The suns were high in the sky, it was warm. Ares lifted up a hand and gently rubbed his own chin. It was smooth. He looked around his surroundings in slight confusion. He was back in the dragon realm again. He chuckled a bit as he felt a warm hand take his.
"Ares.. I was thinking.." Selena beamed, looking at him. Ares looked at her, and tilted his head slightly. "We should have kids of our own.. the others are doing it and.. I think I'm ready." She smiled. Ares blinked. When his eyes opened again, he was in a draconian hospital, a small baby in his arms. He couldn't help but smile.
"What should we name her?" Ares asked, shifting his gaze to Selena. Selena smiled, watching the man she loved with daughter.
"Hm.. Mizuki.?" Selena tilted her head softly.
"Sounds perfect." Ares blinked once more. Now he was in the backyard of his home. There was 2 girls and a boy there. They were playing, he was watching. The blue haired girl is Mizuki, his first daughter. Then there was the slightly younger purple haired girl, Sirin. Lastly, there was a young boy with gray hair; Iba. Ares watched them play, Selena standing in the doorway of the backyard with a drink. He was feeling happiness. He blinked. Thunder rolled across the clouds, and lightning shot through the sky. Heavy rain hammered on ares head. He was in the streets, it was dark. Selena was with him, crying softly.
"Mizuki!" He called out, unable to hold it back. Why was he experiencing this again. His eldest daughter running away from home, without a trace. Ares gently hugged Selena and closed his eyes. The rain ceased, when he opened them again, he was standing at the bedside of a dear friend. He was with everyone. Thunder, Torrent, their wives, kids, his family, and Benjamin.. Nate's son. Nate was weak, and losing life, his parasite taking over, killing him. Ares closed a fist and turned away, he couldn't do this again. He blinked. He rubbed his face again, his hand rubbing against his stubble. He was letting himself go, his hair getting longer. He looked down at a hospital bed. Selena was there again. She was weak, a weak smile on her face.
"Ares.. I.. I love you.." she croaked, slowly lifting a hand up. Ares gently took it, and kept himself from tearing up. He had to show strength. Sirin and Iba were sat beside the bed.
"And you.. Sirin.. Iba.." she coughed. Ares closed his eyes slowly. He opened them, the loud rumbles of the ground beneath him. He wasn't trying to move, and was simply watching as he ran toward a silhouetted figure.
"You're too late, Aritaki!" The figure laughed, and lifted up Sirin by her throat. She was still being trained, and this man had invaded mid way through.
"No!" Ares yelled, a sword being driven through Sirin's stomach. She squealed, and ares was filled with fury. He blinked. All of a sudden, he and Iba were beside Sirin. She was laying in a pool of her own blood.
"F-father.." Sirin breathed raspily "I'm.. so s-sorry.." she cried, Ares pulling her into his arms gently.
"Sirin.. it's not your fault.. I will avenge you.. that's a promise.. I will find a way to get you back.." he looked down at her, and blinked. The frost was biting; as ares trudged through the snow. He wasn't stopping. He was covered in blood, his swords in his grip. He couldn't stop even if he wanted to.
"Ares. You know this is foolish." Nates voice said softly.
"I miss you, Ares.." Selena's voice echoed through his surroundings.
"Father.. it's so cold.. and dark.." Sirin's voice cried quietly.
"It's your fault. All of it. All you do is argue!" Mizuki's voice yelled angrily.
Ares face was back to how it was before he had met Selena, emotionless and still. All of a sudden, that same silhouetted figure burst through the forest toward Ares.

Ares shot up in bed, his eyes black, and summoning his sword immediately, gasping heavily and swinging at the darkness of his cabin. A soft orange glow emitted from the fire in the fireplace.
"I could sense your nightmares.." Iba's voice spoke up from the other side of the cabin, sat on the edge of his bed. "I'd heard you shouldn't wake people up during them, though. Could do serious damage." The boy explained, his cold voice taking after his father.
"Hmph." Ares grunted, and his sword disappeared, his eyes returning to normal. The cabin was warm, and silence fell upon it. He had a beard now, and longer hair. He wore more sensible clothes for his surroundings, his chains hidden beneath them so that Iba didn't have to see them. He was retired now, living out in the arctic in an attempt to hide from his past. He wouldn't accept this though. Iba now wore Ares old cloak, having had it passed down. He no longer wore the bandages he once did to cover his scars. He was blind, completely. The scar on his face that he once covered now on full display, as well as the scars over his hands.
"Why are you awake, Iba." Ares sat on the edge of his bed, facing his son.
"Couldn't sleep. I have a bad feeling." Iba shrugged. Ares usually took this warnings seriously.
"What kind of bad feeling." He questioned, rubbing his face slowly as he woke up fully.
"That something bad is coming." Iba explained, getting up and slowly walking over to the table, and grabbing a cup of water he had poured before going to bed. He may be blind, but his senses of his surroundings were extraordinary. As well as Ares' training, he was becoming quite strong.
"Something bad?" Ares sighed softly.
"Something powerful. Something angry." Iba looked in his fathers general direction, something that he found to be for politeness over practicality. Ares stood, and walked over to the table, gently patting his son on the shoulder.
"Nobody knows we are out here.. only your friends, and my old friends. They wouldn't tell anyone. We havnt had visitors in a long time." Ares explained, almost saddened. His dream was replaying in his mind. Iba took notice.

"You had that nightmare again didn't you." Iba accused.
"Hmn. This time it was different." Ares didn't mind sharing what was on his mind with his son at all, but he would withhold certain parts.
"Different how?" Iba asked.
"The end. It was different. It was memories, until it wasn't." Ares shrugged "It was in this forest, but it hasn't happened."
"A vision..?" Iba suggested, and before ares could respond, there were loud strikes of thunder booming through the air.
"—A storm?" Ares questioned, walking to the front door, and placing his hand on the handle.
"Don't open the door.." Iba spoke lowly. "I can sense another.. life." Iba focused a little, as Ares looked toward him. Soon enough, three loud bangs erupted the silence. Someone had knocked on the door. Ares gestured for Iba to go and stand near his weapon, as he slowly opened the door. Ares stood in the doorway, and looked out into the dark forest of frost before him. Nobody was there. Only the snowflakes in the air; and the cool chilled air flowing into the cabin. No storm, either.
"Iba." Ares slammed the door. "Where's that life force." He looked toward his son, only to find there was someone else beside him.
"Right here.." Iba remained calm, even though there was now an Olympian god beside him.
"You.. Chained One." Zeus spat. Her pink hair flowed down her back, her pristine white clothes free from dirt. She had various weapons on her; and Lightning sparking from her from time to time.
"Hrmn." Ares frowned, staring at Zeus in silence.
"Do I not even get a hello from an old friend." Zeus mocked, crossing her arms. Iba remained silent, walking toward his father and standing beside him.
"Why are you here." Ares got straight to the point.
"I believe you were rather close with one of my sisters.. Harle. She was quite fond of you. Her void warrior." Zeus shook her head "Then you started a fight with a child of hers. This wouldn't have been an issue.. but I know about what happened. Her son got a little pissy and started a fight, and in self defence you killed him.. I get it. Now.. a child of Mautilia's wanted revenge; if I'm not mistaken?" Zeus tilted her head. Ares face remained expressionless, a mere grunt in response.

"Well." Zeus returned to her normal posture "Vex killed your daughter, and you want your revenge. We both know that can't happen. You removed yourself out here to keep your distance and grieve, and ... train. I'm here to offer you something." Zeus walked toward the table, and leant a hand on it. "You don't try and kill another demigod, and you can live out your life here with your last child." Zeus smirked. Ares stared at her, Iba merely reading the emotions on the room.
"Father.. you know the gods are serious on things like th—" Iba was cut off by Ares raising his hand slightly.
"No." Ares stared at Zeus. "He killed my daughter. He will get what's coming his way, and if you wish to stand in my way.. I'll have to destroy you too." Ares wasn't himself, not since he lost everything.
"Father you aren't thinking straight. You havnt had a proper fight in.. years.." Iba whispered, Zeus standing up with a grunt.
"Fine." Zeus cracked her knuckles, before snapping her fingers, a bright flash occurring. Ares flinched slightly, Iba being unaffected. Zeus was gone. Ares grunted and looked to his son.
"It's unsafe here." Ares commented, moving around his home in thought.
"Why didn't you take the deal." Iba asked.
"The boy killed my daughter." Ares looked at Iba "Your sister."
"I know.. but.. is it truly worth fighting the gods over this..?" Iba asked, sitting down at the table.
"If that's what it takes." Ares grunted. "I don't want war, but if they want to try and stop me, I will show them what it truly means to be Ares."
"Father.. you aren't him anymore." Iba shook his head slightly.
"They can try and replace me all they want.. but the true god of war lies here, within me." Ares grabbed his fur-lined cloak and threw it on himself. "We need to fix the barrier." Ares commented.
"If Zeus got in.. does that mean it's broken?" Iba got up, and tilted his head.
"Yeah. And I fear she isn't the only thing that's gotten in." Ares took a deep breath.

"Time for the old me to make an appearance, I suppose.." he walked toward the front door and burst through it, stepping out into the snow. Iba followed behind.