Bitter Sweet

Joxer blinked back the bright light that invaded his vision and
coughed. Bright blue dots were dancing in front of his vision and he
tried to blink them back. He felt exhausted, his whole body ached and
his shoulder felt like it was on fire. He winced as he felt someone
gently bathing the wound and turned to the person feeling nausea hit
him as he did. The spots returned in full force and he rubbed at his
eyes with the unhurt arm.


He tried to push the person away as they continued to bathe him and
swallowed hard, he felt immense relief as a cup was held to his mouth
and he drank down the cool water. He closed his eyes and rubbed them,
turning towards his benefactor as he did. As his vision cleared his
confusion grew. He had felt before seeing that he was lying on
something but he could see it now.


Joxer was lying on a soft bundle of sheets; his shoulder propped up
by a pillow so the wound could be accessed better. What surprised him
was his nursemaid. Hephaestus was carefully and gently mopping the
dried blood from down his arm. Joxer glanced at his shoulder, glad it
was covered by bandages, he remembered what it looked like before. He
stared at Hephaestus as he finished mopping up the blood.


His first reaction was to say `thank you', but he startled Hephaestus
and he fell backwards onto his backside. Joxer resisted the urge to
laugh. It wasn't hard, his shoulder and arm felt like they were on
fire. He looked up at the god in confusion and then looked around
recognising his surroundings.


"Ares Temple?" he asked licking his dry lips. He felt a rush of
gratitude as Hephaestus held the cup to his mouth again and slowly
swallowed the cool water. He wondered where Ares was and a brief
shameful and resentful part of him wondered why he would even care
what happened to the baby and him.


Hephaestus took the water away and sat back down. Joxer wondered
briefly why Acelepious wasn't there, considering he was the god of
healing but he didn't get much time to dwell on it as Hephaestus
started speaking.


"This may seem a little strange to you Joxer but you aren't in Ares
temple, or any temple as far as I can gather." He spoke softly
obviously trying to explain himself "This is..." he hesitated "A
different place, one that can only be accessed by a select few." He
looked around the walls "It changes to the wills and inspirations of
those in it, I will show you." He closed his eyes obviously
concentrating.


Joxer was too tired to argue and almost fainted as the temple around
him shimmered and changed into a dark forge. Hephaestus smiled
apologetically, "It was the first thing I could come up with, if you
try to think of somewhere you would rather be?"


Joxer was becoming more bewildered by the minute but he obeyed the
god, closed his eyes and imagined the forests surrounding his
childhood home, somewhere he had considered peaceful and safe. He
felt a slight dizzying shift and opened his eyes, staring at the lush
foliage around him. He reached out and touched a tree root feeling
its texture.


He looked at Hephaestus "Where are we? It feels like it, it even
looks and smells like it but how can it be?" He asked at a loss to
explain himself better. All he wanted was to be safe, warm and no
longer in pain. At that moment he felt exhausted, sore and deeply
troubled.


Hephaestus shrugged his shoulders "Its location I can't be sure of,
it is accessible to any god at any time and in any place but
according to mother most have lost or don't use the ability." He
sighed "I found this place once and she found me. Its extremely hard
to find if you are looking for it, for its power, you just really
fall into it. One way or another."


He looked at Joxer "Hera knew of it but had never been able to find
it before. Sheer panic and need gave her that ability." Joxer tried
to look understanding but must have failed because he sighed and
continued.


"When I was barely more then an infant, barely walking and completely
innocent and clueless, I interrupted one of Hera and Zeus fights. An
extremely vicious one, fireballs and all apparently. " He ran his
hand over his face thoughtfully "I suppose I must have wanted
something or another but somehow I got away from the person in charge
of us all, the young gods, child ones," he added as an
afterthought "Anyway, I went running in mid tirade and one of them or
both of them hit me with a pure jolt of power." He smiled
bitterly "Then I'm sure you know this part, I fell off Olympus hit
the sea I think, but all I really remember is blinding pain, and the
taste of salt. When I woke up I was where you are now and Hera was
with me, trying not to cry and trying to heal me. "


He sighed touching his scarred flesh "She couldn't do that much
unfortunately and after that they both tried to ignore me as much as
possible, they felt to guilty for what had happened."


Joxer was stunned, he'd heard the legends and half truths concerning
the god of fire and of the crafts, but had never dreamed or believed
the truth or that the god himself would tell Joxer the truth. He
wasn't sure what to say or do; normally he was the worst person to
have in this kind of experience, according to everyone else anyway.
So he settled for keeping quiet and listening, despite the pain in
his shoulder he wanted to listen to Hephaestus.


Hephaestus gestured around him "That parts too long and complicated
to go into now but remind me to talk to you about it in a few months
time," he eyed Joxers stomach thoughtfully "Or maybe less, I'm not
very good at these things but when you can drink wine we'll talk
about it. You're a good listener Joxer." He nodded at Joxers
disbelieving expression "I don't normally talk much because people
don't usually listen, they don't let me finish so I leave it and
don't try again. You're different, there's only a few others besides
you who would." He looked at Joxers shoulder "And in pain too." He
murmured thoughtfully.


He saw the look on Joxers face "Sorry I got off track, I should
really speed this up, mind you it doesn't matter that much anyway I
can't get you out of here any more then Hera could get me out. When
you're ready to leave you'll leave, all the gods do. Well I do." He
amended "I don't really talk about this place much, tends to make the
others annoyed knowing there's power out there they can't get near."


He laughed as if amused and Joxer jumped slightly "Sorry." He
apologised "The truth is both Hera and Zeus had heard of this place.
I call it the halls of imagination i think thats the closest
approximation to the real name; from what mother could tell its open
to all, though admittedly Cronus did seal it off from the mortals.
They couldn't control it and ended up starving to death or becoming
chased into insanity by their own imaginations. It was too dangerous
and no Titan or god born has yet been able to control it. Mother was
hoping I could link to it as my godhood and do that but when she
realised I couldn't change the halls to what they truly look like,
she gave up on it. According to her, only the god of imagination can
control them and we haven't got one yet, but anyone with a godhood
connected to imagination can find it if they want hard enough. Hence
why I come here and sometimes I see signs that some of the muses have
been."


Joxers minds was reeling with all the new information and was trying
to catch up. He could understand the concept, in his way of thinking
the halls were like a temple that obeyed your imagination. Mortals
went crazy so no more mortals allowed in. Most gods forgot or weren't
bothered how to, so didn't. Hephaestus got in because he was a god
and connected strongly to imagination through his nature and godhood,
Joxer was an immortal carrying a demi-god infant....so where did he
come in? Joxer was confused and worried.


"So am I going to go insane then? How did I get here? Did Ares bring
me? Did you?" he asked wanting answers.


Hephaestus shook his head hesitantly "No, he's still looking for you
I can't seem to get word to him. You brought yourself or it brought
you, I'm not sure. Athena or Hestia could probably explain this
better, maybe even Hera because I think it was because of the baby."


Joxer looked even more perplexed so he continued. "I'm not too sure
of the how or why but I knew the instant I came here. You're a god
Joxer, the baby inside you too; I could sense it straight away. The
god of what I don't know but I can feel it."


Joxers eyes widened and he tried to sit up letting out a gasp of pain
as he did. In a heartbeat Hephaestus was at his side easing him into
a comfortable position. "Lie still and listen Joxer. " he advised
sitting back slightly "The best I can tell it has something to do
with all the babies being symbols and all being connected. Both
Aphrodite and Strife were with me before I came here, they could feel
something was wrong, something bad was going to happen, and when no
one could find you they grew more panicked. Most of the others went
looking but I stayed with them to keep them safe in case it was that
which is coming."


Joxer nodded, too tired to argue or even bother trying to deny what
Hephaestus believed he was.


The god continued "They were only gone a few minutes before both
Aphrodite and Strife started feeling ill, when they fainted I called
the nearest god to help, Hestia. She told me the other goddesses had
a similar reaction but not so intense. She believed that the babies
were reacting to something that was happening to your child, the
seventh part of their group, Strife and Aphrodite presumably fainted
because their babies reaction was greater being related through blood
as well as through their symbols."


Joxer frowned not understanding it all. He understood that the babies
could possibly sense something if they were connected but he couldn't
see how his child was connected to Aphrodite's. Strifes yes but
Aphrodites?


"Strife is Ares nephew," he said slowly "And Cupid Ares son, so the
baby would be an aunt or uncle right?" he looked at the nodding
god "But Aphrodite's just his sister so if she fainted why didn't
Eris? She's his twin, so her baby is my baby's cousin I guess." He
looked at the god "Am I making any sense?"


Hephaestus laughed "Yes, you'd be amazed Joxer. I would have thought
Eris would sense it strongly too but her babys' father isn't
connected to Ares. Both Cupid and Strife are closely connected so
their baby is too and the baby of Aphrodite and I is half brother or
sister to your child." He looked at Joxer as if expecting Joxer to
know it.


Joxer looked more confused, then his mind started working. Half
brother or sister to his baby, not cousin, and Aphrodite was the
mother which meant Ares..."He's the father." He said dully looking at
Hephaestus whose face dropped quickly "He is isn't he?" he asked
again getting no answer.


Joxer laughed bitterly "Great just one more thing to add to the
collection" he spat, glaring down at himself. A thought struck him
and he looked up the Hephaestus "Wow I'm sorry I mean she's your wife
and you knew and Ares..."


"Had no choice." Hephaestus finished calmly "The fates decreed the
babies parentage, all of the infants parents in fact and I love kids"
he looked wistful "Ares came and joined us for a short time to
complete what we needed and we will raise the baby, whilst he raises
yours with you."


Joxer laughed again amazed at how bitter he sounded, amazed at how
much more he could hurt and feel betrayed "Ares and I have nothing."
He assured Hephaestus "Neither the baby or i are part of his plans
other then to defeat this great thing that's coming." He gestured
wildly wincing as his shoulder protested violently "We're nothing to
him."


Hephaestus winced and shook his head "If you were nothing he wouldn't
keep you with him Joxer, wouldn't be going half insane looking for
you, he's even resorted to begging Hercules to help find you." He
looked at the upset man "He might not show it, he might have lied to
you, he might do it again I don't know but he does care for you
Joxer, more then he lets even himself know. And you care a great deal
for him" he added softly "Not just as his follower but as a friend
and lover." He interrupted Joxer before he could retort "I may not be
a god or goddess of love but you pick a few things up around them,
and I know Ares. Trust me."


"Whatever." Joxer was too tired to argue he just wanted the nightmare
to be over. Then again if it were he supposed he wouldn't have his
baby, wouldn't be able to have it. The god part didn't matter; it was
the baby that counted.


"It's connected to this place"


Joxer looked at Hephaestus blankly and the god continued "The baby I
mean, it must be that's why you came here. I'd guess that it pulled
power from the others to activate itself and used their godhoods to
find its own, creating you as one at the same time." He smiled
slightly "Welcome to the family Joxer,"


Joxer stared at him and nodded, a little bit of tension easing off
him. He wasn't too sure what was happening or why or what would
happen between himself, Ares and the baby. He had more doubts then
ever before but hearing those three words made him feel better then
he ever had, he finally had a home to go to, and he was ready to go
there.


He held out his uninjured arm and Hephaestus helped him up,
supporting the exhausted and pain wracked god. He saw the walls
flicker and glow turquoise as Hephaestus flashed them back to
Olympus, back to Joxers new home.