Greece

"There is nothing to be scared of" Demetrios said opening the gates

"It is not that Demetrios...the ghosts they whisper things only I hear," Arlia replied and turned to one ghost telling it to step back, "I have my mother's ability to see the future, that's why I know so much. Do not ask me to take you that far ahead."

"I won't" Demetrios said

"Gods can't die... they make us die instead," a ghost man wailed to them both and taunted Arlia with words only for her. Feeling angry she took off down the steps with a fast pace and collided with something that wasn't ghost but solid.

"God's do die" Demetrios said "I have seen it myself."

"Yes, too much of it" a familiar voice said from the shadows as the 'thing' Arlia bumped into turned growling at her. "Kerberos, down."

Arlia looked at the strange looking creature, three heads which all went from looking mad at her to giving her sweet charmful looks, "No way, if I start patting one, the rest of you will get jealous. Plus some animals cry in order to lure their prey."

She then looked back at Demetrios and at the person coming towards them, "Well neither of you seem too surprised to be looking in the mirror."

"When it comes to you, nothing surprises me anymore" Future Demetrios said "Now what is it you've come here for?"

"The future I have come from has shown me that I die weeks after my parents Alea and Apollonis along with Apollaine are killed. I went back in time to prevent myself from having my vision play out for real but its too late, Alea is already pregnant. Stopping her then would have alea and Apollaine lash out in a big way. I am hoping that you can help me find out when my brother and cousin start their mission to overtake us all and become evil.

At the moment the future has just changed slightly, alea and Apollonis haven't turned away from the other gods but in the future xander has died when I was young and I'm scared that moment isn't too far away. The future has us all at war, and while I am angry and I did seek blood and their lives, demetrios from the past managed to make me clam slightly.

But both of you should know if you don't help me, I'll go to his past and kill my parents and Apollaine even if it means endin my own life."

Demetrios stared at his former self "I assume you've already taken the burden of being Warden of the Dead from Apollonis. Of course you have, it wasn't long after that Alea became pregnant with Arlia. I remember Apollaine being jealous and attempting to seduce her brother." He paused looking away "And what happened after that is one of many things I am not too proud to admit I have done. After Arlia here was born I saw the happiness it brought Alea and Apollonis and became jealous of what could have been mine so I tricked Alea into sleeping with me makeing her believe I was Apollonis."

"And the other thing you're not too proud of?" Demetrios asked his older self.

"I killed Xander and raped Apollaine" Demetrios said shamefully "Her and Xander were just starting there relationship and it was clear where it was heading. Apollaine reminded me so much of Alea that I thought maybe if I couldn't have her then I could make Apollaine mine. I killed Xander as he was laying with Apollaine then dragged her down to the Underworld making her mine. The others were angry that I would do the exact same thing that was done to my mother and took her from me. I am still trying to regain their trust, a task that has been very difficult."

"Are you telling us that Arlia's brother and cousin are both yours?"

The Older Demetrios gave a shrug "I cannot be sure. They could be or they could be the children of Apollonis and Xander."

The truth hit her so hard she swayed on the spot and she didn't believe a single word of it. Her eyes turned to black again and she drew magic into her hands.

"You're the reason for this?!" Arlia screamed lunging at the older demetrios. Before she could reach him and use lightning on him she had vanished.

Arlia landed on hard ground and in pain, did demetrios just attack her first? She felt something hard knock her onto her back and she felt that it was a foot pressing her down. Looking up she saw her brother and cousin staring down at her coldly. That had found a way to bring her back sooner than she suspected they'd be clever enough in working out.

"Welcome back," they both said watching her pass out, "care for a visit to the past ourselves?"
"Indeed."

Another flash occurred before the two demetrios' and this time a young man stood before them having left the cousin behind.

"Hello boy" Demetrios said

"What did you do to Arlia?" past Demetrios asked

"Stopped the little weasel from spreading her lies. Now let me guess how would it sound?" The boy replied with his words dropping of sleek slyfulness.

"Arlia the daughter of alea and Apollonis begs you to save her parents from the hands of her cousin and twin? But here's the thing, she's attacking us and the titles aren't accurate. What aunty would do such a cruel thing?"

"Yes" Past Demetrios said "but I assume you have a different story."

The boy turned to the past demetrios and looked him over, "interesting you encountered a scar just to the side of your neck that hasn't happened yet. I assume then that arlia has taken you back to before we were conceived. The trick gentlemen is that none of us share a common mother. With only two goddesses around I can already hear your brains racing away.

Let me then tell you the reason that arlia has to die is because she should never had been born. You slept with Alea by disguising yourself as Apollonis but doesn't it sting to hear me now tell you that in that very moment you yourself was being deceived in turn?"

(I loved your surprise, I've now got a bigger one. Arlia will play a bigger role than I had ever expected her to.)

"You are forgetting the godesses Callisto, Nikkita and Leona" Past demetrios corrected the young boy. "All together there are four pure godesses and one demi godess.

"And what do you mean I was decieved" the older Demetrios asked

"Oh please them? They're hardly goddesses when they spend their time as gods whores," the boy replied drooling even more with poisonous words, "I think its rather comical! How should I put this? Oh well without spoiling the surprise let me say is Alea pregnant? Hmm? Okay well, are you good at sums? I am older than Arlia by just under six months. Tell me if you're pregnant why would you risk fucking so close to the day you pop? Unless Demetrios you weren't really fucking Alea. Another clue... the combination of Alea and Apollonis would produce a fully fledged god like myself. Xander and Apollaine have a goddess but not a witch which is really what Arlia half is. So go back home and keep yourself from Alea and witches, but could you really force yourself to say goodbye to a future that you could have?"

"You are wrong" Demetrios said "I know what happened."

"Because that wretched little witch told you lies?!" the boy exclaimed.

"Enough" Past Demetrios said "I know how to solve this. Apollonis is dead in this time, but not mine. Bring your cousin and Arlia to him, tell your stories and then we will see the truth."

"I'll do that and then you'll see the truth," the boy replied disappearing to the future. He looked around and spotted his blonde girlfriend cutting shallow marks against an unconscious Arlia's arm. For a moment he regretted causing her pain, as she was pale with dark circles around her eyes and countless cuts over her exposed skin. Her white dress almost tattered. But then he remembered all the hours spent with the person who helped them steal powers and become powerful. He would not insult the memory of them.

"We're going back to the past Laurillaine. Kill her... we're taking her dead body with us."
"Caedus? No... I told you before no killing! I won't stand by anymore and watch it. Yes I want to be the best goddess the world has ever seen but don't you want servants? Every god needs people to wait on him hand and foot. I keep telling you, she's useless... nothing, hardly a threat to us. Yet you seem so transfixed upon her."

The boy struck out sending her to the ground and then offered a hand, "My apologies, you just make me angry when you imply you know better. Oh look Laurillaine, you don't have to worry... Arlia's about to give out. In one two... and soon one soft out."

Demetrios sighed waiting

Caedus held her hand for a brief moment of time before letting go suddenly vanishing completely sending the girl back to the ground in shock. She looked around in complete confusion, what happened to him? She didn't have long to panic as arlia had recovered enough to lunge on her into a tackle.

Meanwhile in the past the meaning of caedus' disappearance was beginning to show with alea waking and slipping out quietly from the temple down into the woods. As the moon passed from the clouds she saw the blood and almost screamed out for the meaning behind it.

"Can you send me back?" Demetrios asked his future self

"I believe I can"

"Good" Demetrios said "Cause I think it's time for me to go. This time travel stuff is disturbing and making me tired."

Another light this time with a bluish hue flashed and laurillaine appeared with arlia on the ground.

"Return him! Please I know you took him, you can have arlia back if you return him to me."

Suddenly she blinked and looked around, "what am I doing here? Arlia are you alright, what happened?"
"Don't go playing dumb, you and caedus tried to kill me."
"You have to be joking. Arlia, I wouldn't kill you and why would you mention aleas son who died prematurely? That's not a nice game to play."

Arlia sat up groaning with intense pain and suddenly she too had no memory of caedus other than him dying as a baby.

"Can somebody please just take me back" Demetrios said "I want to forget everything."