Where The Dead Ones Go Book 3 -Emirate-

Chapter 15

"You are far more powerful than Zeus. On the same level as the sky god before him, Uranus. The all-powerful earth mistress, Gaia. As vast as the water deity, Oceanus. You can take over the whole entirety of Gearth as you once had at the dawn of Khronos himself. Why are you content on living in the underworld. Stuffed at the corner of Hades' domain when you could have claimed it for yourself. Why, great mother? In a blink of an eye, you could have it all..."

The three of us quietly listened to the goddess of darkness as she recites what Thanatos has told her many eons ago.

"To be honest, I wouldn't be lying if I will not say that I am not the only one of your children who wonders such a thing," Hemera said quietly as we saw Kairos walking towards us after escorting Hestia, the last of the Olympian guests that arrived to attend our wedding ceremony, "Now that I think about it, the god of time himself can rule over all of creations should he wished to."

As if to answer, a pair of black light appeared from me, and Morris and Kairos seemingly oblivious of it as it engulfs him completely, transforming him to another aspect after the radiance subsided leaving only an ethereal clock made of the very same light behind his head.

"As a deity of an aspect, you already know the answer yourself, Hemera," Meta said seriously before smiling a little as he steals a kiss from me, "I apologize, Vivet but let me keep you to myself before my other personas fight over you the day after the next."

I chuckled as he sat next to me after urging Morris to sit as well, "If I don't know any better, I would've asked you to just merge and be done with it."

"Well, I guess it is not yet the "time" for that, isn't that right, Khronos?"

"I will prefer if you call me Meta, Nyx. But knowing you, I wouldn't even bother repeating myself. You just march on the beat of your own drum," the god of time muttered as my grandmother let out a burst of shrill laughter not unlike the goddess of discord herself.

"Oh, dear Khronos, why so dismissive when you just do the same..."

The god of time smiled lopsidedly as he can't find any retort to what she said, "Let's leave it at that, Nyx. How about it, Hemera, have you found the answer I told you to seek."

"I did, Lord Khronos. It's not that you and great mother can't exert your power over all that there is. It's just that it's not in your domain of power..."

My cousin and I exchanged confused looks as he scratched his head unconsciously, "Not in your domain of power?"

"It's just that, my champion. I am a personification of time itself. I cannot go beyond the boundaries of what I represent. It's not just in my very being to rule over all even if I wanted to. Just as Nyx who is infinitely more powerful than I am can't just climb Olympus and kick Zeus out of his throne to declare herself as queen of all of creation. She is first and foremost a personification of darkness and like me, limited as to what we "want" and "need" to do," Meta explained patiently as I and Morris finally get what he is saying.

Then I remember what my mother told me the last time we met when she taught me how to better control the powers I have from her, "In a way, I am more powerful than even the goddess of hope herself."

"Vivet?"

I nodded at my cousin and smiled a little, "Unlike her, I can direct the sheer power of turning the impossible possible to more offensive and practical ways she can never do herself."

"Before, you are limited to only defensive capabilities as vast as your powers from Elpis is. Then in sheer will alone, you turned it into a weapon to decimate your foes."

The goddess of darkness raised an eyebrow at me and nodded, "That pathetic daughter of mine wouldn't have allowed herself to even lift a finger against a mortal regardless of circumstances, yet her very own child used the powers to trample all that oppose her. One of the painfully few reasons why I am here to substitute for her, Vivet. You are at least more worthy to stand behind me than Elpis. Rejoice."

"I am, humbled, great mother," I replied carefully that made Meta grin at me as his prized champion nodded repeatedly as everything finally clicked.

"Oh! I see! So that's what the younger immortals have over you, great mother, and father himself! Ambition, drive to attain more than what you have and pursue one's desire!"

Hemera nodded and smiled sadly, "Indeed, my nephew. When mortals are born from the hands of the younger deities, they have inherited their passions and aspirations. But they took it to the next, absolute level, am I right, Lord Khronos?"

"True, Hemera. Unlike immortals, mortals have limited life in the physical world. Their whole existence from birth to death is fragile at best. But that's what makes them more ambitious and daring than the very immortals themselves. They have achieved feats even Zeus himself is forced to acknowledge countless times through the eons. They have learned to wield the very elements themselves by sheer relentlessness and perseverance alone and the mortal children of the immortals are deified at times. Now, imagine the power of hope and death, wielded by mortals with great capabilities for the unconventional and beyond the norms of what Thanatos and Elpis themselves can do."

Nyx nodded and grinned at my cousin, "Summoning souls and infusing them into earthen bodies to give them life and a way to interact with the physical world. No wonder that son of mine can't stop himself from praising you to any immortals and souls that will listen to his gushings on how much his son is making him proud."

"Suddenly, I felt curious as to what mother has taught of me using her powers not only to defend but to attack as well. I am inclined to think that she is not very pleased..."

The goddess of day lifted my chin and smiled at me fondly, "Pleased? No, Vivet, she is definitely not pleased. She is just speechless on just how much farther you can go with the powers she always thought was weak and useless when it is needed at best. You gave her something she already have but cannot even realize herself."

"What is it, Aunt Hemera?"

"Hope," she said simply that made my heart warm, "You showed her everything that she stands for and what she can do if she acts like you. No wonder great mother is pleased with you more than Elpis. When push comes to shove, you can turn a seemingly benign light into something that can not only protect but also destroy those who dare stands in your way."

"She is always the slowest of my children, even more so than Hemera here. I guess having you as her demiurge is her saving grace. I will give her that much."

The god of time laughed at what Nyx has said frankly before grinning at Hemera who we caught staring at Zenith and Taurei who are laughing out loud at what Hermes and Apollo have told them, "How about you, Hemera. When will the personification of day finally have a demiurge?"

"If we all manage to see the light of a brand new era, it wouldn't just be one demiurge, Lord Khronos," she answered whimsically before giving the Olympian princes a last glance, "If Asteria can have a child while not even touching the ground, I can definitely have one myself. Looking at her demiurge right now, I guess he is the personification what is at stake in this war, isn't that right, Vivet?"

I nodded wholeheartedly as I stood up and looked up at the skies with my arms outstretched as the demiurge of the goddess of stars slowly descended from above after playing with Zeron and Boris.

"Hello, mom! Why is dad looking different? His eyes and hair color are changed!" the inquisitive kid asked me the moment I have him safely in my arms as he pointed at the god of time who just look at him fondly.

"Don't worry, it will be back to normal later, Hyro," Meta answered as he touched his cheek fondly and grin at me, "He will be our eldest, Vivet. I demand at least four more."

Nyx and Morris laughed out loud as I and Hemera looked positively scandalized by what the god of time has said.

"Excuse me?!"

"Yes, Vivet. I want to have a total of five. A big family with Hyro as their elder brother and de-facto leader. Our children will only learn from this bright and inquisitive son of ours..."

I tried to control my temper as the goddess of day just facepalmed herself while my cousin goads him even more.

"Yes, the more the better! After all that we will be facing in the future, I wouldn't expect anything less, am I right, great mother?"

Nyx nodded as she conjured a localized night around me and my son to which he responded joyfully by producing miniaturized stars from his tiny hands to decorate the darkness his great-grandmother had given him.

"I am fond of spawns of deities who exists in the night," she said as she gazed at his twinkling eyes, "This might be the first ever time that I will say this and probably the last but, I hope that we will all indeed manage to witness of brand new dawn of a Golden Age. I can't wait to entertain myself on what the crazy mortals will invent beyond even my imaginations as they did ages past."

We all look at each other quietly as Hyro continues to rearrange the constellations around him in various shapes and sizes, probably the same way as his mother always did at the night skies.

-0-

"Ms Vivier and Mr Paron, ugh, why am I not even surprised?!"

We all just smiled at our adviser lopsidedly as she finally arrived at the palace a day before our wedding.

"I always knew that in one way or another, anything, or anyone, from Atomo and Irene are a source of neverending spectacles."

"It is so good to have you here with us, Ms Peregrine," Kairos said honestly as he helped take her luggage, "When I didn't see you from the guests lounging at the plaza, I feared the worst."

The daughter of Hebe raised an eyebrow at him and shake her youthful head quickly, "I will never miss any chance to see the tears-fest that will surely ensure tomorrow courtesy of Irene. I just fixed paperwork before boarding the next train to the emirate so I can enjoy my fleeting vacation here before the action picks up once more."

"I am really for any additional work we may have caused you during our stay here, Ms Peregrine," I said apologetically.

She waved her hair as if it doesn't matter at all, "No worries, you were in the citadel in the first place because you didn't read the papers you signed before the entrance examinations. If they told me that you knowingly sign the contract, I would've been surprised, Vivet."

"Ms Peregrine..."

"Now, now, Vivet. You will be formally married by tomorrow. It wouldn't do for you to worry about things that are non-existent at all," she ordered with finality and I finally rest my case, "Now, why don't you escort me to my suite, Mr Paron? I want to begin my beauty rest as soon as possible."

My husband nodded quickly and after giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, he and our adviser left the lobby on their way to the guest quarters.

"That went less bloody than expected, Vivet..."

I looked behind and saw Clite smiling at me and rather triumphantly.

"Indeed. I thought we have to grovel and prostrate ourselves at her feet but she really is cool about it."

"Even she can't deny the festive atmosphere we have in this place," the son of the muses said as he looked around us and true enough, mortals or immortals, leaders and servants alike are seemingly having the time of their lives and treating my wedding celebration as something of a little vacation, "Mothers told us that this might be the most amusing event they have attended in ages. They are absolutely enjoying themselves and wishes you nothing but the best."

I don't know what came over me but I suddenly pulled him into a quick hug as I rest my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes shut.

"Vivet..."

"If there comes a time when I can't be there for Kairos, I hope that you will be at his side for me, Clite."

He remained quiet for a while before answering in a quiet voice, "Isn't that Morris' job?"

"Hey, Clite. My hands are already full with their child. Cut me some slack, will you?"

We both laughed in our minds as my cousin interjected in our mental conversation as he shows us Hyro whom he is trying to give a bath.

"Very well, Vivet. I will, no, I promise. Even if he doesn't want to, I will do my utmost best to be his voice of reason should the need arises," Clite vowed that made me feel assured and content at the same time.

"Thank you, Clite..."

He shook his head as he returned my hug, "No, thank you, Vivet. You, Kairos and Morris gave my rather boring existence meaning. You made me feel alive after I met you three and for that, I will be forever thankful."

"If you called being forced to take care of three demiurges in your club, forced to share a room with me and Kairos and thrown in the middle of the desert to fight for our very lives alive then by all means, you are right, my man. We did gave you life and after all this is finished, we will collect our due."

The son of Clio nodded vigorously, "I am and eternally will be at your disposal. We will get to the bottom of this and devise a plan that will make even Gala proud."

"Speaking of Gala, where is she?" I asked and all of a sudden, Clite let me go in a panic.

"Oh, goodness, I forgot! I was here to tell you that she finally have your wedding gown ready! Go now to her room, she is waiting for you!"

He pushed me gently towards the east wing where the quarters of the daughter of Athena are located and waved me goodbye as he proceeds to answer the pleas of Morris as Hyro is just playing at the bathtub.