"Hang in there! It's going to be okay sweetie!" Alicia said frantically healing her. Selah looked at the brilliant red blood on her hands and a cold seething wrath filled her soul. She picked up her sword as lightning crackled around her body. Persephone knew she was in deep shit as the lightning changed color to red. "Hen.." was all she could say before being stuck at blistering speed by Selah. Persephone flew hard into a wall and before she could fall to the floor was stuck again making her fly. Alicia ears rang with a nonstop crack of thunder as Selah battered Persephone with strikes so fast, she never hit the floor. And then with a boom, blasted her to the floor up heaving it. Beaten bloody, arm shattered and twisted at a queer angle, Persephone crawled from the crater. She looked at Hades pitifully. Selah howled as she willed the Bident to her left hand and slammed it together with her sword. It turned ebony black transforming into a sword with a jagged hilt. Its tip forked. "Lightning Thanatos" the driver growled. Selah slammed her driver charging up for her final attack. "LIGHTNING THANATOS MAXIMUM BURST!" it yelled as ghostly lightning crackled around the blade. Selah charged Persephone as an eerie hum grew in intensity around Selah's blade. "Penny!" Hades screamed throwing himself over her. Selah swung her sword leaving ghostly Ancient Greek writing in the wind in its wake. And as she brought doom upon them both...suddenly stopped her attack just inches above the old god's skull.

She looked upon them. The old man whimpering and his wife shaking. Selah had sensed something wrong with him from the moment she entered the throne room. "Lucy breathe!" Alicia yelled. Selah turned her attention to her and quickly ran over to her. "I healed the wound but she's not breathing! Oh god she's so cold!" Alicia cried. "Her heart has stopped" Selah said. She bent down and tore open Lucy's toga. She placed her left hand over top her heart and the right one underneath. An arc of lightning crossed her hands and Lucy jerked. Selah breathed into her mouth and shocked her again. Over and over again for three minutes until Lucy gasped for air. "Lucy!" Alicia yelled hugging her. Selah was not as cheerful. "Alicia. Something is wrong. Lucy look at me" she said. Lucy did without a word and Selah stared deep into her eyes. Selah slumped onto her legs. "We were...not fast enough. She was dead too long" Selah muttered. "But she's alive. She's breathing! She even looked at you!" Alicia said. "And I saw no soul within her" Selah said. Selah looked around. "Her soul isn't lingering here. It's moved on" Selah said. "But...but..." Alicia stammered. "You hold an empty shell. What we know is Lucy isn't there anymore" Selah said. Alicia broke down crying. Selah stood up and walked over to Hades. "Where is her soul you senile old fool?" she spat. "I... I don't know..."

"ENOUGH OR I WILL FINISH WHAT I STARTED! I know the rules. When an atheist dies, their soul goes to whatever afterlife domain they died in" she growled. "Is...is that true? You have her soul?" Alicia asked. "If an atheist died in China it would go to a Buddhist afterlife, India a Hindu afterlife and so on. She died within his domain, so it goes to his underworld" she explained. "Why did you even spare his life...or hers?!" Alicia yelled. "I noticed something was off about him when we entered this room. He acted as if he was no god. Called her a different name...a mortal one. And she replied in kind. He cried her mortal name just before the killing blow. Tell me Persephone. When was the last time he recognized his true name of Hades?" she asked. "...a very long time. I did this mostly for him. To restore him to former glory" she replied. "And you fucked up horribly. If anything, you made it worse. They do not worship him out there. They worship you" she said. "I... I don't understand" Alicia said. "Cordelia said it herself. When a god or goddess loses enough of their worshipers, if they forget who they were, their power wanes to the point they become mortal. In his case, he teeters on the brink of full mortality. Because of his age, it has manifested as senility, dementia, or Alzheimer's. Her husband has lost something we take for granted. Our minds" Selah said.

"Hades...Henry. My friend needs her soul back. Where is it?" Selah asked. Hades closed his eyes. "It dwells in the Elysium Fields" he replied. "Take me there" Selah said. "Wait what?" Alicia asked. "I'm going to the underworld to get Lucy's soul back" Selah replied. "And lose you too?!" she yelled. "We're not losing anyone else in this family" Selah said coldly. Selah walked over to Hades and Persephone. "Where is the physical entrance to your underworld?" she asked. "The temple Nekyos at the Acheron River is such a place" Persephone replied. "Take me there now" Selah commanded. "Selah this is madness!" Alicia yelled. "So mad it will work" she said as Persephone took ahold of her hand and disappeared. They appeared at the steps of the ancient temple. The river behind them. Once it was a tourist attraction but not now. It irked the goddess to have such a holy place used to take money from gawking foreigners. "Enter there and walk Through the main room. You will find steps that lead to a closed door. Approach and they will open" Persephone said. "I will say this only once. If any harm comes to them while I am gone, my ravens will pluck out your eyeballs, eat them, and then finish their feast with your genitals" Selah said with a chilly tone. Selah left her standing there and entered the temple.

It was quiet as one would imagine. Torches lit the interior with blues flames as she walked. The echoes of her footsteps filled her ears. Murals of Hades and Persephone in their glory days painted on the walls. Frescoes of old tales still there for those to see. Selah found the staircase leading down and sure enough there was a marble double door. Sensing her presence, it groaned as it opened, and she stepped through. It was pitch back as she walked. Not a ray of light. As if walking Through a black hole that not only devoured light, but the concept of mortal form. And then grey light shine before her and once she stepped Through, found herself standing at the entrance to the Greek Underworld. With Brynhildr's knowledge in her mind, Selah knew what the beast was sitting beside it. Although The stories did it too much justice. "Cerebus?" she asked seeing a triple headed mastiff sitting calmly at the entrance. Seeing her it wagged its tail. Chuckling she petted the unassuming guard dog. "Good boy" she said before entering. Selah walked and walked as the ground itself seemed paved with human bones. Deeper she went, the sound of moaning got louder. And then she found its source, hundreds, no thousands of the dead stood on the shore of the River Styx.

On the banks of the River Styx stood all manner of shades. Very young, very old, an everything in between. Their clothing from ancient times to modern day. Selah pitied those dressed in ancient clothing more than the children as she knew they had been waiting to cross for thousands of years. "Shit" she thought realizing why. "A mortal? There hasn't been one here since antiquity" a voice said before her. Selah approached the thin tall eerie man standing in a boat. "Tidings Charon. I wish to cross the Styx" Selah said bravely. "I see no coins about you" he said. "Fuck. Hoping he wouldn't notice" she thought. Selah cursed herself forgetting one of the cardinal rulesq98; q98; underworld. It cost two coins for the dread ferryman to take you across the Styx. If you did not have them, you were doomed to wallow on the shore until someone in the living world buried them with you. It explained those dressed from ancient times. Selah approached the boat and pressed her foot upon the bow. "Look. Can't you do me a favor? I mean we both have similar jobs. You ferry the dead and so do I. In my case I happen to create the dead now and then" she said. "The rules state two drachmas or equivalent. No exceptions" he said. Selah's patience was wearing thin. She summoned her sword in its new form. "It is imbued with the Bident of my Lord" he said surprised. "Damn right and I just finished beating your Lord's ass with it until he begged mercy. Now are you going to keep making this hard for me or are you going to cut me a break?" she asked sternly. Charon said nothing as he turned and kicked down the ramp.

Selah was surrounded by souls of the dead as she stood in the ancient eternally decaying ferry. It's groans louder than the whispers of water hitting the hull. "Hades has been gone for some time. How is it a mortal with borrowed power defeated him?" Charon asked. "His power has waned to the point he blurs the line between mortal and divine. Your Lord has one soft in the mind" she replied. Charon nodded and waded the water with his oar. "The Elysian Fields. I have heard stories about it. What is it truly like?" she asked. "It is eternal respite for the virtuous. No fear, pain, or torment. A realm of spirit and light" he replied. "My friend is there. I'm curious though how she paid her fare" she said. "By way of American Express" Charon said flatly. "Wait. You're telling me you accepted a credit card? You're shitting me" Selah said. "No, I do not shit you. The rules say two drachmas or equivalent. Her card was charged with the equivalent" he said. "But where did she have it on her with that toga? How would you even swipe it? You know what? I'm not going to even ask anymore" she said. Charon pulled the ferry onto a shore. Get off here and walk towards the withered glade. You will cross into Elysium" he said. Selah got off. "Thank you" she told him. "No thank you. Once upon a time I ferried the greats. Heracles, Achilles, Hector, Alexander. Now just sycophants and atheists. You were a welcome change. Fare you well Valkyrie" he said before casting off.

Selah walked towards the withered half dying glade and as she walked, the foliage slowly began to look livelier until a burst of light blinded her. When her vision returned, she found herself in the most beautiful valley she had ever seen. Ancient to modern buildings dotted the land. Selah focused her power to single out Lucy's soul. "There you are" she muttered as she began walking. Selah walked for an unknown amount of time as such a thing had no meaning there. She would pass homes with families cooking, playing, spouses fucking out in the open. She could see the draw to exist here. And as she walked, she happened upon a figure. A figure so big she was surprised she had not seen him earlier. Standing well over 300 ft. tall, a man with tanned skin sat on the hillside. Dressed an ancient clothing, a toga, sandals but with an odd glow in his eyes. "Hello little one. Fancy seeing a mortal here" he said. "Gre...greetings" Selah stammered as his shifted his legs exposing his massive cock underneath his toga. "And who may you be?" Selah asked curious. "I am the titan Prometheus. Bringer of fire and flame" he said. "You are? I thought you were supposed to be chained up" she said. "And I was doomed to have a buzzard peck out and eat my liver for eternity. That punishment ended some time ago as the chains of Hephaestus lost its power" he replied.

"So now you're here" she said. "I came to this place longing for peace. What better place than paradise?" he asked. "It is indeed beautiful. Nobody wants for nothing, but I come from a place that promises such things but with cost" Selah said. The titan bent down and plucked up the tiny woman between his fingers. Selah was terrified but readied her weapon. "Look little one. There is not a grain of taint to this place. There is no malice. No cost other than being a virtuous person" he said after placing her in his open palm. Selah was more worried about him though to look. "Ah. Apologies. Forgive my boldness. Allow me to bestow a gift upon you to alleviate your worries" he said touching her with his finger. Selah quickly grew to his size and stature. "Now we are of the same size, you still wary of me?" he asked. "N...no" Selah stammered embarrassed. "No need for embarrassment. You did well speaking to me. Most that meet me beg me not to eat them. It is most...upsetting. They forget that of all the gods and titans, I loved humanity the most" he said. "Yes. The story goes that you were imprisoned in hell for giving the gift of fire to humans" she said. "That I was. Are you familiar with how gods are born?" he asked. "I was told that the worship and belief of them cause them to manifest" she said. "One way of putting it. Most are born just like humans. They are carried in the womb and come of their mother's vaginas naked and crying like any other babe. And others simply appear out of nothing. Those...those are the most troubling as they have no physical connection to humanity. We titans were born by mothers. The gods that came after simply appeared. I looked upon humanity with pity and worry as they shivered in the cold and darkness while the gods had warmth and light. Of course I gave them fire" he said. There was a moment of silence. "I prattle on. Forgive me" he said. "Don't be sorry. So, you never thought about leaving for the mortal world? You're not dead" she asked. "Even if I hadn't eaten of the food here, I still would not leave this place. Few ever have" he replied extending his hand with open palm.

"Here anything is within your grasp. A mate" he said just before a tiny woman appeared in his hand. He petted her for a moment before she disappeared. "Food fit for kings" he said as a banquet if food appeared in his hand. "Children" he said before four young very small children appeared in his hand jumping up and down. "Even The land shifts and bends according to your wishes" he said. "Has anyone ever left?" she asked. "Very few. Very few indeed. And fewer still make it Through the gates of the underworld. It is very well guarded" he said. "Pfft. I saw Cerberus. I was not impressed. Looked like he could barely chew soup" she snickered. Prometheus cocked an eyebrow before smirking. Little did she know he was not smirking because she thought her joke funny.

 "So, judging by your questions, you wish to leave or take someone with you?" he asked. "The latter" she replied. "Then I bid you good luck Selah" he said standing. Selah stood up. Their feet shaking the very land itself. Land that quickly reformed even after multi-ton asses and feet crushed it flat. Selah tried to break whatever growth spell he put on her but found nothing of the sort there. "Um...about my size" she said. "Oh that. Just a parting gift. I gave you the aspect of a titan. If you wish to be normal size once more just look within and switch it off" he said simply. "Your aspect as in your authority? Won't giving it to me lessen you power?" she asked. "Ehe...I'll be just fine. Enough still know of me. Hell, I have an element on the periodic table named after me. Besides, I like giving mortals gifts. Use it wisely" he said. Selah nodded to him and did as instructed. She closed her eyes and found within her a small flame and with concentration made it a tiny ember. Instantly she shrunk back down to human size. "Goodbye Prometheus" she said opening her eyes. The colossal titan was gone. Selah resumed her walk homing in on Lucy's soul. Eventually, she came to a clearing in the middle of the woods. "Whoa" she muttered seeing a small, beautiful home perfectly borrower scale on the bank of a crystal-clear river. A waterfall not far behind. Surrounding the home was a garden, an orchard, and seemingly a play area with children's toys strew about. As she approached it, inch tall children ran from the secluded back towards the river. Selah counted 7 in all. They stooped seeing the giantess looking down on them. Selah bent down. "Excuse me. Is Lucy here?" she asked. "You mean mommy?" a young boy asked. "Yes...mommy" Selah replied. Selah took a harder look at the children and found none older than 7. But more striking was not one had a soul.

The boy ran to the front door. "MOMMY! A PRETTY BIG LADY WANTS YOU!" he yelled. The boy scampered off with the others. "Theodore? Who would want...SELAH!" Lucy yelled running out of the door and into Selah's hands. Lucy cried and sobbed into her giant cheek. "Hey auntie" Selah chuckled. "Oh no. You died too. That's why you're in heaven" she said. "No, I'm still alive. May I come in?" Selah asked. Lucy quickly nodded. Selah shrunk down and entered her home. "You got great taste" Selah said. "All I know is feeling very cold on that floor and then waking up here with a bunch of kids jumping on my bed. So, this is heaven? I expected angels and harps and stuff" Lucy said. "It's one of the many heavens. When you died, since you were an atheist, you ended up in Greek heaven" Selah said. "Yeah, I never believed in an afterlife or an all-powerful God. Well, that answers one question. If you're not dead, then how did you end up here?" she asked. "Short answer is I walked. You don't remember Charon or the boat ride?" Selah asked. "Nope" Lucy replied. Lucy was fixing dinner. "So, the kids..." Selah said. "9 in all. Two more napping in the back. Strange that I know their names by heart. The days of their birth. First words, first steps. "They looked like they had different fathers" Selah said. "Because they do. All of their names were ones I picked out when they were born at the breeding center. Every...last...one" she said softly. Selah sat down and watched as Lucy threw herself into cooking. They both remained quiet as Lucy finished prepping. She stepped out through the door and yelled for the kids to return. "Ah ah ah! All of you dry off in the bathroom. Simon help your little sisters" she told one boy.

"Simon? Theodore?" Selah asked watching the river water-soaked borrower kids scamper to the bathroom. "One is also named Alvin. Silly I know" Lucy chuckled. Lucy prepared the dishes and placed them on the table. As soon as she was done, the kids were racing back. "Spaghetti!" one shouted. "Mommy where's the garlic bread?" a girl asked. Lucy cocked her heard to the side as if thinking on it and suddenly the oven dinged, and Lucy opened it. "Here it is" Lucy said placing it on the table. "Come on Selah. Don't be shy" Lucy said. "I can't. Rules" Selah sighed. "Suit yourself" Lucy said eating with her children. Once finished, the children ran outside to play. Lucy was stuck with the dishes until Selah began helping her. Once they were done, Lucy invited her to sit in the living room. "They're not real are they?" Lucy asked. Selah didn't answer. "You said you had to be an atheist living a good life to end up here but I'm sure if my kids did die, they wouldn't end up here, right? I mean what are the chances of that and dying in Greece?" she asked. "...they're real enough to you Lucy. That boy there has a birthmark on his cheek. That girl there has a scar on her ankle. There is great detail in them" she said. "Alvin hates broccoli. Patrick likes his belly rubbed before bedtime. Gina is extra ticklish between her toes. Each one has the same exact scent I remember" she said before weak crying from down the hall could be heard. Lucy got up and returned with two babies.

"Tyler and Jason. Twin boys I gave birth to just before they shut down the breeding farm" she said handing one to Selah. Lucy exposed her breast and brought the other baby in her arms to her right nipple. She coaxed her milk to flow as he latched on. Selah looked at the baby in her arms, Jason, and cuddled him to her shoulder. "You're a natural" Lucy chuckled. "I have experience holding babies. I was a mother once" she said. "Pardon?" Lucy asked. "I mean Brynhildr did" Selah said. "You okay there?" Lucy asked concerned. "I'm fine. It's just her memories and experience comes with the transformation and I haven't transformed this long before. Shit kinda run together" she said. "So that's why you speak so maturely" Lucy said. "Lucy. Do you want to return?" Selah asked. "I have a beautiful home, my missing children, a safe magnificent land. It's all I ever dreamed of" Lucy replied. "Except a mate and your son back home. Why did you not create him and Theo?" Selah asked. "...because it would ruin it" she muttered. Lucy exchanged Tyler for Jason and fed him. Once done, she instructed the kids playing in the living room to babysit Them. Lucy walked outside and was followed by Selah. Selah watched quietly as Lucy stripped naked and jumped into the stream. Selah grew to human size to better watch her. She grew increasingly worried about Lucy. Selah sat on the bank of the stream as Lucy swam around naked and content. The sun eventually began to set, and Lucy stepped back onto shore.

"Nothing like a fresh swim to make you feel alive!" Lucy yelled shaking like a dog to fling the excess water off. Her tits swaying back and forth made Selah giggle. "Or avoid a subject" Selah said. "What's the difference between a fantasy and a delusion? A fantasy is something created that has some grounding in reality no matter how small. But a delusion isn't grounded in reality. They're grounded in lies. It was a fantastic stretch of the heart to think just maybe, maybe that my kids were really real. That they were already waiting in heaven for me. But things began to add up. Like memories of their birthdays. Their first steps or words. The time Simon let his sister Gina sleep with him because she was scared of a shadow in her room. Now how the hell would I remember what never happened or was around for? And then before my eyes the final crack in my fantasy emerged. I remembered Patrick has green eyes not brown. And before my fucking eyes his eyes changed. I suspected all of this was pulled from my mind as the perfect place and I took solace that my kids, my home, even the food we eat was real enough I didn't have to question it again. But if I wanted Theo and Justin, I knew they would appear. And If they did it would confirm this to be a lie. I mean how can two people who aren't dead be in heaven?" Lucy asked looking up at the giantess. Lucy picked up a random rock and shockingly slit her wrist. "LUCY!" Selah yelled grabbing her. "Look. Not a drop. I don't even feel it. No pain in heaven. Selah...eat me" Lucy said blurting out the last part. "What? Not like you can kill me when I'm already dead and I am curious to the sensation" Lucy said. "Probably best not to. Rules say I can't eat food and you just might qualify" Selah chuckled. "You may not be her blood, but you have Faith's sense of humor" Lucy grinned. The stars began to shine in the sky.

"Wow. Your doing?" Selah asked. "Yeah. Me and Tracy spent hours just staring up at the stars through the windows" she replied. "Amazing detail" Selah whispered. "Let's go back inside" Lucy said. They returned to her home. Later that night, Selah sat outside on the veranda. Hunger and thirst kept her awake. "Can't sleep?" Lucy asked sitting next to her. She noticed Selah has taken her boots off and was currently scrunching her toes. "Your mother did that too when something was bothering her" she said. "I'm wondering if coming here was the right thing to do. My task seems to have caused more harm than good" Selah said. "I wouldn't say that. I got to see you and that's awesome" Lucy said snuggling up to her. "If you wish to stay nobody will think different. Lord knows you earned the eternal reward" Selah said. "It's a lot to decide. Stay here in fabricated bliss and never see Theo or Justin again or go back and lose the happiest moment of my existence. Feels a little Matrix" Lucy chuckled. "No doubt. The red pill and go back or the blue pill and stay" Selah said. They were quiet until the patter of little feet caught their attention. "Gina? What are you doing up honey?" Lucy asked. The five-year-old borrower shuffled on her feet for a moment. She looked at Selah. Lucy motioned for her to sit down with them. Selah was surprised the girl chose her lap to sit down in instead of her mother. "Your feet smell sad" Gina said suddenly to Selah. "Wha?" Selah asked. "Pheromones change according to a person's mood. She can literally smell your sadness from your feet" Lucy explained. "I'm worried about your mommy. I'm a big strong girl but I feel so powerless right now" Selah said.

Gina hopped off her lap and began to cartwheel on the grass. Selah smiled and clapped. "Adorable" Selah told Lucy. "Because I wished for it. Look Selah" Lucy said softly waving her hand. Gina grew older till she was 14. She looked like the spitting image of Lucy. "Come here Gina" Lucy said to her. The girl sat between them and Lucy held her face with her hands. Lucy kissed her for a moment before crying softly. And with another wish, Gina grew a few years older and very pregnant. Lucy placed her hand on her belly and felt the unborn child within her kick. Lucy smiled softly before waving her hand once more turning Gina into a six-month-old baby. Lucy pulled her toga aside and breastfed the child. "Even so Lucy you look the happiest I've ever seen you" Selah said. Lucy leaned into her chest as Selah petted her hair. "Selah? If I did leave, would it be possible to one day see my children for real when my time came once again?" Lucy asked. "I cannot say for certain. If they are atheists like you then I couldn't say where they would end up if they died. There are many heavens out there" Selah replied. "So, I run the risk of missing them for eternity" Lucy said softly. "...yes" Selah replied softly. Lucy cried softly in frustration. "However, that is assuming they are already dead. They may very well be alive and if so, we just have to find them" Selah said. "How?" Lucy asked. "Hope may able to find them. She is a remarkable girl" Selah replied. "Keyword maybe" Lucy said. "True. Maybe" Selah said. Lucy said nothing else that night and Selah, exhausted finally went to sleep.

Meanwhile...

"They're not back yet" Alicia said looking over Lucy's soulless body. "You're assuming they will be back. It's easy entering the Underworld. Leaving is an entirely different matter" Persephone said sitting quietly on her throne. "They WILL return. Be sure of that" Alicia huffed. "Mortal. I can count on one hand how many have returned from the Underworld over the span of 5,000 years. Half of them were half God. And as powerful as that girl was, she was no god" she said coldly. "She was good enough to beat your and your husband's asses" Alicia spat. "Yes. She defeated a senile old man and a woman whose power is to make plants grow. Cerberus is an entirely different matter" Persephone said grinning. "The guard dog that watches the entrance to the Underworld" Alicia muttered. Persephone laughed loudly. She rubbed her toes with her hand shaking her head. "How foolish you mortals are. Cerberus doesn't guard the entrance to the Underworld. "He guards its exit!" she laughed. Alicia looked at Lucy who had fallen asleep. She hugged her tightly as she looked at the night sky. "Selah..." she muttered worried.

Selah awoke alone on the veranda as the warm sun shone down on her. She heard no children and didn't see Lucy. "Lucy? Kids?" she asked walking through the house. She walked outside around it and saw nobody. "She wouldn't leave without me. Or did she simply leave me?" Selah wondered. She thought it possible Lucy retreated into the heavenly realm to avoid the decision before her. As her worry mounted, she caught a glimpse of something far up the hill just past the waterfall. Selah walked up the hill and saw Lucy with her back turned to her. Next to her were all her children plus one figure, a woman whom she couldn't make out. "That's not one of her kids" she muttered. She watched as Lucy hugged the woman tightly as her hear was petted and stroked. Very faintly she could hear Lucy sobbing. Once she let go, the woman vanished. Lucy hugged each of her children and come she had they disappeared one by one. "Oh Lucy..." Selah muttered partly realizing what was happening. Selah did not approach even though she badly wanted to. Before long, Lucy walked back down the hill towards her.

"I see you made your decision" Selah said. "Yes, I did" Lucy said looking back at the hill. "May I ask what prompted it?" Selah asked. "Talking to Tracy. I got some things off my chest and I realized that even if I did stay here, I would be giving up what makes heaven on Earth" she replied. "Tracy?" Selah asked. "Someone precious to me that died not long before I and some other borrowers were set free. You remind me so much of her. Might be why I love you so much" she said. Lucy paused midstep. "Wait. Didn't you say that you had to be an atheist and die in Greece to be here?" Lucy asked. "Either that or believe in the ancient beliefs here. Why do you ask?" Selah said. "Because I didn't create her" Lucy answered. "You didn't wish for her to appear before you?" Selah asked. "Yeah, so how did she appear on that hill? She died just outside Seattle and was an atheist like me. So why was she here?" Lucy asked. Selah smirked ever so slightly. "Maybe it was a miracle. Not even Brynhildr knows everything about the afterlife. Maybe, just maybe wherever Tracy ended up, she sensed your pain and came to you. And if that is true..."

"Then there's something out there truly watching over us" Lucy muttered. "Maybe so. Some unfathomable being that shows concern and compassion for us and wants neither blind devotion nor compensation in exchange or it" she said. "God as in THE God?" Lucy asked awed. "That is above my pay grade even as a Valkyrie. But it makes our existence seem less...lonely, doesn't it?" Selah asked growing to human size. She bent down and Lucy hopped into her hand. "Yeah, it does" Lucy replied. Selah began the long trek back to the River Styx...

Meanwhile...

"Good" Alicia said as Lucy went to the bathroom on her own. She watched as Lucy wiped herself and walked back into her hand. Her size arcane had worn off suddenly in the night. Alicia had never seen anyone missing their soul before but now she could add another thing on the list that is worse than death. Without her soul, Lucy was barely better than a puppet. She could make no decisions on her no for herself. She couldn't even begin a conversation on her own. Such was the importance of free will. However, her body was still susceptible to biological functions such as the need to take a piss and whatnot. And as she sat down, Lucy grimaced in pain. "What is wrong?" Alicia asked. "There is pain in my breasts" she replied flatly. Alicia removed her toga to see her breasts bloated. "Oh. I see" Alicia said. Alicia sat her firmly in her hand and with her fingers on her breasts. Gently she began milking her. Her milk squirted out onto the floor and within a minute, Lucy instinctively sighed. Alicia felt so sorry for her. Even worse when Alicia realized Lucy was sexually aroused. As she milked her, Lucy's juices soaked the floor. Her toes clenched. And then with a whimper Lucy came. Alicia cried softly seeing Lucy's expression going right back to an emotionless void. Lucy's stomach growled. Hades, who had been sitting quietly looking at the Aegean Sea turned to face them. "Hungry?" he asked. "Apparently so" Alicia replied softly. Hades stood up and walked out of the throne room. He returned 10 minutes later with sandwiches. "Wheat toast ham club and a Ruben on rye for her" he said handing them food. Alicia was unnerved by his actions. "Thank you...Henry?" she said. "My pleasure. Remember Henry's Deli for all your catering needs" he said smiling before returning to his throne. "Selah was completely right. His mind is as soft as a hardboiled egg" she thought.

"The fates can be cruel. They show no mercy even for a god" Persephone said behind her. The gentle slapping of her bare feet echoed in the Throne room as she walked past Lucy and Alicia. Alicia was loathed to admit how pretty she looked in the morning sun. Even her feet were immaculate. "The others would laugh seeing him as he is now" she said. "I damn sure wouldn't. I know what it's like to have a loved one like that. My grandfather had Alzheimer's. It's like some force steals a part of them one piece at a time" Alicia said. "Very true. The irony is I despised him for centuries for what he did to me. Now in the waning days I cannot bare to see him suffer. How strange is that?" she asked. "Not strange. I once loved a wicked man who murdered my family and boyfriend. In time I grew to love him and when he was killed for a lack of a better term, I felt...sorry for it. The human heart is weird that way" Alicia said. "But I am not human" Persephone said. "Human enough" she shrugged. "Your grandfather. Is he still alive?" she asked. "No. He passed when I was 13. By then he was so gone he has to use flash cards to know who we were and where he was. The worst part was the look on his face when he realized he forgot his own daughter and granddaughter. Like horror and guilt. Every weekend for four long years. It was a blessing when he died" Alicia replied. Persephone grew very quiet. "And my actions hastened his fall. Damn Lilith and her bargain. May she burn in Tartarus for eternity" the goddess hissed. "She's the queen of hell. She'd run the fucking place within a week" Alicia said. The goddess sighed and sat in her Throne. She held Hades' hand. He smiled softly and kept looking at the sea...

"Oh shit. We're taking a ride from this guy?" Lucy asked. "Yes, we are and be polite. He's doing us a favor. Greetings Charon!" Selah yelled as the ferryman docked on the shore. "Greetings Valkyrie. Is this the soul you were looking for?" he asked. "Yes, it is. Can't you take us back to the Styx shore where I saw you at first?" Selah asked. "Board" he answered flatly. Lucy cowered in her hand the entire time. "You don't remember him?" Selah asked her. "I'd remember someone looking like that!" Lucy replied. Selah shushed her. "Haha...it is alright. I am not offended. It is not unusual she doesn't remember me. Those that cross into the Elysian Fields forget our meeting. Cannot say the same for this bound for Tartarus" he said rowing. "Tartarus?" Lucy asked. "Hell" Selah replied. "Oh damn" Lucy muttered. "For the wicked" the ferryman laughed. "Still, I cannot believe you had a fucking credit card on you here" Selah said. "Oh yeah I did. I figured an American Express Black card with no limit wasn't something you toss away. Slipped between by tits when I put the toga on" Lucy said. When they reached the shore, the disembarked. "Thank you, Charon," Selah said. "Be careful little Valkyrie. Entering is one thing. Leaving is another. Be on guard around Cerebus or..."

"Or I might end up here permanently?" Selah chuckled. "No, those slain by the hound is greeted by oblivion" he replied. Selah stopped grinning and walked back to where she entered. She found herself back in the dark tunnel walking and walking until the faint vestiges of light she could see ahead.q98; q98; "Okay. Hold up" Selah said seeing Cerebus sitting with its back turned to her. "That's a problem how?" Lucy asked seeing the dog. "Persephone said something ominous to Alicia about it. My ravens picked it up" she said. "Uhh...ravens?" Lucy asked. "Long story. Point is at first, I thought she was just talking shit to scare Alicia. But now after what Charon said I'm not so sure our three headed friend is what he appears to be. Wait here" Selah said to her as she placed her on the ground. Selah cautiously stepped out of the exit of the Underworld and immediately Cerebus turned around. He began to growl and to her astonishment transformed before her. "Holy shit on a stick. That's a big fucking doggo" Selah muttered as Cerebus was no longer a quirky looking mastiff but a towering 80 ft. (from claw to shoulder) Three headed hellhound. It's eyes blood red. It's jagged teeth protruding from its mouth as long as a man was tall. "That's going to be a problem. Easy buddy. Look. My sword has your master's authority in it" Selah said showing him Lightning Thanatos. The hound lunged down snapping Selah up. "SELAH!" Lucy screamed seeing him snap his jaws shut. Lucy preyed she didn't see a small lump travel down one of its throats. The hound paused confused as Selah forced its jaws open. With a shout, she forced them open and with blinding speed broke its fangs with her sword. Selah jumped down.

The head with broken teeth whimpered but the others snarled at her. "Wait a second. Prometheus you clever bastard. You knew this would happen. That's why you gave me that power" she muttered remembering she now has the power to grow to literal titan proportions. Selah grew and yet she was not as big as Prometheus was, standing at 260 ft. tall, she was no half pint either. Cerebus pounced on her. It's jaws snapping at her face. She smelled his breath earlier and it made her sick. Like a putrid bog it stank. Selah shoved him off her, but the hound was more agile than she hoped. With a quick swipe, it clawed off her breastplate. Now began a dangerous waltz of attack, defend, parry. Lucy watched in terror as the hound was scratching its way right through her armor until the claws on its left foot were cut. And then Selah did something insane. She tossed her sword away. "WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING?!" Lucy screamed. Without her sword, Selah's combat ability was lessened considerably but that didn't mean she was weak. She punched the hellhound with lightning imbued attacks which slowed it down but did not stop it. With Three heads, its vision was better than most. One would look at her, another to the side, and another to the other side. When she did move, one head would look eerily behind the beast. Then it slammed its head into Selah's chest breaking two ribs and puncturing a lung. Selah fell and the beast snapped its jaws around her ankle. It began to shake her like a ragdoll until Selah used her other foot to slip her boot off. Selah slid on the floor. "JUST RUN! Forget about me and just run..." Lucy sobbed. The speck of the woman barely visible to the titaness. Her pleas more noticeable. "I came to do a job. I don't cut a run!" Selah yelled standing back up.

The ground felt as cold as a grave under her right bare foot. Selah had more than enough, and she did not wish to kill Cerebus for a very logical reason, but it seemed it would come to it. Selah gambled her next attack would finally stop the thing and hoped that without her sword, it would be weak enough not to kill him but strong enough to end the fight. "Hope this works. Never did this without my sword" she muttered slamming her hand on The Hero Driver. The device hummed as lightning built up within her hand. A bolt so strong one could see her nerves glow like electrical circuits. "LIGHTNING RUNIC STRIKE!" it yelled as crackling runes swirled around her fist. Cerebus leaped into the air and Selah timed the strike. With a massive crack of thunder and a shriek, she connected right into his chest. Her attack struck his heart causing the beast to crash to the ground. Lucy watched with bated breath as she couldn't believe Selah showed concern for it as she checked to see if it were still alive. "Oh thank god" Selah said seeing it breathing and gently whimpering. Selah stumbled back to Lucy and shrank down. "What...the...fuck?!" Lucy screamed punching Selah's swollen and bloody cheek. "Oww you little..." Selah said. "Why did you just stab the fucking thing?! Shoot your fuck you up lightning attack or whatever you call it?! Why The fuck did you toss your sword away?!" Lucy screamed.

"I couldn't take the chance of killing him. He serves a purpose keeping the dead from escaping. If I killed him, the Underworld loses it watchdog. Last thing Greece needs in an invasion of the dead" Selah replied. "But still..." Lucy said. "I'll heal" Selah muttered finding her boot. Selah walked down the long dark corridor back to the large door that was the definitive border between the living world and the Underworld. "Well here we are. You ready?" Selah asked standing before it. "You really need to ask after all that shit?" Lucy replied. "Yes" Selah replied softly. Lucy coils sense a bit of fear in her voice. "Yeah. Let's go" Lucy replied. The very moment Selah carried Lucy past the threshold, Lucy lost her form. She reverted to a beautiful point of light. The proof her soul was an honest, good, and just one. "Whew" Selah said walking up the stairs. "What?" Lucy asked her voice disembodied. "Didn't know what was going to happen to you if you crossed the threshold. Possess me, turn into a hideous specter, a pitiful phantom?" Selah replied. Lucy flew into her face blinding the girl. "Seriously?!" Lucy yelled. "Hehe...ignorance is bliss?" Selah shrugged. "If I had a hand, I'd punch you in the nose" Lucy spat. "Well, you don't light brite" Selah grinned. Suddenly she coughed blood. "Whoa!" Lucy yelled. "I'm okay. Just one of my ribs pulling itself out of my left lung. Ouchie" Selah muttered. Lucy's light flickered. "Don't think that. I'd gladly suffer some broken ribs and punctured lungs if it meant getting you back" Selah said tapping the light. She wrapped her hands around Lucy's soul and flew away in a bolt of lightning.

"JESUS!" Alicia yelled as a bolt of lightning struck the Throne room. From it appeared a battered Selah. "Oh my god!" Alicia yelled running up to her. "Easy mom. Still putting my bones back together" Selah said as Alicia embraced her. "What the hell happened?" she asked. "A long story. A boat man that looked like ZZ Top, the wailing souls of the dead, heaven, a very big giant with an equally big dick, Lucy, a very capable guard dog..." Selah replied. "Lucy? You actually found her?!" Alicia asked. Selah opened her hands revealing her soul. "You bested Cerebus?! Nobody has done such a thing since the Age of Heroes!" Persephone said. "Then it pleases me to be the first in a long time" Selah said coldly. Selah motioned for Lucy's body to be handed over. In one hand, she had her body. The other her soul. With amazement, they both watched as they joined. Lucy gasped as she felt physical form. Her body free will once more. Lucy leaped into Selah's face.

"All's well that ends well" Lucy said hugging Selah's cheek. "Not entirely. There's unfinished business here" Selah said turning her attention to Hades and Persephone. "I helped you out. You got her soul back" the goddess said nervously. "Which she lost because you tried to skewer me. I did promise to spare your lives, but I cannot just let you control these people like this. Summon the pomegranate" Selah ordered. "Pomegranate?" Alicia asked. "She knows the one I'm talking about. The one that set EVERYTHING in motion not just here but for her too. There's more than one way to kill a goddess" Selah said. Persephone did as order and summoned a fat pomegranate the color of dried desiccated blood. "Yeah. That's the one. I can sense the power within it. Toss it in the air" Selah ordered. The goddess hesitated. "Do it or my blade solves this problem in the old ways" Selah said coldly handing Lucy off to Alicia. Persephone tossed the ancient, enchanted fruit into the air and Selah cut it effortlessly. It fell in halves to the floor and was quickly blasted to ashes with a bolt of lightning. Immediately, Persephone fell to her knees writhing. "Is she dying?" Alicia asked. "No, she's becoming mortal" Selah replied.

"See, there's Three ways you can kill a god. One is how we and Faith had been doing it till now. Strip away their authority and kill them like any other mortal. Second is just letting them turn mortalq98; q98; when they lose enough worshippers and believers. And third is what I just did. Destroy their symbol of their power or their instrument of their origin. Since the story of Persephone is rooted in the pomegranate, destroying it turns her human" she explained. "So, destroying it is turning her human?" Alicia asked. "And removes the enchantments enslaving the people. Two birds one stone" Selah replied. Persephone stopped writhing as a concerned Hades held her. "Fear not old god. She will live this day" she said. "By making me human? Is that not cruel to be made so lowly?" Persephone asked. "Cruel? Not at all. I heard your conversation about your husband's senility and how it pains you to see it. What I did was give you...one moment. Hades...Henry, I need you to stand up" she said. The old god did. Selah touched his forehead with her hand and with Norse magics, steadied his mind. "Persephone?" he asked bewildered. The woman hugged her husband delighted to hear him call he dream name once more. "As I was saying. I gave you something I have seen immortals lament they do not have. The right to grow old and die with the one you love. I have seen more than once the pain in an immortal's eyes as their mortal loved one's wither and die. I have steadied his mind, cleared the fog so to speak but that is a temporary thing. Now that you are mortal, you will age like all the others. Judging by his decay, you could very well outlive him...or the other way around. You may die together in the years to come if fate is merciful" Selah said softly.

"...thank you, Valkyrie. In truth, I never wanted to be part of her insane plan. I did it for him. My rule was destined to lead to ruin extending what power I did receive so vast. Its literal seeds were sewn" the once goddess said. "Persephone. I wish to go home to New York" Hades said. "As you wish husband" she said. They disappeared hand and hand leaving the Three standing there. "Guess that's our cue to leave" Lucy said. "You scratched that itch to get out?" Alicia said as she opened a portal home. "Scratched to the fucking bone" she replied. And with that they went home.

Selah deactivated her transformation as soon as they arrived shocking those present. "My god Selah" Alicia said. "What is it now?" Selah huffed. Alicia pointed her to the living room mirror. "Oh damn" she muttered. Selah had been in her transformation so long she no longer looked 14. She was closer to 17. "Shit. That's why my shirt is tight" she said taking it off. "Puberty was very kind" Alicia muttered. Skylar, Hana, and Theo entered the room hearing voices. "Holy shit! Selah is that you?!" Skylar asked. "Yep" she replied. "Your tits are huge! Bigger than mine!" Skylar yelled. "Apparently things happened" Hana said. "Yes, they did" Selah said softly. After a very lengthy talk filled with yelling, crying, and hugging everyone relaxed. Lucy had gone outside to the city to think about what had happened. Concerned, Selah went after her after she had not returned, and it was getting dark. "I was worried about you"' Selah said sitting next to the tiny woman. "Just deep in thought. Experiencing heaven isn't something you forget about" she said. "True that" Selah chuckled. There was a pause between them. "Lucy. Tell me about Tracy" she said. "It's a long story kiddo" Lucy said climbing onto her knee. "And I want to hear every detail" Selah said petting her hair. "It all began on a breeding farm in Washington State. I was 10 years old, and this girl walked up to me with a peanut in her hand..." Lucy said

Meanwhile...

Lilith smiled to herself in the mirror. Even though she sensed the loss of Persephone, she had reason to celebrate that evening. Faith grew worried as she sensed unusual delight from her after days of irritation and nervousness. She checked herself in the mirror on last time to make sure she looked vainly beautiful. "Got to look my best. Not every day you meet the Vice Admiral of the US Pacific 7th fleet. A man with enough firepower to glass a quarter of the planet" she thought. Her thoughts now greatly concerned Faith. "Why would you need to meet with him?" Faith asked. Lilith ignored her. Lilith translocated to a secluded park in Hawaii and appeared as a 175 ft. giantess. She considered herself superior to a man no matter what he could do. So why meet him at his size? Her bare footfalls shook the park and within moments found him. Sitting down with is 12-year-old grandson, the Vice Admiral quietly fished with the boy at a stream. It was a pleasant scene grandpa and grandson laughing and casting lines. That would all end soon. She blotted out the sun casting her shadow over them. "God...goddess! What do we owe the pleasure?" the man asked standing up and promptly bowing. The boy was awestruck. "Vice Admiral William Merz of the US Pacific 7th fleet. I have a job for you" she replied. The man scrambled to her big toe kissing her black polished toenail. "Name it and it will be so" he said. She glanced at the boy. "Why do you not bow?" she asked him. The boy began trembling. "Your connection to me was broken, wasn't it?" she asked feeling not a hint of worship. "He...he had his iPad when it happened" the man quickly said. Lilith bent down making the boy stumble back. His bare feet slipping on the wet grass. "You no longer believe I am your goddess?" she asked. "You're...you're mean. You hurt all those people in New York" he blurted out. "He does not mean..."

"He meant every word and is more honest than you. He speaks heresy though. You know the penalty for that correct?" she asked him. "Yes" he replied softly. Merz walked to the boy and hugged him tightly. "I love you, but you have to be punished" he whispered in the boy's ear. Lilith crouched down as low as she could and opened her mouth. Merz began dragging the boy to it. "No let me go! GRANDPA!" the boy screamed as they were just outside her mouth. He picked him up and tossed him right in. "GRAND..."

And she closed her mouth. He could hear his screaming as she savored the boy. Sucking on him and then with a gulp he was gone. Lilith spat out his saliva-soaked clothing at his grandfather's feet. "Now that's out of the way, how operational is your fleet?" she asked. "Less than adequate my goddess. Over a third of our crews has to be...purged after the event" he replied. "Then...little shit" she hissed slapping her stomach. "Then consolidate what you can. I want a battle fleet sailing within 48 hrs." she commanded. "By your will, my goddess. Where shall we be going?" he asked. Lilith began scratching out GPS coordinates in the dirt. "This is in the Indonesian Archipelago" he said. "That it is. I have one problem in England but not even she can be in two places at once" Lilith grinned. Lilith winced as Faith began screaming at her in her mind prison. "Tut tut. Your people played this game very well but, in the end, the House always wins" Lilith laughed as she left. Faith sensed another presence. Very faint but familiar. "You haven't won yet" Faith thought to herself hiding a grin.