Chapter 2! Oh, glorious Chapter 2!

Nick: Wow, you didn't make Ash an ass this time.

Believe it or not, Nicky-I don't honestly mean to. It just kinda happens.

Zarek: (snorts) Especially when you two clash like you do.

Yeah, that's true...

Usagi: Am I in this?

Who do you think just had the "Baby in June"?

Usagi: Minako! Ooo! No, Makoto! No, wait-Ami! Oh, hold on-Rei!

(Slaps forehead) God, Hotaru, I feel so damn sorry for you.

Hotaru: Just wait. She can be worse.

(Face faults) Oh, God...

She sat on the ground by the river, stalling as long as possible before she had to return to the Whore of the Hunt's temple. She hugged her knees against her chest, replaying the trick she had fallen victim to over in her head. But it didn't matter. The end result was the same—he was with his family and none of them remembered what had happened or even her for that matter. That had been the safest path to take.

What a fool she had been. Going to Artemis when she knew what awaited her. Damn her tender heart and desperate need for love and exceptence. When had she allowed herself to fall so low and go to a pathetic excuse of a goddess for help? Damn her. She should've gone to Hades and Hypnos. They would've helped her without charge.

A warm leather jacket was put around her shoulders and the scents of the sea, of fresh olives, of power undiluted and of time eternal invaded her lungs as an arm encircled her shoulders and a head was resting gently on top of hers.

"I fell for it, Acheron. I fell for it big time." She muttered into her knees.

"I fell for it too. And I should've seen this coming but my assumptions that you'd be all right…" Ash mumbled into her wisteria smelling hair.

"Don't take the blame, Woe. It's not like you can see my past, present and future even if you didn't need my permission. I'm too close to you for that." She told him softly. She pulled his jacket closer around her body, trying to fight off the haunting cold she was feeling deep down inside. She missed whatever He did to her to never let her feel that cold ever gain. How she hated that cold.

"I'm going to let her screw you over, Death. I saw the Fates. They didn't want to see me but as soon as I mentioned your name and what Artemis did, they started demanding the details." Ash smiled at the memory. "The way they were pulling out all the stops for you, one would think you were their favorite."

"I am their favorite. I'm the only one who says we make our own destiny but our fate is woven by the Morea. They love me because I'm not like Savitar but I'm not like you either."

"They gave you a new name, one in your language." He informed her sweetly. "They call you 'Xenaeth'—the Soul That Never Was. Kind of fitting given where you're from but that's just my screwy logic for ya."

Xenaeth smiled to herself and closed her eyes, saying something in her native tongue. Acheron groaned lightly, hating it when she used a version he didn't know. "I said, 'May the Serpent of Fate protect the Morea'."

Ash smirked and tenderly kissed the top of her head. "Come on, Xen. Let's get you to the Fates and then back to Artemis before she deploys her new Thantos to slag those between us."

What, Xenaeth?

Talon: Yeah, that one.

It should. It's one of the ones I use a lot.

Hotaru: Are all of these guys idiots?

You tell me-You're older than Siliver eyes over there.