[fanfiction/multi-chapters]: Myth - Chapter 14-2

[saku062]

Title: Myth - Chapter 14 (part 2)
Beta-reader: astrangerenters 
Rating: R (for blood)
Pairing: Sakumoto (main), Masatoshi, NinoxFC 
Genre: AU, action, humor
Summary: Nino POV. The group finally reaches Ariadne's land. Among King Minos and Theseus, they'll discover a truth that won't please Kazunari.
DISCLAMER: I own nothing. And the plot comes from Rick Riordan, a damn good writer!

***
 
Part 2

Plague on you, Jun. I can't sleep because of you. I swear that my revenge will be slow and painful. I'm not into men, but maybe I'll seduce Sho right in front of your eyes or even better, I'll break your shower so you'll only have cold water for an entire year.

As I'm lost in my thoughts, I don't hear footsteps entering my room. I only realize that someone is inside when I feel the body warmth against me. I jump slightly, but the moonlight coming from the window illuminates the familiar face.

“Ariadne, what are you doing he-”

She rests her slender finger on my mouth to keep me quiet as she lays beside me.

“Something has changed,” she whispers, lacking confidence.

For a while, neither of us dares to speak. We stare at each other silently, and I notice how hard my heart pounds inside my chest.

I ask her what has changed, very softly as if I'm scared of speaking.

She bites her bottom lip and hesitantly runs her fingers into my hair, then down my face and finally rests them on my cheek.

“I thought I wanted to protect Theseus at all costs,” she starts, “but now I feel like I want to protect you more than him.”

“What do you mea-”

She cuts me short again but this time with her lips. She presses her soft and warm lips against mine in a chaste kiss. At first I'm a bit surprised by her gesture. I've never seen her so defenseless and desperate. Did Theseus and Ariadne have a fight earlier?

Or maybe Jun's right, but if he's right about Ariadne's feelings then it means he's also right about mine?

Unconsciously I bring my hand behind her head as my tongue asks for access. She parts her lips right away, and I slip it into the delicious warmth. I can feel my breath accelerate as she straddles me without breaking our kiss. My brain can't function normally; I'm overwhelmed by so many emotions. Ariadne's lips are wonderfully soft and sweet, she tastes like the wine she drank during dinner. Her scent is surrounding me, the warmth of her body, the softness of her skin; everything about her makes me want more.

My hands slide up her thighs, slightly brushing the feathery material of her tunic. One hand rests on her back as the other strokes her thin arm before resting behind her head, and I bring her closer to me for more contact. We're both acting like wild animals, the feelings we've kept for each other simply bursting into something animalistic. She teases me with slow movements of her pelvis, nipping at my earlobe; I can feel her hot breath against my skin and can't suppress the shivers running down my spine. I can see my image in her bright eyes; they're calling me with desire. I lean and claim her lips again in a hungry kiss.

She breaks the kiss, panting hard. “I need to tell you something,” she says very seriously.

I reverse the position; now I'm top of her, and I can't hide the smile at the corner of my lips. “We can talk later,” I say before I trail kisses down her neck.

I hear her gasps. “Y-yeah…”

**

I try to calm my heart as I lay on the bed; my mind is totally blank, and I swear I can see white spots blinking in front of my eyes. I sigh with satisfaction, and I call myself an idiot as I can't suppress the goofy smile on my face. I turn my face towards Ariadne, but she's already fast asleep. I still can't believe we just had sex. It may have been the most wonderful sex I've had in my life.

No. It's more than that. We made love. I can't believe it but yes, I, Kazunari, love Ariadne. I watch her sleeping face resting in the crook of my arm; she seems at peace, and finally I can see a genuine smile on her lips. Slowly I bend over her and kiss the tip of her nose delicately as I try not to wake her.

Just when I'm going to sleep as well, someone barges into the room. I jump from surprise and the noise wakes Ariadne right away. She takes her tunic and covers her nude body with it as I climb out of the bed.

“Jun!” I call as I see him standing in front of the bed.

“Stay away from that girl, Kazunari, she's dangerous.” Jun says heinously, and I notice his hands have turned into fists.

I look at him, totally lost. What is he talking about? A few hours ago he was the one who told me to accept my feelings and now I should not?

“I read your mind. You're the one who sold Sho to the Amazons!”

What? Am I dreaming? If that's the case then please, somebody wake me up. I curl my fingers around one of his arms, for support.

“Why?” Jun screams. I can feel him trembling from anger.

He must be wrong. Ariadne couldn't have done that. I don't believe it.

“I had to,” she says in a strangled voice, and my heart clenches at the confession.

“Sho almost broke my magical spell; he would have understood everything,” she adds.

“Understood what?” I ask, lost.

“Her plan,” Jun says as he pushes me away. At least he seems to have cooled down a bit. “From the beginning she's planned to kill us.”

“You're lying!” I shake my head and look at Ariadne.

“Because she wants to protect Theseus, she planned to send us to fight the Minotaur instead of him.”

“That was before I knew you!” she defends herself. She looks at me with a pleading look, but I turn my face away. I can't believe what I'm hearing.

She comes nearer and grabs my hand in hers, but I still refuse to look at her. “Kazunari, I beg you, listen to me. Everything has changed!”

So this is the taste of being betrayed? A nasty taste in the back of my throat and this pain that clenches my heart...does it mean that I'm heartbroken? So fast?

“Your wrong move was to sleep with Kazunari. While you abandoned yourself totally, the spell around you broke and all your thoughts went right to me, just like the water escaping a broken vase,” Jun says in a low voice. The anger and the hate are visible in his eyes.

“That's what I wanted to tell you,” she cries, and I feel her grip tightening around my wrist. “I'm an idiot for thinking he loved me. Theseus only loves himself and his useless life. He used me just like I wanted to use you.”

“Don't you think it's a bit late now? How can we still believe you? Your tears must be fake as well,” I whisper through my gritted teeth.

Suddenly we hear a breaking noise in the corridors (it must be a vase) followed by several footsteps and screams. Jun and I look at each other before we run outside. We see Masaki, holding his bow in one hand and running towards us while making huge movements with his free hand.

“Th-the guards!” he screams, checking behind him and just at the same moment a dozen guards fully armed appear behind him.

“RUN!” Masaki yells at us and we follow his advice, not knowing what's going on. I hear Masaki's voice explaining that there are too many, but I don't really need that kind of comment. As we turn around a corner, Satoshi joins us; he's as lost and breathless as we are. We run for a while, turning and zigzagging between columns without knowing where we're heading.

“Can't we fight back?” Satoshi asks as he dodges an arrow just in time.

“Too strong,” Masaki replies shortly.

But we don't have any other choice. That's what I think as we stop in front of a wall, totally trapped. We turn around as we hear the footsteps coming to a stop behind us.

Both camps stare at each other; it seems like no one wants to make the first move. We're outnumbered, but I'm pretty sure four demigods are stronger than a dozen guards. From the corner of my eyes I see Jun's smirk; he must have read my thoughts. I hate that, but I admit it's kind of interesting in these circumstances.

Satoshi and I are the first ones to run towards the enemies, our weapons in hand (always have some weapon on you, you don't know when you'll need it) while Masaki covers us from behind with his bow, always aiming right at the target. Jun on the other hand has no weapon and decides to use his invisible cape. As I use my speed the guards have a hard time spotting me. I stop between two of them and just like I'd planned, those idiots knock into each other. As they're unconscious, one of the guards' broadswords lifts itself in the air; Jun has a weapon to fight with finally.

The fight is tough. Every time we get rid of one of them, several new men come. The castle is in an uproar; I bet the royal family is awake by now, and I'm sure they will kindly send the rest of the guards to welcome us. The whole family is as distasteful as Ariadne. However, despite her betrayal, I still feel something for her.

“Stop thinking about her!” I hear Jun's scream behind me as he pushes a guard just in time before I get hit. “This isn't the time to think about love!” he warns me.

“STOP IT!” Everyone stops suddenly, and all heads turn towards the voice.

“S-Sho!” Jun takes a step towards him, but two guards prevent him from going further.

“I-I'm sorry,” Sho says with a strangled voice as Theseus' arm tightens around his neck.

“Now, now,” Theseus says with a smile. I wish I could punch him right in the face just to make him lose that stupid smile. “You should be resting. Even for demigods, the minotaur is strong and hard to defeat.”

“Bastard!” Masaki yells at him and though we're in a difficult situation, I'm still impressed by Masaki's behavior. I think it's the first time I've heard him curse.

Theseus loses his smile and presses the dagger he has against Sho's cheek a bit more. “Stay polite. Don't you know who you're talking to?”

I move closer to Jun and whisper, “You know that I can reach them before he even notices that I have moved.”

“Don't make even one move, Kazu,” Jun refuses my offer, and in the end we let the guards and Theseus lead us into the labyrinth. When the four of us have entered, Theseus releases Sho, and Jun catches him just in time, already checking if he's alright.

“You should thank me,” Theseus laughs. “Thanks to me, no matter how it ends you'll be heroes.” The heavy door closes slowly, pushed by the guards as Theseus' laugh still resonates in the air.

Great. Now we're trapped inside a stupid labyrinth with a more stupid (but fearsome) Minotaur. Speaking of him, my blood turns cold in my veins as the beast's screams surround us.

“I suggest that we start to walk. Maybe we'll find the exit,” Masaki mumbles as he moves closer to Satoshi.

“We should put our right hand against the right wall and follow it,” Sho says, already doing so. “This is the best way to find the exit. Daedalus always used the same trick.”

Now we're following the advice taken from an old book. This is getting more and more absurd.

“Stop complaining and start walking,” Jun nudges me.

“I can't even think without you invading my brain?” I snap.

“Not my fault. You're thinking too loudly.”

It's useless to say that we walk silently and surrounded by a heavy mood. If my friends are like me, I bet they're tired, anxious and feeling betrayed. My mind is only focused on Ariadne. Despite the fact that I'm in the middle of a labyrinth with a wild beast because of her, I still can't stop thinking about the pain in her eyes. Was it really sincere? She's proven that she can be a good actress; maybe it was part of her plan as well? This way she looks like the poor girl in love who did nothing wrong. By the way what does she like about Theseus? He's a coward. He acts like a hero, but at the first attack he would run away with his tail between his legs. I swear that if we exit this stupid labyrinth I'll hit him so hard that the Minotaur will look like a lamb next to me.

“You do not believe your own thoughts, right? I know you. You can't do that. You can't even touch a fly.” Oh I hate him so much. I know he can read my mind, but can't he just shut his mouth?

“As you wish.”

Time passes slowly, and the scene around us is always the same: huge white walls that you can't climb. If only one of us could be on top of these walls it would be very useful. Wait a minute! My flying shoes appear around my feet, and at light speed I fly high in the sky, so high that my friends become the size of ants. I'm a genius! Why didn't I think about that earlier?!

I spot the Minotaur in a corner; he's very far from us. For now we're safe. “This way!” I shout to my friends and fly ahead; at this rate we'll exit this damn labyrinth before breakfast time.

Or so I thought.

A loud noise echoes in the air as the ground begins to tremble suddenly. I see my friends struggling to keep their balance as I hear a strange noise behind me. I turn around and see the walls moving: some turn while others appear or disappear.

“Kazu!”

I look at my friends again and see that the path I showed them before is now a dead end. This new turnaround poses not one but two problems: we can't find the exit as easily as I thought, and the Minotaur is coming right toward us.

“The other way!” I shout as I land near them, and we run in the opposite direction.

“We can't run away forever. Sho, think about a plan!” Masaki says already breathless.

“I-I can't!”

We stop at another dead end. The Minotaur's roars seem far enough away so we can rest a bit. Despite the fact that it's still early in the morning, the sun is already hot. If the Minotaur doesn't kill us first, I think we'll die from thirst.

As we try to get our breath steady, I hear footsteps coming towards us. It can't be the Minotaur already. We run faster than him! I notice a shadow growing near the corner; my friends and I hold our weapons strongly. We're ready for the fight.

But the creature that appears in front of us is worse than the Minotaur:

“Ariadne!” Satoshi exclaims in surprise as he lowers his broadsword.

“You're hard to find you know?” she says as she picks up a strange glowing ball of wool at her feet.

I see red right away. I let my weapons fall to the ground and push her roughly against the wall. “You!”

“Let me go! You're hurting me!” she whines as she tries to push me, but my grip is strong on her shoulders. My mind is full of so many thoughts right now: pain, betrayal, love, anger.

Suddenly I feel pain at my feet and realize she has stomped on my feet.

“This is how you thank me for coming to save you?” she asks, annoyed. We wouldn't need her help if she didn't trap us at first. How can she act as if she hasn't done anything?!

“I'm sorry, okay?” she sighs softly, her eyes focused on her feet. “I'm sorry for lying to you and for all this mess, but it was planned before I knew you. When I heard that Theseus was going into the labyrinth, I begged my father to let me find other people to take his place. I loved him, you know? I'm sure you would have done the same thing,” Ariadne explains, staring right into Jun's eyes.

“Then,” she trails off, “I've spent time with you. At first I was scared you would find out. That's why I paid the captain's son to speak about Sho to the Amazons. It's true that I wanted to kill you, but you were going to discover the truth. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to save Theseus. I'm really sorry, Sho.”

I roll my eyes as I watch her apologizing and crying. Oh please, no one can fall for that. A liar will always be a liar, no matter how real the fake tears will look.

“It's okay.” I turn my face quickly as I hear Sho accepting her apology. How can he fall so easily?! I watch him move toward Ariadne before he hugs her strongly as she cries harder on his shoulder.

I come between them and break their embrace. “You can't seriously believe her?!”

“Kazu,” Sho sighs, but I don't let him continue.

“What?! She lied to us from the beginning! She found five stupid men and decided to kill them in order to save the ass of that son of a bitch! For gods' sake she almost killed you, Sho! Don't you remember how much you suffered? Don't you remember the state you were in when we saved you?”

“No I don't remember!” I stop right away as I hear Sho yelling angrily at me.

“I don't remember anything! I don't feel anything about it! The only thing I know is that Ariadne came to save me as well. If she wasn't feeling guilty, why would she come to save me? And why would she come to save us now?”

I'm speechless for a moment. It's true that she didn't need to come to save us since we're right where she had planned. Also earlier when she entered my room she told me that something had changed; but on another hand, she could have warned us earlier. Aaah! I don't know what to think anymore. Does she really want to help us? Is she really feeling something for me? Maybe that's another trick of hers. Or maybe she's sincere and wants to make up for it. I watch her teary and red eyes; her face only shows sadness and guilt, but I notice that her eyes shine with hope, or maybe it's just because of the tears and I'm becoming sentimental. Since when am I sentimental to begin with?

I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Kazunari.” I look at Jun, who smiles at me slightly. Does he forgive her? He's the one who discovered the truth first and told me to not believe her.

“I haven't forgiven her yet, and surely I never will,” he says as he plants his gaze on her. “But Sho did, and he's the one who's most affected by her betrayal.”

“And we also need to exit the labyrinth quickly,” Masaki adds, checking on each side.

Right. Ariadne is the only one who can lead us toward the exit; seems like that shining ball is the key to our escape.

I sigh (groan is more appropriate) and accept her help. But it doesn't mean that I forgive her. I might be a sneaky prankster and a thief, but I'm not a liar and I hate liars. “Let's go.”

“Thank you Kazun-” she trails off as I fly away without even looking at her.

The Minotaur and our group are only separated by a wall, and if I follow the path seriously it's only a matter of minutes before he reaches us. “Get down Kazu, he can see you as well, you know!” I hear Jun shout from the ground. Fine, I'll walk with them, but there's no way I'll stand next to that traitor.

Ariadne brings the ball near her mouth and whispers “Show me the way.” The ball glows right after she pronounces the last word, and she puts the ball on the ground. A few seconds later the ball unrolls itself and goes into the labyrinth.

We walk discretely and in total silence, except Masaki who seems more talkative than usual.

“Why did you change your mind?”

“Before I met you I've never had real friends. I didn't know that a sincere friendship could exist. You know the 'friends' I have are all from royal families, and we behave as we're taught: be friends with other princes and princesses to preserve the peace between our kingdoms.”

Great, she's playing the role of the poor princess who never had a true friend. It's so cliché!

“But you showed me that real friendship isn't just a dream. You help each other, you would never leave one of you behind, and you also helped me.”

Yeah, we helped her and see the mess we're in now!

“I just want to protect my… friends?” Ariadne says, unsure. How does she dare to call us her friends? Do you betray your friends? Do you sleep with them before crushing their heart into tiny pieces that you could never repair even with the best glue in the world?

“And also…” damn it! Our eyes meet! She thinks that the soft blush on her cheeks will convince me? I won't fall for that shy and insecure look. Not again.

I hear Masaki and Satoshi's 'oh!' and click my tongue. Great, I really don't need that now. Can't I deal with my traitorous lover without all my friends knowing about us? I come back to reality as heavy footsteps come toward us. We stop and listen to it carefully, holding our breath without even thinking. Masaki walks slowly towards the wall in front of us and looks carefully behind it.

“RUN!” A loud roar makes the wall tremble as we run in the other direction. I look behind me and see the Minotaur just behind. The beast is really huge and seems more than strong. Its horns are long and sharp at the ends. Its two bloody eyes seem small inside that huge face, but the rage and the thirst for blood make up for their size. Another roar is heard, and I focus again on the way in front of me until I hear Ariadne's cries. I stop in my tracks and see her form on the ground. I run toward her and help her to stand up, using my speed to reach the others who are ahead of us.

“This is it,” Jun says as we face another dead end. We turn around and the Minotaur stands in front of us. I swear I can see his breath coming out of his nostrils. The creature lifts its head and roars again before running towards us. We all jump to the side, avoiding it just in time. I fly high in the sky before landing behind the Minotaur. Masaki draws his bow and aims at the beast, hitting him right in the left eye. The Minotaur groans painfully, taking the arrow out of his eye and crushing it into pieces. The blood drips from the hole as he tries to focus. Jun, Satoshi, Masaki and I are all around him; he can't escape while Sho protects Ariadne in a corner. We run towards him, weapons in hand and screaming at our lungs' capacity, but the damn beast pushes us away. My back hits the wall beside me and I see white dots for a second. I gain height before charging on him, but I only hear the sound of my dagger being broken against his body. I look to the side to see Jun and Satoshi attacking the beast as well; unfortunately their weapons are as ineffective as mine, just like Masaki's arrows. The skin of the creature is so strong that our weapons are useless.

“Aim at his heart! He's defenseless around his heart!” Ariadne advises.

The Minotaur may not speak our language but at least he understands it because he runs right towards Ariadne. I just have the time to use my speed and rescue her before he stomps on her.

“Th-thanks,” she says as I hold her in my arms.

I try my hardest not to blush; this is not the time to play the super hero and the damsel in distress. I clear my throat as I put her on the ground. “Sho! Your broadsword! It can't be destroyed!”

However instead of listening to me, Sho starts to run away from the beast. That idiot goes right into the dead end, his back hitting the wall as he faces the Minotaur.

“Sho!” Jun screams.

“Your weapon!” Masaki adds as he watches the Minotaur.

“I-I can't make it appear!” Sho answers, his eyes wide open like a deer caught by the lights of a car, never leaving the beast that starts to run toward him.

The time seems to stop as I watch the Minotaur reach the spot where Sho stands. Jun's voice sounds far away as he yells Sho's name. Just when the Minotaur should have hit him, I see Ariadne pushing Sho to the side; right after that a loud noise is heard as the wall collapses under the beast's force, taking Ariadne with him.

“ARIADNE!” All the air in my lungs comes out as I scream her name and run toward the pile of stones. I move the stones one by one as I feel a strange pang in my heart. After a few seconds that seem like eternity I see her arm. I move another stone and see her usually beautiful face covered in blood and dirt.

“Ariadne!” I shout as a trembling hand rests on her cheek. She opens her eyes slowly and smiles slightly at me. “M-my leg…hurts,” she whispers.

“I'll heal you!” I don't know why I'm yelling. It seems like I can't control my body or my voice anymore. I start to move the stones, but she grabs my hand; why are her hands so cold?

“Kazun-ari, don't-” she coughs twice, some blood dripping from her lips.

“Shh. I'll heal you. Let me heal you.” I caress her cheek and try to find which wound I should focus on first. I rest my hands on her forehead, a soft light glowing but as hard as I try, her face still looks awfully pale.

“It doesn't work,” my voice breaks in a shaky tone as I concentrate harder. “Why doesn't it work?”

“Are you cry-ing, perverted b-boy?” Ariadne tries to smile, then she gasps and I see her face contort in pain. “Kazunari…”

“Shh, don't speak, keep your strength,” I whisper as my vision becomes blurry. I take her cold hand in mine and hold it as if my life depends on it.

She takes deep breaths and licks her lips “I-I'm…sorry.”

I see her eyes close slowly; my heart clenches as her hand becomes heavy in mine. “Ar-” my voice is stuck in my throat. I shake her limp body gently but as I fear, she doesn't answer me.

“Ariadne!” I cry as hot tears fall down my cheeks. I move some stones from her body and finally find her chest. I put my hands where her heart should be beating, but there isn't any glow. Come on, stupid power! Work! Do something! I don't need this kind of power if I can't use it when I need it the most.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn my face to the side to see Satoshi looking at me sadly.

“Satoshi,” I call him with a strangled voice. “It doesn't work.”

Satoshi shakes his head slightly, his grip on my shoulder tightening. “You can't heal…dead people, Kazu. I'm sorry.”

I clench my teeth as I let my head fall. I hear Masaki's sobs behind me. It can't be over. She can't leave me behind; it would be too selfish even from her.

Some stones on the side move as the Minotaur regains consciousness. I feel a huge anger coming through my veins. If Ariadne's dead, then that horrible creature must be too! I notice one of his horns on the ground; it must have broken when he hit the wall earlier. Without thinking I grab it and plant it right in the middle of his chest. The beast groans loudly, one of his hands pushing me hard against the wall. Then he falls to the ground, motionless. My fingers curl around the horn as I stand up and run towards the dead creature once again. I don't know how many times I plant the bloodied horn in its chest, but every time I do it the pain in my heart grows as much as my anger.

“Kazunari!” I hear my friends calling me, but I can't stop. I feel arms wrapping around my waist, and I struggle as they take me away from the beast. I yell and push them away. Then Jun slaps me before he cups my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him.

“Calm down, Kazu! Get a hold of yourself!”

How can he give me orders when his boyfriend is the one responsible for Ariadne's death? I push him roughly and stare at Sho with hatred. This is his fault! Why didn't he use his weapon? Why did he stay in front of the Minotaur without doing anything?

“You should be dead instead of her,” I say through clenched teeth.

“Kazunari…I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.”

I turn around as I don't want to see his apologetic face. “Don't ever talk to me.”

I watch Satoshi bringing Ariadne's limp body to me. I take her in my arms with care. Ironically, for the first time Ariadne's face seems at peace; she even has a soft smile on her lips. I kiss her forehead and walk towards the path the glowing string is leading to. There's no way I'll leave her alone in that damn labyrinth.

As my feet lead me through the exit I can't stop blaming myself. I've been so stubborn, so childish, so scared. If only I could go back in time, I would accept her apologies right away. I'm so sorry, Ariadne.

**

We cross the castle in a dead silence; the guards who had put us into the labyrinth earlier are now kneeling down as I walk in front of them, holding their dear princess in my arms. I see King Minos running towards me, crying and praying to the Gods to show some mercy and give him back his daughter. As I give him Ariadne, I see Theseus from the corner of my eyes, talking with one of Ariadne's sisters, his arms wrapped around her waist. Again I feel the anger running through my body. Using my speed I stop just in front of him and punch him right in his stupid face. My friends hold me back before I have the time to beat him more. The king proclaims that the funeral of Ariadne will be held today. Following the king's advice, we all go take a bath and get ready for the funeral. I take a bath and change my clothes, but I can't leave my room. I can't go there and see her being away from me for eternity. I can't accept that. I watch through the window that looks out to the royal garden and see people gathering. I notice my friends helping with the last preparations, except Sho. At least he has the decency to not show his face. The garden is full of flowers and people. I smile sadly as I picture Ariadne in my head. I can hear her groaning about the bustle; she wouldn't want that. She's like me: she likes being free and would surely skip her own funeral. I only realize it now, but Ariadne and I are similar…we were similar.

I exit my room as I hear the music from the garden; it's going to begin. I wander from the opposite side of the castle. I don't want to hear or see anyone. I'm an idiot but I like to think that if I don't see the funeral, then it means she's not gone yet. Jun would call it denial; I prefer calling it 'hope'.

As I walk between the huge pillars I hear a more than familiar voice.

“Give it back!”

I come closer and hide behind a pillar as I watch Sho speaking to Athena.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she says calmly.

Contrary to his calm and proud mother, Sho is bursting with anger. “Don't play the fool with me! You know this is your fault! I don't know what you've done, but because of you I don't have my power anymore!”

So that explains why he didn't use his broadsword in the labyrinth or during the fight with Theseus.

“The one responsible is your boyfriend!” Athena spat the last word with disgust clearly audible in her voice. “He wanted me to help you and I did. I took your guilt from your mind but you know as much as I do, Sho, that you can't really be you without it and if you aren't you, then you can't use your powers.”

I can see the slight smirk on her face as she explains the matter. Knowing how she is towards their relationship (and more particularly, hearing how Jun talks about her), I bet she knew it would be like this from the beginning. Maybe she even planned the whole thing.

“Do something! Give my power back or give back her life!” Sho yells angrily.

“I can't do that. Who do you think I am? Hades?” she rejects him. “However,” she adds in a strange tone, “I can give your guilt back. After all, you'll need your powers to fight Echidna.”

Sho stays silent as he waits for her to continue. I can't explain why, but I don't trust her; she's planning something.

“In return for your powers, you have to give me something,” she smiles evilly. I knew it!

“Your love for Aphrodite's son.”

What?!

“Think about it. What's more important to you? Loving him or protecting him from a certain death?”

Athena is really something. I understand why she's one of the most feared among the Gods. What Athena wants, Athena gets. Sho seems to think deeply about it. I'm still angry at him, but I'm also hurt for him. This isn't an easy choice.

“So? Your answer is?” she asks, impatiently.

Sho clenches his fists and lowers his face “…I'll do it,” he whispers, resolutely.

“NO!”

[ Part 1] - [ Next chapter ]

***

Note: Now you know how Ariadne and Nino relationship ends. Don't kill me! It is necessary.
Also I apologize for the ones who wanted a NC-17 part with Ariadne and Nino, I swear I trie to write something but I couldn't at all. I don't like het (my first het fic was written by a Mary Sue so... XP)

On another note, I really want to thank astrangerenters  deeply again because she does an amazing work, and I know that it's really difficult to find the time to correct this story. Do your best, there are a few chapters left! o (^_~) o
See you!