Iratze listened quietly as she had to Armarion many times before. Thus far, this was the most unbelievable thing she had ever heard him say.

"Haha... That is very funny Armar..." She gave the god a playful push in the center of his chest. As the mortal youth these days might say Armarion was clearly 'trolling' her.

He didn't budge under her touch. Nor did the expression on his face change to indicate that, indeed, his words were only a joke. Instead, tears streamed down his cheeks. Instead, he smiled. Instead, his eyes were full of hope...

"You mean it, don't you? But that is... That's impossible!" She had no where to go, her back was against the wall of the building and Armarion stood close to her, crying on the sidewalk.



She put her fingertips over her mouth to try and hide some of her shocked expression. Her cheeks burned red.

Her mind and her heart raced. "That's... That's... A terrible idea! What were you thinking!" Her own eyes wheeled up now. If the god really did have feelings for anyone he had certainly misplaced them in Iratze. Iratze was only a messenger, she did not expect to be seen by anyone else as anything else... yet...

Armarion seemed to hate Brontes more than anyone. If these feelings were known then Iratze might be used against him the war that seemed more and more likely every moment. If anyone knew about these feelings, her stance of neutrality might be questioned, challenged, the other gods might not trust her to carry their messages discretely...

If Armarion knew more about Iratze... He would certainly change his mind about her!

"You best keep that secret! Don't you tell anyone!"

She saw that sadness in his eyes. The deep loneliness of the faceless god. She couldn't stand it.

She leaned forward and kissed him. The gesture felt reflexive, automatic, she couldn't have stopped herself. As her lips touched his she closed her eyes. With her eyes close she thought she could see beyond his mortal disguise and see his true faceless self before her... As she kissed him she felt awakened, alive, like fireworks, like dancing... The colors of her hair and fingertips began to shimmer and change as her mortal disguise wavered under the stress of the emotion.

When she pulled away she looked up, she had left a rainbow-colored stain upon his lips like a mortal woman would leave a trace of lipstick.

She was breathless, but managed to tremble a few words.

"D-d-don't t-t-tell anyone about t-that e-either..."

@Blackmist16

As Armarion straightened and stepped back from her, she finally felt the chill of winter touch her bones. He was only a few steps away, yet, in that moment he seemed further away from her than he ever had before.

The shimmer left her aura, her mortal disguise solidifying again. If anything, the colors in her hair seemed to dull.

Her throat was dry, but she managed to respond. "I can find Tetsuo.". With the desire to find the other god came the knowledge of his direction. She closed her eyes, and knew his direction. "He isn't far... Just a few blocks away."

But her feet didn't move from their place, she felt like a stone, reluctant to step away from this moment forever.

"I'm... Sorry..." She felt sorry to make him sad and leave him lonely. Sorry she couldn't explain.

'... He will be okay. He will change his mind about me soon enough...'

Though it should have, that thought did not comfort her.

Kyra-

They were a bit of an odd sight, the little Goddess of Darkness and her older brother. First of all, both of them were rather good looking in mortal terms but they just looked like trouble. Kyra only looked like a teenage girl and she was well beyond drunk at that point. Pair that with Amos' biker get-up and they definitely caused quite a few heads to turn. After polishing off another bottle of the odd-tasting, clear liquid she stole from the bar, Kyra was well and truly hammered. She had never really drunk like this because she always had to remain on high alert but she was with Amos and no one fucked with Amos.

By the time they had reached the clothes shop, she had already proceeded to demand that Amos give her a piggyback to make up for his lost years, get her more alcohol and hand over his jacket (which she had taken a shining to). Once she had gained at least two of those things, Kyra seemed satisfied to take him clothes shopping.

The first shop they went into just didn't like the look of them and after Kyra gave a death stare to one of the clerks, they were quietly removed. So, they had to move to a more classy shop which just seemed to be full of designer suits. Not Kyra's style but Amos seemed to like them well enough. Once the rather ingenious idea of changing rooms had been explained to the older God and he had bothered to pick out a few things, Kyra was heavily considering just falling asleep beside the attendant who didn't look too bothered about it. Considering the fact that the Queen of Darkness usually attracted the weirder folks, she should have been mildly concerned but nevertheless, the young frosty-haired girl was asleep in no time.

Amos-

It began to rain, the droplets forming steady streams to parch the dried earth under his feet, always flowing. Eventually, those droplets would mix with fresh blood and upturned dirt. Amos overlooked a battlefield, running with blood and the sounds of chaos. These men fought bravely unto the bittersweet end of their lives and he knew it was all for naught. So pointless these battles, so meaningless in the grand scheme of things, yet Amos enjoyed them. He would watch for awhile, see who was the winning and then help the losers. Something about being an underdog inspired him so. However, this was all before his deep slumber, right after the betrayal when he had lost himself and when humanity still used swords. It's funny to note that before the fall he never harmed a single mortal but after, well, that changed.

Amos dived to the ground in an instant, breaking the earth apart and the shockwave sent soldiers off their feet, into the open air where before they even touched the ground again, they were dead. Sliced open, in-half, you name it. Extremities scattered the ground, corpses piled up and blood was always flowing. His rage burned in the very heart of his soul, consuming all of his feelings and leaving him scorned. The humans were never a challenge to the God of Valor, as he faded in and out of existence all around them. Their mortal eyes were deceived at how fast he truly was, for no sooner was he with one group of men, in an instant he would be to the next. The results were always the same. Pure devastation.

--------

Amos heard a noise then, no a voice, and he snapped out of it coming back to reality. He was in the changing room of the fancy store, wearing a very fine black suite with a white undershirt and black tie. His appearance melted the hearts of female mortals but that was beside the point. He was in the present now, not in the past. Earlier Kyra and Amos had been walking the streets of this human city and as they did, they talked. Many things were said and Amos was beginning to understand the new world, and that human alcohol made young goddesses drunk. He was enjoying himself, a concept he seldom thought possible.

After a couple of hours, and getting kicked out of a few stores, they stood outside of a nice clothing store, the concept was new to Amos as he didn't understand the need to buy things when you either had them made for you or you took them but regardless there they were and they went inside. But now he felt a familiar presence, and a voice he seldom heard even in the Heavens, Tetsuo God of Play. He opened the door of to see him overlooking Kyra, who had passed out. He wondered what he wanted and why he was being a creep.

Kyra-

At an odd look from the manager, the young attendant shifted slowly, trying to escape and return to his work but from the bundle of sleeping darkness, a tired voice emerged. "Move and I'll fucking kill you." She whispered softly before her breathing pattern fell back into it's slumbering rhythm.

It was barely a few moments before she shifted uncomfortably and attempted to hide away from something that was seemingly annoying her. Her shadow minions were attempting to warn her of the presence of the God beside her but Kyra simply ignored them, sleeping onwards. Finally, it seemed that their nagging took a real toll as Kyra's chaotic eyes flicked open and casually regarded a dark corner of the room before finding their way back to the stranger that was held up beside her. There was a strange aura emanating from him that her drunken mind couldn't exactly place it's finger on but that didn't particularly bother her considering he was drop-dead gorgeous.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she released the shaking attendant from his captivity before drawing herself to her measly full height."And just who do you think you are!?" She slurred, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms and regarded him shakily. Whoever he was, he clearly thought he was some sort of big shot and although that may have been true, Kyra wasn't in the mood for his mocking gaze.

Tet-

Tet continued to observe Kyra who was asleep soundly, that was until she threatened the attendant with death. His face turned into a somewhat laughing smile, that in it's on way was a rather cute gesture, as terrifying as it was. During this time Tet heard the door to the dressing room open up, looking up he saw Amos standing there in clothes that very much matched what the shop was selling. It was quiet a sight, with a friendly smile on his face, Tet looked to Amos and gave a half wave with his hand.「Hey there Amos, it's been a long time.」Judging from the soundless appearance, Tet figured that Amos was wondering why he showed up out of the blue. Maintaining his friendly smile Tet let down his hand and began to speak.「Don't worry I have no ill intentions here, I am honestly just here on a whim.」

As he was speaking to Amos, the sound of movement met his ears and as such he immediately looked down to the floor where Kyra, that was sound asleep, was now half awake and just barely standing. She was clearly in no way sober as when she spoke every word was slurred together. In her drunk state she immediately folded her arms and stared at Tet with eyes as sharp as knives. Tet closed his eyes for a very brief second before opening them again to reply back to Kyra.「Kyra, It's Tet, maybe you have heard of me or maybe you haven't but regardless I am not here with any ill intentions toward any of you, after all I am only the God of Play, I could not hurt either one of you even if I wanted to. Not only that one I could never stand a chance against Amos and two I would never want to hurt someone as cute as you Kyra.」A playful but kind smile spread across his face as he looked at the drunk Kyra.

Amos-

Amos eyed Tetsuo cautiously, he never did like the God of Play, too much intelligence not enough brawn. He preferred action to useless words, something that led him to be more active then others. Regardless of his loathing, he spoke to Tet, "Many ill intentions have happened on a whim, so we shall see if you are correct." With that said he decided to buy the suit, then realized he had no human currency, in fact he didn't have any currency or anything of value for that matter. Perhaps he could charm his way or use brute force, the latter sounded easier. He walked over to the counter, which Kyra said is where you paid for things. A rather attractive female stood behind it and as he got closer he wondered what he would say, whispers of intimacy, of love or perhaps a bit of smooth talking. None of that happened.

His attempts to woo the female failed as he found that this particular one fancied her own sex. Amos was running out of options and he dared not ask Kyra or Tetsuo, for that matter. Woe to the God of Valor for actually finding himself at an impasse and with no alternatives besides the less, unsavory ones. Damn it, he thought, outdone by humans. He walked over to the two gods and spoke in an uneasy tone, "Time to go." and with that he bolted out the door, too fast for the sensors to pick him up. (If he even knew about that.) He stopped under a tree outside, far enough away to still see the store but the humans would not see him. After all, he did like the suit and he had his pride still intact. Now to wait for the others.

Ernestine-

The goddess strolled down the street, her black ankle boots scuffing against the pavement as she walked. She could feel a very strong presence nearby, making her senses tingle. She slowed down as she approached the store a few feet away, her mind full of curiosity and wonder. She couldn't be wrong, it was definitely the presence of a god. But there was something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on - it was an overwhelming sense of familiarity. Ernestine leaned against the wall outside the shop, deciding to wait. She would wait to see if the being that walked out would be worth engaging with. If not, she would be off to do her own thing.

A few minutes passed and she began to feel impatient. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, deciding to go inside and see for herself. Before she could reach for the handle, a man in suit bolted past her and was gone in the blink of an eye. Ernestine blinked, staring blankly at the glass door in front of her as her mind tried to process what just happened. She quickly whipped around, her eyes scanning the area until she found the man standing under a tree. It was none other than the god of valor himself. Ernestine raised her eyebrow, suddenly interested. "Hmm? Interesting," she muttered to herself nonchalantly before taking a step forward and making her way towards Amos. She stopped in her tracks and turned her head back, giving the store one last glance, noting that she could still feel another strange presence inside. She brushed the thoughts aside, shrugging as she continued to head towards the god.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she slowly approached him with confident strides, her hair dancing softly as the wind blew past her. "So you finally show yourself after thousands of years. What brings you to the city?" Her face held an expression that couldn't be read, but her presence could always make anyone question whether she was up to something.

Kyra-

Normal Kyra probably would have taken the compliment and ran with it but drunken Kyra wasn't particularly up for this guy flirting with her. She'd been on Earth nine thousand years so if he really wanted her, he should have just came earlier! Leaning forward to inspect him with cautious eyes, the small Goddess spared a minute to look him up and down before she reached out and carelessly flicked him square in the forehead. "No." Giving him a dull look, she shakily brushed past him and watched as Amos walked up to the counter and aimlessly attempted to flirt with the cashier. Gods were awful with humans.

Letting a small sigh escape her lips, Kyra rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms before finding a dark corner, knowing what Amos was going to do even before he did it despite being heavily intoxicated. "You can find your own way out of here!" She regarded Tet momentarily before turning back to her dark corner and trying to phase into the shadows there. The first attempt outwardly failed and the second wasn't much better. Finally, she turned to Tet with daggers in her eyes and sashayed up to him. "You ever tell anyone that the Goddess of Darkness couldn't use her own shadows, I'll find a very large object and stick it somewhere where the sun doesn't shine. Now could you help me escape, please?" Giving him a look that was a little less deathly than before but still as hazy, Kyra crossed her arms and nodded towards the security guards who suddenly remembered their presence.

Tet-
Tet watched as Amos went up to the counter acting like he was planning to pay, but during this time Kyra had caught Tet's attention so he turned towards her. It was then Kyra leaned in towards Tet and seemed to be looking him up and down, she did this for a very brief few moments before reaching her small hand up to his forehead. In the next moment, Tet, felt a stinging on his forehead and out of pure instinct he flinched from the pain. He soon realized what had been done to him, Kyra had flicked him. She then followed up with a single no before brushing past him, still in a drunken state.「Wait what? No what?」Tet was a bit confused as to why she just left him with a flick to the forehead and a no.

Once the slight stinging had subsided he did a quick survey of the store, it seemed during Kyra and Tet's little exchange, Amos disappeared from sight. It was at this very same time in which Kyra had told Tet to find his own way out. Again he was confused but then put two and two together. 'Amos just shop lifted didn't he...and now we are going to be pinned f-' His train of thought was broken as out of the corner of his eye he noticed Kyra's figure struggling to do something in a dark corner of the shop. He brought his full attention to the female goddess that was sitting in the dark corner attempting to use her powers so that she could escape from the current situation. He caught a glimpse of her failure the first time, as for the second time, he witnessed in full. Kyra had failed to use her shadows. Maybe it was because she was intoxicated but regardless at the present moment she was a powerless goddess. Tet went to turn away before Kyra noticed he was watching but he was too late as immediately he felt the daggers of her gaze penetrate right through him. He turned around slowly and met his eyes with hers.

First she started with a threat, which was obvious considering if anyone found out it would be problematic for her, but she then followed up with a favor, she wanted Tet to help her escape. He didn't even have to ponder it because if he didn't escape, he would end up caught up in the mess as well. Tet looked up and over to the security guard, who recognized that both Tet and Kyra were involved with Amos in some way and as such he started towards the two of them. 'Ahh don't want to have to use the power of Geis for such a simple matter but I would like to get out of this scot free.' He activated his Geis and looked towards the man's eyes.「You will ignore us.」It was such a simple command, but it would allow both Tet and Kyra to escape.

Tet Dashed towards Kyra and grabbed a hold of her hand. At first he dragged her along but before long he picked her up and began carrying her. He weaved in and out between the various displays of clothing before finally reaching the door. Before anyone else could say anything to the two gods he dashed out through the doors and away from the store. he sprinted for a long while before coming to a stop, sure enough they arrived at the same tree Amos took refuge under.「Damn it Amos couldn't you have warned us...」He took a deep breath and finally placed Kyra back on her feet on the ground before him.

Onatar roared back at Seatus ready to fight him. A clash of two monstrous Gods would begin.

The dragon gave him everything he got, blowing fireballs upon him. Seatus created a giant wave to protect himself. But sometimes the dragon was lucky to hit him, but Seatus recovered going underwater. When he breached up, he grabbed Onatar with his tentacles pulling him underwater with him. The dragon was pulling back, but his tentacles were too strong. Seatus began punching him repeatedly with his giant fists strong as stones. But Seatus let go he started to fly up into the sky.

The dragon flew down, scratching the God with his giant dragon like feet. It seemed he was starting to get the upper hand, giving Seatus some burns.

The dragon started to fly away, but suddenly both Gods heard a monstrous roar. The Leviathan breached out of the ocean, biting down on Onatars tail and pulled him down under. It was hard to fight back, it such such a strong bite. There was a tag team fight as Seatus punched Onatar when he tried fighting back against the Leviathan. He let out a calling roar summoning two Krakens, both carried giant chains from sunken ships. Both chains were still strong and not worn out, while both The God and Beast had the dragon pinned down chained to the bottom of the sea.

Seatus dismissed The Leviathan and Krakens. He created an air bubble dome, around the chained up dragon. It would be difficult for him to escape the chains. Seatus told him "They come from the strongest ships mankind ever created. Good luck with those chains." He said in an aggressive tone, "Brother listen to me. And listen to me closely." Seatus and him had trouble sometimes interacting. Both "This place is where you'll stay. Until you end this, and explain yourself to WHY YOU TRIED BURNING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTER!" Seatus yelled loud enough the ocean shook and the fish stormed away. Seatus told him "You try escaping and my pet here will rip you apart." The Leviathan stared down Onatar.

@Asgardian

The air around the sea was hot enough that steam rose through the air like a rising fountain, as if from a geyser. Onatar growled loudly enough to split mortal heads in two. "They have found the hatchery and destroyed an entire Brood!" Onatar accused. "One thousand dragon eggs all slain. . . the entire Dragon world wants the gods dead for their crimes against us! It could be no one else, as no one has the knowledge but those who would spy on us to do such a thing." Onatar stated rhetorically. He breathed fire against the rival deity once again. . . attempting to grab the rival by his throat with his sharp draconic claws and tear off his neck. Onatar's eyes glowed red. . . his own children were among the eggs. "My own children were among the eggs!"

Iratze walked quietly beside Armarion as she lead the way toward Tetsuo. She wasn't sure what else to say at this point, except, to deliver her message when the time was right, and try not to reveal her feelings to the other gods when she met them.

Armarion, close enough now to sense the other god, began to cast his spell, then offered his hand.

"Has it? Was Seatus pleased with his new guest?" Iratze jested as she took Armarions hand.

She held it tight, because, as much as she liked Seatus she did not want to be at the bottom of the ocean and need his help fishing her out of some deep dark trench.

She held his hand tight because she wanted to. A feeling washed over her, something like what she had felt kissing him, but only the color in her eye shimmered this time. She was able to keep her disguise and her emotions from showing this time.

"I'm ready."

Then she waited for the spell to transport them.

Seatus kept his ground fearless of the dragon, he was also restrained by the chains so he couldn't hit him unless he set him free. He asked him "Your dragons accuse us that we killed your children? Never have I visited your hatchery, and I never would be interested to come by it. If your dragons want the gods dead, you'll be dead too. Have you forgotten that you're a god also Onatar?" Seatus was aggravated by the accusations The God has given him, and blindly believing whatever his dragons told him.

Seatus looked up at the surface, Imratze and Amarion were visible even from the bottom of the sea he could view them. He looked back at Onatar "By the way, I don't know if this'll matter to you but Brontes has come back. Now Imratze and Amarion await to find him. I plan to leave with them. I shall come back for you, and hopefully you'll end this foolish behavior. You can join us if you wish." Seatus pet his Leviathan, and it stared down at Onatar. He swam back breaching to the surface in his giant monster form staring at the two Gods "Onatar will remain at the bottom of the seas for awhile, once he relaxes. Shall we move on now?"

On a winter's afternoon, just like any other small children played in the snow. Laughing and smiling, they had been running about for most of the day. Now, however, they had gathered around the oldest of the children, whom of which had decided to tell them a very special story. In fact, not only was it special, but true.

The story of Jack Frost.

[color=Crimson"No, no"[/colour'] The Oldest Child declared with a grin "Jack Frost isn't a guardian- he's a god. A rather playful and cheeky god who enjoys playing with children." he explained.

"A God? No way!" Seven year old Christie gasped at the boy before her, believing every word he said.

"Yeah! He is, I like him a lot." The oldest child giggled gleefully "He is the God of Winter- one of the Gods of the Four Seasons. He is Jokul, the winter sprite. He's actually the leader of the four seasons- I think. I'm not sure really." The child said with a sigh "But I do know he came up with their rules! And he always breaks them!"

"Isn't that bad? That he breaks the rules. Mummy said you aren't suppose to do that." Six year old Jame gasped.

"Of course it is! But he's Jack! He doesn't care at all so long as he's having fun" The child explained to them all, before taking out a rolled out piece of paper in his teddybear backpack "Here's what he looks like."

The Child unrolled the piece of paper to reveal a beautiful painting. One of a young man with white hair and pointed ears, looking fearsome in his sliver Armour. A picture that showed off The God as someone powerful- fierce. The children were in awe at this painting of what was undeniably a God. After all, showing a God's true form to mortals may harm them. However showing mortals a painting had no such affect on them.

What it did show, that the painter themselves was extremely skilled in his work. In fact the eyes of the painted Jokul looked as though they may move at any moment. As though the whole painting was capable of coming to life within minutes. That wasn't at all too surprising considering the identity of the little boy who held the picture.

After all, if babbling about the truth of Jack Frost, painting a picture and being out in the open wasn't going to catch The Winter God's attention- Amare didn't know what was.

Whistling under his breath with a little happy grin on his face, he flew above the clouds, tapping on them to make them icy and create even more snow. He dodged around clouds and looked toward the ground, smiling as someone slipped over some ice he had put down. He chuckled under his breath and swooped down closer, getting a closer look at the ground. His beautiful flakes covered the whole of the ground, not leaving an inch for anything to get through.

He swooped down and landed atop a building, looking around at everything. He saw older men and women hurrying through the snow, ignoring its beauty just to get home. Jack sighed and tapped the side of the building with his staff before blowing into his palm. Millions of little snowflakes flew from his hands and spread out, landing on the noses of those around him, mainly adults. They all laughed and giggled like children before starting a snowball fight in the middle of the street.

He laughed again. "No no, Jack Frost isn't a guardian-He's a god." He heard this and turned around, looking for the source of the true information. It wasn't anywhere nearby, so he jumped to the next building, running over ice in his bare feet to get to the edge. He looked down and saw a group of children, all sitting around the eldest of them.

Jack stood on the edge, shutting his eyes to listen to the story. He smiled when he said that he would break the rules... Wait, but how did he know that they have rules? He blinked open his eyes again and looked down at the eldest. There was something very familiar about the child... Then he pulled out the painting and Jack immediately knew who he was.

"Amare?" Jack murmured curiously, looking down at the child.

Amare carried on talking with the children about The Winter God for a little longer before declaring he had to go. After all his 'informant' had told Amare that a certain someone was sitting on the roof. So, putting his painting away and hugging his teddy bear, he looked straight up towards Jack. Then with a smile he waved at the other God. Before then skipping down a quiet street and waiting for Jack to follow.

Jack narrowed his eyes and hopped to the next building, following Amare down the street. Once there was no one else in sight, Jack whistled and the wind carried in down to the ground, directly in front of Amare. "Long time no see, Amare," Jack said with a smile. He was happy to see the young god was safe and free of Brontes. Maybe now he would listen to reason and come back with him.

"I hope that you said my name purposefully... You, of all people, know that I come when I am called," Jack continued with a laugh. "Are you doing alright? I know Thallie will want to know."

The God Child smiled as Jack appeared before him. This really was easier than he expected it to be. "Well it's good to see you too, Pretty Boy." it occurred to Amare then that such words sounded strange coming from the mouth of a child and not the 18 year old man he used to be. Then again, seeing him as a small child must be an entirely strange experience for Jack. In all the years they had known each other, Jack knew Amare was childish. However The Winter God didn't really know how childish Amare really was.

"Of course I do, Jack. I wanted to see you." He grinned as he played with his battered teddy bear. However as soon as Thallie was mentioned, the smile disappeared "Thallie...? You've seen her?"

"Uh, yeah. I met up with Thallie after Brontes return. Ash came with and Seatus and Iratze were both there as well." Jack narrowed his eyes at Amare suspiciously. Something seemed a bit... different about him. What exactly was going on? "If you want, we can head back to my place and you can see her..."

Although the mention of Thallie struck a strong emotional cord in Amare, he quickly scoffed at the idea of going with Jack. "And let you guys torture me for information? No thanks. In the past, you all ignored me. Now, you all hate me."

No sooner did Amare say these words did two rather tough looking humans grab Jack and force his arms behind his back, pushing him to the ground.

"You should know they are completely under my control- you wouldn't hurt two innocent humans would you?" Amare smiled "Don't fret Jack, I really do just want to talk. However I can't risk you calling The God Squad and getting me, well, tortured for the rest of my life. So, you and I are going to go somewhere private, okay?" He explained in a sweet and calm tone.

Jack yelled in pain as he was forced to the ground. One of the humans knocked his staff directly out of his hands as they grabbed held his hands back behind his back. "What the hell?! Amare! What are you doing?!" Jack glared at Amare. His hands started to glow a light blue, but Amare was right. Jack wasn't one to hurt humans. He did struggle through, trying to get free. "Amare, we're trying to help you! We don't hate you." Jack tried to plead, but lying wasn't in his nature. The humans forced him to his knees. On his knees, he was about as tall as Amare was in this form, maybe slightly shorter.

Amare picked up the staff and inspected it "Oh Jack, your a terrible liar." The boy pouted "You think I believe for a second that the family that abandoned me ever cared for me?! At all?! Thallie did, of course- however apart from her, all I have is two friends. No, believe me, I wanted to sit down and have a civilized conversation with everyone- truly. However, like I said, I'm hated- I'm an outcast. So, I have to be more...creative."

The boy then looked at Jack "We're going to head to a warehouse now, there we're going to talk. After which, I will let you go without you having a single scratch on your head. While I run as far away from here as I can. Doesn't that sound good to you? So, will you come along nicely? Or are these guys going to have to...rough you up a little?"

Jack growled under his breath but bit his tongue. He shrugged the two humans off of him. He stood up and glared at Amare, his fingers glowing blue and crackling with ice. "Lead the way."

With that, Amare smiled and declared childishly "Come on Pretty Boy! Time to play follow the leader!" with that he skipped down the road, humming to himself all the way there.

Once they entered the falling apart building, Amare climbed up some rubble, his bear and Jack's stick in his hands as he does so. Sitting there, he pulls out something of out of his pocket and throws it Jack saying as he does "Here, I got you a lollipop!"

Jack caught the lollipop and looked at it carefully. He then passed his hand over the top of it, freeze it solid, before popping it into his mouth. He leaned up against the nearest pole, keeping a wary eye on the two humans before asking around the sucker, "So, what do we need to talk about, shorty?"

Amare can't help but grin at the nickname, he would be annoyed but really it's only fair. "Welllll I dunno if you've seen Iratze yet or anything- so I'm going to ask. Have you heard the news? Brontes wants to declare peace." He told the other God bluntly.

Jack couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat. "Brontes? Peace? I can't believe you'd use those in the same sentence." Jack rolled his eyes at Amare. "I hadn't heard that no. What about it?"

The boy pouted at his laughter "Well personally, I think he's doing it for me- mainly because he'd do anything for me. Also because he's feeling a bit lonely and wants to get on with his kind. Though, probably, mostly for me." Amare explained "By the way, I'd also like to break the news that Brontes isn't pure evil- sorry to disappoint you."

"I believe it when I see it," Jack said. He stood up and began pacing about the broken warehouse. Ice trailed behind his feet like a snail's slime trail, but Jack didn't mind. Jack raised an eyebrow at Amare as he kicked himself up onto a high beam dangling off the ground. "Everyone knew you two were like a thing, by the way. There was no point in trying to hide it." Jack chuckled. "The Oldest God and the Youngest. What a pair. So what do you need with me then? Iratze could have brought me the message."

"A thing...?" Amare raised an eyebrow "Well he did basically adopt me, so I guess you called that 'a thing'." Getting back on subject, Amare smiled "Yes, of course she could." He paused as he tried to think of a way to put this "Jack, did you know you happen to share something in common with Brontes and I?"

"That is very doubtful," Jack said, swinging his bare feet like a little child on the beam. "But do go on. I'd love to hear how you relate me and Brontes."

"You are both in love with the mortals." Amare explained simply.

"Why else do you think Brontes kicked everyone out? Face it, most of us- including me, were basically assholes to the humans. So, eventually, he got sick of watching us be cruel and controlling. Thus, he created a world where they were free of us." Amare paused "Okay, so maybe he's an insane, mean and selfish old man. However he's my insane, mean, selfish old man- so, what can you do I guess? Point is, he did it for them."

"In love with mortals is a strong phrase..." Jack said, sighing. "But I do see your point. Now, get to the actual point of why I'm here."

"Well" Amare began "It's quite clear that I am obviously on Brontes side. However do not mistake that for me not having my own free will. I mean, if I had things my way- I wouldn't even bother with this whole peace thing. I'd just go back to living in Amon Dur with Brontes. However we can't all have what we want." Amare paused and realized he wasn't really getting to the point "Basically, while I am entirely up for Brontes's plan for peace. I am entirely against his back up plan."

"I know you're not stupid, Jack. If this whole peace thing doesn't work out, you know that this is going to turn to war. A war between Armarion and Brontes- and it certainly doesn't take a genius to figure out who will have the upper hand." Amare sighed shakily "Brontes has promised to take no prisoners- and I assure you, that the one with access to the Underworld, and 7,000 years of planning will be the winner." Amare looked at Jack in the eyes, with a deathly serious face that no child should have "If we go to war, it will be all out destruction on us all."

Jack froze. An all out war of the Gods? Why the hell would that happen? Why could Brontes think this would be a good idea? "Amare, why the hell are you still with Brontes if you know this leads to war?! We have lived on Earth for thousands of years. I know we want to go back to the Heavens, but is it really..." He thought about Thallie. "...worth it." Jack sighed. "Fine. What does Brontes have in mind?"

"I don't know why he thinks war is a good solution! I think he's barking mad!" Amare exclaimed in distress [/colour=crimson]"How dare you ask me why I'm with him! Isn't it damn obvious?! It's so I can make sure he at least tries to gain peace with everyone before he tries to kill everyone! He might not be evil but he angers easily okay?!"[/color] Amare sighed and rubbed his own forehead after the outburst "He just...wants to get along with his fellow Gods. Maybe...we could set up a meeting between him and the rest of you?"

Jack shook his head. "No one will meet him with killing him first. Let me go and talk to them. They trust me more than they trust either of you right now. Let me talk to them first about this." He ran a hand through his icy blond hair and took a deep breath. This was literally making a deal with the devil.

Amare smiled "That's what I was hoping you'd say." He then paused before letting his guard down a little, actually sounding insecure "...Jack, there's- there's two, um, other reasons why I brought you here"

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "What else?"

"If this all goes to hell, I think that you- like me- don't really want to see mortals or Gods hurt." Amare explained "Just because I adore Brontes as though he were my own father, doesn't mean I will stand by as he tries to kill everyone. So...I want to make a pact with you. Your a good man, Jack. Well, good God anyway." Amare then looked away "You...probably hate me but, I hope you believe me when I say I'm sick of killing. I don't know what you've been doing for the last 7,000 years. However, I personally, have learnt to be kind...far too kind actually." The Child God let out a bitter laugh at that "So, if this all goes to hell, I want to help you. Together maybe we could find a way to control the damage, you know?"

Jack stared at Amare. Did Amare want to make an alliance with him? He thought Amare hated him. "Uh... Yeah. I guess I understand... I'll help if everything goes to hell. Literally." Jack chuckled.

The boy gave him an insecure smile "Also, if this does happen and I'm near Brontes at the time- I...don't suppose you could come and save me? I mean...he won't kill me- but it wouldn't be surprising if he locked me up somewhere, ah, heh

"I gotcha," Jack murmured quietly. "I'll break you out, don't worry. Thallie would kill me if I let anything happen to you. At least... I think she would." Jack furrowed his brow for a moment.

"Speaking of her" Amare started, pulling a letter out of his bag "I'd like you to give her this. I miss my big sister a lot. But...I know I can't see her yet." He sighed "Just make sure she knows that right now, I have a very simple motive- minium loss. It's no secret I care for Brontes, Iratze and her. So it's obvious that I want peace. Look, I admit it, I think all you Gods mostly suck. After all, you all ignored me like the annoying God child I was. Still, I don't want you all to die" Amare frowned "No, I can't really explained why I don't want The God Squad dead. I mean apart from you, Thallie and Irazte- the only one who I can think of that isn't a prick is Zora." He sighed "I guess I must be insane. I want everyone to live, Jack. That's...that's all I really want."

Jack leapt down from his perch and placed a hand on Amare's shoulder, like a comforting older brother. "Amare, has anyone told you you talk to much?" Jack smiled and laughed little bit. "I promise I'll take care of them. You have nothing to worry about. "

Amare laughed at that "No. However, I think it's because I'm pretty lonely- and insane, don't forget insane. After all, I am trying to save a bunch of pricks." At that moment Amare handed both Jack the letter and his staff "Also, sorry about um...kidnapping you. But you know, self preservation and all that."

Jack spun his staff in his hand and held onto the letter carefully. "It's understandable." Jack nodded to Amare. "If that's all you need me for, I'll be off to talk to Thallie and Ash and the others." He whistled and a strong wind came up. It blew at him, but he remained grounded as he looked at Amare. "Amare, no one hates you. Just remember that. Some of us just strongly dislike you." Jack laughed out loud before the wind carried him out of the building.

To this, The God of Creativity and Imagination just smiled bitterly and shook his head. He didn't believe Jack for a single second. However, what he was certain of was that Jack did not hate him. It wasn't too surprising, Amare had always secretly admired the God of Winter after all. Although Amare always pretended to be antagonistic, he found that Jack was one of the nicest Gods he had ever had to good fortune for meeting. Now, it seems, Jack was now a God who Amare had the good fortune of making an alliance with.

Amare giggled to himself at that, before looking at the two humans and saying "You may go home now and back to your lives. Sorry again about all this." Once they were gone, Amare began running. After all, he couldn't trust Jack completely- he was one of the 'God Squad' after all. Though, he did like to believe that maybe- just maybe, Jack liked him after all.

Amos relaxed, knowing that the humans were unsuspecting of him, however, he sensed something powerful, almost like a force of nature. He saw her then, Ernestine, walking towards him with a smirk. "Chaos, my old enemy." Amos whispered to himself as she got ever closer. Though they had rarely ever fought each other, Amos was always weary of the Cursed One and her agents.

With subtle flattery and borderline sarcasm, he spoke, "Oh Ernestine, what a pleasure. It's not everyday the lovely Goddess of Chaos pays a visit. As for your question, shouldn't that be obvious? Brontes is why I am here. As why we are all here I suppose." He finished, looking at the two other gods exit the store and start to walk over to them. He looked back at Ernestine and said, "Now, why are you here then? Surely to cause some chaos no doubt."

Kyra and Tet then arrived under that shady tree. Kyra was a drunk Goddess and Tet was breathing harder then normal, was he out of breath? Anyways he looked at the two of them and smirked, how foolish they were. Upon hearing Tet, Amos was a bit confused, "Had I not said, time to go? You did hear me right or were you to fixated with Kyra to listen?" He was about to say something more but stopped as he felt a presence, one he had felt not 4 days earlier. Armarion was close by, but where?

The night was dark and cold.

She was carrying a message for Armarion. On her way to him, she found herself in a once-familiar place. A place she had not visited in hundreds of years. 'Strange that I should find myself here' she thought 'I'm fairly certain this neighborhood was where Ferrant's castle was... When was that now? During the reign of King Richard the first, I think... That was the last time I saw Amare...'

It is then that Iratze is joined by two of the most unlikely of people- policemen. Or at least, what look like policemen because as soon as they speak, something is off about them.

"Miss.Iratze? You are under arrest!" One of the men says as the other grabs her should. 'Iratze? How do they know my name?'

However before she can even react, one of the men gives her a slip of paper. It seems to be from a child's note book, judging by the pink colour of the paper and the bunny rabbit background. On it the note says

"Hi :3

Meet me at the park

-Amare. xxx"

"Madame, would you please allow us to escort you?" one of the men ask.

Her eyes shifted between the two officers, the color of her eyes shifted with distrust. "If you insist." She quietly made her way down the street, flanked by the two humans.

It seems that Iratze was not the only one reminiscing about the old times. Amare had come here as well. Perhaps thinking of Ferrant?

The once grand castle had crumbled long ago, its land paved over, and a city built atop it. This was not the best of neighborhoods either, but not the worst. The officers lead Iratze to a playground.

It was the middle of the night at this point, and among the snow, a little boy sat on the swing, swishing back and forth. However, it was obvious this little boy was like no other. Although he looked rather sweet, swinging with the teddy bear on his lap. All Gods and Goddesses could tell there was something...off about him. Most Gods could barely believe that this sweet child was Amare- but not Iratze. No, Iratze remembers a time where this was Amare's normal demeanour. Before he became the misguided and party loving youth who spent all his time on earth. No, this was how Amare would act in his days of 'imprisonment' by Brontes- kind, sweet and cheerful. The only other God aware of this side of Amare was Thallie. So to see it again, after what may have very well been a million years, was...both fansinating and strange.

The boy, who seemed happily in his own world, suddenly lit up at seeing Iratze and the two police men. Instantly and gleefully the God Child called out "You two men may go home now! Sorry for the bother!"

As soon as he said those words, the two men took the beautiful melody of his voice as a sign to do exactly that.

"Hello, Iratze." Amare grinned.

"Amare." She spoke quietly. It had been so so long... After a moment of silence she spoke again. "You have seen him, haven't you?" If Brontes had returned, Iratze had no doubt that he would find Amare first.

"Of course I have." Amare can barely contain his smile at that, and with even realising it- he stops swinging and hugs his battered teddy bear close. "He came back for me- just like I always thought he would. Isn't it wonderful Iratze?!"

Iratze stepped toward the young god, touching his shoulders. She thought of the other gods, their plans, their anger, the doom that threatened them all now. wonderful?

"I am glad to see that you are happy!" She said with a genuine smile. She pushed aside her worry for the sake of a sweet reunion.

"Once I-I understood- I knew he'd come back one day...understood why he did it, I mean." He smiled kindly at his old friend "Did you ever understand yourself? Why Brontes took such a selfish and cruel action against us all?"

Iratze shook her head. "No. He never told me." She began to push the childlike god on the swing. "You are the only one who understands him, Amare."

Amare giggles in delight as she pushes him on the swing. Go figure that Iratze would realise he'd enjoy such a thing. "I guessed as much...it's quite simple really. He did it for them."

"That... Makes no sense." She'd need a better explination. He had locked the gods out of heaven and hell for their own good?

The God Child merely smiles at her "Well, what has locking us out of The Heavens done? Come on think, who has benefited from our fall from grace?"

She shook her head to indicate that she didn't follow. The color of her irises shifted and shimmered; sea green, then turquoise, then pink around the edges.

At this, Amare just looks out to the odd humans still out and about, walking pass the park. Most of them were probably heading home after a long day's work, he imagined. [color=crimson]"We...have been too cruel to humanity, Iratze. For a species we were suppose to help, we were rather cruel, and far too controlling..."

"So, he decided to set them free of us." Amare put it simply.

"He did it for the humans?"

"He did it for the humans." Amare confirmed.

"And he came back for you? Are you leaving with him to the underworld?" 'Will this be the last time I see you?'

To this the boy looked very sad. Mainly because, this would have been exactly what Amare would have wanted. How he missed Amon Dur- the place Amare considered his true home. To just go to Brontes and stay with him forever...not this plan that he had currently agreed to. Amare was a simple God with simple needs. Love, care and attention was all he really wanted. He didn't care too much for the other Gods- except for Thallie and Iratze. Apart from them, he didn't give a damn- he just didn't want to be alone anymore. He had no intrest in changing the world like The God of The Underworld. However, he knew there was no point in trying to change Brontes's mind. Whatever they were doing, Amare could tell Brontes had been planning it for a long time- and now Amare had no real choice but it see it through to the end.

"No...." Amare told her, his eyes looking to the ground "Brontes...woul like- like to make peace with everyone."

"I see... That will be difficult." Brontes may have protected the hummans, but his action created a lot of resentment among the gods who had desired to remain in the heavens.

"I know, that's why I've come to see you...the one Goddess who would understand me- understand him. You are the only person I can think of who will hear us out...and maybe you can get others to hear us out too." He explained with a cheerful smile.

You can get others to hear us out too. They had a message for her to deliver. "What do you wish me to tell them?"

"That Brontes wants peace...and I'd very much like for you to put in your opinion. Because you believe us, don't you? You believe he wants peace. Look, the other Gods have never liked me in the slightest- in fact, they all probably want me dead right now. However they do like and trust you, they'll believe you if you think that Brontes is telling the truth...so maybe you could tell them that?" Amare explains with an uneasy smile.

"My opinion?" Iratze felt her hands drop, Amare left with only momentum and gravity to keep him swinging. The messenger was seldom asked to present her opinions... though, Amare soon after revealed his intention.

"You would like me to tell them that Brontes is telling the truth?"

"If you believe it, yes. And personally, I think you do. I might be the person who knows Brontes the best. However you know both of us quite well too." Amare smiled.

She tried to smile back, but it faltered. In truth Iratze's heart stung. That Brontes had not spoken to her himself.

"Brontes wants peace." She repeated. She wanted to believe it. She had hope that they were. "When everyone is gathered I will deliver your message to one and all." Then they would give her a reply, if they believed the message and were willing to make peace with Brontes then negotiations would begin. She would fly back and forth with messages, questions, demands, and maybe even apologies.

And if they did not believe the message or were not willing to create peace...

She would be carrying very different messages...

"I would like peace as well." She smiled now at the little boy, then hugged him.

Amare smiled and hugged her back, instantly relieved that she thought as he hoped.

"Does he wish to send a token or gift to signify his intent? Or only his word?"

The boy instantly became flustered at her question, simply because this never even crossed their minds. Instantly, the young man looks sheepish "Uhhh, only his word? However that's only out of pure carelessness. I guess the two of us must have been so caught up in each other and our plans that we didn't think of something so simple." Amare paused and laughed "That and I am famous for not being one for politics."

"I'm glad you want peace too. It's nice to see that you haven't changed all that much since I last saw you. I...missed you know." The boy confessed to his dear old friend.

"I missed you... Though, I'm glad to see you changed." The last time she had seen the youngest god he was a despondant heap. Brontes brought troubble, yes, but he brought Armare back to life... In a way.

And maybe even peace.

"Me- me too." He smiled "You have a little girl of ten years old to thank for that. Hence why I've suddenly become so...small." He chuckled before looking a bit sad. "Come now my friend, I shan't keep you waiting any longer. After all, I imagine you've become very busy thanks to Brontes. So I'll bid you Goodnight and farewell."

"I hope to see you again soon, Amare, and when I do, I hope I bear you good news!!" She smiled wide, and her eyes glimmered with numerous colors of excimtent. She got a running start and took off into the air. Perhaps a bit careless, but, it was the middle of the night and there were not many humans around at this hour.

'Now to find Armarion.' She was eager to deliver her messages now. If Armarion agreed to meet with the others, then they would gather, then she could tell them of Brontes and his plan for peace. Would they accept such a deal? Iratze hoped for peace, but she was not foolish. Such a thing would take time and negotiation.

Perhaps it was an impossible dream for the heavens, hells, and earth to live in peace. Yet, that is why she was made... To act as an the intermediary... So, she hoped for peace.

[the present]

Peace She squeezed the hand of Armraion just a little tighter. 'If there was peace would we have a chance?'

It was then that the spell consumed them both. It whirled around them, magic and light and power surrounding them, then displacing them, then relocating them.

Iratze was dizzy from the magic and from the sudden presence of so many powerful gods, she could not focus on any one thing or one person. She did see the tree the gods that gathered beneath it...

"Oh Ernestine, what a pleasure. It's not everyday the lovely Goddess of Chaos pays a visit. As for your question, shouldn't that be obvious? Brontes is why I am here. As why we are all here I suppose."

The god's voice was laced with sarcasm, and the goddess' lips curled up to a wry smile. His attention swayed away from her for a moment before his gaze landed back on her, "Now, why are you here then? Surely to cause some chaos no doubt." Ernestine felt the presence of two other gods approaching, but without turning her back, she spoke, "My, don't be so cold," she giggled, her eyes never leaving his. "There is no such need for negative feelings." The goddess spoke in a gentle voice, but there was an ominous look in her eyes. Her intent gaze could send a mortal man to his knees. "Afterall, I supported you in the shadows during the pantheon wars. It pleasured me to cause misery to your enemies." she purred, her eyes full of mischief.

The goddess of chaos was always present in every war. She watched in the shadows, but never showed herself. She reveled in the screams of misery and the desperate cries for help. She loved to watch the look in the eyes of the warriors as their courage and determination turned into despair and hopelessness. The goddess brought them more misery and pain, playing with their heads and weakening their resolve.

Ernestine smiled at the memory before turning around to acknowledge the presence of the other gods who were approaching. "Now, what do we have here? What a lovely reunion." She smiled, revealing her perfect white teeth. She looked back at Amos, "God of Valor," then proceeded to look at the young man, "God of Play. And.." Her voice trailed off as her gaze slowly landed on the girl.



The goddess curiously gazed at her up and down, and a smirk slowly made it's way to her lips. "Darkness." The word rolled off her tongue as she looked at her in amusement. She gave her a knowing look, her eyes looking as if they held a secret that would never be uttered. Ernestine could feel the forces of darkness resonating in the air, reacting to the chaotic forces that surrounded her. There was an attraction. Curiosity. They were compelled to come closer.

Ernestine knew the goddess could feel that too.. if she wasn't so intoxicated. She grimaced as she caught a hint of alcohol in the air. Though she had similar drinking habits, the smell of alcohol was something she could never get used to. "Well, it's been lovely to meet you all, but play time is over," she announced as she clapped her hands nonchalantly, not giving the gods any time to respond to her. With that said, she started to walk away, leaving the three behind.

After a few steps away, Ernestine paused. Without turning around to face them, she spoke, "Amos, I would like you to give up on your pursuit of my brother," she said in a low menacing voice. "If anyone were allowed to kill him.." she paused, "That would be me." Her voice sounded dangerous, and her face held a cold bitter expression.

Ernestine could sense Amos' dislike toward her, and being told what to do would only encourage him to pursue Brontes even more. And that's exactly what she wanted. She wanted chaos. But unlike the other gods, she wasn't interested in revenge. She never cared about the heavens. On the other hand, watching the gods suffer from being locked out amused her.

Ernestine never sided with anyone but herself. She had always been that one goddess who stood by as she watched things play out, only involving herself when she sees an opportunity or when she feels like it. This time around, she wanted nothing more than to see how the gods would exact their revenge. She wanted to see Brontes' next move. He didn't just disappear for thousands of years for nothing. She knew he was up to something.

She turned around and flashed him a sweet, innocent smile -- filled with sarcasm. "Well, i'm off. Till our paths cross again." She gave one last look at the two other gods before turning back and walking away.

@Lord Zee @NarcissisticPotato @Robo27

---

---

Amare's Letter to Thallie

Dear Thallie,

Oh boy, ...this is my fifth attempt at a letter to you. I know, I know, I'm the God of damn Creativity. Yet I can't write one dumb letter to my big sister. I'm a genius- I know, but there's just so much I want to say- I want to explain. So, instead of trying to start at the beginning, I'm going to start with this.

Thallie, your the best big sister I could have ever hoped for. I love you entirely and thank you for always looking out for me. Because of that, right now, I miss you dearly.

That being said, I can't come and see you. I'm sorry but, the rest of The 'God Squad' hate me. Really, if I turned up on your doorstep and said "Hey Thallie! I missed you, Big Sister!" Then I'm sure everyone would tie me up and torture me for information. As while I might have a baby face, that isn't going to stop- well- Gods. And well, if they don't torture me- then they are at least going to use me as bait.

I simply can't have that you know- I love him too much to allow that.

I don't want to tell you this Thallie, I really don't. I don't want to explain to you that I can't see you. That I can't be with you. If your in trouble, believe me, I'll be there in a heartbeat. However, apart from that I...have to stay away from you and...be with him.

You have to understand, love you Thallie, I really do. There's no other female in my life I care for more than you. You've always loved me- cherished me...but you have never needed me. During our entire lives, you have looked after me. In fact, most people have. Even during the brief time I was in Armarion's favour, he was looking out for me. I always tried to help you when you were in trouble. However the truth is, you have always been Heaven's 'golden girl'. Everyone has always liked you, they have always been there for you. Now isn't any different. I love you, but truth is, you don't need me.

Brontes, on ther other hand, has always so desperately needed me. The both of us were always outcasts, tossed aside by our fellow Gods and Goddesses. Both incredibly lonely, we have always needed each other. Now, he needs me more than ever. Brontes is inches away from doing something terribly stupid, and I'm the only one who can stop him. I know I'm the only one who can stop him because I'm the only one he'll listen to. Believe me when I say, Brontes wants to make peace. However, he doesn't think it's possible and I have to make him see that it is. I have to not just for him, not just for me- but for you too.

Please try and understand- I love you, truly. I adore you like I have no other woman in this entire world. Brontes just simply needs me more right now. You'll be fine, everyone has always liked you. They'll help you, they'll look after you. Right here, right now, I need to look after him. Simply because I love him just as much as I love you. Not only that, but I'm the only one who does.

So, I love you and I adore you. Though most importantly I miss you. Just don't let that light of yours fade, okay? Your silly, childish, little brother wants to see your smile when he finally sees you again.

And I will see you again, that's a promise.

Love,
Amare.

---

Thallie sat down in the room she was sleeping in and narrowed her eyebrows at the letter she was relieved and yet unrelieved at the same time. Flipping the envelope over to open, she ran her fingers over it and sighed.

How could Amare..how could he talk to someone other than his flesh and blood. It hurt her and plus all the stuff Jack was saying it was just a lot and not believable. Opening the letter she closed her eyes then opened them to read it. Each word catching her by surprise..it didn't sound like Amare.

Continuing to read it she shook her head and swallowed his words hurting her. It literally hurt to read him say that she didn't need him when she did. She did need him. Tears began to surface and a burning in the back of her throat crumbling the paper and throwing it. She quickly got up and paced the room before stop at the chair. Anger and everything causing her to throw it in the corner and then her sinking to the floor and hugging her knees. Everything was to much. The stress. Amare missing. Jacks confession. Amare reappearing and saying practically he didn't want to be around her and it was all of Brontes's fault.

Sitting on the floor she began to cry her head hurting and aching but truthfully she didn't care that it ached.

Jack had, for an hour at most, been able to get some measure of sleep when he got back from being kidnapped by Amare. He was shocked, at first, to find his house as it was, but when Ash explained what happened and he had spent most of the night fixing it with a spell that he had to rewrite to suit a house, Jack wasn't as mad. Though he was angry with Onatar... But the beast was banished to the ocean floor, never to return again. He was fine with that.

Jack hadn't been at the house for long, maybe a couple hours, one of those of which he was sleeping, and he had yet to see Thallie and find out her answer to his... confession. Jack grabbed his staff and twirled it in his hand. He took a deep breath and began walking toward the door, ice trailing behind him. He swore under his breath. The ice trail only tended to follow him when he thought about things too seriously or when he was too serious.

He just shook his head. He was going to have to deal with it. He walked out of his room and walked down the hall, heading toward Thallie's. He would have to talk to her sooner or later. Might as well be sooner, right? He saw Ash in the living room, still working to fix some of the damage. He had his scythe up and was waving it in a circle around the room. Things flew back into place, refixing themselves. His house was... sort of... beginning to look back to normal.

He saw the dark wooden door with a blue snowflake symbol for Thallie's room, one of his many guest rooms, and he walked over quietly. On the inside, he heard someone crying and he took a deep breath. He knew he shouldn't have just left the letter outside her room. He should have been there to help her handle the reading. Jack took a deep breath and knocked on the door, frost branching off from where he knocked to create a beautiful, intricate pattern on the outside of the door. "Thallie? You there?" he asked softly through the door.

Thallie looked down at the ground and wiped her eyes. "Yeah!" she choked up before looking at the door. She was a wreck and she was hurting and the person she needed the most didn't want her nor need her.

Her head ached as she looked at the crumbled paper. Everything rushing back to her head causing more pain. Swallowing she stared at the door and tried to dry her eyes. She didn't want to let Jack see her this way it felt as if she had let him down in a way. Thallie felt and had the need to be strong for everyone.

Jack took a deep breath and leaned against the door. He wasn't going to barge in, especially if he wasn't invited in. He stared at the door carefully, tracing patterns in the frost that appeared on it. "I was wondering if you were alright. I haven't seen you since I've been home. I know I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms, and I didn't come back with the greatest news."

He leaned his staff up against the wall and leaned with his head back against the door. "I'm so sorry Thallie." He said this part quietly, but he was sure it was loud enough for her to hear. "Do you have an answer for me?" he asked, slightly louder.

Ash, unbeknownst to both parties, was leaning up against the wall of the hallway leading into the living room and listening quietly. He rested his head against the hallway wall, waiting for the answer to his brother's question.

Staring at the door she stood up and fixed the chair. Shuffling over to the door she opened it looking at Jack with a small smile..
"I-I'm okay Jack..thanks for asking." Swallowing, she looked down at the ground.

Looking up at his face she signed quietly his eyes and everything made her feel better he made her feel better. Biting her bottom lip she swallowed then quickly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Starting to cry from everything again and the pain of her head.

"Jack I need you. I really need you and and I love you Jack and my answer is yes." she said pulling away from hugging him. Her real eyes were showing the light crimson glowing as her tears filled her eyes.

Jack was shocked when she hugged him and began crying into his chest, but so many emotions flowed through his body when she said, "I love you." Jack grabbed her again, pulling her in tightly, and stroked the back of her hair.

"I will always be here for you, Thallie." He drew back again and held out his palm. Tiny ice crystals formed together and it created a small ring, one that would fit easily on her pinky finger. "If you ever need anything, just say my name and twist this ring around your finger. I'll be there as fast as I can." He placed the ring on her finger and gently held her hand, stroking his thumb over the back of it before dropping his hand back down by his side once more.

Relaxing a bit she wiped her eyes then looked at his hand watching the ring form she looked at him. She gave a small smile and twisted the ring around her finger. Then laughed a little. She pushed a piece of white hair that had fallen in face behind her ear. Her eyes where now a beautiful emerald green blue color.

Looking down the back up at him and swallowing. "Jack..what does this mean like..are we together or just..yeah " She was bad at wording things and could never word then right not only this she had never been in a situation like this. It was different for her and new and she was practically clueless.

Jack chuckled under his breath. He had been in many relationships before, though he would not tell her that, with mortal women and he nodded. "Yes. I believe" he said teasingly, "that if two people pronouce their love for each other to each other aloud, then they are together." He placed his hands on her waist and smiled down at her.

"Which means," he murmured quietly, staring down into her beautiful eyes. "I can do this without you punching me." He raised a hand to her chin, tilted it up carefully, and brought his mouth to hers, kissing her gently.

Giggling a little she smiled back at him. Next thing she knew Jack was kissing her something she had never felt before. She wasn't even sure on what she was supposed to do. So she attempted to kiss him back by doing the exact same thing to him. So many feelings were flooding in her it was as if a thousand butterflies flew into her stomach and everything that was bad or stressing her out.

Pulling back her face flushed a pale pink color as she used her hand to try to hide it. "Well now what do we do Mr.Frost?" she said jokingly at him. Giving him a small smile still trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

He became breathless once she drew back. He honestly now knew what all the mortal women thought whenever he kissed them. "Well, I guess either we should tell people or keep it a secret, if necessary." He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, a smile coming up on his face as she flushed.

"Though if Ash already knows, then we might not be safe," Jack said loudly, throwing it over his shoulder. Ash chuckled, shaking his head, as he walked away from them and out of his hiding spot. Jack just shook his head at his brother before looking at Thallie once again. "Or, you know, we could go on a normal date. Like to a movie or something."

Thallie raised a eyebrow at Ash giving him one of her many "the look" faces. Then looking back at Jack. "Uh Jack? Whats a date" she asked swallowing then looking down she was embarrassed that she didn't know what that even was but in her defense it wasn't really something anyone had ever her asked her about. Continuing to look down she bit her bottom lip.

"Should we keep it a secret Jack? I mean do you think we need to?" she asked him still keeping contact with the floor as she was still embarrassed. Which was weird because she was always putting up this tough girl act around everyone while being on earth, but for some reason she couldn't do it around Jack. She was vulnerable around him, weak pretty much. Not only that she couldn't understand or figure out if it would be okay to tell people. Especially with certain gods knowing maybe it would cause anything but surely it couldn't. Could it?

Jack, not responding to her first question about the date, grinded his teeth together. Should they keep it a secret? That was a hard question to ask. "In all honesty, Thallie, I think we should. If Brontes needs to hurt me in someone and he finds out about you... I think that would kill me." Jack murmured most of this. "We need to keep it a secret to keep both of us safe. It will be beneficial for both of us."

He took a deep breath and said, "Now, about that date..."

He watched Ernestine intently. There was a whole different level to her, hidden away by her fake expressions. She was pure Chaos and that in itself was a clear indication that she could never be trusted. Though he chose to not say anything as she spoke, he approved if her support during the dangerous times of the Pantheon Wars. Amos also noted how She hesitated when she saw Kyra, was it mutual attraction or something else? He did not now, and just like that Ernestine was walking away. Her last statement towards him, made him slightly annoyed.

"If you think telling me what to do is a good idea then I applaud you Ernestine." Her petite frame left them, walking away into the distance and Amos whispered to himself then, "Just like you Ernestine, chaos has no friends."

A flash of light went of behind him. He was instantly aware of another beings presence that was powerful. If he had not looked to see Iratze, then he would have never known she was there besides Armarion. They were holding hands, how strange. This was besides the point though, Armarion was there, but how did he feel about it? Mixed feelings washed over him, hate, calm, happiness? His face portrayed no emotions however, he was not a human and as such he chose not be emotional.

They started to walk towards them. The tree rustled in the cold breeze, its last leaves blew away into the air. As Amos watched it he placed a hand on his chest and remembered his wound.

Once Iratze got her bearings she snatched her hand away from Armarion. She didn't want anyone to notice her lingering there next to him. She saw all the gods gathered, there were many... Even the goddess of chaos was not immune to the convergences that were taking place among them. She, however, was walking away... If Iratze was fast her message would reach the retreating goddess as well... She needed to speak to as many of them as possible. All of them, eventually...

She wanted to greet Amos, her old 'battle buddy', and Tet and all the others whom she had not seen in thousands of years... but she had business to attend first.

She quickly stepped forward and got down on one knee, bowing her head and placing her fists on the earth.

"Mighty gods, as you now gather here from the corners many of the earth to which we have been banished to and bound to... I carry a message for each and every one of you. I, Iratze, the messenger bear a message." She didn't look up, her voice would carry out to ears of very god surrounding her, and any mortal passing by would only hear the sound of the wind in the old tree.

"I came here with a message for Armarion from Jack Frost. Jack Frost invites Armarion and his allies to gather and discuss the return of Brontes and what might be done... I am prepared to lead the way to his house should any of you wish to meet him there."

She wondered if Armarion would be cross with her for what she was about to say...

"I bear a second message. The message is from Brontes of the underworld whom has returned to the earth, and Amare the youngest child of the Sun and Moon." She took a deep breath, letting the information settle upon them first. "From Brontes I bear a message of peace. He wishes to make amends for what has happened in the past. He would like peace between himself and the gods. Peace upon and between the earth, heaven, and hell."

She stayed kneeling, and would remain so until the other gods would speak, or dismiss her, or give her another message... Perhaps they would give her a response to carry. Perhaps they would decide to meet with Jack first. Perhaps they would argue and part ways...

She would wait for their decisions. She was only the messenger..

As they approached, Iratze took her hand away from Armarion quickly which was not surprising. He had not seen her for a very long time and looking at her he remembered the battles he took place in, which she came to deliver a message. Always so courteous she was, but he supposed it was only because of how weak she was compared to the rest of her kin but he would not hold that against her.

Amos listened to Iratze, a smirk followed when she told them her first message. So the gods wanted to meet to deal with this dire situation. He would definitely attend because it wasn't like anything else was going on.

Her second message however, turned his smirk into a curl.

He spoke, his godly voice becoming more apparent as his rage showed through, "How dare he! There will never be PEACE until he answers for what he did to me! To us! I would rather die before any notion of peace is brought to the table! That is my message Iratze and I live by it until Heaven is returned!

With that said Amos lashed out, punching the tree they stood next to, shattering it in half. It fell with a sickening crunch on the pavement and any normality that they had before was gone. He breathed in heavily, trying to calm down.

Armarion sighed as he listened to his brothers retort, and he shook his head as Amos lost himself in his rage.

He took a step forward towards his dearest brother and scowled at him as if he was very disappointed in his brothers reaction.

@Lord Zee

"Calm yourself brother need you be so angered by a simple message?"

He said in a disappointed tone to Amos as he frowned at his brother, Armarion wondered what had happened to his brother and why now he was here.

He looked around at everyone skeptically then returned his penetrating gaze to his brother Amos.

"Act properly Amos we haven't the time for you to throw a tantrum of become angry for a simple reason such as peace although I think peace isn't always possible yet it is in this case an exception!"

He blinked and cleared his throat then continued.

"Now I suggest we do accept this so called order of peace but we be on high alert I plan that we trick Brontes and somehow I could...subdue him!"

He hesitated on saying his actual plans because he knew the other Gods and Goddesses gathered would be angered with his real plan.

His plan was to somehow banish Brontes forever in a way that people thought would have happened by accident he knew that Tetsuo would be a powerful ally and aid in his scheme as would Amos because he would need help to perform such an action.

"Now shall we go pay our so called friend Jack Frost a visit or not?"

He said this to everyone in a more over annoyed manner because he never quite trusted Jack Frost at all for many reasons that he had never revealed yet he kept those feelings to himself.

After disappearing from hearing Jack and Thallie talk, Ash disappeared back into the leaving room to clean up the remainder of the mess. He grabbed his scythe and waved it over to the room one more, getting any last bits and pieces put back in place. Taking a deep breath, he slumped back down onto the couch, putting his head in his hands. Why was it so difficult to be the brother of Jack Frost? Apparently everyone wanted to kill him, so Ash was always stuck cleaning up the mess.

He stood back up and stretched his back out before walking toward the center of the room. He had reached the center when a dark, whispering voice suddenly said, "Ashthelic." Ash froze and looked around.

"Who goes there?" he called. He whipped around, still gripping onto his staff. His breaths were now short and shallow and it had felt as if the room had gotten colder.

"Do you not remember me? After all the years we spent together?" The voice was old and scratchy, as if the person had been smoking for years. "Dear Grim Reaper, you have lost your memory."

"I am no longer called that anymore. No one sees me with my scythe." Ash's voice came out as a snarl. He looked around still looking for the source of the voice, though he knew who it belonged to. There was a deep chuckle that echoed through the room and a shadowy figure swept across the windows, breaking a light or two as it passed.

"See you soon... son."

The light flared back on and suddenly, there were five Gods standing in his room. At their head was Iratze. Ash stared at them, his mouth open for a few moments before shaking his head and looking at him. "Welcome back Iratze. I see you have brought companion." He looked over her shoulder at the other Gods and GOddesses. "Welcome to Jack's."

Seatus sort of kept quiet when around them all, Amarion and Amos he already greeted and listened to them. He was just as much enraged as Amos, he wanted to kill him too but Amarion made a good idea to instead watch him. Seatus said "Does he bring harm and trick us, I'll flush that spider out with the tides and send the Leviathan upon him!" They all went off with Iratze to Jacks home.

He felt embarrassed when he returned to Jacks home. It seemed still a wreck He didn't mean to make it worse with fighting Onatar and his monsters, he was just trying to keep them safe. He felt sorry he imprisoned his brother, at the same time he wasn't. The other Gods might be angered. But to his defense he was becoming too much of a threat. Seatus assured Ash "Onatar has been banished to the bottom of my domain, never again shall he return." Might've already known, but Seatus wanted to confirm it.