I take a few steps back and I close my eyes and count backwards. I focus on the traces of aura surrounding me and when I open my eyes I throw a multiple succession of attacks with deadly efficiency. In one she attacks me and when I deflect it it almost hits grandpa on the face.
-Ups.
I turn my attention back to mom and I throw a half attack towards her. I turn and run towards the trees on the garden and I focus on hiding my aura.
T-Tikvah, oh Tikvah where are you? Come out, come out where I can see you.
I watch as her aura travels behind the trees looking for me and I focus on my aura. I divided it equally so she can't tell what's the source point and I start materializing it as tigers traveling through the line of trees. She makes her way through to me and I close my eyes embracing for an attack but when I don't feel it I open my eyes to find mom in front of me, smiling.
T-Boo. Got you.
-Not fair.
T-Is called surprise attack. Besides, never expect your enemy to be fair on a fight. Now come, everyone is waiting for you.
I nod at her but as we go out I hide behind mom.
---------------------Hades POV--------------------
I watch as Themis walks over to us smiling with Tikvah hiding behind her. I smile at her but she hides a bit more behind her mother when she speaks in a very low voice.
Ti-Sorry.
-What for?
She points to the crack on the wall just behind me and I understand what she means. I take her hand and put it on my hair.
-Don't worry, I'm not hurt and even if I were I wouldn't mind it anyway.
Ti-What you think of my aura? A big kitty.
T-Is a tiger.
Ti-Thank you. Is it cute my tiger aura?
-It suits you, I like it and you did good. But you can do better. With time and knowledge.
Ti-Can you show me how to fight for real?
-I could but, perhaps it would be better if someone else does it.
Ti-Please, please, please pretty please.
-Fine, but I'll show you without aura.
She nods at me and I sit her on the table as I walk towards the center taking Osiris with me. We position ourselves and she does the countdown. Osiris is the first to attack and I dodge his attacks without breaking a sweat. He tries to kick me and I stop it with my bare hands and I turn my other hand and I give him a powerful push with my hand in an open palm and he lands flat on the grass. I take a stance in front of him.
-Do you give up?
He nods at me and I offer him a hand pulling him up. Before I know it Hope is running towards me and she pulls on my shirt.
Ti-Can you teach me those moves someday?
-Sure. But for now, focus on the power you already have.
Ti-Okay.
-Now, let's eat dinner and go to sleep. I promise we'll play more tomorrow when we're all well rested.
We get dinner and I'm surprised at how much she eats. She eats five dishes and three cups of juice. Before long she's getting sleepy and Themis carries her to her room. When she comes back I ask her.
-Does she always eats like this?
T-Pretty much. You wouldn't believe she eats that much.
D-Maybe is because she exercises with her aura a lot and well, aura control takes a lot of energy.
-I'm got to say, I'm impressed with how she's growing up. Healthy, strong, happy. How are her classes going?
T-Wich one?
-All of them.
T-Good language, she prefers to speak in Greek. I'm surprised she didn't spoke Greek with you today. Her dancing classes are excellent, she has a play in a couple of weeks. You saw her aura control and in math she's not so good.
D-That is totally my fault, I'm bad with math as well. But she doesn't sees it as a bad thing instead seeing it as a good thing because is something we have in common.
-Is good that she appreciates the bad as well as the good things.
--------------------Themis POV-------------------
I watch as dad and Diego exchange words when I have a bad feeling. I excuse myself and stand from the table. I go to the garden to have some fresh air. I try to shake off the bad feeling when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to find Osiris behind me.
O-Are you okay?
-Yeah, is just, I feel as if something is going to happen but I can't tell if is good or bad.
O-Anything I can do to help?
I shake my head when I feel a painful headache invade me. I take my head in both hands as I fall to my knees.
O-Themis, hey are you okay? Speak to me, ohh.
I watch as he too takes his head in his hands and he falls to his knees grabbing his hair with his hands. I manage to call dad with a scream before my head pounds again even more painfully.
Ha-Themis, Osiris! Diego give me a hand.
D-Can any of you stand?
We both shake our heads when suddenly I feel a strange aura on the house. I look up and I see something entering through the garden. Dad follows my line of sight and I feel his hand tense in my shoulder when he stands.
Ha-Stay here and don't move.
I watch as he moves closer to where the stranger was and speaks in a cold harsh voice.
Ha-Who dares trespass the house of the god of the underworld? Reveal yourself.
I watch as someone steps into the light with a malicious smile on his face.
Ha-What are you doing in my home?
Thanatos-My, my, my. Is that how you treat an old friend? I thought you, of all the gods would be the most, educated. I guess I was wrong.
Ha-You are not my friend and as such you don't deserve any kind of respect.
Tha-I would be careful of how to speak to me.
Ha-Go, before I make you disappear.
Tha-Are you sure you want me to go? Don't you want to know why I'm here?
Ha-Go.
Tha-Then I guess you won't mind if I take this with me.
In a flash he has Tikvah in his arms, she's crying and I can see the fear in her eyes. I feel as the air gets colder and colder.
Ha-Release her.
Tha-And why would I do that? With her at my side you are powerless against me.
Before I know it Diego is standing by dad's side. His aura ready to attack.
Ti-Daddy, mommy.
Tha-Shut it you little brat.
He pulls a bit on her hair and I see when dad and Diego almost attack but stop when Thanatos puts Tikvah between them.
Tha-Who could guess a brat like you could stop a god and a monster without doing anything. I guess you are good for something.
Ti-Let me go you monster.
Tha-Oh, such bad manners.
He puts an arm around her neck and she bites his arm strongly making him bleed and he pulls the arm away holding her with his other arm.
Tha-Why you little.....
He hits her hard on the face and I feel a sudden jolt of energy flow through me. I stand and I walk towards him menacingly. Each step I take leaves a trail of power behind it and I can feel my body heat up. I push dad and Diego to the side and I close in on Thanatos.
-You dare! You dare hit my daughter in front of me. You will regret ever doing that.
I land my knee on his stomach and a punch over his neck and then I take him by the back and throw him across the garden. I walk over to him and I put a foot on his back, pressing it harder and harder.
-You really think you can come here and disturbs our peace and go out without a scratch? We, the most powerful gods of Olympus. You are even dumber than you look.
I give him a few more punches and kicks before I'm stopped by dad and Diego. He runs away scared and when he's out of sight and reach all the adrenaline leaves my body leaving me exhausted as I black out.
When I wake up I'm on my bed and as I recall what happened earlier I sit uptight and I feel a sudden pain on my shoulder and my torso. I look and I see some bandages on said places. More out of curiosity I touch them slightly and sure enough, they hurt. I breathe slowly when I hear Tikvah calling me.
Ti-Mommy!
She runs up to me and she stops by my side smiling at me. I pat the side of the bed as I move to the side so she can sit at my side. She sits and I hug her and kiss her.
-Hey sweetie, how are you? Are you feeling okay?
Ti-Yes, I'm fine and happy.
-That's so good to hear.
Ti-I was afraid. You wouldn't wake up and when they put these on you, it hurt.
-Afraid? Why were you afraid?
Ti-Well, first, that guy just took me and I couldn't fight him and second, he hurt you.
-Yes he hurt me but that's fine with me. You see, when he hit you I wanted so bad to protect you that I forgot my pain and fought him or at least my mind didn't got the pain until now. Because apparently I got hit pretty badly too. And also, you did put up a fight with him. You bite him and made him bleed.
Ti-Do your injuries hurt?
-A bit but maybe, if you give me a kiss it can go away.
She gives me a ton of kisses afterwards and besides a lot of protest between us we go to sleep together.

The years pass and the incident with Thanatos is forgotten and Tikvah grows up into a mischiveous and rebellious young lady.
-Tikvah! Come back here.
Ti-Not a chance.
-I'm serious, come back here.
Ti-And go back to boring things like always? I prefer to do what I want. Bye.
With that she disappears in the blink of an eye leaving me there alone. I think hard where she might have gone when someone laughs behind me.
D-She escaped again.
-Yes she did.
D-What did she do this time?
-You mean what she didn't do. I know she's a natural with her powers but she needs to have focus and not use it lightly.
D-She'll learn. You'll see. Just, maybe not now.
-She's good at hiding her aura so I can't trace her. And she's so good at getting away that is next to impossible to track her successfully.
D-Should we call your dad to see if she's with him?
-No, he would've called me instantly and besides, she'll be back by sunset anyways.
D-Okay but as soon as the sun disappears completely we call Hades, deal?
-Deal.
I grow more anxious and worried with each minute that passes without word of her when my phone buzzes with dad's ringtone. I answer it on the first.
-Yes?
Ha<Come get Tikvah, she's with me.>
-Since when?
Ha<Since five minutes ago that I'm aware of. Maybe longer considering all the jokes she played on me.>
-I'll be there shortly.
I stand and I take my bag and I hurry outside with Diego following close behind me. I turn to look at him.
-I'll see you there.
D-You're going to fly all the way to Olympus?
I nod at him and he let's go of me taking a few steps back as I unfold my wings and take flight. I flap my wings with long powerful bursts that make me go faster and travel even greater distances. When I finally reach Olympus not even the beautiful sight can calm the anger I feel. I land in front of the house and I open the door forcefully. I push aside every person that tries to stop me or that gets between me and my daughter. No one is able to stop me until dad appears in front of me.
-Where is she?
Ha-Your room, wait, she's sleeping.
-I don't care if she's sleeping. I will wake her and she better have a damn good excuse.
Ha-She does. Allow me to explain. Come with me.
I grit my teeth in frustrated anger and I follow him to the living room where he explains everything to me. Before long I'm pacing the room back and forth.
-I don't understand. Why didn't she came to me, what I do wrong? She can trust me with anything. I can help her anyway I can.
Ha-Fear.
-What?
Ha-She was afraid of your reaction.
-She told you why?
Ha-Just a bit. She said a lot of things and by what I manage to understand is because of a boy. I asked her why she wasn't with you and she told me she escaped from her lessons with you and that you were not so happy with her.
-I was not mad with her for skipping class. But I'm mad at her now and I'm not even sure why. Any advice for me?
Ha-Well, when you enter through those doors let her speak without interrupting and then let her know that you love her before scolding her or punish her or wathever you decide to do.
I nod at him and I finally sit down on the couch letting out a sigh. I can feel as he rubs my hair a little. I take his hand as I open my eyes smiling.
-Was I ever like she is now?
Ha-No, you were a lot worse and we also had your brother to make it double worse. But you still are such a fine woman now. You make me proud.
-Do you remember the first girl that Osiris got a crush on?
Ha-The time when he hurt you with his aura?
-That one. You never told me what exactly happened while I was unconscious.
Ha-I almost hit him that time. I was kind of confused because you were so close together, so united and then suddenly he hits you out of nowhere. I was asking myself why. Why does he hits his dear sister, the person he swore to protect, why fight her when he loves her so much.
-That was intense. Can you bring me a glass of water?
Ha-Sure. Be right back.
He goes to the kitchen and I let myself relax at last. I lie down on the couch waiting and in a matter of seconds I'm deeply asleep.
---------------------Hades POV--------------------
I look at the glass of water in my hand and I let out a sigh as I enter the living room to find that Themis is deeply asleep on the couch. I put the glass down on the table and go to get some blankets. I pull them over her and I kiss her forehead. She must be tired after the day she had, I better let her sleep.
--------------------Themis POV-------------------
<<In the dream>>
I find myself having a familiar picnic at Astoria park and we're all having a good time when everything goes dark, chaotic, cold and I feel a jolt of fear travel through my back making me shiver as I see my artefact fall in front of me. I look in disbelief and on instinct I look at my hand and my artifact is indeed not there. Not that I was expecting it to be there when I saw it on the ground just in front of me. I hear a sinister laugh behind me and when I turn to see I only see a silhouette, unable to recognize him I stand and speak up.
-Who's there?
The laugh intensifies and a lot of artifacts start falling around me. Zeus's, mom and dad's, Diego's, Osiris's and all the Top Tier Gods as well as some other monsters such as Medusa, Cerberus, Chimera and demigods such as Hercules and Alex Cyprin. I watch in horror as they fall in front of me. Shining with power but yet feeling so empty. I fall to my knees and I take dad's artifact on my hand not believing it. I can hear as Thanatos steps closer to me but I can't find the strength to move. I hold dad's artifact closer to my heart when Thanatos speaks coldly.
Tha-You thought I was gone. That I just ran away scared. No, I ran and bide my time carefully. Every god is out of control, without their artifacts their auras will roam loose and destruct the world. You can't save anyone now, for it is too late and now, now you die!
I feel as he prepares to attack but I'm too shaken up to move. Just when his aura strikes me I wake up screaming and panting.
<<Awake>>
I wake up from that horrible nightmare.
-NOOO!!!!!
Realizing I'm at dad's house I allow myself to calm down when I see dad bursts into the room and with a relief I stand and I hug him and then I check him to make sure he's fine and that everything is in order. I hug him again and I whisper into his ear.
-I'm so glad you're okay.
Ha-Why wouldn't I? What happened? Talk to me.
-He's back, Thanatos. We have to stop him before he can have the chance to attack us.
Ha-Okay, first, calm down. Come here, take a seat. Now, explain what do you mean by an attack from Thanatos.
-He came, in my dreams. He had all the artifacts of all the Top Tier Gods, some monsters and some demigods. He also had mine, he said that without your artifacts you wouldn't be able to control your auras......
Ha-.......And therefore our auras would roam loose and destroy everything they touch.
I nod and he takes my hands on his.
Ha-Is that why you were so concerned about me earlier? Checking me.
I nod again and this time he hugs me tightly and we only separate when my phone rings. I answer and when I hang up I'm tense again and apparently dad is too.
-That was Diego.
Ha-What did he say?
-He thinks Tikvah took his artifact as a prank.
Ha-Too much of a coincidence. But still, let's check Tikvah and see if she's fine.
-Yes we should. She plays pranks but she would never do something that is harmful or threatening the balance that we are trying to keep. This has to be his doing.
Ha-I agree with you there.
We reach the door of my room and we enter.