Bitter Sweet

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Xena/Herc and am not proud of it

Ares cursed at the scene before him; a private meeting with Zeus
about anything other then war didn't usually end well and usually
started with the name Hercules though in this case Ares wasn't too
sure what he'd done to annoy the little pissant. As he sat down his
body oozing casualness despite his being on edge, he realized the
meeting was different for two reasons. One, being that no yelling,
fireballing or anything else unpleasant had happened yet and two, his
mother and Aunt Hestia were sitting behind his father.


He blinked, considering everything, those two tag teaming each other
along with Zeus against him? Ares repressed a shudder though his
stomach flipped over. Zeus he could handle, they screamed, shouted,
and as long as Ares hadn't upset his precious half brother, they
generally got on fine. Hera was a bit more difficult but generally
tormenting the same half brother got him on her good side. Which
explained why it was so difficult to keep them both happy at the same
time.


It was Aunt Hestias presence, which really worried him; the normal
cheerful, always got a smile demeanor was gone replaced by a somber,
appraising stare. He squirmed again feeling all of five years old
again and responsible for some serious damage to his mothers temple.
Although he wasn't listening in he could see from the looks
occasionally shooting between Zeus and Hera, that they were deeply
involved in a mental argument with each other probably involving a
lot of cursing from the irritated looks his aunt was shooting at
them.


He seriously wondered if they were playing some great mind game with
him, or if Zeus had been caught cheating again. He grimaced as long
it wasn't the old `in nine months time' talk, in which Hera went
ballistic, destroyed everything in sight, burned off Zeus's eyebrows,
chained him to the bed, and left him there for several months with no
visitors. That had been before Hercules, though only just before. He
groaned inwardly, King of the Gods or not, this time it would be
castration for sure. Last time it had taken four of them to get the
scissors off of Hera and that had been after Apollo had tried
sedating her.


"Ares." The word snapped him out of his daydream and his attention
fixed on his Aunt who was shooting his parents a glare and turning
back to him, she leant forward to speak. "This should really come
from your parents but they are being a little difficult right now."
She shot them another more scathing look and they turned their
attention towards him, Hera looking embarrassed, his father
sheepish. "They called me here today because they believe I can
convince you better then they can to go through with this." She
paused "You are the first one of us, we've spoken to about this, so
hear me out, alright?" she looked so sincerely worried, that he had
no choice but to listen and nod in agreement.


"Have you noticed any strange power boosts recently, maybe not that
strong but different?" she asked, her eyes fixed on him. Ares
frowned, come to think of it he had, he'd assumed they were just
connected to the whole Dahok mess but from the way she spoke
obviously not, he nodded.


Aunt Hestia looked satisfied. "This might come as a shock to you but
we've received word from the fates that something's coming, something
big, that we have to be ready for. " she paused "Apparently they have
these little get togethers with others like them from different
pantheons." Ares frowned again, normally the attitude towards gods
and goddesses from other pantheons was, be polite but try not too
make conversation, some of them were quite picky and several major
wars had been started by an seemingly innocent mistake, as the
general rule went, you don't mix.


Hestia continued "Some kind of support slash reunion type thing.
Anyway they have all seen what's coming and what must done to prevent
it but some of them are a little..." she hesitated.


"Arrogant," "Obnoxious" Hera and Zeus put in. "Inattentive" Hestia
continued, "Anyway the upshot's that this big thing that's coming is
spreading, its hit the smaller pantheons first, and the fates have
lost contact with them completely. The gods, goddesses’ even demigods
all gone, like something just erased them. The fates say that's
what's causing the boosts, every time a god dedicated to the same
type of godhood as one of us is lost, we get some of their godhood
and power. The fates say it's only a matter of time till we are all
gone."


Ares sat forward, his body tense. It was unbelievable; nothing could
destroy a god like that. Kill them yes, Strife was proof of that, but
erase them completely? "What can I do?" he asked urgently.


Hestia hesitated "The fates say the other pantheons are already going
under, we have only a few months to put our plan in action but they
have told us of a way." She paused thinking hard. "We can put
ourselves, ever last one into slumber when this thing comes and ride
it out until we can be brought back by what the fates call the seven
symbols."


Ares nodded "Symbols, shouldn't be too hard to find them..." he
trailed off seeing Hestia's look "We have no symbols, right? So where
do we get them?" he asked "The fates obviously know so tell me and
I’ll get them."


Zeus stepped forward shaking his head "It's not that simple son, the
symbols are symbols but at the same time they are alive. The fates
believe we can tap into them and create bases for their power but it
will take a lot of effort and sacrifice." He looked more
worried, "They symbols are things that will last despite what comes
but they need to be harnessed now, we need to create them now and
none of us can just take them on ourselves. These symbols are
godhoods in a manner of speaking but tied deeply into all mortal life
in the future that's how they will survive and wake us when we are
needed."


Ares eyes narrowed "They? Are we talking about giving someone these
godhoods, making new gods?" he asked incredulously, the idea was
unthinkable. Very few mortals could become gods and were chosen to
become them, even then it was often a mistake the prime example being
Psyche and Cupid. Though she seemed to love him deeply and they had
had a child together she was more interested in being out and about
then being with her husband or child. He shook his head "It would be
mistake," he said flatly.


Hera shook her head, up till now she had been silent but she needed
to explain her part. "Not that way Ares, we have to create these
symbols," she stressed looking at him expectantly. Ares frowned not
understanding her at all and she rolled her eyes, "The fates have
given specific instruction and pairing, these symbols have to be
born, we have to create them ourselves and link them to their symbol
when they are conceived." She sighed "I'm sorry son but it's the only
way, the fates have decided you have to sire two of the symbols
yourself. Once the embryos are created the symbol will be attracted
to them and they can be granted their godhood from inside the womb."


Ares was speechless, more babies, or grandbabies, born to protect
them instead of the other way around, and who would be his partner,
come to think of it whom else was involved?


Zeus picked up on his thoughts; "One will be Aphrodite, again." He
gave his son an apologetic smile "I know neither of you planned for
more children but you need to have one, hopefully Heph will
understand." He nodded to Hera "Your mother has the details of the
other, mortal for now but you have two weeks to give them a golden
apple and one of your mothers fertility potions and get them
pregnant."


Ares shot forward. Aphrodite he could do, it wasn't like they hadn't
been there before and considering that Heph was all for three in a
bed these days it shouldn't be too difficult, but a mortal? One he
would give immortality and his child, it was unthinkable, he'd
probably end up with some whiny harpy, and he shuddered at the
possibilities entering his mind. *The things you do to win a battle*,
he sighed, he didn't want himself or any, well most even, of his
family to end up lost so he nodded a thought striking him.


"Even as an immortal this woman's still not going to be a god, so the
baby will be a demigod right?" He looked at Hestia who shook her
head "Once the baby is conceived we will feed your mortal ambrosia,
assign a godhood and make sure the baby is a full god. I'm not sure
why it has to be done this way but the fates were too cryptic for me
to get any sense out of, something about joining and keeping the
mother normal when you conceive." She shook her head.


Zeus moved behind a dazed looking Ares and patted his shoulder in
commiseration "You aren't the only one son, and believe me no one
expects you to fall in love and marry the woman, do what you have to
do." He winced as Hera shot him a dirty look and hastily
added "Though it would be preferable, of course and it would set a
good example to the others. "


Ares looked up at him, "Who else, you?" he asked expecting the answer
to be `yes'. Zeus blushed deeply "According to the fates this is a
job mainly for the young which puts us three right out of it." It was
Hestias turn to shoot him a look "You're only as young as you feel"
she shot back.


Zeus cringed slightly "Well that aside. There are several others and
most will not be pleased. " He thought for a moment "Two symbols from
yourself and Aphrodite and the mortal. One from Hades and Persphone."
*Demeters going to love that* Ares groaned mentally *Well she hasn't
got much choice thank the gods.*


"We need to get a heavy duty potion for those two considering the
time they are apart. " Zeus continued. Ares felt sorry for his Uncle
Hades, he couldn't see Persphone ever being allowed into the
underworld when pregnant let alone to get that way. He almost missed
the rest of the couples "Acelepious and your sister," he looked at
Ares carefully "Eris, I mean." Ares sunk into his chair with a low
moan "Even Apollo wouldn't stand a chance." Hestia patted his
knee "She'll come around dear."


Ares sunk lower "One of the muses, though its not too clear which yet
and Apollo." Ares rolled his eyes, that figured. "One from Athena
and Posidrons middle son, Caplet." Ares restrained her laugh; Athena
had no chance of safe guarding her virginity now. "And Cupid and
Strife." Zeus said.


For a minute the last word didn't hit him then Ares sat bolt upright
in his seat "Strife? As in my dead nephew Strife!" he almost
screeched, Zeus winced and nodded. "Hades will have to send him back,
and no one can moan about it, he'll have got off on a technicality as
they say." He murmured.


A slow smile spread over Ares face, after all the bitching, moaning
and trying to get Strife back the fates were literally handing over
the golden apple of all opportunities, and no one could say anything
about it. He grinned; again on the other hand Strife would hopefully
finally get the chance he deserved with Cupid after that ridiculous
trouble over Psyche. He grinned again, something he couldn't see his
son complaining about at all.


Hera glanced at Hestia and a piece of folded paper appeared in her
hand. "We'll set it up with the others, get the potions in hand and
everything but you have to start now, take these and go and get your
mortal, she reached behind her and handed him a small green bottle
and a golden apple. "Force feed if you have to, but get your mortal
back here by sun down, follow those instructions and our new family
member can come back here and settle in while you sort out things
with Aphrodite, but remember Ares you only have two weeks, all of us
do." She warned.


Ares nodded, made to stand up and frowned "Not to sound strange but
which mortal is it?" he asked flushing slightly. Hera smiled and
handed over the paper "All the instructions are on here." She
answered as he opened it. In the short space of a heartbeat, Ares
eyes widened, he went exceedingly pale and his eyes rolled back.
Luckily Zeus caught him before he hit the ground and pushed him onto
the chair, frowning at his unconscious son.


Hestia turned to Hera "I would suggest not mentioning the sacrifice
part to any of them just yet." She reached out and patted Ares leg
sadly "It would be too cruel and it's going to be hard enough on all
of us."

Hera nodded in agreement, "It's the only way though." She
murmured as Zeus picked up the piece of paper and studied it a
confused expression on his face,

"Who's Joxer the Mighty?"