Adore

Chapter Seven

A Bad Day for the Gods

"Iris!" A man in a deep blue pinstriped suit hollered, his anger quite palpable. His shoulder gray hair swung wildly as he looked for the aforementioned goddess, his gray eyes seemingly flashing with lightning. A moment later, a rainbow had appeared in front of him, and out of it stepped out a black-haired, olive-skinned woman, her normally warm brown eyes flashing with annoyance before smothering out and devoiding of any and all emotions as she knelt before the man. She wore a knee-length flowy dress that was all colors of the rainbow. "Yes, Lord Zeus?"

"Summon the Council personally, since you're much faster than your IMs. Tell them I wish to speak about a new problem," he said, his voice like booming thunder. "As you wish." Iris then made a rainbow and stepped in it, teleporting outside the throne room. Zeus just tapped his fingers on his throne, impatient.

Meanwhile, Iris was just outside the throne room, sighing heavily. Really now, was this really necessary? Was Poseidon siring a demigod really a new problem? They all saw what had happened to Zeus' demigod, so maybe the same could happen to this one. 'Although, the child could prove me wrong. Her father IS the most powerful of the three brothers, after all,' she thought as she contacted her new employee, Fleecy, instructing her to receive IMs, as she was going to be busy for the rest of the day. She sighed heavily one more, dreading the day ahead of her.

A woman was lounging on a rocking chair located at the patio of a cabin, her wavy long black hair being braided by what seemed like a humanoid form made with leaves and flowers of every kind and color. The figure, while braiding the hair of the woman, inserted several sprigs of dried grass in them, making its work look beautiful. The woman sighed contentedly as she surveyed the fields that lay out before her, inside of her home. Just then, a rainbow had suddenly appeared before her, obstructing her view and making the humanoid form behind her burst into leaves and flowers, gently floating away. The woman took no heed to this, instead focusing on the newcomer that had stepped out of the rainbow. "Iris, dear, how lovely to see you! Would you like some cereal? I'm certain I have some boxes inside of my home." Iris just sighed and shook her head. "No, not this time, Lady Demeter. I've come because of work."

Demeter just laughed. "Nonsense, dear! Everyone has to have time for cereal! It's the ideal meal for breakfast! Lunch and dinner are acceptable times too! And, of course, snack time is a must! And-!" Iris coughed a little, distracting the Goddess of Agriculture from her rant. "Lady Demeter-," "Dear, how many times have I told you to call me Demeter?" "Lady Demeter," Iris repeated, taking no heed to her implorement, "Lord Zeus has requested a full Council meeting, the topic being of sensitive nature."

Demeter immediately quieted, her large brown eyes gaining a knowing glint in them. "Ah. So Little Brother has found out who stole it?" Iris shook her head, denying the goddess's claim. "No, my Lady. He suspects, and is pointing fingers, but doesn't have proof." The stern goddess just sighed as she stood up, banishing the rocking chair in the process. "I guess I have to go, seeing as Little Brother would most likely be spitting lighting right about now," she said, her form melting into sprigs of wheat and flowers, a gust of wind coming out of nowhere and carrying the items towards the Throne Room, leaving behind the scent of wheat. Iris mirrored the other's sigh, thinking on where she should go next.

A group of girls were camping out in a forest deep in the heart of the sss, carefully skinning their hunt and their meal, while their wolf companions prowled their camp's borders. The girls were no older than fourteen at most, and all of them wore white shirts, silver jackets, silvery camo pants, and black combat boots. All of them, except for one. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, with auburn hair tied into a ponytail and eyes as silvery yellow as the moon itself. She was the only one to wear a short tunic, and she was the only one sitting down doing nothing, whereas some of the girls were serving her as they set up her tent. Alas, the girls' routine was ruined when a rainbow suddenly appeared in the middle of their camp. The rest of the girls tensed up, but then relaxed when a woman appeared from the rainbow itself, the figure immediately bowing in the direction of the beautiful girl. "Lady Artemis." "Iris, dear friend. Welcome. Why have you travelled here instead of just calling us over by one of your rainbows?" The girl stood up, and greeted her friend with a hug. Iris smiled at her and returned the hug, her tense shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. Artemis noticed this and pulled back from the hug, her beautiful face outlined with worry. "What's wrong, Iris?"

Iris sighed a little. "Lord Zeus has summoned the full Council. The topic is of a sensitive nature." Artemis' eyes softened as she gazed at her long-time friend. She clearly understood that Iris had the hardest job; gathering the Council. "Of course, Iris, I'll go immediately. Good luck in finding the others." Iris just nodded as she made another rainbow appear and stepped through it, instantly vanishing from the gazes of the girls.

One of the girls, a tall, graceful girl with a silver circlet on her head, stepped forward and bowed, her long silky black hair framing her face. She had coppery skin and gave off the aura of royalty. "My Lady, shall we accompany thou to Olympus?" Artemis shook her head as she put up a hand to stop the setting up of her tent. Her gut is telling her that this will be a long meeting, with her assuming that her Father had figured out Uncle Poseidon's coveted secret. Oh yes, she knew, because she had watched over the girl when she was growing up, finding her attitude a wonderful refreshing one, and had longed to take her into becoming one of her sister-in-arms. Though, if she was honest with herself, she just wanted her young cousin to live, seeing as she had failed in protecting her younger sister five years prior. "No, Zoe. This meeting is important, seeing as Father had sent Iris herself. Stay here and continue. I have a feeling I might take a while to return." Artemis then started to glow a silvery light, prompting the other girls to avert their eyes from the goddess's form. Zoe's eyes, so like volcanic rocks, flashed in concern for the goddess as she looked at her at the last second before averting her eyes so that she wasn't vaporized by the sheer power the goddess gave off. When they were certain their mistress was gone, they had returned to their previous work, with Zoe taking over the setting up of their camp.

A blue eyed man was driving, his short blonde hair flying as he relished the wind in his hair, and laughed as his ride, a red Maserati, revved up. As he was enjoying his relaxing everyday ride, a rainbow suddenly appeared on the passenger seat, and out of it came a black haired woman. "Iris! What's a beautiful lady doing here on the sun? Not that I blame you, I AM pretty irresistible, right?" the man winked at her, causing the woman to rub her temple in annoyance. "Lord Apollo, I came here for work. You Father has summoned the entire Council for a meeting. Please do not antagonize him this time by appearing late. I was the one who was punished for your transgressions." Apollo dropped his carefree attitude, pushing on a button on the dashboard. He let go of the wheel and gas, but the car just continued on its leisurely trip. He then turned to face the rainbow goddess, completely serious. "Sorry about that, Iris. I was furious Dad didn't heed my warning. I may not have the gift of prophesy anymore seeing as I gave it to my Oracle, but I do know what she's prophesied, even if there are no witnesses or questers. Instead of listening to me, he still started the argument and now, this mess happened," he sighed as he leaned back on his seat, his hands cupping the back of his head.

Iris smiled. Apollo never showed just anyone his serious side. Seeing as the only ones who know about it are her, Hestia and Aphrodite, most see this carefree god, as, well, carefree. Heck, the three of them only know about it because they had caught him like that once by complete accident. Most people, heck, most gods, don't really know what goes on inside his head, seeing as he prefers to present his carefully fabricated mask for everyone to see. But he shows snippets of his real personality to the three goddesses. "Why don't you let others willingly see who you really are, Apollo?" Apollo just smiled at her, his form already being flickered by gold. "Because no one will believe that this is the real me." At this statement, his entire form was covered in golden light, teleporting him immediately to Mount Olympus. Iris shook her head in disappointment, but made a rainbow once again and disappeared, leaving the red Maserati to leisurely traverse the sky, giving warmth to the earth below.

The rainbow goddess then appeared back to Olympus, or more specifically, in front of a large ornate door with pomegranate and peacock carvings. She knocked on the door, waiting for the call to let her in. Once the occupant had given her permission, she opened the large oaken door and proceeded towards the sitting room, where she found a tall, graceful woman sitting down, her normally brown eyes tinged with red from crying, and her appearance worse for wear. Her normally pristine braided chocolate brown hair was in disarray, and her white dress looked like regular slimy oil, instead of smooth and refined looking like oil on water. The rainbow goddess sighed mentally as she sat down across from the distraught goddess, genuinely pitying and feeling sorry for her. She understood why she was always so vengeful and her great hatred for demigods, but she also understood why demigods in turn never offer her anything. For her, who sees both sides of the same coin, both parties have something lacking in them, and yet, like Hestia, she hopes it all will be resolved soon, else their reign will cut short. Though, she needs to deliver her message first, and judge others later.

"Lady Hera, thank you for meeting me." Hera shook her head, looking at her with grateful eyes. "No, I must be the one to thank you, Iris. You're a much needed distraction. What can I do for you?" Iris just shook her head mournfully, feeling bad that she must be the one to deliver another problem to the Queen God's already heavily laden shoulders. "My Lady, the Lord has summoned the entire Council for a meeting. No one is exempt." Iris skirted around Zeus' name, wanting to leave off as much pain as she can. "I see. Thank you for taking the time to visit me personally, Iris. I shall be ready in a moment." Instantly, the goddess had hid her insecurities and hurt behind a stern façade and snapped her fingers, instantly transforming her attire into her normal flawless one. With a stiff nod to her, the goddess disappeared with a flash, leaving behind the scent of pomegranates.

With her duty there finished, she summoned another rainbow and stepped into it, appearing at the other side of Olympus, outside the furnished oaken door that led to one of the largest rooms, excluding the Throne room. She pushed the door open, revealing rows upon rows of books, from subjects ranging from Astronomy all the way to Zoology. She carefully maneuvered herself so that she didn't disturb anything there, fearful of another lecture concerning the proper care for books. She didn't need to search for long as she caught sight of a lean, black haired figure hovering with indecision between the History and Geology sections. Iris called out before the Wisdom Goddess could immerse herself with yet another book. "Lady Athena."

Athena turned around and smiled at her, beckoning her to move closer. "Hello, Iris. Please keep your voice down. What can I do for you?" Iris nodded and came closer, keeping watch of her voice. "My Lady, Lord Zeus requests a full Council meeting. The topic is of sensitive nature." Athena nodded, making Iris bid her farewell, already in search for the next Olympian. At her departure, Athena's intense gray eyes narrowed, wondering what is going on with her father. Deciding that she would walk to the throne room to avoid disturbing her precious books, she started walking, unaware of the ominous shadow that lurked where she was last standing.

Iris then stepped out of the rainbow and came face to face with a metal door depicting some fight scenes from the Trojan War. She banged on the door, knowing that knocking would never be heard. A few minutes later, the door opened, and with it came rock music that blared all around her. She winced as the particular song she heard had a particularly high note and the vocalist tried desperately to reach it, screaming. When the door was wide enough, a head pocked out, his scarred cheeks stretching to a feral grin as he fully came out of his home. The literal fire in his eyes burned brighter at seeing Iris and what it could mean. He ruffled his hair, though seeing as he had an oily crew cut, it only made him look ridiculous. He wore black jeans, combat boots, a leather duster, a muscle shirt with a bulletproof vest, and an iron padlock necklace. He smirked at the rainbow goddess, prompting her to tell him the message already.

"Lord Ares, your Father requests a full Council meeting. The topic is of sensitive nature." In hearing this, Ares gave a loud laugh, wondering what could result in this 'meeting' of theirs. Iris just made a rainbow and disappeared quickly, fearful of what the War God has in mind. As Iris disappeared though, Ares' face was shadowed by something, someone else powerful enough to be undetected in Olympus. Though, a moment later, he was back to normal, a feral grin adorning his scarred face.

Iris was glad she had commanded the rainbow to seek Aphrodite, because when she stepped out of it, all she could do was gape at what she was seeing. Aphrodite was at some café in New York, seemingly on a date. That wasn't unusual at all. What threw her off was her date. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn she was overdosing on the Hermes vitamins because instead of the usual Ares by her side, she was chatting and laughing with Lord Hephaestus! There was no mistaking his aura! Yet, he felt different. She just couldn't place WHAT was different. She mentally shook herself and approached the two chatting immortals, who continued chatting as if they didn't sense her. In all probability, it seems that they really didn't. So, she resolved to wait until one of them notices her. She vehemently denied that she was curious on why they were on a date, so she was eavesdropping on them. Nope. She wasn't curious at all! And she wasn't an eavesdropper! Nope!

"I never knew this side of you, Aphrodite. Why haven't you shown this to Athena? Surely, she'll be more tolerant of you." Iris thought she might've heard wrong, but resolutely stood her ground, determined to gossip, err, wait for them to notice her. Yeaaah.

"I've only shown my true self in front of four persons before you, actually. And I only showed Apollo as thanks in him showing his true self to me, even if only indirectly." Iris' eye widened. So, four others know of this 'other side' of Aphrodite. Seeing as it doesn't irritate Hephaestus much, Iris assumed that this side was calmer, more mature than the front Aphrodite usually sported. And apparently, Apollo was one of the four, well, six now, if you include her and Hephaestus, who knew her. This is actually gossip gold, but she would refrain from doing so, seeing as Aphrodite had kept this secret from everyone that she hasn't deemed worthy enough. Though, her thoughts were cut short seeing as Hephaestus decided that her eavesdropping session was over. "Iris, what can we do for you?" Both immortals were looking at her. Iris took one look at the god's smoldering brown eyes and nodded, vowing to never speak of what she had learned in that moment.

"Lord Hephaestus, Lady Aphrodite, a message from Lord Zeus. He requests that there be a full Council meeting, seeing as the subject is of sensitive nature." Aphrodite's now blue eyes widened as she heard the missive. "Oh no! Has Father found out, Iris? You know what I mean." Iris shook her head, making Aphrodite sigh in relief. Hephaestus took one look at Aphrodite's reaction and pieced together what she meant, Aphrodite having mentioned to him earlier the loophole she had found in the Ancient Laws. "Has Uncle Poseidon broken the oath?" Aphrodite nodded, as her blue eyes changed to green and her black hair changed to red, signifying her change of mood. "Yes, we must hurry, Hephaestus. Who knows what Father has already decreed without us!" She then changed into a flock of doves, all hurrying to the direction of the Empire State Building.

Hephaestus then turned to look at Iris, observing that Iris had just noticed his changed appearance. His body was no longer misshapen, yet his leg was still in a brace. He was still muscular, but his face was the biggest change of all. All in all, he could compare his own face with Apollo's only with brown hair and eyes, seeing as it was whom Aphrodite had modeled his face when she helped him with his appearance. Yes, that was what prompted the God of Blacksmiths to listen to her, to let her tell her story, essentially letting her carve her place within his life. He would never admit it, except to Aphrodite herself, but he did love his wife, so much so that when she gallivanted with Ares in front of him, he swore revenge on his war-loving fool of a brother. He was just sorry that all his revenge schemes just managed to get her roped in the humiliation herself. She just laughed and dismissed it, saying that it was all water under the bridge and that they should start all over again, not force one another into accepting the other without knowing the other too well. So, in secret, they started to go out, intending to get to know the other. And, as far as Hephaestus was concerned, he was falling more and more for his wife every single day they spend together, and that was saying something. Though, he was still afraid of what Aphrodite would say when he asks her what she thought of him. So, he postponed that question until further notice. Though, with this mess on the horizon, he might move the date to a more reasonable one, seeing as the end of time isn't at all reasonable. Maybe at the end of the century? No matter. He still had Iris to address.

"I trust you won't say anything about Aphrodite or myself to anyone, Iris?" he asked, morphing into his original form, startling Iris from her surprise. At this, Iris immediately nodded, and made a rainbow, stepping into it, intent on finding her male counterpart. Hephaestus just sighed and made fire envelop his entire form. When the fire died down, he too was gone, vanishing from sight.

Iris, interestingly, had stepped out of her rainbow to a remote place; the only sign of habitation was a quaint little house in Westport, Connecticut. It was a two-story Colonial, with a wide backyard. It even had an apple tree growing at the front yard, an old swing attached to one of its branches. Iris was confused. What business did Hermes have here? Still, she approached the house, instantly hit by the bizarreness of the house. The sidewalk was lined with little beanbags depicting animals, both seen through the Mist and not. There were zoo animals, but there was also a little Minotaur and a little Hydra. The front porch was decorated with different kinds of wind chimes, all tinkling at the slightest breeze. The front door, turquoise in color, sported the name CASTELLAN in English, and its Greek counterpart below: Διοικητής φρουρίου. Wait. Didn't Hermes have a child named Castellan? So, he's visiting one of his lovers? Iris hesitated, torn between going through her orders in the fastest way possible, or waiting out Hermes to be finished. Seeing as the latter was sketchy at best (What if the Messenger God stayed here all week?), she decided to just get it over with. Stopping at the door, she knocked lightly, praying to the Fates that Hermes would not be insulted.

As the door opened, a man with sandy blonde mixed with salt and pepper hair, and elfish features stepped out, a small relieved smile on his face. When he caught sight of Iris, his smile widened a little, his already twinkling blue eyes seemingly twinkled even brighter. "Iris! What are you doing here? Do you need help with something?" Iris smiled at him, relieved that he was in a good mood. "No, Lord Hermes, though I have a message from Lord Zeus. He asks that the full Council meet, with the topic being of sensitive nature." Hermes' eyebrows rose at that, confused but interested. "I see. Very well, I'll be going shortly." Iris just nodded and disappeared into another rainbow. Hermes just smiled and looked back into the house, seeing a normal May sitting down, knitting something and humming under her breath. 'Maybe, there's still hope for our family.'

Iris dreaded this part of the journey. Not only would she tell this powerful god a bad news, but it could, no, would also concern his first and only daughter. And, not to mention, if his wife was present, there would be chaos. As she appeared in front of the doors of the Atlantian Throne room, the guards nodded to her and opened the doors, letting her in. Spotting the figures at the dais, she sighed in relief. Amphitrite was nowhere to be seen, though Triton was there, conversing softly with his father. As she stood before them, Iris once again bemoaned to herself about this task Zeus had given her. Once she was sure she had the attention of both males, she addressed them formally. "Lord Poseidon, Lord Triton."

The elder male just laughed, his green eyes crinkling in mirth, and his black hair gleaming from the sun's reflection of the water. "Now, now, Iris. I've told you that formalities don't agree with me, especially here in Atlantis. See, even Triton is laughing." And true enough, Triton's shoulders were shaking, one of his hands covering his mouth. Iris smiled a little, seeing the obvious companionship the two sported.

"But, my Lord, I've come with a message from your Brother." At her statement, both father and son exchanged a glance, loaded with meaning. Iris just stood there, waiting for their reactions. "Has my Little Brother summoned the Council?" "Yes, my Lord." Poseidon's eyes were now filled with worry, his hand anxiously gripping his Trident harder. "It seems he has found out." At his father's words, Triton stood up, alarmed. "Father, not here! We have a guest!" Poseidon just shook his head. "I'm sure Iris already knows what's going on, with her close friendship with Chiron." Triton, in turn, looked at Iris, his eyes wide, begging. "Really? Could you tell me, then? Could you tell me about my only sister?" Iris' eyes widened. Wasn't Triton angry with his father for siring another demigod? Triton, as if reading her thoughts, shook his head wildly, his shoulder length black hair swaying with his movement. "No! I'm not angry! I finally have a baby sister! I've waited eons, EONS for a little sister to spoil and protect, and it's finally come true! I don't care if she's only my half-sister, as long as she's related to me! The Fates haven't permitted Father to sire a girl since the beginning of the god's reign! And now, after all this time, I finally have a sister! How could I be angry now? Just, please, tell me about her! What does she look like? Is she tall, short? Please!" Iris just stood there, slack-jawed. Triton wasn't angry? Then, what about his mother?

Poseidon, seeing as Iris was still digesting what Triton had said, pulled his son back unto his throne, one hand resting on the younger god's shoulders. "Iris." Iris snapped out of her daze, looking at the Sea God with wide eyes. "Triton is not mad, but his mother is very angry. I think she is planning on doing something horrible to Percy. Thankfully, Triton did not share in his mother's anger and vowed to protect his sister. Now, if Zeus wants to summon the Council, then my son will take command of the seas temporarily, seeing as this might take awhile. I'm telling you this so you could inform Chiron. I know that is where your last stop will be. Inform him of the happenings on Olympus as well. Dionysus isn't the only one who needs to be informed." Iris nodded, looking at the Sea God solemnly. "I'll leave everything in your hands, son." Poseidon said to his son, before being covered by green light, disappearing from view of the two immortals. Triton, in turn, turned to Iris, his blue-green eyes shining with determination. "Iris, please tell Chiron to watch over my baby sister." Iris nodded, stepping yet again into another rainbow, her last destination on mind.

Luckily for her, Dionysus and Chiron were both at the Big House, discussing the topic of her arduous journey. When they saw her though, they both greeted her. Well, in Chiron's case, smiled at her. With Mr. D, not so much smiling and more of grunting. "Iris! How nice of you to drop in! Was there something you needed here at Camp?" Iris shook her head, feeling drained. "No, Lord Zeus commanded a full Council meeting, the topic being a sensitive one." Instantly, Chiron's smile vanished, and Mr. D groaned. "Oh dear. I never thought Lord Zeus would find out so quickly." Mr. D snorted at Chiron's statement. "Of course he would, Chiron. The whole camp is buzzing with gossip. How could he not?" Iris completely agreed with the Wine God. I mean, she knew, not because of Chiron, but because the campers were gossiping, even when using IMs. At this, Mr. D looked at her and sighed, his purple eyes flashing slightly. "I'll leave once I talk to the girl." Iris nodded, looking at Chiron for a moment. Chiron seemingly understood, because he nodded, a small grim smile on his face. "I'll inform Lady Hestia. We shall talk more later, Iris." At this, Iris summoned a final rainbow, stepping into it and landing at the porch of her new store, blearily looking up as Fleecy rushed towards her. "Fleecy, ever thought of being the messenger goddess?"

As everyone had thought, the meeting set the record for the worst full Council meeting yet. In the end, Zeus had threatened Poseidon that if his Bolt was still missing after the Summer Solstice, he would wage war against his brother, fully ignoring the pleads of Demeter, Artemis, Athena, and Hestia. Even Hera was ignored, which did nothing good for their situation. Eventually, the Council convened, with the gods and goddesses resting on their own temples in Olympus, fully aware that the chaos was not over.

Poseidon sighed as he looked at the ocean, having made his temple into an extension of his domain. He rubbed his forehead, feeling the migraine that rose when Zeus accused him of stealing the Bolt so he could copy it and use it against him. Damn his Little Brother for being so paranoid. Everyone, even Athena, said that he'd rather fight someone head on than steal their weapons, as was the truth. Graah! If this is what Hades had to endure when Zeus bullied him into taking the Underworld, he'd have to sympathize with his Big Brother. No one deserves it.

"Alright, Uncle?" a feminine voice floated to his ears. He recognized that voice. He nodded slightly, cutting his eyes to the side to find that she had once again black hair and blue eyes, a sure sign of her mood. "You shouldn't call me Uncle, ... Aunt." Aphrodite laughed a little, her blue eyes gaining a somber glint. "You and Hades are the only ones to call me that, you know." "You still visit him?" "Oh, yes. Though I make sure Persephone isn't aware that I'm visiting one of my two favorite nephews." She laughed slightly as she copied him and eased herself on the sand. He just nodded, turning back to watch the gentle waves that formed. "You know, Percy wants to meet you." Poseidon turned to face Aphrodite so fast, he was sure his head snapped a little. "You've talked to her!?" He exclaimed, joy and hope rising up in his chest. His little girl wasn't angry at him!

Aphrodite smiled at his reaction, then proceeded to tell him how she'd gotten the idea that the Law didn't say anything about talking to a demigod that wasn't their child, so she tried it on Percy, and she was surprised to see that even though she hadn't even told her that it was required for gods and goddesses to stay away from their children, she already understood that with her dad being a god, even if she didn't know him, she understood that there were certain things that he couldn't do. Poseidon had listened to her raptly, his attention never wavering, even though his eyes had begun filling with silent tears. When she had told her that her reasoning was correct, the girl smiled and said that she understood her father, but she was still going to slap him when she saw him. This had Poseidon laughing hysterically, the tears slipping from his eyes and sliding down his cheeks. Aphrodite let him, content in waiting his laughter out.

"You know, Aphrodite, this is why you're my favorite Aunt." Aphrodite giggled a bit as she stood up, brushing her dress up, getting rid of the sand that clung to it. She then turned to Poseidon, her smile turning a bit mischievous. "Silly Nephew. I'm your only aunt that's not in Tartarus!" She then glowed a pale pink color and vanished from the Sea God's sight. Poseidon just sighed happily and resumed looking out into the horizon, though the smile never left his lips. "Thank you."