Shattered!

[Athena]

in the rotunda

:: The goddess of wisdom and war appears from golden beam of light, standing in her regal white "goddess dress", with her beloved Bupol perched on her shoulder.::

:: as Hecate addressed them, Athena stood poised, looking among the slowly, taking in more than just the physical appearences of them.::

:: Hecate leaves with Persephone, whom Athena regards only slightly, and Nicolas.::

And now that they are gone, it is time to address this sad state of affairs. The absence of logic and the abundance of BAD CHOICES has lead you to the edge of defeat, not unlike what was experienced on Mt. Olympus when many of the gods overestimated themselves and soon found th emselves left behind in a time and place forgotten among mortal minds.

Aerie was to be a place of sanctuary, a haven for you all to nurse yourselves, to grow, to learn from mistakes and prepare to return to the world renewed to face new challenges....TOGETHER.

Instead, you have allowed yourselves to be out maneuvered and ultimately hoodwinked by the machinations of a rogue trickster god [Set]. You banished him from this realm, but his touch, his manipulations still effect you. Some more than others.

:: looking at Haleigh.::

Your actions have caused such a stain on the "Dark Trinity"...do you realize what that means? If Spellbinder does not return, if she ABANDONS her post...part of Hecate's legacy , part of her LIFE FORCE will be lost. and WHY? because of your selfish, short sighted CARNAL PLEASURES with a man who was not meant to be yours.

:: moving away from Haleigh, she addresses the others::

Still, despite her unusual enhancements, and her presumptuous thinking that she was somehow MY equal, she is still HUMAN and ultimately DOOMED to make foolish mistakes every so often. Foolish actions such as her's are the reason why Aphropdite is one of the few Olympians who still enjoys a robust presence among the minds of mortals and thus is among the most vital of the Olympians to this day though NONE of us hold the prominence we once did before the dawn of "science" and other faiths.


:: she moves on to Karen.::

Shadow Weaver, your recent change...your most RECENT use of "dark magick" was so pronounced that Hecate was compelled to return to this plane of existence not only because of Morgan's distress, but because of the dangerous path YOU are now on. Powerfull as you are...you must NOT become accustomed to channeling such dark, FORBIDDEN energy such as that necromancy spell. Your mind and your will are strong, matched by FEW in this time, but your BODY is still that of a mortal. The more dark energy you channel, the more humanity you lose...the more bloodthirsty your choices will become. Do not lose your way...when you have already learned so much that you could share with these younger among your group.


:: moving to Mike.::

brave and bold, a hearty man among mortals but still you do not have the proper respect for t hose who have come before you in this special group of people some of whom I would choose to represent ME in my Parthenon in ages long past. Their HARBINGER is the one who brought them together when th eir destiny became clear to her....and YOU drove her away. It is a wrong that YOU must right. You should be DEAD at this moment, but your paramour has demonstrated her tremendous capacity for power and given you a second chance...I suggest you use it wisely.

:: she moves to the center of the rotunda::

there is little more that i should do here. the pain and distress that eminated from this island was such that we thought for a moment that CIRCE might have returned. That YOU could mimick the VENOM that she radiated just by your own mistreatment of one another shows just how UNGRATEFULL YOU ARE for the numerous chances you have been given by powers and forces that most humans dont even believe in.

Those among you who have done wrong must ATONE for it. There is no further excuse or way around it. You ACCEPT the fire of PUNISHMENT and LOSS OF FAVOR as any warrior who fails or commits an act of treachery...and you WAIT for your time to return to grace and favor. Those of you who seek to keep the peace, do not become so comfortable in your JUDGING OF OTHERS that you FORGET that you may have or may SOON BE the one in the position the others are in now.

DO not make the mistake the olympians made in the eve of their decline. do not splinter into groups and find ways to divide. USE this island as your sanctuary to do what many wish they could...RESOLVE your conflicts in the PRIVACY of this place....and make WISE USE of your time.

 

[Hecate]

[ Hecate pushes Nicolas into a tree.]

I'LL do the talking. YOU do the listening.

[ she stands RIGHT up close to him.]

the PAIN you have caused Morgan ripples through time and space. It could be felt all the way BACK TO ME. She is apart of the dark trinity, which is sustained by MY life force in three distinct points of the multiverse. what they feel...I feel.

Her earth mother, KAREN, may have had conflicts about destroying you, but I DO NOT and I will serve SET a bowl of pain as WELL if he should DARE to come to me. I am NOT Isis, I do not play nice. :fdevil:

But before I END your existence...I want to know WHY.

[ Hecate had more than seriously entertained the thought of casting Nicolas into the bowels of the underworld, or BURYING him through layers of time, or EVEN replicating her HISTORIC and often referenced act of turning him into a GNARLED TREE as she did Cronus at the behest of Zeus. but no...that would be too easy. instead, she would FORCE him to give an accounting of EVERYTHING.]

and DON'T tell me "I was manipulated". If i had a gold or silver coin for every pathetic mortal who whined about not being in control of themselves...ESPECIALLY during the RED MOON ( ) I could rebuild olympus in SOLID GOLD by now.

Your were once seen as a unique, BEAUTIFULL warrior, respected even by ATHENA. NOW you come across as a half hearted, ill tempered demi god that would be better served keeping company with Hercules in Doom's Doorway or some other fool like Atlas.


You were betrothed to ROYALTY [Morgan] and you threw it away for a PEASANT [Haleigh]. I dont care IF Persephone has merged with the human, Ava Cassadine...HALEIGH is beneaeth contempt in my eyes and for the pain she's helped to bring to Morgan...SHE has earned MORE than my wrath. Better to let ATHENA address her while I address YOU.

The PAIN and MISERY eminating from Aerie is such that we believed CIRCE had somhow, in some IMPOSSIBLE WAY returned. When discovered it as in fact YOU and HALEIGH responsible for it, and that MORGAN, as well as the Harbinger h ad been lost because of it , we decided to act.

Your team has had MORE than enough chances, MORE than enough assists from us and many OTHERS that would not otherwise interfere in the affairs of mortals [ namely Ororo] but there is such a thing is wearing out a welcome and you have pushed this team close to that.

It is not your fault...that you were born from the twisted machinations of a rogue trickster god with an exagerrated ego the size of the underworld itself, but did you learn NOTHING from Persephone during your visit to her original timeline?

[ she allowed him to respond...but the look on her face warned him not to try anything foolish.]

 

[Arsenal]

Mike watched from Karen's bed as the goddesses make their entrance. He stands our of respect for them both, his strength returning with time.

brave and bold, a hearty man among mortals but still you do not have the proper respect for those who have come before you in this special group of people some of whom I would choose to represent ME in my Parthenon in ages long past. Their HARBINGER is the one who brought them together when their destiny became clear to her....and YOU drove her away. It is a wrong that YOU must right. You should be DEAD at this moment, but your paramour has demonstrated her tremendous capacity for power and given you a second chance...I suggest you use it wisely.

Mike listened as she continued, and KNEW she was right. Still, one thing nagged at the man and he knew of no better way to address it than with the Goddess of Wisdom herself.

Goddess of wisdom, there is still one thing I do not understand, and that has plagued me as I have dealt with the Seer. That has had to do with the difference between seeing what is to be and warning or helping us and seeing what is to be and being an agent of that very action; the future that she has seen HAS been altered before, when we worked in concert. On other occasions, it has seemed to work out very badly and in ways that seem Alison could have dealt with in a way that would have been FAR less painful. I DO respect her power and I would not take her burden if it came with immortality; I ask simply: if she is not infallible, then is it to us to simply follow her lead at every turn without question? Without challenge? I am far from perfect, and I have seen that ALL of us are imperfect. How then, do we assume her as infallible?

Mike was asking a question in all sincerity. It was this question that was eating away at him when it came to her, and he simply could not think his way out of it.

 

[Athena]

the Rotunda

:: Athena looked upon the mortal, and gently directed him to lay back down as she placed her hand on his shoulder.::

Your body is not fully recovered. Do not risk further injury and squander what Shadow Weaver has risked compromising herself to give you...a second chance at life.

Goddess of wisdom, there is still one thing I do not understand, and that has plagued me as I have dealt with the Seer. That has had to do with the difference between seeing what is to be and warning or helping us and seeing what is to be and being an agent of that very action; the future that she has seen HAS been altered before, when we worked in concert. On other occasions, it has seemed to work out very badly and in ways that seem Alison could have dealt with in a way that would have been FAR less painful. I DO respect her power and I would not take her burden if it came with immortality; I ask simply: if she is not infallible, then is it to us to simply follow her lead at every turn without question? Without challenge? I am far from perfect, and I have seen that ALL of us are imperfect. How then, do we assume her as infallible?

:: Athena listened, taking a moment to stroke her beloved Bupol as he cooed softly, looking around with his sleepy brown eyes.::

Alison was chosen by design, to be the Harbinger. It was her destiny as decreed by Hecate. You were not with this group during their initial visit to ancient greece or the original Mt. Olympus in the skies above so you would not be aware of that. Alison's calling was a special one, one that destined her to not only cross paths with this realities manifestation of the dark trinity, but to be the catalylst that brough this group together to protect this world.

Yet DESPITE her special calling, she is still human and as such, will falter and even FAIL. She is unlike most, even among her peers...these "mutants" and "metahumans" as you now call them. But she suffers...her focus has become blurred and off balanced. her heart beats with a bitterness that rivals that of Antiopes shortly after the liberation of the Amazons and her BETRAYAL by Hercules. that bitterness...stems from your ebon skinned warrior NICOLAS and the trauma that she endured when lost in the "time stream". Neither she NOR Ava should have been allowed to continue on so soon. Despite Morgan and Karen's efforts...and perhaps Hecate and I should have offered an extra helping hand in that regard but we believed that Morgan and her earth mother were doing the best job they could.

Persephone resisted treatment, and thus opened her own door to disaster. She has become FRACTURED in her psyche. and following the abandoment by Alison, whom she developed a bond with, the result of the "merged" personality - Ava Cassadine now pulling AWAY from PERSPEHONE and thus resulting in her returning to her cold, cruel, thoughtless and callous ways...the way she was when she murdered her mother, my sister, Demeter.


Alison herself , has lost her way. The difference between before and now is that before, she ALWAYS came to those in this group about her visions. She shared them so that the chance of altering them was better, which allowed her to find the easiest, most POSSIBLE time thread to reach for. Her bitterness toward Nicolas did not allow that this time.

In the best possible circumstances, You must trust Alison's judgement, yes. If she were not CAPABLE, she would not have been given that power. The line of knowing WHEN to attempt to alter the outcome of events and when NOT, is NOT something most mortals could walk...but even those gifted will sometimes lose their way. It is the folly of being human.

But in her case it was not a mistake made lightly. It was a mistake brought about by fatigue from bitterness and wounds not truly healed. It was a costly mistake that consumed even HER in the end which is why she is not here now.

We will see to her when we leave her, but that does not excuse YOU from your burden.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas looks Hecate in the eye directly. He does not waver, indeed he does not blink as he listens to what she says. he takes a breath as she finishes, and he responds to her.

You are timeless Hecate, so surely you are familiar with the formation of canyons. There lies the bedrock, the very ground, tough and strong and vibrant and even life-giving, and water flows over it.

Over time, a LONG time, the rock is worn and worn and worn until it is no longer a rock anymore at all, there is a great hole torn into it. Even though it fancies itself mighty, it is not very strong at all, and despite it efforts to hold against the tide, it is unsuccessful.

I was that rock. When I came to this group, when Ororo summoned me, I was young and at least fancied myself strong. I came and put my ALL into this team, this so-called family and I worked and worked to try to keep things together no matter what. I tried and tried, but the squabbles, the cliques, the unfounded distrust and animosity, they wear at anyone. Even YOU have not been immune to emotional distress, and I was certainly no better.

With Morgan, things that I tried to do to be there for her became misconstrued, and those around her were no help. I did not want her to hang on my every word at Aerie. I understood very well that she missed her former life and was having a hard time adjusting. I hoped and tried to get her to lean on me, let us lean on each other as she tried to adjust. But that was supposed to be me wanting her to subjugate her feelings.

I do not maintain that I did everything well, but I meant well and I REALLY tried my best to be good to her, I simply did not understand as well as I SHOULD have. As for Alison, things came to a head. Her abuse and her lack of regard knew no bounds, and while I maintained standards of decency in our disagreements, she did not. That day I'd had enough, I was worn down and I'd had ENOUGH. I hurt her deeply with my words, too angry and hurt myself to find another way to deal with her at that time.

As Morgan felt faint, Persephone and Alison were lost, and myself, Delilah, Haleigh and Mike went to retrieve them, which we did along with Morgan, after quite some time in the alternate timelines. It was during that caper that I grew to appreciate the role of Harbinger on the team more, but her time in captivity left her...hardened still against me.

At that time my aunt emerged, an avatar of Isis herself, and tormented me with a rune designed to bring out my true nature. The unintended result was that it brought out my connection to Set and weakened me enough to allow him entry.

The time that Haleigh and I shared while in captivity... I do love Haleigh, she is my best friend in many ways, but I am IN LOVE with Morgan. I have been since I first SAW her. Do I find Haleigh attractive? YES. You should know enough about men to find that unsurprising. But I NEVER had thoughts of betraying Morgan's trust. The confluence of events, from the manipulation and isolation, to the knowledge of what the others thought about me now that they knew my heritage including Morgan, and the fact that Haleigh was as she has been for a very long time...LOYAL to me when no one else was, combined with Set's immense mental power and my weakening due to the rune itself led up to what is and has been the most shameful and hurtful time in my entire life.

There is nothing I can say that will satisfy either of us in this regard. I LOVE MORGAN. I NEED HER. But my own foolish pride, my fucked-up heritage and my actions recently have irreparably harmed her. Even were I capable of resisting you I would not. Do what you will, goddess. I promise that, in spite of my deepest faith in your fertile imagination when it comes to the art of punishment, nothing will hurt as much as knowing that she will never have me back.

Only after finishing did Nicolas hang his head...

 

[Arsenal]

Mike listened as Athena patiently informed him more deeply about Alison and her role, and the light of recognition finally came to him. Comforted as she lay him back into the bed and more understanding of what was going on, Mike responded, his newfound quirky sense of humor mixing with his serious side. His voice was weaker than before as he was so VERY tired.

Thank you, Athena. I may have to write that on a card, in case we get any NEW members. You are definitely not the wisdom god for nothing. I understand what I must do although, if you hear my voice sending a prayer up quickly, it will be because I am hoping you have already put in a good word for me.


Mike closed his eyes, sleep welcoming him for the first time since his death...

 

[Persephone]

:: Hecate and Athena appeared, as everyone knew they would following the blazing trumpets. Hecate addressed everyone, including Haleigh whom she laid into. Not really caring anymore who yelled at who and who blamed what on who, Ava just sat in her chair given to her by Sharon, and watched everything unfold. ::

:: Hecate soon made her way over to Persephone, saying she was going to 'fix' her. Scoffing, Ava looked up at her old friend with a matter-of-fact look. ::

"I'm fine. No wait, actually....i'm not. I'm a little ticked off I ruined my leather jacket for no reason. You can fix that if you like."

:: But Hecate didn't find her dry humor amusing. Herself, Nicolas, and the goddess of witchcraft all disappeared from the rotunda and reappeared in an enchanted forest. Hecate sighed....it always seemed to come down to the two of them trying to fix problems Persephone had created. But unlike before, she was PUSHED into this by trauma and stress. She was hurt more than she let everyone realize. Hecate, however, understood and realized this....because Ava knew her friend wouldn't hesitate to smack her upside the head if she simply started acting this way out of sport. ::

:: Hecate placed Persephone in a deep slumber, her body going limp as the blonde goddess caught her before gently laying her in the plush grass. ::

 

[Black Widow]

Nicolas reappeared behind her. Well... that wasn't too hard to accomplish. Nicolas said that he wished they could be close. Haleigh turned to look at him, her expression softening.

"We CAN be close, Nicolas. Stop LEAVING.... and you'll see... we CAN be close. It's a rough time right now... but the only way to see better times is to see each other THROUGH the rough times."

Blaze asked after the noise... she hadn't been around for the Olympus field trip. Haleigh waved her hand dismissively. Clearly, she wasn't a fan.

"Oh, it's just Athena and Hecate, the original goddesses. They gave us this Island. They come around once in a while to be condescending to anyone who isn't a direct descendant of some deity somewhere."

Alright, so she glossed over some of the facts.... but truth be told, Haleigh never enjoyed their little visits.... they always managed to insult Haleigh... and she had no idea why.... Haleigh was powerful, intelligent, willfull and occasionally homicidal, JUST LIKE THEM! It would follow that they'd get along fine. But for whatever reason... they didnt. Haleigh was used to it by now. She didn't NEED their approval. She had more important things to worry about. Hecate made some remark about Haleigh being a homewrecker.... the hybrid shrugged it off, replying in trademark sarcasm. Either Hecate didn't have all the facts, or she was completely biased and incapable of being objective. whatever the case, Haleigh had ENOUGH people hanging around to tell her about herself.

"Oh, you know, I just reckoned I ought to be a WELL ROUNDED bitch."

She said, as Hecate guided Nicolas and Persephone away fromt he group, leaving them with Athena. Oh, this should be good.

Your actions have caused such a stain on the "Dark Trinity"...do you realize what that means? If Spellbinder does not return, if she ABANDONS her post...part of Hecate's legacy , part of her LIFE FORCE will be lost. and WHY? because of your selfish, short sighted CARNAL PLEASURES with a man who was not meant to be yours.

Haleigh fought the urge to roll her eyes. After all.... Athena WAS only trying to HELP.... so Haleigh held back the caustic response that came to mind: oh, REALLY? is that so?? golly, I had NO IDEA. what did I do again? WELL, that's news to ME! She took a deep breath instead, keeping her tone even and calm.

"I'm fully aware of my actions and the damage they've caused, Athena. I'd really appreciate it if everyone stopped wasting their breath reminding me something I'd never forget ANYWAY and instead use their time more wisely; like, say, offering advice on how to FIX this, or where to START, or how to get Morgan to TALK or LISTEN to me. But if you don't have any suggestions for me, then I really just don't see any PURPOSE to the guilt trip you just tried to lay on me."

Still, despite her unusual enhancements, and her presumptuous thinking that she was somehow MY equal, she is still HUMAN and ultimately DOOMED to make foolish mistakes every so often. Foolish actions such as her's are the reason why Aphropdite is one of the few Olympians who still enjoys a robust presence among the minds of mortals and thus is among the most vital of the Olympians to this day though NONE of us hold the prominence we once did before the dawn of "science" and other faiths.

"Oh come now, Athena.... that's not a very nice thing to say. Just because you couldn't keep up with the changing times and adapt to the mortal miracle that is technology doesn't mean you have to be bitter. WE still think you're pretty cool. Hey, you know what you COULD do? Get yourself a sneakers and sportswear deal. Nike's doing alright. Or, I guess since you were the Goddess of War... maybe you'd be better off with, say, a body armor or weapons or ammunition company. The overseas market is BOOMING... I bet if you started in Greece and gained a following you could start branching out in six months. I know some people-- you should get back with me later. I mean.... right now's a bad time, I'm kinda going through a thing. Got a lot on my mind, pretty stressed out, but I could call you when the load gets lighter."

 

[Firebird]

"Oh, it's just Athena and Hecate, the original goddesses. They gave us this Island. They come around once in a while to be condescending to anyone who isn't a direct descendant of some deity somewhere."

Blaze was surprised to see that Haleigh briefed her on a short history lesson. "Athena and Hecate? Very intriguing.."

Biting down onto her tongue to restrain the urge to chuckle at Haleigh's remark. She obviously didn't think highly of them, but who could blame them. Both Goddess' belittled the hybrid to embarrass her in front of the rest of the group.

Almost like an outsider, the young brunette watched as Hecate confronted Nicolas and Athena was confronting Persephone and Haleigh. The situation was serious for two powerful Goddess of Olympia to visit the team.

 

[Athena]

outside of the rotunda now

:: Athena noticably sighed with boredom as Haleigh continued. Bupol figeted a bit and the goddess calmed the owl before she finally fixed her golden eyes on the hybrid upstart. In the days of Olympus, Athena would have ran her through and strung her body up for the vultures in the crevice of doom's path to let the vultures feed...while making sure she LIVED FOREVER to endure the pain. But instead, the goddess remembers her own lesson in not letting "lesser beings" easily provoke her. ::

Now that you're done, doing whatever it is that you do....

:: said with a dismissive tone.::

We can continue without more of your illogical chatter.

:: the much taller (and stronger) goddess makes it a point to force Haleigh out of the way as she walks past. the adversarial relationship between the goddess of war and the hybrid was noticed by all. ::

It is time for you all to leave the rotunda. Leave the human mortal to rest. The rest of you have other things you need to do, places you need to be...mistakes you need to accept punishment for.

Hecate is dealing with Persephone, whose damage was so severe that it threatened to undo the changes wrought by the cosmic gem, the Seige Perilous. Yet another of your FAILINGS, isnt it Haleigh? Persephone was better off when Darkchilde was watching out for her it seems. Perhaps we should UNDO the changes wrought by the seige perilous so that Persephone will not be vexed by the familial bond with you via the "Ava Cassadine" personality.

:: she waves Haleigh away , not even bothering to look at her anymore. Athena wasnt "fond" of Persephone, but even she could see how careless and short sighted Haleigh had been in ignoring the warning signs of Persephone's impending breakdown.::

Well, that is a matter that Hecate and I will discuss if Persephone does not respond well to Hecate's attempt to restore her.

:: looking to Karen.::

Shadow Weaver, I would like to take a moment with you.

:: coming to the woman, she takes Karen's hands into her own. those now altered hands.::

The changes you have undergone since your ordeal are noticed...your hands...they show just how far you can go in the use of your magick now.

But you must NOT abandon the temperment, the wisdom that you have aquired for this new found level of power. To lose yourself in that would make you no better than Nicolas or anyone else whom you blame for harming your daughter. You played a VERY dangerous game in pulling Michael back from death. You know that you can never do that again for him...lest you lose your own soul next time.

:: golden haze forms around Karen's hands...::

let the rush of power be tempered by the calm of WISDOM, earth mother of Spellbinder. it is OKAY to look inside yourself and be a mother figure to those on this team, even those who are foolish and wayward and may not DESERVE it.

:: Karen's hands are restored to their normal state.::

I understand your plight...as a woman, as a fighter...I felt it all the way where i was and to you i say, DON'T let ANY man or ANYONE ELSE cause you to lose the balance between your femininity and your instincts as a fighter.

There is NO weakness in allowing yourself to see the whole situation and finding a solution,even IF it involves forgiveness...or at least TOLERANCE. It took me FAR too long to remember that myself when dealing with Persephone's treachery. Let my lesson learned by yours...without having to suffer as I did.

 

[Black Widow]

Athena didn't take the bait... but she DID purposely try to steamroll Haleigh as she passed. Haleigh smoothly stepped out of the way, wearing a knowing smirk. She may not have gotten a verbal response, but she could sense Athena wanted to sic her little golden horses on Haleigh.

"So, I take it that means you DON'T want to franchise?"

Yet another of your FAILINGS, isnt it Haleigh? Persephone was better off when Darkchilde was watching out for her it seems.

Athena was a bit passive-agressive, wasn't she? Haleigh scoffed.

"HARDLY. Darchilde's entire team was SLAUGHTERED and Persephone, the only OTHER survivor, was turned to STONE to 'preserve' her. At least with US she's allowed to run around and do as she pleases."

Perhaps we should UNDO the changes wrought by the seige perilous so that Persephone will not be vexed by the familial bond with you via the "Ava Cassadine" personality.

Haleigh shrugged....

"If you wish."

But it was a loaded response.... and after pausing a beat, Haleigh looked back up at Athena, the hint of another smirk on her lips.

"But you should know... Persephone, as AVA, has found a home here. Her anchoring bond with her sister has made her a better, more balanced person with PURPOSE beyond wonton murdering sprees. She has come to love us and has been accepted and loved in return. She has the opportunity for great happiness with us... and you of ALL people, Goddess of Wisdon, should be well aware that one cannot experience the uplifting height of true happiness unless they have known the darkest depths of despair.... for the two come hand in hand, and rightfully so; we would not appreciate life were it not for death, nor the sun were it not for rain. So do what you must... but be ware: there is no joy without sorrow, and whether or NOT Persephone is merged with Ava, pain will find her. It is the way of the universe.... and even the GODS are not immune to it."

 

[Hecate]

the enchanted forest

[ Hecate held her hand up with a corona of violet hued energy shimmering around it. Nicolas addressed her with honesty and shame too. Lucky for him, she thought she'd have to turn him into a water closet ]

[ but through the explanation, there was the sense that he was actually telling the truth about everything. that he'd been stripped down, burned, tormented and now on the other side of that...he was numb from pain of loss and guilt.]

[ in many ways, he was not unlike Pandora or many other "specialized beings" who made legendary mistakes due to the ravages of outside forces and circumstances.]

I SHOULD punish you...and not just for the reasons that are obvious :fdevil: but instead, I'm going to do for you what i wish i could have done for that silly girl laying on the grass over there all those moons ago.

I'm going to help put you on the path to redemption. But FIRST, let me just make something else clear. If you EVER beat up on Persephone or hurt Morgan like this again? There will be no talk, no chance...only my hands orchestrating your DEATH. Do you understand? You have been behaving like a renegade minotaur and the time for that is at an END.

Now then

[ casually moving him out of the way as she walks ahead.]

Leave me. I will deal with Persephone alone. I have half a mind NOT to let her to return to Haleigh...

[ holding up her hand to indicate she was NOT interested in what Nicolas had to say about that]

But I will see what she wants.

You can go, but not back to Aerie. You have somewhere else to be now...someone else that you need to talk to.

[ thrusting her hand in his direction, the golden halo expands and flires as Nicolas is teleport via spining vortex of magick. he is sent to the deserts of egypt where the wind whipped, sandy expanse seems to flow endlessly. she sent him here for a reason, he should be smart enough to figure it out.]

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas was mildly surprised at the goddess' reaction. She spoke of giving him another chance, and he actually smiled a bit, his heart finally registering what would be the faintest glimmer of hope.

But FIRST, let me just make something else clear. If you EVER beat up on Persephone or hurt Morgan like this again? There will be no talk, no chance...only my hands orchestrating your DEATH. Do you understand? You have been behaving like a renegade minotaur and the time for that is at an END.

No problem, Hecate. Mike is alive and bygones are bygones. I hope she is better soon.

As she moved him, he could not resist the opportunity to touch Hecate's hair. It was very much like Morgan's, and he missed her terribly since her departure to Limbo. The wistful look on his face would not be missed by the goddess, in spite of her aloof nature.

As she spoke of where he needed to be, he KNEW where he was going, even before she sent him. He had thoght of it many times since Set had been sent away. He was back in the desert, the rubble of his father's palace only about a mile from here, slowly turning into an oasis.


Nicolas reached out for a link that should be there, a link that he should have enjoyed with his mother, but could not. Despite the protections enjoyed by the person he sought, there is a saying that allows even those ancient magics to be trumped: blood is indeed thicker than water.

Nicolas , in this moment,. allowed the hope in his neart to blossom a bit further. Even as he knew this would be very difficult, he thought that if Hecate could be spoken to, then maybe it was time for him to speak with ISIS.

Dominique...I need to talk to you. PLEASE.

 

[Isis]

somewhere else...

[ there was no reply for a good while. but the winds and the sand seemed to increase their violent synergy as an explosive, columnar cloud of sand particles began to move across the expanse toward Nicolas.]

[the whirl and roar of the wind and sand seemed vengefull in its sound and as it drew near, Nicolas would feel the stinging touch of the sand storm...Dominique WANTED it that way.]

[ it EXPLODES with a thunderous end and there she stands, in her garb as the Black Queen, with a spiked choker and a rose connecting it to the cape that flowed around her tall, statuesque form.]

how DARE you contact me through our blood bond! I FORBADE you to speak to me again!

[ she also had her Septre with her as well...which she brandished with an agressive stance.]

 

[Athena]

outside of the rotunda

:: did this mortal EVER get enough of talking? she was worse than that defiant Prometheus. Athena looked upon Haleigh with a rather agitated glare...but she held steady, not giving in to her urge to strike the woman down.::

:: still, despite her flippant attitude and generally disagreeable tone, the hybrid's words about the necessary of good/bad, high/low spoke with surprising clarity and understanding. perhaps there was hope for the mortal yet.::

Persephone would not ever forgive Hecate if she allowed me to remove the presence of Ava Cassadine from her. yet the fact remains that due to YOUR actions and those of a select few others, she has come close to fracturing in her psyche. It falls to us to fix what you have caused to break.

Despite how poorly we think of you at this time, We will not deprive HER of her freedom of choice.

:: looking to the oceans.::

and now that I have helped to restore Karen's hands, as soon as Hecate returns, we will move on to visit the Harbinger.

As for the broken relationship between yourself and Spellbinder? I will leave that to Hecate to address.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas waited, and waited, and waited...for what would normally be along time if he had not already been sitting in one place nearly two weeks. He finally could FEEL her getting closer, as a whirlwind of impressive force manifested, its sand nipping at his flesh as it grew in intensity, until finally...

BOOM!!! With a thunderclap, Isis arrived, her look proud and regal as she stepped onto the scene. Nicolas shook away the dust from himself and attired himself appropriately for the meeting (see link). It was not every day that Nicolas met with family, and he'd never had a chance to speak with Dominique, so he decided to put together some semblance of normalcy. For him, that meant proper dress. His cane (his axe in diguise) was in his hand.

Dominique was one OTHER thing...VERY angry. She had indeed told him not to contact her, and she was furious that he had used their blood bond to reach her. The sceptre of Isis, her newest weapon, was menacingly brandished.

Nicolas did not move. He simply LOOKED at Isis. Not in a way a man looks at a woman normally. He looked at her the way someone might look at a person when thye haven't seen them in years, or when someone has another chnace to see someone, and when they finally do, they get a look. The look he gave her now.

Part of what held Nioclas in that moment was something that he did not think of when he was battling her, or battling FOR her. Victoria (his daughter from the other timeline) STRONGLY resembled Isis in some ways. It was the unmistakeable connection across time that blood could have, that made him wait before speaking.

Dominique, I am aware of your warning the last time that we saw each other, and I understand FULLY why you would say such a thing. Simply by existing, I am a symbol of the pain and loss you suffered so long ago and, my existence is a connection to my father, whom you hate for being the architect of your pain and suffering.

But I called you because, in the end, there is a reason WHY we have a blood bond. Because my mother loved me enough to bring me forth, to give me a chance at life. I will not dishonor her memory by failing to reach out to the only connection to her left in this world, even if that connection preferred that my mother had made an different choice. I understand that completely, and I only hope that one day you will acept me, if for no other reason, than because my mother is a large part of who I AM. I believe that my mother would have wanted that.

Nicolas did not move a muscle, waiting on the sorceress' response...

 

[Hecate]

the enchanted forest

[ Hecate was now sitting by Persephone, who was laid out on a stone bench.]

We felt your distress across the thin viels of time and space. After all the progress you've made...the lessons you've learned...that WE learned, I didnt want to see you lose it all, especially not over some mortal.

Set was one of those..."new breed" of gods. definately not the kind that would have been welcomed on Olympus...Isis [the goddess] really should have been more proactive in dealing with him.

[ she laughs as she holds Persephone's hand]

Listen to ME, talking about who would and wouldnt have been welcomed. I wasnt even an original Olympian. I was a titan! I guess the passage of time makes everything seem a little more... "romantic".

[ looking up at the starry night sky above the enchanted forest.]

You really have been in pain, havent you?

Well dont worry. I will fix that.

[ lifting her hand and extending it over Persephone's head and face, she moves her hand, palm down, above Persephone's face in a circular pattern. a chiming melody plays as a sparkling circle forms and a column of energy flows down around the goddess' face. the face glows. streams of magick flow around her body in a spiral pattern as the flicking astral form of Persephone AND Ava can be seen brought closer together until they merge in perfect form once again. the pain and mental unrest is eased as Persephone finds herself "realigned" once more.]

Open your eyes....Persephone.

[ at her urging, her dear friend opens her eyes, which are glowing silver at first and then return to their normal color.]

breath easily. you are now restored.

[ she holds Persephone's hand again and as a few moments pass, Hecate speaks again.]

you missed a revealing conversation between myself and Nicolas. I think you'd find that there's hope for the mortal yet.

[ for hecate to endorse him like this was definately something for Persephone to consider.]

 

[Isis]

the desert of egypt

[ The avatar glared at Nicolas. the glowing energy of hatred could be seen in her striking blue eyes. she notices his appearence. quite different from the last time she laid eyes on him. she sees the reach deep soulfull eyes of his mother in him...for a BRIEF moment, she allows herself to think of him as her nephew rather than the scum of the earth...but it is ONLY a brief moment.]

Don't cite our UNFORTUNATE connection. I tried to protect my sister...but she...she went against my wishes and she BROKE the covenant with Isis, the patron diety of our village and allowed SET to decimate us all and the cost...was too dear. I will NEVER forgive your "father" for what he did. He preyed upon my sister and through her naivety, he found a way to reach us all.

You are the REMINDER of what your "father" did. He raped my sister and inspite of my urging of her to END the pregnancy before it was too late, she somehow believed that her love could stear you away from the clear heritage that marked you as your FATHER'S son. AGAIN she paid the price...this time with her LIFE!

You want to make it better? YOU should have died instead of HER. She was deceived, used and abused not once...but TWICE. She DIED and you LIVED....though it was not without a great effort to destroy you on MY part.

I have learned my lesson...I realize that my zealous effort to avenge my sister backfired and loosed your wretched father upon the world yet again. Were it not for my allies in the Sisterhood as well as those of The Six, none of us wouldPerhaps I should not destroy you, if for NO OTHER REASON than because it could open the doorway to Set again, but that DOESNT MEAN that I can't HURT YOU so bad that your future generations will cry out from the pain YOU feel!

[ the sapphire orb that rests atop the golden , enscripted septre glows to underscore that point.]

You ask me to accept you and you dare to try to set the time and place for when that happens?

I ACCEPT that you must LIVE, if for no other reason than to allow ME to ensure that SET does not return. I ACCEPT that Isis, my goddess would PREFER me to watch over you rather than destroy you, but that DOESNT MEAN I have to LIKE you while I am doing it.

[ she turns her back on Nicolas, wind and sand swirl a bit as they blow by. she doesnt leave...but she remembers her own personal vow never to show too much emotion in front of those she considers to be her enemy again. ]

 

[Persephone]

:: Reminicent of the age old fairty tail princess, Sleeping Beauty, Persephone laid upon a flat stone bench, Hecate holding her hand. For the first time since before the cross time caper, Persephone slept soundly due to Hecate's sleeping spell. It was necessary for the goddess had become fractured. She had eased everyone's minds by telling them she was 'fine'. By jumping back into her six duties. She had suffered through more trauma than she even wanted to admit, and the toll had been taken. Although Persephone disliked Mike, she had enough sense in her right mind never to attack him. She may have treatened to do so but would never actually ACT upon it [unless provoked of course ]. Either way, it seemed Persephone's distress reached her old friends, showing how powerful their connections to each other still were after thousands of years. ::

:: Hecate began to reunite the personalities of Persephone and Ava Cassadine, making them whole again. It was sort of like a cosmic version of the 'Sybil' movie but with a twist. As Hecate finished, she awoke the goddess, Persephone taking a deep breath in, her now silver eyes fluttering open. The first thing Ava saw was the star filled sky. Her eyes faded from silver back to their original brilliant midnight blue color as she shifted them over to Hecate who still had a tight grasp on her hand. ::

"Hecate.."

breath easily. you are now restored.

:: Shutting her eyes for a moment, Ava just laid there realizing everything that had happened. As sick as it was, she wasn't remorseful of what she had done to Mike....she wanted Nicolas to feel SOME sort of pain. Any pain....just like she had been feeling for MONTHS [the time laps in the alternate timeline]. ::

you missed a revealing conversation between myself and Nicolas. I think you'd find that there's hope for the mortal yet.

:: Opening her eyes after hearing Hecate's comment about Nicolas, she just looked up at her old friend, a bit surprised. ::

"Whatever he said was for his own benefit and self preservation."

:: Using Hecate's hand as an anchor, Ava pulled herself up feeling a bit of a head rush as she came to a sitting position. Her chocolate hair cascaded down her chest, her head hanging forward a bit while she rubbed her forehead. ::

"I've missed you, blondie."

:: Lowering her hand, Persephone looked over to Hecate with tired, yet sincere eyes. She didn't want to get into about Nicolas or Mike...or even Haleigh. She just dropped the subject hoping Hecate would do the same. ::

"It takes me having a mental breakdown for you to come and visit?"

:: Cracking a soft smile, Persephone squeezed Hecate's hand, feeling some sort of semblance of normalcy. ::

 

[Firebird]

outside of the rotunda

Blaze looked over to Athena as she advised the group they would be leaving the rotunda. She knew Nicolas, Ava, Haleigh, and possibly Karen had mistakes they needed to amend. While Hecate confronted Persephone and Nicolas, Athena would restore Karen's crone-like hands.

Even still just a mere outsider to all of this, Blaze had never encountered the Gods or Goddesses of Mount Olympia. So in short she knew of the short and sweet version of it.

It was obvious that Blaze felt a little uncomfortable but she managed to conceal it. Everything had been shattered. Morgan was in agonizing pain, Alison had left the people who cared for, and Athena and Hecate were here trying to rectify the damage done.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Blaze's thoughts lingered onto Harbinger. How was the Seer holding up? Would she revert to her marble heart? Or would Athena and Hecate be able to get through to her. A part of the mutant felt responsible. Alison had confided in her about Mike and Nicolas. Perhaps if she tried to warn both men that Alison had been edge maybe she wouldn't have abruptly departed.

Morgan also haunted her thoughts almost every second. Even as tough and spunky as Blaze was she still worried for her sister. She too would be forever changed from recent events. Reaching up to the pendent she wore, Blaze's lithe fingers caressed it. Morgan may not have been around but she had something to remember her, something to keep her somewhat upbeat. Yet, even for Blaze, someone who fought bravely to play mediator between the team was feeling the weight of recent events as well. Each piece from the team's foundation had been shattered into hundreds of pieces. Even if the Olympia Goddesses succeeded in bandaging the team, the lives of the Six have been changed forever.