Skyler's POV:
I put my hand on the door handle and open it slowly.
The room is practically empty when I enter. There's a bed on the far side, a closet and a simple mirror. Other than that a cabinet and an empty desk.
I put my back pack and the rest of my stuff on the bed as I sit down on it.
The conversation of Apollo and Athena pops back in my head.
'She has every right to..'
"Hey, urm.. Athena?"
"Yes?" She's quick to reply.
I have a feeling she knows what this is about. I get up and grab the chair from the desk and put it in front of the mirror.
"Can we talk?" I ask.
"Sure.." Athena says.
I take a deep breath. Let's just get this over with.
"Why is everybody snapping at you for leaving? Why is all I ever hear, things about you leaving? What happened?"
I rush out the questions in the hope she won't cut me off.
"I did what I had to to protect them." Is her simple answer.
"You're not making yourself any clearer Athena."
She sighs.
"I'll take you along."
Again the icey feeling becomes master of me. But instead of my body morphing into Athena I'm standing in an empty white space with her.
"Where are we?" I ask, looking around.
"Everywhere and nowhere, in between worlds." Athena replies.
I take a good look at her. She's wearing a greek dress and, for a change, no armor. Not even bracers. Just some bracelets. Her hair is half up and the dark brown curls waver down her back. Her gray eyes sharp and calculating, yet relaxed.
She's just standing there. A goddess right in front of me. This is insane.
"It's not.." She says.
I feel a blush creep onto my cheeks.
"You can still here my thoughts huh?" I ask.
"No, in this space we are completely separated from each other, but you said that last part out loud."
I feel the blush getting more intense.
Wait..
Separated?
We can.. Separate?
"How?" I ask.
"It's way too complex for a mortal brain to understand. But I want to show you something." Athena said as she gestured her hand in the air.
I follow the gesture with my eyes and an image appears.
Flashback images:
World War I. Gods running over the battlefield back and forth in between soldiers. Fighting one another. The image stops on Athena who is fighting Oizys with Hestia and Artemis by her side. Artemis is battling with Aphrodite and Hestia with Persephone.
"They are ours! They must obey and offer to us!" Oizys yells.
She stomps Athena in the stomach with her foot. She flies back a couple feet and Oizys follows.
Athena grumbles and gets up. She raises her spear above her head and let's it come down.
The sound of metal clashing against metal pierces the ears of everyone around as Oizys blocks the attack with her axe.
"They are not yours to command! If you wish to stay alive you must learn to live along side them!" Athena hisses, continuing the argument they were having.
"No! They are below us!" Oizys retorts.
"Not anymore! We have to treat them as equals, otherwise none of us will have a future!"
Athena puts more pressure on her spear, making Oizys bow down more.
Persephone dodges an attack from Hestia. She sees Oizys struggeling and lunches for Athena, pushing her off Oizys.
She pins Athena on the ground. Athena's eyes shoot around, looking for an opening.
"This ends here." Persephone whispers as she takes out a dagger.
A smirk appears on Athena's face.
"Not a chance, Kore."
Persephone is taken aback by the use of her maiden name. A well aimed arrow from Apollo hits her in the shoulder and she falls back.
Athena nods at him.
"Let's end this!"
Athena knows there is only one way to do that. She's been tossing the plan over and over in her head. They'll hate her for it, but it is the only way to give the others an advantage.
With her allies behind her they go for a final attack. They all rush forward. The opposing side sees what they're planning and launches a counter attack.
Athena and Oizys go head to head again.
"This is it wisdom goddess! This is where it ends for you and a new era begins! Too bad you won't be around to see it!" Oizys cackles.
"If I go down, I will make sure I take you with me!" Athena replied.
She started glowing a slight gold as her attacks became more brutal and her power started soaring though her body.
Everybody stopped fighting and started at the two goddesses who didn't seem to notice anything.
"Athena what are you doing!" Artemis yelled.
"What needs to be done!"
"Stop this madness now!" Zeus said.
"This is the only way father and you know it!" Athena replied.
"But you'll-.."
"Trust me!"
A silent and almost unnoticeable tear rolled over Athena's cheek.
Both her and Oizys exploded in a bright, golden light.
Everyone turned their heads away. When they turned back the only thing still there was two dead bodies.
One of the man that had held Athena and the other of the man that had held Oizys.
Skyler's POV, present:
Athena moved her hand again and the images dissappeard.
We stood there across from each other, not saying a word.
"They think what I did is selfish. When in reality it is quite the opposite." Athena speaks up.
"Maybe they're right and I shouldn't have left them with this mess. But if I hadn't done what I did that war would have never ended. At least they didn't have to deal with Oizys for another hundred years."
"The woman that followed us.. She's Oizys right?"
Athena nods.
"She dissapeard with me. So I can only assume she came back not long before I did."
"Do you know her mortal form?" I ask.
"No, not this time." Athena says, shaking her head.
"Why?"
"I don't want to worry you, but.. Part of her was.. Familiair."
Athena puts a hand on her chin, thinking.
Suddenly she quirks up.
"Someone's coming. We have to go."
No more explanation. Just like that I was sitting in the room again. I was shivering from the cold.
I heard a knock on the door. I get up and open it.
"Yes?"
"There you are!"