. . .
 
 
 
 
 
 
“If friendship is like a cathedral, then forsaken friendship is like roofless ruins...”
― Hilary Thayer Hamann
 
 
 
 
 
. . .
 
 
 
 
 
 
“I said…” Dionysus swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he stared head-on at the manic look in her eyes. “It was the Fates.”
 
“The… fates…?”
 
Blood, mixed with rain, leisurely dripped down her cheeks, from cuts directly underneath her eye. It looked like tears.
 
He nodded, suddenly not trusting himself to speak in this one moment, the volume in the area having gone from deafening to hushed in an instant, like the entire world was listening in. But he couldn't think of a word to say, doesn’t even know exactly what he should even say.
 
If he should even tell her.
 
“Just… stop blaming yourself… and leave the old man out of it. Please,” Dionysus managed to say as he gently rested his forehead against her’s.
 
She doesn’t blink, doesn’t move away.
 
“What about the fates, Dionysus?” she quietly demanded.
 
Lightning flashed. Once, twice.
 
He bit at his lip, looking down.
 
“What about the fates, Dionysus?” she repeated, her voice firm even as the sudden roars of thunder almost drowned it into nothingness, “What. About. Them?”
 
“You were never supposed to know about this… y-you shouldn’t have to…” he tried to reason out as he released her wrists, once he sees the rest of her face has healed. “But standing here, seeing you literally tearing yourself apart with rage because of everything I just… I just couldn't take it anymore! There was this prophecy-”
 
She clenched her jaw just as a suddenly powerful gust of wind blew past them, a loud, whistling noise making Dionysus snap his mouth shut at the clear warning.
 
“Wait…” he whispered.
 
“Tell me.” she demanded, unblinkingly.
 
“Proserpina, just… stop!” he pleaded, just as the entire area was illuminated by another flash of lightning, this one going unnaturally longer than the last. “You aren't even supposed to know any of this!”
 
She gritted her teeth, her eyes looking like the void itself in both darkness and light. The clear tracks of blood and water on her pale cheeks so stark against the misty rain. And yet, despite the macabre sight she makes, Dionysus can’t shake the sense that, if it were anyone else, they might have been visibly shaking.
 
“Secrets have only lead me in circles!” Proserpina roared amidst the storm, “All of you have only lead me in circles!”
 
“I have tried everything that I can do to help!” Dionysus yelled, feeling like seconds away from actually ripping at his hair in sheer frustration the more this goes on, “Proserpina, I’m your friend! And that’s why I’m here, reasoning with you to stop you from following through with this insane plan instead of letting you go through with it, but you… you refuse to listen! Proserpina please, just listen to me! Listen to me! I'm trying to HELP!”
 
“Your help is useless,” she spat.
 
He stared at her, jaw falling a bit.
 
Useless…? Him…?
 
“…You know what, I don’t even care if you agree with me anymore,” she half-turns away from him, “I'm so sick of playing by the rules all the time when nothing even gets done!”
 
Dionysus desperately tried not to stare as some of the trees decayed and crash behind her. “You're acting like descending to madness is the only road you can take! Well, news flash… it's not! It's the one you're choosing only because you refuse to see another way!”
 
“I have considered and done every alternative there is!” Proserpina seethes, “Don’t you dare tell me that I did not even bother to try BECAUSE I DID! And that's where the problem starts, Dionysus… the gods have been faced with something terrible, and yet they still refuse to do anything about it because it ignores them! You refuse to take action!”
 
“Well, what the fuck do you want me to do?! Do you want me to go on a rampage like some mindless, killing-machine?  Because that's all you've been doing! THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE BECOMING!”
 
“Ever since I become a goddess, I have been hunting down monsters and demons that dare threaten this world, tirelessly, without fail!” Proserpina retorts, “I made this world as safe as I can. I protected the humans! I did everything that you, and every other useless god in this realm were supposed to do but have chosen to ignore!”
 
A lightning bolt suddenly crashed down a few ways, just frighteningly whizzing inches past her head as it goes. It sent another huge tree crashing down in a burst of sparks and fire almost instantly.
 
Dionysus blanched.
 
And Proserpina decidedly chose to ignore that.
 
“You think of yourselves so high and mighty, but you do nothing. You, all of you… are all so squeamish when it comes to getting your hands dirty for the mortals’ sake, it’s pathetic,” she sneered, the darkness in her eyes completely at odds with the bright flames just right behind her. “You gods have failed see this world for what it is! For the hell it has become.”
 
The skies rumbled, vengefully.
 
“Why can’t you just understand?!” Dionysus cried out, desperate and frustrated beyond belief. “You're not wiping out monsters! You’re becoming one!”
 
“Do you even realize what you are trying to ask of me?” Proserpina demanded, “Do you honestly think that, after everything, there is any going back now? Do you honestly think that I am just going to walk away from this?!”
 
“Knowing you, you sure as hell won’t. But it's what you must do! PROSERPINA, YOU HAVE TO STOP! PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO STOP NOW!”
 
“STOP TELLING ME WHAT I SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT DO!”
 
“You think just because you have Death with you, you can bring the gods to heel? You can’t! THAT'S NOT HOW THE WORLD WORKS!”
 
Something suddenly glittered in those eyes at the mention of death, something cold and older than the rest of the Olympian gods themselves.
 
“Ḍ̛̺̬̖̱̂̊̀̚o͚̦͉̞̹̱̫͐ͯ͢ ̵̳͔̱͓̙͌̓͌̄n͈̣͍ͣ͠ô̭͔̳̩͎̭̭̍͟t͙͖͈͔͒͠ ̴̼̙̟̉̋ͧ̈l̢̞̣͈̖̗̟̇eͦ̂҉̹̟c̸̹̖͉̞̻̓͑̊̂t̘̹̙͐͝u̍̌͊҉͓̞͔̯̠r͙͚͔͍̉ͩ̇͗̕ẹͨ͜ͅ ̡̠̬̱̰̭̩̝ͥ̋m̹̎ͪ͗̓͜ͅͅėͥ̃҉͚̘̪̻ ̴̪͓̬̘̭̮̌̉ḣ͈͉̰̰͎͈̬̲̓̀͜o̵̮͓͉̤̙͙ͭ͌̏ͮͅw̽҉̞͓̙̖ ̖̪̮̦̖̱͖̫̈̆͛́t̡̮̲ͣͦh̨͈͇͙͍̰͈̭̭͊̉̈ê͈̱̻̹͢ ̳̺̑̈́̑ͫ̀ͅw͚͎̤̲ͭ̌̅͜o̴̩̜̰̿̆r̳͕̦͓̮̱̗̾̾͐́ͅl͚̳̰̋͐̊̉͞d̶̲̥̝͍͕̟͎̬̓ͫ ̢̩̥ͩẁ͈͚̦̯ͫ͜o̳̜̊̈ͣ̀r̡͙͙̳̝͑̎k̄͏͚͔̖͍ͅͅs̷̱͉̣̔ͣͅ.”
 
“THEN WHY WON’T YOU STOP HER?!” Dionysus hissed, completely past the point of caring that he wasn’t even addressing Proserpina anymore. Not completely at the very least. “WHY? YOU FOOL. YOU DAMNED FOOL! YOU HAVE LET SOMETHING ELSE CONTROL YOU TO THE POINT THAT ALLYOU SEE IS DEATH AND OTHER HORRIBLE THINGS! YOU COULDN’T EVEN BEAR TO BE HAPPY!”
 
“B̧̻̲̗̬̰̣̭͎͗̓͋͗e̛̼͇̊̉̐ç̞͉̥̮͂a̛͖̖͙͇̪̠̦͑͛͌u̸͕͖̣̩ͮş̹̳͉̻̦̍̒̒̽ḙ̶̪̊̍ͯ ͚̥͉͕̌ͩ̓̀͢Į̰̝̦̫͖̳͍͍͑ ̛̺̼̫̲̭̀̒̐k̮̝̲̹͗͜n̵̹̦͎̺̩ͣ̓ỏ̶͓̩ͣ̿w͚̟̻̦̫͉̳͚ͯ̈͡ ̢̱͍͍̉̒́͂w͓̪̣͈̼͈̲͋̆͜ḩ̮̱̦̖ͣį̱͓̰̌̑̀͗c̴̲̙̘̫͖̜̾͋ͭh̴̦͖̻̿ͤ͆ͤ ̺̯̋ͪͣ̕w͉̮̭̮̽͘ͅͅi̴̯̺͍̯ͪͧl̡̠̝͙͕̙͐̓̉l̵̜͔͛̿ͭ̂ ̸̯͓̫͈̘̀ͅͅl̜̱̹̔ͤ͠a̩͔̹̪̲̟͎͋ͧ̉͢s̗͚͕͓̺͆͑̕t̩͉̺̩̭͉̺͔ͪ̃̔̿̀,̷͇̻̣̖͈̈́,” she bit out.
 
“Happiness will! If you make it so!” Dionysus pointed out.
 
She scoffed, the fires of hell reflected and dancing in those cold eyes,
 
“Ẅ̰̗́̌ͣ͆͟ĕ̲̹͋̎͠ͅ ͂҉̻͇̥͓̺̤̜̘d͉̟̭̙͈̀̑̀ȏ̙̤͟ ͙͖̤̦̣ͧ̓ͣ͛͞n̹̪̻̳̒̒͗͡o̳̞̖̻̣̱̩̿͞t̞̖̞̗̰̳̐͌ͤ̚͠ ̸̮̞͊l̵͓̝͇̯̮̼͔̰ͬͫ̇ͦő̷̘͖̫̤̭̞̫ͬͨȯͫ͋̀҉̘̘͎̞̤k͛ͦ̓҉̪̩̤̪̘͚ ̬͕̹̼̘̽͗͟a̡͙̤̬̞̳̯ͯͣͧ̓t̸̯̘͋ ̲͚̞̲̻̮ͯ̄͋̄̀ͅt̸̠̫̝͍ͮḩ̙͍̥͇̘ͣ̉̔e̤͓̺͍̜͇͐̄ͧ̓́ ̷̝̯̠̗̬̞̳̻̇̾̊w̷̯͍̆ͯͬͤo̦͕̝̐̐̾͢r̨̻̥͖̯͉̈l͇̻̜̬̣͙̠͑ͭ͘d͓͙ͧͫ͐́ ̦̙̜̙͍͇̘̱̂ͯ͜t͕̺̪̰̱̅ͫ̐̏͝ͅḩ̠͓̓ŗ̻̳͙̠̖͍̲͚̐̉́̃o̦̗͎̣͍̝ͬͭͯ͞u̸̖͔̰̦͛̑̾̎g̪̫͇̞̭̩̺̳ͫ̀h̘͖͙̘́͌ͬ̀̀ ̶͚̘̰͎͖̇̚r͊̍̽͏͕̜͚̦ơ̙͙̒́̆̂s̢̱̹̭ͦ̏ę͍͇̼̯̜̭̮̺͒-̖͗̇͒ͧ͠ͅt͕̹͎̼̖̤̏̋ͭ͝i̸̖̮͓̗ͦ͆ͪͯn͛ͯ҉̰͙̟͎̥̼̥ͅt̸̺̻̪̯͚͌ͤ̅e̢͚͍̩̞̤̘̬ͮ͒d̪̹̄͛̏͡ ̶̥̞͖̯̬̄ͧģ͍̦͉ͦ̿̐͐l̶̝͍̺̫̪̯͋̈́a̼͙̪ͯ͐̏͂̕s̱̫̤̦̃̒̾͘ş̹̠͖͉̗̲ͥ̍̎ͧẻ̬̜͉̲͒͟ṡ̷̝̼͕̬̜͎,̛̩̝͍͚͓̀ͤ ̭̻̣͓̫̯̿͟g̡̜̟͙̺̫̝͙͖ͪͨ͆ó̵̩̻̱̱̳͖̑d̢͓̘̦̩̈͂̿̔ ̷̤͎̈ͣô̗̗̥͕͋͂̀͡f͈͕̘͖̹̜̳̟͂͟ ̙̗͚̞̂̈́͘w̭͎̱̳̜̩̓͡iͥ͑̍͏̫̼̗̠͙̯̤͚ṇ̼͖͕̻̘ͪ̊͜e̥̥̙͈͇̘̓̇ͯ͜ͅͅ.̪̩̏̆͠”
 
“The world is only what you think of it!” he argues.
 
“I see the world for what it is!”
 
“No… you… you have chosen to think of the world as a sad, broken thing that couldn’t even be fixed! You think of the world as another hell but it’s not! IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!”
 
She snarls, a vicious thing both unfamiliar and awfully fitting upon her face, “If that is so, then you have chosen to see this world as a fantasy. You think that the world is all sunshine and rainbows even we both know damn well that it’s a bloody lie!”
 
“I am trying to make everyone free and happy!”
 
“How?! By being drunk and dumb?!”
 
“NO! BY LETTING THEM SEE WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE!”
 
“Then, you are wasting your time,” she declares.
 
He scoffs, “I’m not the one who’s wasting time.”
 
“You shut your mouth-”
 
“Like hell I will!” he retorts, “I’m not the one who’s lying to the one they claim to love. And I sure as hell am not the one tearing themselves apart! You’ve hunted down monsters for so long that you’d let them turn you into one!”
 
Her eyes are so black, so dark amidst the flames.
 
“Ề͉͓̰Ñ̨͙̮͚̰̘͙̫̣̂O̸̼ͭ͊ͬͅU͉̤͖̙̻̮̠̹ͣͭ̕G͚̱̬̯ͧ͋ͦ̀͜H̷͚̦̦̣̬ͣ …!”
 
“No, it’s not fucking enough!” Dionysus shouts, seizing her by the collar before Zeus literally strikes her down from where she stands, “I DON’T CARE IF YOU HATE ME AFTER THIS! BUT I’M YOUR FRIEND, PROSERPINA, IN CASE YOU KEEP FORGETTING, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT NO ONE, INCLUDING YOURSELF, HAS EVER BEEN BRAVE ENOUGH TO THINK ABOUT!”
 
A familiar black sword materialized at her hand.
 
“NO!” he screams, “NO! JUST… SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME!” he shook her, roughly, “DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT YOU EVER HAD THANATOS UNDER YOU CONTROL?! DO YOU SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE STILL WINTERS VEIL AFTER ALL THIS TIME?!”
 
“You-!”
 
“EVERY TIME YOU COME UP AGAINST SOMETHING THAT SO MUCH AS TRIGGER YOU, YOU LOSE HOLD OF DEATH! LIKE WHAT YOU’RE DOING. RIGHT. NOW!” Dionysus roars, knowing without even looking that Proserpina has already unsheathed Thanatos on reflex.
 
Because a cold blade was pressing right against his throat.
 
“A monster at a wrong place and time pleads for mercy and you kill them like a cat playing with its food.” Dionysus points out, well aware that Thanatos is just one swing away on his head, “You keep secrets after secrets to the people who genuinely cared about you and when someone does the same against you, your response is to get rid of them, no matter who the fuck they are or their intentions. Why? Why the fuck would you do that?!”
 
She froze.
 
He angrily pushed Thanatos away from him, jabbing a finger at her face. “THAT'S NOT YOU! That’s Death itself clouding your will! YOU DON'T HAVE CONTROL! DO YOU HEAR ME, WINTERS VEIL? YOU'VE LET HADES AND DEATH TEAR YOUR HUMANITY APART FOR THE SAKE OF POWER, BUT AT THE COST OF YOUR WILL AND FUTURE! YOU HAVE NO CONTROL!”
 
“You think… I wanted this?” she murmured.
 
“BECAUSE YOU'VE LET EVERY SINGLE NEGATIVE EMOTION THERE IS DICTATE EVERY RESPONSE YOU MAKE! YOU INTERPRET EVERY WORD AS A THREAT OR A CHALLENGE, YOU PUSH EVERYONE AWAY!”
 
Her lips quivered.
 
“YOU TURN AWAY FROM ALL SIGNS OF HAPPINESS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE WITHIN YOURSELF!”
 
“…That’s a lie and you know it.”
 
He shook his head at her with a condescending smile painted on his lips. “I’m not the one who’s lying with myself. You are.”
 
“I’m not-”
 
“You’re a joke. A fucking hypocrite.”
 
She jerked away from him, as if struck.
 
“You were one who says that the world is an awful place filled with monsters. And okay, yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe the world does seem hopeless… but at least, the difference you wanted to make was out of not wanting anyone to suffer the same way. You had hope that things will change!”
 
“BECAUSE I WAS YOUNG AND NAÏVE!”
 
“NAIVETY IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH HAVING MORALS!”
 
“I WAS A FOOL AND WEAK-!”
 
“I ADMIRED YOU!” Dionysus cried.
 
The air suddenly stilled.