Mt Olympus

The portal closes behind Takashi, Artemis, Hestia, Hera, and Poseidon. The fish in the sea god's room gravitate towards the edge of the glass walls.


Taki lays a gentle hand on a trembling Hestia. "Sis, thanks for being here, but I'm good now. He won't hurt me."

Hestia turns her face. "I won't leave until you return home safely."

"Okay."

Slow, staggered steps approach the Mirror of Space and Time. Artemis' arrow is ready for the unexpected. The youngest son of Kronos grips his hour-hand blade.

Poseidon chuckles. "If you get both halves, little brother, that will make you a god in your world."

"I don't care about that."


"Don't you want the attention and praise?"

"I will use my powers just to help Earth and Gaia. That's it."

The sea god sighs with disappointment. "What a waste."

Hera pokes him in the side with the tip of her flower arrow. "I will gladly watch my husband punish you."

"I thought you would like the idea of Troy burning."

 "Yes, but not what happened to them after that."

"The People of Troy will receive justice for your crimes", the voice of Zeus carries over to them.

Most turn in happiness from the Olympian King's presence. The storms in his eyes intensify while staring at his aquamarine sibling. Hera is happy not to be on the receiving end of that glare.

Poseidon's grip on his trident trembles to keep himself afloat.


"I won't punish Atlantis. Hera and I will personally handle your punishment", the king snarls.

Artemis chimes in. "But, Father. Do you know what she did to Heracles and to my loved ones?"

The storm in his blue eyes become a calm. His eyes tell her to continue. With a flash of her gold aura, sparks form around the outline of his body.

Zeus grits his teeth at Hera. "You will get your punishment after him."

Hera's eyes avert away, wondering what he will do to her.

The sparks settle down. Zeus' face turns to his youngest sibling who's in awe of his majesty.


"Little brother, let's get you home. I'm sorry about Poseidon. You have him under control?"

Taki nods while touching the red bracelet. "With plenty of time left."

Artemis and Hestia quickly hug him. The Huntress invites him and his wife to come here at any time. The deity of the hearth promises plenty of treats when he returns. A good, warm embrace that slowly drifts apart.

Takashi motions Poseidon to approach the mirror with him. The emerald engravings on the mirror glow from their proximity. Pieces of his home made visible. His phone chimes off with all the messages being sent and received.


He steps to the left side of Poseidon and turns to him. "Give me your power over sp-"

Blood splatter. A sharp exhale.


The other deities are horrified. Poseidon withdraws his hand from the hole he punctured into Taki's ribs. Confusion takes over as his body collapses to the floor.

"R-Rewind."

His wound heals over, but the red bracelet is still intact. The Earth Shaker is standing tall with his divinity intact.

Artemis' arrow flies. A plant arrow leaves Hera's bow. A fireball erupts from Hestia's hands. Poseidon raises a water wall to intercept the attacks. He aims to strike Takashi with his trident, but Zeus swats it away. Their punches connect. Storms vs tremors. The impact pushes Takashi back against the glass wall.


Within the next second, Zeus traps his brother in a zapping cage that pins his body down to the floor.

Poseidon squirms. "No one will take away what's rightfully mine!"

The Olympian King helps Taki to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"How is he still--"


His question cut off from the unexpected betrayal. A current travels through his body from Zeus' hand.

Zeus answers his question. "Because that wasn't Poseidon at all."

The duplicate of the Earth Shaker's body transitions into lightning that returns to its master's hand. The same cage is now placed onto a startled Takashi.

Zeus rubs his right cheek. "Your last hit on me was pretty good."

Taki thinks back and it was after he left Ithaca. It was him the entire time.

Hestia covers her mouth. "Brother? What are you doing?!"

Artemis' silver bow doesn't hesitate with numerous arrows equipped with her wrath. A wave of his hand. Emerald portals swallow the projectiles. Another wave sends them back at her!

She dodges and dashes, but a grunt leaves. One went through her leg. Hestia spits out a stream of wrathful flames to break Takashi free. A wave of Zeus' hand returns the flames at Artemis. Hestia jumps in front. Her Olympian abilities absorbing the attack without harm. The Huntress pulls the arrow out to self-heal.

Hera is almost speechless. "Are you really my husband?"

Zeus smiles at her. "We made love after Poseidon tried to kill me in Atlantis."

"So where is he?"

"I killed him during the games. He outlived his purpose", before the cage closes on Takashi's body. He covers his mouth as the volts light up his central nervous system. "Come on. Let them hear your cry for help."

Taki knows if his screams were heard, his nephews would come right away. He won't let their wishes be in vain.


An arrow is dispelled by Hera's twirling of her bow.

Fur begins to form over The Huntress' skin. "Explain yourself, father!"

"Listen, Artie. You can rule under my leadership over Earth and Gaia. His planet needs help after what they have done to it. Hera, you will be my queen of that world."

"Answer me!"

"The confession I said in the arena was true. Well, except for Medusa. That was all Poseidon's work."

Artemis' mind runs through everything that was said. The image of Troy burning runs through her mind. Her jaw drops in horror. Her eyes asked him one question: why?

"I helped Troy burn because of their disobedience towards me. It was only a few people that complained about my role, but it was enough....Daughter and sister, join me."

Hestia's orange irises flicker. The rage from the Titanomachy some time ago foams at the surface. The flames almost suffocate Artemis who is taken aback at her aunt's wrath.


Zeus' eyebrow rises up. "You would really throw it away for him? I know you better than he does. Don't do it."

Artemis' glowing hands touch the glass floor. Zeus jumps back from the immediate spikes aimed for his heart. Zeus jumps out and throws a lightning bolt. A wall of flames stop it from grazing her niece's chest. The Goddess of the Hearth backs away from Hera's near sudden trap.


A seed transforms into a tree. Its branches aim to slam at them, but Artemis' attachment to nature constricts it. Hera and her battle for control.


Bite!


Hera screams from a summoned hunting dog on her arm. She jams a long blade of grass to end its life. Her ichor drips to the floor before her wound closes up. Their bows connect. Artemis swings high and low utilizing her knife as well. Back and sidesteps aid the Queen from avoiding fatal strikes.


The Huntress jumps back from the flames of Hestia meant for Zeus.


"So, honey? Do we just kill Takashi to get what we want?", as the Queen fires off an arrow that produces vines to capture her family.


The roaring flames eat them up.

"Not really. Our father placed a seal that has to break first. When he says "reset", the seal weakens."

Hera nears the imprisoned Takashi who can't speak from the torture. "Come on and say it. You might get to live afterwards."

Eyes of defiance meets her. Dark emerald energy forms around his fist. With a pointed index finger, he shoots behind at the wall. crack.

Artemis gets the idea. Within a footstep, she uses 100% of her divine speed to fire a divine energy arrow. Zeus opens a portal to intercept it. The arrow splits off before the opening. Her father sends one down into her back. Despite the pain, she smiles. Her target has been reached.


The arrow collides with the crack. The force floods the room with saltwater. Artemis retrieves Takashi and Hestia before swimming out of there. The water continues to travel past the doors and falling off the edge of the mountain. Artemis runs on the dry part of the temple while holding her loved ones in her arms. 

Taki coughs up water as Hestia's warmth wakes and dries them off. The Huntress heads for Aphrodite's room since its the closest for love dust to escape.

"I'm so sorry, uncle! We will make this right!", she apologizes for what happened.

An arrow goes to hit Artemis, but Hestia's divine flames incinerate it. She squirms out of Artemis' grasp to give them time.

Taki objects. "Don't do it, sis! Come with us!"

"I can't stand by anymore!"


A geyser of righteous embers erupts from the cruelty of her family. Her regret for staying outside family affairs. Her seated wrath from how they hurt her little brother. The mix of emotions embedded in the stream of fire. The art pieces along the way melt from the intensity. Each of Hera's arrows swallowed by the assertion of her sibling.

She summons a thick wall of flowers to defend herself. The fires pierce through. A squawk of her peacock companion. He pushes to the side to protect his master. The flames eat its victim into ashes. Violet aura rears its ugly head. Golden-red and violet energies clash upon contact.


Despite his objections, Artemis takes them to Aphrodite's room. 


Crackle.


She drops Takashi down, but her steps stagger. His eyes widen in horror. A bolt traveled through her chest. She blacks out from the near fatal hit. Her healing factor slowly taking care of the burn.

"Zone. Rewind!"

His healing ability doesn't work. Zeus' booming steps stalk them like a lion. His thunder and lightning allies freezing his sibling in place.

Move! Damn it! You can't let him win!

"Your PTSD, huh? I picked up a few terms from your world. Oh, some things that I left out. I was the one who pulled you out of the water before the first reset. I was also the one who gave Stavros the aura of Ares and saw your death."

Fear empties out. Wrath settles in with a tap of his chest. "Zone. FF2.5!

His emerald blades swing out several energy slashes that connect with the god-king. His body displays not even a cut of what he did.

"And it was easy to manipulate things my way because of Mnemosyne's lamp. Removing Kronos' name and removing another goddess from this realm. And why am I telling you all of this?"

Within a few steps, Zeus closes the distance. A hand on his throat slams him through the floor into another chamber room.


Taki's aura blocked some of the impact as he rolls away while charging. He fires off a quick powerful beam at a calm Zeus. The beam makes the room shake, but Zeus walks through it. Taki is terrified as little damage was shown on his body.

"Because you can't stop me." His fist to the solar plexus sends Taki through several pillars.


Golden iron escapes his lips. The grips on his blades tighten. He does an energy slash with his hour-hand blade, but the attack disappears into a portal. Zeus sees that his opponent had slipped away into a nearby hole.....

Taki wipes the sick iron taste out of his mouth. He retraces his steps to Artemis who's struggling to get up. She yells at him to leave her behind.

He lends her some energy so she can run. "I won't! Let's get Hestia and go! Is there another way?"

"The backside of the temple has a waterfall. It will be our best option! We can get Hestia along the way!"

The duo reaches Hestia's who's struggling with Hera's powerful flower beam. Streams of emerald and gold aid her. An explosion rocks the temple! The god-queen moves out of the way from the crumbling parts of the temple ceiling. The dust settles to find her targets are no longer there.....

The rushing water leads the trio there. The largest waterfall ends at the bottom where several rivers fork from. They run to jump into it before the booming footsteps meet them.


Taki feels his energy coming to greet Hestia. He turns to the open portal. "Rewind!"

The energy slash travels backwards into the portal. He hopes it would hurt Zeus--Instead he grabs and throws it with electricity. 

 
Artemis and Takashi almost lose their breaths. Hestia is pinned to the floor with the attack going through her waist. The voltage leads to pain escaping her lips.

Taki goes to her, but Artemis stops him with tears in her eyes. "Sister!"

"Just go!", the goddess commands. Her nervous system lights up. Poof. A pile of ashes takes the deity's place.

Takashi's heart breaks as he reaches out to her. The feeling stops from the pressure point attack on his neck. The Huntress tosses him into the waterfall, lending some energy to protect him from the fall.

Artemis' eyes blink in disbelief. Taki's unconscious body appears near Zeus.


"So much use with just one set of powers", he boasts.

"Let him go!", she snarls with a knife in hand.


A gentle push by the wrist knocks the knife away. An embracing hug shocks her whole body. A slap knocks her back. Her body trembles from the damage, but she fights to stand up. Several arrows in her legs and arms stop her.


Hera steps on her back. "Just watch."

Zeus channels a current of horrible lightning into Takashi's body. He startles awake from the pain. He goes to cover his mouth, but his hands get restrained by Zeus.

"You have no other option. Reset already."

The voltage causes Artemis to see his nervous system. She squirms under Hera's sandal to save him. A torturous wail leaves his mouth.

Olympia, present time

Heracles recognizes that scream as Takashi's. He throws on his lion armor while explaining that his uncle is in trouble. Megara holds onto her husband. She knew he wanted to go and help him, but to her it was Poseidon.

The notes holding Apollo and his group fly back.  Orpheus thinks about helping his former opponent. Theseus and Bellero offer their help.

Ariadne clutches her husband. "I just got you back!"

"I'm sorry. I will-"

"Nobody will be leaving!", Apollo demands. His musical notes from a prison over the demigods and their loved ones.

Heracles attempts to punch his way out, but the notes restrain him in place. "Let us go!"

"I won't let you throw your wishes away! Uncle would never want you to do that. I will go with Hermes."

Orpheus objects. "Master, let me join you!"

"I am stronger than any of you here! Mnemosyne, if I don't make it, make sure they go home."

Apollo flies to the arena. The group sees him and Hermes flying straight away to Mt Olympus. The demigods go to break the barrier but Mnemosyne uses her ability to make all the demigods faint. Medusa checks Perseus who's still breathing to her relief.

"What did you do?"

The goddess of memory takes out a lamp. "I knocked them all out. They will surely die if they face Poseidon as they are now."

Her lamp glows. Memories leave the ears of each demigod, Her hand rewrites them. Their loved ones see that Takashi had gone home through the space/time mirror in the arena.

"It's a lie, but it has to be done. I won't let them or my grandson face that monster", before waving her hand again. The wives and friends of the demigods pass out as well for her to repeat the process.

"Apollo, I am praying for you. Help them, Zeus."

--

Back at Mt Olympus, Takashi's voice gives out from the screaming. Zeus stops electrocuting him. Steam emanates from the near burnt body of the demigod.


The king digs his fingers through his chest. "Come on, Takashi Watanabe. Don't you want to live? What about poor Hestia?"

Dark green wisps aid his recovery. His chocolate eyes staring daggers at him.

"Sounds like someone's coming to save you. They still think that Poseidon caused all of it. Can you imagine their reaction? Especially Heracles and Perseus?"

"Don't hurt them."

"Hera, leave my sons to me. I will take care of them if they act up."

Artemis had enough. Golden aura explodes, forcing Hera to back away. Fur forms over her skin. Her true form for nature to behold. She claws down the god-queen's arrows before tearing across her chest. 


Her divine blood flowing like wine on the floor. She winces and lays against a column to heal herself. Zeus aims at his daughter to put her down permanently--


A sharp exhale. A musical note had pierced into the king's left side. A serpentine staff pushes him through a wall, freeing Takashi from his clutches.

The pile of Hestia's ashes "told" them what just happened. Horror and anger blend onto the faces of Apollo and Hermes. The God of Music plays some notes on his flute to restrain Hera's arms and legs. The next short tune sends a heavy note crashing her down into the mountain. Artemis skin calms down from seeing her twin.

"Hermes, get him out of here!"

He doesn't hesitate. He scoops Takashi into his arms and zips away....He stops suddenly from his father's presence.

"Son, you don't know the truth. Give him to me."

Violet-golden aura flares out without hurting his uncle. "Does it matter when you are hurting our family? I know you killed Aunt Hestia!"

"She didn't understand no matter how many times I tried to explain it. Don't join her."

Hermes throws his staff again as a diversion. Another of Zeus' portals has him back in front of Zeus. His mind catches him up with what just happened and flies downward. Zeus opens a portal, but Hermes avoids it at the last second to get Takashi out of there.

Another portal opens up. Zeus flies out of it from the side and tackles Hermes with his strength. Hermes uses his body as a shield as he goes into the mountain. His small body trembles while getting out of the hole.

Taki taps Hermes. "Zone. Rewind."

Pain melts away from him, aiding his healing factor. He lends healing aura into Takashi to remove most of the burn marks. His violet-golden energy flashes to its highest peak while re-attempting to get his uncle away from his father.

Meanwhile, Apollo's healing music completely restores Artemis' health. The siblings hug each other.

"Let's get out of here. Hermes should be-"

They get hit by Hermes' body carrying Taki. Hermes is badly beaten, but Takashi is okay.

Zeus' stormy eyes glare at him. "Who do you think you got your speed from, Hermes?"

Apollo and Artemis stand in his way.

"Rebellion will be your downfall."

Apollo goes to play some notes, but his sister stops him.

"He will just reflect like Eris. Save it."

Apollo listens. Before he can raise his energy, his twin sister's heart breaks. Zeus' miniature bolt left a hole in his heart. His wooden flute clatters to the floor along with his body. She reaches out with tears streaming down. The deity's body is swallowed by another of Zeus' portals. Taki's heart breaks again.


Dark emerald wisps form around him as he stands back up.

"A special ability that will confuse death itself. He and Hestia won't be going to the Underworld", Zeus explains with arrogance.

The final straw that broke Artemis' need to care anymore. She pushes Taki back to avoid making him a target.


Fur instantly covers her entire body. Muscles swell up. Her clothes rip. Her nose and jaw form the snout of a ravenous dog. Fangs that can pierce through divine skin. Focused eyes on the source of her pain. Her true form given by her mortal mother: a lycanthrope.


A half-step forward has her father's neck in her sharp claws. The energy of chaotic nature, attacking him from the inside out. His golden ichor spilling with each strike she lays into him.

Hermes pushes Taki towards the waterfall with his dwindling strength. "Just go!"

He squeezes his eyes shut. A vow to himself to not make Artemis' plan a vain attempt. His ears pick up the sounds of their battle. His eyes can't keep up with the blitzing battle. She goes to unleash something from her mouth.

Snap.

That sickening noise stops him in his tracks. A circular object is tossed in front of him. The fur disappears from her face.


Heavy tears accompany his buckled legs. "ARTEMIS!"

"What a shame", Zeus laments while wiping blood from his mouth.

Hermes can't believe it through his glasses. He attempts to fight, but a flower traps his ankles.

Hera floats out of the hole with help from her flower. Seeing Artemis' corpse has her smiling from ear to ear. She pulls her squirming son down into the hole. Seeing the horror on Takashi's face gives her more pleasure.

"Their deaths are on your hands."

That comment ignited a bomb. The darkest green energy ignites. The wisps form a sickle that plunges into Hera's ribs. Fear grips her as a repressed memory bubbles up.

Taki brings in the aura while tapping his chest. "Zone. FF2.5!"

The wispy sickle joins his emerald blades. A large gash crosses the god-king's chest. Despite the fear, Zeus' lips curl upward. An electric punch sends Takashi into a wall, but he lashes out. His speed increasing as their fight continues. More of Zeus' blood decorates the walls of the temple.


The Olympian King had enough of playing around. He doesn't hold back from hitting him with a lightning bolt. The voltage knocks him out of that enhanced form. His body collapses with heavy breaths. His legs can't move no matter how much his mind pleads.

Zeus nears him. "I don't care how long it takes. I will make you reset. The good thing is that they will all be alive and we can start this process all over again, but you still won't beat me. Too bad your family will have to wait longer."

Taki's mind comes to a decision. A sacrifice where both sides will lose. A painful one that will make his wife and family cry.

He brings the short blade to his neck. Lifting the tip up to jab into his throat--


His left hand only feels air.

"You were going to kill yourself? I never expected that from someone who had everything to lose", Zeus expresses with amusement.

"I would rather die than let you win."

"Remember that second wish?"

He puts it together. "Don't hurt them!"

Zeus materializes a large bolt. "If you don't reset, they will die and never get to the Underworld. They will be separated to never meet again."

He walks to the end of the temple with eyes set on Olympia.


Taki crawls to face him. "I will do it! Just leave them alone."

I know how far back to go. Aphrodite's temple before Eris' death.

He puts his plan into action. "Reset!"

A fourth crack on his watch. A final breath leaves his lips. Taki's consciousness jumps backwards in time.

The temple shakes with a vengeful wrath. Zeus utters a word to his wife. A bright light is seen with black hands pushing Hera to the side.

--

Taki's consciousness dives into a previous version of himself. His hands clutch his head from the numerous memories filling his mind. He winces from the sharp cuts on his skin left from the Aura Ceremony. His heart races from the deaths of Hestia, Artemis, and Apollo at the hands of Zeus. Tears stream down the current's face.


His body and vision begin to settle. Blurry vision becomes clear. His eyes widen. This isn't where he's supposed to be.

"Mr. Watanabe, why have you come back?", Mina the Oracle asks him. Her assistant and guards are watching him get up to his knees.

Deep breaths to collect himself. Wiping away his tears that his nieces and nephews are safe.

"Mina, I know that Zeus killed Kronos. It wasn't Poseidon!"

Gasps fill up the chamber room.


The Oracle kills the expression on her face. "If that's the case, then he must have been hiding himself from me."

"Tell me there's a way to beat him", his voice breaks.

Mina hides her frown. "Okay. You-"

An emerald portal behind her appears. The Oracle feels it too.

Before he can say a syllable, his long blade flies through the Oracle's heart. Her innocent blood splatters onto the clothes of her assistant and client.


He scrambles over to save her. "Rewind."

Nothing. He checks for a pulse as he tries again. And again. Pain and shock leave her eyes.


Heavy tears hit her face. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Maya's screams gets his attention. "Murderer!"


Her accusation hits him directly. He feels the hilt of his second-hand blade in his hand. His pupils shake from what Zeus is doing to him.

Taki tries to explain himself. "I didn't do it!"

Zeus steps out from a portal. "Guards, stop him!"

He had no choice but to run. "Zone. FF2.5!"

He dashes out of the cave, but the god-king doesn't follow after him.

Zeus clears his throat. "I will alert Apollo and the other gods of him. It's so terrible that he did this. Just know that whatever he said was a lie. You will have to take over for her after we give her a proper burial."

Maya cries over her friend's body while the Olympian King hides his smile.....

Fast, heavy footsteps stumble from the fatigue of the new form. He leans against the wall of a cave to get inside. He frantically wipes down his blade in the water of the cave. He could still see traces of her vermillion blood no matter how much he repeats. Heavy breaths as his mind replays her death and his helplessness.


He throws his sword to the wall. A glimpse of his watch causes him to stumble to his knees. His mind tries to protect him.

He punches the ground in anger numerous times until he had no strength to deny the mocking truth. He expected a time of separation, but not to this degree. His four-month skip at Ithaca along with skipping days here and there. 

April 1st, 2022. 4 months and 10 days.

Imagining the pain of Penny, Karisa, and his family. Them waiting for him on Thanksgiving and the holidays after that. He promised them he would be home on Nov 22nd.

He is left alone with the "failure" of his previous self. He shudders as he is reminded of his words from the ceremony.

"I am stronger than you since I made it this far."

His tears drip out of rhythm as the water falls from the stalactites. The exhaustion leads him to sleep that he never wanted to wake up from.