Percy hadn't seen her dear old friend in quite some time. That was obvious enough, what else do old friends do besides grate their blades together whenever they meet?

     "It's been a while." Apophis said, rather flatly. The sweat on her forehead glistened.

     Percy parried her dagger and thrust towards her torso, to which Apophis parried back (first position) and spun on her toes, leaving her inches from Percy's face. She could smell death radiating off of her, and not her own.

     "That's all you're going to say, huh?" Percy huffed, responding by enacting a perfect coupé and riposte, pinning Apophis's dagger against her opposite arm.

     "What do you want me to say, Persephone?" She groaned.

     "Anything, anything to let me know you don't actually mean this. You're hurting that boy, he's just a child." Percy grunted, and swung her sword over her head.

     Apophis ducked and jabbed at Percy's side, it landed, cutting into her dress and leaving a small red stain. Percy yelped, but didn't break her stance as she swung around again for Apophis's exposed wrist. She had to leap back to avoid the wide and powerful swing. Percy's eyes glinted, and she lunged forward.

     "How about you actually stop pulling back and stab me." Apophis snarled, she had to wipe her wild black hair aside to keep it out of her eyes. "Rip me apart, Persephone! I know you want to. I know you want to see the last reminder of the person you used to be shredded at your feet."

     "Shut up." Percy lunged again, this time with a feint that nicked Apophis dominant shoulder, she grimaced and clutched it.

     "Don't tell me I should be worried about that boy when the cries of dead children call up from their graves everywhere you walk." Apophis hissed. "Don't tell me I should be worried for the boy. When you care more about your crown than you ever did for me, or my people."

     "Will you ever be stronger than your words?" Percy hissed back.

     "What else do I have?" Apophis sighed, letting Percy's parry hit and kept their blades together. "I learned everything from you, remember?"

     Her dagger slide along Percy's saber until they were locked, hilt-to-hilt.

     "Yell at me!" Percy batted the knife away, "Scream!" she parried. "I can't stand being here and... and knowing you don't care." She parried again.

     "Hit me first! Cut me up! Stop blocking and go for the kill." Apophis pinned her sword again, "what would your father say?"

     Percy screamed and made several swing attacks in the first position, Apophis's eyes widened and she stumbled backwards. The first swing hit her wrist, the second grazed her forehead, the third and final swing clashed against Apophis's small dagger. The other woman kept it there. Both of them grunted and struggled to disarm each other. Neither one of them moved to kill.

    "Kosmos, we're not even fighting." Percy groaned, and pushed down harder on Apophis's dagger.

     "You know we aren't. You still want to know why." A smile grew on Apophis's face as she was forced to her knees.

     Percy's eyes widened. She grit her teeth but she didn't say anything. Apophis's smiled grew larger and larger until Percy was afraid her face would burst.

     "You want to know why I'm going through all of this effort—" her green eyes flicked over towards Craig, crouched over Bundi's still form, "—for a body I don't even need?"

     "Yes," Percy gasped. "Zoi Above, it haunts me every day."

     Percy bent down lower, and lower, and lower, until her face was right next to Apophis's black lips. Then she leaned forward, and whispered gently into Percy's ear. Her snake slid up her body and crouched on her shoulder. Blink flittered nervously, shrinking his vibrant blue wings against Percy's skin.

     "No...no..." Percy moaned in agony, her eyes growing far too wide for her head. It was too much. Her heart wasn't strong enough contain these secrets.

     The viper's tongue licked the butterfly's scales gently, and a single tear rolled down Percy's cheek.