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Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used herein. The Silverhawks belong to Ranking/Bass and the characters form Xena and Hercules belong to Ren. Pics. The Gods are anyone's domain. No disrespect is intended
Title: Ares' Child; Awakening
Feedback: Please? Oh, please? Abelard950@aol.com
Author: Kate R.
Rating: PG-13 to R
Summary: Ares' Child Comes to his power
A.N. This is my response to it always being females who can stop big evil
It was almost a relief when it happened. She'd been expecting it since they came to this place and she'd heard the captured members of the Mob saying they had a betting pool on what would set her brother off. She wondered, idly, as she saw his eyes frost over in rage, exactly who'd won. It didn't matter; she doubted they'd get to enjoy the victory. As she watched him, she recalled absently what the man who'd left him with her family had said when he'd given him to them.
"Never get angry, little one. It is not safe---"
She idly remembered, as she watched, the night he had been brought to them by the man in leather. It had been raining wherever he was from, that she remembered. She knew it had been raining because he was soaked through and through and so was the baby he held so closely to his chest as if protecting it from something terrible. The baby had been so quiet, as if its very life depended on silence, that her parents hadn't realized what she did until the man on the horse gave the baby to them. Well, actually, he was more of a toddler. He was so small, like she was, but she knew he'd grow to be big and tall like the man who was handing him to her mother. He was telling the baby something and giving him something from the glow in his hand. Also, there were two pendants he placed around the baby's neck.
"Never get angry, baby," he whispered. "Never get angry until there is no other recourse. Peace does not need to go down War's Road. Goodbye, my little Ariod. Patience, Wisdom and Grace of your grandfather be with you."
The man had then placed his sword in a sheath on the horse and dismounted from it giving the reins to the three year old and then, to everyone's shock, he walked into the night and vanished. The sword was later known to her grandfather to be The Sword of War. When Ariod touched it, the Wars in the world would calm for a time. She knew the man had left it to keep it safe from whatever he was protecting the boy from.
Ariod. Funny, she hadn't thought of him with that name in years. Now, watching him face the Mob in the first rage she'd ever seen him in, she knew the name fit him perfectly. It started with a power glowing from his hands and reaching out to encompass him completely. When it faded a moment later, the armor that she and the rest of the team needed was gone. He no longer needed it and she knew that. Ariod was here. She didn't know what his title was supposed to be but she'd read when they did Mythology in school about a lost child of Ares, God of War, who was claimed by a lesser known God, Joxer, God of Redemption. The child it was said was hidden from Zeus with the Sword of War. She watched her brother, and he would always be her brother, no matter where he was from, stand facing Mon*Star and his Power reached out and engulfed the Planet Master in Flames. Not killing by a long shot, but it put a serious hurt on the Mob Boss.
She watched and listened as Mon*Star demanded to know who he really was and she felt a grim smile on her face as he looked down at Mon*Star and she could see he remembered something. Like his real name and who his father was. His answer, she saw, caused Mon*Star to pale almost whiter than chalk and she and the others heard what he said as he had apparently intended them to.
"I am Ariod of Olympus," he said. "I am Ares' Child."
TBC
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Chapter 1: Who Am I?
"Dancing bears,
Painted wings,
Things I almost remember
And a song, someone sings,
Once Upon a December.
Someone holds me safe and warm,
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory...
Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart,
Used to know,
Once upon a December.
Someone holds me safe and warm,
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory…
Far away, long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart,
Used to know,
Things it yearns to remember…
And a song,
Someone sings,
Once upon a December."
-Once Upon a December by Deana Carter from "Anastasia"
"Will? Are you okay? Will? WILL!" she said as she watched her brother finally turn from the Mob Boss currently writhing in pain on the ground. He looked at her completely disjointed for a moment as if he were somewhere else for a time.
"I'm fine," he finally answered. "I'll be fine. Just--- I didn't know I could do that. I didn't understand. Never get angry. Never ever get angry unless there is no other recourse. He said it that night didn't he?"
"Yes, he did," she answered.
"Guess we know why now, huh, Em?"
"Guess we do, little Will," she told him. Do you still want to be called Will?"
"Yeah," he answered slowly. "I can't change everything in one night. Come on, we should all get back to Hawk Haven."
"Sergeant," lieutenant Quick said as he came up to them, "What the Hell was that? Who in the Hell are you?"
"Tartarus," he corrected absently. "Who in the 9 levels of Tartarus am I? And I don't know who I am. I really don't know who I am anymore. This---Never get angry, he said. Never. I didn't need to follow War's Path. But he called me something else then. Something I can't quite remember now. It was so cold and loud for a long time. Then---then there was the horse and running and I don't know. I don't know." After a few minutes of silence, he made a gesture with his hand and moved them all back to Hawk Haven. Sapphire was waiting with the commander and Will just shrugged. He didn't want to get into this now. Not now when even he didn't know the answers.
"I don't know," he said simply as he walked away.
"Give me time to think and maybe I can tell you something," he said over his shoulder as he walked away. Even if someone had called him back at that point he would not have answered. He was too tired and way too confused to explain anything right now. He didn't know what he was---who he was. But, he knew he was not just human. He was something else. Something---ah, maybe it would come to him in his dreams. He got back to his quarters and laid down on the bed thinking. He had flashes of memory but it was like he wasn't seeing them completely. What was it that had made his father---Ares was his father; that he knew, take him and flee? Why had he left him with the Sword of War that was even now floating in front of him? It had not been there before but it was here now. Who the hell was he? Was he Will or was he Ariod? Both? Neither? Who. Why couldn't he remember clearly? It was almost if he could almost remember it. Shapes and shadows dancing through his dreams and the few foggy memories and the song; always the song being sung to him. He'd been safe then, for a short time. The song was nice. He grew fast. He grew because---because---damn, he couldn't quite remember. He'd known at one time. Dammit, why couldn't he remember it? It was so damn close to the surface of his memory.
He fell asleep and he dreamed that night. Seeing some of the answers there. But still not the one he needed. He dreamed---
It was windy and dark and cold and the man was screaming and laughing manically. What was happening? He'd wondered. But he was only a little god then. Not quite sure of what was happening around him. He knew the laughter was a bad thing. It was scary and it made him hurt in his heart and head.
"Give me the child, Ares," the laugher said. "I will not allow him to destroy me."
"Zeus, please," Ares pleaded. "He's only a baby! He's no threat to you!"
"Now," the laugher began. "In time he will grow to take my power away. I will not allow that. GIVE HIM TO ME!"
The temple roared with that shout, pieces of marble fell to the ground and the boy began to wail in fear. Zeus was reaching for him when something struck him from behind. Will saw a man dressed in black with an armored breastplate standing there with a trident made of gold and encrusted with gems.
"Take him and run, Ares," he said. "Get him and the sword far away from here. I will fight to give you time. GO!"
"HADES! NNOOO!" Ares had cried as Hades used his power to send them to the horse. The last thing the boy saw was his beloved grandfather getting stabbed in the back. But not killed. Why not dead? Because Zeus needed him. His cry on waking mixed with Ares' in the dream---
"HADES!!!, NNNOOO!!!!" he woke drenched in sweat. Lords above and below, it hurt. Those memories were things he knew he'd seen. Those memories-Hades was still alive, that even he knew. As was Ares, somehow he knew Zeus did not want him dead. But it had left him with more questions. Why did Zeus fear him? What was he to the King of the Gods? The dream said he would take Zeus' power but how could he do that? How had he been hidden? Well, the answer to that was in front of him. The Sword of War was hidden with him for a reason. He suspected it was as much apart of this as he was. "Get the sword away from here. Get him and sword away from here now." Why was the sword hidden? Well, he knew that too. The sword had a lot of power in it. But why was it with him? Could he use it? Is that why? He knew it shielded him but why had it been left? Maybe he could use it? Who knew? Not him certainly. But at least he knew he'd been right. He was Ariod. He was Ares' Child.
What the Tartarus was he supposed to do now?
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Chapter 2: The Now of Olympus 1
"Fifteen Years," Zeus said to himself. "Fifteen years and they would neither of them break. Why did they care so much? You could always have more children. Why hadn't they just given him the brat? Why did they make him punish them like this?"
Zeus walked through the once joyful Olympus and frowned. No one wanted to have parties anymore. Oh, well, maybe he could throw one with mandatory attendance. That would also give him a reason to punish Ares and his thrice-damned brother Hades since they would neither of them be able to attend it.
Zeus walked into his temple; the throne was his alone now, where his brother knelt, chained to the floor at his feet. He kicked Hades in the stomach driving the knife he'd stabbed Hades with earlier even deeper than it already was. Hades did not make a sound. Zeus grew bored with kicking his brother and eventually snapped his fingers slamming Hades against the wall spread-eagled. He then proceeded to use him as target practice with knives and lightening bolts. Ares had had the same treatment earlier and he thought he might go back there when he finished with Hades.
Zeus smiled cruelly as he set up a lightening loop. Hades would be hit constantly with lightening while he saw to Ares. He had so much more to answer for. They both did.
"If you tell me where you hid the child, Hades," Zeus said, "I will let you go. You know, brother. I know you do."
Hades looked at Zeus and smiled weakly. Still challenging him. "You'll find out one day, Zeus," Hades told him. "And you'll rue that day. You'll rue the damn day!"
Hades began to scream as he was hit with bolt after bolt of lightening. He could endure so much but he was reaching his limit. Hades screamed to release some of his pain. He screamed as loud and as long as he could but eventually his screams became breathless whimpers and moans. Zeus smiled. He'd finally seen the measure Hades could take. He would use this to his advantage.
Zeus shoved a hot dagger into Hades' stomach and smiled as the flesh sealed around it. It would take a great deal of strength to remove that blade. He added a second and third blade and then he hung his brother by the neck from the balcony. He smiled as he saw his handiwork. Hades was now hung with knives through both his lungs and his diaphragm. He could not draw breath to scream and what Zeus most delighted in was that Hades would not die. Maybe he could leave him like that for a few years?
Zeus smiled as he decided to think on that later and flashed to the Temple of War. Ares was still where he'd left him with his bastard consort gently giving him water to drink. Zeus smiled cruelly as he walked over to his stepson and slammed a sword through his stomach pinning him to the floor. Ares he liked to hear scream. It gave him pleasure to see the Dark God of War like this. Of course, he wasn't sure if Ares was still the God of War or not. To be sure he could punish him for Eternity, Zeus had given him ambrosia when he returned from wherever he'd left the child. Ares was no longer controlling the battles on earth yet he still absorbed the aggression from them for Olympus to feed off of. Zeus thought on this for a while and he realized what it meant. Ares had not given up his Godhead. Ariod may have had the sword but Ares was still the God of War. Meaning Ariod could not use the Sword of War. Zeus was smiling as he thought this not seeing the smirk that crossed Ares' face. Zeus had forgotten something. Ares waited and then he felt it.
Suddenly there was a shift in the power flow.
A tremendous shockwave of power ripped through Olympus.
And Zeus was thrown into the wall across the room.
He slid down to the floor in a boneless heap and stared in shock at Ares. His silent bard spoke then. Her first words in 15 years were a shock to him but Ares smiled as Zeus stormed over to him.
"The Sword of War, Uncle," he gasped out around his pain, "Is also the Sword---of Peace. As I can---use it. So can---he. You. Lose."
"You are so Screwed, Zeus," Gabrielle said. Zeus turned to the one who had not spoken a word for 15 years and realized he'd lost his power over her voice. It came to him after a moment and he understood Ares' words.
Ariod had awakened.
Peace was coming.
He was in big trouble.
"Mommy," he thought to himself.
In the temple of Love, Cupid, Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Hera as well as Xena, Hercules and Iolaus all looked up as the shockwave ripped through Olympus. Strife sat bolt upright on his bed, as did Eris who was taking some of her brother's pain. And little Bliss, the son of Cupid and Strife, giggled joyously for the first time in 15 years. For the first time in that long, he was happy. Happy because Gwampa and gweat-Gwampa would be free soon. Something that felt good to him was coming. Something big and strong and full of love for Gwampa and rage at Zeus. There would be an end to it. Finally, there would be Peace and Joy in the world again. Bliss was happy.
Zeus, sitting on the floor of Ares' Temple, was suddenly very afraid. And that made Bliss happy too.
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Chapter 3: Choices
"Heart don't fail me now,
Courage don't desert me,
Don't turn back now that we're here.
People always say,
Life is full of choices,
No one ever mentions fear.
Or how the road can seem so long
Or how the world can seem so vast
Courage see me through,
Heart I'm trusting you,
On this journey---to the past."
Somewhere down this road,
I know someone's waiting,
Years of dreams just can't be wrong!
Arms will open wide,
I'll be safe and wanted,
Fin'lly home where I belong.
Well, starting here, my life begin,
Starting here I'm learning fast,
Courage see me through,
Heart I'm trusting you,
On this journey--- to the past.
Courage see me through,
Heart I'm trusting you.
Home, Love Family,
There was once a time
I must have ahd them too.
Home, Love, Family
I will never be complete until I find you---
One step at a time,
One hope then another,
Who knows where this road may go.
Back to who I was,
On to find my future,
Things my heart still needs to know.
Yes! Let this be a sign!
Let this road be mine!
Let it lead me---To my past!
Courage see me through,
Heart I'm trusting you
To bring me home---
At Last!
-Aaliyah: Journey to the Past from Anastasia
Will walked to the commander's office after he'd sorted the dream out in his head. He found the others sitting waiting and he knew they had been waiting for him.
"Am I late?" he asked as he stood in front of all of them. The commander shook his head no and stared for a moment as he saw a pendant Will was wearing.
"No, you aren't Will," he said. "But we would like some explanations. That power you released nearly knocked poor Seymour out of his cab."
"Sorry," Will told the cabbie. Couldn't control that one. It was a message I think."
"What message?" Stargazer asked as he watched Will call the Sword of War to himself. Will smiled as he looked at the blade of the great sword.
"The message that Ariod, Ares' Child, is awake and coming to do whatever it is I'm supposed to do. Whatever it is that scared Zeus so much he wanted me dead when I was a baby. Whatever it is that made my father give me to Em's parents."
"How did that happen?" Stargazer asked as he watched Will walk around the room. "How did you end up with her family?"
"Father wanted me safe," he replied softly. "He and grandfather hid me where Zeus could not reach me and they used the counter of my Godhead to cancel my signature out. I can use the sword of War but I can't use it right now. I have to go home though. My father is being tortured, as is my grandfather, for hiding me. I can stop it but only if I go back."
"What is your godhead, Will?" the commander asked shooting a look at his colonel who was a staunch southern Baptist. Will chuckled as he caught the look and ran his fingers of the Blade of the sword.
"What's the opposite of War?" he asked after a minute of silence. What and War can cancel each other out so one cannot be detected and neither is needed?"
"I don't---" the commander began only to be cut off by his colonel.
"Peace," Bluegrass said. "You're the God of Peace ain't ya? That's why you aren't in the mythology books and why there ain't no God of Peace listed. You were hidden."
"Yes, I was," Will told them all softly. "I don't know everything, but I know enough to know I have to go back. I can't stay here any longer. Not while so long as I'm here the consequences are that there is no peace in the world."
"You're gonna go alone?" Blue Grass asked. Will shrugged.
"If I have to," he replied. "I wont ask you all to get involved in this. It isn't even your faith."
"You aren't asking," Condor told him. "We're offering. Son, we're a team. Teams do for each other. You saved all of our asses out there and put Mon8Star out of commission for a time. You think you don't have the right to ask this of us?"
"If you get mixed up in this, and I succeed in what I'm attempting, it could change everything. I mean literally everything you believe. It would mean no one Faith would supercede every other. If you don't want to be apart of that, you don't want to be involved in this. I wont ask any of you to go and I wont force anyone to help or allow anyone to be forced. You have to choose. Because I'm not talking about going to Olympus now and cleaning up the mess, I'm talking about going back 15 years after I left and stopping it then and there. This is going to be a journey to the past and I won't ask you to help destroy the tenements your own beliefs were built on."
"Like Condor said, Will," Blue Grass said. "You aren't asking. We're offering. I don't cotton to letting people die for one person or another's beliefs. If your family can stop it, hell, I'm all for saving them. When do we leave?"
"You're all agreed then?" Will asked as he looked at them. Even Seymour nodded as he looked at Will.
"We're all agreed, Will," Emily told him. The Copper Kidd whistled his answer in the affirmative and so Will nodded to himself and reached with his powers making a bridge/road from one place to the other.
"Step on the bridge and you're there. No planes for this. It won't be that kind of fight. Mainly you'll be helping care for the injured. And there will be injured, that I know."
"Lets go then," Seymour, said as he hopped up onto the bridge. The others followed suit and Will wondered why the cabbie was going. He had no clue really as to why Seymour was even there but he followed last so the bridge moved with him and the connection was broken so no one else could follow. He needed it that way to be sure everything would be safe. Will sighed as he prepared himself for this battle. This journey. He had to be brave enough. He was the only one who could do this. He hoped his heart was strong enough for this; otherwise they'd lost before they'd even begun. And he hated to lose. Especially to the bastard son of a harpy-screwing bitch he was heading for. Peace was coming. Zeus had better damn well be worried.
Because Peace was War's son.
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Chapter 4: The now of Olympus 2
Arriving on the Mountain home of the gods, Will looked around. It was filled with an oppressive silence and he knew it was long since time to deal with this bullshit. Zeus was going down. But first he had to find his father and grandfather. He had things that belonged to one and a gift for the other. Besides, the Houses of Love, Death and Aggression had to stand together to defeat the completely off his nutter king of the gods. Will was just the one who was going to unite them.
He led his group to the Main Temple where Zeus' throne was because his gut instinct told him he had to go there first. Arriving they found Strife trying to get Hades down with the help of a blond with wings.
"Oh---Sonuvabitch," Will muttered as he looked at his teammates. Quicksilver moved first followed by Emily and they flew up to where Strife and Cupid were struggling to get Hades down.
"Let us help," Emily said to them. They watched as she held Hades and Quicksilver shot through the rope with lasers. Together the four of them managed to lower him to the round where Quicksilver quickly became ill seeing the knives.
"He isn't dead, Jon," Will told his field commander as he pulled the dagger out of Hades' diaphragm. "This wont kill a God. Especially not the Lord of the Dead. Can one of you hold him down so I can pull the other two daggers?"
"Sure, Will," the commander, said as he joined Emily and Jon. He was followed a moment later by Blue Grass who leaned on Hades' right leg. They each took an appendage and Will smiled to himself as he yanked the other two daggers out. He vowed Zeus would pay for this. He braced as he felt Hades' returning to consciousness and he placed his hand over Hades' mouth so the screams were muted. After a few minutes, Hades looked into his eyes and just stared.
"Ariod," he whispered before blacking out. Will smiled softly and kissed his grandfather's forehead.
"Rest now," he whispered. "Rest in tranquility. I'm here."
Will left him to sleep and headed for the Temple of War.
"You may not want to come in here Sey," Will told the cabbie as he reached for the door. "This is going o be uglier than that was."
"I don't care about that Steel Will, the cabbie said. "I came here with my friend to stand by my friend and I ain't running because it gets ugly. You got business with someone here for hurting your family, we all got business with this person. Open the damn door."
"All right," Will said as he looked at them all. "You all want in on this?"
Receiving nods he pushed open the door and walked into the temple. He was slightly amused at Seymour's swearing but it made him feel nice that he cared so much about whatever had upset Will that he insisted on seeing the bad with the worst. Will was touched in a way. Seymour cared. Was genuinely upset over what had been one to Hades. That warmed him inside. At least until he saw Ares.
"That mother loving son of a goat," Will growled as he watched his step father Joxer coax water down Ares' throat. "I'll damn well kill him for this."
"I thought you were peace, Will," Bluegrass said. Will chuckled realizing Blue Grass did not fully understand yet.
"You fight for Peace in Limbo, Tex," Will said as he knelt and pulled the sword from his father's gut. "As people fight for Peace, to protect it and cherish it, so does Peace fight for people. That's why War and Peace are flip sides of the same coin. In most pantheons the god of one is the god of the other. Zeus threw that balance when he tried to kill the Peace in Ares. That resulted in me. I am Peace now to balance the full weight of Aggression in War. War and I, we share the same sword, the same burden. Ares and I---Father and I, we can't be separated again after this or anarchy and Armageddon really will come. The fact that I existed is all that stopped it before. It---"
"I'll kill you now you little fool!" Zeus roared as he came out of the shadows. Will muttered a curse and headed for him after laying the sword of War in his father's arms.
"I say again," Will muttered to himself, "Sonuvabitch!"
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Chapter 5: Peace Returns
Will braced his foot and sent Zeus flying over him by rolling backwards and using his foot to throw the raving lunatic who was the king. He was making Zeus come at him for a reason but no one knew what that was yet. Will was fed up with this. He wasn't intended to be Peace and after this he would return that to where it belonged and take his place as Compassion and Serenity which is what he was intended to be. He was angry though. Angry about what ahd been done by Zeus and it set him off into a rage. 'Never get angry,' he remembered being told. 'Never let rage completely over take you. Otherwise you become War.' Now he heard the last part of the lesson in his head. But it was always meant to be War that stopped sky's insanity. As Ares could not do it, Ariod was substituted in. And he knew instinctively what to do and how to do it. He was the on of War and Peace. That's why he was meant to be Compassion and serenity. When this was over, he would be that which he was intended to be. He had seen who he had been and had found his past. And when this was finally, at long last over, he would be able to look to his future.
"You won't win this day, Zeus," Will hissed as he fought tooth and nail. "I'll see everyone on this mountain dead before I see anyone ever enslaved to you again. You lose either way."
Focused on Zeus, Will did not see the other gods flashing in. First came Apollo who knelt down by Ares and began to heal him as his son was completing the healing to Hades. Next came the members of the house of love. Cupid and Strife watched the fight knowing that the outcome would either bring them joy or bring them sorrow. The Fates' Prophecy said only when Sky fell to War could Mischief and Love be together. They watched, praying Ariod won.
Also watching was Athena. She knew this was going to happen and she had been praying for it for a long time. One by one, they flashed in, all watching and waiting for the outcome of this battle. Those who wanted to be with their lovers besides Cupid and Strife were Athena, Artemis, Dionysus and Hermes. They stood as couples. Artemis with Dionysus and Athena with Hermes waiting, watching and praying. It seemed to be going their way when Ariod fell to one knee suddenly. His teammates cried out his name in fear but he looked at them and smiled as Zeus plunged a sword into his chest. Everyone screamed denial and Zeus began to laugh. Ariod was dead.
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Chapter 6: War Takes Sky
In his mind, Ariod/Will had known from the start what he ahd to do. He ahd to keep Zeus focused on him until he saw what he was waiting for. And then he felt it, just as his father had felt him awaken, so did he feel his father resume his full godhead of War and Peace. And he knew it was time. He let himself fall to one knee and he smiled as the sword stabbed into him. Zeus would fall. Despite all appearances, Zeus would fall. War would take Sky Down and Raise Life and Death back to the throne. The Prophecy would be fulfilled.
"No one defeats me," he said as he went for the killing blow. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his body and he looked down to find the Sword of War protruding from his stomach.
"No one, Zeus," a cold, angry voice hissed in his ear. "Oh, I do beg to differ."
Zeus turned his head in time to watch Ares twist the sword in his gut much as he had done to Hades with the daggers earlier this same day. He screamed much sooner than his brother had. Zeus fell to his knees and Ares smiled coldly.
"Do you know why I am able to do this Zeus," Ares asked as he slammed the sword through Zeus' stomach. "Do you? I'll tell you then. My son has given Peace back to me. War is whole again."
"Wh-what?" Zeus demanded in shock. Ares smiled coldly as he saw the fates appear and they began to speak a prophecy not heard for many centuries. One all but forgotten until now.
"War will cause Sky to fall
When Sky's madness threatens all.
Defeat of Sky brought
By Compassion Sought.
Balancing his Father, restoring Death
The True King comes,
Sky is bereft."
The oddness of the chant said the chant was older than the Fates meaning it was one of Cronos'. Zeus stared as Ares swung his sword back up and brought it down removing Zeus' head. It hit the floor with a sick, wet sound but no one cared. Everyone stared at the boy who had saved them. He was younger even then Bliss but he had given everything up for them. Ares moved and gathered his son's limp form into his arms. His tears fell as he rocked his son back and forth gently. Emily and the rest of the Silverhawks moved to join them and then the others slowly but surely, everyone on Olympus felt the loss of Compassion, he who had given his life for their freedom. The greatest gift to give and act that showed no greater love. Ares felt the howl building but it did not come. Instead his tears, and the tears of every other being on Olympus continued to fall until they formed a pool on the dirt floor. From that pool rose a woman very few had ever seen in person and she stared at the boy who had saved them all. A man by mortal standards but a boy by theirs. This she could fix.
Ares," she said gently.
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Epilogue
Ares knew only grief. His son had been returned to him but had then made the ultimate sacrifice to save them all. He looked back at his family and Will's family and he felt the tars falling harder and faster. It wasn't meant to be like this. Freedom should not have ahd to come at so high a price. Why couldn't he bring the death howl? He needed to release it. He heard someone speak his name but he did not look up until a gentle hand touched his cheek. He stared at her in shock. He knew her face from when he was very young. From before Zeus took over.
"Gaia?" he asked hardly daring to hope. She smiled and took the boy from him.
"This child saved us all," she said. He brought his friends to help and they share our grief. Now they will share our joy as Compassion wakes to the new Dawn on Olympus. Hades?" she called. Hades made his way over and gently touched the boy's face. His grandson was going to live even if he ahd to give his own life energy to do it.
"Live, my child," he whispered and blew breath into Will's mouth. Gaia smiled as she touched the boy's face.
"Call him Ares. All of you, call him with your hearts and souls by the name that you know him best by."
One by one, again, they began to reach out to he who ahd saved him. Some calling him Will, the Silverhawks and Seymour, and the rest calling him Ariod. All calling with love in their hearts for him. All calling him back to them. When there was no answer, Ares called again. Louder and with more force. With all his love he called: "ARIOD!"
After a few moments of dead silence, a hoarse whisper was heard.
"I heard you the first bloody time," he grumbled as he felt Ares hug him tightly.
"Dad, I do need to breathe," he whispered.
All Ares could do was hold his son and cry. He looked around seeing it was right now. War and Peace were one again. Huntress and Revelry were together, Wisdom and travelers were happy. Mischief and Love were together and Joy was flying around excited.
"I feel like shit," he muttered. "Dying sure takes a hell of a lot out of you."
"It sure does, cuz," Strife said as he joined Ares. "It sure as Hades does. Welcome back---and thanks. For all of us."
"Was m' job," he mumbled as he rested in his father's arms. Still don't know who I am though. Am I Ariod or am I Will?"
"You are both," Hades said. "You are William Ariod Heart. God of Compassion and Serenity. And we have waited along time for you to come. Welcome home."
"Uh…excuse me," Quicksilver said. "But what about s?"
"Do you wish to stay?" Gaia asked.
"We'd like to but the Mob---"
"Is nothing to us. You may stay and rest as long as you wish. And you will always find welcome here. You are our family now. All of you. Welcome home to all of you, if you wish it to be," Hades said as he smiled at each of them. He looked back at Will and Ares and Joxer and he smiled as he realized Joxer was singing his theme song again. It always made Will feel safe when he was growing.
"Yes, indeed, William, Welcome home."
Fin