After The Fall

Shadows danced and swirled around the dark figure. Hiding him from mortal and not so mortal sight. The dark-eyed man watched in longing and disbelief.

It couldn't be. Could it? Not after all this time. Not after....

He shook himself from useless thoughts and old memories. It was almost time.

He gasped as the one he waited for came into view.

Gods! It was... she hadn't lied. It had to be.

There'd never been a soul as pure as this one. Not before or since, and he'd know it anywhere. He watched eyes greedily devouring the teenager who walked not twenty feet from him. He burned with the need to reach out.

Take what had been missing for so long....

Snarls of barely contained rage hissed from the shadows following the trio of teens.

How dare they!

Red flares of light burst into life, crackling with energy as he contemplated blasting the little blond bitch.

His love was worth ten of her! He'd saved her worthless ass a thousand times over, never faltering in his mission. Doing what he'd done a thousand lifetimes ago, giving his loyalty... his love... his life... for the sake of friendship.

Only a half-whispered admonishment stayed the dark god's hand. Far from home, he was there on sufferance from another god. He would not abuse her capricious will.

Why did he do this? Why did he torture himself? Coming time and time again to watch. Never to speak.... to touch... to hold....

Each time he promised himself it was the last. Yet he returned again... and again. He knew the lie for what it was every time he swore it. Even this torment was enough... just to see him.

The dark god cried out in impotent rage as his beloved's life blood spilled across the floor. Tears coursed down pale cheeks as his breath faltered.

No! Nononononono! This wasn't happening! He couldn't...no...not again....

He ignored the red-head's squeal of shock as he materialized beside the dying body of his love.

Eyes the color of melted chocolate stared up at him in shocked awe. He reached one callused hand out to touch that precious face, and growled at the hand that dared stop him. Turning, burning red eyes to the blonde bitch who's life span was about to come to an abrupt end.

"Release me, mortal..." he hissed, "Or know only pain for the rest of eternity."

The red-headed witch paled as death's icy breath skated over them. She began praying feverently to her goddess. Stubbornly the blonde held on.

"So be it," he murmured.

The screams of pain that stained the air caused a pleased grin to flicker across his face before he turned back to his lost soul. Those beloved eyes were dull with pain yet they still held such good that even gods would weep at the sight of them.

And this god did.

A tentative hand reached out to brush the tears from his face. Shock momentarily took the place of pain on the face.

"You love me," he whispered disbelievingly. "I've never see you before and yet I know you love me."

The dark god gathered the dying mortal in his arms then brushed a kiss across the pale brow. "With all I am. Forever and always."

The smile those words caused was worth a thousand lifetimes of pain. It glowed with laughter and love. The dark god returned it only to frown as he felt his love's life slipping away. Long fingers brushed across his mouth.

"Don't....don't be sad. I got to have you love me," he whispered softly hand dropping as the last of his life spilled out.

Hecate roused herself at the summons from one of her newest novitiates. She'd once thought the end of Zeus's reign would be her greatest pleasure. Now... now fate had shown her, her folly. For never had the saying 'be careful what you wish for' been more true.

The red-head watched helplessly as the librarian tried to restrain the slayer's tortured body. Screams rent the air as she writhed beneath the sizzling bolts of red fire. The vampire watched torn between amusement and rage. The blonde bitch was being tortured before his very eyes. It was enough to keep him giddy for days, but his prize had been snatched from him.

The brown-eyed beauty was being cradled by a creature he knew not yet feared. The air sparked as some new being appeared. Angelus backed away eager to watch but just as eager to remain in one piece.

Hecate cursed vehemently catching sight of her sister's child. If she didn't hurry this could go very bad, very quickly. She turned eyes locking on her newest initiate. "Child, for what have you summoned me?"

Willow's eyes went huge as she stammered out an explanation. "Buffy, she needs help. This..." the girl paused, staring at the man cradling her best friend's body. She could only assume he was a god. "god appeared and when she tried to stop him from hurting our friend, he did that."

She waved a hand to were the blonde lay shrieking in pain.

Hecate turned from the young one. She carefully approached the volatile god. Half-crazed, lacking even the smallest power base and stripped of his title as the God of War; he was even now still a very real threat.

"Ares, you weren't to interfere," she said calmly.

He turned misery filled eyes to the Queen of the Gods. "I couldn't....he was dying... I just..."

She nodded in understanding. Love made even the hardest hearts do foolish things. A tingling at the base of her spine made her pause. She cocked her head searching out her husband. She had to hurry he'd become aware of this soon.

"I know, Ares. But you have to leave now... if he were to discover Joxer's soul still existed..." her voice trailed off, letting the ex-god of War follow her words to their inevitable conclusion.

Ares sighed, the weariness soul deep. He allowed his lover to slip from his arms, brushing a final kiss across the still mouth then stood. Hecate's eyes darted to the slayer. With a snarl Ares released the blonde then disappeared in a muted flash of crimson light.

Hecate crossed over to the still body staring down at the boy. "What was his name?"

Willow hurried to her side. "Alexander Harris, my Lady." she said quickly. Thoughts darted round and round her mind, whirling in confusion. Why would Ares care about Xander? What were the Greek gods doing in America? Who was Joxer?

Hecate read the thoughts rampaging through her novitiate's mind and sighed. How she longed for the days of Zeus. She snorted in disgust. This was not how things were supposed to be. She turned to the silent audience and caught sight of the vampire in the shadows. She shuddered staring at one of her husband's favorite children.

Before anyone could move the Goddess of Magic and Demons began chanting.

"Relegare memoria. Adimere sapientia. Relegare memoria. Adimere sapientia."

Faster and faster she chanted until the words ran together and a white mist rose from the ground.

"Sic potui an," she screamed to the sky before disappearing.

As the white mist faded Angelus growled throwing himself at the slayer. Her interference had cost him his beautiful one and for that she would pay. Willow wept, harsh sobbing making her shudder in Giles arms as she cradled Xander in her lap.

The King of the Gods, Bacchus, wondered at the scene before him. There was nothing out of the ordinary that would have called to his attention. The slayer fought one of his bacchi whom had killed a mortal. He grinned in mad joy, his rule was good.

Hecate appeared in the tiny garden with a swirl of inky smoke.

"Hera," she called. The ex-queen of the gods turned from her gardening. "Your son nearly died," she said quietly.

The red-headed goddess shrugged. "He would not of cared. He was once again with his beloved."

Hecate sighed, staring at the tired woman. "And you," she queried softly.

Hera shrugged again. "The Olympians have fallen and demons reign in our place. Betrayed by our own who sought power at any cost. Those who opposed slaughtered or so weakened as to be no threat. It is as it its. And I am too tired to care."

Hecate reached out pulling her sister close. "It will not always be this way. The Fates..."

Hera shook her head angrily. "Zeus emblem was lost when he died, leaving Olympus without a king. With the Twilight the barriers between the dimensions opened allowing our world to be over run with demons and foreign gods. No one but Ares was strong enough to stand against the tide but he couldn't. Not without Joxer. Zeus's petty jealousy destroyed us all when he destroyed Joxer's soul. No one stood by Ares and now we all pay the price."

Hecate could say nothing. Her sister was right. In turning their backs on the lover's plight, they'd destroyed themselves. And until Joxer returned and Ares was War once again, they would live as they had since the fall.

fin

Feedback: It would be nice.
Shadith...

*Rough Latin Translations*

"Relegare memoria. Adimere sapientia. Relegare memoria. Adimere sapientia. Sic potui an." Do away with memory. Take away knowledge. So be it.