Beyond strategies and timing

(Xentrya)

1 THE COUNCIL

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Xena: Warrior Princess. They belong to Studio USA and Renaissance Pictures. No profit has been made from this story, damn!

"Like what's all the fuss about Ar? Does Hera want a divorce again? I swear if this is just another one of Hermes' stupid pranks I'll show him! He'll be spending the rest of eternity writing love letters to Medusa! I have a hair appointment in like 10 minutes, and my nails are still not dry yet!" the Love Goddess grumbled lowly, displeased with the sudden change of plans to which she was forced to adjust despite her will."

"Haven't heard anything yet. It'd better be important though I was in the middle of a War and if I lose this battle because of him, I swear it on Styx, that nimrod won't leave Appolo's healing center for months." a visibly irritated War God stated, tightening the grip on his sword.

"Stop whining Ares I have all the time in the world to get your ass kicked council or no council." Athena joined the conversation the instant she materialized next to her brother, tapping his shoulder mockingly. "By the way...condolences for your third legion. My men just blew them up seconds ago. Sorry you've missed it. It was quite a show! Scattered members everywhere...But don't worry, maybe Father will have the decency to be brief for once and we can go back enjoy the rest of the mayhem...That is if those brainless peasants that you so generously like to call soldiers won't abandon the fight in the meantime and run to save their worthless lives" she whispered lowly against his ear, making the steaming God throw her a gaze that would have made about anyone drop down and play dead.

"Aim for the sky and you'll reach the ceiling" , Sis', was it?" Ares retorted, barely repressing his frustration.

"Not quite...I actually believe it was "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither." the proud Goddess bit back, an arrogant smirk making her perfect visage seam even colder than usual.

"Will you two cut it out already? You're like totally giving me a headache!" Aphrodite intervened, her eyes focused on Demeter Hera and Poseidon who had just materialized in the large but now surprisingly narrow throne room. "Hera seams really pissed..." she added, contemplating the Queen's clenched teeth and ball up fists which appeared to be perfectly in tune though with the hardly controlled level of her voice. "I wonder what they're talking about..."

"Well one thing's for sure... if Father bothered to call even the minor Gods to Olympus...it's not good..."Athena remarked the moment Discord Strife and Cupid entered the room.

"Oh gee! And you figured that out all by yourself ? " Ares spit out rolling his eyes at the overly reflective Goddess of Wisdom.

"Whoaaaaa!" Aphrodite's high pitched tonality filled the air, and, along with her wide open eyes she managed to completely capture Athena's interest, successfully making her forget all about the War God's former line. "Is that uncle Hades? !" she inquired loudly, pulling the edge of Ares' leather vest as if she were some five years old kid trying to get his mother's attention. "

"And Celesta..." Athena rushed to fill in the gaps.

"What in Chronos' name is going on here?" Ares couldn't help wondering contemplating the never ending arrival of deities.

Artemis, Dionysus, Apollo, Leto, Hestia, Hebe, Persephone, Hephaestus, even the Furies...they were all there...

He was getting anxious. He hated being in the dark.

"Is this some public execution or something?" he sneered, biting his lower lip nervously as a sudden shade of alarm flashed on the surface of his chocolate brown eyes.

For a short moment there, he said nothing more, just to restart on a low, dubious tone as he casually planted an arm around Athena's shoulders:

"Hey Sis, do you think that we might have overreacted a bit...with our little squabble this morning?"

As if having hit her in the head, the Goddess just threw him a sharp, ironic look before finally covering his hand with her own in some sort of fraternal gesture that had nothing to do though with neither tenderness nor compassion.

"Scared brother? " she replied caustically, aware that inside the God's mind, the idea of oblivion -which Zeus hade so clearly underlined the last time he and Athena had a similar altercation that ended with them both erasing entire cities and temples from the face of the earth just for the sake of proving who's the best-was still echoing like a bell. "...Don't worry. I'll protect you..." she ended through gritted teeth.

"Do pigs fly?!" Aphrodite couldn't help exclaiming, bursting into laughter the moment she ended her phrase.

They were all three reduced to silence though, when, with a thunder like sound, the all mighty Zeus made an appearance.

Everybody bowed their heads respectfully, getting ready to kneel in front of their King when Zeus's commanding voice let them know he was not in the mood of having his boots licked that day.

"I think we can skip the formalities"

They all froze.

"This must be the Twilight!" Aphrodite stated above a whisper, taken aback by her father's unprecedented behavior.

On the other hand, hearing their ditsy sister's unconscious prophecy, Ares and Athena silently exchanged an obviously concerned look. At that point everything was possible...

All eyes were on Zeus. The Gods were hardly breathing. And though the young ones could only suspect that something had gone terribly wrong, the elder ones were able to recognize the Olympian King's expression in less a blink: it was either War or Applying the Law...neither one had ever ended well...