#hephaestus? thrown from the mountain at birth just for existing.

[godsofhumanity]

Hebe: I was raised as an only child. Hebe: My two brothers, and three sisters took it pretty hard.

[shewhowantsmouseears]

Love Like Lava, 14

Notes: As always, big thanks to my wonderful editors Drucilla and BlueShifted. When the going gets tough, the tough smack me upside the head and point out all the times I need to use commas.

I honestly didn't think LLL would turn out to be longer than As Dawn Broke, but then I've needed to make a lot of changes to this story that I didn't realize beforehand. So this probably won't being my best work (then again I'm biased) but hopefully you'll still enjoy the ride.

Summary: In his growing rage, Pete confronts the god that "stole" Aphrodite. Will Minnie ever be able to admit who she really is? The chariot race draws closer, but the finish line feels so far away.

Some people, like Goofy, would say they're not good at “thinking”, but that wasn't true. Thinking isn't something one does wrong, as it is as natural as breathing. Coming up with ideas is something one can do wrong, however, and Pete was of this camp. He detested thinking about things that weren't war, or himself, or himself creating war. So trying to come up with the answer behind the mysterious mortal woman was driving him to frustration and he regretted going down this path. But one quality of him that could be viewed as good was that Pete never gave up when he wanted something.

He wanted Minnie, and if impressing her was going to make her belong to him, he wasn't going to give up.

Pete sat on his throne, watching a few petty squabbles on his Viewing Mirror. Occasionally he cast a glance out of the corner of his eyes to see how the rest of Mount Olympus was doing, and it angered him that it was the same as ever. Gladstone was admiring his reflection everywhere he saw it, including in the eyes of annoyed gods. Mortimer was testing out his latest drunken idea, the world's smallest glass of alcohol which he deemed a “shot”, and a few demi-gods murmured that it'd never catch on. It'd been many days since Aphrodite claimed she would wed Hephaestus, and just like that, every man on the Mountain had given up on her. What a bunch of weaklings! They'd been so ready to fight over her when she was available, but she says one silly declaration and they all went on as if she never existed. Didn't it bother any of them that she chose some nobody?

Pete was better than everybody, and therefore better than a nobody. He would make Minnie see his greatness, and there was no way Hephaestus could compare. Who was this guy, anyway? Pete paid so little attention to things outside of his own happiness that he hadn't bothered to look up when Hera announced her pregnancy centuries ago, and on the day of the sacred birth he'd been watching a bloodbath as warring nations fought over land. For Pete, being obliviousness was almost an art form. According to the other gods and goddesses, the name itself was forbidden to speak, lest Hera rip their heads off. Did this mean Hephaestus was a fearsome, terrifying god like Hades? Oh, if he was a strong, muscular opponent, Pete have be thrilled! A worthy opponent to fight would make his victory all the sweeter. He rolled his shoulders, and then leaned in very close to his Viewing Mirror, whispering as quietly as he could, hoping to avoid Hera's wrath.

“Show me this Hephaestus guy.”

What awaited him – a towering mass of ripped pecs and snarling teeth? Or a monstrous beast that could never be tamed? Or a small mouse with a twisted leg that was happily hammering a large yellow zig-zag?

Pete rubbed his eyes, but the vision remained. What was going on? He reached over to smack his mirror. “Hey, is this thing on the fritz? I said show me-” A quick glance around. “You know, that guy!”

The reflection rippled, as if the mirror was saying, “That's him, buddy boy.” It was still the same image of the tiny god who was leaning back to admire his work. He picked up his walking stick, aiming to get up and – a walking stick? A god needing a walking stick?!

Pete's jaw dropped, and he sputtered without making words. How could this be? In what reality would the goddess of beauty want a tiny, deformed loser? There had to be something more to this. He'd still beat the tar out of the mouse if it meant having Aphrodite, but it wouldn't even be a challenge. He could probably sneeze and this runt would fall over crying for his mama. Pete slammed his fists onto his arm rests -

And then he was in the cave. Mickey stopped where he was, startled, staring up at the giant that had suddenly appeared. The Axelias also paused in their work, all eyes on the snarling god of war. Pete glared at Mickey, and Mickey merely blinked at him. Was this one of Minnie's friends? “Um,” Mickey dared to speak first, raising his hand and wiggling his fingers. “Hello there.”

Pete put his hands on his hips and leaned down so he could be nose to nose with Mickey, his nose blowing hot air into the confused inventor's face. “Are you Hephaestus?”

Mickey tried to move backwards, but his work bench blocked him from going any further. “Well, sure. But I have everyone call me Mickey.” It was taking most of Mickey's will not to freak out at the gigantic hulking stranger that had suddenly appeared. But freaking out wouldn't solve anything, and thinking logically about the situation kept Mickey's panic from completely taking over. He forced a smile on his face, hoping it would hide his nervousness. “Who might you be?”

“Who am I?!” Pete repeated, roaring incredulously. Not only did this shrimp have the audacity to take away his Aphrodite, but he was so clueless he didn't know greatness when it was before him. He beat on his chest, pounding so hard that the maps and shields on the walls rattled. “I am Ares, the god of war!”

Mickey had heard the name in passing from his mermaids and nereids, but only the barest of details and what details they offered were often unpleasant. But Mickey was trying to change his attitude about making assumptions over people he didn't know, so he continued his effort to be sociable. Maybe offering a friendly hand and a continuing smile would make the hulking terror calm down. Mickey couldn't think of anything else that would make this situation better, or worse, so he kept using his nervous kindness as a shield. “Nice to meet you, Ares. What can I do for you?”

“Tell me what you got!” Pete pushed his finger into Mickey's big black nose. “What do you got that you think I don't got? You think you're better than me?”

“... I have absolutely never thought I was better than anyone else in my whole life,” Mickey honestly replied, eyes on the intrusive finger. “But I got plenty of stuff, if'fn that's what you're asking.” Instead of trying to go backwards, Mickey walked around Pete, heading to his collection of crafted weaponry. One look at Pete's detailed armor had given Mickey a hint about what he might like. “I bet you're the kinda fella who likes to fight with a sword.” Making something for someone was always Mickey's first and direct effort of interacting with others, and it'd had yet to fail him. Not that he truly gave it much thought – by now it was instinct.

“Huh?” Pete was momentarily thrown off, but tried to pretend he hadn't been, straightening his back and sticking out his jaw. “Of course I do! Any real man fights with a sword! And that's what I came here to tell you, that a real man-”

“Why don't you try this?” Mickey unknowingly interrupted, gesturing for the closest Axelia to pick up a sword he had pointed out. This particular sword had a round hilt to cover the wielder's hand, and the very tip of the blade appeared to be at an angle, adding an extra twist to the stab. “Makes for a good scratch and a half, I'm thinking.”

Being a god of bloodlust, Pete was instantly taken with the blade. “Oooh, gimmie!” He grabbed it with his grubby hands, grinning wildly as he turned it over to admire the edges. “This would pack a real punch! And it's red, that's my favorite color!”

“It's got a matching shield, if you want it,” Mickey continued, smiling as he enjoyed Pete's reaction. Now his smile had less tension and was more honest. He'd never given a man a gift before, but right now it had the same appeal as his gifts to his lady-friends. Why had Minnie said all the gods on Mount Olympus were rude snobs? Ares was weird, but he appreciated fine craftsmanship. Maybe under all that muscle and brute force he was a decent fellow, much like how Donald was a good guy despite the smoke and screams. “Axelia, can you grab that for him? You can finish up that necklace later.”

Pete paused, and as he saw another Axelia beginning to hang up a necklace made of scallop and conch sea shells, he remembered why he came here. “Oh, I see...” He growled, clenching the sword tighter in his fist. “That's how you did it! You done bribed her! I could've done that, and I could've done it ten times better!”

Again, Mickey was lost, and he scratched his head. “Bribed who? What are you talking about?”

“I see it all clearly now!” Pete used the sword to point at the various jewelry here and there, making some of the Axelias back up as he wildly swung it around. “That's the only reason she'd go for a deformed weakling like you! You make her all these pretty things, that's gotta be the real reason why she said she'd marry you!”

Marry? Mickey needed a minute to recall, but when it did, it hit hard. Aphrodite had said she was going to marry him! He'd been meaning to bring it up to Minnie, but, well, after their big love confession and the thousands of kisses that had followed afterward, it'd been hard to think of anything else in her presence. “Now hold on,” Mickey held up his free hand, trying to cool Pete's temper, and more importantly prevent him from breaking anything. “I don't know what that lady is thinking, but I've never made anything for her. Shoot, I haven't even met her before! How am I going to marry a lady I ain't ever met?”

Pete eyed Mickey suspiciously, and then he aimed the sword near Mickey's throat. “It ain't a good idea to lie to me, funny guy.”

“I'm not lying!” Mickey insisted, and his own temper began to rise momentarily. “How do you think I feel about all this? Some girl I've never met – some girl I don't even like! - up and telling everyone I'm going to be her husband? I think it's insane! Besides, I've already got myself a girlfriend.” Mickey's mouth then clamped shut after saying that, for it was the first time he'd said it out loud. He had a girlfriend. Minnie was his girlfriend. It was a delightful feeling, and he wanted to say it again, to repeat it again and again – but maybe not in front of the guy who was holding a sword to his throat.

To Pete, this was a welcome relief. Of course she wouldn't marry this midget! She must have just used him as scapegoat while she discovered her real feelings for Pete. He roughly pulled the sword away, giving Mickey a tiny nick on his throat – Pete spotted the speck of blood and scoffed. A bleeding god, what a lark! “All right, but you better not get any ideas! Aphrodite belongs to me, you got it? Once I impress her, she's going to devote herself to me!”

Mickey rubbed the sore spot on his neck. “Gee, I can see what a charmer you are.”

“But since you were wasting my time, I'm gunna take the sword and shield anyway!” Pete grabbed for the shield, and it fit his arm perfectly. Mickey almost said that Pete was the one wasting Mickey's time, and Mickey was more than happy to give his things away, but he sensed it was not the best action. “And if you got any other amazing weapons, I'm taking them too!”

“Sure,” Mickey agreed, which annoyed Pete more – no one wanted to put up a fight these days! But Mickey had less of a desire to fight and more of a desire to get rid of the man who just threatened him. Maybe if Mickey showed off his most impressive, amazing work, Pete would get it and go. The blacksmith lightly tapped on the bizarre yellow object he'd been working on. “This here is what I call a Lightning Bolt. It's full of electricity, and ought to give your foes a nasty spark or worse! Course, my problem is that I made it too big and heavy to use like a sword or a spear... Might be better if you throw it.”

“Easy peasy!” Pete reached for the bolt, ready to show off his impressive strength, and that's when a case of incredibly bad timing occurred.

“Oh Miiickeeeyyy~!” So sang the sweet voice of Minnie, skipping down the hallway in a fit of joyful glee. “It's such a beautiful day outside, and I think we should go out and see it!” Which was really a pretense for going to see all their friends and happily announcing their union as a couple. But if she'd said such a thing, no doubt Mickey would be so embarrassed he'd refuse. “Let's go see Goofy and Agalma and-”

Not only was this a case of extremely, terribly, really just downright awful timing, it was also a case of wearing just the wrong thing to go with it. Minnie had chosen to wear the tiara that Mickey had lovingly crafted, and as she came into the view of both men, she was much more beautiful because of it. Pete would have been angry, but just merely angry, at the sight of Minnie in Mickey's cave – but seeing her as the jaw-dropping goddess of beauty, who could now make you swoon with a mere flutter of eyelashes, was enough to ignite his outrage so hot he could feel fire behind his eyes.

Minnie had never felt fear and dread so deeply before in her life, not even when she saw Donald's shadowy side. What was Pete doing here?! Had he said anything he shouldn't have?! Her mouth opened to explain and apologize, but nothing came out, and even as she broke into a heavy sweat she still remained very pretty. Was it too late? Had she ruined everything? Had Pete ruined everything? She was going to tell Mickey, she really was, it just hadn't been the right time or place or anything!

Mickey was the only one not deeply surprised by this meeting. After all, Minnie said she'd been to Mount Olympus before, so it made sense for her to meet one of the more famous gods once or twice. He had no idea why Pete was mashing his teeth or why Minnie was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, so he tried to ease the tension. “Sure, Minnie, we can go out! I was just helpin' Ares here with a few weapons he liked. You might like this one too, it's called a Lightning Bolt!”

Pete then whipped around, barking like a rabid beast. “Do you think I'm a Lightning Dolt?! You lied to me! You lied to my face! Nobody lies to Ares and gets away with it!”

Mickey could only reply with “Huh?” before Minnie dashed in, throwing herself in front of Mickey. “Don't you lay a finger on him! Mickey's done nothing wrong!”

“He told me he never even met Aphrodite, let alone had any plans on marrying her!”

“I meant what I said!” Mickey snapped, oblivious to Minnie's growing panic. “I never met that lady, and at this rate, I hope I never do!”

Minnie gulped. “Um... Mickey, dear, darling, love of my life, I think I need to... say something...”

Pete began to swing the sword again, harder and faster this time, making the mice duck every time he moved his arm. “Are you trying to play games with me? You're still lying! You're nothing but lies! She told everyone on Mount Olympus she was marrying you, and here you are!”

“Well she should've kept her big mouth shut!” Mickey growled right back, slamming down his walking staff. “Are all of you guys going to come down here and threaten me because of what she said? That lady's nothing but trouble! Maybe you're all better off without her, if she just treats guys like toys! You ever see that woman, you spit on her for me! She's done nothing but embarrass and humiliate me!”

Minnie's tiara was almost as light as air, but then and there it felt she was sharing the same burden as Atlas, he who held the whole world on his back. She sank down further and further, her fingers tangled in Mickey's brown robe, shaking harder with every word. “I'm... I'm sure she... h-had her...reasons...”

Pete was beyond infuriated now that these two dared to mock him, and he slammed his sword down, missing the mice but cleaving the lightning bolt in half. Sparks of electricity sizzled out of each end, and Mickey wrapped his arm around Minnie, even knowing that he could do little to defend her. Pete swung again, and this time he sliced away Mickey's maps, and slammed the projects that hung on the wall. The Axelias wore no expression of fear, but each one came to Mickey's side, holding hands and forming a golden cage around the loving couple. Pete faced the obstacle, and he could have easily torn through them without breaking a sweat, but that had the potential of hurting Minnie. What little sense he had told him that injuring a woman wouldn't endear them to you.

“I'll get you for this,” Pete hissed, spit dribbling from his lower lip. “Just you wait, I'll make you pay! Ares is nobody's fool! When I'm through with you, I'll make you regret the day you were born!” He then willed himself away, leaving the space where he once stood charred and blackened. A long, uneasy moment of silence passed, and then the Axelias broke up to clean up the remains of his attack.

Mickey exhaled deeply, loosening his hold on Minnie. “You all right?” When she nodded numbly, he kissed her forehead before turning to survey the damage. “Aw, gee, will you look at all this?” He knelt down to touch the severed lightning bolt, disappointment mingling with resentment. “It took me years to get this far! I might have to start all over again...Where does that guy get off, attackin' me for somethin' I didn't do?”

He expected Minnie to agree, and when she said nothing, he looked back at her. Minnie was clutching her dress, hot tears running down her face. “Minnie!” Mickey instantly put the troubles of his workload behind him, getting back on his feet and trying to find an injury on her. “Minnie, what is it? Did that jerk hurt you? Did he scare you?” She shook her head no, still unable to speak. “Is it me? I'm okay! Really, I'm okay! I don't mind startin' over, not too much, and I'm not hurt! … Well, I got a little thing on my neck here, but maybe you could kiss it better?” He grinned weakly, hoping that would get a kick out of her.

Once again, Minnie had tried to make things better without understanding, or even trying to understand, the consequences of her actions, just as she had with Agalma's life. If she had thought making that ridiculous marriage announcement would bring Mickey harm in any way, of course she wouldn't have done it. But she hadn't thought of him in that moment, not really. She wanted to stick it to Hera and all the other gods that believed they had the right to control her life. Her petty revenge had made things worse. Why couldn't she think, why couldn't she ever think about where her ideas led when she was gone?

She didn't deserve his love, and she certainly didn't deserve to wear the tiara that he had perfected in her honor. She tried to yank it off with a choked sob, but Mickey's hand snatched hers, trying to still her. “Hey, hey, hey! Don't go hurtin' yourself now...I'll take it off you.” Mickey didn't understand why Minnie suddenly wanted the tiara to come off, but he gently slid it off her head, and put it aside on his work bench. “There now, no need for a fuss.” His arm curled around Minnie' back, pulling her into his embrace. “Maybe I ought to teach Axelia how to use those weapons I'm always makin'. That'd be a nice little security system.” He was saying it more for Minnie's sake then his own, affectionately nuzzling his nose to her wet cheek.

Minnie hiccupped, and finally found words, mumbling into Mickey's chest. “I love you. No matter what, I'll always love you. Even if you don't believe me, even if you hate me, I'll always care about you. I will always want you to be happy, no matter what you think of me.” He had to believe that, Minnie desperately needed him to know that as a fact.

Mickey himself was just befuddled. “Well, uh, sure, I believe you.” Hadn't they just declared their undying love for each other a few days ago? “Nothin' in this world could ever make me hate you... I think seein' Ares go crazy messed with your head a bit.” He tried to nudge her chin up, wearing a smile the entire time. “Didn't you say you had somethin' to tell me?”

Well. Well. “I, um. I...” Though she had kept promising herself she'd tell him the big secret one day, she'd yet to form an actual speech or plan of how it would go. “The truth is, I'm... I'm actually...” Of course this was just another way of delaying it. All she needed to say were two words. 'I'm Aphrodite'. Just those two. That was all. And yet...

“The truth is...?” Mickey repeated, trying to help her along without a clue as to what he was helping. Minnie had always told him the truth, so why phrase it that way? He tilted his head, blinking at her, waiting for the rest.

Minnie opened her mouth.

I'm Aphrodite.

I'm Aphrodite.

I'm Aphrodite.

“I'm... I'm sorry.”

There was now no way that Minnie could ever tell the man she loved that she was also the one he wanted to spit on. Maybe she was digging herself into a deeper hole, but at this point she couldn't even fathom how to climb back out. “I-It was nothing, really. Nothing important.”

“If you say it, that makes it important.” Though he truly meant it in a loving way, he couldn't help but be curious. The truth about what? And what was it about seeing Ares that had brought it up? Why in the world would Minnie think Mickey would ever hate her? That was the most baffling thing of all. Hating the woman who brought love and light to his life – it was madness! Minnie was hiding something, but was it Mickey's place to force it out? This was Minnie, his girlfriend – his girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend, it even felt good to repeat it in his head – and she'd never hurt him. So why would she feel a need to hide anything from him?

“You're sweet.” Minnie mumbled.

Mickey wiped away the remaining signs of her tears. “Why don't we go see Goofy and Agalma?” As much as he wanted to know the secret, he wanted Minnie's happiness far more. They had eternity for her to say what she needed to. The here and now was more important. “That was a swell idea you had. And it'll give Axelia time to clean up the place.” He linked arms with her, and he was rewarded with an honest smile that made his heart sing.

“Y-yes, let's go see them...and we can tell them that we're finally together!”

Mickey began to blush. “Whaddya mean, finally?”

“Well, you were taking your time-”

“And how would you know? Aw, don't even answer that!”

The last sounds they made before leaving the cave were laughter, and for one more day, Minnie tried to hide her sins and the guilt they carried. Yet she couldn't help but think she didn't have Atlas's strength. One day, this weight would crush her and destroy everything she loved so dearly.

It just wouldn't be today.

~*~

Early this morning, Goofy was working on Minnie's singular carved peach. He still found it an odd thing to ask, but since he'd gotten so few requests over his life and she'd become a dear friend to him, he wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Because of this, he had gone a little overboard. Where Minnie would have simply been happy with the peach itself, Goofy was adding leaves, the cracked signs of a twig, little droplets of rainwater, and other details that were completely unnecessary unless you asked Goofy himself. Of course you had to have these things, the gift wasn't complete without them.

The real reason behind the extra additions was that when Goofy was sculpting, he didn't have to think about anything else except for his work. He could hear Agalma calling for him, letting him know Gyro had arrived, and he didn't want to think about the complications those two had unknowingly brought. He didn't want trouble, he wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. Just him and his workshop, all alone, with no one to bother him or make him do things that scared him. There'd been nothing wrong with that life.

Save for the fact he'd been completely miserable.

“Goofy, did you hear me?” Agalma was now tugging on his arm. “I said Gyro's here. Should I tell him you're busy?”

“Naw, I'm all right.” With a defeated sigh, he put his tools back on the work shelf, and brushed the dust from his robes. “Don't see what's gunna be any different about today, though.”

“What do you mean?” Agalma asked as they headed outside. “Every day is different. I've never experienced a day that was exactly the same as the one before.”

It was a child's wisdom, but not inherently wrong. “I mean, I ain't gunna be any better at racin', and Gyro ain't gunna come up with no big, super special chariot. We've both been tryin', but there's just been no point to it all.” Millicent would have cooed in sympathy, rubbed his back, and let him go back inside.

Agalma squinted, lips curling in frustration, and she stomped ahead of Goofy. “Well of course nothing's going to change if you think that way! If you don't want things to change, they won't, and that's all there is to it.” She crossed her arms, keeping her back to him. “But if you keep saying to yourself over and over you can't do it, how do you expect to do it all? Should I tell Gyro to go home?”

Gyro's cart had arrived, and he'd only caught onto the last question, causing him to scratch his head and wonder when he'd ridden into. “But I just got here! Is something the matter?”

Goofy let out an exasperated puff of air. Millicent never argued with him, Millicent always agreed with him, Millicent wouldn't – Agalma. This was Agalma. “N-Nothin', Gyro, it ain't nothin',” he mumbled quietly, turning his head away.

“'Ain't nothing' is a double negative, which actually means something is wrong,” Gyro pointed out as he climbed down, carrying several scrolls and ink quills under one arm. The cart itself was empty, as they used it as a make-shift chariot so Goofy could practice while Gyro plotted and planned. “If there's anything I can do to help, you just say the word! I feel we've made some real progress these past couple of days, yes we have! You no longer fall out of the cart, and I learned that blindfolding the rider will not heighten their other senses.”

“I think everyone in the village learned that one,” Agalma quipped, hoping that the previous experiment hadn't run over more than six feet. “Gyro, all your ideas sound great in theory, but when you actually pull it off, things tend to be disastrous.” No one had yet to teach her about tact, and so Agalma was continuously blunt. “Maybe you should think about the future of your ideas before trying them on someone.”

Gyro smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, well, um... I suppose that may be true. I guess I just get so excited that I want to see if it's a success right away. I've been out of good ideas for inventions for so long that now I can't tell a bad one when it's right in front of me.” Maybe now would be a good time to weed them out, and he whipped out one of the scrolls, unfurling it in front of Agalma. “How about this? Putting springs on the rider's sandals so he can jump high in the air as he rides, giving the horse less weight to pull!”

“Or he'd jump right out of the chariot and get run over by the other riders.”

“...Oh. H-How about this one?” He pulled out another, as Goofy uneasily climbed into the cart for practice. “A special pair of goggles that lets him see twenty feet straight ahead and nothing else!”

“So he wouldn't be able to see anything left or right?”

“...A trick mechanism in the chariot that would pop out carrots to distract the other horses?”

“Including the horse he's riding?”

Goofy was kind of glad to get away from this depressing conversation, tugging lightly on Little Helper's reins to get him going. It was true that his riding had improved bit by bit, and once he had found his balance it was only a matter of adjusting to increased speed. At first he only stuck to riding around his house, but Gyro and Agalma had encouraged him to ride out into the village, and even outside of it. It was even sort of fun, once you stopped worrying about running people over. But the minute he thought he wouldn't be better at it, that's when he'd accidentally let go of the reins or find himself heading for a tree.

As he looped around the house, he could see Gyro going through the last of his scrolls and Agalma needing to tilt her head to an absurd degree to even understand what the point of the invention was. He kept going, believing he wouldn't be any help in that conversation.

When Gyro had finished the last of his ideas, he sat on the ground, despondent. “Oh, why can't I think of anything helpful? I'm a disgrace to the Gearloose name! They might as well call me Gearlost!”

Agalma sat down beside him, going through the blueprints and notes Gyro had jotted down. There was something about them she just couldn't quite put her finger on, but it wasn't like the hard work Goofy put into his statues. It lacked passion. It lacked enthusiasm. It all seemed very rushed. She turned her head towards the sad bird. “Gyro, I'm starting to think you don't want to build a chariot at all.”

He lifted his head, surprised at her accusation. “What do you mean? Of course I do, I want Goofy to win!”

“But that's not the same as wanting to make a chariot.” Agalma tapped her finger to the papers. “I think you only want to do this so you can get the money. So it's not so much you want to build a chariot, it's that you want to win. Your heart's not in it.” She began to roll the scrolls back up, only lifting her head whenever Goofy passed by. “I know you said you want to help people with your inventions, but you're not going to help anyone like this.” When all of the paperwork was rolled up, she handed it back to Gyro. “Why don't you focus on what you want to do first? Maybe it'll help your head.”

Gyro rubbed his arms, knowing Agalma was right in the oddest of ways. Often it felt like she was the genius, despite having to learn basic things day by day. “Well...there is one thing I'd like to do with the money, but... it's ridiculous. It wouldn't help anyone at all. You don't want to hear about it.”

“Yes I do,” Agalma corrected him with a hint of irritability. “I don't like it when people make assumptions. Goofy makes a bunch of assumptions about me just because I look like Millicent, but I'm not Millicent, I'm Agalma. And I'm telling you I want to hear about it.”

While Gyro was curious about who Millicent was and what this woman had to do with anything, he couldn't find it in himself to reject Agalma's inquiries. He hesitated, and then sighed, moving to grab one of the scrolls. After unfurling it, he flipped it over, revealing odd drawings of fish, coral, and a round boat. “This belonged to my grandmother. She had all of these theories about the underwater world, and ever since she had me on her knee and showed me her designs, it was all I could think of. She died before ever putting any of her ideas into action, but they're still alive in me! I want to explore the ocean's depths, and find out if her theories are true!”

“What kind of theories did she have?” Agalma asked, moving to look over Gyro's shoulder.

“She had hundreds! Like the way certain species of fish migrated, and pressure grows the deeper you go...But the most amazing theory I want to prove is this!” Now his voice was growing loud with excitement, and he wildly tapped on the corner of the page, where a triangle sat with spewing lines. “To see if underwater volcanoes exist! If that was true, the whole world could change!”

Agalma smiled, despite having no idea what a volcano was, much less an underwater one. “I think that could be very helpful to the world! When people learn something new, it helps in all kinds of ways!”

Gyro's expression began to brighten more and more, the depression from mere moments earlier vanishing without a trace. “Do you really think so? Even if I can't think of how it would help people?”

“I know so! You never know what people will do with knowledge! It can inspire them to do so many things! I think you should absolutely work on these ideas, Gyro!” Agalma grabbed Gyro's hands and began to pull him to his feet. “You can do this and work on the chariot! You don't have to hold back! Let the real you come through!”

By this time Goofy was coming around again, and when he did, Gyro cheerfully shouted towards him, “Goofy! Your girlfriend is just grand!”

Oh, no – what had Agalma done this time? Goofy tugged on the reins, trying to make Little Helper slow down to a halt. “Now you wait just a – she ain't my girlfriend!”

“Really?” asked Mickey from behind.

“I don't know what she is, but she sure ain't-” Goofy stopped, and then looked behind him, finding both Mickey and Minnie in their mortal forms on the wagon. He was quite sure the wagon had been empty seconds ago, but as is the way of gods, he couldn't say it with 100% certainty. Mickey smiled sheepishly at Minnie – he had yet to completely master teleportation, and Minnie giggled, finding his mistake adorable – Mickey had tried to go “where Goofy was”, instead of “where Goofy lived”. “Huh. Uh...well, hello, Mickey. Hello, Minnie. Nice to see ya again.”

“Friends of yours, Goofy?” Gyro asked, walking over with Agalma. “I didn't know we'd have an audience!” He reached out to shake Mickey's hand, and then Minnie's. “I'm Sir Gyro De Gearloose! A pleasure, a pleasure I'm sure!”

“I'm Mickey! This here's my girlfriend, Minnie.” Oh boy, he could say it again now, couldn't he? “She's my girlfriend.” It felt better each time he said it. “She's my girlfriend.”

“I thought you said she wasn't,” Goofy dropped the reins, climbing out the wagon. “You made a big ol' stink about it when I asked you if she was!”

“He was just hiding his feelings,” Minnie chirped, lightly poking Mickey's cheek. “But now we're going to tell everybody!”

“We're not going to tell everybody,” Mickey quickly countered.

As Minnie continued to insist the whole world should know, and Mickey replied that was absolutely not happening, Goofy couldn't help but feel a prick of jealousy deep in his heart. He knew it was wrong, and he was happy for them. All the same, it made him miss the days with Millicent, and as always when he thought of her his eyes drifted to Agalma, who wasn't Millicent. She was giddily clapping as Minnie went into detail about her relationship, much to Mickey's embarrassment, and Gyro was laughing with merriment. Goofy's envy grew and grew – none of them had ever lost someone so dear and important, so of course their happiness could stay and grow. His fleeting moments of happiness, even with good friends, were exactly that – fleeting. Without Millicent, he couldn't imagine being happy for long.

Yet...he'd been happier ever since he met Minnie, and Daisy, and all of these odd folks. Happier than he'd been in years. It felt wrong to be happy without Millicent, as if he was disrespecting the loss of her life. He shouldn't be happy, he wasn't allowed to be happy, but even as jealousy nestled in his chest, he didn't want any of these people to leave. The conflicting emotions waged war in his heart – he shouldn't be happy, but he didn't want to be unhappy. What would Millicent do in this situation? He didn't want to move on, couldn't possibly move on -

“Show them how good you've gotten!” Agalma's voice became clearer to hear now that she was holding his hands and tugging at him with great excitement. Apparently while Goofy had been licking his wounds, or making sure they remained open, she had gone into detail about Goofy's racing. “He's really amazing when he concentrates!”

“I wanna see you in action myself,” Mickey agreed, smiling and nodding. “And when the big day comes, you can count on me bein' there!”

“Me too!” Minnie raised her hand, jumping up and down. “I can't wait to see you race!”

Goofy begrudgingly began to climb back into the wagon. “Don't get your hopes up, it ain't like I'm gunna win.”

“So what?” Minnie asked, and Goofy stopped, confused.

He turned back. “Whaddya mean, 'so what'? What's the point of watchin' me if I ain't gunna win?”

To Minnie, the answer was astonishingly simple. “To see you having fun.”

“I concur!” Gyro slapped Goofy so hard on the back he almost fell over. “Even if you don't win the money, I'll be glad to watch you go! I'll cheer you on every lap! Research shows that cheering boosts morale by 10.6%!”

“Your statues are very lovely,” Agalma said without a hint of irony, “But you can't spend all your time with them. You've got to go out and see the world. If I could have walked outside of those walls sooner, believe me, I would have ran!”

“I've been in a similar position myself,” Mickey admitted, casting a grateful glance at Minnie. “And sometimes folks gotta push you into doing something you're afraid of because you'll never do it yourself. How do you know you don't need to see the outside, if you don't know exactly what's out there to miss?” Minnie gave a slightly weak smile in return, and hugged his arm.

Goofy said nothing, eyes moving from one friend to the other. He couldn't think of anything he'd done to win their devotion. He'd just been himself, and there was no way he was this incredible. He still said nothing as he picked up the reins, still said nothing as he tugged Little Helper into action, and still said nothing as the horse's trots turned into gallops.

But he smiled, and that smile held on as he sped throughout the entire village, running laps around its borders and avoiding the waving citizens he passed. He did this again and again, only hearing the enthusiastic cheers of his friends, and for perhaps the first time in who knew how long, he did not think of Millicent.

And he was not miserable.