AN: I'd like to announce I'm back (once again.)whoo. I've determined that I must be dyslexic, because I am perpetually losing focus on this story for that painted dot on the wall. (actually this time I blame three things. Neopets (shame on me.) Final Fantasy XI (shame on them!) and Machiato (Shame on him!).)

So yes. Surprisingly this hiatus didn't last the full 7 months, as per usual. eh heh...yeah...

Oh yeah, I also blame writing with Hato-Chiisai. XD Bitch. XD! Heh, but really read our co-written fics! The Jungle (it's more updated on Adultfanfiction, merely because I'm lazy as hell. PLUS Hato draws fanart of it so you can see the characters! (its on her account).) Also written by us, is I dream of Ryou (Dedicated to Fireweaver of Ra, remember her? The artist who won my fanart contest who has all the patience in the world? She gets my first paracock XD)

Currently we're working on some other fic involving ...stuff...yeah, stuff.

Incase you were all interested, I play FFXI on the Titan server (and if you play, you're more than welcome to ask for a server-pass to play WITH me. I could use leveling partners, magery goes slowly and I hate seeking all day long.)

Oh yes, I also blame Gael. Gael is my samurai friend on FFXI, and my IRL boyfriend (currently, and hopefully it'll stay that way.) Who adores me for me, mistakes and all. (I've made my share of mistakes, all of which I hold dearly to the lessons I've learned from them.)

Anyway, enough of my rambling right? You didn't come to hear me babble about me. You came to see what happens next. So I'll go ahead and start here in a sec. XD. For those of you wondering, my average chapter size is about 6 pages. (ha ha, I'm not like hato and her freaking 20 pages. No, I'm el-cheapo. 6 pages is all you get. She has adoring fans who review and draw comics and art for her. I've got two or three people who do that. Maybe I'll instant message them extra pages while you all suffer! XD )

(I'm secretly milking this for half a page so I can start and keep track of where I am...) uhhh…oh yeah also um...I like petpets. I have a gallery. You should go see it. It's neat. Ask me for it if you wanna see some serious petpet-gallery-age. (yeah. Neopets. Shut up. I can play what I wanna and...just...so there!)

Alrighty well we've now reached my secret starting point for the fic so I'll stfu and start writing now. PLEASE do me a favor.

Remember to review, and I'll remember to update. That's the deal. Last chapter we had very few people review within a timely manner, so I decided to hiatus on your asses. Yes, 6 months. (Actually, after about 3 weeks, I forgot this fic entirely, because FFXI eats my soul.)

REVIEW! LEAVE ME ART! EAT MY COOKIES! Have fun.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

"We can't possibly allow this!" Poseidon shouted slamming his fist down on a table. Eros has nearly all the gods agreeing to allow a test for this...HUMAN! Not just that, but a human of the decent of false heathen gods!" he fumed.

Hades merely glowered. "The idea of allowing that sort of thing into Olympus makes me sicker than I get when I had to visit the gorgons, and let me tell you. Not pretty." He snorted.

Zeus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I get it, I GET IT." He said irritably. "But with so many gods on his side, we can't just refuse. We could have an uprising on our hands." He said calmly. "The ONLY way we can get out of this is for something...unfortunate to happen." He said shaking his head.

Hades smirked. "Sounds like a fun plan..." he said thoughtfully. "Hmm...but we'd have to make it look very much like it wasn't our fault..."

Poseidon crossed his arms, thinking. "Perhaps we could..."

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Ryou had left Marik's side at the next dawn; Apollo's light touching him and sending him back to his slumber in Olympus.

Marik wasn't sure precisely what he'd have to do, but he'd try his damndest if it meant getting Ryou back. That was what he wanted, his goal. A goal worth fighting for, and he was ready to fight even the gods, to fulfill that goal.

That night when he fell asleep, he was awoken by soft singing. He recognized the voice immediately. Ryou was singing! He sat up and looked around. He wasn't in his home, but a large field, and as he looked up, he saw clearly his lover dancing across the sky, playing with the firebirds and singing as the stars fell into place.

It was the most amazing, breathtaking, beautiful sight he'd ever beheld. So mystical that it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Welcome, mortal." Marik jumped slightly and turned to meet a fiery looking blonde man, with slightly pointed ears. "Uh...hi?"

The blonde laughed. "I am Apollo, the driver of the sun chariot and bringer of the dawn." (Hato sux, it's Apollo don't listen to her lies! XD SLANDER I SAY!) He introduced himself formally. "I will be the one to assign the first task."

Marik nodded slowly and stood. "Alright." He replied quickly. "What is this test?" He said trying to remain calm. 'Math! Math! C'mon! Math!' he was secretly hoping.

Apollo chuckled (It's APOLLO, NOT Helios! Just thought I'd say it once more.). "Your first task is to tend to my stallions." He said stepping aside, revealing the four horses. They were golden, their manes aflame with the heat of the sun. "You have until one hour before the dawn, to groom, bridle and harness them for their departure of dawn." He explained handing Marik a soft bristle brush, a pick for cleaning hooves a bucket of water and wet sponge.

Marik blinked. That...didn't seem so hard. They were just horses. Horses were mild mannered at best! Piece of cake!

He grinned goofily and hurried over to the nearest horse and looked at it. "Wow...he's huge." He said after a moment. This stallion was twice the size of a normal horse, dwarfing Marik in comparison.

He reached forward slowly, and the horse snorted loudly, turning to glare at the mortal, daring him to try to touch him. Marik's eyes widened. Ok...maybe not as easy as he'd originally theorized...damn Greek ponies.

Xoxoxoxoxo

Twilight watched Marik as he played with his bird friends. "That's so unfair..." he pouted. "I can't go near those horses, stupid Apollo!" He put his hands on his hips and pouted more, his lower lip sticking out as he wrinkled his nose.

Meteor chuckled. "He knew you'd meddle." He said fluttering down to land on Twilight's shoulder. "Why is it you think this human is so special? He's Egyptian you know, a bastard child of heathen gods."

Twilight gasped and glared. "He is not! He may be Egyptian, but he's always loved the merfolk that were created by Selene and Poseidon! That's hardly bastardous! He's spent more of his life chasing our gods, than his own!"

Comet landed on Twilight's other shoulder. "He looks kinda...poofy to me. Did he get hit by a thunderbolt of Zeus'?" Twilight giggled slightly. "No...His hair's just interesting is all. It's so soft..." Twilight closed his eyes and sighed dreamily. "I love him so much that it almost hurts."

"Heh...he just got kicked." Meteor commented as Marik fell to the grass clutching his groin. "Ah! Meteor!" Twilight swatted at the bird. "Don't laugh at him! You KNOW this is an unfair challenge! No one but Apollo and his charges can handle his horses!" He scolded. "I can't believe he'd do that..." Twilight sniffled and shook his head. "I can only hope he manages to pass."

Xoxoxoxoxo

Several hours (and hoof marks, grass stains and bruises) later, Marik was FINALLY getting to work. He was sore, tired and had a new appreciation for glue factories. "Fucking horses..." he growled, earning him another kick from the nearest horse. "DAMNIT!"

By the time dawn was arriving, Apollo had returned and was amused to see Marik looking like he'd been hit by a truck, but pleased to see he'd managed to clean up his horses.

"Well...you aren't dead, and they're not too dirty..." he said walking over and petting one of the horses, who snorted at Marik and looked ready to trample him. "I suppose I'd say this was a success. You have my blessings." Apollo added chuckling at the worried look on Marik's face. Though it was hard to tell if he was worried whether or not he'd pass, or worried the horse would make glue out of HIM.

Twilight gave a cheer, which attracted the attention of both god and man. He was absolutely exhausted, and fading like the darkness, but for those brief moments, the smile on his face was so bright that even the horses calmed.

Marik smiled and sighed, forcing himself up. "Thank you..." he said softly, looking up at Twilight while talking to Apollo. "He's so beautiful..."

Apollo nodded. "He always has been. Only someone as beautiful and pure as him could make every night special. It's only a shame I have to erase that beauty every morning."

Marik sighed as Twilight waved and giggled, finally fading away, the colors of dawn approaching, as Apollo reigned up his horses. "Where does he go?" Marik asked after a moment.

"Who? Twilight?" Apollo asked blinking. "Each dawn he returns to his chambers in Olympus, and rests until the next night, his powers are very weak." He said chuckling. "He's merely a fragment of my sister's powers."

Marik looked thoughtful. "So...how is it he's a separate person?" Apollo grinned. "A long time ago, when mortal man was first made, we gods were going to let you 'do your own thing' so to speak." He said as he worked.

"Of course one god took pity, and gave man luxuries like fire. He was banished for it, I'm sure you've heard that story. But since gods had touched man, it was decided that since we'd given them ways to ease their own workloads and livelihoods that we'd take such an easing on our own workloads as well."

Marik listened quietly, trying to understand exactly what the god meant.

"So, each god sent portions of their power down to earth, in the form of a human baby. The child would be a 'living' incarnation of our powers. But not just any woman could bear such a child...only a virgin could bear something like that." Apollo snickered. "Can you imagine how confused those girls were back then?"

Marik coughed to hide an immature chuckle at that.

"Well, anyway that's how Twilight was born. He is a living being, but only because of Selene's gift." Apollo finished.

Marik blinked. "So...he's alive, or not?" Apollo laughed. "Yes and No. He's alive in immortality, but being that he's not a mortal, he's not. Time has no meaning to him. It's hard to describe to a mortal such things...perhaps Athena could better explain that to you."

With that, Apollo finished his work and climbed into his chariot. "Good morning Marik." He said smiling, before cracking his whip, and the horses took off.

Marik yelped as a intense burning filled his being and he was blinded by an intense light. He hissed in pain and slowly felt himself pass out.

Xoxoxoxoxo

When Marik awoke, it was noon, and he was in his own bed. He looked around confusedly and shook his head. Had that really happened? He winced. "Yeah...fucking horses..." he groaned still feeling pain, despite any lack of physical evidence of the ordeal.

"Well...one task down..." he said flopping back down. He laid in bed, sleepy and pondering the things Apollo had told him...