Skadi

CRUSHED UNDER MOUNT ETNA

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Persephone Pluton

The countdown had yet to reach its end, but for Persephone the fight had already begun... Within her own mind. 

20....

19....

18....

"Okay, Springtime, here's the plan, listen up: As soon as the countdown ends, we're grabbing weapons. See that shimmering at the end of the forest? That's a weapon of some kind. We're going to get it before everyone else does."

15....

14....

"Hmmm, well, can I suggest an idea?"

12...

11....

"Queen sighed, I'd prefer if you didn't..."

9....

8....

"Weeell, what if we like... Hide? And like... Not fight? And make flower crowns?"

5....

4....

"That's so painfully stupid I can't even begin to express." 

2....

"But really! And then, if we make a flower crown for everyone... We'll like, stop fighting."

Beeeeeeeeeep!

"Your delusions give me a headache. Please shut up." 

"Hey, be nice! If you're mean I'll start crying and get control of the body. You don't want that, right? Also, the Games started while we were arguing and-- OH MY HADES THERE'S A HEAD!"

The ghost of Balder floated by. "Well.... that was quick," he sighed. "I suppose I'm off to Valhalla now." 

"Showtime, Springy!"Queen Persephone mentally announced before diving off the platform just in time to dodge an arrow fired from somewhere to her left. 

Queen Persephone was much better at the fighting thing. She and Hades would plan battles for fun, because what else is there to do when your kingdom is literally dead? 

She ran for the shimmering at the edge of the forest, but another goddess was ahead of her and would get there first. "Not allowed." 

Having her Spring side came in handy for things like this. As she charged at the weapons, she raised her hands and from the forest shot a massive cluster of vines. The vines wrapped around the other goddess, and Persephone was able to reach the weapon. 

She killed the goddess, Skadi, before even looking at what the weapon was. But once she took the time to look at it, she nearly sobbed with joy. 

It was a two-pronged pitchfork, like the one Hades used. 

"Awwwwww it'll be like he's with us here," Springtime cooed. "And when we get lonely we can hug it and pretend it's Hades. It's a bit skinnier than him, but it's about as cold." 

"Right, sure. I was going to say it can be like he's protecting us when we kill people, but if you want to hug it, fine." Queen sighed. "But anyway, we have to move now." 

She hurried into the forest but she hadn't even made it six feet when someone dropped from a tree in front of her. 

"Boo," her fellow Greek, Apollo, grinned brightly at her. 

"Ugh, you," Persephone wrinkled her nose. 

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're that Persephone."

She put a hand on her hip. "Do you honestly think I'd let Springtime be in charge in a situation like this?" 

Apollo nodded in consideration. "Good point, but I like her better. She's nicer." 

"Sorry to disappoint you," Persephone said, although her tone implied no sympathy whatsoever. "Anyway, what do you want?" 

"Alliance?" Apollo shrugged. "You, me, and Eros? It could be a double date." 

Persephone then noticed that Eros was leaning up against a tree a few feet to her left.

"He's so pretty!" Springtime exclaimed, but to Queen's great relief it wasn't out loud. 

"Fine," Persephone nodded, "but I'm not partnering with that tool, so the double date thing is out." 

Apollo winked before leaning in to whisper, "I meant you with yourself and me with Eros..." 

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Knock yourself out." 

The three moved deeper through the trees, passing the bodies of Valkyrie and Jade. 

"Does anyone want a flower crown?" Springtime piped excitedly, this time out loud. 

Queen Persephone growled. 

"Eh, yeah, why not?" Apollo shrugged with a smile. 

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Nyx

I found myself in the middle of an old forest. A smile tugged at my lips; it felt very much like home - old and dark.

"Well, at least this is much more familiar," Yemaya observed.

"Ew, it's all dark and cold," whined Persephone.

"I think it's very much like home," Persephone countered.

"Hm," I hummed, glancing around. "I don't hear anyone. Do you?"

Yemaya shook her head. Neither of us even bothered to look at Persephone, as she appeared deeply in thought. Apparently, conversation with herself was much better than that with us.

"DO you think there are any humans around?" I asked Yemaya as we cautiously began moving through forest.

"I don't believe so, no."

"Oh, my Hades, look at those beautiful flowers!"

Yemaya and I rolled our eyes simultaneously as Persephone took off.

"Oh my flowers!"

At her second screech, we both flew over to where she was cringing away from a tree even as she stared with morbid curiosity.

"That's interesting," I murmured, staring at the arm that was jutting out of the trunk. "It appears as if the tree...ate him?"

Yemaya took the scene in with a careful eye. "Yes, it would appear so. Something tells me we should not go near them."

"Something? Something!" Persephone cried out. "Will you shut up!" she hissed. "You're going to give away our location!"

"Too late." Apollo stepped out into the path.

As soon as he stepped into the light, I threw my hand up over my eyes. Next to me, I felt Yemaya flinching away as well. My vision became white from the light Apollo was exuding, blanketing my sight in a snowy wall of...snow white light.

I could feel my hair smoking and in a vain attempt to save myself, I threw shadows at him but they burned away. I groaned and then suddenly the brightness disappeared.

"Wow, you can grow so many flowers!" Persephone said brightly.

I blinked my eyes open, trying to get rid of the dark spots. The moment I was physically able to, I cloaked myself in shadows, instinctively throwing them over Yemaya as well.

Apollo was thoroughly wrapped in vines, his sunlight increasing their growth exponentially.

I smiled slightly and helped Persephone by coating his body with shadows. Despite his fighting, he couldn't get away when Yemaya joined fight.

"Tree?" I suggested.

"Tree," Yemaya agreed.

With the help of Persephone's vines, we got him near enough to the trees that when we unwrapped our gifts from him, he didn't have enough time to gather his footing before his fell into the tree.

"I'd rather not watch," I said softly, turning away.

Yemaya, lightly touched my arm before striding forward. Persephone trailed behind us, muttering to herself happily.

Treading through the trees, we stumbled upon a pile of ashes, most likely courtesy of Apollo.

"We need to find a safe place," Yemaya finally said.

I agreed. "We'll have to find a clearing that is away from trees."

"Hey, guys, look at what I found!"

Persephone was dancing around in a small meadow of flowers.

"Well, this is better than nothing," I sighed.

Yemaya smirked. "Then let's get going. It seems as if Persephone is deceptively useful."

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Bast

Bast had missed the thrill of the fight.

She had to admit that her years of drifting in and out of history had been fun but this was what she had been created for. Her father had told her when she was just a young goddess that she was destined to be the greatest of warriors. War was in her blood, it always had been. As twisted as it was to fight other gods, she was thrilled to be back into the scene with which she'd been made for. Pretending to be human was fun but being a god was much better.

Other gods had special, fancy weapons. Not her. She needed no special weapon to get by. She was versatile, deadly with anything she could get her hands on. She'd once killed a man with a golf club. That had been a dark day. Others had sprung into the fray with heavy hunks of junk in tow but she was more clever than that. All she needed, besides the sistrum that she'd attached to her belt, were her claws. 

They looked odd coming from her dainty, human fingertips. Odd but no less dangerous than the bow in Apollo's hands. Ugh, Apollo. She'd never liked the Greek and Roman gods. They were boisterous and pigheaded and loud. She'd always wondered what was so great about them. People had compared her to Apollo's huntress sister more times than she cared to admit. 

She hated Greek gods...

Which was why Aphrodite, goddess of love and hearts and other disgusting things, was the first to suffer under her claws. It wasn't like it was a hard thing to do. The pretty woman just screamed as Bast tore into her flesh, not really bothering to fight back. Bast had heard that Aphrodite was one of the weakest Olympians but she hadn't expected that a few scratches would be enough to take down somebody as timeless as she.

Oh well. Too bad, so sad.

The smell of godly blood was already thick in the air and Bast found that she had missed all of this. She had seen thousands of years of war since her kingdom fell but godly war was something else entirely. She kicked the severed head that rolled her way, sending it flying towards the arrogant sex-god across from her like they were playing a game of football. Or soccer, whatever she liked better at the moment. Americans had always intrigued her so she supposed it could be soccer.

While she was busy contemplating the name of the game she was playing, she watched the Greek goddess Chaos as she created a black hole that swallowed both the dull Valkyrie and the unfortunate Apollo— good riddance— whole. Bast had never known that it was possible for a deity to be eaten by darkness and space, but it appeared that the two gods weren't coming back anytime soon. 

Oh well, less things for her to worry about. Or kill.

After a while, she got bored of her companions and their weak fighting. Nobody else had fallen and she found nobody worthy of her combat skills. Flashing a toothy smile and purring a goodbye to the confusing Greek god/goddess that she'd been fighting— why were there so many Greeks anyways?— she slipped into her catlike skin and sped off into the forest. It had been a while since she became her feline self, she'd missed it greatly.

After a long period of running, she scrambled up a tree and found a nice branch to recline on. She began to lick the blood from her paws and scrape it off her claws with a, well, catlike laziness. She could hear the screeches and yells of chaotic fighting from the other competitors but she no longer minded. She'd had her fun and now she just had to wait for another chance to do her job.

Now, for a quick nap.

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Athena Vincita 

She had awaited the day when battle and wisdom would once more be at war, when she could regain her power and prove to the Gods that she was the ultimate deity. Today she felt the surge of power go through her veins, the feeling of complete control be reunited with her. Her shield, her Aegis, was sitting in a pile of rubbish weapons, a spear sticking out just below. The other Gods were no match for her, there was no need for her to size up her opponents, for she already had. She knew their strategies, knew her own, too, like the back of her hand. The master of wisdom and battle, Athena felt, for the first time in millennia, the feeling of utter happiness at being back on the battlefield.

Camazotz cried over the arena, the earth-shattering yells from the other Gods drowning him out, the thundering feet towards the midst of battle just begun. Her feet carried her towards the action, adrenaline racing as she wove around the larger men and almighty deities who had long been forgotten. No one paid mind to her as she swept up Aegis and her spear, sheathing it immediately as she quickly grabbed the Sword of Attila. Athena had been graced with reading how the views of her and other mythological states had been, many translations misinterpreting many events that occurred. Her mind raced with remembrance of history as she hurried away, already formulating a plan of action. Bodies littered the ground, Gods whose names she could not be bothered to know as she was too busy planning.

Two heads, side by side, and then a disemboweled one who Athena thought to have been the God of fertilizer, which Athena found quite ironic. As she entered the forest, away from the battle in order to form a strategy, she felt instantly more relaxed than before. Slinging her rucksack that held her token onto a low lying branch just on the outskirt of the fight, she hauled herself up and set the shield up against her back, so as there not to be a threat of backstabbing. She hurriedly took out her journal, scribing down several Greek words regarding who was who and what weapons had been there and now were not, now being used to kill other Gods. As Athena stopped to take a breath, she was grateful to realize there were not, in fact, any olive trees nor branches in the vicinity of her. So long as the rest of the arena held the same fare of shrubbery, she was safe.

She felt herself relax, though Athena knew she never truly relaxed, as there was too much to plan or do to keep alive and win. She knew where the others were going, and who would endanger her. Discovering future actions was a breeze for her, though she felt quite rusty at the moment, brushing it off as not being used enough. A deity made a break for her area of forest, and Athena perked up as she saw them make their way just underneath her tree. It wasn’t until she had thrown her spear did they realize where she was, and by that time, it was too late. It took only a moment for her to retrieve her spear, and for her to formulate a new plan based on their death. Death, Athena knew, was something that mortals feared, for they always had a fear of something unknown, of whether their actions would be stifled or reborn.

As the fight dwindled down, the deities made their separate ways, and instead she could hear the howls and shouts of the other beings in the forest. She longed for her companion, for her owl, but instead she let her mind rest, awaiting the next battle to be fought. A hoot came from the branch above her, but in that moment, she felt safe, her weapons and mind sharp; the monsters lurking in the shadows no match for her. Her eyes drooped, the pen still in her hand.

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Aphrodite

DECAPITATED BY KUSANAGI

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Chaos

Chaos looked around her; she was in the middle of a forest. And not just any forest, the Lachesis Forest Primeval, she remembered this forest as if it were yesterday. The forest still looked the same like Chaos left it; beautiful dark green trees that went high up to the sky were all around the gods and goddesses. And although it was a bright cloudless day, the trees gave them shade.

Chaos wiped the sweat from her forehead; she was still not use to Earth’s temperature.  Chaos would leap when she heard the crackling of trees, Space was more quiet than this, more peaceful, Chaos told herself. The gods and goddesses around her, did not sweat and jump like her though, this showed Chaos that they were more used to Earth’s surrounding than she did.

Ten minutes flew by, and then Chaos watched as Dionysus took a step forward. When doing so a giant wolf, its wool the color of coal and eyes red like blood pounced onto him and dig its razor sharp teeth in him. All the gods and goddesses screamed, Chaos looked at Dionysus petrified. The wine god soon turned a pail white and his eyes went glossy.

Chaos screamed and reached her hand up in the sky and screamed “Galaxy Boomerang!” A boomerang appeared in Chaos hand, it was black with what looked like stars on it. Then Chaos screamed again “Planets give me strength!” the boomerang glowed an aura of different colors. Blue for Neptune, yellow for Mars, red for Venus, green for Jupiter, grey for Mercury, and white for Uranus. 

Chaos threw the boomerang at the wolf, the colors all mixing together, and when getting ready to collide with the wolf, Hermaphroditus stepped in the way and it went through him. He let out a sharp scream and his body soon glowed and turned to gold dust. Chaos stood in a state of shock, the boomerang came back into her hand with gold dust on it. Aphrodite let out a ear piercing scream, the others killed the wolf, Aphrodite ran to Chaos a pink stick held in her hand it was about as tall as her and on the very top of the stick it had a seashell with a dove.

“You killed my son!” Aphrodite pointed at Chaos and summoned shards of broken seashells toward her.

Chaos luckily rolled away from the seashells and threw her boomerang at Aphrodite, she hit the boomerang with her staff causing it to go rigid and fly away hitting a god. Another scream from the victim and he turned into golden dust. Chaos eyes bulged at the body, she did it again she killed another innocent god. She looked at Aphrodite and something in the back of her head said that she, Aphrodite, killed that person.

Aphrodite again summoned doves to attack Chaos, Chaos made a force field around her so the birds did not attack. Aphrodite then swung her staff at her; Chaos jumped and ran to her boomerang, that laid in a pile of golden dust, there was only one way to solve this Chaos told herself. And as she picked up her boomerang she looked up into the hole in it and yelled “Summon Black hole!” Aphrodite screamed as she was sucked into the black hole, slowly her skin ripped off from her and her bones were the only thing left to be sucked into the black hole.

Chaos wiped the sweat from her; she was dizzy and unable to think now. The sound of howls came from deep in the forest, and suddenly they all appeared surrounding the gods and goddesses. Chaos looked at them with a frightened look on her face. She looked at the other gods and goddesses all who seemed to now be sweating. Did they really need her? Chaos looked at the wolves and then back at the gods and goddesses, why was she having such as hard time deciding. And just as she made up her mind the others attacked the wolves all were fighting, except Chaos.

She managed to slip by them invisibility and run deep into the forest were no one would find her.  As she ran she noticed that it seemed that everyone realized she had disappeared. Wolves were now tracking her down, Chaos heard them howl for the others to follow and that they did. Their feet would make a loud stomping noise every time they took a step.

Chaos looked behind her, the sun was now going down, and soon it will be time for Chaos to get her strength back. She ran past trees, trees, and more trees the sky was slowly, for what seemed like hours, a midnight blue with a bright enchanting moonlight came. Chaos made the moon a super moon so that more power could come to her.

Power entered Chaos just then, as if taking a bath in nice warm water. She stopped and opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Chaos looked around and began climbing magnolia tree, when reaching the very top she heard no more growls of wolves but the sound of the nice cool wind whispering in her ear.

She sighed and felt exhausted; this was strange for her, because it was rare for a goddess to be exhausted. She looked down at her hands which were a light pink and burned like ambers, her bones felt like that they just did a thousand push-ups. Never in her life had it accrued to Chaos that age was hitting her.