OnexOne with Mystikmage

Sara sighed, "Yea?" She murmured, sighing, tired. She wasn't feeling very well, well, mentally, and she was exahusted.

Keith glanced up, "No, I didn't. But he lived with my mom until I was seven months old" He said "Then he left, dunno why, well I guess I know now" He sighed, whirling as he heard a voice.
"Yea, I guess" He glanced back down at the watch.
"How did you get this? I mean, my mom sold it" He sighed, still staring intently at the pocket watch, though he wasn't sure if he wanted to take it, he felt as if he'd have to make some sort of agreement or something.
"Maybe" He added on, finally.

"Yea." Leo promised, kissing her forehead gently. He rubbed her arms soothingly, hoping it would coax her into sleeping. Every now and then, Leo would glance up at the store. This was taking too long. What could they be doing in there? Leo tapped the door handle gently, looking out the window, all around. His ADHD was kicking in something feirce, and even with Sara half-asleep in his lap, Leo wouldn't be able to just sit here much longer.


Aria glanced from Keith to the shopkeeper. She was still holding the tin lunch box in her hands, but she had turned so the woman didn't see the sword at her side. Aria sighed, putting the lunch box back. It still didn't make sense on how it got here, but then again, Aria had lost it a long time ago.
The woman smiled lightly, as if she held a sercert and wasn't willing to share. "It is rude to sell that which was once a gift. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked gently. Aria rolled her eyes, walking away then to look at something else on an opposite shelf.
"So much pain, I sense from you..." Aria froze then, her hands inches away from picking something up. The woman's voice was still soft and smooth. That sent a warning flag up in Aria's mind. She glanced back at Keith, holding back a small gasp. There was something purple swirling around him, coming from the woman, only it was faint, hardly there. "It's not fair...what your mother did all those years..."
Magic Aria realized. This woman wasn't human.
"Keith don-" A forgotten scarf from a shelf flew towards Aria, wrapping around her mouth and silencing her, muffling her scream and protest. The woman continued, as if nothing had happened. She stood in front of Keith, blocking his view of Aria entirely. "She deserves to feel the pain she caused you, and I can help you with that." She coaxed, smiling kindly at him.

Sara murmured incoherently, a small frown on her face. She shifted again, listening to nothing, just Leo's steady, somewhat aggrivated breathing. She sighed, knowing he was bored, staying in the car with her. She shifted, letting herself slide from his lap, she curled, as much into a ball as humanly possible. She sighed, feeling a tiny bit better.

Keith stared at the woman, his eyes slightly unfocused.
"Yea, it is rude" He agreed tiredly. His mind was in a fog, he couldn't focuse. He heard Aria, but he didn't really hear her. He shook his head, confusion whirling in his mind.
"What? How do you know my mom, what she did?" He asked, shaking his head. That didn't make sense, no one knew what his mom had done, he hadn't told them. He stepped back, only to be pulled back in again.

Leo watched as Sara moved around. He smiled lightly, letting her slide away from his lap. He flexed the fingers on his good hand gently, massing his burn. It was healing, and now he could at least grip his bow if he needed to. Leo sighed, looking up at the afternoon sun before back at the shop. This was taking too long. Leaning over, Leo took his quiver from the floor of the car, tossing it over his shoulder.
"I'll be right back." he promised, kissing Sara's forehead lightly before slipping out of the car.


The woman smile, a little sympathetic. "Oh I know all about you Keith Black." she said in that same gentle voice. "This watch was once your father's, he gave it to your mother, to pass to you once you were old enough. Yet she sold it. Something that was rightfully yours."
Aria blinked. Who was this lady? Why was she targetting Keith? How can we stop her was a better question, but it came and went in Aria's mind as fast as she could run. The woman continued her coaxing. "But she did not stop there, she made terrible choices....ones that affected you in ways no one else could ever understand. And yet, where was your father during all of this?" she asked then, sounding genuially curious. "Did he ever reach out to help you?" Her eyes turned to Aria then and the scarf slowly slid away. Aria found herself mute under the goddess stare.
"I know you as well, Arianna O'Riley..." the woman said, and Aria's breath caught in her throat. "You're life has been hanging in limbo, shifting with every choice you've made, for better or for worse. Your mother was just a mere mortal. How could she understand the monsters that came for you in the night were really and not your childish imagination? Or the reason for every school that expelled you?" Aria felt ice run down her spine at the memories. "Only your father knew...and the only way you found out about him, was after the death of your best friend...am I correct?" she asked. Aria swallowed, blinking back the tears that had risen to her eyes. She could barely nod.
"And yet you head to Mount Olympus..." The woman said, looking back to Keith now as she talked. "To help those...who have never helped you before?" she asked, looking between the two of them. "Come with me," she whispered, extending her hands towards them. "And together, we can make sure that at the end of this war, they earn their just deserved..."

Sara sighed, sitting up, watching Leo go.
Sara! Sara! You need to go, help yout friends A voice suddenly sounded in Sara's mind. She winced, clapping her hands over her ears with the power of the voice. She knew it was her mother, yet, she didn't sound like her, not at all. This voice was angry, authrotative, it wasn't familiar.

Keith listened to the woman, his mind kept screaming at him to run, yet he found her words making sense. He glanced at Aria, she knew things, thing she couldn't know. He winced, where had his father been? Where had he been when she was beating him, selling his stuff to by more alcohol, abusing him, tormenting him? He winced, feeling an overwhelming anger filling his mind, his father's anger? His anger? He didn't know. He winced, his shaking knees finally giving out as he clapped his hands over his ears, the rage, everything, it was so powerful.

Aria found herself taking a step forward. It all made sense...why should she go help her father and the other Olympians in their war? How would that help her? That would never make up for all the times she had needed her father, and he had never helped her.
The shopkeeper smiled, seeing Aria coming forward. She glanced at Keith then, a small frown coming to her face. "I only want to set things right." she insisted. "Put things back into balance, as things should be."
Aria's fingers were inches from the woman's purple mist swirling around their hands. A distant look was over her eyes. She only heard the woman's voice. No others. She was angry, hurt. Her father had left her with a mother who couldn't understand what her daughter was dealing with. The fights, the struggle, the schools, the bullying, the frustration.....

"Aria? Keith? What are you doing?" Leo had his bow raised now. He had finally found Keith and Aria with the shopkeeper towards the back corner of the shop. He could see the mist swirling thickly from the woman and all around Aria and Keith. Though at the moment, it was completely surronding Aria more than Keith. Leo tried not to shudder; the sense of magic was thick in the air.
Leo let an arrow fly. The goddess must have notice him, for the arrow passed through her like she was nothing but air. It seemed to have some effect on her because Aria started blinking, and snapped her hand back. When she looked at Leo, Aria just seemed a little confused, but soon that went away and sheer anger replaced it.
"Nemesis!" Aria half yelled, drawing her sword then. "Enough of your tricks."
The goddess glared down the edge of Aria's sword. And for a moment, Leo wondered if the blade would do any damage. "You should speak of tricks, Daughter of Hermes. You know my words are truth, and you must come to accept that one day. I assure you, that day, you'll wish you had my help." With a burning flash, the goddess was gone. Aria cursed, throwing her sword into the nearest shelf in her anger and frustration, knocking over small toys and trinkets, breaking glass objects in the process.

Leo blinked. "Oookay then...." he muttered, putting his bow back in his quiver before walking over to Keith. "Hey man, you alright?" he asked, clasping Keith's shoulder firmly.

Sara had leapt out of the car, making it inside to hear what was going on, but not seeing.
"Hey" She gasped, managing to catch up to them. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in everything.
"What happened?" She asked, staring down at Keith, before flicking her eyes to Aria. Something had odviously happened, but she had no idea what.

She moved, carefully stepping around the debris to stand by Aria.
"You alright?" She murmured, Aria looked pissed, Keith confused. She sighed, what had happened?

Keith was so unfocused he really didn't hear, see anything that had happened. He glanced at Leo, staring at him, confused.
"What?" He stuttered, shaking his head, wincing. All of his injuries were burning, pulsing, worse then before. He winced, pressing a hand to his head, what had happened? He didn't know what was going on, where had the shopkeeper gone?" He glanced down at his hand, it was clenched around something. Frowning, he opened his sore fingers, looking at the pocket watch. He frowned, something to do with this? No, but what?

Leo looked up as Sara came inside. "Something to do with Nemesis..." he told her. "Both of them looked like they had been spelled or something..." he murmured, looking back down at Keith. He knelt next to his friend then, grasping both his shoulders.
"Keith? Hey, snap out of it!" He said, shaking Keith gently.


Aria simply shook her head, collasping then against a shelf, burring her face in her hands. All Nemesis had managed to do, was open old wounds. Bring back memories that Aria had long tried to surpress and forget. Everything from those days came flooding back like rain to the desert, and Aria could hardly bare it. She brought her knees up to her chest and cried.
"I'll never listen to them again!" Aria said, her voice muffled by her jeans. "N-Nemesis....goddess of retribution..." between her sobs, Aria tried to explain everything that she could remember. Her mind got a little foggy with things the goddess had said in the spell. All she knew, was that Nemesis was right.

"Aria that can't be true." Leo said, glancing over his shoulder at her. "If your father didn't care, you wouldn't know who he was for starters..." he muttered, though what Aria had said unsettled him a bit.

Sara knelt beside Aria, wrapping her arm around her friends, letting her lean against her.
"Aria, if they didn't care, they wouldn't have saved us, numerous times. Keith's dad came to heal him, breaking that stupid law, my mom told you guys how to save me when I was sick, and just now she warned me that you guys were in danger. Aria, if they didn't care, they woudn't have helped us" She murmured, rubbing her shoulder gently. She glanced at Leo, it was unsettling, but she didn't believe it. Overall, their parents had been helpful, even if they hadn't been there. She sighed, still rubbing her friend's shoulder, Keith looked dazed, but she wasn't sure what was wrong with him.
"We should get out of here" She murmured, shaking her head.

Keith listened to Leo, but he couldn't pull himself out of the haze. He heard Sara, Aria, but still, he really had no idea what was going on.
Keith's body rocked back and forth under Leo's hands, before he finally dragged his head up, blue eyes stormy as they looked at Leo. His father was raging in his mind, finally knowing all the things his mother had done to him.

Normally, Aria would have protested to crying on anyone's shoulder. But right now, the pain was too much. She turned her head into Sara's shoulder and let the tears stream from her. Her body shook with the sobs and her chest ached. Sara's words washed over her gently, but it only helped a little. Sure, Aria had heard her father talk to her a few times, but she had never seen him herself. She had only the storys from the Greek myths to tell her what her father was like. Her own mother wouldn't talk about him, as if he were some dead-beat bastard.
Aria was torn. She rubbed her face gently, pulling away from Sara and nodded sadly. "Yea..." she murmured, rubbing her face dry again, though it was still blotched red over her cheeks and nose.


"Whoa, easy there." Leo muttered as Keith swayed where he knelt. He caught Keith's eyes and surprise passed over his face.
"Yea, good idea." Leo agreed, nodding before standing. He pulled Keith up with him, drapping and arm over his shoulder in case Keith wasn't steady on his feet just yet. "Come on buddy." Leo murmured, turning towards the exit, glancing over his shoulder at Sara and Aria with a slight nod- Let's go

Aria swallowed hard, standing up and breathing deeply. She found her sword in the wreckage and passed the bottom of her shirt over it gently to rid it of dust and broke metal. Sighing, Aria listlessly placing the sword back in it's sheath, staring blankly at the mess she had made. That day, you'll wish you had my help... More tears came to her eyes as the words of the goddess played back in her mind. Aria brushed them away furiously before following everyone back out.

Sara sighed, rubbing Aria's back kindly, letting her sob. She rose to her feet, watching Leo and Keith make their way outside. She sighed, following behind Aria, her green eyes running over the shop one last time. She frowned, this had all been a trap? She shook her head, before following the others outside, shutting the door behind her. She glanced at Leo as he settled Keith in the rear, passanger side seat. He'd probably drive, and Aria and Keith in the back.

Keith let Leo drag him to his feet, he was still caught in the dregs of the magic, having been exposed to it longer then Leo. He winced, his body screamed in protest, aching, pain. He sighed, infection was probably getting worse, and he knew Leo would know, not that he cared anymore. His fingers were still clutched around the watch, the chain slipping between his fingers.

Leo winced, setting Keith down in the back seat. Something was wrong. Even if Leo couldn't heal Keith, his powers were telling him otherwise.
"Damnit Keith..." Leo sighed, shaking his head in slight frustration. He didn't need to lift Keith's shirt up to know the wounds were now infected.

Aria walked down the steps heavily, staring blankly at the ground in front of her. Her mind felt heavy, her whole body for that matter. She wanted to fall asleep. Forever. Fall asleep, and forget any of this ever happened. Forget who she was, forget what they were doing, simply forget and live in ignorate bliss like the mortals.

Leo had washed out Keith's cuts and was rewrapping them by the time Aria slid into the driver sides back seat. She looked at Keith and Leo with a small frown, but then shook her head and closed her eyes, letting it rest against the door. Leo slid into the drivers seat then, pulling the car far away from the shop and town and back onto the highway before dark.

Keith listened to Leo, a small frown on his face as Leo cursed at him and then began to wash his injury, he didn't care anymore, his head lolled back on the seat, he was blissfully unaware of everything going on around him. He winced and shook his head, the pain sort of pulling him from the daze that his mind was caught in.
"Ow" He hissed, the first words he had spoken in while. He leaned back against the seat, wincing, the pain and the fog warred on his mind.

Sara sighed, glancing at Leo, "What's wrong?" She asked, wincing as she saw Keith's black, odviously seriously infected injury.
"Dork" She grumbled, before leaning back against the window, sighing and looking out the window as Leo slipped into the driver's side, starting the car. She watched the scenery fly by as Leo headed towards the highway.

Leo shook his head. "The injuries are all infected..." Leo muttered, changing lanes as they headed north on the highway. That much Leo could get from the regular signs. "I cleaned them out best I could. Firgured water would help him more than anything..." Leo tapped his fingers on the steering wheel gently, as he watched the road in front of him. Every so often, Leo would look up at his mirror to see Aria and Keith in the back.

Both of them looked dead tired. Aria was still shaking a bit, and Leo flicked on the heat to a low setting so it warmed the back seat just slightly. Whether or not that helped, Leo didn't know. He sighed deeply, rubbing his face as they drove endlessly on the highway.
"How much long do we have to go?" Leo asked then, rubbing his eyes as he glanced at Sara. The sun was starting to set. If they couldn't find anyplace to stay for the night, they would have to drive through. Leo wasn't sure how well Sara was feeling to be driving again.

Keith sighed, letting his head fall back against the window, it hurt, but he ddin't care. He yawned, closing his eyes and sighing. He fell into a restless sleep almost instantly, though his dreams were filled with rage, his body stiffened, his father was livid, raging at Zeus it seemed. Clarity rang in his mind, their parents hadn't chosen to abandon them, they had been forced. Many of them believed that it would be better if their children didn't know who they were. He winced, outside, rain started, thunder slashed through the sky, lightning bolts struck the air.

Sara sighed, "A ways, I can drive' She said, seeing the sky darkening. She glanced outside, it had started rain, thunder had started, lightning.
"What the hell?" It had been clear earlier, nice out.

Leo frowned, clicking the windsheild whippers on as the rain seemed to come out of no where. "Aw, this can't be good..." he muttered, sitting up a bit, pulling the car out of cruise control. Ligthening streaked through the sky, brightening the world since the sun was slowly desending. He blinked, shaking his head gently. He glanced back at Keith and Aria via the mirror and frowned. They were both out cold it seemed. Keith winced nearly each time lightening struck.

Aria woke up the instant she heard thunder. A shudder than threw her body and she rubbed her arms which were now covered in goosebumps.
"They're fighting again..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She opened her eyes then, looking outside as the sky turned from gray to black. On occasion, the sky would brighten and Aria would tense, clasping her hands over her ears as thunder called back. Leo sighed, having no choice really but to pull over. Elsewise, he'd fall asleep at the wheel.
"You sure you'll be alright?" Leo asked then, looking at Sara. Aria was awake now. If anything, she could drive.

"Yea, I'll be fine" Sara said, smiling at him. She could handle driving at night, she would prefer it over the day anyway. She quickly switched seats with Leo, getting soaked in the process.
"What are they fighting about now?" She hissed, hitting the windshield wipers as she focused on keeping the vehicle on the road. Thankfully the road wasn't that wet yet, so tehre was little chance of hydroplaning.

Keith's body was still stiff, hands clenched his knees. His mind was filled with the yells of his fater and his brother. What was going on? His father was blaming Zeus for what had happened, saying it was his fault, everything. He winced, shaking his head, why was it Zeus's fault, but at this point, he was willing to believe anything. His mouth opened in a silent cry, before, slamming shut, his teeth clicking shut. He felt as if he were standing between the two gods.

Leo nodded, getting out and running around to the passanger side. It felt like he had walked threw a shower at how soaked he was. On top of it, the rain was cold.
"Holy Zeus..." Leo murmured, shuddering and turning on the heat.

"Got that right." Aria muttered. She swallowed hard, focusing on the light the car headlights provided on the road. The street lamps were out, probabaly from the lightening storm, everywhere else was dark. Aria swallowed again, rubbing her arms gently. "Dunno...had a bad dream...something about us...all demi-gods. I-I woke up before I could firgure anything out." She said, closing her eyes for a moment.
Her eyes opened then, and she glanced over at Keith. For what reason, Aria would never know. She saw his mouth clamp shut and frowned. "Keith?" she asked quietly. She took his shoulder, shaking him lightly. "Hey, Water Boy. Wake up!"

"Ah, Aria, let him sleep..." Leo murmured, leaning back in his seat as he spoke. His head was pounding and he rubbed his gently before letting his eyes close and fallin asleep himself.

Sara listened to Aria and Keith, her own head ached a little bit, but not badly. She didn't say anything, she had no desire to talk right now. It was dark and she had to keep herself focused on the road. She winced, the thunder was incredibly loud.
"I'm gonna drive through the night, let me know if you wanna stop and get food" She murmured to Aria.

Keith felt his body being shaken, someone's voice. His eyes flickered for a moment, sliding open, a stormy grey now.
"Wh-what?" He shuddered, his head was pounding, his side ached, his mind was whirling. He could remember his dream clearly, but he didn't know if he wanted to say anything. He rubbed his eyes, finally out of the fog from earlier. He wanted to go back to sleep.

Aria looked over at Sara and nodded. She had eaten at the diner. And right now, she felt too sick to try and eat anything else. "I'm good.." she murmured. Seeing Keith somewhat awake, Aria pulled her hand back.
"You were dreaming..." Aria said then, looking at him with hard eyes, as if she could see threw him to whatever he had seen. "Didn't want you thrashing so much you'd fall out of the car." She turned her eyes back onto the road again.

Aria wasn't sure when she fell asleep again, but she did. And this time, her dream was heart-wrenching.
The scene was her old victorian style house, the bedroom she had upstairs. Only it was a nursery now, painting a golden yellow and light blue. Colors Aria realized instantly belonged to Hermes. Looking into the crib, Aria saw herself, wrapped in soft cotten blankets, sound asleep. The window opened gently then, and a small warm light came in. It circled the room once, closing the door before it grew in size. Aria realized it was her father. He was tall and lean, wearing a simply white t-shirt, jeans and running shoes. His hair was a light blonde, his eyes were blue, but they were stormy, the way Aria's eyes could get sometime. He reached down into the crib and picked her up, rocking her gently for a moment.
The door opened then, and Aria's mother stepped in. She froze when she saw Hermes. The hand on the door tightened, but Hermes merely looked at her with sad eyes before looking back at Aria.
"She's beautiful..." Hermes whispered, setting Aria back down. Her mother said nothing, just stood there as her father pulled the blankets back over her. Baby Aria started crying as the god left...

Keith nodded.
"Oh" He said, he knew he had been dreaming. He sighed, "Sorry" He hadn't ment to thrash, his head hurt, he felt sick. Gods, he just wanted to go back to his family.
"She blamed me, you know that?" He murmured suddenly, Nemisis had brought it up, reminded him of everything he had tried forgetting. He didn't know why he was talking now, but he neeat, reded to, it hurt to bad to keep inside. He shook his head, sighing, Sara was focused on driving, oblivious to the conversation behind her, or at least, tactfully ignoring it.

"He left because of you. I hate you, it's your fault. I wish you had never been born" Six year old Keith, being yelled at, his whole life, everything had been like that. His mother had hated him, blaming him for everything. His father had been forced to leave because of him, and now, well, now he knew it was true.

Aria opened her eyes slowly, the dream leaving her with more questions then were answered. Tears rolled down her face steadily, and for a horrible moment, Aria thought she had been crying like a baby for real. Looking at Keith and then Sara told her otherwise. Aria sighed in slight relief, rubbing her eyes gently.

She looked around then, frowning. How long had she been out? Sara was still driving, but it didn't seem to dark out. Aria held her head for a moment, looking at Keith. "You said something..." Aria mumbled stupidly. "Before I fell asleep..."

In the passanger seat, Leo let out a small groan. He rubbed his eyes before opening them gently. Aria frowned; was it morning already? It was still stormy out. Leo cursed then, rubbing his eyes again before turning his head to the window and falling back asleep. Must have been a dream...Aria thought before leaning back against her seat, rubbing her eyes gently.

Keith sighed, glancing at looking out the window, half-zoned out. He yawned, eyes opening, suprised as he heard Aria talk. What was going on? Had he fallen asleep.
"Hm?" He murmured, turning and looking at Aria.
"What?" He sighed, he wasn't sure if he was willing to bring that up again, it had been hard enough to say, and well, no one had bothered to respond, which made him feel pretty crappy. He shook his head, glancing at Aria, half-paying attention to her. He looked at Sara, she was white knuckled on the steering wheel. He frowned, "Sara?" He murmured, she glanced at him, but shook her head, unwilling to speak. She was to focused.

Sara half-smiled at Keith, but she didn't open her mouth, she was trying to focus on the road, it was slick with water, and the roads were dark. She glanced at Leo as he woke up, but she didn't say anything, he was asleep before she had a chance too.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Nevermind..." she muttered. She rubbed her face gently, making sure no tears were left on her face, or any sign that she had been crying at all. Good thing no one noticed that. She felt bad enough having cried earlier.
"What time is it?" Aria muttered then. Leo's gruff voice answered her.

"Just before sunrise. Flippin sucks if it'll be like this all day..." he muttered, rubbing his face gently again.
"What are you doing up so early?" Aria muttered then. Leo tensed for a moment, but relaxed as he sighed.
"Maybe the suns up, I don't know." Leo murmured, opening his eyes and blinking a few times. He glanced at Sara then. "Want me to take over?" he asked, surpressing a yawn.

"Erm...that might not be a good idea..." Aria said. "You look like your ready to pass out again." she leaned forward a bit then to talk to Sara. "I can drive..." she said quietly.

"I'm fine" Sara said, shaking her head and frowning.
"Guys, seriously, I can handle this, just, stop talking to me for a bit" She grumbled, they were stressing her out more then the road and weather was. She shook her head "Please?" She added, always nice.

Keith sighed, glancing out the window, "Joy" He commented, shaking his head and leaning his head against the window. He rubbed his face, shaking his head and looking out the window, bored. He wasn't sure what was going on, everyone was stressed, he was upset, though, he had already brought that up once, gotten no response, and well, he wasn't about to do that again, not anytime soon.