Fates Decree

Lady Bard

On another part of Olympus, the relatively young, very happily married god of love came awake with a start. /Now what's mom done?/

He thought to himself, feeling annoyance towards his mother. //I'm

coming shut up you'll wake up your grandson.//

That made her stop for though she didn't much like Psyche she loved her grandson. //Well hurry up!//

She snapped but her tone was much quieter. Maybe only half of Olympus could hear her this time. He groaned softly and rose. "Wa' wrong!"

"Mom's done something and probably wants me to fix it. I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Kay! Luvya."

"Love you too."

With those words he blinked out of his home and to his mother's. He found her pacing and muttering. His eyes widened at the broken glass.

His mother loved beauty and that vase had been that. It must be huge if she was breaking things in her home. Cupid knew that his mother only brought the best offerings home for herself. The rest she either left on her temples on Earth or used to help poor mortals. His mother was a complicated woman though most only saw what she wanted them to see.

"Mom?" He asked tentatively. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"I don't know! That is why I have called you!"

"Oooohkaaaaayeee. Wanna tell me who this involves?" His mother was in a fine rage, which probably meant death to someone.

Most thought her to be air headed, self-absorbed, cruel... The list went on and on. There were only a few on Mt. Olympus who knew that though she could be self-absorbed and cruel, she was not air headed. His mum was usually kind and caring with a tender heart. She truly loved daddy Heph, which most people could not credit.

The god of smiths was lame and could not give mom kids, but that was all right with her. With both of them Cupid guessed.

Ares was his father, but not much of a dad. He kept everyone at a distance accept for mom and Heph. He suddenly realized that his mom had been speaking /ah oh!/

"And now Joxie has renounced Ares and what in Tartarus am I supposed to do?"

"Can you slow down? What does Joxer have to do with Ares? You know father never pays him any attention. Since that mess with Dahak he hasn't been paying much attention to anything. It's amazing grandfather hasn't-"

"Enough! What do you know of the Dahak affair? It was a disaster if your father hadn't acted as he did then we'd probably all be slaves, or worse, dead. You should go speak with your grandfather and get the whole story from him-" She took a breath high on a wave of anger on her beloved brother's behalf.

"I am on the council but I'm just not into the whole war thing. It's really groty. Ok, now pay attention!

I was watching Herc and Iolaus and Ares, then Herc proposed to iolaus and Ares just started the huge thunderstorm that's raging out there. I decided it was time for him to get together with his true love you know so I peeked to see what Joxie was doing-"

"Mom! Joxer is my father's true love?"

"Yes! Now let me finish. Joxie was tramping through the woods. I've never met someone with such a lack of direction, but then he got to Arry's little temple in that secluded glade of his. The one he goes to when he's really bummed. Joxie plopped himself down in the middle of the floor and told Arry that he couldn't like be a warrior anymore cause his true path lay in music. AAwwww!" She Wined. "What am I going to do and who made him get that? I mean it's true, but like it's too soon for him to know. They're supposed to be together. I've *seen* it and while I'm not as good as Apollo when I see something, especially to do with my job, it's true."

"Mom, I haven't seen anything like that."

"Our jobs aren't exactly the same. You have more to do with romance and puppy love. The types of relationships that help one grow into who  they will become. I deal with the real, lasting sort of thing."

"He spent time with Autolycus. I sort of helped them get together. I figured that if Strife was gone and Joxie was alone, why not?"

"Why not??? I'll tell you why because Joxer is meant to be with Ares. Now he's decided that he's not a warrior so Ares can't protect him anymore!!!" Aphrodite spat.

"Maybe it's not time yet. Have you thought of that?"

"It has to be time."

"Why!!!" Cupid was now getting angry and frustrated.

His mother tended to know what she was doing... Unless she was angry, or jealous, or when she cared about the people involved.

"What makes you think it's time? The fact that Joxie's little blond interest has disappeared and gotten together with the Warrior Princess? The fact that your brother is moping? The fact that without the protection of the gods that little mortal would be dead? Come on mom--"

But Aphrodite interrupted her temper once more getting the best of her in this conversation. "Don't take that tone with me! I was doing this way before you were thought up kiddo, so like chill! If I say it's time for something, than it is!"

Suddenly realizing some of what she had said the goddess could of smacked herself. /oh Tartarus. I don't need cupid wanting to get to know Arry, not now./ She wasn't quite sure what to do.

She along with Hephestus had fostered the belief that Ares didn't care about Cupid, when the truth was that Ares ignored him for his own sake. He was the least loved of the Gods and he didn't want any of his kids stained through association with him. Now she felt change on the wind, and hoped it would be for the best.

//Aphrodite?"!//

The voice out of no where made them pause. "Hey, big bro!"

She waved a hand and suddenly Hercules and Iolaus appeared. "Umm! That was quick!"

"Don't worry love we're safe. Dite, will you marry us?"

A speculative gleam entered her eye. "Course big bro! Can you do me a favor? When? Oooo! It's gonna be great. We can invite the family and-"

"Little sis! I was just thinking a small one with friends and maybe dad. Uh, a favor! What kind of favor?"

He had a bad feeling about that and Iolaus was shaking his head in dread. Aphrodite was the least offensive of the gods but favors never lead to any good things.

"Just a tinsy little one! I need you to check up on Joxer."

"Joxer! Why?"

"I'm worried about him. He hasn't been himself lately. He's been depressed and please!"

She let tears fill her eyes and stuck her lower lip out in a pout. Herc was a big sucker for women in distress, any kind of distress.

Hercules laughed a little helplessly. "Alright Dite. That should be simple enough. We'll go find him and talk to him and maybe get him to travel with us awhile. Will that be ok?"

"That'll be great! You're the best bro! I'll just send you guys to where he's at."

She waved her hand in a circular motion and they vanished. Cupid quietly slipped away. It was time to find his grandfather. There were things he needed to learn.

TBC