Grecian Urn...

Helios was at a loss. He stood in the large, arched doorway of his worn stable at the Rhodes Temple site, a bridle hung in the bend of his elbow. He stared out into the deepening darkness of a moonless night and felt physically ill. O god, it was going to be dark out there. Completely and utterly black. Like, not even a speck of light.

And why? Because some messengers from Lady Aphrodite had told him she wished him not to fly? Helios could count on one hand all the times Zeus had ever asked to hold his Chariot, and at least he had always explained himself! But the Goddess had mentioned morning... wait untli morning...

Helios wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he couldn't help the hope firing to life in his chest like a banked smithy. The titan shifted uncertainly, leather of his tack creaking in the quiet. Even the horses seemed to be holding their breath for the outcome, still and strangely cooperative in their stalls, despite missing their accustomed routine. Helios was sure they were as ready as he to return to life as the sun.

The Titan turned finally, sighing slowly and trying to force the tension out of his body. He ambled towards the tack room, depositing the forgotten bridle from his arm to its designated hook. He knew if Dite were immersed in something universe altering, then Helios was best off staying out of the line of fire... but he couldn't help wondering how the earth was handling this... unusual turn of events.

Helios stepped outside again, beating his gloves against his thigh to dislodge dirt into a small cloud. He peered around him, listening to the sounds of the night, and suddenly stood rigidly upright. Because the sounds of night weren't... they just weren't there! Everything was quiet... no crickets, not wind in the tree branches, no...

"--the fuck?!" Helios muttered quietly, loping towards the cliffside edge of the plateau his barn sat upon. Looking down, he could barely make out the glass-like stillness of the ocean. So yeah, no sounds of the ocean moving... no motion at all..

"...wow. That is just... really not right." What the hades had Aphrodite done?!

Warm. So warm and comfortable. Psyche stretched lightly as she regained consciousness. There was a hard male chest under her cheek and she woke up slowly rubbing her cheek over the tight skin against her.

Eros... She spoke to her partner with her mind before she woke up completely. Then her eyes opened. Drifting upwards, they widened. Oh my gods. That wasn't Eros. What...what had she done?

Luckily through the night, Anteros had drifted of to the side of the couch and Psyche had cuddled against him, so when she moved to escape, she didn't even have to move him. Quietly rushing out of the living room, she found the bathroom and shut herself inside with a lock. She started the shower, setting it to almost near burning hot and just tried to drown herself in it.

The whole Helios being the Moon thing was truly beginning to suck. It was one thing to wake him up in the middle of the night for talks, when he could basically sleepwalk through his daily activities...but it was something completely different to disturb him during the day.. and hadn't she done enough of that already, since the change? And being the Moon couldn't have been as easy, what with th whole not seeing thing and the differing path. Not that whining to Helios was something she wanted to do - It would make him feel bad, and she didn't want that at all. Or worse, he'd try to fix things to make her happy, and most likely end up miserable in the process. No - if one of them was going to be out of sorts, she was determined it would be her - she was much better suited to angst and woe.

What she wanted... what she really wanted was to just curl up and have someone tell her it was going to be fine... without knowing she was adding extra worries onto someone. Her sisters were still at Apollo's, and therefore out of the question. Apollo doubly so. She wanted caring arms, total lack of judgment, and meaningless words of endearment. What she wanted was her mom.

She was gratified to see her mother sitting in her temple where she normally was, though the fact that she didn't seem to be seamlessly filling orbs with memories escaped her notice as she moved through the temple. Her mother looked as beautiful as ever, with that ethereal glow Melpomene couldn't achieve if she tried. Mnemosyne had an otherwordliness most could never reach.

She stepped over the bridge that spanned the river that flowed through her mother's home, and sank down on the marble floor beside her, leaning in to rest her head against her mother's shoulder. Mnemosyne leaned and kissed her cheek. "Hello, dear..."

"Mama."

She smiled as her mother stroked her hair, her head down causing her to miss Mnemosyne's look of confusion.

"Mama... everything's a mess. Helios is the moon and hates it and can't see, and it's so hard to remember, And he's worried about me which is absolutely ludicrous. I mean, sure, I'm causing comics every where to really suck, but it's hardly the end of the world. He's blind, and can't see, and it physically changed him... and while he's gorgeous all pale and silvery, he's miserable and I miss the shiny happy that he usually is. And I miss my sisters, but I can't go to Apollo's and I don't think I can ever forgive him. And I can't go any of my normal places, because I'll just mess everyone up, and Mama, I just don't know what to do."

She sighed deeply and lifted her head, offering Memory a plaintive look.

"Mama, tell me it's all going to be ok, please?"

"I'm sorry, child... Do I know you?"

Melpomene froze. "Oh... "

She scrambled backwards and stood, tears welling up as she stumbled her way back out of the temple. It made sense... everything was switched, memory was not memory any more, but... it just hadn't occurred to her that her mother wouldn't know her. And it just made everything that much worse. She tripped down the stairs, catching herself right before falling and ran a bit down the mountain before falling to the ground, laying on her back as she looked up, letting the tears she held in fall. It was all Apollo... She hated him.

She shouldn't feel guilty... She had left a note. Sure, he couldn't read it... But she knew Selene would be able to. And chances were good she'd be back before sunrise, anyhow. She just needed to go... out. Be with people. Problem was... none of her usual haunts would work. But comedy.... comedy would work.

She slipped into the comedy club rather unobtrusively, eying the stage as she waited for the next act and finding a place at a table. She took a seat, waiting for a bit while waiting for the waitress to come by. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to handle this, really... but at least there were people to inspire...

Melpomene woke, finding herself alone, the spot next to her cold. It didn't seem late enough for Helios to be gone long enough for the bed to cool, but she assumed it had to do wwith being in a new location... time was different. Or felt different. Or something. And no doubt his sleep wasn't the best. It was a strange thing, really, to wake up in a place that wasn't Olympus, yet was still a temple... it wasn't like sleeping on the mortal plane, but it still felt different. Maybe it was the lack of siblings near by... For all that she often grumbled about her sisters, the lack of them near by was a bit overwhelming. She missed the knowledge of their everpresent proximity, which was strange... it rarely bothered her normally. It might have just been the whole... Apollo thing that was getting to her.

She slid out of bed, finding it a bit pathetic even for her to give into the urge to just stay in bed all night. The room around her made her smile... stuff everywhere. Everywhere. She set the room to clean itself, finding the need for at least a few paths and a lack of dust. She was still in her clothes from the dat before, sleep having only lasted a few hours, and made her way to more common areas of the temple, trying to remain quiet... Selene was most likely sleeping, if she were anything like her brother. She didn't feel right exploring the temple, as it wasn't her home... And Helios hadn't said it was ok. The idea of working was a joke... even if she was feeling the whole inspiring comedy vibe What they were inspiring these days was crap. She didn't have most of her stuff... or any of her stuff, and felt trepedatious about returning for it.
In short, she had no idea what to do with herself.

She stepped out into the courtyard in front of the temple, finding herself a bench to sit on and conjured up a sketchpad and some charcoal. It was quiet, it was still... she'd manage to distract herself somehow.

She held his hand tight, sparing only a quick glare for her brothers, biting the inside of her cheek to keep tears from threatening. This was, quite obviously, her fault... she's the one who had dragged him here in the first place.

"I'm sorry. It was. I'm really, really, sorry..."

She kept walking until they were outside, only then releasing the viselike grip on his hand... she didn't believe one of her brothers had done this.

(Continue the meeting here. )

Apollo pushed past him, his arms around Eris as he laughed at Hermes. They all left him in the entry way alone, Dite's voice in his head as he tried to make sense...

Everything felt wrong. His hands were shaking as he reached out for the the door, only to pull back a moment later and look away.

It is all wrong Dite, he said softly, Apollo...

He drifted, stumbling back as groaned. It was wrong. It was all wrong. He moved from the entry way, and through Dite's more private quarters. A servant came running toward him, and Hermes jerked away, surprised and startled as he pushed her away.

"I know you were behind it, just fix it all." The girl hissed it at him as he back away, "Die...Die....Poor little Hermes."

"Get away from me!"

She stopped looking at him Maliciously (or that was what he saw) before she turned an ran out of the room, Hermes falling to the floor and crawling into a corner where he hide, curled into a ball and rockin'.

Its all wrong...I didn't do it....I...

Only he wasn't so sure anymore.

Chin up and full of confidence, she walked out of her salon into the main audience chamber, escorted by Deimos. She paused once inside, taking a quick inventory of those there... some were expected of course, and others posed quite the surprise. She pat Deimos arm lightly and released it with a smile.

"I'm going to make the rounds... if you'd like to rejoin your brother, that'd be fine."

If he wished to go with her he was of course welcome, but she doubted he was really in the mood. Seeing as how she already felt a pang of guilt for what she'd asked of him, she saw no need to torture him further. She decided to start at the back, moving to each group of individuals quickly, greeting each deity in turn, offering each a welcome of some sort, stopping only for a moment with each.

"Iris, thank you for coming."

"Anteros, please stop scowling... it's hardly flattering."

"...Flidais. What a surprise.. welcome to my home."

"Artemis. It's good to see you. Thank you for getting the ball rolling with the refreshments... There may have been riots. It's appreciated."

"Hephaestus..." To him she said nothing, just smiled as patted his cheek lightly, thumbing away the lipstick mark left by Artemis' kiss.

She moved closer to where the bulk of her children were gathered, and a small stand off seemed to be happening.

"Harmonia.. Do sit up straight, please.:

"Strife" She offered him a wink. "You're still here and sitting still? Wonders may never cease."

"Ate - It's been a very long time since you've graced my temple."

"Elpis. Welcome."

"Zelos... You already know I'm glad to see you."

"Limos.... my, you've grown up quite handsome, haven't you?"

"Lethe, a pleasure."

She bent down to kiss Phobos,the only one of her children present she'd not seen recently, on the cheek lightly. "You're plotting something, darling... I hope it waits till we're done here."

She straightened and smiled at everyone again, surprised at hose she noticed were missing.. Hermes, most obviously, and Thanatos - though she expected he'd return. Hermes, though - one could never be sure about. He could be dealt with later, though.

"Thank you all for coming. I do appreciate your patience. I wanted to say first that I realize everyone is being affected by this... and I kno no one is very happy. I do not know what has happened - but I plan on working hard to find out what it is, and restore everyone to their rightful selves. I know we're all anxious for answers, and while I can't promise any today, I do hope that maybe collectively we can perhaps pool our knowledge, and see if together we might be able to discover anything."

Selene had been flying in the sky for way too long by the time Melpomene made her way back to her home. She was tired... the night had been long and a more than a bit trying at times to say the least. Home was good... home meant warm food and warm beds and...weirdness, but of a sort she
could handle.

She made her way to the Muses wing, ducking her head into her sister Thalia's room, offering a mock glare through bleary eyes.

"I can has mai trajedee bak, plz?"

She scowled as Thalia laughed and tugged her in, falling heavily onto the pile of pillows she currently graced.

"It was awful."

"Awful? Thanks.."

"Well, not like that. Just... you know. Awful."

"Melpomene, how do you manage to inspire tragedy when your glass is always so brimmingly half full?"

"I never liked you as a sister."

"You're a pair of crankypants."

"Eloquent, Thal. Real eloquent."

She groaned as a pillow came down on her head, arms immediately lifting to block off any further attacks.

"Be nice! I'll give you gossip."

"Ooooh..."

Thalia dropped the pillow back to her side, leaning in to rest her chin on Mel's stomach. "Spill."

"Artemis is back. It's the whole mountain that's in a kerfuffle. And Aphrodite's calling a summit of some sort to see what can be done."

"That's not gossip... well, except Artemis being back. I've been here all day, how did I miss that?"

"I don't know. I saw her last night, as I was making breakfast for... eating."

"For Helios."

"... to eat. Yes."

"Melpomene, you can't cook."

"I can make easy stuff. It's eggs."

"So it's not enough that our resident hottie is looking like one of your goth boys who forgot to put on eyeliner... you're trying to poison him?"

"I'm too tired to respond to that with proper disdain."

"So... Artemis and Helios at breakfast. Maybe you are still inspiring tragedy."

"You're terrible! I'm going to bed. lemme up."

Thalia laughed and rolled away, watching as her counterpart got up and headed out the door.

"Mel... you're going the wrong way."

Mel frowned, pointing down the hall to where her rooms were.

"No... my rooms are that way."

"Like I said... you're going the wrong way..."

"... don't break the emo boys, Thal. Have fun with the tragic."

She ducked the pillow thrown at her, and continued down the hall to her own rooms, wondering if there was anyone left who wasn't going to tease her... considering who she lived with, it sure didn't seem possible. She slipped into her own chambers, kicking the door shut behind her with a light thud, and prepared for bed. Sure,she'd told Helios to leave his room unlocked, but... it was late, and there was no reason to disrupt his sleep, was there? A quick shower, a quick drying and brushing of her hair,
and she was esconced in her own bed, blankets pulled up around her, she snuggled down, preparing to sleep. Sleep was good. Sleep was her friend.

Sleep... was not happening.

She tossed a bit, turning over, punching a few pillows into submission, all trying to find the spot on her bed that would let her sleep. It took about three quarters of an hour before she finally sat up, rubbing her face in annoyance, then slid out of bed. She opened her door and peered out, before slipping out her room in bare feet, slinking down the back hallways and stairs in an effort to avoid her sisters. 5 minutes later, she had reached her destination and opened the door wuietly, peeking in,
and gratefully seeing only a sleeping form. Making apoint to be extra quiet she closed the door once more, and slid into the bed, curling up against the form of the moon Titan, instantly finding what was missing in her previous attempts at sleep.

It was with much annoyance that she sat up immediately, realizing that sleep just wasn't going to be on the agenda today. Much less quiet, she shook Helios not-so-gently, rolling to the side.

"Up up up... and dressed. I need clothes. We've got to go. We've got a meeting. Get up!"

Melpomene stood looking looking up at the sky for a long moment before turning, disappearing from her spot in the back gardens of Apollo's temple and appearing instead near the door of Eris' temple. She wasn't sure, really, that she'd ever been here before... at least never on purpose. It looked like a normal enough spot, she supposed. She nodded absently to herself, not sure what she was expecting, then knocked... and waited. And waited. She was perhaps as surprised to see Lethe as Lethe was to see her.

"Hello?"

"Hi... I came by to see your brother... just to, you know, check up on him?"

"Which brother?"

"Oh! Horkos. Is he in?"

Lethe studied her for a moment, offering a look that could be anything from in-depth thought to total confusion... the muse found the blonde rather hard to read. She actually was about remind Lethe why she was here... maybe she forgot? when Lethe opened the door fully and waved her inside.

"Straight upstairs, First hall on the left, third door on the right. "

"I... Ok. Umm.. thanks."

She made a mental note... kill any sibling who ever sent a visitor to her room... but smiled in thanks to Lethe, and stepped past her, moving up the stairs and following Lethe's instructions, knocking lightly on the door. This better be his room, and not some strange joke they played at Eris' home...

"Hori?"

It didn't seem to matter that she'd slept most of the day... she was still tired. Helios was still out like a light, and it was easy to slide out from beside him and work her way to the door. Manifesting a robe around her she ran a hand through her hair and defused the wards she'd placed around the door, heading out to the kitchen. She started coffee, then opened the fridge, then opened the fridge, pausing.

It was a few hours before sunset... and she was just waking up. So did she make breakfast, or dinner? There was really only one option...

She pulled out a half dozen eggs and milk, some shredded mozz, and two steaks, making short work of preparing steak and scrambled eggs. She sang softly to herself as she made up two plates and placed them on a tray, added silverware, juice and the coffee she'd prepared, and lifted it up, preparing to take it back to his room, hoping it wouldn't be too early.

She stepped back out in the hall toward his room, pausing as she heard something near the entrance, and glanced up, seeing Artemis enter. Her song faded off as she smiled. It was good to see her.. mostly.

Melpomene sat on a window seat in one of the higher levels of Apollo's temple, her head resting listlessly in her sister's lap, gaze turned toward the sky. Kalliope sat beside her and stroked her long black hair, smiling softly down at her sister who looked so forlorn and lost, still dressed to go visit their mother. It looked almost like a victorian watercolor, she thought.

"You should get some sleep, Melpomene."
( Read more... )

Klio just smiled, the expression fading a bit as Apollo asked about Helios. "He is the reason Melpomene is outside." Thalia nodded, chiming in. "I do not think he's well."


Out in the back gardens, Melpomene hummed ancient tunes in an effort to keep herself calm. Helios was cold... not just lacking his normal warmth, but getting chilled. She could hear her sisters in her head, telling her Apollo was found, he was home, he was hurt, he was fine... and it took all her effort to not snap at them and tell them to get him out here. There were 8 of them, and they couldn't handle one god? And if one more of them told her to calm down, she'd...

She'd do nothing. There was nothing she could do.

Melpomene heard the knock at the door and gave her mother one last look, silently pleading with her to not go all... Mnemosyne like on the visitors, and stood, smiling at Helios and squeezing his hand lightly as she passed him. She opened the door to the temple silently, and offered a smile to the trio standing there, mentally chastising herself for not warning Horkos about her mother's preference for traditional garb. It'd be fine. She waved a hand, letting them enter,and closed the door behind them once more - some thigns just weren't open-door-policy friendly.

"My mother's expecting you."

Ate looked at the muse and nodded respectfully, fully aware of the favor being done. She glanced around the temple, hiding her awe quite well so far as she figured. Lethe, on the other hand, seemed distressed here, and tugged lightly on Ate's hand, whispering quietly.

"Why are we here? And why did you call me Princess? Is our mother a Queen?"

"No, hon.. she just sleeps with one. Just... stand still, ok? we're fixing things."

She stepped forward, with Lethe in tow.

"Lady Mnemosyne... thank you for seeing us."

"As I told my daughter... I've been expecting you."

Not good, so not good. Oh the bright side, he couldn’t imagine the pantheon would miss Forgetting things. However the world might not survive Lethe forgetting she was Lethe! For that matter, it didn’t seem that Twiggy would survive it either, with forgetfulness running amuck.

So that was how he ended up at Apollo’s temple, dressed in his best…

Which was a pair of grunge inspired jeans, holes in the knees and the back worn out from where his heel always stepped on it. He topped it all off with a jacket and a tee-shirt. And then he had long, fingerless gloves that were as black as his hair.

Knocking on the door, Eris’ youngest boy rocked on his heels back and fourth, waiting impatiently before knocking again and just hopping he didn’t find Apollo answering the door instead of one of the snotty muses (that weren’t Mel).

Her sisters were teasing her mercilessly, and it was all she could do to give back as good as she got. Hymnia was all excited about the coming holiday, but everyone else was mostly discussing the various projects that were going on. Thalia had been right behind her all day, trying to sneak in questions to determine why her counterpart was so cheerful... as if Melpomene needed a reason to be happy. She loved her sisters with all her heart, but occasionally they all took the goth image a bit too seriously. Besides, there were more important things to do.

"Who wants to help decorate?"

"Melpomene, we're not decorating."

"I'll decorate if you tell me why you've been smiling..."

"You know there's no good reason for us to have a tree, right? It's Saturnalia."

"I'm busy writing a new hymn..."

"Don't use any skulls, Melpomene..."

Only Clio seemed to not have a smart reply. Mel scrunched her nose at her sisters, then grinned, sticking out her tongue.

"Well, then... if you're going to leave me to decorate, I guess I can just do it any way I want..."

"NO SKULLS, Melpomene!"

She laughed, and slipped out of the great hall they all tended to gather in, and wandered down through the temple, randomly setting up decorations with a flick of the finger. Green, red, blue, silver, gold... some elegant, some defining kitch... if there was a winter holiday she knew of, there were decorations to match it, though most did seem geared toward their own brand of Saturnalia.

And trees! there were trees in every nook and cranny... small trees on tables, large trees in halls, decorated, plain, tasteful, outrageously tacky, lit by lights, lit by candles, lit by spotlights...there was even one decked out in skulls and black and silver, right near the bedrooms of her sisters.

Once the inside was done, it was time for decorating the outside... the rest of the mount be damned, they were celebrating, whether they liked it our not.

She walked out the front door to the Temple, and stood on the main path, looking toward the building she called home, fingers guiding strings of garland as they appeared, beginning to swag from window to window...

She was yawning as she stumbled out of the coffee house, blinking as she saw exactly how light it was. She was disappointed... she had wanted to be home before sunrise, for purely selfish reasons. Still, she managed a smile at the playwright who walked beside her, deftly sashaying out of his reach as he tried to pull her close. Coy was her new specialty. She grinned as he whined, grabbing for her arm and missing.

"hey hey... what's with the grabby hands, doll?"

"You're amazing... come home with me. I've never felt the way you make me feel..."

"Aww... you're sweet. But all I do is listen to your ideas. They're fascinating? Who'd think one could do so much with ancient religions in a modern broadway sort of treatment? You're inspired. I love to listen..."

She skipped over to a low stone wall by the edge of the road and hopped up to take a seat, lifting a brow as he dropped his laptop case lightly to the ground and places his hands on either side of her hips.

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

"I think you're falling in love with writing excellent stuff... that or the coffee and smoke are going to your head."

"You have a boyfriend."

"I..."

She paused for a moment, ready to state she had no such thing... and not sure why saying that gave her pause.

"I think we're coming from totally different places is all, doll."

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, hands on his shoulders just firm enough to keep him from trying to get all kissy face. She had to laugh as he groaned, his hand lifting to his cheek.

"The kiss of rejection.... and from my very own angel. If you tell me we should just be friends, I'll throw myself off the roof of the coffee house."

"It's only one story..."

"You're a cruel woman."

"Look... you're a pretty hot guy. You're talented. Gifted, even... and don't deny it. You've got some sort of divine inspiration... and I love watching it grow. But you're just not my type. I hate to be typical of anything... but you're just not my type. Now... it is way past my bedtime, Mr. Writer."

"Tell me I'll see you again."

"Of course you will. I want to be there opening night."

"You really think I'll ever see a play on stage?"

"Honey... I Guarantee... people will see, and absolutely rave over "Love and War."

"What are you, some sort of wish granting fairy?"

"Something like that."

"Tell me you're not going home to some greek god type who puts me to shame."

"I'm not....He's at work."

"You're cruel. I'll let you go... this time."

She shoved him away with a laugh and hopped off the wall, stepping backwards towards the path.

"Keep writing... I'll see you around."

"I don't even know your name!"

"I know... good bye..."

It was smoky, with the slightly acrid smell of coffee, both stale and fresh, hanging lightly in the air as she stepped inside. This wasn’t a Starbucks or chain of any sort, but the all night café had still become a beacon to those with laptops wishing to pound the next great novel or play or poem or concerto out of the keyboard onto the screen. The typical patron at this late hour was mid-late twenties, the kind of person who was either relentless in their drive or clinging to their last home at inspired creativity. The college kids, who were overly confident of their ability to make their mark on the world had long wandered off to the parties.

November was always busier than other months as hopeful novelists came out of the woodwork, all in their pale faded denim pants and hoodies over message tees. She should look out of place in the oversized boots, the skirt, the tight top, the dark makeup... but no one looked askance at her… most didn’t even notice her, so intent were they on their writing blocks… most of which cleared up in a sudden fit of typing as she walked by.

She took a slow walk around the place, feeling each person out before taking a seat across from a boy, perhaps 24, who bent over a laptop which sat on a pile of papers outlining the beginnings of a play… a play he didn’t know where the idea came from. A week ago, he’d been tinkering with what had been the first 8 chapters of a novel for over a year. Then she’d come… the same girl every few nights, who with an idle remark that maybe he should try a play had inspired a story in him.

Mel sat by her newest artist and offered him a smile, gaining a delighted, if distracted, one in return. The waiter brought her a coffee… thick and dark and strong, and she glanced at the watch on his arm. Even as she began speaking to her playwright… she wondered if it was bad that she was looking forward to the sunrise?

"So what sort of battles do you have our hero working through tonight?"

sipping at the coffee, she propped her elbows on the table and bestowed an engaging smile at the boy in front of her... she had to work sometime, and there was a story she wanted told...

The Temple had been quiet all day. not in a happy, thank god no one's around, there's peace and quiet way, but in an eerie way... like someone just got news their childhood pet died kind of quiet... or a omg!massivecoup!sort of quiet. The kind that had everyone overly polite to one another. Apollo had yet to make an appearance, and her sisters were mostly being all off to themselves... she imagined trying to determine what the reaction to everything should be. For herself, she'd have left a bit ago to begin her evening plans,had she not promised dinner for Helios. He had to be having a trying day... the least he deserved was her to make good on her word.

It was a small meal that she worked on... a nice light greek salad with extra olives, a bit of salmon lightly pan fried with a lemon caper sauce, a side of mashed potatoes with garlic. It was a different thing, cooking for one or two than for the normal 20-30... It was almost enjoyable. The day was fading fast, so she knew she's not have long to wait... while she did, she set the table, and sat down to plan out her evening.

Helios stood in the doorway of the barn at Apollo’s temple, watching his horses stir in their stalls with unmatched agitation. He held four bridles in his hand, fist tightened around them so strongly that the leather protested in the pre-dawn quiet. Actaeon whickered uncertainly, he and his brothers reflecting the roil of emotions in their master with anxiously stamping feet.

Helios’s head was bent, his brow furrowed. The horses were getting antsy, they felt time closing in on them like the walls of their stalls. The day was supposed to be starting soon… starting through the rise of his chariot.

And Fate help him, Helios didn’t know what to do.

The Titan inhaled deeply, his abdomen rippling with the effort it took to restrain himself. Every fiber of his being, of the core to his identity, screamed out for him to move, to Rise and complete the long predetermined destiny prescribed to him throughout time. But what did that destiny mean now, that he would be rising over a conquered regime? What place was to be his in this new world created through yet another coup?

Helios had served Zeus long before the God had defeated his father and taken the throne. Hyperion had found an ally in the mighty god, and Helios had trusted his father’s judgments and followed in his alliance. The choice had proven to be one of the smartest his family could have made, allowing them a place within the newly conquered society that was not available to other Titans. Even after his father’s retreat from the Mount of Olympus, Helios had seen sense in continuing to serve Zeus faithfully alongside his siblings. The God King allowed him to fulfill his purpose in life, and demanded very little else from him during his time of rule. And then Zeus produced children, and suddenly it wasn’t about loyalty or good sense at all. Helios knew love and a new completeness in knowing Apollo and Artemis. He rose and set to watch over them, to please them, and to show his adoration. The Titan found great satisfaction in giving the gift of daytime to those he knew so appreciated it.

But now everything had changed. The God who had been so kind to his family was gone, replaced by those who had never expressed any great love for him, nor he for them. Helios didn’t know if he should rise and make the morning on this new reign of power. He wasn’t sure whether it would be an act of disloyalty to Zeus, and therefore to the Twins, to accept a world where others were in power. Would Apollo be angry at him, for acting only as he had always been made to act? Would, at first chance, Ares drag him from the sky and replace him with… with someone else? Maybe it would be safer to remain here, to try to protect those he loved. Certainly Apollo and Artemis would be targets considered “in need of suppression.”

But Lord Above, he was the Sun! How could he Not Rise?!

Helios took another hitching breath, watching his gasp create stream in the night’s chill, and turned to stare out into the utter darkness below the temple. He didn’t know what to do.