and perhaps going a bit crazy in the process- that is to be expected. After all, you are acknowledging a part of yourself that most people tend to ignore their whole life. On a more ‘practical’ note, you may be hearing a lot of secrets right now: people are confiding them to you since they know they can trust you; however some of you are uncovering secrets on your own. In any case, the knowledge you acquired is starting to make you feel a little heavy.  Now is a great time for expressing yourself creatively: do not let your conscious censor you. If you write, let the words flow without trying to control them. The only thing that matters is to get it out there, somewhere... It might not even make sense later, but it will help. In any case, do not let your rationality kill your intuition. It is particularly strong at this time: make full use of it, for it can bring wonderful gifts your way, but be careful not to get lost in your own head.

[timeshrouded]

“please don’t go” // cackles : D

it took me so long to do this im so sorry

ultear was already feeling cold by the time she heard footsteps. she groaned and closed her eyes—if it was another fucking hades or something, she didn’t want to deal with it. the emotional battle alone. she’s quite frankly had enough of chain magic, bullet magic and having her attacks thrown back at her thank you very much. the final straw was him stabbing her with her sword before he disappeared, as if he was never there. and wasn’t that the kicker of that man in her life? hurts her and then leaves, though he seemed happy to see her when he appeared. which again was Very Typical. and now, well, here she is.

(it’s not like she hasn’t tried to live, but she doesn’t use healing magic, she used her first aid supplies on dreyar when she first found him passed out before her battle, all around her were dead soldiers with nothing on them and what little time magic she has never worked to heal. the best she’s been able to do is just...not be out in the open with others. and dragging dreyar’s sorry ass while bleeding out. she’s quite accomplished in that regard.)

unwillingly, she flinched a bit when her sigh made the sword in her stomach move. it was painful the first time she was dying and this time. this was a lot slower though. but ultear had a pretty good idea that this time was more final than before. how befitting it was from hades. or some version of him. ultear coughed and she felt the blood come splatter from her mouth. how disgusting. 

at least….at the very least, she saw ur and solomon. her mother and father. whoever was coming to finish her off does not know the icy hell that could be coming at them if they manage to find out. that was very petty and very presumptuous, but she was dying so ultear figured it’d be fine. she’ll be forgiven for that. it was nice to know this time around her life was worth a lot more than one minute. that she was loved from the moment she was born. 

“please don’t go”

ultear’s head snapped up in surprise and she felt bad for the blood around her mouth instantly. she must look like an insane person, which was only added by the fact that she couldn’t help but smile at jellal. this man.

“you—really don’t let me get away with anything, do you?” she said. her voice was far away in her own mind but it felt right for them somehow. despite the fact she was dying, here and laxus dreyar was somewhere near passed out but alive, and it was hades who finally ended her (as it should be, really, wasn’t that poetic?) jellal was here. she could remember a time he was so angry at her, but slowly, the angry melted into understanding (ha!) and then over time...over time he became her best friend.

and she was so lucky to have that, wasn’t she? despite everything, this man saw something in her ultear failed to see half the time. she was dying, but she felt herself smile anyway. she planned to personally introduce ur and solomon to jellal and meredy, but it seemed that tragedy kept that from them too. she hoped jellal and meredy stayed near them. they all should have that. with or without ultear there.

jellal, really, should have that. he should have a lot more than he would ever give himself. at the thought, her smile faded somewhat, the amusement dying down with her body’s functions. she was colder now. but. jellal. who would be there to force him to accept good if not ultear? someone better because ultear could feel her eyes water at the thought. who would be there to help her family if she wasn’t?

another cough wracked through her and ultear’s head stayed somewhat limp and it left her peering at the handle of her own sword. still inside her body. nice. maybe she should have taken it out, died faster so jellal didn’t have to be here. or...so she didn’t have to see jellal see her dying. that was selfish, but she was too cold to care.

her eyes were getting heavy but she still had words to say. she had a lot, but she knew keenly she didn’t have nearly enough time. she never did have enough time, did she? just like bolodenka milkovich, the famed father of time magic. 

“i—i do love that about you...not letting me...get away.” ultear managed to get out. she suddenly wanted to tell him everything about bolodenka. did you know he went nearly insane in his research writings before they suddenly stopped? the last spell he ever crafted was last ages and i think he went back to try and reverse what happened to his son but he ended up dying because his protégé, arron ended up writing the warning about last ages. did you know that, jellal?

“he wanted to go reverse...just like me.” ultear whispered. she was getting cold. “not anymore, though. the future...it’s so bright, jellal.” and it was, wasn’t it? it always was. something to fight for. how funny. a girl obsessed with the past...well, she wasn’t a girl playing god anymore. hasn’t been.

the future was so bright. like the stars. jellal would find his way. with or without her and that—that is why she could smile.

[rctribvtns]

 ok  so,  i’ve  never  done  one  of  these  before  so  bear  with  me.  under  the  cut  are  a  few  wanted  connections  i’ve  come  up  with,  as  well  as  the  connections  that  nova’s  already  filled  for  other  muses  so  i  can  keep  track  of  them.

  PSA.   they’re  first  come  first  serve  (  and  i’ll  try  to  keep  it  updated  )  so  if  you  like  it  then  you  shoulda  put  a  ring  on  it  !!   also  if  none  of  these  tickle  your  fancy,  i’m  100%  on  board  to  brainstorm  a  few  different  ideas.  

PLATONIC.

(  the  “ twin  sister ”  )  :  see  wanted  connection  on  the  main.  [0/1]

(  the  ‘  bad  dads  club ’  connection  )  :  this  character  is  also  a  resident  of  hades  cabin.   they  both  have  some  abandonment  issues  when  it  comes  to  dads  and  over  time  they  became  confidantes.  they’re  not  the  kind  of  people  who’d  come  right  and  say  hey  i’ve  got  your  back,  but  if  someone  was  messing  with  the  other  they’d  step  up  and  square  up.  [  1/1  taken  by  tam. ]

(  the  '  best  friends ’  )  :   inspiration:  the  golden  trio.    muse  a  is  someone  nova  clicked  with  almost  instantly  upon  arriving  at  camp  half-blood.  preferably  this  person  would  have  been  in  hermes  cabin  approx.  5  years  ago.  whether  they  were  the  claimed  child  of  a  god  with  no  cabin,  or  an  unclaimed  half-blood,  they  bonded  over  shared  interests  and  compatible  personalities.   when  nova  wants  to  get  into  a  little  trouble,  or  do  something  stupid,  this  person  isn’t  far  behind.   muse  b  is  someone  they  initially  clashed  with  —  maybe  over  their  differences,  or  something  petty  like  cutting  their  favorite  shirt  with  a  blade  during  weapons  training.   whatever  the  reason,  it  was  petty,  and  they  remained  at  odds  with  each  other  until  they  all  went  on  a  quest  together.   this  bonded  them  all  instantly  and  they’ve  been  near-inseparable  ever  since.   this  person  also   tries  to  be  the  logical  one  and  keep  muse  a  and  nova  from  running  their  lives  into  the  ground.  [ 1/2  muse  b  taken  by  zach. ]

(  the  ‘  tentative  friends ’  )  :  when  they  first  met,  they  did  not  get  along.  he  was  very  angry,  finding  it  unfair  that  he  was  shoved  into  hermes  cabin  without  a  place  he  really  belonged,  and  they  argued  about  this.   in  fact,  they  argued  a  lot.   so  much  so  that  it  eventually  culminated  in  a  big  fight  where  he  got  his  ass  handed  to  him.  ever  since,  he’s  pulled  his  head  out  of  his  ass  a  little  and  they’ve  become  tentative  friends.   there’s  mutual  respect  there,  though  it’s  unclear  what  else,  and  their  friendship  is  probably  best  described  as  friends  adjacent.   that  all  might  change  though  if  she  goes  through  with  their  dare  from  her  cabin  mates  to  make  him  fall  for  her.   [  filling  lily’s  wanted  connection.  ]

(  the  ‘  tour  guide ’  )  :   when  he  arrived  at  camp  half-blood,  he  had  quite  the  chip  on  his  shoulder.  he  was  on  the  outs  with  his  family,  recently  claimed,  and  feeling  the  sting  of  rejection  to  find  out  that  hades  kids  were  lumped  into  the  other  cabin.   he  was  probably  a  brat  at  first,  kind  of  impossible  to  be  around,  but  this  person  somehow  looked  past  it  and  helped  him  adjust  to  life  at  camp  which  he  did  appreciate  —  even  if  he  sucked  at  showing  it.  [0/1]

(  the  ‘  competitive  friends ’  )  :  nova  has  filled  this  connection  for  jesse. competitive  friends .   they’re  rivals ,  in  every  sense  of  the  word .  equal  in  fighting  prowess  and  in  shit - talking  abilities ,  the  only  place  they  can  seem  to  get  some  really  good  competition  is  in  the  other .  as  a  result ,  they  spend  a  lot  of  time  going  head  to  head  in  the  arena  or  debating  over  something  stupid  in  the  mess  hall  at  dinner .  neither  of  them  hate  each  other ,  though  it  might  look  like  that  sometimes .

(  the  ‘  sparring  partner  ’  )  :   nova  has  filled  this  connection  for  finn.   finn   isn’t   the   best   at   fighting   hand - to - hand   combat   ,   but   they’re   partners   during   practices   !   maybe   they   teach   him   a  bit   of    what   they   know   and   he   returns   the   favor   somehow   . 

(  the  '  salt  bae ’  )  :   these  two  gravitate  towards  each  other  when  they  want  to  be  shady,  or  pessimistic,  and  aren’t  looking  to  hear  empty  platitudes  to  try  and  make  them  feel  better.  they’re  both  a  little  emo,  jaded  about  the  world  around  them,  and  there’s  a  quiet  kind  of  kinship  shared  between  them  as  a  result.  [  1/1  taken  by  autumn.  ]

(  the  ‘  slow  burn  friend ’  )  :   this  character  was  also  in  hermes  cabin.  they  bonded  over  mutual  annoyances  at  being  grouped  in  with  the  others,  among  other  things.  stargazing  on  the  roof  of  their  cabin  was  something  they  shared  together,  and  continued  to  even  after  they  were  claimed  and  nova  remained  in  the  hermes  cabin.  over  time  they  became  friends,  though  nova  couldn’t  point  to  one  specific  moment  to  identify  when  it  actually  happened.   [ 1/1  taken  by  min. ]

ROMANTIC.

(  the  ‘  will  they  /  won’t  they ’  )  :   for  two  years,  nova  and  this  person  danced  around  each  other.  maybe  they  went  out  once  or  twice,  or  maybe  they  just  talked  about  doing  it  and  it  never  happened,  but  it  was  probably  well  known  that  these  two  had  a  thing  for  each  other  and  it  just  never  panned  out.  [0/1]

(  the  ‘  unlikely  crush ’  )  :   on  paper,  these  two  people  have  nothing  in  common.   this  other  muse  is  a  kind  person,  the  kind  of  person  who  you’d  think  would  get  under  nova’s  skin  and  irritate  him  with  their  goodness,  but  instead  he  started  to  crush  on  them.   in  turn,  it  probably  made  him  more  of  a  jerk  towards  them.   whether  they’re  on  good  terms  or  not  now  is  undetermined.  [  2/2  taken  by  avalon  and  fernanda.  ]

(  the  ‘  first  kiss ’  )  :    they  meet  at  a  carnival.  his  mother’s  working  her  stand  and  he  decides  to  play  hooky  for  the  day.   he  meets  this  other  muse,  they  spend  the  day  together,  and  sparks  fly.   on  the  ferris  wheel,  at  the  end  of  a  day  well-spent,  they  kiss.   it’s  his  very  first  and  it’s  kind  of  a  perfect  one.  they  exchange  numbers  but  he  accidentally  washes  it  off  his  hand.��  he  hopes  to  see  her  again,  to  make  contact,  but  the  carnival  picks  up  and  moves  the  next  day  and  they  never  see  each  other  again.   until  now.   [ 1/1  taken  by  harper. ]

(  the  ‘  exploited  crush ’  )  :   this  muse  is  someone  that  nova  realized,  pretty  early  on,  had  a  crush  on  him.  they  weren’t  very  subtle  but  they  sure  thought  they  were.  the  other  muse  never  made  a  move  —  and  nova,  admittedly,  wasn’t  really  interested  —  but  he  never  said  anything  because  he  liked  the  attention.   maybe  your  muse  has  finally  worked  up  the  courage  to  say  something,  or  has  started  to  pick  up  on  signs  that  he  knows.   [0/1]

(  the  ‘  hook-ups  ’  )  :  this  one  goes  without  explanation.  brief  flings,  no  real  commitments,  just  teen  hearts  beating  faster,  faster.  we  can  flesh  out  whether  it  was  a  one-time  thing,  or  a  friends  with  benefits  situation,  but  real  feelings  were  never  factored  into  the  equation.  [ 1/5  taken  by  delia.  ]

(  the  ‘  unrequited  crushee  ’  )  :  nova  has  filled  this  connection  for  abel. unrequited  crush  a .   abel  is  absolutely  obsessed  with  them ,  but  they  barely  know  he  exists .  he  isn’t  even  a  blip  on  their  radar ,  despite  the  fact  that  he  goes  out  of  his  way  to  be  where  they  are  most  of  the  time . 

ADVERSARIAL

(  the  ‘  mess  of  an  ex  ’  )  :  this  muse  isn’t  necessarily  a  mess,  but  their  relationship  definitely  was.  it  was  nova’s  first  and  only  serious  relationship  and  it  didn’t  go  well.  he  was  allergic  to  commitment,  constantly  throwing  himself  in  quickly  and  then  getting  cold  feet  and  being  wishy  washy  about  where  they  stood,  which  led  to  the  inevitable  dissolution  of  the  relationship.   this  muse  wasn’t  very  patient  with  him,  irritated  by  his  behavior,  and  when  they  split  it  was  very  ugly.   we’re  talking  screaming  at  each  other  out  by  the  lake,  a  capsized  canoe,  and  probably  people  taking  bets  on  which  one  of  them  was  going  to  make  it  back  alive.  there’s  love  there,  there  always  was,  but  their  problems  outweighed  any  of  the  good  times.  [ 1/1  taken  by  dromeda. ]

(  the  ‘  anything  you  can  do,  i  can  do  better ’  )  :   these  two  muses  have  been  at  each  other’s  throats  for  years.  instead  of  just  being  competitive,  challenging  each  other  to  be  better,  they’ve  made  it  their  personal  goals  to  best  the  other  person.   possibly  to  their  own  detriment,  or  sanity.   why  they  hate  each  other  doesn’t  even  matter  at  this  point,  bonus  points  if  they  can’t  even  remember,  but  the  petty  rivalry  runs  rampant  and  they  argue  and  compete  over  everything.   literally  everything,  big  or  small.  [ 1/1 taken  by  brooklyn. ]

[goth-albino-angel]

Alright, I talked about Evie's emotional scene but let's talk about Uma, Harry, and Celia's reactions.

The way Uma shuts off, as if she had that little voice in the back of her mind, but was fighting against it. As if she had been wanting so hard to believe that Mal was finally doing something for others, for the Isle, for once instead of just looking out for herself. Uma just shut everything down, and it hurts the most because the only emotion we see from her unrestrained... is disappointment. She really had been hoping. She can't even muster any venom in her voice when she tells Harry they'll leave them all to rot. She's just really let down. And considering she started the movie still hating Mal's guts, that says so much more than her being angry ever could have.

My boy Harry. I love him to bits and pieces, the poor guy. He was trying to be snarky, trying to think of a way he could retain some sort of power, but you can see the exact moment all of his steam just left him, the wind rushing out of his sails. The soft and dejected way he talks to Ben, the way he says they'll just be thrown right back on the island, you can tell how hopeful he had been, too. How much he had been looking forward to getting off the island, to experiencing real sailing, and greenery, and fresh food, and the like. How crushed he is that his hope had just been a lie.

And poor Celia! Holy balls, my poor baby! She has an actual good relationship with her parent! Something we'd yet to see in these movies. Evie, Carlos, Jay, and Mal? They weren't actually on good terms with their parents. They were terrified of them. But Celia? Celia absolutely loved her dad and it was clear Dr. F loved her too. They even have their own father daughter goofy dance! And she throws that back in Mal's face. Because she's right. She had been lied to and used, she would have only been able to see her Dad that one time before he would have been closed off to her forever. It speaks more coming from a child than from an adult because she IS a child, she's, what, fourteen at most? And Mal was going to tear her from someone she loved. Some might think what Celia did to Hades ember was petty, but it really isn't. Children react that way to their emotions. She wanted to hurt Mal the way Mal was going to do her. And what better way than to put out Mal's last hope, to ruin the thing she got from her father? Your heart just goes out to Celia after getting to know so much about her this movie and knowing Mal was just using her to get what she needed.

[hoesidon]

“Zeus,” said Chiron. “God of Honor, Justice, Rain, Sky and Lightning. King of Olympus. Hail, Perseus Jackson, son of the Lightning God.”

Poseidon and Hades have both tried to kill him

Poseidon as revenge for Zeus’ attempt on Bianca and Nico’s lives sent a snake to attack him in his crib but Percy strangled it with his bare hands because he thought it was a cool new toy

Hades sent the Minotaur after him and captured Sally as revenge for Zeus trying to kill Thalia

Annabeth has her suspicions about Percy being a possible son of Zeus when the lights in the bathrooms started to flicker when Clarisse tried to drown him in the girls’ bathroom

Percy gets claimed during Capture the Flag when he shocks Clarisse and her siblings

And because Zeus has a flair for the dramatics, he claims Percy by having lightning flash across the sky while thunder roared in the background

He then gets a quest to find Poseidon’s stolen trident and return it to Olympus before the summer solstice and clear Zeus’ name

Annabeth calls him Airhead

“Because you’re my friend, Airhead. Anymore stupid questions?”

Percy is terrified of heights and flying but is comfortable on his Pegasus Blackjack whom Zeus gifted him for his birthday

Percy was low-key kinda jealous when Apollo let Thalia fly his sun chariot

Top 10 Biggest Anime Betrayals

Percy shocked Thalia with static electricity and Thalia retaliated by making a skeleton pop out of the ground and grab his ankle

Between Zeus’ infidelity track record, her abandonment issues, and Luke’s betrayal, Annabeth is constantly terrified that one day Percy will wake up and decide he doesn’t want anything to do with her anymore. That she’ll be casted aside and replaced with someone else

So she desperately tries to push any feelings for Percy aside

Her concerns are eased a bit when Percy sneaks along on a quest to save her and again when he turns down the opportunity to be a God

Zeus’ pride took a huge blow when his son turned down his generous offer not gonna lie

Again, Top Ten Biggest Anime Betrayals

Zeus granted Percy his wish but he grounded him because he was feeling petty

When Percy ticks Zeus off or when he just feels like being petty, he grounds Percy

It happens a lot more than you think

Percy and Annabeth’s first kiss was in the air

But despite everything, there’s still that fear in the back of Annabeth’s mind that Percy will leave her, that he’ll be gone soon and she’ll be alone again

A couple of months later Percy goes missing and instead she finds a son of Pluto

Percy low-key kinda scares Zeus

Lightbulbs tend to flicker when he’s annoyed and shatter when he’s angry

Before he learned he was a son of Zeus, he would accidentally shock people when he brushed by them then he learned how to control it

If you look closely at him, in the middle of battles or if he’s feeling very angry, you can see mini sparks coming off of him

Percy purposely walks by and waits for Jason at his cabin to shock him with static electricity

Percy and Thalia have this long ongoing game of ‘tag’ when Thalia is visiting camp except it’s Percy shocking Thalia with static electricity when he welcomes her back to camp with a hug or a handshake and Thalia sending a hoard of skeletons to cabin 1 as a ‘wake up you’re going to miss breakfast’ alarm

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                       Hades, the God of the Underworld,                                           whose origins stem from Ancient Greece.                                        He is now a medical examiner for the MPPD.

FC NAME/GROUP:  Ju Jihoon, actor. GOD NAME: Hades PANTHEON:  Greek OCCUPATION: Medical Examiner at the MPPD HEIGHT: 188 cm DEFINING FEATURES: droopy left eye, multiple notch scars on face.

PERSONALITY: Hades is essentially a recluse, and only spends time outside of his apartment at work, or perhaps a bar or a restaurant. He’s a bit curt towards people, trying to limit as much interaction as possible, However, he seems completely fine at conversing with people, even going as far as teasing them and having a good laugh, but yet he just prefers brooding on his own. Hades is strict and stern, he views the world around him objectively and rarely lets emotion get the better of him. Though he does not often show that he cares, Hades is often more concerned with other people’s well being and less his. He’s not motivated by much and passively goes along with the flow instead of taking matters into his own hands. He’s also affectionate with loved ones and has a flair for the dramatics.

HISTORY:

I.

He does not remember much about his birth except for his older sister calling to him, there is nothing to remember. He is engulfed by his father who feared that his children would some day kill him, so his father attempts to kill his own children instead. Hades waits in the darkness as more siblings join with he and Hestia in Cronus’ stomach, it feels like an eternity before he’s regurgitated back into sunlight and sees with siblings for the first time, war declared on Cronus and the Titans. Hades proves his worth; his strength is equal to the rest of his brothers, but yet he lacked luck. Hades is ambitious, he did not want to be restricted to the underworld. But yet, he lacks conviction and did not wish for another bloodbath, so Hades takes his lot and rules everything under the ground, in the crevasses of the earth. It’s not as bad as he had imagined, he has all the lush vegetation and ore on his side.

II.

Hades falls in love with a young goddess and tricks her into living with him. He treats her well, but she is unhappy without her mother. Demeter is angry, she and Hades fight and Demeter neglects the land. Hades alone could not make the ground fertile without her help, so they compromise. Persephone lives with Hades in his realm at the end of the harvest for four months til it is warm outside again, every year without fail. Hades is not well-liked, but he is respected. Hades never leaves his home and watches as the world crumbles in the world up above, with petty fights amongst gods and men. He doesn’t complain, it’s more subjects for his kingdom, welcomed through the gates of the Underworld.

III.

Hell is Hades’ new name, the world is not it once was. Hades used to be respected, but now he’s feared. Priests tell the world that Hell is cruel and that one should return to God. Less souls cross the Styx, the dead tell him that souls no longer return to the earth but go towards the sky, an untouchable place even the god of the sky can’t touch. Only the grave sinners walk in, condemned to be thrown in the pits of Tartarus, the true hell. He lets his wife go, she does not deserve the slander.

IV.

The world is boring. There’s no amusement. Repetitive bloodbaths borne from petty fights, Hades has seen it all.  The underworld becomes a democracy, Hades has stepped down as ruler, there was nothing to rule anyways. Even so, he would always be the dead’s king. Cerberus is sleeping, he has become small, there is no longer anything to guard. Hades picks up his beloved hound and climbs up to the gates of his home, and does not look back. The light above is blinding.

V.

Hades travels the world with Cerberus, disguised as three dogs. He often moves in the dead of the night, or under the cover of the clouds. The sunshine was no longer beautiful to him, it was starting to get on his nerves, really. The dead and the dying to speak to him, afraid. He tells them that death is not to be feared. Death was gentle; death was up to karmic retribution. Over the course of his travails, Hades takes on the visage of a mortal dubbed the Prince of the Undead, gone too soon for his fleeting life. A shame really, the God thinks he would have made a fine ruler. The dead whisper to him about a city akin to Olympus, where god and demigod cohabitate, he would be lying if he didn’t miss being able to interact with his kind terribly. His sights are set on Mount Phoenix.

POWERS: Compared to his fellow gods and goddesses, Hades has much less powers, but yet feared for his strength. His most notable power is invisibility, unseen to the eye of mortals. He can see and speak to the dead. As king of the underworld, he has complete control over his realm, and assigns chosen ones to judicial and democratic duties that are much more menial. However, for special occasions in which Hades himself was the judge of the dead, he demonstrated the ability to completely erase a dead soul¹ or erase a living person’s memory², but he does not often do so unless angered. The territory comes with land and its ores, and so he shares the power of the earth’s fertility with Persephone and Demeter. He is the omniscient observer and can discern truth and trickery.

¹ myth of Orpheus ² myth of Pirithous

STRENGTHS:

Genuinely altruistic

Observing people quietly. Some call it spying. He likes to call it “being attentive”.

Practical

WEAKNESSES:

Stubborn, it’s a family trait if he’s being honest.

Absolutely cannot stand deceit, though he never tells the entire truth either. But at least he’s honest.

Sunlight. It hurts his eyes and irritates his skin.

His ex-wife.

[voidsentprinces]

📜 (For each)

Each of the Voidsent Princes are translated from my creation of them in my mind back in 2010, 2011. All of them have kept a few of these details necessary to their characters when translated to Final Fantasy XIV.

📜 - Envy’s overwritten existence was a happenstance in that the Catholic belief each sin is represented by a corresponding demon. Meant that the Leviathan is associated with Envy. Since, there always exists a Leviathan in Eorzea, this meant that Envy would be overwritten even if he was the Leviathan of his world. Envy’s spite initially came from being forced into a humanoid form and keeping only his tail to forever remain nostalgic and bitter over, what he once was rather than what he could grow to be.

By this same vein, I added the aspect of him keeping his eye color, hair color, and tail to remind him of this. To drive him forever to begrudge the Sahagin and the Eorzeans. Which motivates him to commit atrocities out of spite.

As it stands, I am still trying to work in how Envy got his start in creation lore. As in his original back story, he was literally placed in a Goddess without her knowing. Feeding on her divinity and driving her mad with the newfound feeling of jealousy, spite, envy, and pettiness. Which slowly turned him from a simple snake, into a great draconic serpentine.

This event he clings onto as his peak and why he is arrogant in that he is greater than any being. Wishing to reobtain such a place and corrupt all hearts. Feeding on many more essences. But alas, he remains anchored to trying to reobtain that lost former glory. Rather than using, his powers for any good. Reminded daily of his current state, forever chasing a dream he will never reobtain.

📜 - In their origin and repeated in their back story. Only Wrath and Sloth began as demons. Which had been changed for their translations into FFXIV. Initially; Envy was a Primordeal force, Lust was human once, Gluttony was an angel, Greed was a human made deity, Sloth was a demon, Wrath was a demon, and Pride was an angel. To reflect this, Envy was a Primal in his world, Lust was a mortal, Gluttony was a Warrior of Light, Greed was an Elder Primal, Sloth is a homunculus, Wrath was an Xaela Au Ra, and Pride was also a Warrior of Light.

I, explain this, due to keeping with the translations of things that stayed over other than the obvious (i.e. eyes, hair, manner of speaking, dress). Lust maintains his backstory of prostatuting himself to make enough money. To hire, his sick sister a life-time doctor for her non-specific illness. Then the tragedy following, where his memories and beings are stripped away. Forever doomed to only vaguely remember his sister. Ever searching for her, but centuries have past and she was mortal. Whereas, he isn’t anymore.

This was my attempts to make Lust more than a simple overtly sexual force. Giving him meaning, a passion and something to lust forever outside the obvious. He wants to remember his sister, he wants to be there to protect her, watch over her, as a big brother does. See her grow, see what choices she made, etc. Alas, he might never have that chance as his shard of origin was consumed by one of the Ascian’s ploys.

📜 - Gluttony has always been together with Pride. As it is written that Beelzebub was lieutenant to Lucifer in his uprising. This follows suit, in both interations of my translations of the sins, the two are separated. Gluttony takes up hunting in a hellscape. Eventually consumes corrupted meat which drives him mad with hunger.

Unfortunately, there is far too much green, I associate with the Seven Deadly Sins. Got Envy, Gluttony, and Greed all which could be associated with various shades of the color. So, I couldn’t decide whether or not Gluttony’s eyes should be an acidic yellow or a bile green. In the end, I felt it better to learn on this angelic figure twisted into monster. When full hog on the eldritch monstrosity. His eye deforming into a compact insectoid ocular. Carapace, translucent wings, etc.

Beelzebub was shown to favor the bow in some scriptures and drawings. So, he kept a hunting aspect about him. Though I might change him, to be more approachable in the near future.

📜  - Greed was always to be a welcoming being. As he was worshipped in both previous lives in both iterations of him. He is more than happy to welcome mortals. Share a drink, buy them food, etc.

One of the few sins to actually grow, after his downfall from the throne of divinity and being outwritten as a faux deity. Mammon found to value less material things and more people in general. Though he still wishes to collect various objects, now that he has found himself in a new world. He also wishes to collect people. Relationships, memories, experiences, stories, and the like.

This turns Greed away like Lust from the simple path of corporate greed to one of more character. Always broad shouldered, hair and eyes the color of fresh minted dollar bills. Dressing in suits like a romanticized prohibition mob boss. But, with genuine hospitality. Greed was probably the easiest to translate story wise.

📜 - Sloth is probably the least touched on Sin, I’ve worked on. They follow the troupe of being lazy and unmotivated. But, in a logical way. Yes, Sloth does tend to sleep and prefer to be undisturbed. But, in my research, I came upon an interesting bit of lore from the Belphagor myth, Belphagor is sent out into the world by Hades to measure humanity. Though his findings are uninteresting, the folklore of Belphagor offering up unimaginable inventions for people to patent and claim as their own to incite Sloth. Had some sort of impact on me.

Absolutely brilliant, able to invent things on the spot, but the laziest being in the universe. Whenever awoken, Sloth would offer up someone a genuine good idea or invention which would see themselves prosper. If, they’d just let Sloth roll over and go back to sleep.

Another aspect of Sloth kept in both iterations, they are either unfathomably lucky or unlucky depending on where you look at it. As they get around purely by chance. By never moving and always sleeping, Sloth is often farried around without their knowing. Appearing in odd places all due to random chance.

For example, Sloth went from the Great Gubal Library steps to Ul’dah by; being swept by one of Matoya’s brooms off the beaten path, rolling down a hill into the river below, floating through Coerthas onto the oceans near La Noscea, where they were subsequently eaten by an over size fish, said fish washed up on the harbor of Horizon, where it was split up only for them to come tumbling out of its belly, into a cart, which was then farried to Ul’dah, whereby they rolled off it onto the streets.

📜 - Amon is one of 72 demons written about in the Goetia of Soloman. He is a marquis of Hell and bears an owl’s head with wolves teeth, a man’s body, with a serpent tail. He is sinfully summoned by scholars to foresee the future or help them obtain knowledge. This is an aspect translated into Wrath, once a great oracle of the Xaela. He predicted an outcome which bode ill for the current Khagan. Ill respecting of this prediction, that Khagan killed Amon’s tribe and tried to force fate to bring about a new revelation which served the ruling tribe before Nadaam.

To this end, they tortured, Amon for many moons. Until at last, fate intervened in a way that was unexpected. Infusing Amon with the rage of all those unlawfully killed in his tribe. He began a beast of Wrath. Still maintaining his ability to see the future, as indicated by his ring patterned eyes. Always prone to anger and irrational thinking, going as far as to destroy a marking place because of some pineapples. Sloth developed a system of stealing piercings.

Wrath’s body is covered in piercings that pentrate through Wrath’s abdomen, fore and upper arms, his ears, nose, and lips. When ever, he gets angry. The piercings attempt to seal in the rage and when they are close to expiring, they glow molten white. This way, Wrath can maintain proper thought and function without going berserk at a moment’s notice.

The piercings can double as explosives, as Wrath can remove them and throw the heated piercings to erupt releasing the fiery energy in the designated area.

📜  - Pride, Lucifer. One of the most iconic sins and in a handful of religion, the first sin and sometimes to root of it all. Vanity, narcassism, and glory seeking. Pride is another one I hadn’t touched on alot and currently sits in an amnesiac state.

Though, his form is that of a Warrior of Light, who did his best and was awarded nothing for it. He started out seeking adventure, gathering friends and allies along the way, battling everything the troubles of the world put forth and in the end, he and his Warriors of Light. Couldn’t stop of the Ascians from consuming, his world in Calamity.

His last act was to protect, what he thought, was the last remaining member of his group from the flood of darkness. That would go on to consume his form.

Once golden in hair and eye, his fair hair turning black and the shine of his gaze fading.

Now Pride is going to be acting as a Project of mine. Balmung is going to shape him into what he becomes. Will he return to being a Voidsent Prince? Become an adventurer? Or something else? We’ll see....when I get to courage to throw him at the Balmung community again.

[vanitysruin]

12. Color and noise.

That they would become fast friends came as a surprise to exactly no one.

Even as children they were brilliant in their own ways, reckless and bold and hungry for new experiences upon which to sharpen their teeth. Were one feeling whimsical, one might have suggested that they were two birds of a feather, two halves of a selfsame soul.

This, of course, was absurd. He was himself, and she was herself, and that was simply that.

But it was another game with which they amused one another while they were young and younger things. When it came time to leave their childhoods behind, it became a matter of principle that they held onto such fancy: like a promise, absurd and pointless, treasured all the same. Hades, for all his bluster, grew into a man with an unbearably sentimental heart. And she…

And she…

Well. We all know what became of her.

---

“I’m not certain I understand what that’s meant to be is all.”

“Oh, of course you don’t! No imagination for anything that isn’t tall and rigid. Look, look: do you see its muzzle? How soft and round it is? Its back? Perfect for riding! It is a beast, a kindly sort of beast.”

“I can see it is a beast. But what is the point of it?” “What is the point of anything? Why do I even bother with you? Haven’t you got another pylon or pillar or something to shape? Something dull and static and--” “Alright, alright, I get it. I’m sorry.” Together they knelt and studied, held the concept of a concept of an animal aloft between their hands. Its body lolled, limp and useless, like a doll missing its stuffing. “Do… do you want a suggestion? Some constructive criticism?”

“Tell me.”

He looked at her, grinning impishly. “What do you think about antlers?”

---

“She hates me. She hates me, I’m sure of it.”

“Calm yourself. Calm…. There. She doesn’t hate you. Who put such an absurd thought into your head?”

She was quiet, miserable, sniffling. Her mask had been set aside on the bench they shared that she could rub her knuckles into her eyes. These outbursts of hers came more and more frequently as of late and it tore her apart. Hrathi was the very definition of collected, of serene, the very image of power and wisdom. Hrathi would never act in such a way. How could she ever measure up?

“What is it that’s really bothering you? Tell me. Please.”

Thin as a cane, she was, short and narrow, so much so that even the smallest of robes seemed one size too large for her. Her body shook with deep and heavy sobs, angry that her emotions would betray her in so bothersome a way. In public, no less, and in front of him of all people.

“Is it because of that goat thing? We can always revisit--” “It isn’t because of the goat!” she blurted. Fists balled tightly bounced off her lap, full of an energy she didn’t know how to deal with. He waited quietly as she, too, slowly felt her way around center again. Her sniffles became hushed and she didn’t gulp so much air.

She said, pitifully, “You’re going to leave me behind.” Her golden eyes, rimmed in red, couldn’t bring themselves to meet his. “You’re going to join the Convocation like everyone says you will and then what will I do? I haven’t the aptitude for--”

“You’ll just have to come with me,” he said. 

“But I can’t--”

“You’ll come with me.”

“But--”

“Come with me.”

When she stared at him, wild-eyed, he said again, one more time, softer: “Come with me.”

She kissed him. It was embarrassing and stupid and thoughtless, and she recoiled immediately after to hiccup and sniffle some more. It was more than a little off-putting, too, to find she was beset by a new, fresh wave of tears. But she did not pull away when he scooted in closer beside her, and she did not pull away when his arm came to rest around her trembling shoulders.

“We shall go together,” he said, and she could find not a single reason in her soul to disbelieve him even the slightest.

---

Their stars rose together. Hades was quickly renown for his sharp wit and his incomparable understanding of symmetries and patterns. Once, rumor spoke that he might one day take Lahabrea’s seat, but to Lahabrea’s great relief, it was Emet-Selch for which he was chosen. His ascension was met with great applause and hope for there was no doubt he would go on to do great works for the sake of his beloved Amaurot.

Of her there was less to say. Or more, depending on how who was asked and how charitable they were feeling. From youth, she was stunted almost beyond belief. She was great Hrathi’s daughter, after all, and should have excelled if not exceeded her mother’s talent. Instead, she struggled at even the simplest things, and was often steeped in melancholy because of it.

Nevertheless, her star did rise, albeit at a slower pace than her cherished companion. It cannot be said that she achieved the impossible, for any who put their all, mind and soul, to a task will surely find a way. Thus she, too, was named to the Convocation, having become masterful in her own way and in her own right. 

The principles of creation are multifaceted, as is the wisdom that lay behind them. Let it not be said that, while perhaps unconventional, her method were not sound. As any who favor the Hall of Rhetoric may remind you, it is through such differences in perspective that the whole of civilization is left better enlightened. Let there be no thought so outrageous and so anomalous that it cannot be adapted for the betterment of all.

---

In another world, she wavered. It poured into her unbidden, unrelenting, such visions of a life echoing her own. Where the strain of light clawed at her heart, the memories chilled her to the bone. She was Delial Grimsong, liberator of Ala Mhigo, and while her path had veered dramatically from where she had begun, not once did she ever question who she was.

Not once did she think there was so much more, hidden and locked behind the sweet chime of Hydaelyn’s benevolent voice.

Her head throbbed as if to burst, and for many blinded moments she could not tell if it was the light that was finally threatening to overtake her. Ryne made it sound as if strain would put her in danger. To say she felt under strain then would have been a gross understatement.

“It returns to you,” Emet-Selch said. No - she called him Hades, once upon a time. She hadn’t noticed him draw nearer, hovering ghost-like, hesitant before the volatile energies within her. In that shadowed place, perhaps he was all it took to hold it at bay, to allow her the luxury of though and breath and consciousness for what little time she had left. “The things denied you. Know, then, the truths you-- that She has long denied. I spoke no lies.”

Then, softer, colder, “But you knew this already. Always have we been much alike, hero. Until the very end.”

Delial need not see his eyes to feel the weight of his judgement once again. While they adventured across Norvandt (if one could say an entity such as he adventured), she came to appreciate his capricious disposition. It was vanity, she thought, that saw her own habits echoed in him. How very charming, she thought, that these mundane things as temper and mood could infect the eternal as well.

But one by one the Lightwardens fell, and bit by bit his words became more barbed. As he shared more and more of his heart, so too did it seem more and more that she had wronged him in some unfathomable way. His contempt was personal, a grudge he’d held on to for untold ages. And there she was again, failing whatever measure he’d set for her. He must have thought it inevitable. She’d been condemned long before he approached them, approached her, in the Crystarium.

And what is the point of this? Soon, I will end, and I will care no more.

Why, then, does he care? Soon, I will end, and his course will carry him onward, as it always has and forever will. With or without me.

It boiled in her blood. If she was condemned, then she would know, she would remember.

She would remember it all.

---

By the weight of her title, she had been afforded a lofty place high above the city. To tell the truth of it, it was ostentatious even for her tastes: the tiles, fine as they were, felt a little too cold beneath her feet no matter how much she willed it otherwise, and the ceilings towered far, far too tall for so runted an Amaurotine as she. It was a matter of tradition and ritual that she accept it, else she cause more gossip and offense than she already had. That it was left a mess, a hoard of little things kept in a perfect state of catastrophe, may as well have been Amaurot’s greatest secret: a silent, hidden rebellion curated by one of the Convocation no less.

She spent little enough time there, anyway, with Emet-Selch’s suite so near. For all the discomfort her own domicile offered her, his was far more offensive. The walls were a mess of sconces and he’d insisted on lighting even the most mundane of his chambers with multitudes chandeliers, no less than four, no more than eight: horrible and gaudy things that looked to her like little more than strange spiked crowns.

“Is that all you see?” His outrage was manufactured, mostly. She might have argued that it was better made than his horrible chandeliers. “You buffoon. You uncultured swine. This perfect concert of pattern and balance and symmetry, and all you can say of it is, ‘weird crown’?”

“Isn’t it though?”

“No! It absolutely is not! In fact, I would very much like to see you do better!”

“I’m sure I could.”

“Hm! Then prove it!”

The challenge was issued. It, among other things, had become as ritual between them, one of the many ways they’d constructed to help her refine and hone herself. Ever was she a woman empowered by pride and spite. It was clear that she had become too comfortable lounging on his insufferably modern sofa, besides, so it was only natural that she would opt to stand a bit instead.

“For all your talk of your accursed symmetry, you’ve forgotten about a little thing called ‘flair’.”

“Now you’re just being petty!” he cried, gawking at her as if she’d sprouted a second head. “Me? Forgotten about flair? I think Elidibus would take offense to that. In fact, I’m certain his ears are burning right now and he knows exactly why, so offensive he would find it.”

“And you forget,” she countered, murmuring as she concentrated. Her hands came together and swayed apart in slow, gentle motions, spooling between her fingers threads of magic. “That dear Elidibus is a pianist in private, and a masterful one at that. I think he’d know a little something about flair.”

“Is he? How do you know that?”

“A little bird told me.”

“A little bird called…”

Her fingers bowed and she contracted them out and further out. Glistening pale and blue, a new creation began to take shape. “You can guess, if you wish. Or try to. I’ll not tell.” A maddening smirk turned her lips but she ignored her self-satisfaction for the moment. In her mind and in her hands, she dreamed of arcs and swooping lines, of something organic and living.

“Nabriales.”

“No.”

“Mitron.”

“Ha! No.”

“Ige-”

“No! Now quiet, please! I’m almost there.” Her hands flattened and she gave the construct one last pass over, making minute adjustments here and there, pinching out and pressing in a few final details. She stepped closer to him with this thing dimly glowing to where he slouched in a rigidly angled armchair, and then she picked a point and placed it high above his head. It was a little less than an arm’s length wide, a curve of blue light that rippled and glimmered throughout its thin membranous shape. 

He stared at it, lip curled. “An… umbrella?”

“Ah,” she said. “There is an idea.” And then she blew on it, one final puff of magic. Beads of light washed over it and fell past the edges, pinched here and there like the points of a star, its energies cycled again and again and again to mimic perpetual rain that fell and splashed intangible around the man seated beneath it.

Hades scrutinized it the same way he scrutinized everything: his brow was knit, his eyes were sharp, and in so doing he presented himself as a man ever prepared for disappointment. It was not his fault his standards were so high. Certainly it grated on her, but she’d come to respect and appreciate his meticulousness. There was one else so worthy of his station, after all. None else through whom she herself could manage to shine among the rest.

“It isn’t terrible,” he said at last. He raised his palm to catch one such droplet, and when it splattered and burst, it left upon his skin a rapidly waning splash of light. “Doesn’t make for much of a light source does it?” This was true: it was pale in its luminescence, washing over his face with only the faintest hint of crystalline blue. 

But…?

Even in private, Hades scarcely smiled. He could smirk and sneer with the best of them and, indeed, he seemed to take much delight in doing so especially when it meant agitating his compeers. A smile was something different entirely, drawn from a deeper place. She did not win one this time. It troubled her little enough. He loosened in his seat, leaned back and relaxed just enough. Deciphering the patterns in the light, she was certain, reading things from they fell around him, again and again and again. She was certain he understood.

“Would… you mind terribly if I kept it?”

“Such greed ill suits you, Emet-Selch, sir.”

“Borrowed it, then. Just for a while.”

She hummed and fussed as was appropriate, but it did not fool him. Nor was it her intent. It remained a victory, small as it was, and he could not deny her that either no matter how blasé he was about it.

“Just for a while. If only for you.”

---

It was to her great credit that she was able to hold her tongue and temper. She told herself as much until it became mantra, something to focus upon to distract her from all else. Breaking precedence had become her modus operandi. It was the source of much amusement among the rest of the Fourteen, she knew. So too did she know of the things they said of her prowess, how little they actually considered her opinion.

“Wait.”

It was selfish to think he would have come after her sooner. The conclave must have just ended for him to have rushed after her so. It would be unheard of to walk out, as she did. If there was to be a firebrand among them, then it was only natural that it fall upon her. Who else could she be but Amaurot’s greatest malcontent?

“Damn you, wait--”

“Tell me I am not alone in this,” she demanded, turning to him so abruptly he nearly loped straight into her. “Tell me ‘tis not I alone who doubts!”

“Quiet!” Emet-Selch’s mask mirrored well the rage upon his face. Its narrowed eyes only heightened his scowl. “Do you want to cause a panic? Never have I been so--”

“It is ego, can’t you see?” She shook in her anger, blind to the wary eyes that were beginning to draw upon them. Such outbursts were unseemly, such lack of control unheard of. “I will not deny he is masterful in all things, but to think himself a… a savior in asking so much--”

“How rich! Could it be that you think yourself worthy enough to doubt him?” It was his turn to cut her off, cut her down - his words, they were knives in her heart, so heatedly were they spoken. For as close as they were, they were no stranger to disagreement, but never before had the Conclave’s poisoned words come from his mouth. They stunned her into silence, and he did not hesitate to drive them through.

“That you, the weakest of us, would deign to mandate policy. That you, who cannot stand alone, would shame us all with this display.” More and more heads were turned their way, the quiet walks and errands of the citizenry distracted by the disruption. It could only weigh unfavorably upon her. “If you will not speak before the others, then tell me here: for what reason would you doubt Lahabrea’s plan?”

“He asks too much. He asks too much of us all.”

“That is your complaint? Don’t be so childish. We are the stewards of this star, lest you forget,” Emet-Selch snarled at her, “And it is our imperative and our burden to protect it at all cost!”

“There has to be another way. How can I put faith in conjecture when it remains just that? To demand so many, on a whim... I cannot stomach it, Hades. If we truly are the stewards we think we are, then it falls upon us to save as many as we possibly can, not line them up for slaughter.”

“Then find it.” He jabbed a finger, issuing his challenge. “You have been with us, have you not? You have been there while we exhausted every possibility, every potential path to salvation. It is agreed that this is the way, and we cannot risk it all because you cannot ‘stomach’ the situation. There is no time left. Something will be done, with or without your blessing. With or without you.”

“Then prove it.” Their audience was tense, a shallow sea of grey masks and cautious frowns. She could feel their disapproval, and she could hear their collective gasps and murmurs when she reached up and relieved herself of her crimson mask. Emet-Selch was stunned in turn, stupefied by insolence so brazen. “Prove to me you can protect this star. But do so without me. I will not have this upon my hands.”

She let it go. A face of serenity, neutral and oblivious to the doom growing in the heart of their world, tumbled free and shattered upon the street. It was only fitting: destruction was but another facet of creation and there were none among the Fourteen who understood its music as well as she.

Emet-Selch called her name. The alarm in his voice tore at her: a schemer was he, an architect in so very many ways that it seemed astonishing that she of all his peers would be the one to confound him. It must have been sentiment that kept him blind to her heart, that let him hope the mantle of sage did not fit her as terribly as everyone thought. He was a kind man in that regard. It would punish him again if he let it, and she knew with absolute certainty that it would.

He called to her. She hastened past the dim and vacant stares of pale masks and reached out with her thoughts and with her magic, lancing through the fabric of their star where its madness had not yet made its claim.

Hythlodaeus, shamed and denounced of her station, left the city behind that day and crossed the sea alone.

Upon the next day, that final day, Amaurot was no more.

---

The malaise passed through her centuries at a time, piling upon her already cracking shoulders the weight of ages beyond believing. They sprang to mind as vividly as the city Emet-Selch raised from its grave beneath the sea, every image and every word and ever touch etched upon an expanse of soul she did not know she had. Hungry and desperate as her mind was to recover and reclaim, she was yet troubled by the visions that tore through her for scarcely was there one that did not clash between what she knew and what she was remembering. The home in Amaurot was too large and the furniture in Ala Mhigo seemed too small, and all of it was just subtly wrong as if it had all been moved a few ilms to the left. The voices she'd known since birth murmured in strange new ways. The images of her family likewise became veiled by memory, masked behind gentle curves of white and gray though she yet knew the shapes of their faces beneath.

What then of Hydaelyn? What then of the Empire? It pained her, overwhelmed her, strained everything she was to filter through the flood. Long had she believed that years of her youth had been wiped from her, taken by Imperial influence, but to consider everything that was crashing over her now--

She cried out, clutching at her head. Impassive, impacable, Emet-Selch towered over her head. The weight of his stare crushed her further still: a stare she knew, a stare she'd known, a stare that had been her world when the world was whole. "Seven times rejoined," he intoned, "And yet you are still so..."

His voice stretched out through that grey eternity, threading through the memories that assailed her. Once, as a surprise, she'd made an attempt to bring some interest into freshly inhabited studio. The flowers, intended to bloom and sway along with the rise and fall of the sun, nearly burst through his parlor wall for how aggressively they ended up growing instead. He'd called her reckless, then, and stubbornly refused her efforts to mend and repair what damage had been done. A few of the flowers had survived the ordeal: delicately rising stems and bowed white bells sweetly scented. Later, she would find that they had been quarantined but cared for nevertheless in a small uncharacteristically modest pot kept in his study.

The pot was the very same one she used to keep in her bedroom. He’d taken it with him one night, insisting he was going to rescue the withered plant within. She kept forgetting to water it, and he kept forgetting to remind her. “How do you manage being such a mess?” he’d asked her that same night. It annoyed her a little, as he never seemed overly eager to complain when they were stumbling into the very mess he played at detesting. When she pressed him of it, he only pressed back, grinning in that fiendish way. “Well, I suppose it’s because you’re…”

An array of white-hot eyes stared down at her.

“I like to think it didn’t have to be this way. But you just couldn’t leave it be. And that Exarch,” he muttered, his tone darkening and with it, their surroundings.  He paced around her on a floor she could not see, and as the agony loosened its grasp upon her spine and limbs, she fell upon hands and knees. There was no comfort to be found: the grey realm was quickly turning cold as frost, dark as night, unyielding as the magicked stone of old Amaurot. “Ahhh, when I get through him, when I figure out his little secrets… We could do much good with the tower, my compeers and I. To think I could be so surprised by an artifact of my own creation!”

He paused somewhere behind her, to the left, to scoff. “Well, mostly of my own creation. I suppose I ought to give credit to Allag. They were so fascinating, you know? Ever so keen, ever so imaginative. You would have liked them. But I guess they were before your time.”

Chastised again, another error in construction, When will you ever learn? Its fine, its fine, we will try again, but you really ought to pay attention. Cheeks burned. Standing still and grim as a tombstone, Hrathi watched on, unmoved. Again. Again. Again.

“A broken thing like you cannot possibly hope to bear that which we must. It is not memory alone you have lost, but your essence! Your magick! Your soul! Perhaps it is better this way, then: a faster demise, mostly whole in mind if not in spirit. It quickens and grows and soon you’ll shed this flesh of yours. Not even your friends can shield you from this.”

Hades rounded her around again, and squatted down before her as he did upon the Crown. She could not see his face anymore: only the hard points of narrowed, hateful eyes, scowl atop scowl.

“Have you any idea what became of our city when you left?”

Ruin and nothing but. There were survivors, far too few survivors, but they were all tainted by madness and terror, every last one. She had to give them something. They had to have something to believe in, or else--

“Have you any recollection,” he said to her, “Of what you did?”

Schedules and timetables were as worthless as inaction. Someday, life would fall back into balance. Someday, the poisons would recede from the earth. Someday, when there was no life left to take, He would return the world to the ones who ruined it.

Hythlodaeus?

She had to give them something. Through Her, maybe they could...

Partaking of their life energies, She rose, a mirror of the Dark One of from across the stagnant sea. He wanted too much, demanded too much, took too much of what remained of Her children. Her own soul, along with the souls of those who lived away from the hungering shadow, took flight upon the wings of mother Hydaelyn.

Oh, but She was beautiful. Oh, to behold such radiance, such warmth! Never again shall we want for Light. Never again shall we fear the Dark.

An icy hand clasped her chin and lifted her face, a single rough motion that sent her vision spinning again. He shook with rage, trembled with hatred, and the darkness that was his wrath was quickly overtaking the cold neutral grey plane of nowhere upon which she was captive.

“It was you.”

Hythlodaeus, what have you done?

“It was you.”

[minijenn]

Keys to the Kingdom Chapter 5

So yeah I know I posted this one all over last night, but I still gotta post it here so yeah. It is a bit of a rehash of what KH3 covers but ehhhh had to get through it to get to the end of it so I guess its not that bad when ya think of it like that :P Either way, there are some parts of it I do really like, as you’ll see. Enjoy!

Previous: http://minijenn.tumblr.com/post/183363646704/keys-to-the-kingdom-chapter-4

Chapter 5: Go the Distance

I’ll be there someday, I can go the distance I will find my way if I can be strong I know every mile will be worth my while When I go the distance, I’ll be right where I belong

The temple’s stark, dramatic collapse rattled just about all of Thebes from the ground up, sending perhaps the most violent of tremors yet rippling through the city streets. Just about everyone felt it, from the families bunkering down in their homes in the hopes that the ongoing torrent of destruction wouldn’t find them there, to the stray stragglers running from the rampaging flames to find some sort of shelter or refuge, to even Maleficent and Pete as they kept their search for the mysterious black box going.

With few bystanders around to stop them, the wicked pair had taken to tearing up one of Thebes’ usually scenic gardens, acting on Hades’ tip that the prize they were looking for might be somewhere nearby. The dark fairy stood apace from the messy hole her henchman was hastily digging, just one of several marring the garden’s once pristine stony grounds. However, this work was soon interupted by the hefty earthquake that sent the entire city shuddering, inevitably sending Pete falling flat on his face amidst the dirt he was digging up, much to his frustrated exasperation.

“Hey! What’s the big idea!?” the henchman snapped as he popped his head out of the whole angrily, shaking the dirt off his shoulders. “That there rumble had to’ve been the biggest one yet! Don’cha think we should check it out?”

“No,” Maleficent rejected bluntly, almost boredly even. “Whatever senseless rampage Hades is inflicting upon this singular world is none of our concern. What we’re after will ensure us the power to spread my domain to other worlds on a far grander scale than a mere petty coup such as his.”

“Hmph, so you keep sayin’…” Pete grumbled as he turned back to his ongoing work. “Are you sure this box with the Book of Prophecies is even for reals? I think that dingbat in black was pullin’ your leg.”

“Be quiet and dig, you imbecile,” the dark fairy scowled impatiently. “I must find that Book of Prophecies and make it my own. His was the only clue we have. We cannot afford to dismiss it without a thorough investigation.”

“I’m just sayin’,” Pete continued sullenly. “A shot in the dark ain’t gonna get us any closer to—oh!”

“What is it?” Maleficent quickly turned to her henchman at his sudden change of tune. “Have you found something? Show it to me at once, fool!”

“Yes sir-eey!” Pete exclaimed, proudly holding up a small chest with a skull acting as its lock. “This has gotta be that Pandora’s Box Hades mentioned!”

Whatever interest the dark fairy had show before immediately fell as she looked over the box her henchman was presenting her with. “Leave it,” she said staunchly, turning her nose up at the chest.

“W-what?” Pete asked, crestfallen. “After all that diggin’?”

“That is not the box which I desire,” Maleficent said coldly. “We are finished with this world. Come.”

“Aww…” the henchman sighed, disappointed as he tossed the box back into the hole where he had found it before hurrying after the dark fairy. Maleficent had all but conjured up a dark corridor so they could take their leave, yet before stepping through it, she suddenly stopped shot, much to Pete’s confusion.

“Hold a moment…” she mused, turning back around with a hint of careful scrutiny in her tone. “Do you feel that?”

“Uh… what?” Pete asked blankly. “Ya mean the wind?”

“No, you buffoon,” Maleficent scowled before stepping forward again in deep concentration. “Its darkness. Deep, pure, unconcentrated darkness…”

“What, like the sorta darkness the Heartless are made of?” Pete asked, still not following.

“No… this darkness is… different…” the dark fairy said, still clearly captivated by it. “I can sense it; its far more powerful than that of any mere Heartless. And most interesting of all… is that it seems to be radiating from a source of light, of all things…” She took pause once more, seeming to ponder over this oddity before a small, intrigued grin crossed her features. “Perhaps our time in this world is not quite finished after all…”

Even after the temple’s uproarious fall finally stilled, the dust and smoke stirred up by it still seemed to be everywhere. Though the musky fog concealed the devastation somewhat, it did nothing to change or undo what had been done, something that Sora, Donald, and Goofy all felt just as heavily as the newfound silence surrounding them. The trio didn’t make much of an effort to break that silence as they all sat in apt shock before the ruins of the temple, the painful realization that Hercules was pinned, or more accurately crushed beneath those very ruins hitting them all at the same exact time.

Donald and Goofy were the first to shakily rise to stand, both of them remaining cautious as they approached the fallen temple to check for any signs of the legendary hero amidst the wreckage. “Hercules!” Donald called as loudly as he could. “A-Are you ok?!”

“Hey, Herc! Can ya hear us!?” Goofy shouted, just as concerned. The pair paused for a moment, waiting and watching for any sort of shift in the rubble that would herald a response from the hero. However, as seconds began to pass into minutes without any such sign, the gravity of the situation became all too clear. “G-gwarsh, fellas…” Goofy muttered sadly, removing his hat out of respect for their supposedly fallen friend. “I don’t think he’s-”

“Why?” Donald and Goofy were quick to turn around to face Sora upon hearing this, both of them taken aback by just how intense his tone was. He was still sitting on his knees, his burns still quite apparent across his arms as his hands dug into the grass below him. His expression was tight and agonized and most of all angry, focused on neither of his companions but rather at the ground in front of him as he continued just as harshly. “Why didn’t you just let me help him?!”

“…Aw, Sora…” Goofy began fretfully as both him and Donald turned back to the Keybearer with the intent of comforting him. Comfort that, as upset over the unnecessary loss of such a good friend, Sora completely refused to simply accept.

“If you guys had just let me stay and fight those Heartless, this never would have happened!” he exclaimed hotly, finally glaring up at the two. “I could have bought Herc enough time to get out!”

“And you would have been crushed instead!” Donald argued back rationally before reigning his own anger back a bit. “You were hurt; you’re still hurt! We had to get you out of there before things got any worse!”

“Well, it’s way too late for that since things just got much, much worse!” Sora snapped bitingly.

“Aw, c’mon, fellas,” Goofy attempted to interject upon seeing Donald twitch with incoming anger in response to such a fierce remark. “We shouldn’t be fightin’ at a time like thi-”

“We were just trying to save your life!” the magician cut the captain off as he addressed the Keybearer sternly. “Why do you have to have such a problem with that?!”

“Because I never asked you to!” Sora protested defiantly. “I can do things on my own! I don’t need you guys to always rush to my rescue!”

“Well sometimes you do!” Donald countered. “If you’re not gonna take care of yourself, then someone has to! We told Master Yen Sid we would keep an eye on you, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do, whether you like it or not!”

Sora was more than prepared to keep this argument going, however, before he could get another word in edgewise out, the temple ruins finally began to rumble once more. The trio quickly turned back towards them with a shared gasp of surprise, each of them watching with wide eyes in the hopes that Hercules would somehow emerge from the rubble unscathed. However, what did end up popping out of the structure’s devastated remains was just about the exact opposite of the legendary hero, much to the trio’s immense disappointment.

In sudden, furious succession, a multitude of Heartless, the very same flaming creatures that had been in the temple at the time of its collapse, burst out of its wreckage, clearly more incensed than ever before as they landed down before the trio, ready to attack anything and everything in their path. “T-they’re back?” Goofy asked, aptly alarmed as he prepped his shield for the fight ahead.

“Of course, they’d survive!” Donald huffed, frustrated as he brandished his staff. “Sora! Go find somewhere to take cover! I’ll heal your burns when we’re done; and no arguing with us about it this time!”

Surprisingly enough, this time Sora didn’t argue, though he made no effort to move, even as his companions engaged the Heartless in combat. Instead, he simply stayed where he was, watching the starting battle and growing angrier and angrier the more he realized just how unfair every single part of it all was. It was unfair that they hadn’t had enough time to help Hercules get out of the temple alongside everyone else. It was unfair that these mindless, vicious Heartless had survived when someone as noble and brave as the legendary hero seemingly hadn’t. But what Sora quickly realized that the most unfair thing of all was that he could do about any of it. Not only was it too late to help the hero now, but even if it wasn’t, that didn’t change the fact that he was still heavily injured, still weak and worn from his loss of strength and power as a whole. And to make matters worse was the fact that Donald and Goofy, his own companions and friends, seemed to be the ones most intent on keeping him out of the fight. He understood that their protectiveness came from a place of concern, but when push came to shove in a time such as this, Sora could only find such concern frustrating, suffocating even. They were limiting him, holding him back from working towards the strength he knew he had to regain, and the more he thought about their doubts in him, in everyone’s doubts really, the more upset, the more outraged the Keybearer became.

Donald shouted out another authoritative demand for him to flee the scene of the battle, though Sora hardly heard it as lost in his own furious thoughts as he was. Though his thoughts weren’t the only thing distracting him as a sudden, sharp, bitter chill suddenly surged through his entire body, spiking at his heart in particular. The Keybearer let out a small hiss of pain through his teeth as he placed a gentle hand over his inexplicably-aching chest, only to glance down to find a sight that was much more alarming by far. His entire hand was covered in darkness, a black, inky shade of shadow that seemed to be rising up his arm at an unsettlingly steady pace. In fact, that same darkness seemed to be creeping up the rest of his body as well, painting his clothes and skin in its nightmarish pallor as it made an obvious beeline for both his mind and his heart. Sora recognized this horrific transformation well, though it was a far cry from how it usually felt, especially as his senses, his very mind altogether began to fade under such an immense pall of darkness. In fact, it acted so fast in forcing itself upon him that he had no chance to wonder how or why this was happening; instead, all he could do was panic. “D-Donald! Goofy!” he choked, reaching out a shaking, shadowy hand to the duo still battling the Heartless. “I-I… s-something’s wrong! I’m… I-I can’t-”

The Keybearer cut himself off with a sharp, anguished cry as the darkness tightened its reigns around his heart. Donald and Goofy only barely managed to turn back around to face Sora just in time to watch the shadows fully overtake him. The rampaging Heartless were all but forgotten as the pair rushed forward to their transforming companion, fearful as they ever were whenever this sort of dangerous shift took place, however, as soon as it was complete, they were quick to realize that this new form he had taken on was quite unlike anything they had witnessed before.

Indeed, it was still somewhat familiar: he was still drenched in absolute darkness from head to toe, not a speck of light to be found anywhere save for his eyes. They were like bright, piercing full moons, wide and large as they seemed to stare at nothing and everything all at once. His fingertips had turned into long, spindly, pointed claws and though his mouth seemed to have disappeared entirely, he still let out a series of low, rumbling, rather feral growls as he clamored upright into a hunched, almost animalistic stance. However, what this form apart from the past was the Keyblade that materialized within his clawed grasp, a weapon he had never been able to utilize like this before; there was no doubt it was still the Kingdom Key, though much like Sora himself, it was enshrouded with shadow to the point that only its silhouette was recognizable. Donald and Goofy practically froze up in fear as their darkened young companion looked between the two of them with his glowing, emotionless eyes, seemingly recognizing neither of them, even as they made a shaky attempt at communicating with him.

“S-Sora?” Goofy ventured first, albeit quite apprehensively as both of them kept a safe distance from the Keybearer, knowing just how dangerous and unpredictable he could be like this. “A-are ya still-”

The captain was succinctly cut off as Sora suddenly snapped his glance away from the pair and towards the crowd of Heartless still bouncing around behind them. With fast, erratic movements, he suddenly lunged forward, nearly knocking his companions over in the process as he ran towards the creatures almost on all fours, Keyblade still in hand all the while. And then, with a ferocity that outright terrified both Donald and Goofy as they stood on the sidelines watching, Sora tore into the Heartless without any sort of mercy whatsoever, clawing and keying at them with vicious, deadly attacks. His monstrous growls and hisses were just as apparent as the tendrils of darkness leaking off of him as he cut through the once menacing group of creatures, ignoring their flames in favor of extinguishing their existences altogether. In a way, it certainly did seem that, in however mindless this furious rampage might have been, Sora was enacting some sort of retaliation against these Heartless, both for injuring him before and for surviving the temple’s collapse while Hercules hadn’t. Which was why, with the superior strength the darkness allotted him, it only took him a mere matter of minutes to clear the creatures out, leaving not so much as a single one of them alive in the wake of such a violent outburst.

With the last of the Heartless finally gone, Donald and Goofy were more than prepared to let out a shared sigh of relief, though that sigh was something they held off on the moment they noticed something was extremely off. Namely, the fact that Sora hadn’t returned to normal yet, even though the battle was over. Instead, he remained entrenched in darkness, his former aggression replaced with an apparent sense of aimlessness as he stood hunched over, glancing around idly for something to attack. The duo exchanged a nervous glance as they hesitantly decided to approach him, hoping that they’d be able to bring their young companion back to his right mind, even if they had no idea how.

“S-Sora?” Donald began first, garnishing the wayward Keybearer’s attention. He looked towards his companions with wide curious eyes, thankfully showing no violent intent as he simply stared at them blankly. “C-can… can you hear us?”

Sora simply tilted his head at this as if he was confused, much to the pair’s growing concern. “Uh… maybe he’s just havin’ a hard time understandin’ us?” Goofy guessed with a frown. “Hey, Sora, can ya try giving us a nod if you understand what we’re sayin’ to ya?”

The Keybearer did no such thing as he instead remained stationary, leaning forward slightly though still not making any sort of effort to communicate with his worried companions, not that he very well could even if he wanted to in this form to begin with. “W-what are we gonna do?!” Donald exclaimed, aptly fretful. “He’s never been… l-like this for so long before! What if he stays stuck that? What are we supposed to do then?!”

“Aw, don’t worry, Donald,” Goofy reassured as encouragingly as he could, though upon sparing a brief glance over at Sora again, he couldn’t deny that the very same prospect brought him just as much dread. “This is Sora we’re talkin’ about here! He’s not gonna let a little darkness take over his heart for too long!”

“Y-yeah!” the magician perked up as he forced himself to believe that. After all, the alternative was much too grim to even think about. “C’mon, Sora! You gotta snap out of it!”

“That’s right!” Goofy added just as firmly. The pair worked past their nerves so they could each place a hand on their young companion’s shadow-streaked shoulders. The sudden touch was enough to elicit a distrustful glare, accompanied by a small warning growl out of Sora, but surprisingly, he made no move to attack as he watched the pair carefully as they continued their appeal. “Ya need to come back to us!” the captain said with a bright smile. “We’re a team after all, aren’t we?”

“And you’re the one who keeps this team together!” Donald chimed in confidently, noticing as the dark aura radiating off of the Keybearer was finally starting to diminish somewhat. “We’re sorry about what happened before, but we just don’t wanna lose you! To something like… this, or to anything else!”

“But we’re not worried anymore,” Goofy assured, tightening his grip on the Keybearer’s shoulder supportively. “‘Cause we know just how strong your heart is, Sora! Heck, is somethin’ we’ve known all along, and so have you!”

“Which is why you’re not going to just let the darkness have it!” Donald proclaimed, almost overwhelmed with relief when Sora finally closed his otherwise unblinking yellow eyes. “Right?”

The pair finally paused, waiting to see if their uplifting rhetoric worked. And sure enough, it did as the shadows settled on Sora finally began to lift, as if he had stepped out of the darkness of night and back into the midday sun as his usual colors and vibrancy returned. And with it, came the return of his own consciousness, though it was somewhat slow to return as he let out a small, tired groan as his eyes—thankfully back to their usual deep blue—fluttered open just as he collapsed to his knees before the pair. Donald and Goofy still didn’t remove their hands from his shoulders, even as he looked up at the two of them, his expression weary and disoriented as he tried to catch his lost breath. “D-Donald? Goofy?” he asked, his voice soft and sedated and filled with confusion. “W-wha-”

“Sora!” the duo cheered joyfully, not hesitating to engulf the unprepared Keybearer in an unexpected hug. As a result, the entire trio toppled over into the grass, Donald and Goofy laughing brightly all the while, and though it took a moment, Sora slowly joined in their levity, even if he largely had no idea where it was coming from.

However, unbeknownst to the group amidst their bout of allayed celebration, was the pair of figures standing on one of Thebes’ higher structures above them, a pair that had just observed everything that had happened firsthand. “Well then…” Maleficent smirked, clutching her staff as she kept her gaze focused on the trio below. “It seems as though I truly have underestimated that boy in the past…”

“Boy, I’ll say!” Pete chimed in, absolutely baffled. “What was up with all that darkness coverin’ him anyway? I thought he was supposed’ta be one of them goodie-goods, all full o’ light and whatnot.”

“It would appear that his heart is not as ‘full of light’ as we had previously been led to believe…How… fascinating…” the dark fairy mused, her grin widening as a malevolent new idea came to her. “Perhaps what we’re truely searching for isn’t that far out of our reach after all…”

“Huh?” Pete glanced around in confusion. “But I don’t see any black boxes ‘round here…”

“Forget about the black box for now,” Maleficent said simply.

“Wha-?!” the henchman exclaimed, flabbergasted. “B-but we just spent the past several days lookin’ all over for it! How are we just supposed’ta forget about it like it ain’t nothing’!?”

“Because, you oaf,” the dark fairy said sharply as she summoned a dark corridor for them to take their leave. “If all goes according to plan, then not only will the box fall into our hands, but so too will each and every world in our path.”

“Oh yeah?” Pete inquired, curious. “And how do ya see that?”

Maleficent took pause before entering her dark corridor to take her leave, casting another brief, intentfully glance down at the trio on the ground, or more specifically, the Keybearer among them. “By plunging a noble heart into the depths of darkness and despair…”

And just like that, the duo left, still completely unnoticed by the trio below as they made progress in recuperating from their most recent harrowing experience. Now that they actually had some time to spare, Donald made sure to finally heal Sora’s still persistent burns while both him and Goofy fretted over their young companion, even despite the fact that the Keybearer himself was still somewhat out of it.

“What happened to you?!” Donald fussed, though concern clearly filled his tone as he finished casting cure. “Why didn’t you go back to normal after the Heartless were gone like you usually do when you get like that?!”

“Why didn’t I… what?” Sora asked with a frown as he placed a hand against his somewhat aching head. “What are you talking about? When I get like what?”

Donald and Goofy exchanged a worried glance at this, both of them taking on the same sort of confusion their young companion was showing. “Uh… don’tcha remember any of what just happened, Sora?” the captain asked patiently.

Sora paused, his brow furrowing in deep thought for a moment before he ultimately shook his head. “No, the last thing I can remember is…” he hesitated, partially out of not wanting to admit the truth, though for the sake of figuring out what was going on, he begrudgingly did anyway. “I-is feeling angry and… and hurt. And then, w-when I looked down at my hand it was just covered in-” He cut himself off with a gasp, his eyes widening with the almost sickening realization of what had happened. “D-darkness… Oh no… No, no, no, no, no, please tell me I didn’t-”

“Y-you did…” Donald and Goofy confirmed in grave unison, both of them averting the poignant fear starting to well up in Sora’s eyes as he looked between the two of them desperately.

“B-but on the bright side, ya did get rid of all the Heartless!” Goofy tried to reassure their young companion, especially as he let out a loud groan and buried his face into his hands out of shame.

“But on the bad side, we almost weren’t able to get you to snap out of it…” Donald muttered apprehensively.

“I can’t believe this…” Sora huffed as he rose to stand and pace out of frustration, largely with himself this time more than anyone else. “How do I just not remember any of this!? Usually when this happens, I’m able to at least feel some of what happens, but this time it was like I totally blanked out! What’s going on with me lately?!”

“M-maybe it has somethin’ to do with you losin’ your strength?” Goofy ventured a guess, though it was a rather arbitrary one at best.

“Ugh, why wouldn’t that surprise me?” Sora asked with an annoyed scowl as he crossed his arms. “And so much for trying to regain that strength; how am I supposed to do that if I can’t even control something like this?”

“Aw, c’mon, Sora, you can’t just give up now cause of one tiny thing like this,” the captain encouraged with a small smile.

“That’s right!” Donald readily agreed. “If one thing’s for certain, its that whatever’s going on, we’ll figure it out, together!” To emphasize his point, the magician put his hand out, and Goofy readily placed his own on top of it. The pair kept up their reassuring grins as they looked to their upset young companion, who couldn’t really stay that way for long as he finally decided to accept the support they were offering him this time.

“Right,” Sora nodded with a smile of his own as his hand landed down on top of his companions’. “Together.”

However, the trio barely had time to revel in their newfound solidarity before the ruins of the temple began to shift behind them yet again. In light of recent events, all three of them were on high alert as they turned beck to the fallen structure, their weapons in hand to take on whatever might emerge from it.

“What now?” Sora asked, slightly aggravated as he tightened his grip on his Keyblade. “More Heartless?”

“Wait a second…” Goofy said, squinting to see through the last of the settling dust to find a familiar silhouette walking out of it towards them. “That ain’t no Heartless… T-that’s-”

“Hercules!” the trio exclaimed in stunned, yet delighted unison as the legendary hero finally emerged from the wreckage. He looked no worse for wear, a little dirty from the rubble, with a few scars and scratches here and there, but for the most part he was still as strong and sturdy as ever as he came out to meet the excited group with a broad, confident grin.

“Well, getting out of there took a little longer than I thought it would…” Hercules noted with a small chuckle.

“You’re telling us!” Sora exclaimed with a small, incredulous laugh. “You scared us!”

“Eh, it was nothing,” the hero shrugged before pulling off an impressive flex. “That’s what these are for.”

Despite the circumstances, this bout of good humor, coupled with the immense relief they shared at simply seeing Hercules alive and well again was enough to elicit a full, hearty bout of laughter from the trio. However, this bout of levity unsurprisingly didn’t last long as the group’s attention was soon diverted by a dark corridor opening up only just a few feet away.

“Oh, wow! Very nice, full marks,” the familiar freeshooter applauded sardonically as he stepped out of the dark portal. “And I’m not just talking about that smooth escape either.”

No one paid much mind to what the Organization member might have meant by this remark as Sora, Donald, and Goofy all took up offensive stances against him. “Go away!” the magician shouted fiercely, in no mood to deal with any further foes after everything that they’d been through.

“No Organization!” Goofy added just as adamantly, ready to take up his shield at a moment’s notice.

“You’re Xigbar!” Sora exclaimed, far from pleased to see any member of the Organization after his last harrowing encounter with them, much less this particular one.

“And you’ve got a knack for pointing out the obvious, kid,” Xigbar remarked, still smirking coyly as he approached the group. “All this altruism is giving me the warm and fuzzies. So then, does having a heart of light come with an extremely good insurance policy?”

“Ugh, just say what you mean for a change!” the Keybearer scowled, annoyed by how just about every member of the Organization always seemed to speak in riddles or circles.

“Oh, but I did though,” the freeshooter shrugged. “No good will ever come from putting other people first. Anyone who does that usually ends up coming in dead last. It just makes sense when you really think about it.”

“I don’t think it does,” Hercules spoke up, shaking his head in disagreement with such a cynical viewpoint. “I was able to save Meg’s life because I was ready to risk my own. And because of that, we both made it out alive and together in the end.”

“Because you have friends in high places, you mean,” Xigbar countered dismissively. “Tricks like that don’t fly for your average joe.”

“And what do you know anyway?” Sora argued defiantly. “You weren’t even there! If you were, you’d admire Herc’s courage!”

“I don’t admire one guy leaping into danger if it means someone else might have to jump in to save him,” Xigbar rolled his visible eye. “You’re all just lining up to lose out, dooming others to take the fall with ya. Oh, and you can spare me the usual party line. Yeah, hearts are powerful when they’re connected. But if you put too much of that power in one place, some of those hearts might just end up breaking. Unless…” the freeshooter glanced back over his shoulder at the group, or more specifically, at Sora. “You were to somehow find a heart strong enough to hold it all in… But who am I kidding? A heart that strong doesn’t exist…or does it?”

“Who cares?” Sora interjected, thoroughly irritated by this point. “Can’t you just get to the point and get out of here already? It’d save us all a lot of time.”

“Yeesh, so eager to see me go, aren’t you?” Xigbar asked, raising a knowing eyebrow. “I expected at least a little better reception than this. Especially since I came all this way to offer you some pretty sound advice.”

“Like we’d listen to any advice from you!” Donald huffed, aptly incensed.  

“Yeah, knowing you, its probably just another trap or something,” Sora agreed, sending the Organization member a suspicious glare.

“Look, I’m just trying to warn you that the game we’re all playing here is about to change, big time,” the freeshooter informed, still grinning all the while. “Still, Sora, that doesn’t mean you should change. Accept the power you’re given. Find the hearts joined to yours.”

“Can’t you take a hint?” Sora asked impatiently, all but ready to finally summon his Keyblade in the hopes that it’d get Xigbar to finally leave. “We already told you; we don’t want or need your advice!”

“Ha! As if!” Xigbar scoffed, turning his back on the group as he began to walk away. “You don’t have any choice but to follow this sweet little trail of bread crumbs. And at the end, you’ll finally realize just what destiny has in store for you. In fact… your reward might be right around the corner. You’re so close!”

And with that, before the Keybearer or any of his companions could so much as ask what the freeshooter meant by such vague remarks, Xigbar walked into the distant fog where he ended up disappearing into a dark corridor just like the one he had arrived in. A bout of confused silence rose up among the group as they silently pondered the freeshooter’s cryptic “advice” to themselves. That is, until Sora voiced his undeniable confusion over what he’d just heard. “Hearts breaking?” he asked, more to himself than any of the others as he frowned almost fretfully. “Whose hearts?”

“Sora, don’t let someone like him bother you,” Hercules reassured steadily. “He’s just trying to get under your skin ‘cause he thinks he can. But we’ll prove him wrong. We’ll show him that our sacrifices haven’t been for nothing.”

Despite Hercules’ encouragement, Sora couldn’t help but still be somewhat concerned by Xigbar’s rather ominous statements. Though he was quick to put that concern aside, replacing it with a confident smile as he nodded in agreement with the hero’s resolve. “You’re right,” he said, deciding to fully believe that fact himself rather than listen to what any member of the Organization had to say.

“Mm hm!” Goofy added enthusiastically. “Besides, we’re already proof enough of that!”

“It’s like we said before,” Donald grinned just as boldly. “We’re a team! When we’re together, we can do anything!”

“Yeah!” Sora exclaimed, sharing their zeal. However, as the others all began to move on ahead with the intent of finishing their search of the city, he still stopped short to ponder over their brief, rather bizarre confrontation with the Organization member. Very few parts of what Xigbar had said seemed to make any actual sense, which wasn’t that surprising given how cryptic and ominous those with the Organization tended to be with their monologues and speeches. Yet there was still one part of it all that left the Keybearer wondering whether this particular speech was just more empty, supposedly intimidating rhetoric or not. “And at the end,” the freeshooter had said with a smile that easily conveyed that he knew something the rest of them didn’t, though exactly what that something was, Sora hadn’t the faintest clue. “You’ll finally realize just what destiny has in store for you. In fact, your reward might be right around the corner. You’re so close!”

“What reward…?” the Keybearer muttered to himself, trying to fathom what implications such a confusing statement was even supposed to carry. If it was any sort of reward the Organization intended on trying to offer to him, then of course, Sora knew he wanted absolutely no parts of it whatsoever. But if it happened to be something else altogether…?

Sora was quick to shake his head clear of such pointless thoughts. It didn’t matter what “reward” Xigbar had spoke of was, especially when that reward, good or bad, might very well not even exist in the first place. As it was, it was probably just another trick, another lie and deception among countless others meant simply to lead him astray off his intended path. Which was why the Keybearer boldly decided to just ignore it all for the time being to rigidly stay on that path, hoping to seek his own kind of reward at the end of it all. Namely his lost strength to be regained, and the hearts of those so unfairly lost, all of which were waiting, no, depending on him.

And despite any mocking villain, soothsaying Organization member, or even the unseen darkness or hidden rage pressing against the doors of his own heart, Sora was determined to not let any of those wandering, waiting hearts down.

The rest of their sweep through Thebes was surprisingly smooth and speedy. Most of the townsfolk in peril had already been escorted out of the diminishing flames to safety, and the group wasted little time in rounding up the rest of the stragglers. Heartless still popped up in their path from time to time, but even their numbers were lower than before, their aggression lessened somewhat. In a way, it almost seemed as though Hades seemed to be shifting his focus away from the city entirely, something that didn’t really surprise any of them. After all, the lord of the dead had sent the message of his immense power quite well in this attack on the town, but it was obvious that wasn’t his end goal like apparent control of the entire cosmos seemed to be. However, the group didn’t get a complete confirmation on this theory until they ended up circling back around to Thebes’ central square, only to be met with a familiar flying steed and its pair of riders almost as soon as they arrived.

Pegasus touched down firmly right before Hercules and the trio, both Meg and Phil sharing allayed grins as they relayed the good news they had to share from their scouting from above. “Nice job, Wonderboy,” Meg congratulated the hero warmly. “We checked the whole town. Looks like everyone’s finally safe.”

“That’s great,” Hercules said, letting out a sigh of relief that Sora, Donald, and Goofy all easily shared in on. “We did what we could to help.”

“I’ll say,” Meg smirked, glancing up to address the entire group playfully. “Looks like you heroes have been busy little bees.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all perked up at this, taking the praise proudly, even if Phil was quick to interject to detract it. “Eh, from while we were flyin’ overhead, you three were passable, at best,” the satyr remarked flippantly, though he did break out into a wry grin upon noticing the offended glances the trio sent his way. “Hey, I’m kiddin’! Ya did good. At least none of ya died, so that’s definitely a plus in just about every book there is.”

This quip was more than enough to get a laugh out of the entire group, though it was ultimately a short lived one as Pegasus let out a small, yet serious whicker, diverting everyone’s attention towards Mount Olympus afar in the distance. “Oh, look…” Meg sighed wearily, noticing the fearful sight first. “More trouble…”

Trouble indeed summed the situation up well as everyone looked to the mountain towering high over the city. Usually, Mount Olympus’s impeccably tall peak was awash in soft, fluffy clouds, clouds that obscured the glorious realm of the gods away from mortal eyes. However, now the clouds that swirled around that realm were black and stormy, marred by the occasional bolt of dark thunder to top off the sinister aura filling the very air itself.

“It’s Hades…” Hercules scowled, not even having to think twice about where such darkness was coming from. “No wonder things have been quieter around here lately. He’s going after the home of the gods.”

Upon hearing this, the trio needed only to exchange a brief, determined glance, all three of them knowing that they hadn’t backed down against Hades before and they certainly had no intentions of backing down against him this time. “Then let’s go stop him!” Sora proclaimed, ready to do just that, even despite the apparent danger.

“Right,” Hercules grinned, just as eager to put an end to the lord of the dead’s twisted ambitions once and for all.

Knowing that the group had an important task ahead of them, Meg and Phil were quick to send them their best wishes and brief farewells before Pegasus whisked them off once more. And with that, they set off, hurrying onward towards the outskirts of town towards the path that would lead them back up the towering mountain ahead. They spared no time for breaks or distractions, knowing that time was of the essence in halting Hades’ schemes as they began steadily making their way towards the summit. The Heartless started popping up more frequently with each cliff they scaled, but with heightened vigor and a renewed sense of purpose, the group took them on with stalwart gusto. After all, they were no longer on the defensive, simply trying to keep people safe from the rampaging creatures; now they were on the attack, hurrying to hit Hades where it hurt and nip his plans in the bud before they even had a chance to be fully realized whatsoever. It was reinvigorating for all of them, to say the least, especially considering just how perilous and nearly deadly their time in the Thebes had been. But as they scaled Mount Olympus, they felt more eager, more united, perhaps even a bit stronger; ready to pit their noble team against whatever tricks and traps Hades might try to throw their way.

Of course, what he did actually intend on throwing their way was something much more immense than any of them could have expected.

The group had only made it about halfway up the mountain when the ground began to rumble once more, hardly an unusual phenomenon for any of them by now considering everything that had happened in Thebes. “This sure does feel familiar…” Goofy noted over the distant, unintelligible roars coming from the mountain’s distant peak.

“Yeah, just like before,” Sora agreed. “The only thing missing is Hades showing up to blow us off the mountain.”

“This is getting worse by the minute…” Hercules mused, his manner quite serious as he kept his focus on the mountain’s storm-obscured summit. “I hope I’m wrong, but my family may need me.” Without wasting another second, the hero turned his sights to the sky and let out a loud, calling whistle. Pegasus soared in to respond to it, having already deposited Meg and Phil somewhere safe so he could race to his master’s side if need be. “Sora, I’m gonna go fly ahead,” Hercules said to the Keybearer as his winged steed touched down before him. “You’ve been a big help, but… leave the rest to me. Like I said, my family’s counting on me; I shouldn’t keep them waiting.”

“Family?” Sora inquired curiously, having never heard the hero mention any sort of family members before.

“Yeah,” Hercules grinned as he mounted Pegasus. “Dad’s king of the gods.” And with that and a simple wave of farewell, the hero took off, not realizing just how baffled his simple statement had left the trio in his wake.

“Whaaaat?!” Donald and Goofy exclaimed in unison as they exchanged an awed glance.

“H-his father is a god?” Sora asked just as incredulously. “But… wouldn’t that mean Herc is a god too?!”

“I think it does…” the captain mused thoughtfully. “Ya know, it feels like this is something we should’ve found out a long time ago…”

“No wonder he’s so strong!” the magician exclaimed. “That means he’ll be ok on his own for sure. Won’t he?”

“No,” Sora shook his head. “Organization XIII’s here. God or no god, he’ll need our help dealing with them. And Hades too, for that matter.”

“Good point,” Goofy nodded firmly. “We gotta go!”

“Cause heroes never quit!” Donald emphasized as they all turned to face the peak before them once more.

Though Sora certainly agreed with his companions’ noble sentiments, he didn’t voice that agreement right away as he instead briefly thought back to the indirect advice that Hercules himself had offered him. Advice that the Keybearer was only really starting to understand the further along their journey progressed: “Hm, that’s tough… All I know is… that she was in trouble. Suddenly, I wanted to save her with all my heart…”

“We fight with all our hearts…” Sora echoed the sentiment to himself softly, deciding to fully embrace that thought for himself. While thus far he’d had relatively little success in finding any viable, expedited way of regaining his lost strength, maybe that strength wasn’t something he have expected to come back to him in one fell swoop. Perhaps it was something that needed to be earned, regained over time through hard work and solid determination, both attributes the Keybearer had taken up in order to build up that strength in the first place. Perhaps the way to bring it all back was exactly how the hero had said: by working, fighting with every ounce of resolve and courage his heart had to give. “C’mon!” Sora exclaimed to his companions, letting his newfound verve shine through has he began leading the way up the rest of the mountain. “Let’s go show Hades what happens when he messes with the wrong heroes!”

Not wanting to leave Hercules without any backup for too long, the trio quickened the pace of their upward voyage to the peak. Whatever crowds of Heartless they encountered were either quickly dealt with or ignored altogether as they rushed past them, scaling the perilous mountain pass in the hopes of reaching the realm of the gods sooner rather than later. They could tell they were getting ever closer to their destination as the skies soon turned from bright blue to dark and stormy, rumbling with thunder as a torrential downpour began to spout from the dour clouds above. The rain was easy enough to ignore, however, the other elements brought about from Hades’ Titans were a bit more of a challenge. The primary danger the trio faced the closer they got to the summit were rocks, heavy, crushing boulders tumbling down the cliffsides seemingly without end. It took some careful footwork and precise timing, but sure enough they managed to avert the rock Titan’s projectiles and slip into the momentary safety of the enclosed mountain pass. The pass that led directly to the epicenter of the Titans’ violent attack: the realm of the gods, Olympus itself.

Despite the storm raging on around it, Olympus was, to put it simply, absolutely immaculate. Its large golden gates led the trio to a radiant realm of sacred light, quite unlike any they had ever seen before. In absolute awe, Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped foot into the divine domain, one that seemed to be entirely composed of sculpted clouds and grandiose golden structures as far as the eye could see. Needless to say it was a far cry from the damaged stony streets of Thebes or even the lush greenery of the mountain it capped of, something the trio unanimously noted as they tried to take it all in.

“Is this… Olympus?” Sora asked, still quite stunned by the drastic change of scenery.

“Gawrsh, it’s amazing…” Goofy said rather quietly to maintain an air of reverence in such a hallowed place. However, if there was any group that cared about no such thing, it was the Heartless that showed up only seconds later. An entire army of shadowy, soldier-like figures materialized just a few feet away from the trio, fully armored and ready for battle. Fortunately, the trio was more than ready to take them on as they summoned their respective weapons, charging headfirst into the fray, this time, without any signs of hesitation. The scuffle was arduous to be sure, as the trio was certainly outnumbered by the horde of bulky Heartless surrounding them. However, the key difference between this skirmish and their initial fights in Thebes was clear: instead of working against each other, this time, the trio worked perfectly in sync, finally falling back into their old rapport they usually carried in battles of the past. And that rapport only continued as they cleared out the first wave of Heartless, though no rest awaited them as several more hordes seemed to be invading Olympus as a whole, diminishing the sanctity and security the realm of the gods should have known. Even so, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were more than equipped to deal with them as they tore their way through the weaker shadows, steadily cutting their way through towards the heart of Olympus in the hopes of meeting up with Hercules again there. And sure enough, that’s exactly what they did.

The trio had just about reached the apex of the divine domain when they spotted their first glimpse of the hero. He was still peached on Pegasus as the duo swept through the air, slicing through any aerial Heartless he came across as he made a beeline for the central citadel, where Hades and his Titans no doubt awaited. Hercules happened to spot the trio himself as he flew high above them, and he offered them a small, confident nod of greeting, having already expected them to follow after him, even despite his advising against it. Still, if there was anyone who could help him take on the threat Hades and his sinister monsters posed, Hercules knew it’d be those three, no doubt.

It seemed as though they were all going to arrive not a moment to soon, either, as Hades himself stood smugly within the sacred rotunda, watching with a triumphant smirk as his Titans conquered the so-called “mighty” gods of the glorious Olympus. The lesser deities had all been restrained by the lord of the dead’s darkened chains, left to watch as even the all-powerful Zeus himself was overpowered by the Titans’ immense elemental powers.

“I swear to you, Hades!” the king of the gods shouted angrily down to his brother from his ever-expanding prison of solid fire and ice. “When I get out of this, I’ll-” Zeus never got a chance to finish his threat as the freezing molten rocks finally covered him completely, effectively sealing him and all his sacred power away.

“Yeah, nah,” Hades’ grin deepened as he conjured up a dark throne, finalizing his newfound domain over the realm of the gods. “I’ll be the one giving orders around here from now on, bolt boy.”

“Don’t get too comfortable, Hades!”

The lord of the dead shot upright in his seat upon hearing such a brazen proclamation, his baffled shock growing tenfold as he spun around to find a familiar hero flying in. Hercules sent Hades a challenging grin as he soared in upon Pegasus swiftly, his radiant sword poised to put an end to the lord of the dead’s dark regime. But as startled and outraged by the hero’s appearance alone, Hades was even more incensed to find that he wasn’t alone.

“Yeah, ‘cause we’re here to stop you!”

All the lord of the dead could do was gape, absolutely appalled as he turned back towards the citadel’s gates only to find Sora, Donald, and Goofy standing before them, their weapons in hand. Things only seemed to go from bad to worse for Hades as Hercules sped in, cutting through the chains binding the other gods with a single swing of his steady sword. The lord of the dead all but ignored the deities’ united cheers of celebrate over their release as his blue flames quickly spiked deadly red as a sign of his fury, fury that he had no qualms about showing as he fiercely demanded his Titans to cut these brazen interlopers down before they ruined his careful plans altogether.

“Get them!” he shouted to his quartet of mythical monsters. And sure enough, the Titans didn’t hesitate to act on this intense command, storming forward with thunderous steps and leaving behind deadly trails of fire, ice, wind, and stone in their wakes. They towered tall over the trio in particular, and though the thought occurred to each of them that they were in over their heads in dealing with such massive monsters, it was quick to be pushed away as soon as the hero leapt off his winged steed to join them.

“You guys ready for this?” Hercules asked as he landed, not hesitating to take up a fighting stance against the rampaging Titans.

“We’re always ready,” Sora assured confidently, brandish his Keyblade for the no doubt daunting battle ahead.

And daunting it was. The Titans didn’t bother holding back their initial blasts, going in for elemental attacks first, as would be expected. The immense gales caused by the wind Titan alone made things difficult for the group, but when coupled with the non-stop icy spikes, fiery blasts, and hurling rocks, they found that even getting anywhere close to the monsters to land so much as a single blow on any of them all but impossible.

“How are we supposed to fight them like this?” Donald huffed in annoyance as he launched another ultimately blocked flame spell over at the ice Titan. “They just keep knocking us back!”

“If only we could just fight each of ‘em one-by-one,” Goofy said, using his shield to deflect a hard-thrown stone. “That’d sure make things a lot easier!”

“Wait a second…” Sora mused with dawning realization as sudden, somewhat risky plan came to mind. “That’s it! Herc, you think you can cause a distraction for us?”

“You can count on me,” the hero grinned, not even having to ask what the Keybearer’s possible plans were. Instead, Hercules boldly ran forward while the trio skirted off out of the Titans’ notice. The hero made good on his word to provide a timely distraction as he vaulted up onto the rock Titan first, moving far faster than the sluggish, bulky creature could before finally taking up a perch upon one of its two flat stone heads.

“Hey, lava-breath!” he taunted to the fire Titan in particular. “Bet ya can’t knock me off!”

As expected, the Titan took the bait as it sent its massive flaming arm swinging directly at the hero. And while Hercules was able to easily avoid it with a simple deft leap off the monster’s head, the rock Titan was not as its fiery counterpart struck it hard. The momentous blow was more than enough to send the rock Titan flying, even despite its impressive weight and sturdy build, not just across the rotunda, but clear off the edge of the citadel altogether. And, with the other monsters distracted as they were with watching their fellow Titan plummet through the clouds, they failed to notice the trio rounding off behind the icy behemoth in particular, ready to carry out their decisive surprise attack.

“Ok, on three,” Sora said discreetly to Donald and Goofy as they positioned themselves behind one of the ice Titan’s rather spindly legs. “One, two-”

“H-hey! Hey! Hey!” Hades shouted from his spot on the sidelines upon noticing the trio setting up to take out another one of his Titans. Or ideally, even more than that. “What do you three numbskulls think you’re doing!?”

“Three!” Sora shouted hastily, and not a moment too soon either. For just as Hades lobbed a series of smaller fireballs over at the trio in a haphazard attempt at stopping them, they leapt out of the attack’s path entirely, instead enacting one all their own. Their weapons each struck the ice Titan’s inner knee at the exact same moment, the sheer impact of their combined blow proving to be more than enough to shatter it entirely. The chilled creature let out a hiss of surprise, unable to catch itself as it began to topple over onto, fortunately enough onto none other than the fire Titan right next to it. The conflicting elementals instantly began acting against each other the moment they slammed into each other, resulting in both of them tumbling over on top of each other, effectively stunned.

“Nice one, you guys,” Hercules congratulated the trio as they regrouped. “Looks like you just killed two birds with one stone. Or I guess I should say two Titans with one stone.”

“Aw, shucks, they’re not so tough by themselves!” Goofy assured brazenly.

“And with three down, that means there’s only one left to go—whoa!” Sora was interupted as the final Titan standing roared into vengeful action, launching all four of them upward with its violent gales. The breezy creature expanded the range of its twirling tornado, casting the group flying in just about every direction possible without any signs of letting any of them land safely. Getting in any attacks against the wind Titan also seemed to be out of the question as the monster kept itself firmly at the eye of its storm as it easily blew off any sort of spell or swing sent its way. And, after it seemed to get tired with toying with its struggling victims, the Titan finally turned them loose, its winds tossing them high before letting gravity take care of the rest. Fortunately, however, their shared freefall didn’t end in disaster as Pegasus soared in just in the nick of time to come to their rescue. The winged steed retrieved Hercules out of the air first, and then deftly flew back in so he could catch Sora, Donald, and Goofy in turn before landing back at the edge of the citadel, a bit shaken up, but still no worse for wear.

Unfortunately, however, it seemed as though the group would receive no reprieve in this battle whatsoever. For just as they began picking themselves up to continue the fight, the three fallen Titans seemed to do the same. The monsters of fire and ice had finally broken away from each other and recovered, lumbering back up to their full, towering heights as they joined the wind Titan once more. And, to make matters worse, even the rock Titan somehow rose up through the clouds again to regroup with its companions as all four monsters came to surround the group, much to Hades’ sadistic amusement as he continued observing the fight from afar.

“Yeah, that’s right,” the lord of the dead challenged with a vindictive grin. “Just keep linin’ em’ up to knock ‘em down. They’ll just keep getting back up. Let’s see if you plucky yutzes can do the same…”

“Gawrsh, I sure hope we can…” Goofy said, more to the others than to Hades. “Especially since we gotta fight all four of ‘em at once again.”

“We’re right back to square one!” Donald added just as fretfully.

“So what?” Sora asked defiantly, refusing to let that worrisome fact phase him. “There’s four of us too!”

“Actually,” Hercules interjected, grinning as he looked up to the solid molten tower before them. “I think I can make it five.” Without even giving any of the Titans a chance to attack, the hero leapt into action, hurrying up the hardened icy mound and breaking into its seemingly impenetrable surface with his bare hands alone. Light instantly poured out of the darkened rocks, signifying the revival of the king of the gods mere seconds before Zeus burst fourth from his prison, his divine might restored once more.

“Aha!” Zeus laughed triumphantly, his usual gusto showing as he turned to his son with a proud grin. “Thank you, my boy. Now… time to watch your old man get to work!”

The trio on the ground watched in apt excited amazement as the king of the gods conjured up two handfuls of his bright, iconic lightning bolts. Alternatively, Hades gasped in shocked dismay as his meticulous plans all began to fall apart in one fell swoop as Zeus chucked his thunderous projectiles at each of the Titans in fast, blinding succession. The monsters, well familiar with Zeus’ incredible power and how outmatched even they were against it, reeled in pain from the brutal strikes and instantly fell back before the king of the gods could obliterate them altogether. Yet despite their frightened attempt at fleeing, Hercules wasn’t about to let them get away so easily; the hero managed to grab ahold of the wind Titan’s tail end as it whirled past him, grasping the very gusts themselves tightly as he swung its massive, tornado-like form around freely. Its suctioning winds were more than enough to pull the other three Titans into the cyclone, trapping each of them and their elemental might within its thrall. And, with a single hefty toss, Hercules sent the wind Titan, as well as the other three mythical monsters contained within it, flying as high as the outer reaches of the cosmos themselves, finally freeing Olympus from their legendary terror once and for all.

With the Titans taken care of, a round of celebratory cheers rose up from the trio, Hercules, Zeus, and the countless other gods who had been forced to watch the intensive brawl from afar, unable to offer their aid to the cause as a result of Hades’ power. As for the lord of the dead himself, to say that he was outraged by such a crushing defeat was an understatement as his flames sparked red the moment he turned towards the noble group who had bested his intricate, practically perfect schemes.

“I can’t believe it!” he shouted sharply. “I put eighteen years into that plan, and you’ve blippin’ ruined it, just like that! I really don’t like any of you… And believe me, that’s me being nice. But I’m more than ready to get not so nice to take care of you CHUMPS!”

“Oh, just give it a rest already,” Sora remarked, completely unintimidated by such hallow threats. “You’ll never beat Herc, no matter how many times you times you try!”

“Yeah, go back to the Underworld where ya belong!” Goofy added vigorously.

“Go have the time of your afterlife!” Donald quipped with a wry smirk.

“Enough already!” Hades snapped fiercely. “I did NOT come this far to be ridiculed by Zeusy high and mighty, his little sunspot, and a trio of clowns! You know what? I’ll just go ahead and destroy you myself!”

Despite the lord of the dead’s literally fiery rage, the trio was more than prepared to brazenly square off against him. Fortunately though, it seemed as though they wouldn’t have to as Hercules calmly intervened just in time. “Hades,” the hero garnished a glare of immense ire from the lord of the dead, one that only seemed to amuse him all the more as he motioned towards Olympus’ nearby glittering gates. “The exits’ that way.”

In all his anger, Hades had half a mind to put up a vicious fight regardless. However, as Zeus simply cleared his throat to carry across the unspoken reminder of his untold might, the lord of the dead begrudgingly decided to back off, knowing that if the Titans were no match this collective group combined, then chances were, neither was he. So instead, Hades simply let out a sour sigh of defeat, his flames returning to their usual blue as he began to sulk towards the gates, though he didn’t make it there as Hercules decided to stop him one more time.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” the hero interjected casually. His intent became immediately clear, however, as Hades glanced back towards him, only to be met with a swift, painful punch in the jaw. “That one’s for trying to wreck Thebes.”

“Augh! You’ll pay for this!” Hades shouted bitterly, darkness swirling around him as he rubbed his sore cheek. “You all will! I have a very, very long memory! I can still dunk your little Nut-Meg in a river of dea-” The lord of the dead was swiftly cut off as Zeus easily sent a single lightning bolt his way, eliciting a loud shriek of literal shock from Hades as he made his rather embarrassing retreat back to the Underworld, finally defeated.

For now, at least.

With Hades and the Titans gone, the radiant peace that Olympus was known for easily returned in full force. The gods and goddesses gladly took up their seats of prominence and power once more, Zeus included as he heralded his son and his trio of plucky mortal friends the noble heroes of the realm. Still, with Thebes likely still recovering from Hades’ onslaught, Hercules knew he couldn’t stay to take part in the jovial celebrations for too long. And so it was that the hero decided to make his return to the mortal realm down below, and just as before, Sora, Donald, and Goofy accompanied him, even as they passed through Olympus’ glorious gates once again. All the same, Hercules did stop short as soon as they did, pausing briefly to cast an almost wistful glance back at the world he knew he had come from, but wasn’t really a part of anymore. Once again, the all-too familiar question filled the hero’s mind, and it was a question that, ironically enough, Sora happened to curiously pose to him a mere moment later.

“Are you sure you wanna leave all this behind?” the Keybearer asked with something of a sympathetic frown.

“Yeah, isn’t Olympus your home?” Goofy inferred thoughtfully.

“Its where your family is, isn’t it?” Donald asked, sharing the concerned sentiment.

Hercules smiled softly at this, appreciating their worries though not fully sharing them as he looked past the gates towards the realm of the gods once more. “I can see my family anytime I want. But… if I stayed… then I’d have to be apart from the person I love most…. And that life would be empty.” The hero’s resolved smile widened a bit as he turned away from the gates and looked down the lengthy set of golden stairs leading up to it. There, waiting at the bottom for her hero’s return, was none other than Meg; she said nothing, but instead simply returned the loving look Hercules sent her way, love that the hero knew, would keep him coming back to her every single time. “I finally know where I belong,” Hercules said, a sense of confident finality in his tone. And then, without a second thought, the hero suddenly began bolting down the stairs, eager to brace the gap between him and Meg once and for all. The couple met in a tender, sweet embrace, one that easily conveyed their feelings for each other more than any words ever could.

Though the trio made sure to give the pair their privacy, they soon joined them at the bottom of the stairs, each of them warmed by such a touching sight. Meg and Hercules both returned their greeting grins as their hug dispelled and the hero turned to the Keybearer with a sense of renewed resolve. “Sora, we never got back to your question. Do you still think there’s any way I can help?”

Though grateful for Hercules’ kind offer, Sora, surprisingly enough, simply shook his head, much to the initial confusion of both of his companions. “Nah, its ok,” he assured with a genuine smile. “I think this is something I’m meant to figure out for myself. I’ll find my strength again the way you found yours: by fighting for something I care about… with all my heart. You know, its funny… I guess you did have the answer I was looking for after all.”

Hercules nodded firmly at this, glad to see that the Keybearer’s usual drive had finally returned in full force. “Well, you’ve definitely got heart, Sora. Just keep at it, and I know you’ll be stronger than ever in no time.”

“Yeah!” Sora exclaimed, playfully showing off his muscles, even if they didn’t really compare to the hero’s at all. “Who knows? I might even end up stronger than you are someday!”

“Oh brother…” Donald rolled his eyes at such a remark while Goofy chuckled in amusement. “There he goes again!”

“Hey, nothing’s impossible!” Sora shrugged, letting out a small, good-natured laugh of his own as he began to lead the way forward.

“You guys heading out again?” Hercules asked with a knowing smirk.

“Yeah, we really should get going,” the Keybearer noted a bit halfheartedly, always sad to leave good friends behind. “Sorry we can’t stay and help clean up the mess Hades caused.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” the hero assured with a shrug. “We have it covered.”

“Now don’t be strangers, you three,” Meg advised with a wry grin. “Come back and see us again soon, k?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the trio returned with an exuberant salute, waving their final farewells to the couple as they took their leave to make the long trek back to the Gummi Ship.

“Ya know, Olympus really is an amazin’ place,” Goofy noted as they began heading back down the mountain again.

“Yeah,” Donald agreed. “Hercules must really have a strong heart to choose to just give it all up like that!”

Upon hearing this, Sora stopped short, unbeknownst to his companions as he cast a small, brief glance at the sacred peak they were leaving behind. “A strong heart…” he mused quietly to himself, daring to ask himself the question of, if he was ever somehow in a position similar to Hercules’, whether or not he’d make the same choice himself. The Keybearer knew well that he’d never really known any sort of excessive power or position before, not that he ever really had much of a desire for those things in the first place. What Sora did know he wanted, what he had always wanted really, was to keep his friends safe, to be with them and stay with them, even though that hardly ever seemed to be the case anymore. But even so, if he ever had to chose between his friends: between Donald, Goofy, the king, Riku, Kairi and something far greater than he could ever hope to imagine, then he figured such a choice would beyond clear, to the point that he didn’t even have to think twine, even hypothetically speaking.

His friends would always, always come first, no matter who… or what tried to come between.

 Next: 

[prettyfunkyunorganized]

Sugar Daddy Hanzo part 13

Hey guys! Hope you all are well. I’m not doing so great today, so forgive me if that shows in my writing. My brain is exhausted and I struggled with writer’s block. 

If you guys ever want to throw ideas at me, I’m super cool with that and I will totally credit you!

Anywho, here’s 2,200-ish words for you. Love ya!

The next few days were spent lazing about with Hanzo and eating the plethora of comfort food your grandparents had left for you, but it was Monday again, and Hanzo had to be off to work. The man was definitely a bachelor, not doing the best of jobs staying quiet as he got ready to leave at a ridiculously early time. You were trying desperately to stay asleep but then heard an onslaught of angry Japanese. A laugh bubbled from your throat – his rare little outbursts always made you smile.

“Hanzo,” you called groggily, “everything okay in there?”

He poked his head out of the door with an apologetic look. “Forgive me, I did not mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay,” you said sitting up and rubbing your eyes, “I can always nap later. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he huffed, glaring at the bathroom behind him.

You stood and ambled over to him sleepily. “So you just felt like curing out my bathroom? I know it’s small, but at least it works.”

“That is not the problem,” Hanzo explained, “I just managed to drop my cufflink down your drain, it all. Just a minor inconvenience. I need to go by my apartment to change anyway.”

“Something special about this cufflink,” you asked, pulling back your hair.

He looked a little sheepish. “No. It is only a trinket.”

“Come on you pressed,” opening up your linen closet and grabbing the mop bucket, “fess up.”

With a bit of confusion on his face, he watched as you began to push all the junk under your sink to the sides to make way for the bucket. “I admit, it has some sentimental value, but what on Earth are you doing?”

“Emptying out the P-trap,” you yawned, “to get you your cufflink.”

“The what?”

“P-trap.”

His frown deepened. “A trap for pee? In the sink?”

You burst out laughing. “No, my cute little rich boy, not that kind of ‘pee.’ Just plumbing. Come here, I’ll show you,” you said gesturing for him to kneel beside you.

He did as instructed and you handed him a flashlight to hold. After losing power while taking a shower, you kept one in every room. As soon as you put on rubber gloves, Hanzo got apprehensive. “My beauty, it is just a cufflink, no need to do anything drastic.”

“It’s basic plumbing,” you grinned, adjust the beam of the flashlight by moving his outstretched hand. “What, will I no longer be a beauty if I get my hands a little dirty?”

“Not at all,” he said, handing you the towel you pointed at, “but I am more than happy to call a plumber to deal with this for you.”

You scoffed, reaching into the back of the cabinet under your sink to shut off the water supply. “No way in hell am I letting you pay for a plumber for this! And the plumbers ‘round here are usually booked for weeks. Just give me a sec, this won’t take longer than a couple of minutes.”

In curious silence, Hanzo watched as you unscrewed the slip nuts on either side of the curvy piece of PVC pipe and let the water trickle out. Once it was all dripped away, you pulled out the bucket and felt around for the little piece of metal. You smiled triumphantly as you pulled out the little silver pin.

“Ta-da!”

Hanzo chuckled at you and shook his head. “Who knew I had fallen for such a handywoman?”

“What can I say,” you shrugged, holding his cufflink out for him to take, “some of us were broke ass college students who couldn’t afford to hire a professional. Thank god for YouTube tutorials.”

His whole body recoiled as you held the slightly soiled piece of metal out, “I don’t suppose you have some rubbing alcohol?”

You giggled, taking off one of your gloves and handing grabbing a nearby bottle. “How did you get by before you met me?”

“A lot of hired help,” he smirked, helping you up. “Thank you for doing this for me, especially after I woke you up so rudely.”

“No worries,” you said, swishing the disinfectant around, “I’ve done it plenty of times with earrings before work.”

With a quick tug, Hanzo pulled you close and kissed the well of your neck. “You are remarkable,” he said wistfully.

“Hanzo,” you laughed, “it’s the most basic plumbing you can do – the opposite of remarkable.”

“One man’s common is another man’s unbelievable,” gazing at you dreamily. His look hade your heart race. “I wish I could stay here with you another day.”

“I get the feeling a workaholic like you has plenty of vacation days built up,” you grinned wrapping your arms around him.

“That I do, but unfortunately I also have a meeting with an international client as well. You know, it has been a very long time since I wanted to take a day off. I have always felt I needed the distraction.”

You gave his cheek a quick peck and toyed with his silken hair. “Lucky for you, I’ve got a ton of vacation days, too. We’ll have to make good use of them soon.”

“Indeed we will,” Hanzo hummed, “but for now, I must go. May I call you later? See if you are up to lunch?”

“Please do,” you nodded, reluctantly letting him go. “I’ll tell you all about the other household repairs I can do.”

“Sounds delightful,” he smiled, kissing you as long as he could before rushing out the door.

You spent the next hours or so pretending you would be productive, but instead fell asleep on the couch.  It was your cell phone blaring away that woke you up in a panic.

“Hello,” you said rubbing your tired eyes. Then came a three hour long, entirely infuriating conversation with your company. They had found out you were released from the hospital and wondered why you were not clocked in. Less than a week after you had been shot point-blank. You were still sore and taking a myriad of drugs to help your body patch itself up. You doctor had told you to stay off your feet as much as possible for a week, and even after that, you were supposed to avoid anything that put too much stress on your body until your next appointment. If anything happened to your injured lung, it could be utterly deadly.

And yet the boss was yelling at you for ‘bungling the Lucio event.’

After your call had been dropped the third time while you were being transferred, you gave up and turned your phone off in a fury. “Fuck that,” you snarled, breathing heavily through your anger. Your pain flared up in response, and you held your chest. “I am not at all ready to go in yet,” you whispered dejectedly. You steadied your breathing and eyed the pain pills on your coffee table. Sure they would help, but opioids scare the hell out of you after watching one of your classmates dissolve into addiction. You snatched your phone and turned it back on.

“This is exactly why ‘do not disturb mode’ is a miracle,” you sighed, scrolling through Facebook and smirking as the office’s calls went right to voicemail. Being petty could feel damn good.

But then a notification reading ‘one missed call from Hanzo’ popped up.

“Oh fucking fuck,” you hissed, rushing to call him back.

“I hope I did not wake you for the second time today,” he said as he answered.

“No, no,” you sighed, “just avoiding someone else’s call.”

“Who is that,” he said gravely.

“Work,” you grumped, “they wanted to know why I wasn’t at my desk and it became a whole thing from there.”

“You were shot in the chest mere days ago,” Hanzo reeled, sounding just as angry as you.

“It’s a load of bullshit,” you griped, “but I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”

“Why don’t you let me take you out to a late lunch then,” Hanzo offered. “I can meet you at that burger place you told me you were telling me about. ‘Drown your woes in a plate of bacon and cheese covered fries,’ as you said in the hospital.”

“Dear god that sounds amazing you groaned,” getting up to get dressed, “but it doesn’t really seem like your kind of joint. It’s a greasy, hole in the wall kind of place.”

“I trust your judgment,” he said matter of factly, “and I will take off my tie before entering.”

You grinned, knowing he would still stick out like a sore thumb. “Sounds good. I’ll call a cab.”

Sure enough, Hanzo’s suit and sleek appearance had the other patrons raising eyebrows – the place was right next to campus, so most people were in sweats and sneakers. As you slid into the seat across from him, Hanzo gave an unnerving look to the group of guys who were staring at him from across the room. They instantly looked away, and you grinned.

“I probably shouldn’t love it so much when you do that, but I do,” you giggled.

“Do what,” Hanzo asked, sliding a menu over to you. He had left his gloves, probably a sign that he thought this place was grimy – which it was, but that was all part of the charm.

“You know, scaring the shit out of people with a look.”

His brow furrowed a bit until you nodded toward the table of young men. “Ah,” he said casually, “I suppose it is an automatic reaction for me now.”

“You make it sound like you’ve been stared at a lot,” you hinted.

“I have,” he explained, “ever since I was a child.”

“Care you elaborate?” He hesitated, as he always did when his childhood came up. “Come on,” you pleaded, “you don’t have to tell me much, but if this thing between us isn’t going to implode there’s got to be a little more give and take. You know I won’t judge you.”

Hanzo sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair, “I suppose you are right.” He looked out the window and spoke quietly. “My family was very prominent where I am from, and as children, Genji and I were recognized and notable – and therefore scrutinized – from a young age. We were taught we were superior and in turn taught that we were feared. I especially took to this idea, cultivating an image and persona that kept others beneath me.”

You leaned across the table and ran a few fingers up his arm. Hanzo looked to you for a brief moment before looking down, as if ashamed. “Sounds to me like you were pressured into acting that way.”

“Even if I was,” he huffed, “I still had a choice to act otherwise, and I did not. My brother was able to be his own man, even though he was raised much the same way.”

“No one said being a kid and learn the ways of the world was easy,” you assured him, “we all did stuff we’re not proud of. But you’re moving forward, that means a lot.”

He gave you a thin smile. “I think you give me too much credit.”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “Did you, or you not just say something revealing about yourself?”

“I did, but I hardly think one small change constitutes ‘moving forward.’”

“It’s all about baby steps, handsome baby steps.”

The two of you ordered and ate a delicious bounty of unhealthy, happy-inducing food, Hanzo slowly loosening up. He even admitted the greasy fare ‘did, in fact, have decent flavor.’ Eventually, he set down his fork and gave you a knowing look.

“What is it,” you asked warily.

“Are we going to talk about your job making you upset now, or not?”

You groaned loudly. “Do we have to? I don’t want to ruin such a nice lunch with you, and I get the feeling I’ll be battling the bosses for the rest of the day.”

“Very well,” he said, sipping his drink, “but let me know if I can help, will you? I am more than happy to rain hell upon anyone for you.”

“Aw shucks,” you laughed, “you’re so sweet and intimidating.”

He scoffed. “I believe I can count on one hand the people who think I am sweet.”

“Just me?”

Hanzo thought a moment, “Very probably, yes.”

You smiled warmly at him, and he did the same, making you flush and toy with your necklace. Something in the back of your mind was suddenly clawing for attention. “Hanzo?”

“Yes,” he asked, still gazing at you.

“When are we going to talk about what we’re doing here? How we label this? Where we want it to go?”

He sighed and stroked his chin. “I know we need to, but I admit that I have been holding the conversation at bay.”

“You care about me, don’t you,” you asked softly.

“This morning you said you’d, well, ‘fallen for me.’ I not going to make you say any weighty words or anything, but you’re invested in us, right? You’re going to meet me halfway and talk to me and – ”

Hanzo reached across the table and took your hand, “I am completely dedicated to you. If you need anything from me or our relationship, you need only ask. I am here for you, as you have always been there for me.”

“Good,” you smiled, “I guess I just needed to hear it.”

He smiled and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, “I will be sure to tell you often. I adore you, and everything about you.”

@collinssie @watch-your-grammer @zarcake-writes @yesthisisbae @eebbapanda1@deercapitate @missbumblina@skyrina@justjaaaay@thewetbones@skyelentnight @ilovebva@punk-dork @cbrokeherboobs@sobanoodledragon@sydniesamm@honeyburger@knightofsexyness @queenoflabyrinths@speakingishard@iknowimcutethanks @ninevast@ivymarquis @sydniesamm@barbie-the-centrist@tumblertrash@angle0fthegourd@shaybae1997 @lillypet95 @rusty-potato@tt-nikithakppr @honeydew-do-you @kitties-and-unicorns @spookymf@seachelle-the-tideborn

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[matrixaffiliate]

A Twist of Fate

Co-written with @hufflepuffmarlenemckinnon

FFN and AO3

Chapter 13

Marlene awoke with Sirius' arms wrapped tightly around her, and a soft smile crossed her face as she sighed contentedly. She hadn't been this happy since…

Marlene felt her heart rate increase and the familiar closing of her throat that came with her feelings of panic. She hadn't felt like this since she was last in love. Finally, everything fell into place. She was more comfortable around him not simply because he didn't fear her, but because she was falling for him. She took comfort in his presence because of how she felt about him, not simply because he was not repulsed by her. Interestingly enough, her powers had never flowed as easily when she loved Kyril as they did currently with Sirius, though she couldn't bring herself to consider this might be love.

She was supposed to marry Giannis. She was supposed to finish this task, choose to be human, and then marry a mortal and fix all her problems. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with an equal. In the mortal world, she was already betrothed by her father's word. In the world of the gods, well, Hades and Persephone were the best examples of commitment they had, Zeus was their polar opposite, and everyone else fell somewhere in between. So if she wanted to choose her mother's world she could pull just about any example she wanted to justify her actions. But did she want to?

Marlene's father was so certain that she would be happier without the added pressure of being a demi-fate. He was positive that she would have a good life with Giannis. But Marlene couldn't deny that she had felt uneasy about the prospect of becoming human since her father had brought it up. And now that she knew she could feel at ease in the arms of an equal, well, now she was even more torn about becoming human. Her father had already promised her though. Was she willing to let him down?

She realized that those questions really didn't matter because he probably didn't reciprocate her feelings. The children of Dionysus were just as physical as their father, throwing their arms around everyone and anyone, kissing whatever cheek presented itself in the moment, the fact that Sirius had willingly laid with her as they slept was scant indication of any sort of more-than-friendly feelings. He was fated to kill the Minotaur with her, not to love her.

Sirius stirred and for a moment he pulled her closer and all her concerns seemed to briefly float away. He ran a hand over her spirals of black curls and trailed it down her arm. He kissed her head again, and Marlene almost turned her face up, just to see what it would feel like to kiss him, just to see if he would kiss her back, but she prudently decided against that level of embarrassment. They had a task to complete, and if she made it awkward now, she might also create a situation where not only she and Sirius died, but all those poor tributes as well. It was best to keep things professional, to remain in their good-natured realm of teasing and making fun of the gods. Within that realm they could both keep a clear head, they could probably make it out of this alive in that realm. So Marlene pretended to stir and turned to smile up at Sirius.

"Good morning," she chuckled as he yawned through his response.

"Good morning," he stretched and pushed the two of them up to sitting.

Marlene, now keenly aware of her feelings, was also suddenly aware of the way Sirius's muscles pulled under his skin. The fringe of his hair fell into his face making his eyes seem darker somehow. His smile acted as a balancing counterweight by bringing a glimmer of light to his eyes that drew her in towards him with a powerful force. She had to focus very hard on not succumbing to the tug of his eyes.

"We'll make port in Crete within the hour," she forced herself to start talking about their task. She needed to think of almost anything other than how attractive the demi-god before her really was when she allowed herself to notice.

"Destiny calls," he teased her and Marlene couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Let's hope our fates are happy ones," she laid her head on his shoulder and chose to just enjoy that for the moment there was no beast to kill, there was no destiny waiting for them, there was only them.

Their cell lock rattled and Sirius jumped back from her and Marlene sighed as she stood, it was time to take the next step in their task.

The port at Crete was filled with people, eager to see the tributes for the Minotaur. People made Marlene's stomach turn some days. She spotted King Minos and suddenly her foresight kicked in. She turned sharply to Sirius, who stood by her side.

"King Minos is there and he is going to do everything in his power to keep us from joining the other tributes, whatever you do, do not yield."

Sirius looked down at the King critically as the sailors secured the ship. "Has Minos ever met my father?"

Marlene shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of, why?"

Sirius smirked, "Watch and learn Miss Fate, Minos is about to find out the wine tastes as good as the grapes."

Marlene wanted to say more, but just then the sailors were shoving the tributes towards the gangplank to be presented to King Minos.

King Minos looked at the Athenian tributes with a satisfaction that made Marlene want to smack him across the face, but she was pleased to see the fear that crossed his face as his eyes beheld her.

"What is the meaning of this!" he demanded of the captain. "I will not be sending Moira down to the beast! What idiots are you to have brought Fate from Athens as tribute!"

The captain began to stammer, and as Marlene was just about to respond, Sirius threw a friendly arm around Minos.

"Minos! My dear dear King Minos. You really need to make it up to your father's place more often. Didn't you know that sweet old Fate went and found herself a luscious mortal? This pretty thing..." he reached out and pulled at one of Marlene's spiral curls, then released it so it would spring back for effect. He was playing his father to the tee. "is her daughter Marlene." Sirius made grapes grow on his necklace in a matter of seconds and pulled a bunch from it, handing it to Minos. "I'm Sirius, one of the many sons of Dionysus, by the way."

Minos looked like he had just been smacked across the face. "I don't understand, why are you here?"

Marlene gave Minos a stare that was as close to her mother's penetrating glare as she could muster. "Your games are finished. Fate has spoken, it is time to end this ridiculous sacrifice."

Minos sputtered, "My father supports this justice for my dead son!"

Marlene gave him a cold laugh, "Your father bows to my mother as we all do. The conflict between your two kingdoms is finished."

Minos was as crafty as Zeus, "Fine, give me these twelve and you and the son of Dionysus can return to Mt. Olympus assured that they will be the last."

"Do not lie to me," Marlene said in a deadly quiet voice. "If you will attempt to undermine Fate, then you will lose more than just this ridiculous display of cruelty."

Sirius sighed, "Now why did you have to go and do that?" He gave Minos's shoulder a shove, then popped a grape in his mouth. "She's a right ray of sunshine little Fate is, until you make her angry - then she's as scary as her mother." Then he leered at Minos, "Me on the other hand, I'm ever so forgiving. Unless you'd prefer to be put in your place? I wouldn't mind telling you how very naughty you've been, King Minos." He kissed Minos on the cheek and Marlene had to use every divine level of self-control she had to not start laughing right there.

"The Book of Fate declares it, and it is the task of Sirius, son of Dionysus, and myself, the daughter of Moira, to end your pettiness, in whatever way may prove necessary." She left the threat hanging in the air as she stared Minos down and Sirius popped another grape in his mouth before discarding another bunch on Minos' shoulder.

"Well," Sirius yawned before speaking almost as fast as his father. "I don't know about the rest of them, but the floor of that ship was so uncomfortable, and I certainly hope your accommodations will be better. Maybe I should have tried to sleep in the form of a dog, have you noticed that dogs seem perfectly comfortable to sleep on the floor? Do you have dogs, Minos? They've always seemed like nice creatures to me, though father always favors the Bull. I suppose that's why Fate sent me, don't you think? Do you have any wine by chance? That seems to be the only thing I can't do, I can't manage to pull wine out of thin air, but I'm sure you can't throw lightning bolts, we all lose a bit to our mortal nature, don't we? Take little Miss Fate, she's got a temper." Sirius took an enormous breath and paused. King Minos looked completely flabbergasted.

"We'll talk of this more," he looked directly at Marlene. Then he spun on his heels and stalked away.

Sirius fell into step next to Marlene as Minos' soldiers marched them to the dungeons to await their fate.

"You were amazing!" She reached out and took his hand. "I could kiss you!"

"Don't do that! I just put in way too much effort to paint you as your mother with a temper! You kiss me in front of all these people and all that effort will be wasted!" Sirius laughed but didn't release her hand. Marlene rather liked holding his hand.

"I'll play my part if you keep playing yours." She reached up to his neck and plucked a few grapes. "Because he's not going to let this go so easily."

Sirius gave her hand a half-hearted smack away from the grapes hanging from his neck. "Hey, those are part of my aesthetic!"

Marlene chuckled, "Careful, Fate's daughter has a temper."

Sirius winked down at her, "That's ok, she got me a goblet of wine the other night, I think I'm on her good side."

Marlene laughed, he definitely was on her good side.

[gamesception]

Sception Plays KHUx episode 12: unpaid internship

Last time Chirithy assured us we weren’t strong enough to face the darkness of the underworld, and I assumed that we’d spend two dozen missions on other worlds before we came back to try it, but no, the very next mission we’re headed down into the underworld to get Cloud.

As one should expect when invading the underworld, Hades wastes little time sicking Cerberus on us.

and we waste little time crushing him.  Ironically with a Hades & Cerberus attack (as imitated by Naminé, of course).

Rather than getting angry, though, Hades is impressed with our initiative.  It seems he did the whole tournament thing in order to find a new, more competent minion.  Cloud ditched him already, but he’s more than happy to take us under his wing as a consolation prize.

I have to say, we’re a much better consolation prize than Guardian Form Sora.  In light of our new allegiance, we put on something appropriately dark and spoopy, and set out to do some petty chores for Hades while we search the underworld for Cloud.

Who has apparently himself been searching for Sephiroth.  Unsuccessfully.

Herc and Hades show up, and Hades is somewhat less than shocked when we betray him.  Getting a mortal champion was just bait to lure Hercules down into the underworld where he’d be weak enough for Hades to capture him.

Which he does, before heading up to wreck the surface world.  Of course, we quickly rescue Herc and head up to stop him.

Hades seems like he wants to fight, but Sception T-Poses at him and, thoroughly intimidated, he retreats back to the underworld.

....

Again, quite a bit of plot progression, at least within the context of the disney world itself.  I’m not sure if this is the resolution of the Colosseum plot for this game or not, but it feels like it could be.

The game’s still dragging out the main plot as long as it can, but if the disney plots are going to start going by more quickly, I could be ok with that.