Young Writers Society

Cyra sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. They kept their eyes open, watchful on the door. There would be no surprises. There was always some level of wailing, begging for forgivenes, expressing regret. Sometimes it was so far in the distance it sounded like the cry of an animal. Today, unfortunately, it was down the hall.

"PLEASE! Please I want to go home! I won't do it again! I swear. I swear on my life!"

What a joke. Building up the courage to insult or challenge the gods and then melting in a helpless infant as soon as the gods answered. Pathetic. Cyra had never cried. They knew something would happen, and that something was the only way for the gods to listen. Cyra didn't care.

He sighed and plugged his ears for a bit, scowling. The relief was almost immediate, but it was too dangerous to block himself out like that. So, steeling his nerves, he unplugged his ears again. The wailing seemed to be louder.

Gods, she fucking hates this place.

A sound of someone's voice, much louder than all the others, echoed through the Dungeon, "Let go of me, you monsters! I can walk, thank you very much. No need to [i[manhandle[/i] me."

"Oh, shut up! You'll damn well do what you're told."

Cyra rolled their eyes. Getting pissy with the guards, while fun, rarely did much. Especially before you had a cell.

Their footseps grew closer, and soon enough a girl with blonde, almost white, hair was standing infront of Cyra's cell. The guards opened the gate roughly and tossed her in, the girl landing just beside Cyra's cot.

She stood, wiping her bare legs with her hands, "Ugh!"

The girl's eyes moved to Cyra, and she backed away a step, before turning her attention back to the guards, "No food, no washroom. Nothing?"

"You should be lucky that you get a cot," the guards chuckled jointly, and locked the door behind them as they departed.

Cyra scanned this newcomer. Wait a damn minute... "Five years without a cellmate, and they give me you?"

The girl eyed Cyra with a confused gaze, "And who are you?"

Cyra scoffed. "Cyra. You don't remember me, Josephine? I'm hurt." They scowled and crossed their arms.

Josephine pondered for a minute before her eyes widened, "Oh yes, you are the godmade prodigy that failed their master, right?" A smile grew across her face, "I thought you'd be dead by now, to be honest."

"I DIDN'T FAIL HIM!" Cyra stood up, looking down at this... tyrant. "He decided to give up. That was his choice."

"Actually, it was my mother's, I heard," Josephine glanced around herself, scoffing at the dirty floor and rancid smell, "and it seems she was right. You are a wild animal."

"This is your home now too, you half-witted bitch. You were thrown into a cage just as easily."

Josephine raised her eyes to meet Cyra's, a hint of anger in her seafoam iris', "Listen, ragdoll. If you have a problem with what I am, who I am, just stay away from me. I can handle myself. I don't know what your problem is, why you hate me so much, so we can just leave it at that."

Cyra scoffed. "Fine by me."

Josephine turned to start fixing her cot, "Fine."

~

It had been easy enough to ignore Josephine's stupid face during lights out, but after the fit she threw over learning about the bathroom and the meltdown she had over the food portions. Cyra was very ready to toss her to a pack of wolves with a meat dress.

Cyra sat on his cot, trying not to bang his head against the wall.

Josephine was busy braiding her hair, but kept complaining that she didn't have a mirror to do it in. The amount of times she tried to use the silver railings of the cell for her reflection was mind-numbing. The guards hadn't been there to serve a meal in a few hours, so Cyra was starting to get worried. If she had to hear one more complaint, she was going to officially lose it.

After a few more minutes of silence, finally the guard's footsteps sounded in the entryway, "Come on, you two. It's time."

"What?" Josephine asked, "I'm not even done with my hair yet. Can I have ten more minutes?"

Cyra stood up, walking towards the guards. She didn't care if the first trial was to go scuba diving. Anything would be better than being stuck in that cell with that.

"Come on, sweet-cheeks. I'm not going to ask again," the taller guard eyed Josephine. The Daughter of Aphrodite merely snarled at him before dropping her arms from her head and standing. After a quick image check in the railings, they were escorted out of the Dungeon.

Cyra didn't say anything, already having a long history of disciplinary issues with the guards. This child was not going to be the reason Cyra had to rot here for five more years.

Soon enough, they were walking out into the sunlight. Cyra squnited, trying to hide a wince. Wow. He forgot the sun was that intense. Stumbling along blindly, the guards led them to a crowd of people, presumably every other prisoner. As Cyra regained her sight, she could tell that some people were smiling. Some were crying. Others were bent into the dirt, praying. He blinked a few time, and tried to walk away from Josephine.

"Hey! Stay close to your cellmate."

Well fuck. She stayed close to Josephine, watching the guards to see when she could get out of here.

Cyra could feel Josephine's body tense. It was contagious. There was no doubt that a Daughter of Aphrodite didn't belong in something like this. On the other hand, Ares was her father. But from what Cyra'd seen, she didn't inherit one thing from that man.

The crowd continued to cheer, people holding up coins in their hands in attempt to place a bet on the prisoners. This was wrong, so wrong, but it was definitely the work of the gods. A strong, bulky man walked onto the pedestal, gold metallic gladiator jewelry covering his entire body, "Hello, mortals and gods! Welcome to the second round of Hera's Trials! We're glad to have you all here today. My name is Heracles, the previous winner of this grand tournament. Please allow me to welcome, our Queen, Goddess of rightousness and fedelity, Hera!"

Hera appeared in a glitter of starlight, her long earrings falling just below her collarbones. The Goddess' skin was almost too perfect, not one hint of a flaw. One thing that stood out, more than the others, was the amount of jewels that stayed pinned to her body from her necklace, to her bands, up to her crown. She looked like she tripped and fell into an emerald mine.

Hera's voice was that of riches and moonlight, "Welcome, my lovely patrons."

Cyra couldn't fight the gag. Ew.

I'm so glad all of you are so excited for this as I am. Today, we have a wonderful Trial planned. That of man and women, of victors and losers, of the strong and the mighty and beyond. We will test their wits, their speed, and their temperments. Today, the prisioners will be finding the Nemean Lion, and killing it!"

The crowd bursted into a million cheers, some people throwing food at the prisoners. A sandwich almost hit Josephine in the head, causing Cyra to chuckle.

"The Prisoners will travel to Nemea to kill the lion that has been terrorizing it's people. Put your bets in now, people!" Hera continued, a smile pinned across her evil, stupid face, "We will drop the prisoners off in the Nemean Forest, and they will need to return the lion's skin. There will be multiple Lions, as I've cloned them, one for each cell. The Prisoners will need to work together in order to fufill their part. If they fail, they will be executed at the hands of Zeus."

The crowd seemed to grow even wilder, some shouting 'Kill them" and "For the Gods!". Cyra glanced at Josephine and noticed that her skin was visibly sweating.

What a pathetic joke. And she had the fucking nerve to call me the failure.

"But this time, there's a twist," The crowd quieted, "if their partner dies, they die too."

Josephine's head turned to look at Cyra, an astonished and confused look on her face, but soon turned to look at the ground.

Cyra groaned, rubbing her temples. "You got to be fucking kidding me. I don't want to a fucking babysitter."

"It's not like I enjoy the sound of that either, okay?" Josephine grumbled, "I'm paired with someone that doesn't even have a gift. How wonderful."

"And I'm partnered with someone who cried when there wasn't a shower. You think the woods are an all-inclusive vacation?"

"Shut your ugly mouth," Josephine glared at her, "I've learned enough about battle and combat, you're just programmed to know everything. You got lucky."

"Based on my current partner, I would say I am very unlucky indeed."

Before Josephine could respond, Hera continued her speech, "Let's get this party started, shall we?"

Josephine

Josephine was scared. No, more than scared. She tried to hide it, but it seemed like Cyra noticed. Everyone noticed. The trip to Nemea was hell. Hera teleported them there, and the process was painful-- Josephine felt like her limbs were getting ripped off of her torso. When they finally landed in the forest, other prisoners were rolling around on the ground and gripping their arms and legs in pain.

It was a brushy area, filled with trees and mud and sticks. A stream could be heard further into the forest, followed by chirping birds and growls from the lions. Josephine jumped to her feet, brushing off the dirt from her arms. She glanced around for Hera, but she was no where to be found. Josephine couldn't sense her aura, either.

Jospehine glanced at Cyra, who was already up and surveying the area. Far from her, of course. The Daughter of Aphrodite started walking towards her, eyes wandering in every which way, "Hey, ragdoll. We gotta stick together, remember?"

"You have working legs. You can follow me. Unless you know the Nemean Forest well?" Cyra barely glanced at her.

"Do you?" Josephine countered.

Cyra blinked. "Uh, I thought that was obvious from what I said?"

"Nothing about you is obvious, except for your inability to let things go," Josephine caught up to her, glancing around them, "What is your problem with me, anyways? I didn't do anything to you. You're really going to hate me over something my mother did, or what I am?"

Cyra clenched their fists. "What? You don't like it when I return the favor?"

"You said, as soon as I walked in, and I quote: 'five years without a cellmate, and they give me you.' I think I was the one reciprocating energy."

Cyra whirled around, jamming a finger into her chest. "No! You don't get to do that. The only reason I'm fucking here is because the day I was no longer useful to stroke some sexually pent up god's ego, I was thrown out. For what I was. No one fought for me. No one coddled me like your precious wecious mother. And you have the fucking audacity to ask me what my problem is?" Cyra turned away, grabbing a stray loc and tugging it hard. "My problem is that you gods are all the same. You have no sense of responsibility. You're all looking for the quick way to validation. So fuck you."

Josephine's skin boiled. She could feel the heat rising up from her core, and her hands burned at the tips. She stayed her ground, "What did you expect me to do? Say 'oh mother, that's not right?' If you know the gods so well, you should know that it's not that easy. And by the way, I'm in here for a reason too. You might be discarded, left alone, but I was about to be killed. I was about to be nothing. If it wasn't for my godly mother, I'd be dead right now. And yes, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have even been put in this position. Yes, they're cowards. Yes, they have others do their dirty work, yes, life is fucking hard. Deal with it. Who's the crybaby now? You just fucking proved that you care more than you let others think. So that makes who the true coward? Hm?"

"I AM NOT CRYING!" Cyra punched a nearby tree, putting almost her entire arm through. Her breaths were heaving, desperate, like she was drowning. "You... You don't know what a hard life means. Your mother was there to protect you. You could have died, sure, if you didn't have her. But you did. And I..." Something seemed to strangle her then, her back still to Josephine. "And I don't fucking care. I don't..." She was tugging harder on her hair now. "I don't care. There's a Lion to catch. Keep up." He marched forward, not looking behind to see if Josie was following.

Josephine could feel her skin cooling down, and instead of anger, she felt guilt. Cyra was right, she did have Aphrodite. But Cyra had no one to vouch for her. Aphrodite was always on Josephine's side, always defending her. She didn't know what it felt like to be purely and utterly alone. Tears tugged at her eyes but she didn't follow. Instead, she kept a long pace behind, watching Cyra from a distance.

Cyra's POV

"I don't need anyone else." Cyra fiddled with a stick in their hands, pressing the rough tear against her wrist until it was irritated. "In this life, people only slow you down."

She kicked a rock into the stream, trying to keep a grip.

God they were so embarrassing.

Sure Josephine was saying things she knew were true. Cyra was a coward. Cyra was a weakling. Cyra was unwanted because of how weak she was. But even though they knew that to be a fact, they had to get all emotional and stupid over it. What a joke.

Cyra took a deep breath, trying to keep their head on straight. Hopefully Josephine wouldn't get herself killed. Wouldn't that just be perfect? To die because the person who just cut them open bled out in the sticks somewhere. Seems like a poetic ending, but Cyra always hated poetry.

Soon, the stream led to a sparkling lake. Cyra didn't quite fight the shudder like they wanted to. Water. The reason why Cyra was packed up in a neat little box and put outside the door.

She crouched, taking a look around. Lakes like this could attract wildlife if the water was drinkable. She scanned the forest line for any sign of movement.

"Come on you. I need to win this." She stayed low to the ground, making as little sound as possible.

There wasn't much sound that came after that besides the strong paws of the lion. Cyra heard it, but didn't move, and instead moved her eyes to where the sound came from. Deep, but not quite deep into the woods, it seemed. The lion must've been stalking her, waiting for just the perfect time to jump. But, Cyra had done this before, and she knew that the lion would come to her. She wouldn't have to go to it.

The large mane appeared first out of the trees, eyeing her with it's bright yellow eyes. Its coat was that of sandy beige and dark bronze, the true definition of a godly monster. It stalked towards her, step by step, nostrils flaring in an attempt to taste her scent. It licked its lips and got lower to the ground, matching Cyra's stance almost identically. It was waiting for her to make the first move.

Cyra breathed shallowly, never tearing her gaze from its eyes.

The lion wiggled its backside as if it was about to pounce, but steadied itself instead. It clawed at the mud, an invitation to try it if she dared.

Cyra bared her teeth in a snarl. He knew how animals worked. It was all intimidation, acting like the bigger threat. Cyra was the bigger threat. This lion could either accept that and surrender, or die.

It walked circles around her, tempting her. The world seemed to slow as the lion finally made the first move, lunging at her with pristine direction. Cyra gritted her teeth, sliding so she was just below the lion's underbelly. The lion lashed, and leaped again, removing itself from that vaulnerable position. It seemed like it was starting to get frustrated with her, huffing one last sigh before leaping once more, this time straight for her neck. She stepped back just enough to slash at its open maw. The lion flew to the side, landing with a thump. It was angry now, but didn't lunge again right away. It studied her, impressed.

The lion stalked towards her once again, the fur rising on the back of its neck. It growled, baring it's teeth in a hiss. Cyra growled right back.

This time, it seemed to know her next move. She tried to counter, but it was too quick. It lunged for her again, aiming for her neck once more, but instead it latched onto her leg. Cyra fell hard to the groun, her head cracking against the forest floor. She groaned, a faint dulling throb taking over. The lion shook it's head violently in attempt to stop her squirming, and moved closer to the water.

It was going to drown her. Cyra clawed at the ground, trying to get steady enough to fight back. She wasn't as durable like this, and she could see the lion's teeth start to slowly sink it. If she did this wrong, she would tear her leg off and then the lion would just eat her. How was she going to escape?

Suddenly, as if the gods heard her, a bright, warm ball of light rushed towards them, almost blinding Cyra. The lion bounced back, loosening it's grip. It seemed to have another target, something else distracting it. It dropped Cyra completely, groaning in agony. It's tail was on fire.

It rushed into the lake, and Cyra stood up, ignoring the pulsating markson her leg. She planted her feet on the ground, gestruing for the lion to come back, out of the water. "Face me, you overgrown oaf."

It growled again, lunging for her once more. Cyra wrapped their arms around its neck and swung over its back, squeezing as hard as they could. The lion's shriek ended when Cyra was holding its head in her forearms, decapitated from it's body. The bottom half of the lion fell limp, dropping to the floor with a thud. Cyra gasped for breath, not letting go of the head.

Josephine emerged from the brush, clapping her hands slowly, a grin plastered on her face, "Well done."

Cyra flinched and whirled to look at Josephine. "Oh. You're... you're here."

"I was always here," Josephine dropped her hands, eyeing the lion's head, "How else do you think you got out of that little predicament you had there? You weren't alone. I wouldn't leave you alone. We are a team, regardless of the negative feelings we have towards eachother."

Cyra felt a hot flash of embarrassment run through them. "Well... well I had it handled!" They scoff, moving the head under their arm. "But. But at least you get some of the credit." They pick up the body ad slung it across his shoulders.

Josephine's smile grew wider and she rolled her eyes playfully, walking towards Cyra, "Mhm. Sure. Now let's get this thing back to Hera."

Cyra nodded. "Let's go."

Josephine

The arena was quieter than before. This time, some people were angry, as if they lost the bet they'd placed minutes before the Trial. Hera seemed displeased, face scrunched into a pout as she fixed her crown. The Queen of Olympus shushed the angry crowd before finally speaking, "I know, I know," she began, "it didn't go quite how we planned. We...underestimated how many teams would make it today. But, we do have an interesting Trial coming up tomorrow, and you can place new bets then!"

Josephine rolled her eyes. Is this a game for them? Do they really find joy watching us die, one by one? Her seafoam eyes squinted at Apollo's bright sun that shone unforgivably onto her already sweating skin. Gods, she wished she wasn't here. She wished for hapiness, safety, and most importantly: a freaking washroom.

Hera continued, "The winners are..." she went off naming the survivors, one by one, "...Cyra and Josephine."

Jospehine allowed a smirk to crawl across her face, watching as onlookers glared at the both of them in disgust. Damn right, they won.

"I thank you all for coming, and I hope you stop by the gift shop on your way out. There's some esqusite keychains of some of the fallen members, created by yours truly! Celebrate your win tonight, if you won, and have a lovely day!"

Keychains?

Josephine made a confused face and glanced at Cyra, who was rolling their eyes like it was a minor annoyance. They muttered something under their breath that sounded like "fucking... basic... sick..."

"Tell me about it," Josephine grumbled, moving along in the line of prisoners as the guards escorted the group back to the Dungeons.

Josephine decided to test the waters, poking one of the guards next to her in the rib as they walked, "Hey," she whispered. The guard just glanced at her, scoffing. He didn't answer, so Josephine continued, "Let me take a shower, and I'll pay you 100 million gold marks, courtesy of Aphrodite herself."

The guard's eyebrows lifted, but he continued to look forward as the line shuffled into the staircase, leading down into the dark abyss that was now her home, "Keep it moving, sweet cheeks."

Josephine scoffed right back at him, and shook her head, "Men are so stupid. Who turns an offer like that down?"

"Someone who values their life," they reached Cyra and Josephine's cell, the guard unlocked it with the key and pushed the gate open, "Now get in."

"So mean," Josephine walked inside, and plopped down on her bed, Cyra following. Before she fully crossed the threshold, the guard grabbed her head and smashed it against the bars. Cyra stumbled forward, before turning around, teeth bared. The guard just slammed the door in her face.

"Now, now. Don't do something you regret. Prisoners in the pit can't participate." He locked the door and walked away, chuckling.

Cyra stood at the door, fists clenching and unclenching.

"You just let them talk to you like that?" Josephine asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Cyra let out a humorless. "Why do you think he did that?"

"Because he's fucking insane, like most followers of Hera are," Josephine raised an eyebrow.

"Because I've said a lot of things." Cyra rubbed the side of their head, as if they were checking for injuries. "It's too late to start trouble. Fucking bitch knows that."

"Hm," Josephine sat back to lean against the wall, picking the spare dirt off of her clothes, "Well, next time he does that I'm going to burn his hand off. Not because... I like you or anything, but because I stand up for what I think is right."

"Then you're more stupid than I thought."

"Fine, then I won't. I'll just let him keep doing that until that hard ass skull of yours breaks," Josephine shrugged, "Fine with me."

Cyra scoffed. "Fine then. Like he could fucking do that anyways. He thinks that drinking water is a bicep workout."

"Seemed like it worked out for him just fine a few seconds ago," Josephine pondered the thought, "Hm. Maybe I should start lifting water glasses. Maybe then, I could break the fuck out of here. Have you even tried?"

Cyra looked at her, finally sitting on their cot. "How long do you think I've been here?"

"Since your...trial with my mother." Josephine responded, studying her nails. Gods, they were fucked. She needed one of her mother's nail techs immediately.

"And how long ago was the last trial?"

"I couldn't tell you,"Josephine said.

"About three months after my trial."

"And you...missed it or something?"

"You arrived the day of. How would I have missed it?"

Josephine looked up from her nails and dropped her hand, "Get to the point."

Cyra had an intense look on his face, like he was saying things he didn't want to but were too important to avoid. "I was disqualified. Because I was in the pit. The same place you'll end up if you do something stupid."

"What if I want to do something stupid? I'd rather die in the pit than have my face torn off by some godly monster," Josephine shrugged again, "I didn't even want to be in these Trials. I was sentenced at birth to be here. I knew when I turned a certain age... well, let's just say, I knew I was going to die sooner or later. I'm not playing into the pawn of their games, unlike you. I'd rather die, knowing that I'm standing my ground, than suffer one more second in that area."

Cyra stood up. "You're so fucking stupid! You don't understand anything. For someone who's spent their entire life training for this, you sure don't know what the fuck it means. You want to know what the pit is? it's a hole. Just a hole in the dirt, too small to stand up in, and they bury you. They put a slab of metal over the opening, padlock it down, and you're stuck there. There's no bathroom. The only meals you get are what you catch when they open the bars and spill it through. You want to die there? You want to die in the fucking muck rather than fight?"

Josephine listened, and her eyes softened. She didn't. She didn't want to die, especially that way. But she can't let Cyra know that, "What makes you think we're even going to win? Out of all the prisoners here, from Delphi and beyond, you think we actually have a chance?"

"I don't care if we do. All I know was the trial was designed to kill as many as possible. Every person who lives is an embarrassment for Hera. You talk about fighting the design? Rebel against the gods? Then win, and show them that their puny little trials are shit. Because they're placing bets out there that we die."

"My mother told me something before I left," Josephine's voice lowered, and she glanced outside the cell to make sure nobody was listening before she spoke. Her voice was now a mere whisper, "she spoke to Heracles. He said the only way to win is to follow your heart, whatever that means."

"And is your heart really saying to give up now?"

Josephine hesitated, but let her eyes connect with Cyra's. She ignored the question, "Listen. I'm sorry about what I said to you earlier. I didn't... I wasn't sure what I was talking about. If we're being honest, I'm fucking scared. So... I don't know. My heart is telling me to run, to hide, to get the fuck out of here."

Cyra leaned in. "Then tell it to shut the fuck up until it gets a grip."

Josephine's eyes teared up, and she laid down in her cot, turning so that her face was against the wall so Cyra couldn't see her cry. She didn't respond, too stuck in the midst of all these emotions. Instead, she simply said, "I'm going to take a nap."

"Sure." She could hear Cyra's bed creaking, and, if she listened hard, a barely there, "Sleep well."



Today, Hera was in a better mood. Instead of the gold she wore the previous day, she was dressed in all white: the epitome of the goddess of Marriage. And that, she was.

Hera's crown shifted slighty to right as she announced the next Trial, "Ladies and Gentleman, Gods and Mortals," Josephine glanced at Cyra, but her gaze reconnected with Hera as the Queen continued, "This is my personal favorite. I'm sure you all have heard of Hydra, the unforgiving multi-headed Serpent that terrorizes any fishermen or god that sails through it's waters. Once again, there will be duplicates of this monster. This time, though, to make up for yesterday's anger, I offer a proposal. The team that got the most amount of votes to lose the last Trial, will only have 30 minutes to defeat the Hydra, whereas the others will have a full hour."

"What?" Josephine audibly spoke, but shut her gaped mouth as Hera's eyes drifted directly to hers, "Cyra and Josephine, you will be the underdogs tonight...again, I suppose?"

"We look forward to seeing your face when we beat it in 15 minutes, Hera!"

Hera's grin turned into a massive evil smile, "Oh, my dear. How brave of you! To stick up for yourself and your partner," she leaned forward on the pedestal, eyes squinting in a challenge, "how about this. Since you're so sure about your..ability to complete this trial so quickly, I'll offer another proposition. If you complete this Trial in 15 minutes, like you said, I will reward you greatly. Unless, of course... you think you can't do it."

Cyra just matched their sneer. "Challenge. Fucking. Accepted."

Some of the other prisoners chuckled, as if they were already eliminating them. Josephine nudged Cyra in the torso, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Aren't you the one who wanted to be all tough and challenge the gods? Stand up for yoursel?"

"Yes, but--" Josephine started to speak, but Hera cut her off.

"Wonderful!" Hera placed her hands together, her voice still serene and mighty, "Looks like we have our first challenge! I was expecting this to happen sooner or later, but isn't this just lovely?!"

The crowd bursted into a million cheers, and they started chanting 'Hera!', 'Hera!', 'Hera!'.

Josephine gulped. Cyra was fucking insane. There was no way they could beat the Hydra in fifteen minutes.

Cyra nudged her shoulder. "Just listen to me and we'll kill this thing in ten."

"You better be right," Josephine grumbled.

Hera dismissed them, "Take them to the Marshes of Lerna. Give them one weapon of their choice."

The Guards nodded and grabbed Josephine and Cyra by their arms, leading them back into the hallways of the arena.

Cyra took careful steps, trying to breath like they weren't wading through a death trap. He didn't realize the Hydra would be so far from dry land. They scowled, testing the weight of the battle-ax in hand. It felt good to have a weapon again, and they hoped that would eventually trump the water deathtrap.

Josephine walked beside them, cringing as her feet got soaks beneath her shoes, "This is fucking disgusting. Imagine what's in these waters," chills ran down her spine.

"Don't even start." Cyra glanced over at Josephine. "Just... do you remember the plan?"

"Yes, listen to you and keep my wits about me," Josephine nodded, cringing again as she stepped in something mushy and cold, "Aww! These were new shoes! I bought them just for this!"

"Well. Forget them because it's time to listen. You shoot fire out of your hand. So I need you to stay far away and burn every headless neck you see."

"Not just my hands," Josephine corrected her, "But I get what you mean. Be your support, and burn the decapitated Hydra. Got it."

"I don't care if the fire comes out of your ass. Just make sure the hydra doesn't kill us while I'm decapitating it."

"And what if the Hydra starts coming for me? They don't like water, you know. If I start burning it, then it'll shift it's target to me instantly," Josephine questioned.

"I won't let it. Just don't let it duplicate."

Josephine only nodded as they reached a break in the marshes, a signal to choose a path. Cyra lifted a finger, first smelling the air for burnt plants. There seemed to be a faint ashy haze nearby, but not close enough to give a direction. She whistled, mimicking a birdcall. There was a splash heard to the right.

"This way." Cyra went down the right fork.

Josephine followed, keeping her mouth shut in case the Hydra could hear them. The clock was ticking. They'd already been walking for five minutes. They had less than ten to find the Hydra and kill it.

Cyra suddenly stopped. There, right there, was the Hydra, a mass of entwining heads and dripping acid. "Don't. Move." Her partner listened, gripping her clothes in anxiety.

The Hyrda seemed to be snuffling at the water, looking for fish, but another head seemed to catch a new scent, sniffing in the air and progressively turning towards Cyra and Josephine. Cyra pulled Josephine behind some grass.

Josephine took a few steps backwards, but not enough movement to cause the Hydra to attack. Cyra felt Josephine gain more feet as she continued to stalk back, eventually ending up about twenty meters from the monster. Then, by the grace of someone who Cyra now owed a favor, one of the heads brought up a fish, all of the heads diving towards it to get a piece. Cyra grinned, waiting until even the wandering head joined the fight.

As soon as no eyes were on them, they rushed, cutting off the first head easily. "Now!"

Josephine's body warmed up, and she struggled, "Uh, I should've told you this before!" she shook her hands in attempt to conjure her power faster, "I need a few seconds! Just two seconds!"

Cyra growled and kept hacking at the neck, making sure that it didn't grow back. The other heads were getting interested, circling around Cyra. "Fucking hell, Josie!"

"Okay, Okay!" Josephine's hands boiled, a small orb of fire slowly growing in her hand. It wasn't big enough. She gave up and instead stared intensely at the Hydra, concentrating on the wiggling nub, until it seemed to crisp away and burn, down, down, until the nub barely reached the torso.

Before Cyra had a chance to celebrate, another head striked. Cyra barely jumped back, cutting that head off too. Josephine seemed to be getting a hang of it, because this time a huge orb of fire wisped right past Cyra's face, landing directly on the target spot. Josephine breathed heavily behind her, "I don't know how much power I can use, Cyra! I've never weilded orbs this big, I'm burning up!" she screamed through the pain, her skin turning red with every minute she stayed hot.

"Just give me a second!" Cyra kept slashing, head after head falling. Where the fuck was the kill switch? A wailing scream came from Josephine's lips as she released another orb, blood spilling from her eyes in tears, "CYRA!"

"I'm almost done!" Cyra swung through a head and the Hyra dropped. The detached head tried to gnaw on Cyra's ankle, but she stepped on it. She turned to look back. "It's done! We did it!"

Josephine smiled faintly before blood coated both her eyes completely, "We di--"

She dropped. Hard.

Cyra let out a guttural yell. "Josephine!" They rushed over barely stopping her before she was submerged, water splashed everywhere, covering Cyra. Josephine was limp, her body dangling and her eyes still open. All Cyra saw was blood, and steam rising from her body. The water sizzled as Josephine landed. The marshes looked like they were boiling.

Cyra could feel her human form struggle to keep up with the heat, but she couldn't switch now. She stood up, wincing, before going back and picking up the still squirming Hydra head. She slammed it on the ground to knock it out before walking off. "Come on, Josie." She checked her pulse.It was very faint, but she was still here, somewhere in there. She was still alive. As Cyra studied her, a gold scar-like mark appeared on Josephine's wrist, glimmering in the shadow of the marshes. Aphrodite's symbol. Her mother was watching over them. Shortly after, Cyra's wrist burned, and their eyes darted to their skin to see the same exact symbol. Suddenly, a faint voice sung through the wind,

"Sleep well, my flower. I have blessed you both. Take care of my daughter. I shall be with you both, as long as you need me. Sing to the birds as you did, and I will be summoned."

Cyra shuddered at the voice. It seemed to roll across her in waves, pooling somewhere deep in her chest. She swallowed, looking at the mark. Aphrodite's mark. What did Josephine get hurt so badly that Aphrodite offically hired her as a bodyguard? If Josephene got hurt again, would he be smitten? He sighed and kept walking, ignoring the sound of sizzling skin and the stirring head.

~

When Cyra made her way back into the arena, the reactions of the crowd seemed to be mixed. Some where cheering, most likely assuming Josephine was dead in her arms, other were jeering, most likely upset that it wasn't Cyra dead in someone's arms. Cyra took a look around the stands, looking at everyone with the same amount of vitroil they looked at her. Pathetic. They almost made it the full way around before they saw someone familiar.

Aphrodite, sitting calmly in the stands. When she caught Cyra's eyes, she smiled, looking down like Cyra was holding a precious gift. Cyra nodded, mostly confused about what Cyra was agreeing with, but knowing it was important anyways.

She kept walking, and tossed the now biting head to Hera. "Fifteen minutes. You happy?"

Hera's eyes glanced to Josephine, who was still definitely passed out in Cyra's arms, "But at what cost, hm?" Hera stood, pacing around her pedestal, "I'm not sure if your partner is even in the right condition to finish these Trials."

"She is, your grace," Aphrodite butted in, but nodded her head in reluntancy as Hera's eyes angrily darted to the Goddess of Beauty. But Aphrodite only continued, her blonde curly hair swaying in the wind, "She is."

"How dare you?" Hera smiled, pointing to Aphrodite, "A Goddess, standing up for her child. A forbidden--"

"Just fucking check her pulse instead of crying about it, Grandma. Come on."

Hera's eyes grew wild. With a flick of her neck, she stared down Cyra with angry eyes, "I don't need to do anything, granddaughter. I don't believe that she is capable of continuing the Trials."

Aphrodite spoke once more, "If I may, your grace," her voice was that of the sea and wind, "I know my child. She is fine. Just tired."

"Is that so?" Hera glanced back at Josephine, contemplating, "We will see. If she is not better by tomorrow morning, you both are disqualified."

"And if she is? You promised a grand reward. You going back on promises now?"

"Your grand reward is life," Hera smiled wider, "You didn't ask for specifics. I said a grand prize. And after the stunt you pulled at commencement, you should be dead. Be lucky that I am granting you this one thing."

Cyra did a very sarcastic curtsy. "I'll be sure to be more specific next time, then."

"There will be no next time, child," Hera's voice was strong and stern, "I will not give you any more of my attention, let alone a challenge. Unless, of course, you decide to speak out unlawfully again. And this time, the challenge won't be so easy."

"Oh, I don't doubt that for a second." Cyra started to walk back before turning around again. "By the way. I lied. We did it in ten minutes. Your guards timed us." She did a faux cheery wave to the crowd before ducking back the cell hall, the sounds of wild cheering echoing down with her.

~

Cyra was very much remembering why they hated the pit. Not that they needed a refresher, but it's hard to accurately remember the smells, or the crushing weight on your shoulders, or the thick wet that seeped into your clothes that you didn' even want to think of. But Cyra didn't care. At this point, one night was nothing compared to having to stay in it during the whole duration of the trials. They just stared blankly ahead, fighting back all of the feelings that being here brought up. The last time they were here... no. It was pointless to think about. Just make it through. Get some sleep. Make it back to Josephine before she threw a fit and ended up here too. They shifted, trying to ignore the squelching beneath her knees.

"Lights out!"

They could hear guards walk around, making sure no one was doing anything stupid before they receded. No company for tonight, thankfully. Suddenly, a twinkle of starlight formed the shape of a feminine figure in front of them, lighting up the whole pit. It blinded him, so they had to cover their eyes with a hand.

"Hello." The celestial voice of a goddess radiated and echoed throughout the pit.

Aphrodite.

Cyra grimaced. "Not the place for a pretty goddess, What are you doing here?"

Aphrodite laughed lightly, and with the snap of her fingers half the waste dissapeared, and a small lantern appeared on the floor next to Cyra, illuminating the space even more, "I hope you will accept my help, as you know that I care greatly about my daughter."

"It would probably be fucking stupid to deny it. Besides, she's your kid. Do what you want."

Aphrodite caught their gaze, "I understand. You still feel ill will towards me. That is completely justified. I have come to you to thank you, as well as offer more help."

"Thank me for what? Your daughter isn't doing too hot. Or, I guess, a little too hot."

"Thank you for bringing her back. Thank you for not leaving her there to rot amonst the mud. Who knows what could've happened. I thank you for being patient with her. And I thank you for putting our differences aside and allowing me to see her again," the Goddess of Love continued, " If you win these trials, I would like to grant you eternal freedom and a person of your own. I would like to grant you your soulmate. As the Goddess of Desires, I know exactly what you want. And I can grant that to you. It will not be artificial, no, as the Fates already have a plan for you, child...let me help you for helping her."

Cyra scoffed, looking away. "If she died, they would kill me too. Coming back without her would mean I'd be in the Fields of Punishment."

"If the Fates are correct..." Aphrodite hummed, "I believe if you make it through the next two Trials, it will be sealed. I can guarantee you safety, and I can secure your future. But only if you promise to keep her safe. I cannot help you if she dies. Two more Trials, and you will see.[/i]"

"If she dies in the next two trials, so will I. So, I'm not letting her do anything that stupid."

"Good. I will return to see you. Oh, and follow your heart." The starlight dissapeared abrubtly, leaving only the lantern in it's leave.

She shifted again, only feeling the gentle, almost homey scrape of dirt on her clothes. The smell was mostly tolerable now. She sighed softly. That was... adequete. Of course a goddess wouldn't want to be uncomfortable.

But more of the follow your heart bullshit? What was that supposed to mean? Cyra didn't have a heart. At least, she thought so. Somehow, asking somone to poke around her chest to look for one never crossed her mind. She sighed. All he had to do was keep Josephine from doing something stupid. She could do that. Then maybe some of that would make more sense. She looked at the scar across her wrist. It glistened a shiny gold in the laternlight. For some reason, seeing it made her smile.

Josephine

In collaboration with: @WeepingWisteria

Her body was numb. Too numb. Her eyes squinted open at the sound of birds behind the wall, bandages patched under her eyes and along her nose.

Josephine thought she was dead.

But no, she wasn't. She was very much alive. Something was off, though.

When she finally regained her vision, she looked to her right to find Cyra's cot empty. She freaked out, standing up, and walked towards the bars, "Hello??"

No answer. She pondered inside her head, pacing back and forth. Last she remembered, they won. Last she remembered, Cyra was smiling at her... that toxic, stupid smile. She wanted nothing more than to see that smile again right about now. She finally decided on a spot to sit. Cyra's cot was different than hers, but smelled just like her.

About an hour later, two guards were bascially dragging Cyra back. One of them opened the cell, letting the other uncermoniously toss her in. Cyra landed with a dull thud. They snickered. "Hope you enjoyed reliving those pleasant memories!" They closed the door and walked away, still chorlting between themselves. Cyra wordlessly sat on the floor, far away from the door, and leaned against the wall, closing their eyes. They looked exhausted and like... someone had dipped their legs in a manure pile.

Josephine watched with awe, eyes widening. Her throat bobbed, and she stood up, glaring at the guards as they walked away. She smelled the stench of the pit, but she didn't care. She thought Hera punished Cyra... did something unfathomable. She threw herself into Cyra, ignoring the stains that seemed into her shirt at the touch. She didn't care. Not now. Normally, she would beg to be let out of here-- being trapped in a small area with someone that reaks of shit wasn't that daughter of Aphrodite-ish. But she didn't care. Not now, not ever again. She was glad to see that face again, even though it was splattered with dirt and her eyelids drooped. She was Josephine's partner, and she would never be left alone again. Not if Josephine had something to do with it. But, she wouldn't say that. She'd stay here and hold Cyra until they both felt content, both felt like a team again. And a team, they were.

Cyra seemd to freeze, like the wires that made up his brain were short-circuiting. He looked down ar Josephine, weakly opening his mouth, but nothing seemed to come out. She blinked once. Twice. She tilted her head, looking at Josephine. It took a long few seconds of that wide-mouthed stare, too tired eyes seeming so lost, for Cyra to barely croak out one word.

"Why?"

Josephine's eyes watered, and she lifted her hands to touch Cyra's cheeks, cupping them, "Why not?"

Cyra seemed taken aback, her eyes squinting down at Josephine, her body tensing like she expected Josephine to attack. "You... hate me?"

"I could never. Not anymore," Josephine whispered, "I thought you were dead when I didn't see you in the cell. I almost..." her eyes dropped, and so did her hands, "I'm sorry. For everything. We are a team. I am your partner. You are enough for me, and I hope I'm enough for you. I know... I know you have problems with the gods, and I get that. But I don't ever want to feel like that again. I don't ever want to feel like I hurt you. I felt like I was dying when I didn't see you here."

Cyra looked away then, her eyes looking only at the floor. He scowled. "Well... maybe that's what you get... for pulling that stunt with the Hydra. You think I wanted to see that?"

Josephine allowed a small smile to creep along her face, "So...is this your way of saying you actually cared? Not because you would die too... but because you felt the same way."

"Well I-!" He groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "If you... want to take it that way... be my guest."

Josephine wrapped an arm around Cyra's shoulders, resting her head on the shitty shirt that Cyra was wearing. Gods, she smelled horrible.

"You're a handful, you know that?" Josephine chuckled, "And you smell like shit."

"Well, I was just in shit for you. So... you're welcome."

"Thank you. I should've started with that. Why were you in there, anyways? And what the fuck happened after I passed out?" Josephine's eyes scanned Cyra's skin, noticing the welts and burns that stayed scattered on her arms, "I....Oh my god. I'm so sorry."

Cyra waved it off. "I've had worse"

Josephine grabbed Cyra's arms, rubbing the welts with her thumb, "No. It's not okay. These will scar. We need to get these healed."

"They're not the first scars I've gotten. And if we keep going, they won't be the last. It happens. Skin gets fucked up."

The Daughter of Aphrodite dropped Cyra's arms, and stood, pacing once again, "I did that to you. I won't be able to live with myself. I mean, I've burned people, yes, but.... not someone... nevermind."

Cyra sighed. "Look. It was either pick you up or let you drown. Some scars are... better than the alternatives."

Josephine paused, running a hand through her tangled hair. Cyra was right, but she could never trust herself again. She would hesitate, now, to use her gift. She promised her mother that she would never hurt those she... potentially cared about. Not that she cared that much about Cyra, but she knew that there was something there. Something tingled deep inside her, and she sighed as well, "Okay."

"Look. If you died, they would just kill me too. So some scars? Or my death? Those were the two options. If you want to blame anyone, blame the dumbass who stuck their arms in boiling water to fish you out."

The sunlight poked through the bars, landing on Josephine's face. They stared at eachother for a few more seconds, speaking within their minds. Cyra's eyes said one thing, but her words said another.

"So... friends?" Josephine held out her hand, "I promise I won't try to kill you in your sleep, as long as you promise the same to me."

Cyra scoffed, but took her hand anyways. "Whatever you say."





It took a while, but Josephine was feeling good enough for the next Trial by morning. As she slept, she felt her divine tissues healing her eyes along with steadying her body temperature. They walked through the Woods of Nemi, keeping an eye out for Diana and her fawn.

When Hera announced the next Trial, Josephine was relieved. No more killing, she supposed. If she had to use her power today, or atleast as much as she did yesterday, she was practically going to die. Cyra walked in front of her, "This way. I can smell it."

Josephine chuckled, "You can smell what? A fucking deer? What other powers do you even have, besides inpenetrable skin-- which by the way, I saw in full action before I passed the fuck out."

"Hmm... a winning personality, generally being better than everyone, and skin that's even better than this flesh suit."

Josephine stepped over a large rock, thankful she didn't let it poke into her foot, "I second that. Your personality is amazing," she winked.

"Took it long enough to seep into that thick skull of yours."

Josephine chuckled once again, raising an eyebrow, "Who has a thick skull, Mr. Inpeneterable?"

"You. I just said so." Cyra hummed, before mumbling, "I don't even know if I have a skull..."

"I've gotten called a lot of things in my day. like FireStarter or FireHeart or... FlameBrain, but never got told I have a thick skull. That's a new one. Thick-Skulled-Josie. I think I'll use that as my superhero name once we beat these damn trials," Josephine mumbled back, smiling wider.

Cyra smirked. "I always strive for ingenuity. Glad I could inspire you."

Josephine halted for a second, and blushed. They had a heart to heart yesterday, but this is the first time Cyra actually went out of her way to respond nicely. This was a step in the right direction. She continued to walk once again, smiling at the ground and pushing a sray strand of wavy hair behind her ear.

Cyra didn't seem to notice. The gentle silence went on a few more minutes, before Cyra stopped. "Hmm. You smell that?"

Josephine stopped with her, and sniffed the air, "No. What is it?"

"It's deer shit. It's been here before."

Josephine glanced at her, "That means that Diana is somewhere here too. She never leaves her deer unattended. I read so many books about her, she's the goddess of hunt, alongside Artemis. I wouldn't be surprised if--"

Suddenly, the trees seemed to part and a small doe stayed positioned in the break of the trees, munching on some grass. It's ears twitched and looked in Cyra and Josephine's direction, but soon licked it's lips and turned back to the grass it was devouring.

Josephine's breathing shallowed, voice now a whisper, "What now, Cyra?"

Cyra shrugged. "Haven't really thought that far."

Josephine glanced around herself, "Okay. Um... why don't we just ask for it? Isn't that what Heracles did?"

"Are you going to do that because people like Diana don't listen to me."

"I can, I just don't know how to summon her. I guess..." Josephine focused on the Deer, allowing slight heat to form around it. The deer popped it's head up, not in pain but merely in confusion, and let out a small shriek. Shortly afterwards, a voice said through the wind, "Who are you?"

"I am Josephine, daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. I am here to ask for a favor."

"A favor, hmm?" The wind pushed against her hair.

"Yes. A favor. I need to borrow the deer for a few hours. Please."

"Hmm. Why should I let you?"

"If you don't, we will take it forcefully. We'd rather ask you, and do it without problems. I also understand that you are close with my mother, and this would mean a great deal to her. She would owe you eternally."

There seemed to be a chuckle, but it sounded more like a breeze rustling the branches of the forest. "Well. I understand your mother would be thankful. But anyone, even the daughter of an ally, must prove themselves worthy of an animal of the hunt."

"This is a deer we're talking about. What do you want me to do?" Josephine scoffed.

The wind stilled and three targets appeared in the trees. One stuck to a tree trunk, one nestled in the branches, and the final one hanging from the canopy, swaying in the wind. "I want you to prove you are worthy of even the meekest of deer."

Josephine studied the targets. As if the gods were listening, a small rock next to her transformed into a bow and arrow. Thank you, Mother. Josephine bowed towards the deer and turned to Cyra, "I got this. Ares extensively trained me in combat, as well as archery. I can handle this."

Cyra stepped back, hands raised. "All you. I always... snapped the bow strings."

Josephine chuckled and picked up the bow, caressing it's wooden polished exterior. A small symbol stayed at the bottom of the wood, symbolizing the power of Aphrodite. This was an enchanted weapon, made specifically for the divine. She held the bow in her hands and felt the grip she had on it, eventually pulling it up to her face and pulling the arrow back until her albow was just behind her shoulder. She squinted her eyes, the silence almost deadly, and let go of the first arrow, hitting the target in the tree trunk right in the middle; a perfect shot.

She lowered her arms and grinned, "Challenge accepted. Lets go."

The next few arrows performed the same way, almost as if they were listening to her. She didn't miss one target, consistently hitting each middle-circle. Once she was finished, she lowered the bow once again, and looked at the skies, "You happy?"

There was another breeze-like chuckle, a stray leaf falling on Josephine's head. "Well done, child. Maybe you have the hunt in you after all."

"I appreciate it," Josephine eyed the deer, "I will return it to you tomorrow evening."

"Of course." The deer walked to them, a rope now around its neck.

Josephine picked up the rope and tugged the deer towards her, turning around to look back at Cyra, "Well. That was easy. Let's go."

Cyra nodded, looking a little dumbfounded, before she shook her head, going back to that same face. "Let's."





Cyra walked slightly behind Josephine, glancing every so often at her. Hera was making a big show of calling each team to the front, sneering at the teams that failed, laughing at the teams with a dead deer. She technically never said not to kill the deer, but I guess she thought she was clear enough.

Hera's outfit today was similar to her last, except this time instead of white she wore nude, a beige flowy dress that flailed in the wind as if it was alive, "Well, well, well," her voice danced from her tongue and into the crowd, staring directly at Cyra and Josephine, "hm... I expected you to fail, considering the brute on your team..."

Josephine sneered at her, holding the rope up in the air, "We brought you the deer. We didn;t fail. Is that all?"

Hera smiled, "Is that all?"

Josephine noticed her mother in the crowd, her identical green eyes seemed to nod at her daughter. As if she was proud. The Goddess of Beauty then turned to Cyra with a slight movement of her neck, nodding her head once in the mist of all the cheering.

Cyra quickly looked away, not wanting Josephine to notice. "Pray tell, what else would there be?"

Josephine looked between the two but quickly regained her attention when Cyra spoke.

"That is all," Hera leaned back, "We'll see if you're any good next Trial. Not many make it past the fourth. Let's see if you can."

"We will," Josephine courtseied and threw the rope to the deer on the floor before marching right back into the colessium hallways.

Cyra bowed. "I would implore all of you to bet on our future victories." She stood up and saluted before following Josephine.

Josephine leaned against the wall, no guards bothering to follow. Her breathing was steady, but she was now more anxious than ever. What her mother said with her eyes... the hardest Trials were yet to come, and they were only getting started.

Cyra patted her shoulder. "We'll be fine, princess. Don't piss your pants yet. Save that for when you're dead."

"I can't believe I just stood up to her like that," Josephine breathed, about to be sick, "She's going to make our lives hell, you know that right? Not like it could get any worse, but..."

Cyra leaned against the wall next to her. "Are we... talking about the same Hera? The one who sentenced us here? The one who keeps trying to kill us? The one who gave us fifteen minutes to kill the Hydra? That Hera? About to make our lives Hell? I would say she beat us to the chase about... how long ago were you born?"

"One hundred and sixty years," Josephine looked at the ceiling, tilting her head back so it slammed against the wall gently, "I've been prisoner to this woman for one hundred and sixty years. I fucking hate her, Cyra. I fucking hate her."

"Join the club." Cyra snorted. "So yeah. She'll get pissy, oh no. What else is new?"

One of the guards appeared from the corridor, watching Cyra and Josephine from afar. She wondered why the lady was staring so hard. She couldn't make out only specifics, just that the woman was dressed in a guards uniform and... looked unique. Unique like Cyra.

Josephine nudged Cyra, her chin rising in attempt to alert Cyra of the easedropper. Cyra stopped talking, watching the bars.

The guard approached silently, and as she did her face became more prominent. She looked human, or maybe she was a diety. But there was something off about her, something man-made.

Cyra watched her with narrow eyes, scowling. "Hello...?"

The guard stopped in front of them, removing her hat to reveal a heavyset nest of curls, which sat perfectly just above her shoulders. She had eyes similar to Cyra's, but instead of bright orange they were a peircing hazel, with hints of auburn and fall, "You don't remember me?"

Cyra snorted. "A fan of yours, Josephine?"

Josephine blinked, "Who the fuck is this? She must be one of your braincells, Cyra," She joked. But the smile soon faded as the woman's eyes moved to hers, "A true child of Aphrodite, indeed. So ignorant, so... full of themselves."

"What about that statement even implied any of that, Lady? Cyra, who is this woman?" Josephine questioned.

"Hey, she's not that stupid!" Cyra huffed. "And I couldn't tell you."

The woman rolled her eyes and bowed her head, "I am Celestia. Does that ring a bell?"

Cyra looked her up and down, feeling a bit... frustrated. Did she know this woman? She wasn't a king she worked for. Not a god. But still, the longer Cyra looked at her, the more familiar she felt. But... it was all fuzzy somehow. She shook her head. "No. But... I think it should."

Celestia grinned lightly, "I used to work with your creator, Hephaestus. I was the one that helped create you. I was also made by him."

Josephine grumbled, "Oh shit," under her breath and moved infront of Cyra, blocking this strange womans view, "I don't know who the fuck you are, Lady, or what you're trying to pull here. But I think you should leave."

Cyra's ears rang as she just stared at this woman. This... what? They stumbled backward. Josephine gripped her wrist in attempt to study her as Celestia spoke again, "Why are you afraid? Why are you so defensive?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you're claiming to be her fucking mother? What the fuck?" Josephine grunted, "Don't talk to her. You don't have the right to anymore. Do you know what she's been through since you left her, since you abandoned her? Do you know what type of shit they went through after you? I don't give a fuck if you're Hades himself or... the fucking gingerbread man, get the fuck away from us."

Cyra finally spoke up. "You're... you're lying. You..." They tugged on their hair. "No. I... no. What? No. I left that place. There was nothing for me there. He made sure of that. You... no. I..." Cyra looked up at this Celestia. "Tell me you're lying."

Celestia reached a hand out, but Josephine slapped it away, "Get away, you demon spawn!"

"I tell the truth!" Celestia said, throwing her hands up, "I swear it."

"Then... then... why didn't you...? I... he left me. In the forest. And you didn't...?" Cyra pushed Josephine aside and gripped the bars, looking directly into this woman's eyes. "Why didn't you do anything?"

Celestia's eyes turned soft, "I couldn't. I am just like you... if I disobeyed him, I would've been killed-- let alone abandoned. You were my creation. I loved you. I still do. Always."

"You... you don't know me. I... I don't care if this body is hand sculpted and it took years. You... you had no say in who I am. I made myself after everyone decided I wasn't worth it. And you... you loved me? But I wasn't worth the risk to save?"

"There are so many things you don't understand, child," she sighed, glancing elsewhere, "I almost went back and saved you. But when I tried, I was chained to a tree and put over the Styx river, for the souls to nip at. I tried, I really did. Until I begged for mercy, only then did Hepheastus take back my punishment. I was... I tried. I've watched you grow, I've watched your brain develop into what it is now. I know you more than you think. I know that you yank on your hair when you get anxious, I know that you are strong, and resilient, and... you are me."

"If... if I'm you." Cyra took a step back. "Then why did no one come when I begged for mercy?"

"I did, child," she took one more step forward towards the bars, causing Josephine to stiffen and once again partially block her view to Cyra, "I hear your calls. Why else do you think I am here?"

"Well you're a couple decades too late, because I don't cry anymore." Cyra's eyes boiled with rage, her fists clenching. "And I am not a child! Any child that you made with... with him died into the snow. And maybe you watched me. Maybe you say from afar on a little perch and took notes, but... but you don't get to act like you've done anything for me!" She kicked the bars, heaving for breath. Everything felt out of control. Her mind was three inches to the left. What was this? Why was this happening again?

Josephine stepped in, "Okay, Lady. I think you've done enough. If we need you, we'll holler. Now leave us."

Celestia nodded and looked at Cyra once more longingly, "I will be here. Just say the word. I am on your side."

"Yeah, yeah, all that sweet stuff. Leave." Josephine's eyes glowed a fiery orange, and Celestia's eyes widened before she stepped back, dissapearing as she retreated back to her station.

"Who-" Cyra kicked the foot of their bed. "-does-" She tossed the sheet off her bed. "-she think-" Cyra tore the sheet in half. "SHE IS?" She grabbed her hair with two hands and tugged as hard as she could, until pain burned through her scalp and her locs threatened to tear. "Coming in here... saying... saying BULLSHIT. And acting like... she CARES. When... when..." Cyra collapsed on the now disheveled bed. She barely noticed when the first sob ripped through her chest and immediately, one hand left her hair and covered her mouth.

"It's stupid. It's... she's... it's all so fucking stupid." Cyra kept the sobs in, but tears indiscriminately rushed down her face, making a mockery of the very reason why he didn't want her in the first place. Why that woman, her... co-creator, didn't have the guts to save her. Why... why she was stuck in a stupid cell with fucking Josephine making a stupid fucking mockery of himself.

The Daughter of Aphrodite watched with saddened eyes, and before Cyra knew it, she was crying too. But not out of sadness, out of anger. She clenched her fists and dropped in front of Cyra, moving the last remaining hand from her locks and placing it at her lap, "Hey, Listen to me. You need to listen to me," she spoke through the tears, "You are not her. You will never be. You are unbelievably special, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner. You didn't need them. You shouldn't need them. Remember what you told me? Are you going to let someone decide how you should feel? Are you going to let that... thing get in your head, especially right now? Listen to me. Stop crying, please..."

Cyra sniffled pathetically, trying to get a grip. "I... you... you don't..." Cyra covered their face.

"I don't, I know," Josephine brought Cyra's head to her chest and cradeled them in her arms, "But I'm trying to. I'm trying to understand. And you won't be alone, anymore. I promise. You don't need her. You don't need any of this. I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill all of them, you hear me? Just as soon as we get out of here... I... I got you, okay? I have you. You're okay. You're safe here with me. As long as I am alive, you will be safe. I won't let anybody do anything to you, if the gods will allow it."

Cyra hiccuped in her arms. "I... this is so fucking stupid..."

"I know, I know," Josephine sniffled and wiped her eyes with her spare hand, "I know."